bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Trajano y las canteras de granito
Authors: Pensabene Patrizio , Domingo Javier A.
Published: July 2018

Los resultados de la publicación de las investigaciones arqueológicas llevadas a cabo en el área de Palazzo Valentini, el propio Foro de Trajano y, especialmente, la existencia del templo que cerraría el lado norte del conjunto han vuelto a focalizar el interés de los investigadores en el conjunto. En nuestro estudio analizaremos la organización administrativa estatal que permitió la construcción de este enorme foro y, específicamente, de un templo gigantesco con fustes de una altura de 50 pies. El desarrollo de las obras requería de una perfecta coordinación entre todos los actores protagonistas del proceso constructivo (casa imperial, curatores, arquitectos, obreros, mercatores, etc.), por ello la reconstrucción específica de aquella parte de la obra destinada al templo nos ha permitido obtener un mejor conocimiento del proceso constructivo y, especialmente, del sistema de transporte de los grandes fustes.The publication of the results of the archaeological investigation carried out in the area of Palazzo Valentini, the Trajan’s Forum itself and, especially, the existence of the temple that would have enclosed the northern side of the complex have once again focused the attention of researchers on the premises. In this study, I analyse the administrative organisation of the State that allowed the construction of this enormous forum and, specifically, the massive temple with 50-foot-high column shafts. The achievement of the task required the perfect coordination of the whole organization involved in the process (the imperial household, the curatores, the architects, the labourers, the mercatores, etc.). The reconstruction, specifically, of that part of the project involving the temple has increased our knowledge of the construction process and, specially, of the transport of the gigantic columns.
El guion de ficción televisiva serial como producto
Authors: Lara Rodríguez Ángel Luis
Published: July 2018

El presente artículo se interroga acerca de la naturaleza del guion a partir de una concepción compleja del mismo que, aun entendiéndolo como eslabón en la cadena de materiales y tareas cuyo resultado es la serie de televisión como producto final, propone considerar los guiones como productos en sí mismos. Desde este prisma, la escritura de ficción televisiva aparece como un ámbito productivo cuyo resultado puede ser definido como producto susceptible de autonomía a partir de su condición de mercancía, independientemente de su traducción a la pantalla y de su conversión en contenido audiovisual de carácter televisivo.
La regulación audiovisual en el Sistema Interamericano de Derechos Humanos y los desafíos de la digitalización
Authors: Krakowiak Fernando
Published: July 2018

El artículo analiza las recomendaciones del Sistema Interamericano de Derechos Humanos (SIDH) para la regulación de la concentración de la propiedad en la radiodifusión y el modelo regulatorio en el que se referencian. La hipótesis es que en el SIDH predomina una concepción intervencionista que fundamenta la protección de la libertad de expresión desde su dimensión individual y también social. Esa concepción es la que permite reivindicar la elaboración de normas destinadas a prevenir desde el Estado la concentración de mercado para garantizar el pluralismo y la diversidad. Además, se trabaja sobre los desafíos que le plantean a esa regulación los nuevos procesos de digitalización de la industria audiovisual.
El cine o la vida: Narraciones del yo en "Mapa" (Siminiani, 2012)
Authors: Kaiser Moro Andrea
Published: July 2018

El presente artículo aborda el giro intimista que el cine documental ha experimentado en las últimas décadas en España. Se pretende identificar las estrategias estéticas y narrativas que caracterizan al documental en primera persona, así como sus dificultades de implementación en España debido al valor socio-histórico del género. Como caso de estudio se analiza la película Mapa (Siminiani, 2012) como práctica discursiva donde se encuentran, de manera indisociable, lo cinematográfico y la vida del autor. Mediante esto se pretende arrojar luz sobre la ambigüedad genérica del film, a caballo entre el road movie, el diario filmado y la autoficción.
¿Robots o programación? El concepto de Pensamiento Computacional y los futuros maestros
Authors: González Martínez Juan , Estebanell Minguell Meritxell , Peracaula Bosch Marta
Published: July 2018

El Pensamiento Computacional, por medio de la robótica o de la programación, está siendo incluido en el currículum en todo el mundo. No en vano, se considera una de las competencias necesarias para el siglo XXI. Sin embargo, los docentes a menudo no han sido formados para enseñar Pensamiento Computacional y ni siquiera saben exactamente qué es. Por ello, intentamos conocer cuál es el concepto de Pensamiento Computacional por parte de los maestros en formación por medio de una metodología mixta, que nos permite detectar importantes faltas de conocimiento y errores en relación con el concepto. Sin embargo, por otro lado, se diagnostican buenas actitudes iniciales hacia el Pensamiento Computacional, que pueden permitir que la formación específica recibida en este ámbito sea transferible a contextos futuros de práctica docente.
Identidad digital como investigadores. La evidencia y la transparencia de la producción científica
Authors: García-Peñalvo Francisco José
Published: July 2018

Internet ha cambiado la práctica totalidad de los dominios de negocio, la academia y la investigación no se han visto libres de su influencia. Un investigador del siglo XXI va a tener una presencia en los diferentes servicios que conforman el ecosistema digital de producción científica, algunos ligados al movimiento de Ciencia Abierta y otros a las instituciones de referencia internacional para el cálculo de los indicadores de producción científica. Esta presencia va a ocurrir con independencia de que el investigador lo quiera o no, pero si se es consciente de ello y además se abren los perfiles adecuados en los servicios más punteros, la visibilidad de su producción científica y su reputación como investigador se pueden ver potencialmente mejorados, lo que transitivamente repercutirá en su grupo, institución, región, país, etc., siendo un ejemplo de transparencia y la mejor evidencia de su producción. Pero igual que existe un gran potencial, con cada uno de estos perfiles que se haga público se adquiere la gran responsabilidad de cuidar que los datos e indicadores que de ellos se calculen sean ciertos y no se vean falseados por las actualizaciones automáticas de unos sistemas que no son perfectos.
The impact of Brexit on the UK inwards FDI
Authors: Simionescu Mihaela
Published: July 2018

Considering the impact of Brexit on the foreign direct investment (FDI) in the United Kingdom, contrary to previous studies from economic literature, this research focused on two proxies for FDI: FDI projects with the associated new and safeguarded jobs and FDI inflows as percent of GDP. Moreover, other methods were used to measure the Brexit impact on the FDI: a gravity model approach based on mixed-effects Poisson models and a counterfactual analysis based on differences-to-differences estimators. The main results indicated that the number of FDI projects might decrease after Brexit by 65% till 90% in 2019. A higher increase by 97% is expected to the number of new and safeguarded jobs. Even if FDI inflows in the UK significantly increased compared to the rest of OECD countries because of the EU membership, Great Britain should follow the model of Norway and Iceland after Brexit in order to avoid significant losses in the FDI inflows.
Linking transformational leadership with organizational health of secondary school teachers: A conceptual model and research proposition
Authors: Arokiasamy Anantha Raj
Published: July 2018

This study aims to determine the level of transformational leadership practices by school principals in the national secondary schools in the Northern States of Peninsular Malaysia. The study also aims to determine if school culture acts as a moderator to the relationship between transformational leadership and organizational health of the secondary school teachers’ in the 3 states in Malaysia. Despite transformational leadership being commonly practiced, there is a dearth of research, conceptual and empirical, focusing on school culture as moderator to the relationship. To attempt to fill this void, this article develops a conceptual model on school culture functioning as a moderator to the relationship between transformational leadership and organizational health of secondary school teachers and provides explanation of their effects through a statistical methodology. Finally, the author discusses the managerial implications of their research and offer suggestions for future empirical research.
The role of regional migration policy in the development of migration processes
Authors: Stakanov Roman
Published: July 2018

The paper discusses an empirical examination of the impact of regional integration on the processes of international labour migration. For this purpose, the data from 16 regional integration organisations, accounting for more than 90% of the world’s immigration, were used. Despite different levels of integration, all regional organisations entered into separate agreements liberalising the movement of certain categories of workers. Our research has shown that the key factor determining the increase in the number of migrants is the economic growth in a host migrant region. On the other hand, the growth of the level of integration positively influences an inflow of immigrants, although this connection is not strong.
Bromic Heating Co business exposure project to the Chile market
Authors: Serbin Sergey , Serbin Alexander
Published: July 2018

The purpose of this article is to provide Bromic Heating (the leading Australian EGC Group company) with the necessary information in order to expand their operations into the South American market, and make recommendations on how this would be best practice achieved. The part of the South American market that EGC Group has recommended Bromic first expand to be Chile. This article contains a regional economic analysis, which showed South America’s services sector accounted for 64% of its GDP, and of that 64%, tourism was responsible for 9%. Tourism is an industry that provides a lot of demand for products such as Bromic’s, and this large percentage of GDP, as well as expected growth in this sector, makes South America a great region for Bromic’s expansion. When deciding what country to expand to first, Chile was identified as the primary target, mainly due to the free trade agreement between Chile and Australia as well as its associate membership of MERCOSUR, the South American trading bloc.
Systemic oxidative stress in Suffolk and Santa Ines sheep experimentally infected with Haemonchus contortus
Authors: Baptistiolli Lillian , Narciso Luis Gustavo , Almeida Breno Fernando Martins de , Bosco Anelise Maria , Souza Jucilene Conceição de , Torrecilha Rafaela Beatriz Pintor , Pereira Priscila Préve , Figueiredo Renata Nogueira , Garcia José Fernando , Kaneto Carlos Noriyuki , Ciarlini Paulo César
Published: July 2018

The mechanisms responsible for the imbalance between oxidants and antioxidants in sheep infected with Haemonchus contortus are not well established. This study aimed to prove the hypothesis that oxidative stress occurring during infection by H. contortus varies according to breed, and that the parasite burden correlates with hypoalbuminaemia and anaemia. Thus, after deworming and confirming the absence of infection, two different sheep breeds, Suffolk (n = 15) and Santa Ines (n = 22), were orally inoculated with a single dose of 5,000 L3 of H. contortus. The egg counts per gram of faeces (EPG), packed cell volume (PCV) and concentrations of several plasma markers of oxidative stress (lipid peroxidation, albumin, uric acid, total bilirubin, total antioxidant capacity [TAC], total oxidant concentration [TOC] and the oxidative stress index [OSI]) were quantified before (control group) and during the experimental infection (28, 34 and 42 days post-inoculation). In both breeds, TOC increased at 28 days and TAC increased at 42 days. In Suffolk sheep, there was a positive correlation of EPG with oxidant components (28 days) and a negative correlation of EPG with PCV (42 days). In Santa Ines sheep, there was a positive correlation of EPG with bilirubin (r = 0.492; p = 0.020). H. contortus infection caused oxidative stress, which varied according to the breed. Parasite burden was not associated with hypoalbuminaemia, whereas there was a negative correlation with PCV. This research provides the first evidence that the antioxidant status contributes more to the resilience to H. contortus in Santa Ines sheep compared to Suffolk sheep.
A new coccidian parasite (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae: Eimeria) from the southern black racer, Coluber constrictor priapus (Reptilia: Ophidia: Colubridae) from Arkansas, USA
Authors: McAllister Chris T. , Hnida John A. , Robison Henry W.
Published: July 2018

Between April 2012 and October 2017, 18 southern black racers,Coluber constrictor priapus, were collected from nine counties of Arkansas (n= 13) and McCurtain County, Oklahoma (n= 5) and their faeces examined for coccidian parasites. One of 18 (6%)C. c. priapusharboured an eimerian that we describe here as new. Oocysts ofEimeria dunnisp. nov. were subspheroidal with a lightly pitted bi-layered wall measuring L × W 24.0 × 21.1 and L/W ratio of 1.2. A micropyle was absent but an oocyst residuum and polar granule were present. Sporocysts were ovoidal and measured 11.9 × 8.1 with L/W of 1.5. A Stieda body was present but substieda and parastieda bodies were absent. The sporocyst residuum was composed of medium-sized granules aligned along perimeter of sporocyst or in a dispersed mass. This represents the first valid eimerian reported from the southern black racer.
Screening of Cercopithifilaria bainae and Hepatozoon canis in ticks collected from dogs of Northeastern Brazil
Authors: Santos Marcos Antônio Bezerra , Macedo Lucia Oliveira de , Otranto Domenico , Ramos Carlos Alberto do Nascimento , Rêgo Ana Gabriela de Oliveira do , Giannelli Alessio , Alves Leucio Câmara , Carvalho Gílcia Aparecida de , Ramos Rafael Antonio Nascimento
Published: July 2018

Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (s.l.) is one of the most widespread ixodid ticks and is a competent vector of several vector-borne pathogens of veterinary and medical concern. For instance, this tick species transmits nematodes of the genus Cercopithifilaria and protozoa of the genus Hepatozoon to carnivores, including dogs. Here we investigated the occurrence of Cercopithifilaria spp. and Hepatozoon spp. in a population of ticks collected from naturally infested dogs living in rural areas of Northeastern Brazil. From August 2016 to June 2017, 758 tick specimens (mean ticks per month = 68.9 ± 71.4) were sampled from 75 dogs (mean ticks per dog = 10.11 ± 5.2) and dissected under a stereomicroscope in order to visualize Cercopithifilaria spp. larvae and Hepatozoon spp. oocysts and sporocysts. R. sanguineus s.l. was the only species collected, peaking in September (n = 273) and decreasing in February 2017 (n = 39). Different larval stages of Cercopithifilaria bainae were identified in 7 out of 758 (0.93%) ticks. In addition, 4 specimens (0.53%) were positive for oocysts and free sporocysts of Hepatozoon canis. The identity of both species of parasites was molecularly confirmed. These results account for the predominance of R. sanguineus (s.l.) in domestic dogs from rural locations of the study area, as well as for the presence C. bainae and H. canis in these tick populations.
Risk averse banks and excess reserve fluctuations
Authors: Jenkins Brian C. , Salemi Michael K.
Published: July 2018

We develop a model to study how risk averse banks use excess reserves to manage risk on their asset portfolios. Our model predicts that risk averse banks accumulate substantial holdings of excess reserves in response to large, low-probability shocks to the risk on loans. Our findings support the hypothesis that risk aversion led banks to build-up excess reserves within the US banking system in September of 2008 following news about the failure of Lehman Brothers and the credit downgrade of AIG. Moreover, our model also explains the magnitude of excess reserve fluctuations observed in the US over typical business cycles.
Tucker Tensor Analysis of Matérn Functions in Spatial Statistics
Authors: Litvinenko Alexander , Keyes David , Khoromskaia Venera , Khoromskij Boris N. , Matthies Hermann G.
Published: July 2018

In this work, we describe advanced numerical tools for working with multivariate functions and for the
analysis of large data sets. These tools will drastically reduce the required computing time and the
storage cost, and, therefore, will allow us to consider much larger data sets or finer meshes.
Covariance matrices are crucial in spatio-temporal statistical tasks, but are often very expensive to
compute and store, especially in three dimensions. Therefore, we approximate covariance functions by cheap surrogates
in a low-rank tensor format. We apply the Tucker and canonical tensor decompositions to a family of
Matérn- and Slater-type functions with varying parameters and demonstrate numerically
that their approximations exhibit exponentially fast convergence.
We prove the exponential convergence of the Tucker and canonical approximations in tensor
rank parameters.
Several statistical operations are performed in this low-rank tensor format, including evaluating the
conditional covariance matrix, spatially averaged
estimation variance, computing a quadratic form, determinant, trace, loglikelihood, inverse,
and Cholesky decomposition of a large covariance matrix.
Low-rank tensor approximations reduce the computing and storage costs essentially.
For example, the storage cost
is reduced from an exponential

𝒪
⁢

(

n
d

)

{\mathcal{O}(n^{d})}

to a linear scaling

𝒪
⁢

(

d
⁢
r
⁢
n

)

{\mathcal{O}(drn)}

,
where d is the spatial dimension, n is the number of mesh points in one direction,
and r is the tensor rank.
Prerequisites for applicability of the proposed techniques are the assumptions that the data, locations,
and measurements lie on a tensor (axes-parallel) grid and that the covariance
function depends on a distance,

∥

x
-
y

∥

{\|x-y\|}

.
Optimization of the fabrication conditions and effects of multi-walled carbon nanotubes on the tensile properties of various glass fibers/unsaturated polyester resin composites
Authors: Hoang Van-Tho , Yum Young-Jin
Published: July 2018

Conventional glass fiber/unsaturated polyester resin (UPR) composites were fabricated by four layers to verify the optimum fabrication conditions such as the initial curing temperature, fiber changes and vacuum. Before that another optimum condition for stir mixing multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) into UPR was further investigated based on the initial curing temperature. Exothermic temperature measurements, density measurements, thermo-gravimetric analysis and tensile testing were utilized to identify the effects of these factors on the UPR and composite laminates. Consequently, an initial curing temperature range of 25°C–35°C was recommended to start the polymerization. In addition, the fiber combination and applying vacuum were also represented as the other optimum conditions in composite fabrication. The optimum initial curing temperature was applied for modifying UPR with 0.1 wt.% MWCNTs. Then, all of optimum conditions were used to fabricate glass fibers/modified UPR composites. The higher tensile strength and modulus of fiber combination with the adding of MWCNTs were obtained at 25.29 MPa and 1.39 GPa, respectively. The results indicate that simple MWCNT mixing can be used in industry due to the reduction of the fabrication time and better tensile properties.
The Influence of Entrepreneurial Orientation on Types of Process Innovation Capabilities and Moderating Role of Social Capital
Authors: Dost Mir , Arshad Muhammad , Afsar Bilal
Published: July 2018

Innovation either in products or processes requires innovation capability. Such ability, as a result, facilitates firms to succeed and gain competitive advantage in the industry by improving their efficiency of creating and marketing products and/or services. In this context, current research examines how risk-taking and proactivity dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation influence types of process innovative capabilities; and to what extent this relationship is strengthened/weakened by social capital. Authors collected data from chemical manufacturing firms of Pakistan, and carefully analyzed it with multiple regression technique. The findings revealed that proactivity and risk-taking facilitate incremental and radical process innovation. The moderation of social capital further strengthened the impact proactivity had on radical process innovation. However, moderation of social capital did not strengthen the impact risk-taking had on incremental and radical process innovation. Surprisingly, social capital demonstrated significantly positive impact on radical process innovation. The paper also discusses the theoretical and managerial implications.
N-Lusin property in metric measure spaces: A new sufficient condition
Authors: Garriga Marcela , Ochoa Pablo
Published: July 2018

In this work, we are concerned with the study of the N-Lusin property in metric measure spaces. A map satisfies that property if sets of measure zero are mapped to sets of measure zero. We prove a new sufficient condition for the N-Lusin property using a weak and pointwise Lipschitz-type estimate. Relations with approximate differentiability in metric measure spaces and other sufficient conditions for the N-Lusin property will be provided.
Low Phase Noise Feedback Oscillators Utilizing High-Q SIW Filter with Dielectric Loading
Authors: Zhang Hao , Kang Wei , Wu Wen
Published: July 2018

High-Q substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) resonator and its application to low phase noise oscillators are focused in this paper. By drilling air holes in the substrate, SIW bandpass filters (BPFs) with high Q factor could be achieved. This SIW filter is embedded into the feedback loop to be treated as a frequency stabilization element in designing the oscillator. The complex quality factor (Qsc)-peak frequency of the filter is chosen as the final oscillation frequency to obtain low phase noise performance. Moreover, air boxes are utilized instead of the air holes in the substrate to design another oscillator with lower phase noise performance and good harmonic suppression. Two low phase noise oscillators based on fourth-order SIW BPFs with dielectric loading have been studied, demonstrated and fabricated to verify the design concept.
Synthesis of dibenzothiazepine analogues by one-pot S-arylation and intramolecular cyclization of diaryl sulfides and evaluation of antibacterial properties
Authors: Shimotori Yasutaka , Hoshi Masayuki , Murata Mari , Ogawa Narihito , Miyakoshi Tetsuo , Kanamoto Taisei
Published: July 2018

Dibenzothiazepine analogues containing lactam, amidine and imine moieties were prepared from 2-aminophenyl disulfides via one-pot S-arylation. The S-arylation involved cleavage of an S-S bond of disulfides and SNAr reaction in aqueous ammonia solution of L-cysteine to afford diaryl sulfides. Dibenzothiazepine analogues having lactam and amidine moieties were obtained by cyclization of the corresponding diaryl sulfides under acidic conditions. One-pot S-arylation of 2-bromo-5-nitrobenzaldehyde gave dibenzothiazepine analogues with an imine moiety in one step through intramolecular cyclization. Compounds with antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were obtained.
Effects of thermal modification on the physical, chemical and micromechanical properties of Masson pine wood (Pinus massoniana Lamb.)
Authors: Wang Xinzhou , Chen Xuanzong , Xie Xuqin , Wu Yan , Zhao Linguo , Li Yanjun , Wang Siqun
Published: July 2018

In an attempt to evaluate the effects of thermal treatment on wood cell walls (CWs), Masson pine (Pinus massoniana Lamb.) wood was thermally modified (TM) at 150, 170 and 190°C for 2, 4 and 6 h, respectively. The chemical properties, cellulose crystallinity (C
rI) and micromechanics of the control and thermally modified wood (TMW) were analyzed by wet chemical analysis, X-ray diffraction and nanoindentation. The relative lignin content and C
rI increased after the TM partly degraded the amorphous wood polymers. The relative lignin content was higher in TMW and the equilibrium moisture content decreased. Moreover, the elastic modulus (E
r) and hardness (H) of TMW were lowered along with the creep ratio decrement (C
IT) of CWs. However, a severe treatment (e.g. 190°C/6 h) may negatively affect the mechanical properties of CWs caused by the partial degradation of hemicelluloses and also cellulose.
Enhancing resin efficiency in plywood production via DBD plasma treatment and atomized air spray of UF resin
Authors: Cao Yizhong , Zhou Xiaoyan , Chen Minzhi , Chen Weimin , Yu Peijing , Thiphuong Nguyen
Published: July 2018

To improve resin efficiency in plywood production, the veneer surface was modified by dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma and the resin was applied by air spray atomization. The droplet size and coverage of resin droplets were evaluated by image analysis. This novel approach improved the resin efficiency. The shear strength of the produced plywood was improved along with a higher gluing speed. The surface energy of poplar veneer altered after plasma treatment, resulting in an increased size of resin droplets and increased resin coverage. Plywood produced at a plasma-processing power of 4.5 kW exhibited the highest shear strength and a 6 kW plasma-processing power did not bring about advantages. Under these circumstances, the lowest amount of resin necessary for fabricating quality products can be reduced to 50 g m−2.
MAC30 knockdown involved in the activation of the Hippo signaling pathway in breast cancer cells
Authors: Song Guo-Qing , Zhao Yi
Published: July 2018

Down-regulation of the meningioma-associated protein (MAC30) gene has been found in many solid cancers. This study was carried out to determine the roles and the mechanisms of MAC30 in breast cancer. We used our own data and a public database to analyze the MAC30 mRNA and protein levels in breast cancer tissues. In addition, we established MAC30 knockdown breast cancer cells using MAC30 siRNA. The roles of MAC30 were detected by using the Soft agar assay, Annexin-V-FITC/PI double staining and the Transwell assay. Western blotting was used to analyze the potential mechanism(s) of MAC30 in these cells. We found that MAC30 mRNA and protein were higher in the cancer tissues compared to the matched normal tissues. MAC30 expression was associated with tumor size, tumor differentiation and estrogen receptor (ER) status. Overall survival rate of the patients with low MAC30 expression was obviously higher than the ones with high expression. The apoptotic ratio was lower in MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-157 cells with MAC30 expression. By Western blot analysis, we found that increased levels of phosphorylated YAP1, MST1 and LATS1 after MAC30 siRNA transfection in these two cells. In summary, we demonstrate that MAC30 knockdown is involved in the activation of the Hippo signaling pathway.
A Spatio-Temporal Model and Inference Tools for Longitudinal Count Data on Multicolor Cell Growth
Authors: Qiao PuXue , Mølck Christina , Ferrari Davide , Hollande Frédéric
Published: July 2018

Multicolor cell spatio-temporal image data have become important to investigate organ development and regeneration, malignant growth or immune responses by tracking different cell types both in vivo and in vitro. Statistical modeling of image data from common longitudinal cell experiments poses significant challenges due to the presence of complex spatio-temporal interactions between different cell types and difficulties related to measurement of single cell trajectories. Current analysis methods focus mainly on univariate cases, often not considering the spatio-temporal effects affecting cell growth between different cell populations. In this paper, we propose a conditional spatial autoregressive model to describe multivariate count cell data on the lattice, and develop inference tools. The proposed methodology is computationally tractable and enables researchers to estimate a complete statistical model of multicolor cell growth. Our methodology is applied on real experimental data where we investigate how interactions between cancer cells and fibroblasts affect their growth, which are normally present in the tumor microenvironment. We also compare the performance of our methodology to the multivariate conditional autoregressive (MCAR) model in both simulations and real data applications.
Trimetallic RuxMoNi Catalysts Supported on SBA-15 for the Hydrodesulfurization of Dibenzothiophene
Authors: Torres-García N.L. , Huirache-Acuña R. , Zepeda-Partida T.A. , Pawelec B. , Fierro J.L.G. , Vázquez-Salas P.J. , Maya-Yescas R. , Rivera-Garnica J.M.
Published: July 2018

In this work, novel trimetallic catalysts based on transition metal sulphides (Ru, Mo and Ni) supported on SBA-15 were synthesized. Citric acid (CA) was used as chelating agent in order to enhance the dispersion of the active phase and minimize the metal-support interaction. Sulfided catalysts were evaluated in the reaction of hydrodesulfurization (HDS) of dibenzothiophene (DBT) at 320 °C and 54.5 atm of total H2 pressure. The effects of different Ru/(Ni + Mo) atomic ratios on the active phase were studied. The catalysts were characterized using Micro-Raman spectroscopy, DRIFTS, XRD, XPS, HR-TEM and SEM techniques. Results have shown that there was a better dispersion of the metallic phases, which improves the physicochemical properties of the catalysts, increasing the catalytic activity. The trimetallic RuxMoNi catalyst with the lowest atomic ratio, have shown superior catalytic activity compared to their higher atomic ratio counterparts. The interaction of the chelating agent improved the catalytic activity, which was superior to that observed for NiMo based catalysts, considered one of the most active hydrotreating catalysts.
Impact of Temperature, Gum Arabic and Carboxymethyl Cellulose on Some Physical Properties of Spray-Dried Grapefruit
Authors: González Freddy , Igual Marta , Camacho María del Mar , Martínez-Navarrete Nuria
Published: July 2018

Spray-dried fruit powder may be an interesting alternative for the purposes of promoting fruit consumption among consumers. The use of carrier agents is especially necessary for the production of spray-dried fruit powders. As they may affect some physical properties of the powder, it is important to adjust the amount at which they have to be added to the minimum in order to achieve the necessary effects. The final aim of the study was to identify the most suitable atomization temperature, as well as the optimal concentration of gum Arabic (GA) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) to be used as carriers, in order to obtain grapefruit powder with the maximum dry matter yield (DMY) and porosity, the minimum water content and, simultaneously, with suitable color characteristics. The results of the study don’t recommend the use of CMC and suggest that the best color, the one that corresponds to a free-flowing powder, corresponds to a very luminous one, low in chroma and with a hue that is much more yellow than reddish orange.
The acquisition of Mandarin sentence final particles by Italian learners
Authors: Badan Linda , Romagnoli Chiara
Published: July 2018

This article deals with the acquisition of four Mandarin sentence final particlesma, a, ba, neby Italian native speakers. The research gives a contribution to the study of sentence final particles from an acquisition and didactic perspective, which has been scarcely investigated in the linguistic literature. The article proposes a quantitative and qualitative experimental analysis with two groups of Italian learners, one at elementary proficiency level and one at intermediate level. The research shows thatneandbaare the most challenging particles to acquire by Italian learners. We argue that this due to the fact thatneandbaare highly polyfunctional and they do not simply determine the type of clause. The functions ofneandbatested in this paper, in fact, are better defined as discourse particles, whose meaning is highly dependent from the context. Moreover, the experiment demonstrates not only that the proficiency level is straightforward correlated to the mastery of sentence final particles, as expected, but also that the didactic tools play a crucial role. As a matter of fact, the results of this study opens up a number of pedagogical implications in relation to the teaching of Mandarin sentence final particles to Italian learners.
The Future of Demand for Food Away from Home and Prepared Food: Cohort and Age Effects in Japan
Authors: Fujioka Soichiro , Fukushige Mototsugu
Published: July 2018

The demand for two composite goods, food away from home (FAFH) and prepared food (PF), are trending upward in Japan as Japanese society ages. This paper estimates the demand function of FAFH and PF. We adopt the almost ideal demand system and predict the effect on future demand from age and cohort changes. We find that the age effect decreases both while the cohort effect increases the share of FAFH but decreases that of PF. Over time, the demand for FAFH gradually decreases but remains stable. The demand for PF has been decreasing as of 2010 and more quickly than for FAFH. The reason is that both the age effect and the dynamic population trend decrease the demand for both goods, while the cohort effect slows the decrease in demand for FAFH but accelerates that for PF.
High-fat diet modifies cytokine gene expression and exacerbates the effects of acute pancreatitis in the liver of rats
Authors: Abdelsadik Ahmed
Published: July 2018

Background:

Obese patients have a higher risk of developing different metabolic syndromes (MeS), including acute pancreatitis (AP). Although obese individuals are more prone to MeS and more susceptible to local and systemic inflammation in response to AP, thus causing long-lasting hospitalization, higher morbidity and mortality, their underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between obesity and the outcomes of AP in the rat model of AP.

Methods:

To assess the link between obesity and AP, 40 male albino rats were divided into two groups: control and those given a high-fat diet for 12 weeks. This was followed by the injection of a single dose of L-arginine (250 mg/100 gm) in half of each group to induce AP.

Results:

Data evaluation was done using 2-way ANOVA. Values were considered significant when p≤0.05. Markers of AP were evaluated in the serum and ascitic fluid. Moreover, the systemic inflammatory markers, such as IL-6, TNF-α, HMGB1 and TLR4, were quantified in the liver of all groups. Results showed that the OAP group had the highest levels of liver enzymes and amylase aside from several signs of liver damage, such as fat necrosis and steatosis.

Conclusions:

The inflammatory cytokine levels are synchronized, creating an early responsive stage and late inflammatory stage to realize the best defense mechanism. Results also indicate that obesity is a main determinant of the severity of AP at the late stage.
From Virtual Reality to Immersive Analytics in Bioinformatics
Authors: Sommer Björn , Baaden Marc , Krone Michael , Woods Andrew
Published: July 2018

Bioinformatics-related research produces huge heterogeneous amounts of data. This wealth of information includes data describing metabolic mechanisms and pathways, proteomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics. Often, the visualization and exploration of related structural – usually molecular – data plays an important role in the aforementioned contexts. For decades, virtual reality (VR)-related technologies were developed and applied to Bioinformatics problems. Often, these approaches provide “just” visual support of the analysis, e.g. in the case of exploring and interacting with a protein on a 3D monitor and compatible interaction hardware. Moreover, in the past these approaches were limited to cost-intensive professional visualization facilities. The advent of new affordable, and often mobile technologies, provides high potential for using similar approaches on a regular basis for daily research. Visual Analytics is successfully being used for several years to analyze complex and heterogeneous datasets. Immersive Analytics combines these approaches now with new immersive and interactive technologies. This publication provides a short overview of related technologies, their history and Bioinformatics-related approaches. Six new applications on the path from VR to Immersive Analytics are being introduced and discussed.
Intervention for physician burnout: A systematic review
Authors: Wiederhold Brenda K , Cipresso Pietro , Pizzioli Daniele , Wiederhold Mark , Riva Giuseppe
Published: July 2018

Burnout is an important problem for physicians, with a strong impact on their quality of life and a corresponding decrease in the quality of care with an evident economical burden for the healthcare system. However, the range of interventions used to decrease this problem could be very fragmented and with the aim to shed some light on this issue, this study reviews and summarizes the currently available studies. We conducted a systematic review using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines to identify studies about intervention on physician burnout. Two authors independently searched into scientific databases to analyze and review the full papers that met the inclusion criteria. As a result, from an initial search of 11029 articles, 13 studies met full criteria and were included in this review. Of the 13 studies presented, only 4 utilized randomized controlled trials, therefore the results should be interpreted with caution. Future interventions should focus on a more holistic approach using a wider range of techniques. According to the studies selected in this review, it appears that a successful intervention for burnout should take into account the broad range of causes incorporating a variety of therapeutic tools.
Clinical effects of piribedil in adjuvant treatment of Parkinson’s Disease: A meta-analysis
Authors: Peihua Lu , Jianqin Wang
Published: July 2018

Objective. To evaluate the clinical effects of piribedil in adjuvant treatment of Parkinson’s Disease (PD) by pooling previously openly published studies. Methods. The related electronic databases of Medline (1960~2017.5), Cochrane central register of controlled trials (CENTRAL), EMBASE (1980~2017.5) and Wanfang (1986~20175.5) were searched by two reviewers (Lu Peihua and Wang Jianqian) independently for publications including the topic of prospective randomized controlled trials about clinical effects of piribedil in adjuvant treatment of PD. The data of each included study was extracted and pooled by Stata11.0 software (for meta-analysis). The statistical heterogeneity across the studies was evaluated by I2 test and the publication bias was calculated by begg’s funnel plot and Egger’s line regression test. Results. After searching the related electronic databases of Medline, CENTRAL, EMBSE and Wanfang databases, 11 clinical studies were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled RR (random effect model) of clinical efficacy was 1.29 (95%CI:1.18~1.41, P=4×10-3) indicating the clinical efficacy of piribedil group was signficat higher than those of control group. The standard mean difference (SMD) for UPDRS score changed before and after treatment was pooled by random effect model. The combined SMD was -0.41 (95%CI:-0.75~-0.06). For piribedil related side effects, the combined data indicated that there was no statistical difference for nausea and vomiting (RR=0.43, 95%CI:0.41~1.69, P=0.61), mental disorders (RR=0.85, 95%CI:0.45~1.59, P=0.61) and other toxicities (RR=0.32, 95%CI:0.09~1.16, P=0.08). Conclusion. Piribedil combined with Levodopa in adjuvant treatment of PD is more effective than Levodopa alone without increasing the drug related toxicity.
Identification of a novel BRAF Thr599dup mutation in lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Zhang Xuefei , Li Mo , Lv Desheng , Sun Ge , Bai Yu , Tian Hui , Liu Changhong
Published: July 2018

BRAF mutations are known as oncogenic drivers of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). BRAF inhibition has demonstrated anti-tumor activity in patients with BRAF V600E mutant NSCLC. Further molecular screening for novel BRAF thr599dup mutation is warranted. The novel BRAF Thr599dup gene mutation, for which the repeat amino acid-tyrosine is inserted between the 599th amino acid and the 600th amino acid in exon 15 of BRAF, was identified by next-generation sequencing (NGS) during routine clinical care in a lung carcinoma sample from an Asian never-smoker. Other putative driver alterations including EGFR, ALK were not found in that patient. BRAF Thr599dup gene mutation analysis was consistent with BRAF v600E gene mutation. Here we report a novel BRAF gene mutation with molecular characteristics consistent with those in BRAF-driven NSCLC. Our case expands the scope of BRAF gene mutations and provides broader molecular profiling for optimizing therapeutic options for patients with NSCLC. The new BRAF gene mutation has important clinical meaning for cancer patients.
Structural and optical characterization of annealed As30Te60Ga10 thin films prepared by thermal evaporation technique
Authors: Abd-Elnaiem A.M. , Mohamed M. , Hassan R.M. , Abdel-Rahim M.A. , Abu-Sehly A.A. , Hafiz M.M.
Published: July 2018

Effect of annealing temperature on the structural and optical properties of As30Te60Ga10 thin film was studied using various techniques such as differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The DSC analysis revealed that the As30Te60Ga10 glass has a single glass transition and crystallization peak while XRD results confirmed that the as-prepared and annealed films have crystalline nature. The coexistence of the crystalline phases in the investigated films could be attributed to the formation of orthorhombic As, hexagonal Ga7Te10, and monoclinic As2Te3 phases. It was found that the average crystallite size and optical parameters of the studied films depend on the annealing temperature. For example, the optical band gap decreased from 1.54 eV to 1.11 eV as the annealing temperature increased from 300 K to 433 K.
Crystal structure of diaqua-(N-(1-(pyrazin-2-yl)ethylidene)nicotinohydrazonato-κ3
N,N′,O)-bis(nitrato-κ2
O,O′)samarium(III), C12H14N7O9Sm
Authors: Mao Xianjie , Li Chuntong , Xu Gaoyuan , Li Huijun
Published: July 2018

C12H14N7O9Sm, monoclinic, P21/c (no. 14), a = 16.770(3) Å, b = 7.7185(16) Å, c = 15.165(3) Å, β = 108.409(3)°, V = 1862.5(7) Å3, Z = 4, R
gt(F) = 0.0262, wR
ref(F
2) = 0.0672, T = 296(2) K.
Crystal structure of N
2,N
4-dibutyl-6-chloro-N
2,N
4-bis(1,2,2,6,6-pentamethylpiperidin-4-yl)-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine, C31H58ClN7 – Important intermediate of Chimassorb 119 synthesis
Authors: Xiao Jian , Wang Kai , Chen Qiang , Zhang Xiu-Qin , Lu Guo-Yuan
Published: July 2018

C31H58ClN7, monoclinic, P21/c (no. 14), a = 29.9370(18) Å, b = 15.6432(8) Å, c = 14.2792(8) Å, β = 90.819(2)°, V = 6686.4(6) Å3, Z = 8, R
gt(F) = 0.0671, wR
ref(F
2) = 0.1925, T = 173(2) K.
Bewegungssehen: Zellen, Schaltkreise und Algorithmen
Authors: Ramos-Traslosheros Giordano , Henning Miriam , Silies Marion
Published: July 2018

Für viele Tiere ist die Verarbeitung visueller Reize und insbesondere Bewegungsreize von elementarer Bedeutung. Das Bewegungssehen beruht auf dem Vergleich von Lichtsignalen in Raum und Zeit. Zu verstehen, wie neuronale Netzwerke dies erreichen, gilt als Paradigma für die Durchführung spezifischer Rechnungen im Gehirn. Wir werden klassische Modelle des Bewegungssehens vorstellen und Einblicke in die Schaltkreise des Bewegungssehens in Drosophila geben. Direkte physiologische Messungen richtungsselektiver Zellen haben neue Erkenntnisse zur Umsetzung der Algorithmen des Bewegungssehens geliefert. Diese legen eine Kombination zweier Mechanismen nahe: Eine nicht-lineare Verstärkung von Bewegung in eine Richtung, sowie die Suppression von Bewegung in die entgegengesetzte Richtung. Diese Erkenntnisse und eine funktionelle Analyse der neuronalen Komponenten des Bewegungssehens ergeben, dass die Verarbeitung von Bewegungsreizen komplizierter ist als lange angenommen. Darauf aufbauend haben wir die Gelegenheit, die Eigenschaften grundlegender, aber komplexer Schaltkreise im Detail zu verstehen.
Molekulare Dynamik der neuronalen Informationsübertragung
Authors: Heine Martin , Bikbaev Arthur
Published: July 2018

Die detaillierte Analyse von Synapsen als verbindende Elemente zwischen Nervenzellen ist von zentraler Bedeutung, um sowohl die kognitiven Leistungen des Gehirns als auch deren Einschränkungen zu verstehen. Modernste optische Verfahren erlauben es heute, einzelne Moleküle in lebenden Zellen zu detektieren. Insbesondere kann so die Dynamik der molekularen Komposition in kleinsten Kompartimenten wie etwa den prä- und postynaptischen Membranen erforscht werden. Die Beobachtung der Verteilung von Rezeptoren, Ionenkanälen und Adhäsionsmolekülen über die Zeit lässt erkennen, dass diese einer ständigen stochastischen Bewegung unterliegen. Dies ist überraschend, sind doch Synapsen gerade für solche Proteinmoleküle als Akkumulationsorte mit vielen molekularen Anknüpfungspunkten beschrieben. Durch gezielte Beeinflussung der lateralen Bewegung von Glutamatrezeptoren in Verbindung mit klassischer Elektrophysiologie konnte gezeigt werden, dass die molekulare Dynamik entscheidend für die Induktion synaptischer Plastizität ist und ihrerseits durch synaptische Aktivität beeinflusst werden kann. Sie sollte daher auch mit Blick auf übergeordnete Hirnfunktionen und neurologische Erkrankungen näher untersucht werden.
Circular action treatment (CAT): a new strategy for mechanical treatment of old corrugated container I – effects of control parameters on paper strength
Authors: Kim Jin-Doo , Lee Tai-Ju , Lee Jae-Hoon , Ryu Jeong-Yong , Won Jong-Myoung
Published: July 2018

Circular action treatment (CAT) was developed for improving the strength of paper made from old corrugated containers (OCCs). The effects of the revolution speed of the circular blade, number of passes, and consistency of the stock were studied for application to paper recycling. The slowness, water retention value (WRV), and strength of the paper increased with increasing revolution speed of the circular blades and the passing time without changing the fiber characteristics (length, width, and kink angle) due to the improvement in flexibility and hydration degree of hornified fibers. However, the effect of CAT declined when the stock was passed more than 20 times. The thickening of the stock up to 25 % consistency enhanced WRV and strength of the resulting paper. Below 20 % consistency, the stock adhered to the wall of the CAT apparatus, whereas at higher consistency, the stock could not be treated effectively due to uneven impact. Consequently, when the OCC stock was thickened to 25 % and allowed to free fall from 20 times at the maximum revolution speed (875 rpm) of the circular blades, the strength of OCC paper could be effectively enhanced by CAT.