bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Long term effects of bioactive glass particulates on dental pulp stem cells in vitro
Authors: Gholami Sanaz , Labbaf Sheyda , Houreh Arezou Baharlou , Ting Hung-Kai , Jones Julian R. , Esfahani Mohammad-Hossein Nasr
Published: December 2017

Bioactive glasses (BG) are known for their ability to induce bone formation by the action of their dissolution products. Glasses can deliver active ions at a sustained rate, determined by their composition and surface area. Nanoporous sol-gel derived BGs can biodegrade rapidly, which can lead to a detrimental burst release of ions and a pHrise. The addition of phosphate into the glass can buffer the pH during dissolution. Here, dissolution of BG with composition 60 mol% SiO
Fuzzy Bio-Inspired Hybrid Techniques for Server Consolidation and Virtual Machine Placement in Cloud Environment
Authors: Perumal Boominathan , Aramudhan M. , Saravanaguru Ra K.
Published: December 2017

Cloud computing technology has transformed the information and communication technology industry by authorizing on-demand resource delivery to the cloud users. Datacenters are the major resource storage places from where the resources are disseminated to the requesters. When several requests are received by datacenters, the available resources are to be handled in an optimized way; otherwise the datacenters suffer from resource wastage. Virtualization is the technology that helps the cloud providers to handle several requests in an optimized way. In this regard, virtual machine placement, i.e., the process of mapping virtual machines to physical machines is considered to be the major research issue. In this paper, we propose to apply fuzzy hybrid bio-inspired meta-heuristic techniques for solving the virtual machine placement problem. The cuckoo search technique is hybridized with the fuzzy ant colony optimization and fuzzy firefly colony optimization technique. The experimental results obtained show competing performance of the proposed algorithms.
“I Cannot Dance Upon My Toes”: A Case Study Into Teacher Learning Through Participating in an English Teaching Contest in China
Authors: Yueting Xu
Published: December 2017

The professional development of College English (CE) teachers in China has received considerable attention due to their responsibility in preparing university graduates for adequate English proficiency. Many continuous professional development (CPD) activities have been conducted (e.g., national teaching contest) to improve CE teachers’ teaching effectiveness, an essential component of teacher learning. However, it has remained unknown concerning how teacher learning takes place in these well-intended CPD activities, and what mediating factors play an important role in teacher learning. To address this gap, this case study reports on a CE teacher’s (Janna, pseudonym) experience in preparing for and participating in an English teaching contest. Drawing upon multiple sets of data such as teacher reflective journals, interviews, observations of group discussions, and video-recorded teaching demonstration and lesson plan presentation, the findings reveal that teacher learning takes place at a superficial level through legitimate peripheral participation, yet at a deeper level through identity crisis. Vulnerable teacher learning is also identified in the CPD activity, with differentiated learning possibilities created by the tensions between resources and power relations within the community and the teacher’s conceptions of teaching and learning. The study concludes with implications for research of teacher learning and practice for teacher professional development.
When Teacher Autonomy Meets Management Autonomy to Enhance Learner Autonomy
Authors: Yi Wang
Published: December 2017

Developing learner autonomy (LA) requires a shift of control from teachers to students. This development also relates to teacher autonomy (TA), which requires school managers to relinquish some degree of their own autonomy (MA) to teachers. Thus, a problem arises: how can the three levels of control-shifts co-exist and survive in harmony, and ideally, thrive each in its own way? Based on a recent case study, this paper aims to explore the complexity of the dynamic interaction between these three types of autonomy within an educational hierarchy. The study was conducted in a Chinese secondary school which was promoting whole-person development through a comprehensive innovation project. The participants comprised nine English teachers, the executive director, and the principal. Data collection methods included interviews, observations, and post-lesson discussions. Three issues are addressed in this paper: the principal ’s perceptions of LA, a classroom instruction model to cultivate LA, and a teacher training scheme to facilitate TA. The findings display a complex picture of these issues, and imply the importance of a genuine, shared understanding of the nature of autonomy and the need to carefully ensure the optimal balance among the three types of autonomy in the design and implementation of curriculum innovations.
Teaching and Assessing Critical Thinking in Second Language Writing: An Infusion Approach
Authors: Yanning Dong
Published: December 2017

Recent calls for promoting students’ critical thinking (CT) abilities leave second language (L2) teachers wondering how to integrate CT into their existing agenda. Framed by
Distribution and Size of Barnacle Chelonibia patula Fouling Blue Crab Callinectes amnicola in Southeast Nigeria
Authors: Udoh James Philip , Otoh Aniekan Johnny
Published: December 2017

The distribution and occurrence of epibionts on the dorsal carapace, ventral carapace and chela of 325 specimens of Callinectes amnicola (De Rocheburne, 1883) (103.4 - 138.7 mm carapace width) from the Qua Iboe (QIRE) and Imo River (IRE) estuaries in southeast Nigeria was determined. The only ectosymbiont observed was cirriped barnacle, Chelonibia patula, mostly of smaller sizes (2.25 mm), infesting only 25-29% of intermoult crabs, more on females and in the Imo River estuary, with an average of four barnacles per crab, presupposing low level of epibiont-host interaction. There was no significant difference (P>0.05) in spatial distribution but epibionts were highest in the dry season in low salinity IRE (0.53‰) and in wet season in the medium-salinity QIRE (17.4‰). No public health risk has been reported among crab consumers in the study area. This study highlights epibiont-host interaction in the study area largely unknown for proper management of the fishery.
Fisheries and Climate Change: Inevitability or Prophylaxis? Contributing to a Necessary Debate
Authors: Monteiro Pedro Valadas
Published: December 2017

Climate changes constitute the greatest challenge of this century due to the modifications they cause in weather and environmental conditions, and thus affecting the social and economic dynamics at multiple levels. Because all invertebrates and fish used for human consumption are poikilotherms, they are very sensitive to modifications in the environment, namely temperature and levels of oxygen. Phenomena like temperature rising, acidification, ocean stratification and changes in salinity are already perceptible and susceptible of causing severe consequences in aquatic ecosystems. Falling productivity, species migration and localized extinctions, as well as conflict over the use of scarce resources and increased risks associated with more extreme climatic events are among the possible consequences. Increased climate variability justifies a focus on the design and promotion of strategies to control the inherent risk and increase the resilience of marine and freshwater systems that strongly affect the livelihoods of millions of human beings worldwide. A multidimensional and holistic concept for the sustainable management of maritime and marine resources is indissociable from the unequivocal evidence of climate changes. Raising awareness of public in general and ocean stakeholders for the relevance of the topic at hand are assumed as key dimensions with the present article.
Length-Weight Relationship and Condition Factor of Crayfish from South Sorong and Jayawijaya, Papua, Indonesia
Authors: Weya Jean Marlin , Rumbiak Nanda Sendy , Hariyanto Sucipto , Irawan Bambang , Soegianto Agoes
Published: December 2017

The objectives of this study were to investigate the length-weight relationship and condition factor of crayfish living in the natural habitat of South Sorong and Jayawijaya Regencies, Papua, Indonesia. Three species of crayfish (Cherax monticola, C. albertisii and C. communis) were collected from Jayawijaya Regency and only one species of crayfish (C. swonden) was collected from South Sorong Regency. The growth coefficient (b) for each crayfish species ranged from 2.55 to 3.10. C. monticola from Jayawijaya Regency presented the highest b value (3.10), and C. swonden from South Sorong Regency showed the lowest b value (2.55). The condition factors (K) for each crayfish species ranged from 1.9 to 2.3. C. monticola and C. albertissi had the highest K value (2.3), whereas C. swonden demonstrated the lowest K value (1.9). The present study indicated that the values of b and K of crayfish living in Jayawijaya were higher than those from South Sorong probably because Jayawijaya habitat provides more suitable environment and better food supply for crayfish than South Sorong.
Large deviations of branching processes with immigration in random environment
Authors: Dmitruschenkov Dmitriy V. , Shklyaev Alexander V.
Published: December 2017

We consider branching process Zn
in random environment such that the associated random walk Sn
has increments ξi
with mean μ and satisfy the Cramér condition E
e

hξi

< ∞, 0 < h < h
+. Let χi
be the number of particles immigrating into the i
th generation of the process,

E

χ
i
h

$\begin{array}{}
\mathbf{E}\chi_i^h
\end{array} $

< ∞, 0 < h < h
+. We suppose that the number of offsprings of one particle conditioned on the environment has the geometric distribution. It is shown that the supplement of immigration to critical or supercritical processes results only in the change of multiplicative constant in the asymptotics of large deviation probabilities P{Zn
≥ exp(θ n)}, θ > μ. In the case of subcritical processes analogous result is obtained for θ > γ, where γ > 0 is some constant. For all constants explicit formulas are given.
The Reform of French Contract Law: An Analysis of its Application to Corporate Acquisitions
Authors: Barrière François , Bine Pascal , Diaz Olivier
Published: December 2017

More than ten years after the French President at the time first announced it – during the bicentenary celebration of the Napoleonic Code, the reform of the law of contracts has taken shape. The reform’s objectives are to make the law more accessible while increasing legal certainty; objectives often put forward during successive legal reforms without necessarily being met. Its purpose is also to increase the efficiency of French contract law, which will encourage business growth, and is evident, for instance, by the fact that unilateral will is being dealt with several times in the reform. In addition, contractual freedom, captured within the preliminary provisions, sets the tone for a more flexible legal framework. Although the reform codifies several solutions derived from case-law, it also introduces noteworthy innovations such as, in particular, a duty to inform, a legal framework for unforeseeable situations, means of action against unfair clauses in adhesion contracts, or even the ability to reduce the price in the event of incomplete performance of the contract. This reform recognizes contractual freedom, which can – in any event – only be a step in the right direction! This article analyses the modification to French contract law made by Ordinance N° 2016–131 and their impact on corporate acquisitions.
The Birth of the Prison: The Functions of Imprisonment in Early Mesopotamia
Authors: Reid John Nicholas
Published: December 2017

While the terms prison and prisoner are frequently used in translations and studies based on the texts from early Mesopotamia (ca. 3200–1595 B.C., according to Middle Chronology),

Although “early Mesopotamia” is not ideal as a descriptor, it is employed here in the same way as Postgate (1992: xxi–xxiii). The term is used to refer to Southern Mesopotamia from Late Uruk until the first fall of Babylon, or circa 3200–1595 B.C. Despite this, the Mari evidence will be summarized and referenced at certain points in the article. While the focus of this study is in on the early Mesopotamian evidence, occasional references are made to select relevant material from other periods to add depth and perspective to the discussion.

the contextual evidence relating to these terms has not been assembled and organized to determine the nature of the so-called prisons of the period, together with any points of continuity and discontinuity with the modern terminology. When done, it may be concluded that prisons in early Mesopotamia do not share a one-to-one correspondence with the various manifestations of prisons in the modern Western world. Although prisons in early Mesopotamia functioned in broader ways than modern examples, I argue that significant functional overlap also exists. These similarities directly relate to theoretical and definitional criteria employed in historical discussions about prisons, demonstrating that the Mesopotamian evidence belongs in a world history of prisons.
Does Banknote Quality Affect Counterfeit Detection? Experimental Evidence from Germany and the Netherlands
Authors: van der Horst Frank , Eschelbach Martina , Sieber Susann , Miedema Jelle
Published: December 2017

Counterfeit prevention is a major concern for central banks. In search of effective policy measures, it is often claimed that a clean banknote circulation helps the general public to more easily detect counterfeits. To examine this claim, we conducted an experimental study with 250 consumers and 261 cashiers in the Netherlands and Germany. Participants received 200 banknotes with either a high or a low average soil level. The banknote test sets contained 20 counterfeits to be detected by the participants. For the regression analysis we applied approaches used in the area of psychophysical science (signal detection theory). Our candidates identified more counterfeits when sorting clean banknotes. However, our analysis also showed that the cleanliness of banknotes does not actually help the person checking the banknote to more easily distinguish a counterfeit banknote from a genuine note. In fact, new and clean banknotes raised suspicion: they were more often declared as counterfeits – correctly or not. We discuss the implication of our results for central banks’ banknote policies.
al_o dv kie_en maht an dirre figuren: Formen und Funktionen astronomischer Diagramme in der sogenannten ‚Mainauer Naturlehre‘
Authors: Lindemann Dorothee
Published: December 2017

The present study adverts to a newly found manuscript and reclassifies the diagrams of the ‘Mainauer Naturlehre’ in the context of the Latin tradition. Thus, a deficit of research concerning the astronomic technical literature in Middle High German can be closed. The Basle vernacular manuscript that is discussed here shows a very strong relationship between the text and its diagrams, which is examined as a special kind of diagrammatical act, whose intratextual function lies primarily in the realm of historical semantics: the diagram generates a notion of scientific specialization in vernacular. In contrast to this, the York manuscript confronts text and diagram in a contrapunctual way and supplements the vernacular text with an appendix of Latin diagrams. This relation between German prose and Latin diagrammatic tradition might well be a reflection of a pragmatic background.
Theoretical Simulation of a Room Temperature HgCdTe Long-Wave Detector for Fast Response − Operating Under Zero Bias Conditions
Authors: Martyniuk Piotr , Kopytko Małgorzata , Madejczyk Paweł , Henig Aleksandra , Grodecki Kacper , Gawron Waldemar , Rutkowski Jarosław
Published: December 2017

The paper reports on a long-wave infrared (cut-off wavelength ~ 9 μm) HgCdTe detector operating under nbiased condition and room temperature (300 K) for both short response time and high detectivity operation. The ptimal structure in terms of the response time and detectivity versus device architecture was shown. The response time of the long-wave (active layer Cd composition, xCd= 0.19) HgCdTe detector for 300 K was calculated at a level of τs~ 1 ns for zero bias condition, while the detectivity − at a level of D* ~ 109cmHz1/2/W assuming immersion. It was presented that parameters of the active layer and P+barrier layer play a critical role in order to reach τs≤ 1 ns. An extra series resistance related to the processing (RS+in a range 5−10 Ω) increased the response time more than two times (τs ~ 2.3 ns).
Lexical Substitution and Paraphasia in Advanced Dementia of the Alzheimer Type
Authors: Ovchinnikova Irina , Pavlova Anna
Published: December 2017

The paper presents the case study of lexical selection in Alzheimer-type dementia. Lexical substitutions in poem recitation and conversations of a Russian speaker, who suffered Alzheimer-type dementia, were analyzed on the background of the lexical retrieval and slip-of-the-tongue phenomena. The classification of the substitutions is worked out on the basis of the links between a target word and its substitutions. The current context plays an essential role as natural priming for a substitution in a poem recitation. Some words have predisposition to be lost; the units belong to the figurative language or to the category of infrequent lexemes. In conversation, the patient masked failures by referring to the circumstances and appealing to the sense of humor. Positive emotions facilitate recollecting of words, involved in the description of real-life events, due to the relatively spared nondeclarative memory. The changes in the substitutions and paraphasias categories between AD stages are statistically significant.
Investigation of chemical composition and moisture content for different materials on the attenuation of γ rays
Authors: Hilal Moustafa A. , Attallah Mohamed F.
Published: December 2017

In the present work, materials, namely mud, sand mud, ferruginous sandstone and sandstone with different densities are used to evaluate the effect of chemical composition and moisture content on the self-attenuation coefficient factor at γ-energy range from 59.5 to 1332.5 keV. The results revealed that the attenuation coefficient increases with increasing the moisture content until the material saturate with moisture. The average value of increasing linear attenuation coefficients based on increasing moisture content are 14.3%, 16.0%, 18.2%, 28.1% and 24.8% at γ-energies 59.5, 356.0, 661.7, 1173.4 and 1332.5 keV, respectively. Chemical composition of material affected on the values of attenuation, i.e. the elements with high density have high attenuation coefficient. Significant effect of self-attenuation correction factor was observed at low γ-energies up to 500 KeV. Application of the calculated correction of environmental sample with low radioactivity content has been carried out.
Lateinamerikanischer Neostrukturalismus: Sojaboom und wirtschaftliche Konzentration in Argentinien
Authors: Berndt Christian , Bernhold Christin
Published: December 2017

Anfang der 2000er-Jahre haben einige lateinamerikanische Staaten im Zuge der Wahl sozialdemokratischer Regierungen und im Zusammenhang mit der neostrukturalistischen Entwicklungsagenda der CEPAL eine Wirtschaftspolitik proklamiert, die exportorientiertes Wachstum und soziale Anliegen vereinen sollte. In Argentinien ist diese Strategie eng mit einem Boom in der Sojaindustrie verbunden. Letztere hat für die Ökonomie des Landes eine zentrale Bedeutung und dient dem vorliegenden Beitrag als Beispiel, um die argentinische Variante des Neostrukturalismus einer kritischen, empirisch fundierten Analyse zu unterziehen. Dabei diskutieren wir den entwicklungsökonomischen Ansatz zum einen konzeptionell. Zum anderen untersuchen wir, wie sich die argentinische Agrarindustrie in den Neostrukturalismus einordnen lässt und richten unseren Blick auf soziale Widersprüche, die aus der entsprechenden politischen Praxis unter den Kirchner-Regierungen erwachsen. Wir analysieren den Sojaboom unter Einbezug agrarpolitischer, sozio-ökonomischer und ideologisch-diskursiver Gesichtspunkte. Zu den wichtigsten Punkten gehören diesbezüglich die tiefgreifende Rekonfiguration der Agrarproduktion sowie Prozesse der Finanzialisierung und wirtschaftlichen Konzentration. Die tiefgreifenden Veränderungen schließen neben einer weitreichenden Neuordnung der Sozialstrukturen auf dem Land auch prekäre Arbeitsbedingungen und mitunter gewaltsame Vertreibungen etwa im nordwestlichen Chaco ein. Wir gelangen im Hinblick auf den untersuchten Wirtschaftszweig zu dem Schluss, dass der Neostrukturalismus argentinischer Auslegung nicht zu den positiven sozioökonomischen Entwicklungen geführt hat, die angekündigt worden waren. Vielmehr konnten jene dominanten Akteure, die vom Agribusiness am meisten profitieren, ihre Position in dem südamerikanischen Land in den letzten Jahren weiter ausbauen.
Enhanced Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm for Liver Cancer Analysis
Authors: Lokanayaki K. , Malathi A.
Published: December 2017

During the development of computer technology, computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) technology, used in quantitative analysis of medical imaging, arose at a historic moment and became a research hotspot in medical imaging. Discrimination of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the liver is a challenge in the histopathologic diagnostics. For this reason, there is an urgent need for new detection methods to improve the accuracy of the diagnosis of liver cancer. Traditional machine-learning approaches are neural network (NN)-based. Cost-sensitive learning and a support vector machine (SVM) is observed to provide a good result in the case of balanced data sets; however, it is not capable of dealing with the classification of imbalanced data sets. These machine-learning approaches may be biased toward the majority class, thus producing a poor predictive accuracy over the minority class. In this paper, a novel technique for the purpose of liver cancer cell classification and root liver cancer cell recognition is proposed. The objective is to automatically categorize several classes of liver cancer cells and to discover the root cancer cell. To solve this problem, initially, preprocessing on noisy imbalanced data sets is carried out by means of improved weighted synthetic minority oversampling technique (IWSMOTE)-based oversampling and evolutionary undersampling. An ensemble-based learning algorithm (DataBoost.IM) with SVM is employed for final classification to classify the cancer cells and non-cancer cells. Finally, the enhanced artificial bee colony (EABC) clustering is applied to discover the root cancer cell. The proposed EABC clustering approach is tested using the liver cancer cell data set, providing an accuracy level of 96.15 %, which is 95.61 % and 92.80 % higher than the ant colony optimization (ACO) and artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithms, respectively.
Bayesian Estimates and the Effectiveness of Metal Detection Devices
Authors: Kantor Paul B.
Published: December 2017

When a small number of observations is used to estimate the performance of a walk-through metal detector (WTMD), it is difficult to compare the observations made with different numbers of tests on different machines. Standard tests for metal detectors, whether hand-held (wand) or walk-through, are expressed in terms of specific test objects and a requirement [1], typically of the following form: “the object is to be detected at least 19 times in 20 trials.” Complementary requirements for suppressing false positives take various forms, depending on what is to be “not detected.” An example is the case of “no object at all,” for which the requirement may be “20 trials with no alarms.” Practitioners use much shorter tests to assess whether a machine is working on the day of the event, and they have no principled guidance about how to interpret that information, particularly if the information from each test is logged and thus might be aggregated to detect that a specific machine is slipping out of calibration. This article develops a principled Bayesian analysis that can convert a test of any size into a common language of expected odds ratio, which can then be used to compare tests with different sample sizes. Some technical issues of forming a “reasonable prior” are discussed. This research has the potential to turn quick checks, conducted in operational settings, into a rigorous and accumulated source of useful information about detection devices and procedures.
Altered Chloride Homeostasis Decreases the Action Potential Threshold and Increases Hyperexcitability in Hippocampal Neurons
Authors: Sørensen Andreas T. , Ledri Marco , Melis Miriam , Nikitidou Ledri Litsa , Andersson My , Kokaia Merab
Published: December 2017

Chloride ions play an important role in controlling excitability of principal neurons in the central nervous system. When neurotransmitter GABA is released from inhibitory interneurons, activated GABA type A (GABAA) receptors on principal neurons become permeable to chloride. Typically, chloride flows through activated GABAAreceptors into the neurons causing hyperpolarization or shunting inhibition, and in turn inhibits action potential (AP) generation. However, in situations when intracellular chloride concentration is increased, chloride ions can flow in opposite direction, depolarize neurons, and promote AP generation. It is generally recognized that altered chloride homeostasis per se has no effect on the AP threshold. Here, we demonstrate that chloride overload of mouse principal CA3 pyramidal neurons not only makes these cells more excitable through GABAAreceptor activation but also lowers the AP threshold, further aggravating excitability. This phenomenon has not been described in principal neurons and adds to our understanding of mechanisms regulating neuronal and network excitability, particularly in developing brain and during pathological situations with altered chloride homeostasis. This finding further broadens the spectrum of neuronal plasticity regulated by ionic compositions across the cellular membrane.
Presynaptic Regulation of Leptin in a Defined Lateral Hypothalamus–Ventral Tegmental Area Neurocircuitry Depends on Energy State
Authors: Liu Jing-Jing , Bello Nicholas T. , Pang Zhiping P.
Published: December 2017

Synaptic transmission controls brain activity and behaviors, including food intake. Leptin, an adipocyte-derived hormone, acts on neurons located in the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) to maintain energy homeostasis and regulate food intake behavior. The specific synaptic mechanisms, cell types, and neural projections mediating this effect remain unclear. In male mice, using pathway-specific retrograde tracing, whole-cell patch-clamp recordings andpost hoccell type identification, we found that leptin reduces excitatory synaptic strength onto both melanin-concentrating hormone- and orexin-expressing neurons projecting from the LHA to the ventral tegmental area (VTA), which may affect dopamine signaling and motivation for feeding. A presynaptic mechanism mediated by distinct intracellular signaling mechanisms may account for this regulation by leptin. The regulatory effects of leptin depend on intact leptin receptor signaling. Interestingly, the synaptic regulatory function of leptin in the LHA-to-VTA neuronal pathway is highly sensitive to energy states: both energy deficiency (acute fasting) and excessive energy storage (high-fat diet-induced obesity) blunt the effect of leptin. These data revealed that leptin may regulate synaptic transmission in the LHA-to-VTA neurocircuitry in an inverted “U-shape” fashion dependent on plasma glucose levels and related to metabolic states.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTThe lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) to ventral tegmental area (VTA) projection is an important neural pathway involved in balancing whole-body energy states and reward. We found that the excitatory synaptic inputs to both orexin- and melanin-concentrating hormone expressing LHA neurons projecting to the VTA were suppressed by leptin, a peptide hormone derived from adipocytes that signals peripheral energy status to the brain. Interestingly, energy states seem to affect how leptin regulates synaptic transmission since both the depletion of energy induced by acute food deprivation and excessive storage of energy by high-fat diet feeding dampen the suppressive effect of leptin on synaptic transmission. Together, these data show that leptin regulates synaptic transmission and might be important for maintaining energy homeostasis.
A decade of changes in nitrogen oxides over regions of oil and natural gas activity in the United States
Authors: Majid Aman , Val Martin Maria , Lamsal Lok N. , Duncan Bryan N.
Published: December 2017

Nitrogen oxides (NOx = NO2 + NO) are a highly regulated species that play a major role in the formation of photochemical smog. While NOx emissions are generally decreasing over the U.S. as a result of more stringent environmental policies and improved emissions control technologies, the shale oil and natural gas industry is reversing this rate of changes in certain regions. We present here a quantitative analysis of NOx levels over the seven main U.S. shale plays (Bakken, Eagle Ford, Permian, Niobrara-Codell, Marcellus-Utica, Haynesville, and Barnett) between 2005 and 2015 using measurements of tropospheric NO2 from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) aboard the NASA EOS-Aura aircraft. We develop and apply a methodology that seeks to maximise pollutant signals from oil and gas activities. For reference, we also examine the national trend averaged over the lower 48 states. Consistent with previous studies, we find NOx across the U.S. is generally declining. During the low-production phase of oil and natural gas production (2005–2009), we find declining trends in tropospheric NOx that are similar to the national trend (–4.6% yr–1) in 6 of the 7 study regions (–8 to –2% yr–1). In the high-production phase (2010–15), we find an increasing NOx trend in 5 of the 7 study basins (0.4 to 4.5% yr–1) while the national trend continued to decline (–0.3% yr–1). Over the most intensive oil-producing shale plays (Bakken, Eagle Ford, Permian and Niobrara-Codell), we observe a rapid growth (1–4.5% yr–1), which correlates well (r2 = 0.6–0.9) with their annual oil production rates and/or drilling rigs. In contrast, trends across the mainly gas-producing regions (Haynesville, Barnett, and Marcellus-Utica) show decreases (–0.4 to –1.7% yr–1) similar to the national trend, with the exception of the Marcellus-Utica where a slight increase (0.4 ± 0.2% yr–1) may be an indication of a small regional increase. Our study shows the important decadal effect that shale oil and natural gas operations has had on the tropospheric NO2 levels, and the potential consequences for regional air quality.
In Vivo Functional Analysis of Drosophila Robo1 Fibronectin Type-III Repeats
Authors: Brown Haley E , Reichert Marie C , Evans Timothy A
Published: December 2017

The repellant ligand Slit and its Roundabout (Robo) family receptors regulate midline crossing of axons during development of the embryonic central nervous system (CNS). Slit proteins are produced at the midline and signal through Robo receptors to repel axons from the midline. Disruption of Slit-Robo signaling causes ectopic midline-crossing phenotypes in the CNS of a broad range of animals, including insects and vertebrates. While previous studies have investigated the roles of Drosophila melanogaster Robo1’s five Immunoglobulin-like (Ig) domains, little is known about the importance of the three evolutionarily conserved Fibronectin (Fn) type-III repeats. We have individually deleted each of Drosophila Robo1’s three Fn repeats, and then tested these Robo1 variants in vitro to determine their ability to bind Slit in cultured Drosophila cells and in vivo to investigate the requirement for each domain in regulating Robo1’s embryonic expression pattern, axonal localization, midline repulsive function, and sensitivity to Commissureless (Comm) downregulation. We demonstrate that the Fn repeats are not required for Robo1 to bind Slit or for proper expression of Robo1 in Drosophila embryonic neurons. When expressed in a robo1 mutant background, these variants are able to restore midline repulsion to an extent equivalent to full-length Robo1. We identify a novel requirement for Fn3 in the exclusion of Robo1 from commissures and downregulation of Robo1 by Comm. Our results indicate that each of the Drosophila Robo1 Fn repeats are individually dispensable for the protein’s role in midline repulsion, despite the evolutionarily conserved “5 + 3” protein structure.
Saturation effect for dependence of the electrical conductivity of planar oriented nematic liquid crystal 6CB on the concentration of Cu7PS6 nanoparticles
Authors:   Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design, 2, Nemirovich-Danchenko str., 01011 Kyiv, Ukraine, Kovalchuk O.V. , Studenyak I.P. ,   Uzhhorod National University, Faculty of Physics, 3, Narodna Sq., 88000 Uzhhorod, Ukraine, Izai V.Yu. ,   Uzhhorod National University, Faculty of Physics, 3, Narodna Sq., 88000 Uzhhorod, Ukraine, Rybak S.O. ,   Uzhhorod National University, Faculty of Physics, 3, Narodna Sq., 88000 Uzhhorod, Ukraine, Pogodin A.I. ,   Uzhhorod National University, Faculty of Physics, 3, Narodna Sq., 88000 Uzhhorod, Ukraine, Kopčanský P. ,   Institute of Experimental Physics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 47, Watsonova str., 04010 Košice, Slovak Republic, Timko M. ,   Institute of Experimental Physics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 47, Watsonova str., 04010 Košice, Slovak Republic, Gdovinova V. ,   Institute of Experimental Physics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 47, Watsonova str., 04010 Košice, Slovak Republic, Mariano J. ,   University of the Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal, Kovalchuk T.M. ,   V. Lashkaryov Institute of Semiconductor Physics, NAS of Ukraine, 41, prospect Nauky, 03680 Kyiv, Ukraine
Published: December 2017

The influence of Cu7PS6 nanoparticles with the average size 117 nm on the dielectric properties of planar oriented nematic liquid crystal 6CB has been investigated within the frequency range 101…106 Hz and at the temperature 293 K. It has been shown that when changing the concentration of nanoparticles within the range 0 to 1 wt.%, the conductivity of the liquid crystal changes stronger than its dielectric permittivity. It has been shown that the electrical conductivity increases monotonously with increasing the concentration of nanoparticles. However, for this dependence a saturation effect is observed. The mechanism of this effect was proposed.
Researches on the Influence of the Sowing Period of Simple Hybrids on Seed Production for the Turda 200 Maize Hybrid
Authors: GHEȚE Alexandru B. , COPÂNDEAN Ana , HAȘ Voichița V. , CHEȚAN Cornel , DUDA Marcel , CALUGAR Roxana E. , VARGA Andrei
Published: December 2017

The production of certified seed for maize double hybrids is based on the crossing of two simple maize hybrids, one of which is used as a seed producer (maternal form, AxB) and another as pollinator (paternal form, CxD). The production of the seed in the case of double hybrids presents some advantages because the production obtained in the hybridization lot is high, the cost of lower seed production and includes a minimum risk (Penčić and Hadžistević, 1982). Seed quality indices are generally better than by simple hybrids, especially when adverse conditions occur during production (Sarca, 2004).
The Influence of Copper Sulphate on Growth, Morphology and on Anatomy of Vegetative Organs of Triticum Aestivum L
Authors: JELEA Stela Gabriela , JELEA Oana Corina , MIHALESCU Lucia , VOŞGAN Zorica
Published: December 2017

Copper is necessary for the growth and development of plants, but a high concentrations is extremely toxic, resulting in growth inhibition and toxicity symptoms. In this study we investigated the effects of caryopses immersion of Triticum aestivum L, for 24 hours, at different concentrations of copper sulphate. CuSO4 x 5H20 (0.05 g/L - variant V1; 0.1g/L - variant V2; 0.5 g/L - variant V3; 1 g/L - variant V4). The result of metabolic disturbances induced by the treatment of vegetative organs was their growth inhibition in a dose-dependent manner. Our results suggest that caryopses immersion for 24 hours with copper sulphate in a concentration of 0.5 g /l and 1 g /l induce anatomic and morphological changes in vegetative organs.
Obtaining a Spreadable Cheese Sort with Additives of Bioactive Compounds
Authors: TIŢA Mihaela Adriana
Published: December 2017

To conduct this study, a market survey was conducted in the form of a questionnaire to see what assortment of cheese and what ingredients bioactive compounds people want to consume. In order to find out what assortment of cheese and what ingredients with bioactive compounds people want to consume, a market survey was made in the form of a questionnaire. Taking into account the results of the survey,to process a melted cheese mix with the addition of dried tomatoes and basil. A technological scheme was developed for this cheese and sodium bicarbonate was used instead of melting and emulsifying salts to try to obtain a healthier product. The obtained product was analyzed for a period of 30 days from a sensory and physico-chemical. Physico-chemical and sensory properties of the obtained product were analyzed for a period of 30 days.
Informational-Statistical Aspects of Genetic Diversity in Tsigai and Tsurcana Ecotypes from Romania
Authors: HRINCĂ Gheorghe
Published: December 2017

The main objective of this paper is to measure the relationships between the ecotypes belonging to the Tigai and Tsurcana breeds of Romania and to quantify the genetic diversity within them from the informational statistics point of view, depending on the relief forms of the biotope in which they live, using the genetic variants of some selective genetic markers. The researches were carried out on ecotypes of the most ubiquitous sheep breeds in Romania, Tsigai and Tsurcana whose biotopes are circumscribed by more relief forms: plain, hilly, sub-mountainous and mountainous. The sheep were electrophoretically typified at the determinant loci of haemoglobin and transferrin. Using the allelic frequencies of the haemoglobin and transferrin systems that have been processed by concepts of informational statistics, the differentiation / similarity degree among ecotypes within the two breeds was quantified by the genetic distance (D) and the informational correlation coefficient (Rx,y), as well as the diversity level (d) of the genetic structures of these ecotypes on the basis of informational energy (e). Also, the heterozygosity degree (Ht) at the Hb and Tf loci was calculated in relation to the genetic diversity level. The paper analyzes the causes of genetic similarities and differentiations among the ecotypes of these two breeds at the level of the two biochemical-genetic loci: allelic distribution of haemoglobin and transferrin, altitude of relief forms, habitat conditions etc. The benefits of such studies are also presented for the improvement, breeding and conservation of the ecotypes of these two sheep breeds from Romania.
Biodiversity of Helminths of Sheep Breed in Vojvodina (Northern Serbia)
Authors: PAVLOVIĆ Ivan , BECSKEI Zsolt , IVANOVIĆ Snežana , PETROVIĆ Milan P. , SAVIĆ Mila , CARO PETROVIĆ Violeta , BOJKOVSKI Jovan
Published: December 2017

Vojvodina is situated in the northern part of Serbia. The region is divided into: Bačka in the northwest, Banat in the east and Srem in the southwest. A small part of the Mačva region is also located in Vojvodina, in the Srem District. Vojvodina is abundant with numerous grasslands suitable for sheep grazing. The present study was conducted in 90 sheep flocks from the territory of Vojvodina in the period of March 2014 to January 2015, using into consideration the biodiversity and sesonal occurance and prevalence of isolated parasites. Fecal samples were examined by using qualitative and quantitative coprological methods. Infection we occurred at 81.22% of sheep. We found eggs of Nematodirus sp. (71.22%), Ostertagia sp. (69.22%), Trichostrongylus sp. (66.55%), Haemonchus sp. (64.44%), Chabertia ovina (60.11%), Dictyocaulus spp. (49.00%), Oesophagostomum sp.(36.77%), Dicrocelium dendriticum (34.66%), Marshallagia sp. (29.66%), Cooperia sp. (27.88%), Moniezia sp. (26.77%), Bunostomum sp. (22.33%) and Skrjabinema sp. (13,66%).
The charming physician (El médico encantador): neurological conditions in a short story by Silvina Ocampo
Authors: Delgado-García Guillermo , Rodríguez-Návarez Carolina , Estañol Bruno
Published: December 2017

ABSTRACT The Argentinian author Silvina Ocampo (1903-1993) left us a vast body of works which are considered outstanding in many ways. In 1960, she published a short story, entitled “El médico encantador" (The Charming Physician), in the renowned literary magazine Sur. The central character of this piece is a family doctor named Albino Morgan, who had a secret truth: in any house he visited, all variety of disease also entered. He brought with him the viruses he disseminated. The narrator of this short story—one of his patients—describes four of Morgan's diseases. These imaginary neurological conditions allowed Ocampo to explore improbable situations in everyday life.
SUPPOSED IMPACTS, REAL VIOLENCE: THE CONSTRUCTION OF REALITY IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MINAS-RIO PROJECT
Authors: Santos Ana Flávia Moreira , Ferreira Luciana da Silva Sales , Penna Vinicius Villela
Published: December 2017

Abstract The article analyzes the environmental impact assessment procedure of the mine and the iron ore processing structure which integrate the Minas-Rio Project, a mining complex composed by mine - pipeline - port, whose facilities extend across two states in the Brazilian Southeast. The analysis aims at demonstrating, through a reading of the political rituals performed in the participative scene of the licensing process, how mechanisms used to “bend” environmental norms were articulated throughout the process, generating strategies and force-ideas which, in articulation, allowed the operation of the venture despite the notorious lack of knowledge/acknowledgement of the affected population.
CONTESTED KNOWLEDGES IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONFLICT OVER URANIUM AND PHOSPHATE MINING IN CEARÁ - BRAZIL
Authors: Rigotto Raquel Maria
Published: December 2017

Abstract This article analyses aspects of knowledge production in situations of environmental conflicts. It focuses on the context of the environmental field established by the announcement of the uranium and phosphate mining project in the Sertão Central (Central Hinterland) of Ceará - Brazil. The aim is to describe several modus faciendi - ways of acting - that update and territorialize epistemicide and cognitive injustices in the context of neo-extractivism. It also intends to describe processes of knowledge construction put in motion by subjects who were affected, in order to defend themselves from threats to their territories and ways of life. The study also addresses interfaces of this process with the participation of researchers/advisors who, from the perspective of a science oriented by activism, engage in dialogue with local subjects for a shared production of knowledge.
A Igreja Católica e as experimentações pastorais e missionárias na década de 1960: a experiência de Gioventù Studentesca no Brasil
Authors: Bonato Massimo
Published: December 2017

Resumo A constatação da crise da religião católica na Europa no período pós-1945 e a convicção por parte dos pontífices e da hierarquia episcopal de que esse fenômeno podia ser estancado ou revertido é gatilho para que se invista em projetos pastorais inovadores e em iniciativas missionárias experimentais. Na onda do entusiasmo que segue ao anúncio do Concílio Vaticano II, em 1959, experiências pioneiras ganham mais destaque e projeção internacional. O presente artigo tem como objetivo apresentar as experiências missionárias da organização italiana Gioventù Studentesca (GS), na cidade de Belo Horizonte nos anos 1960, e compreender os efeitos que as apostas em iniciativas experimentais tiveram na ressignificação da concepção tradicional de missão e no que se refere à afirmação de uma nova visão de participação dos leigos na vida da Igreja.
Matrimonio, sexualidad y bioética en el magisterio pontificio: de Pío XI a Francisco. Breves consideraciones históricas sobre una enseñanza insistente y prolífica
Authors: Roux Rodolfo R. de
Published: December 2017

Resumen Este artículo explica el porqué del interés creciente de los papas, a partir de 1930, en temas relativos al matrimonio, a la sexualidad y a la bioética. Se ponen de relieve algunos aspectos importantes de los principales documentos del magisterio pontificio en la materia, se los contextúa históricamente y se señalan las persistencias y también las evoluciones en el discurso papal.
Television experience and political discussion on Twitter: exploring online conversations during the 2014 Brazilian presidential elections
Authors: Ortiz Júnia , Hamrin Solange , Aggio Camilo , Dalmonte Edson
Published: December 2017

Abstract This empirical study aims to investigate the characteristics of the conversation and political discussion on Twitter during the last televised presidential debate in the first round of the Brazilian elections in 2014. Television experience, political participation, and Twitter dynamics were considered for the examination of different kinds of engagement in 100,000 messages collected during the debate. The aim was to identify peaks of user engagement, linking these specific moments and evaluating how the characteristics of the communicative environment may have affected the discourses built around the debate.
Caracterização anatomopatológica e bacteriológica em frangos de corte condenados totalmente por colibacilose sob Serviço de Inspeção Federal
Authors: Casagrande Renata A. , Machado Gustavo , Guerra Priscila R. , Castro Luiza A. , Spanamberg Andréia , Silva Sérgio C. , Cardoso Marisa R. de Itapema , Driemeier David
Published: December 2017

RESUMO: A colibacilose é a principal causa infecciosa de condenação total de carcaça em frangos de corte no sul do Brasil. Esse trabalho tem por objetivo determinar o grau de concordância entre a condenação total por colibacilose de frangos de corte abatidos em estabelecimento sob Serviço de Inspeção Federal (SIF) com o diagnóstico anatomopatológico e bacteriológico. O estudo foi realizado com 45 frangos de corte condenados totalmente por colibacilose (caso) e seus respectivos 45 controles (frangos sem lesões). Em todos os frangos condenados pelo SIF havia lesões macroscópicas e, nos controles não se observou. Através do teste Kappa-Cohen´s essas duas variáveis apresentaram concordância quase perfeita. As aves condenadas apresentaram lesões em fígado (27/45); em fígado e sacos aéreos (11/45); em fígado e coração (2/45); fígado, sacos aéreos e coração (2/45); fígado, sacos aéreos e oviduto (1/45); fígado, sacos aéreos, coração e tecido subcutâneo (1/45); e fígado, sacos aéreos, oviduto e baço (1/45). Observou-se concordância quase perfeita entre condenação e lesão hepática. Histologicamente, em 41 casos e 12 controles observaram-se lesões, sendo os mais frequentes hepatite necrosante aleatória, bronquite fibrino-heterofílica, pericardite aguda e traqueíte linfoplasmocitária. Nas aves com hepatite identificou-se E. coli, Enterococcus sp. e Streptococcus sp. (10/38) e, nas aves com bronquite ou broncopneumonia isolou-se Escherichia coli e Staphylococcus coagulase positiva (9/14). O PCR em tempo real e a imuno-histoquímica para Mycoplasma gallisepticum e M. synoviae foram negativos. Nos casos de condenação total por colibacilose o fígado foi o principal órgão acometido, portanto, o critério de condenação deveria ser revisto, sugerindo condenação por hepatite nesses casos, já que outras bactérias podem causar hepatite, como foi demonstrado nesse estudo.