bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
On preconditioner updates for sequences of saddle-point linear systems
Authors: Simone Valentina De , Serafino Daniela di , Morini Benedetta
Published: April 2018

Updating preconditioners for the solution of sequences of large and sparse saddle- point linear systems via Krylov methods has received increasing attention in the last few years, because it allows to reduce the cost of preconditioning while keeping the efficiency of the overall solution process. This paper provides a short survey of the two approaches proposed in the literature for this problem: updating the factors of a preconditioner available in a block LDLT form, and updating a preconditioner via a limited-memory technique inspired by quasi-Newton methods.
Comparison of minimization methods for nonsmooth image segmentation
Authors: Antonelli L. , De Simone V.
Published: April 2018

Segmentation is a typical task in image processing having as main goal the partitioning of the image into multiple segments in order to simplify its interpretation and analysis. One of the more popular segmentation model, formulated by Chan-Vese, is the piecewise constant Mumford-Shah model restricted to the case of two-phase segmentation. We consider a convex relaxation formulation of the segmentation model, that can be regarded as a nonsmooth optimization problem, because the presence of the l1-term. Two basic approaches in optimization can be distinguished to deal with its non differentiability: the smoothing methods and the nonsmoothing methods. In this work, a numerical comparison of some first order methods belongs of both approaches are presented. The relationships among the different methods are shown, and accuracy and efficiency tests are also performed on several images.
A fractional spline collocation-Galerkin method for the time-fractional diffusion equation
Authors: Pezza L. , Pitolli F.
Published: April 2018

The aim of this paper is to numerically solve a diffusion differential problem having time derivative of fractional order. To this end we propose a collocation-Galerkin method that uses the fractional splines as approximating functions. The main advantage is in that the derivatives of integer and fractional order of the fractional splines can be expressed in a closed form that involves just the generalized finite difference operator. This allows us to construct an accurate and efficient numerical method. Several numerical tests showing the effectiveness of the proposed method are presented.
Long-term stability of glucose: glycolysis inhibitor vs. gel barrier tubes
Authors: Winter Theresa , Hannemann Anke , Suchsland Juliane , Nauck Matthias , Petersmann Astrid
Published: April 2018

Background:

Measuring the glucose concentration in whole blood samples is critical due to unsatisfactory glycolysis inhibition. Previous studies showed that Terumo tubes were superior, but they were taken off the European market in 2016 and alternatives were required. This initiated the present evaluation of glucose stability in five available tube types.

Methods:

Venous blood samples were collected from 61 healthy volunteers to test tubes supplied by Terumo (two sets), Greiner FC-Mix, BD FX-Mixture and BD serum. After sampling, the contents were thoroughly mixed and centrifuged within an hour. The glucose concentrations were determined and the samples resuspended except for BD serum tubes (gel barrier). The first 30 samples were stored at room temperature and the remaining 31 at 4°C. After 24, 48, 72 and 96 h, all tubes were (re)centrifuged, and glucose concentration measurements were repeated.

Results:

Changes in glucose concentrations over time differed significantly between the investigated tube types and to a certain extent between the two storing conditions. Glycolysis was most evident in the BD FX-mixture tubes. Good glucose stability was observed in samples retrieved form BD serum and Greiner tubes. The stability in both Terumo tubes was comparable to that in other studies. Although Greiner and both Terumo tubes are supposed to contain the same glycolysis inhibitor, glucose stability differed between these tubes.

Conclusions:

We showed that Greiner is an acceptable alternative to Terumo and that glucose in serum that was rapidly separated from corpuscles by a gel barrier is stable for an extended time.
Within-subject biological variation of activated partial thromboplastin time, prothrombin time, fibrinogen, factor VIII and von Willebrand factor in pregnant women
Authors: Kristoffersen Ann Helen , Petersen Per Hyltoft , Bjørge Line , Røraas Thomas , Sandberg Sverre
Published: April 2018

Background:

During pregnancy, interpretation of results from coagulation parameters can be difficult as the physiological changes that occur may affect the biochemical parameters. The aim of this study was to describe the normal course of five coagulation parameters in healthy pregnancies, and to estimate the within-subject biological variation (CVI).

Methods:

Blood samples were obtained every 4th week during pregnancy and three samples after delivery in 20 healthy women and every 4th week during a 40-week period in 19 healthy non-pregnant women. Activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), prothrombin time (PT), PT International Normalized Ratio (INR), fibrinogen, factor VIII clot (FVIII:C) and von Willebrand factor antigen (vWF:Ag) were analyzed. The physiological changes during pregnancy were compensated by transformation into multiples of the median (MoM) and it is natural logarithm (lnMoM) in order to establish a kind of steady state, and CVIwas calculated from the standard deviation.

Results:

During pregnancy, APTT, PT and INR remained unchanged or decreased, depending upon the reagent used, while fibrinogen, FVIII:C and vWF:Ag increased gradually until delivery. The CVIin pregnancy were 2.2 and 3.0% for APTT, 2.3 and 2.6% for PT, 2.2 and 2.3% for INR, 7.2% for fibrinogen, 12.2% for FVIII:C and 11.3% for vWF:Ag, and corresponded with the CVIin non-pregnant women.

Conclusions:

Transformation of coagulation parameters in healthy pregnancies to MoM is a tool to establish a kind of steady state. Although there is a physiological change in these coagulation parameters during pregnancy, the CVIafter lnMoM transformation was comparable with the CVIof non-pregnant women.
Examples of solvmanifolds without LCK structures
Authors: Sawai Hiroshi
Published: April 2018

The purpose in this paper is to construct solvmanifolds without LCK structures such that the complex structure is left-invariant
A proof of Milnor conjecture in dimension 3
Authors: Pan Jiayin
Published: April 2018

We present a proof of the Milnor conjecture in dimension 3 based on Cheeger–Colding
theory on limit spaces of manifolds with Ricci curvature bounded below. It is different from [17] that relies on minimal surface theory.
Geschichtsphilosophie und Philosophiegeschichte
Authors: Schmidt-Biggemann Wilhelm
Published: April 2018

The essay – an elaborated version of my academic farewell speech [Abschiedsvorlesung] – discusses three theses: 1. Histories and history as well as history of philosophy and philosophy of history can only be staged as narratives. “True” stories enact the past and deliver schemes for anticipating the future; insofar history and future constitute the semantics of the present. 2. “Systematic” philosophy analyses the temporal narratives which store the historical experiences and eliminates their temporality in a process of transforming narratives into arguments. The most important step in this transformation consists in isolating the key notions of the narratives and in arranging these key notions in a “timeless” systematic order. 3. History of philosophy and philosophy of history restage, however, the temporal narrative, which systematic philosophy wants to eliminate from philosophy. This operation produces an unsolvable paradox where the claim of timeless truth and that of unescapable temporality are both valid. It throws up questions such as: how can it be possible for philosophical truths to lose their credit? Do timeless truths exist, and if so what do they mean? Do these paradoxes lead to schadenfreude on the part of the historian of philosophy, who knew it all along, or should one see these unsolvable complexities as a chance to enjoy the richness of possibilities which history unfolds? The essay chooses the second alternative.
Alzheimer-Erkrankungen, Autonomie und zwei Paradigmen der Pflegeethik
Authors: Rippe Klaus-Peter
Published: April 2018

Family members and professional care-givers are often confronted with challenging and self-destructive behaviours of people suffering from dementia, and it is not clear at all if these situations should be regulated by principles of autonomy or by principles of care, which consider the best interests of the patients. With reference to a thought experiment, this paper argues that it is not possible to control these situations by implementing principles of autonomy. Instead, while taking into account the patients’ capacity to consent, it is better to apply principles of care in challenging situations.
Empedocles’ Mountain Path (Fr. 24): The Perils of a Metaphor
Authors: O’Brien Denis
Published: April 2018

Recent attempts at giving meaning to Empedocles’ enigmatic metaphor of a ‘pathway’ and ‘summits’ (fr. 24) suffer from weaknesses logical no less than philological. Contrary theses do not have to be contradictory. Does Empedocles express a preference for ‘summits’ as opposed to a ‘pathway’, or for a ‘pathway’ as opposed to ‘summits’? Very possibly neither. The context in which the two verses are quoted points rather to a graceful peroration. However many ‘summits’ there may have been on the way, the traveller has to complete his journey. However many the fascinating topics Cleombrotus has spoken of, he has to know how to bring his speech, his ‘path of words’, to a successful conclusion.
Revisiting Protagoras’ Fr. DK B 1
Authors: Zaborowski Robert
Published: April 2018

The paper offers an analysis of Protagoras’ fr. DK 80 B 1 and rejects the traditional reading of Protagoras as relativist. By considering the ipsissima verba that Protagoras makes use of in his passage, it is argued that alternative interpretations are possible, of which epistemological reism and psychological individualism are proposed. On a more general level, it is discussed to what extent Protagoras’ fragment contains descriptive rather than normative claim.
L’antilogicien ou l’ennemi de la philosophie véritable
Authors: Lachance Geneviève
Published: April 2018

One of Plato’s goal in the Phaedo is not only to define what philosophy is, but also to describe what ‘real’ or ‘authentic’ philosophy consists of. This description of ‘authentic’ philosophy reveals a tension. Indeed, if Socrates feels the need to speak of a genuine philosophy, is it not a sign that there is another type of philosophy, which is inauthentic and fake ? If Plato emphasizes the legitimacy of some philosophers, is it not because he believes that there are others, who resemble the former but are a mere imitation of them ? In fact, there is in the Phaedo an implicit description of ‘false’ philosophers, which culminates with the presentation of a precise case: the antilogician. Sometimes called a sophist, often described as an eristic, the antilogician is a perfect example of philosophy gone wrong. Criticised more than once in his dialogues, Plato condemns vivaciously the antilogician as he diverts real philosophical inquiry and immerses people in absolute relativism.
Antecedentes de algunos lineamientos de la estrategia de Aristóteles frente al negador del principio de no contradicción en elSofistade Platón
Authors: Spangenberg Pilar
Published: April 2018

The purpose of this paper is to show that in theSophistPlato develops a dialectical strategy that appeals to necessary conditions of language as a fundamental step toward establishing some principles of his ontology. This strategy constitutes a clear antecedent of the elenctic refutation offered by Aristotle inMetaphysics Gamma4 against the denier of the principle of non-contradiction and could be described as transcendental because it refers to conditions without which there wouldn’t be any speech. The paper aims to show that such a strategy is used both by Plato and Aristotle to deal with radical adversaries whose refutation allows the establishment of basic theses of their own philosophies.
Aristotle on Co-causes of One’s Dispositions
Authors: Grgić Filip
Published: April 2018

In this paper I offer a close reading of Aristotle’s argument in theNicomachean Ethics3.5.1114a31–b25 and try to show that despite considerable interpretive difficulties, some clear structure can nevertheless be discerned. While Aristotle’s main concern in this passage is to refute the so-called asymmetry thesis – the thesis that virtue is voluntary, but vice is not – there is much more in it than just a dialectical encounter. Aristotle wants to respond to a more general objection, which has as its target the voluntariness of both virtue and vice, and which is provoked by some of his ideas inEN3.4 and 3.5. Further, I will try to show why Aristotle thinks that we are only co-causes (sunaitioi) of our dispositions. In my opinion, his reasons have nothing to do with compatibilist or incompatibilist considerations as they are commonly understood in modern philosophy. In particular, he does not want to argue that nature (as well as social environment, early educators, etc.) isaitiosof our dispositions just as ourselves are. Rather, we are co-causes of our dispositions because we are (efficient) causal origins of actions without which a certain good, which is the final cause of our actions and of our dispositions, cannot be achieved. Finally, I will try to show that Aristotle’s discussion implies that there is no more to the responsibility for dispositions than there is to the responsibility for actions.
Le Logos d’Empédocle : Reconstruction d’une lecture stoïcienne
Authors: Brémond Mathilde
Published: April 2018

Both Hippolytus of Rome and Sextus Empiricus attribute a concept of λόγος to Empedocles, relying on fragments that seem to have nothing to do with this claim. This article aims to show how the identification and clarification of their common Stoic source helps us to understand these texts better, and to reconstruct an interpretation of Empedocles’ epistemology that has not attracted critical attention so far.
Impact of supplier-specific investments in inter-organisational information systems on strategic electronic coordination: the moderation effect of buyer dependence
Authors: Teryokhin Sergei , Hannås Gøril
Published: April 2018

This paper examines the factors which influence sharing of the strategic information (in other words, electronic coordination) in a buyer–supplier dyad. The antecedents of this coordination are examined rather well in the transaction cost economics (TCE) theory and resource-dependency theory (RDT), while the supply chain management perspective is contemplated. The mentioned frameworks are used in the analysis. However, the research focus is narrowed down to the exploration of the antecedents of information exchange conducted via inter-organisational information systems (IOS). The empirical analysis is based on 198 observations of Norwegian companies operating in different types of industries. A regression model is used to test the hypotheses about the antecedents of strategic electronic coordination. The research results indicate that the direct effect of the supplier-specific investments in the IOS on the exchange of strategic information in the buyer–supplier dyad is not statistically significant. The supplier-specific investment in the IOS becomes positively associated with the strategic information exchange in the buyer–supplier dyad only when the buyer is dependent on the supplier. The buyer dependency creates a high motivation for the company to exchange the strategic information with the supplier who is more powerful in the dyad. This research concludes that the companies making substantial investments in the IOS for electronic coordination purposes may not reach their goals if relation-specific factors, such as buyer dependency, are not comprehensively considered.
Reliability Test Plans for Percentiles Based on the Harris Generalized Linear Exponential Distribution
Authors: Jose K. K. , Paul Albin
Published: April 2018

In this paper, a generalization of the Harris family of distributions, namely, the Harris generalized linear exponential distribution is discussed. The use of the model is established by fitting it to a real data set. Also, we derive a reliability test plan for acceptance or rejection of a lot of products submitted for inspection with lifetimes following this distribution.
One Year of Consumer Access to Payment Accounts – a New Dimension of European Anti-Discrimination Law?
Authors: Braunroth Anna
Published: April 2018

This article analyses a consumer rights approach to protection against discrimination in EU law that has been established with the adoption of the so-called Payment Accounts Directive 2014/92/EU of 23 July 2014 (PAD). The approach has potential to sustainably transform the legal coexistence of, on the one side, EU consumer law and, on the other side, EU anti-discrimination law. In form of a so far unprecedented regulation, it directly links the non-discrimination principle of Article 21 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights with consumer protection. At the same time, the approach ties in with traditional concepts in consumer law relating to vulnerable consumers and to services of general economic interest. Following the year which has passed since the transposition deadline of 18 September 2016, this article argues that the PAD constitutes a first step towards a consumer-specific anti-discrimination protection of its own kind, the key features of which it seeks to outline.
Breach of Contract: Automatic and Unilateral Price Reduction
Authors: Bertino Lorenzo
Published: April 2018

The recent reforms of the French Civil Code have also regulated remedies for breach of contract, by introducing price reduction as a general instrument that can be applied to all contractual types.

Firstly, the article analyses the harmonisation projects and regulations on which the French reform claims to be based, for the purposes of verifying whether the French legal framework only reproduces solutions already tested or whether it is innovative with respect to such models. This study highlights the introduction of innovative solutions through which price reduction is achieved. Whilst price reduction is usually ordered by the court, following a claim by the non-breaching creditor, under the French model the price reduction remedy does not require the court’s intervention as it can be performed directly by the creditor: this is an automatic and not a court-based remedy.

Secondly, the article also analyses whether the same outcome that is obtained through the automatic price reduction can also be achieved through the use of other legal instruments. This article focuses on a comparative law analysis with the common law system with respect to compensation for damages under English law. With respect to the civil law models, the article examines the Italian model in which parties generally resort to actions for compensation and the exception of partial breach.
Medical care and clinical practice for disabled elderly
Authors: Zhu Rui-Fang , Han Shi-Fan
Published: April 2018

At present, with the continuous development of the trend of population aging worldwide, more elderly people are increasingly facing serious life disorders caused by physical and mental disability. In this study, the common symptoms and the nursing practice related to diseases of the disabled elderly are reviewed with reference to the basic concepts of disability care and the current situation of domestic and foreign research, which is expected to provide the basis for the construction of a new model of disability nursing.
Study on the quality of life and the factors influencing it in elderly patients
Authors: Zhang Mei-Yan , Bi Huai-Mei , Wang Tao , Zhang Gui-Lan
Published: April 2018

A society of advanced age is arriving with the increasing number of elderly patients. Little attention has been paid to the quality of life of elderly patients, which is decreasing gradually. This article aims to study the quality of life among elderly patients and explore the factors influencing it, in addition to exploring effective ways to improve the quality of life of elderly patients.
The historical evolution of the regulations for the Florence Nightingale Medal
Authors: Wang Qian , Zhu Rui-Fang , Duan Zhi-Guang
Published: April 2018

Objective

This study aimed to explore the 100-year changes in regulations for the Florence Nightingale Medal.

Methods

We used the announcements of the Florence Nightingale Medal awards as the research object to analyze – via historical and inductive methods – the regulations for receiving the Florence Nightingale Medal.

Results

In the award years, the greatest number of winners per award year was 71 and the lowest was 12. The medal was initially exclusively awarded to living people but evolved to include both living and deceased people. The recipients were balanced among all countries. The gender of the winners showed a changing trend from being limited to only females to including both males and females. There was also a shift from emphasis on only dedication of the recipient to equal emphasis on both dedication and innovation.

Conclusions

The selection criteria for recipients of the Florence Nightingale Medal evolved from consideration of those showing only dedication to equal consideration of both dedication and innovation.
An empirical study on evaluation indexes of scientific research achievements in nursing
Authors: Cheng Jin-Lian , Tan Xi
Published: April 2018

Objective

The purpose of this empirical study was to investigate the evaluation indexes of nursing research results and to provide references for the optimization of nursing research results and their clinical applications.

Methods

A total of 150 clinical nursing studies were randomly selected, the clinical applications of their results were investigated, and the results were evaluated using the evaluation indexes of nursing research achievements.

Results

The results of 101 clinical nursing studies were promoted through their application, accounting for 82.79%, but they were mostly promoted and applied in small areas. When the evaluation indexes of nursing research results were used to evaluate the results, the scores for the applied results were higher than those of unapplied results, and the difference was statistically significant (P< 0.05). Considering the levels of the results, the scores of the results of studies at the national level were higher than those of studies at the municipal and hospital levels; the scores of the results of studies at the provincial level were higher than those at the hospital level; and the scores of the results of originally innovative studies were higher than those of partially innovative studies. The differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). In terms of overall scores, the scores of the results at the provincial level were higher than those at the hospital level, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

The evaluation indexes of nursing research results in this study can scientifically and effectively evaluate the level, value, and effectiveness of the nursing research results and can promote the clinical application of the optimized results.
Effect of a new health education model on continuous nursing in elderly patients with
diabetes mellitus
Authors: Chao Jing-Jing , Xue Ya-Zhuo
Published: April 2018

Objective

We aimed to explore the effect of a new health education model on continuous nursing care in elderly patients with diabetes mellitus who had undergone an operation for fracture.

Methods

Convenience sampling was used to select 59 elderly patients with diabetes mellitus and fracture. New health education methods were used, and patient parameters were evaluated before and after the intervention.

Results

Evaluation of medication, reasonable diet, regular exercise, blood glucose monitoring, and regular follow-up compliance were significantly improved in the experimental group compared to the control group (P < 0.05). There were also significant differences between groups in fasting blood glucose, 2-hour postprandial blood glucose, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein, and low-density lipoprotein levels (P < 0.05); however, the differences between groups in terms of glycosylated hemoglobin and total cholesterol levels were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Finally, the functional recovery and mental health of the experimental group were significantly better than those of the control group (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

The implementation of a menu of voluntary services in community-based continuous nursing provided standardized nursing care for elderly patients with fracture and diabetes mellitus and improved their quality of life.
Role of academic self-efficacy in the relationship between self-directed learning readiness and problem-solving ability among nursing students
Authors: Zhang Xiao-Hong , Meng Li-Na , Liu Hui-Hui , Luo Ru-Zhen , Zhang Chun-Mei , Zhang Pei-Pei , Liu Yan-Hui
Published: April 2018

Objective

Problem-solving should be a fundamental component of nursing education because it is a core ability for professional nurses. For more effective learning, nursing students must understand the relationship between self-directed learning readiness and problem-solving ability. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships among self-directed learning readiness, problem-solving ability, and academic self-efficacy among undergraduate nursing students.

Methods

From November to December 2016, research was conducted among 500 nursing undergraduate students in Tianjin, China, using a self-directed learning readiness scale, an academic self-efficacy scale, a questionnaire related to problem-solving, and self-designed demographics. The response rate was 85.8%.

Results

For Chinese nursing students, self-directed learning readiness and academic self-efficacy reached a medium-to-high level, while problem-solving abilities were at a low level. There were significant positive correlations among the students’ self-directed learning readiness, academic self-efficacy, and problem-solving ability. Furthermore, academic self-efficacy demonstrated a mediating effect on the relationship between the students’ self-directed learning readiness and problem-solving ability.

Conclusions

To enhance students’ problem-solving ability, nursing educators should pay more attention to the positive impact of self-directed learning readiness and self-efficacy in nursing students’ education.
Groups Agendas as the Root of Party Position Change
Authors: Baylor Christopher
Published: April 2018

One dimension of party realignment – party position change – has been debated extensively in recent political science literature. This article reviews recent evidence presented to explain position change: candidates, politically active groups, and ideology. Based on historical case studies, I make the case for treating politically active groups as the most important factor in party change. A clear understanding of these factors can help us understand whether recent changes in both parties are harbingers of long term trends.
Realigning Politics: Electoral Coalitions, Political Change, and the Republican Party from Richard Nixon to George W. Bush
Authors: Mason Robert
Published: April 2018

Much scholarship in political science on electoral change tends to neglect the perspectives and actions of the politicians who both responded to developments that offered them opportunity, and sought to achieve electoral gain as a result. The study of the Republican party from Richard Nixon to George W. Bush suggests that such neglect has negative consequences for our understanding of how electoral coalitions undergo transformation, and of how parties interact with political change. First, it was much more difficult for politicians to analyze the implications for party coalitions of social and political upheavals than hindsight suggests. Even at a moment of apparent crisis for the Democrats, in the late 1960s and the early 1970s, Republicans were uncertain, and in disagreement, about how to respond. Second, even when politicians decided a project of party revitalization, the implementation of such a project was far from straightforward, encountering many obstacles – not least dissent within their own party as well as counterstrategies from the opposing party. If many now see the paradigm of electoral realignment as failing to provide explanations for change in party coalitions over time, how politicians engaged with their understanding of an opportunity for realignment provides insights into party politics and electoral change.
Prophets of Party in American Political History
Authors: Schlozman Daniel , Rosenfeld Sam
Published: April 2018

This article pursues a developmental understanding of American parties as autonomous and thick collective actors through a comparison of four key historical actors we term “prophets of party”: partisans of the nineteenth-century Party Period; Progressive reformers; mid-twentieth century liberal Democrats; and activists in and around the body popularly known as the McGovern-Fraser Commission. Leading theories portray political parties as the vehicles either of ambitious politicians or of groups eager to extract benefits from the state. Yet such analyses leave underdetermined the path from such actors’ desires for power to the parties’ wielding of it. That path is mediated by partisan forms and practices that have varied widely across institutional and cultural context. As parties search for electoral majority, they do so in the long shadow of ideas and practices, layered and accreted across time, concerning the role of parties in political life. We analyze four such prophesies, trace their layered contributions to their successors, and reflect on their legacy for contemporary party politics.
Extreme non-Arens regularity of the group algebra
Authors: Filali Mahmoud , Galindo Jorge
Published: April 2018

The Banach algebras of Harmonic Analysis are usually far from being Arens regular and often turn out to be as irregular as possible. This utmost irregularity has been studied by means of two notions: strong Arens irregularity, in the sense of Dales and Lau, and extreme non-Arens regularity, in the sense of Granirer. Lau and Losert proved in 1988 that the convolution algebraL1⁢(G){L^{1}(G)}is strongly Arens irregular for any infinite locally compact group. In the present paper, we prove thatL1⁢(G){L^{1}(G)}is extremely non-Arens regular for any infinite locally compact group. We actually prove the stronger result that for any non-discrete locally compact groupG, there is a linear isometry fromL∞⁢(G){L^{\infty}(G)}into the quotient spaceL∞⁢(G)/ℱ⁢(G){L^{\infty}(G)/\mathcal{F}(G)}, withℱ⁢(G){\mathcal{F}(G)}being any closed subspace ofL∞⁢(G){L^{\infty}(G)}made of continuous bounded functions. This, together with the known fact thatℓ∞⁢(G)/𝒲⁢𝒜⁢𝒫⁢(G){\ell^{\infty}(G)/\mathscr{W\!A\!P}(G)}always contains a linearly isometric copy ofℓ∞⁢(G){\ell^{\infty}(G)}, proves thatL1⁢(G){L^{1}(G)}is extremely non-Arens regular for every infinite locally compact group.
A Coplanar Waveguide Fed UWB Antenna using Embedded E-shaped Structure with WLAN Band-rejection
Authors: Xu Han , Xu Kai-Da , Nie Wei , Liu Yan-Hui
Published: April 2018

A compact coplanar waveguide (CPW)-fed ultra-wideband (UWB) monopole antenna using embedded E-shaped structure with wireless local area network (WLAN) band-rejection is presented. The introduction of this E-shaped structure working as the radiator can enhance the impedance bandwidth of the UWB antenna without increasing the overall size. For preventing the interference from WLAN system, a pair of L-shaped stubs are connected to the ground of UWB antenna to create the rejected band. The center frequency of this rejected band is about 5.5 GHz with the rejection range of 5.2~5.8 GHz. Good agreement can be observed between the simulated and measured results.
Gain and Bandwidth Enhancement of Tetracuspid-shaped DRA Mounted with Conical Horn
Authors: Kumar Pramod , Dwari Santanu , Utkarsh  , Agrawal N. K. , Kumar Jitendra
Published: April 2018

A novel Tetracuspid-shaped dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) mounted with conical horn is presented and investigated for broadband applications. The dielectric used for investigation is a ceramic composite material having a dielectric constant (
$\varepsilon_r$) of 12.9. Tetracuspid-shaped resonator geometry achieves a broadband impedance bandwidth of 70.9 % for |S11|<‒10 dB, ranging from 2 GHz to 4.2 GHz. Tetracuspid-shaped reduces the DRA volume by 78 % (without horn) as compared to conventional cylindrical DRA; with reduced volume of 14.4 cm3 which diminishes the cost and weight. Gain of proposed antenna is further enhanced up to 9.5 dBi in operating band by mounting a conical horn. Achieved average peak gain is ~7 dBi. Proposed antenna covers bands of different wireless communication systems like Wi-Max and WLAN (2.4 GHz, 2.5 GHz, 3.3 GHz and 3.5 GHz). The simulated results are validated by experimentally measured outcomes and these are well in agreement.
Design of Hybrid Antenna System for User Terminal Applications
Authors: Yang Lingsheng , Wang Peijie , Cheng Biyu , Fang Jianping
Published: April 2018

An eight-element hybrid Smart antenna-MIMO system for user terminal application is proposed in this paper. The hybrid antenna system is based on an eight elements antenna array. When operate with respective feed ports, by using radiation pattern diversity, more than 15 dB isolation among antenna elements can be achieved. After designing the feed networks based on maximum power transmission optimization between the transmit and receive antennas, beam steering performance can be obtained, the eight elements work together as a smart antenna array. The hybrid system has both the advantages of MIMO and smart antenna, and is competitive for future wireless communication applications.
Carbon cycle history through the Middle Jurassic (Aalenian – Bathonian) of the Mecsek Mountains, Southern Hungary
Authors: Price Gregory D. , Főzy István , Galácz András
Published: April 2018

A carbonate carbon isotope curve from the Aalenian–Bathonian interval is presented from the Óbánya valley, of the Mecsek Mountains, Hungary. This interval is certainly less well constrained and studied than other Jurassic time slices. The Óbánya valley lies in the eastern part of the Mecsek Mountains, between Óbánya and Kisújbánya and provides exposures of an Aalenian to Lower Cretaceous sequence. It is not strongly affected by tectonics, as compared to other sections of eastern Mecsek of the same age. In parts, a rich fossil assemblage has been collected, with Bathonian ammonites being especially valuable at this locality. The pelagic Middle Jurassic is represented by the Komló Calcareous Marl Formation and thin-bedded limestones of the Óbánya Limestone Formation. These are overlain by Upper Jurassic siliceous limestones and radiolarites of the Fonyászó Limestone Formation. Our new data indicate a series of carbon isotope anomalies within the late Aalenian and early-middle Bajocian. In particular, analysis of the Komló Calcareous Marl Formation reveals a negative carbon isotope excursion followed by positive values that occurs near the base of the section (across the Aalenian–Bajocian boundary). The origin of this carbon-isotope anomaly is interpreted to lie in significant changes to carbon fluxes potentially stemming from reduced run off, lowering the fertility of surface waters which in turn leads to lessened primary production and a negative δ13C shift. These data are comparable with carbonate carbon isotope records from other Tethyan margin sediments. Our integrated biostratigraphy and carbon isotope stratigraphy enable us to improve stratigraphic correlation and age determination of the examined strata. Therefore, this study of the Komló Calcareous Marl Formation confirms that the existing carbon isotope curves serve as a global standard for Aalenian–Bathonian δ13C variation.
The Early to Middle Triassic continental–marine transition of NW Bulgaria: sedimentology, palynology and sequence stratigraphy
Authors: Ajdanlijsky George , Götz Annette E. , Strasser André
Published: April 2018

Sedimentary facies and cycles of the Triassic continental–marine transition of NW Bulgaria are documented in detail from reference sections along the Iskar river gorge between the villages of Tserovo and Opletnya. The depositional environments evolved from anastomosing and meandering river systems in the Petrohan Terrigenous Group to mixed fluvial and tidal settings in the Svidol Formation, and to peritidal and shallow-marine conditions in the Opletnya Member of the Mogila Formation. For the first time, the palynostratigraphic data presented here allow for dating the transitional interval and for the precise identification of a major sequence boundary between the Petrohan Terrigenous Group and the Svidol Formation (Iskar Carbonate Group). This boundary most probably corresponds to the major sequence boundary Ol4 occurring in the upper Olenekian of the Tethyan realm and thus enables interregional correlation. The identification of regionally traceable sequence boundaries based on biostratigraphic age control is a first step towards a more accurate stratigraphic correlation and palaeogeographic interpretation of the Early to early Middle Triassic in NW Bulgaria.
On adjoint resolutions and dimensions of modules
Authors: Mao Lixin
Published: April 2018

We introduce and
investigate the adjoint resolutions and adjoint dimensions of
modules. As a consequence, we give some new characterizations of
weak global dimensions of coherent rings in terms of adjoint
resolutions and adjoint dimensions of modules.
Classification of the relict forest communities of Palla’s Black Pine (Pinus nigra subsp. pallasiana) in Bulgaria
Authors: Tzonev Rossen , Dimitrov Marius , Gussev Chavdar , Vulchev Vladimir , Nikolov Ivailo
Published: April 2018

New approach for the classification of the Black Pine forest communities in Bulgaria was made in the paper. The analysis of forest pytocoenoses from Vlahina, East and West Rhodopi and Balkan Range Mountains confirmed their separation into two classes – Quercetea pubescentis (low-altitudinal) and Erico-Pinetea (high-altitudinal). The second class is represented from one polymorphic association Seslerio latifoliae-Pinetum nigrae whereas the other group is represented from two new associations. The association Junipero deltoidi-Pineteum pallasianae is more related to the surrounding thermophilous oak forests as well as the association Lathyro laxiflori-Pinetum pallasianae is more similar to the hornbeam and beech forests.
Syntaxonomy of chalk outcrop vegetation of the order Thymo cretacei-Hyssopetalia cretacei
Authors: Didukh Yakiv , Chusova Olga , Demina Olga
Published: April 2018

The order Thymo cretacei-Hyssopetalia cretacei Didukh 1989 combines chalk outcrop plant communities of the southwestern Central Russian Upland. Its specificity can be attributed to a rather peculiar and heterogeneous flora with a large number of endemic species. The question about its origin has caused a lively discussion, which has been going on since the late nineteenth century. Since 1989 works on the classification of these communities have frequently been carried out, but until today no unanimous decision could be reached. The purpose of our research was to conduct a critical analysis of the syntaxonomical structure of Cretaceous outcrop vegetation and to show its difference from the steppe vegetation of the class Festuco-Brometea Br.-Bl. et Tx. ex Soó 1947. The territory of our research covers the southwestern foothills of the Central Russian Upland and the Donetsk Range, located only within the steppe zone and characterised by Cenomanian chalk outcrops. In total 354 relevés were used for the analysis. The modified TWINSPAN classification was used for the analysis. Our research has shown that the order Thymo cretacei-Hyssopetalia cretacei includes twelve associations belonging to three alliances: Artemisio hololeucae-Hyssopion cretacei Romashchenko et al. 1996, Euphorbio cretophilae-Thymion cretacei Didukh 1989 and Centaureo carbonatae-Koelerion talievii Romashchenko et al. 1996.
Demethylation and other modifications of industrial softwood kraft lignin by laccase-mediators
Authors: Wang Miao , Zhao Yadong , Li Jiebing
Published: April 2018

Substitution of phenol in phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resin preparations by technical lignins is hindered by the inherently lower reactivity of lignin compared to phenol. Demethylation of an industrial softwood kraft lignin (SKL) to improve its reactivity is the focus of this paper. To this purpose, kraft lignin (KL) was treated with two commercial laccases, NS51002 (L1) and NS51003 (L2), for 24 h in combination with three mediators, 2,2′-azinobis-(3-ethyl-benzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS), 1-hydroxybenzotriazole (HBT) and 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-oxyl (TEMPO). The characterizations of the reaction solution and the resultant KL showed that methanol was released as a result of the methoxy group splitting from the aromatic rings, while such demethylation was dependent on the laccase-mediator system (LMS). The catechol structures formed, which were further oxidized to a quinone structures prone to polymerization, led to molecular mass increment. Also this reaction was LMS dependent. The same is true to the cleavage of β-O-4′ linkages, which resulted in depolymerization. The L1-ABTS, L1-TEMPO and L2-HBT combinations are the most efficient and the resulting modified lignin would be suitable to phenol substitution. Challenging is the lignin polymerization following the demethylation, especially in case of L1-ABTS, which might inhibit the reactivity of the treated lignin.
The two major glucokinase isoforms show conserved functionality in β-cells despite different subcellular distribution
Authors: Lu Brian , Munoz-Gomez Miguel , Ikeda Yasuhiro
Published: April 2018

Glucokinase (GCK) is crucial to regulating glucose metabolism in the liver and in pancreatic β-cells. There are two major GCK isoforms, hepatic and pancreatic GCKs, which differ only in exon 1. However, the functional differences between the two GCK isoforms remain poorly understood. Here, we used a β-cell-targeted gene transfer vector to determine the impact of isoform-specific GCK overexpression on β-cells in vitro and in vivo. We showed that pancreatic GCK had a nuclear localization signal unique to the pancreatic isoform, facilitating its nuclear distribution in β-cells. Despite the difference in subcellular distribution, overexpression of GCK isoforms similarly enhanced glucose uptake and β-cell proliferation in vitro. Overexpression of hepatic or pancreatic GCK also similarly enhanced β-cell proliferation in normal diet mice without affecting fasting glucose and intraperitoneal glucose tolerance tests (IPGTT). Our further study on human GCK sequences identified disproportional GCK amino acid variants in exon 1, while mutations linked to maturity onset diabetes of the young type 2 (MODY2) were disproportionally found in exons 2 through 10. Our results therefore indicate functional conservation between the two major GCK isoforms despite their distinct subcellular distribution.
Is there a correlation between form and function? A syntactic and functional investigation of the introductory it pattern in student writing
Authors: Larsson Tove
Published: April 2018

The introductory it pattern, as in ‘It is important to note that information was added’, is a tool used by academic writers for a range of different rhetorical and information-structural purposes. It is thus an important pattern for students to learn. Since previous research on student writing has indicated that there seems to be a correlation between form and function of the pattern, the present study sets out to investigate this more systematically in non-native-speaker and nativespeaker student writing in two disciplines (linguistics and literature). In doing so, the study adds to and extends previous research looking into factors such as NS status and discipline. It uses data from three corpora: ALEC, BAWE and MICUSP. The results show that there is indeed a correlation between form and function, as the most common syntactic types of the pattern each display a preferred function and vice versa. While very few differences across NS status were found, there were certain discipline-specific disparities. The findings, which could be useful for teaching students about the use of the introductory it pattern, also have implications for the automatized functional tagging of parsed corpora.
Determinants of HIV testing and receipt of test results among adolescent girls in Nigeria: the role of assets and decision-making
Authors: Iwelunmor Juliet , Blackstone Sarah , Jennings Larissa , Converse Donaldson , Ehiri John , Curley Jami
Published: April 2018

Purpose

Many adolescent girls in Nigeria do not test for HIV despite being at high risk. While the influence of psychosocial factors on HIV testing has been examined, there is less evidence regarding the impact of assets and control of assets on HIV testing. This study investigated the protective effects of specific adolescent girls’ assets on decision-making regarding HIV testing.

Methods

Cross-sectional data from the 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey was analyzed. The main outcome variables were self-reports of having been tested for HIV and knowledge of a place that offers HIV testing. Binary logistic regression was used with employment, education, wealth index, home ownership, land ownership and decision making as potential predictors. Demographic characteristics were controlled in the analysis.

Results

Age [odds ratio (OR = 1.49)], employment (OR = 3.38), education (OR = 3.16), wealth index (OR = 1.33) and decision making (OR = 3.16) were positively associated with HIV testing. Age (OR = 1.20), employment (OR = 1.33), education (OR = 1.38), wealth (OR = 1.64), land ownership (OR = 1.42), and decision making (OR = 1.26) were positively associated with knowledge of an HIV testing location.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that assets play an important role with HIV testing decisions for adolescent girls. Further research to elucidate the specific asset-based needs of adolescent girls will be needed to enhance decisions surrounding uptake of HIV testing and receipt of test results in Nigeria.
Photocatalytic Degradation of Caffeine in a Solar Reactor System
Authors: Luna Raúl , Solis Carolina , Ortiz Nayeli , Galicia Aurora , Sandoval Francisca , Zermeño Brenda , Moctezuma Edgar
Published: April 2018

In this paper, solar photodegradation of caffeine in aqueous solution was studied, this organic compound is the most consumed stimulant around the world. The degradation experiments were carried outdoors in a solar reactor and Evonik-Degussa P25 TiO2was used as catalyst. The photochemical and photocatalytic effect were tested in aqueous solutions of caffeine. Experimental results indicate that the organic compound is easily degraded over a very short period of time using 0.5 g L-1of catalyst. The kinetic analysis indicates that the initial reaction rate of caffeine is described by the LH-HW model. However, the original compound cannot be mineralized very fast, caffeine is converted to other organic compounds with a longer lifetime before the mineralization, converting caffeine CO2and water.