bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Fabrication of Porous Si with Interconnected Micro-Sized Dendrites and Tunable Morphology through the Dealloying of a Laser Remelted Al–Si Alloy
Authors: Huang Ting , Sun Dingyue , Yang Wuxiong , Wu Qiang , Xiao Rongshi
Published: March 2017

Coral-like porous Si was fabricated through the dealloying of a laser remelted as-cast AlSi12 alloy(Al-12 wt % Si). The porous Si was composed of interconnected micro-sized Si dendrites and micro/nanopores, and compared to flaky Si, which is fabricated by direct dealloying of the as-cast AlSi12 alloy. The structure of the porous Si was attributed to the dendritic solidification microstructure formed during the laser remelting process. The micropore size of the porous Si decreased from 4.2 μm to 1.6 µm with the increase in laser scanning velocity, indicating that the morphology of porous Si could be easily altered by simply controlling the laser remelting parameters. The coral-like porous Si provided enough space, making it promising for high-performance Si-based composite anode materials in lithium-ion batteries. The proposed hybrid method provides a straightforward way of tuning the porous structure in the dealloyed material.
Design and Mechanical Properties Analysis of AA5083 Ultrafine Grained Cams
Authors: Salcedo Daniel , Luis Carmelo , Luri Rodrigo , Puertas Ignacio , León Javier , Fuertes Juan
Published: March 2017

This present research work deals with the development of ultrafine grained cams obtained from previously ECAP (Equal Channel Angular Pressing)-processed material and manufactured by isothermal forging. The design and the manufacturing of the dies required for the isothermal forging of the cams are shown. Optimization techniques based on the combination of design of experiments, finite element and finite volume simulations are employed to develop the dies. A comparison is made between the mechanical properties obtained with the cams manufactured from material with no previous deformation and with those from previously SPD (Severe Plastic Deformation)-processed material. In addition, a comparative study between the experimental results and those obtained from the simulations is carried out. It has been demonstrated that it is possible to obtain ultrafine grained cams with an increase of 10.3% in the microhardness mean value as compared to that obtained from material with no previous deformation.
Thiazine-2-thiones as Masked 1-Azadienes in Cascade Dimerization Reactions)
Authors: Kruithof Art , Vande Velde Christophe , Ruijter Eelco , Orru Romano
Published: March 2017

We report the unexpected formation of a 1-azadiene dimer from 4,6-diphenyl-3,6-dihydro-2H-1,3-thiazine-2-thiones under prolonged microwave irradiation. In this manner, thiazine-2-thiones act as “masked” 1-azadiene equivalents, which makes them useful synthetic tools to access complex heterocyclic frameworks. We compare this dimerization with earlier approaches and elaborate on the observed diastereoselectivity.
Toward Generic Models for Green LAI Estimation in Maize and Soybean: Satellite Observations
Authors: Kira Oz , Nguy-Robertson Anthony L. , Arkebauer Timothy J. , Linker Raphael , Gitelson Anatoly A.
Published: March 2017

Informative spectral bands for green leaf area index (LAI) estimation in two crops were identified and generic models for soybean and maize were developed and validated using spectral data taken at close range. The objective of this paper was to test developed models using Aqua and Terra MODIS, Landsat TM and ETM+, ENVISAT MERIS surface reflectance products, and simulated data of the recently-launched Sentinel 2 MSI and Sentinel 3 OLCI. Special emphasis was placed on testing generic models which require no re-parameterization for these species. Four techniques were investigated: support vector machines (SVM), neural network (NN), multiple linear regression (MLR), and vegetation indices (VI). For each technique two types of models were tested based on (a) reflectance data, taken at close range and resampled to simulate spectral bands of satellite sensors; and (b) surface reflectance satellite products. Both types of models were validated using MODIS, TM/ETM+, and MERIS data. MERIS was used as a prototype of OLCI Sentinel-3 data which allowed for assessment of the anticipated accuracy of OLCI. All models tested provided a robust and consistent selection of spectral bands related to green LAI in crops representing a wide range of biochemical and structural traits. The MERIS observations had the lowest errors (around 11%) compared to the remaining satellites with observational data. Sentinel 2 MSI and OLCI Sentinel 3 estimates, based on simulated data, had errors below 8%. However the accuracy of these models with actual MSI and OLCI surface reflectance products remains to be determined.
Spectroscopic Estimation of Biomass in Canopy Components of Paddy Rice Using Dry Matter and Chlorophyll Indices
Authors: Cheng Tao , Song Renzhong , Li Dong , Zhou Kai , Zheng Hengbiao , Yao Xia , Tian Yongchao , Cao Weixing , Zhu Yan
Published: March 2017

Crop biomass is a critical variable for characterizing crop growth development, understanding dry matter partitioning, and predicting grain yield. Previous studies on the spectroscopic estimation of crop biomass focused on the use of various spectral indices based on chlorophyll absorption features and found that they often became saturated at high biomass levels. Given that crop biomass is commonly expressed as the dry weight of canopy components per unit ground area, it may be better estimated using the spectral indices that directly characterize dry matter absorption. This study aims to evaluate a group of four dry matter indices (DMIs) by comparison with a group of four chlorophyll indices (CIs) for estimating the biomass of individual components (e.g., leaves, stems) and their combinations with the field data collected from a two-year rice cultivation experiment. The Red-edge Chlorophyll Index (CIRed-edge) of the CI group exhibited the best relationship with leaf biomass (R2 = 0.82) for the whole growing season and with total biomass (R2 = 0.81), but only for the growth stages before heading. However, the Normalized Difference Index for Leaf Mass per Area (NDLMA) of the DMI group showed the best relationships with both stem biomass (R2 = 0.81) and total biomass (R2 = 0.81) for the whole season. This research demonstrated the suitability of dry matter indices and provided physical explanations for the superior performance of dry matter indices over chlorophyll indices for the estimation of whole-season total biomass.
Renewable Energy Project as a Source of Innovation in Rural Communities: Lessons from the Periphery
Authors: Cebotari Sorin , Benedek Jozsef
Published: March 2017

Renewable energy projects (REPs) are viewed as a resource for the development of rural, peripheral communities. Going beyond the simplistic understanding of renewable energy technology as an independent variable, the current study looks into what the interaction between renewables and host communities brings in terms of innovation and development. Relying on a combination of primary and secondary data, both qualitative and quantitative, we observed that for the case of northwest Romania the fast development of REPs had no impact on classic economic indicators such as employment or revenue to the local budget. Looking closely at the impact on innovation as an important explanatory factor of peripheralization, in the majority of researched cases we saw no technical nor policy-related innovation associated with REPs. The presence of a privately-owned project in the territory of the community acted as a possible catalyst for considering developing their own REPs however. Owning a renewable energy project at the same time proved to have a positive impact on policy-related innovation. Moreover, communities that developed and manage their own REPs seem also to be more interested in changing the existing technological arrangements as well.
SH-SecNet: An Enhanced Secure Network Architecture for the Diagnosis of Security Threats in a Smart Home
Authors: Singh Saurabh , Sharma Pradip Kumar , Park Jong Hyuk
Published: March 2017

The growing demand for an independent and comfortable lifestyle has motivated the development of the smart home, and providing security is a major challenge for developers and security analysts. Enhancing security in the home environment has been recognized as one of the main obstacles to realizing the vision of creating energy-efficient smart homes and buildings. Understanding the risks associated with the use and potential exploitation of information about homes, end-users, and partners, as well as forming techniques for integrating security assessments into the design, is not straightforward. To address this challenge, we propose enhanced secure network architecture (SH-SecNet) for the diagnosis of security threats in the smart home. In our architecture, we use the Multivariate Correlation Analysis (MCA) technique to analyze the network flow packet in the network layer, as this classifies the network traffic by extracting the correlation between network traffic features. We evaluated the performance of our architecture with respect to various parameters, such as CPU utilization, throughput, round trip time, and accuracy. The result of the evaluation shows that our architecture is efficient and accurate in detecting and mitigating attacks in the smart home network with a low performance overhead.
The Envelope Gene of Hepatitis B Virus Is Implicated in Both Differential Virion Secretion and Genome Replication Capacities between Genotype B and Genotype C Isolates
Authors: Jia Haodi , Qin Yanli , Chen Chaoyang , Zhang Fei , Li Cheng , Zong Li , Wang Yongxiang , Zhang Jiming , Li Jisu , Wen Yumei , Tong Shuping
Published: March 2017

Chronic infection by hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotype C is associated with a prolonged replicative phase and an increased risk of liver cancer, compared with genotype B infection. We previously found lower replication capacity but more efficient virion secretion by genotype C than genotype B isolates. Virion secretion requires interaction between core particles and ENVELOPE proteins. In the present study, chimeric constructs between genotype B and genotype C clones were generated to identify the structural basis for differential virion secretion. In addition to dimeric constructs, we also employed 1.1mer constructs, where the cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter drove pregenomic RNA transcription. Through transient transfection experiments in Huh7 cells, we found that exchanging the entire envelope gene or just its S region could enhance virion secretion by genotype B clones while diminishing virion secretion by genotype C. Site-directed mutagenesis established the contribution of genotype-specific divergence at codons 108 and 115 in the preS1 region, as well as codon 126 in the S region, to differential virion secretion. Surprisingly, exchanging the envelope gene or just its S region, but not the core gene or 3′ S region, could markedly increase intracellular replicative DNA for genotype C clones but diminish that for genotype B, although the underlying mechanism remains to be clarified.
Le karst de la Sainte-Baume (Bouches-du-Rhône et Var). Structure et évolution : l'approche hydrogéologique
Authors: Coulier Charles
Published: March 2017

The Sainte Baume karst (Bouches du Rhône and Var, France), structure and evolution : the hydrogeological approach

The Sainte Baume range constitutes the highest and most southern mountain of Basse-Provence. Its complex structure is due to an Upper Eocene tectonic overthrust, however, the main karstified part has developed after the Upper Miocene.

Some of the most important springs have been studied and their hydrodynamical and physico-chemical characteristics are given. These results reveal two main types of springs :

- springs resulting from important karstification where infiltration dominates and water transit is rapid ;

- springs resulting from meagre karstification, poorly drained, where a certain storage of water controls their action.

This second type of springs appear to be related to a poorly organised deep drainage level, which partly feeds a coastal karstic system (Port-Miou).
Premières observations morphologiques et spéléologiques sur le karst haut-alpin du Tennengebirge (Salzburg, Autriche)
Authors: Audra Philippe
Published: March 2017

Le massif du Tennengebirge, situé dans les Alpes calcaires de Salzburg, est caractérisé par un important karst de haute montagne, recelant quelques-uns des plus grands gouffres autrichiens (Batman Höhle : -1219 m. Schneeloch : [F1] 1086 m, Platteneck : -937 m, Gipfel Loch : [F1] -852 m...). Ceux-ci sont drainés par une zone noyée dont les exutoires principaux sont au Nord du massif. Une description de la vallée du Vordere Pitschenberg est esquissée : elle offre une étonnante diversité de formes karstiques tant en surface qu'en profondeur, de caractère actuel ou hérité.
La leçon de Darwin : l'évolution est le moteur de la diversité. Le cas lyonnais
Authors: Bange Christian
Published: March 2017

Darwin's lesson : evolution is the mainspring of diversity. A case study in Lyon

The morphological variability of living beings was the purpose of many heated debates among naturalists of the 19th century. Darwin analysed this variability as the main source of speciation : variations which show themselves spontaneously are the object of a natural selection as a result of the struggle for life to which are subjected all the living beings. This process leads to the appearance of new forms as well as in the elimination of the intermediate forms. If it is true that for a long time, the Darwinian theory was not completely understood and not accepted by the great majority of French scholars, there were however in Lyon, between 1870 and 1900, some naturalists inspired by it in their works relative to the plant communities (Magnin) or mollusc variability (Coutagne), showing that the lesson of Darwin was well and truly heard.
Le cadre géographique rhodanien
Authors: Bravard Jean-Paul
Published: March 2017

Le territoire de Rhône-Alpes est structuré depuis le début du Tertiaire par la Saône et le Rhône. Cet ancien golfe miocène a été chahuté par les plissements alpin et jurassien, puis modelé par l'englacement quaternaire. Si la bordure orientale du Massif Central est assez homogène, des unités de relief bien différenciées se succèdent à l'Est : les Terres Froides et les Chambarans au pied des Alpes, les Préalpes sédimentaires (Chablais, Bornes, Bauges, Chartreuse, Vercors et Diois), les massifs cristallins externes (Mont Blanc, Beaufortain, Belledonne). Les cours d'eau ont parachevé ce travail : les torrents de la zone «cévenole» marquée par l'affrontement violent des masses d'air méditerranéenne et océanique, les rivières des vallées en auge, occupées à la fin du Würm par des lacs allongés dont ne subsiste que ceux du Léman, d'Annecy et du Bourget, plaines alluviales jeunes de la Saône, et du Rhône dont le lit était fortement tressé au Petit Âge Glaciaire (XV-XIXe siècles) puis finalement réduit à un cours sinueux flanqué de «lônes» à des degrés divers de remblaiement. Pour le géologue, cette extrême complexité ne masque pas l'évidence du couloir topographique parcouru par les eaux, par les vents et par les hommes, comme par les espèces animales et végétales.
La biodiversité en Paléontologie
Authors: Rulleau Louis
Published: March 2017

Il est bien moins évident de dresser un bilan de la biodiversité des milieux disparus que de le faire à propos du monde actuel, tant les enregistrements fossiles sont forcément incomplets. En prenant l'exemple précis d'un horizon biostratigraphique dans le Toarcien supérieur (ère secondaire, Jurassique) et d'un groupe de fossiles relativement bien connu (les ammonites), l'auteur essaie cependant de donner un aperçu de la vie dans les mers de l'époque.
Biotopes refuges de quelques charançons aptères de Rhône-Alpes
Authors: Delaunay Lionel
Published: March 2017

Dans le vaste monde des charançons, les genres aptères sont particulièrement bien représentés. Paradoxalement, ces espèces terricoles, souvent d'intérêt patrimonial, sont très mal connues. Elles sont associées, en Rhône-Alpes, à des biotopes d'une très grande diversité. Alors que les Dichotrachelus sont strictement orophiles (Alpes et Massif Central), les Cycloderes sont exclusivement inféodées aux garrigues (sud Ardèche). Cette richesse, méconnue, difficile à évaluer, est menacée par l'activité humaine et par le réchauffement climatique. Elle doit être préservée.
Les orchidées (Orchidaceae) en Rhône-Alpes, état des connaissances récentes et évolution
Authors: Scappaticci Gil , Durbin Philippe
Published: March 2017

L'évolution constatée des orchidées en Rhône-Alpes, depuis le milieu du XXe siècle, a bénéficié de la pression de prospection, bien plus importante depuis qu'a débuté l'inventaire (vers 1980). Ce travail a permis de relever la présence d'espèces inconnues jusqu'alors et d'autres qui sont apparues dans notre région, augmentant fortement la richesse taxinomique. Bien qu'une seule espèce ait disparu de notre région (Anacamptis papilionacea), beaucoup sont en danger. En effet, l'activité humaine modifie et restreint les milieux : grignotage des zones naturelles, abandon des terres pâturées, réduction des zones humides où se trouvent beaucoup d'espèces rares et à valeur patrimoniale (Liparis loeselii, Spiranthes aestivalis, Anacamptis coriophora). Les conséquences du réchauffement du climat sont visibles par l'apparition de plusieurs taxons venus du sud. A l'inverse, on n'a pas encore observé de régression d'espèces alpines et/ou psychrophiles , mais on envisage déjà sérieusement la disparition de reliques glaciaires, notamment Chamorchis alpina. La SFO se prépare à lancer un nouvel inventaire des orchidées en France à horizon 2015-2020 qui nécessitera non seulement une technologie performante et un travail consensuel mais surtout une forte mobilisation humaine.
Les Polypores, une richesse fongique pour la biodiversité rhonalpine
Authors: Rivoire Bernard
Published: March 2017

Les Polypores (Basidiomycota) occupent une niche particulière par leur vie corticole sur une grande variété de supports ligneux. L'existence des polypores est dépendante de biotopes «naturels», là où les végétaux vivent et meurent sans trop d'interventions humaines. Les forêts surexploitées, où seuls prospèrent les arbres de rapport en bonne santé, sont des forêts biologiquement mortes ! A l'opposé, des espaces de quelques centaines de m2, non exploités car souvent de statut privé, sont d'une très grande richesse biologique. La région Rhône-Alpes, du fait de la grande variété de ses climats et de la diversité de ses forêts, est particulièrement riche en polypores : 260 espèces inventoriées, soit 81 % des espèces de France. On y trouve des polypores du Nord de l'Europe dans toute la zone alpine et les monts du haut Forez et des espèces méridionales dans le sud de la Drôme et de l'Ardèche. L'augmentation constatée de la densité des peuplements semble liée à des facteurs climatiques et conjoncturels : hausse des températures, dispersion des spores par les vents et abondance des chablis due à la tempête de 1999. L'attention des gestionnaires institutionnels est attirée sur la nécessaire protection de biotopes essentiels à cette biodiversité, et sur l'urgence à former de jeunes chercheurs et taxinomistes en mycologie. L'attention des gestionnaires institutionnels est attirée sur la nécessaire protection de biotopes essentiels à cette biodiversité, et sur l'urgence à former de jeunes chercheurs et taxinomistes en mycologie.
Diversité et menaces des abeilles en Rhône-Alpes
Authors: Mouret Hugues
Published: March 2017

Depuis plusieurs centaines de millions d'années, les insectes et les plantes entretiennent d'étroites relations ; avec l'apparition des fleurs, les butineurs se sont grandement diversifiés et jouent un rôle important dans le transport du pollen. Cette co-évolution est maximale entre les abeilles et les plantes à fleurs, dont l'activité de nourrissage des unes dépend la pollinisation des autres. Le terme «abeilles» correspond aux Apoidea Apiformis, représentés par près de 1000 espèces en France, dont une seule est élevée dans les ruches. Or le déclin des pollinisateurs qui touche de plein fouet les abeilles sauvages et domestiques est de plus en plus préoccupant. La majorité de nos plantes sauvages et cultivées dépendent, pour leur reproduction, de l'activité pollinisatrice des insectes et particulièrement des abeilles. Aussi, la faune d'abeilles de Rhône-Alpes et de France est encore largement méconnue, faute de références et de spécialistes... Il est pourtant nécessaire de faire progresser nos connaissances, pour mieux comprendre et appréhender les impacts anthropiques, et limiter cette perte préoccupante du vivant. Cet article tente de donner sommairement les premiers éléments pour entrer dans le vaste monde des abeilles.
Faut-il avoir peur des introductions d'espèces ?
Authors: Lévêque Christian
Published: March 2017

Should we be afraid of species introduction ?

The question of the introductions of species often suffers from exaggerated fears of security and from hasty generalizations. With the concepts of balance and stability of the ecosystems, a static vision of nature was established. Now it is clear that populations proceed by invasions and successive extinctions, with some cases of spectacular, but cyclical proliferations. The author decides to demonstrate that there is no typical profile of invasive species, but that the resilience of the ecosystem, in its current climatic context, is only in question.
Antrodia pulverulenta (Basidiomycota, polypore), une espèce nouvelle produisant des amas de mitospores blanches
Authors: Rivoire Bernard
Published: March 2017

Une nouvelle espèce à' Antrodia est décrite de France : Antrodia pulverulenta, caractérisée par un basidiome apiléé qui, en milieu naturel, produit, sur lui-même et à proximité, de nombreuses mitospores blanchâtres.
Nouvelles observations de Cerophytum elateroides (Latreille) en région Rhône-Alpes (Coleoptera Cerophytidae)
Authors: Dodelin Benoît , Leseigneur Lucien
Published: March 2017

New records of Cerophytum elateroides (Latreille) in Rhône-Alpes Region (S-E France) (Coleoptera Cerophytidae).

This article presents the localities known in the Rhône-Alpes region and the close surroundings for the saproxylic beetle Cerophytum elateroides. It includes data taken from bibliography, museum and private collections, and new stations recently discovered.
Dryocoetes alni(Georg), un scolyte méconnu (Coleoptera Curculionidae Scolytinae)
Authors: Dodelin Benoît
Published: March 2017

Dryocoetes alni (Georg), a little-known scolytid (Coleoptera Curculionidae Scolytinae).

This note gives some elements on the biology and the distribution of Dryocoetes alni (Georg, 1856). After the discovery of a new locality in the Isère department, the French territory count six localities for this rare and localized species (Corsica, Bourgogne, Pyrénées and northern Alps). D. alni is to be searched in May and June on recently dead trunks and branches of Alnus spp.
Les Sparteinae de Mayotte (Araneae, Salticidae)
Authors: Dierkens Michaël
Published: March 2017

Sparteinae from Mayotte (Araneae, Salticidae).

Two species of Sparteinae (Araneae, Salticidae) are mentioned from Mayotte. One of them, Veissella milloti Logunov & Azarkina, 2008, was only known by its male. A description of the female is given.
The educational experience at Politecnico di Torino to develop and increase the capability in aircraft layout comprehension and definition
Authors: CHIESA Sergio , FIORITI Marco , FUSARO Roberta
Published: March 2017

The aim of this paper is to present the recent experience in the education of Aircraft Engineers of a very peculiar aspect, the Airplane lay-out definition, in order to provide students at first with a global vision of the plane, the capability to operate in lay-out definition and to be conscious of such a context, clearly interfaced with all other design activities. At first, it is discussed how relevant and essential Aircraft Design Education is in a wider Aircraft Engineering Education context. Then it is described how Design is comprehensive for both Quantitative and Qualitative definitions, pointing out that Qualitative definitions, like an Airplane Layout (at a Subsystems level of the “block scheme” too), are extremely relevant but very difficult to acquire. So, an idea to start to educate young Engineers (PhD Students in particular) has been developed and, for the first time, has recently been held at our Politecnico. The organisation and the program of the course are described, with detailed attention to peculiar topics or practical exercises considered to be particularly useful to reach the educational objectives. In such a way a sort of logical guideline to starting to sketch an initial layout is acquired by the students. It is relevant how the undeniable interest generated by historic airplanes can be a powerful means to push Students to try to understand architectures and, eventually, to elaborate new solutions.
Research on presice point positioning and Real-Time Kinematics corrections for unmanned aerial vehicle global positioning systems
Authors: RAGAUSKAS Ugnius , BRUČAS Domantas , SUŽIEDELYTĖ VISOCKIENĖ Jūratė
Published: March 2017

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are used in different tasks with different flight path accuracy. To achieve a greater accuracy of flight trajectory GPS accuracy improvement methods are analyzed. The present article explains the main principles of GPS measurement. Precise Point Positioning (PPP) and Real-Time Kinematics (RTK) methods are described. and compared. Also, both methods have been tested.
LOCAL EVALUATION OF EARTH GRAVITATIONAL MODELS, CASE STUDY: IRAN
Authors: FOROUGHI Ismael , AFRASTEH Yosra , RAMOUZ Sabah , SAFARI Abdolreza
Published: March 2017

Global gravity models are being developed according to new data sets available from satellite gravity missions and terrestrial/marine gravity data which are provided by different countries. Some countries do not provide all their available data and the global gravity models have many vague computational methods. Therefore, the models need to be evaluated locally before using. It is generally understood that the accuracy of global gravity models is enough for local (civil, mining, construction, etc.) projects, however, our results in Iran show that the differences between synthesized values and observation data reach up to ∼300 mGal for gravity anomalies and ∼2 m for geoid heights. Even by applying the residual topographical correction to synthetized gravity anomalies, the differences are still notable. The accuracy of global gravity models for predicting marine gravity anomalies is also investigated in Persian Gulf and the results show differences of ∼140 mGal in coastal areas. The results of evaluating selected global gravity models in Iran indicate that the EIGEN-6C4 achieves the lowest RMS for estimating the geoid heights. EGM08 predicts the closest results to terrestrial gravity anomalies. DIR-R5 GOCE satellite-only model estimates the low-frequency part of gravity field more accurately. The best prediction of marine gravity anomalies is also achieved by EGM08.
THE COMPARISON BETWEEN THE IDENTITY STRUCTURE OF THE SOCIETY AND THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF THE CITY
Authors: JAVADI Farnaz , NOORMOHAMADZAD Hossein
Published: March 2017

The concept of identity has the potential to be interpreted from the aspect of any field and according to requirements and abilities of that. Identity is defined as language, art, and thought of any phenomenon, and the relations between these components in an environment. These relations represent a range of similarities and dissimilarities. Structure is one of the concepts that can be tracked in different phenomena. Identity is a total, consisting of language, art, and thought that are related to each other by transformators, around regulators, in adherence to principles, which create the identity structure. Likewise, the physical structure of the city is the outcome of structure of its components that are related to each other by transformators, around regulators and in adherence to principles. This study aims to find out whether the identity structure of the society is in accordance with the physical structure of the city? The study has been performed by descriptive and comparative methods. Results show that the identity structure of the society is corresponded to the physical structure of the city in principles, components and constituents. As a result, the identity structure of the society is in accordance with the physical structure of the city.
DISUSED AREAS AND URBAN REGENERATION. THE HISTORIC CENTRE OF VICENZA, ITALY
Authors: PIETROGRANDE Enrico , DALLA CANEVA Alessandro , NAVÀS SALVADÓ Ignasi
Published: March 2017

This work concerns Vicenza, a city located not far from Venice in the north-east corner of Italy, and it specifically refers to an area situated on the outskirts of the city’s urban fabric between the perimeter of its ancient walls and the banks of the Bacchiglione river, in the shadow of the abandoned monastery of St. Biagio.
The idea of restoring that physically and socially degraded area of the city of Vicenza has long been the object of discussion on the part of local authorities. Once intimately linked to the city’s historic center, the area gradually lost its functional and social identity becoming first a parking lot and then equipped as a city warehouse.
The intent to regenerate the area and the observation that the relationship between the city and its river is constantly refused, or delayed, lead to recognize in the long edge of the area a unique meeting opportunity which allows to repair the water-city association, recuperating rituals and connections from the past. The municipality is presently planning on pursuing a qualitative restoration of the area which will be used for social and cultural enrichment.
The final part of the current work outlines some proposals that were developed during the Architectural and Urban Composition 2 course recently offered by the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering of the University of Padua (Italy).
Les conflits de la conscience dans la tradition catholique. Retour sur l’histoire et les différentes écoles
Authors: Gaziaux Éric
Published: March 2017

La conscience est une notion centrale de la théologie morale mais elle fut également le lieu de nombreuses disputes où se sont affrontées diverses écoles. L’objet de cet article a pour but de dessiner quelques points de repère de cette histoire mouvementée au sein de la tradition théologique, en particulier au sujet du probabilisme (première partie). Il vise également à ouvrir quelques pistes de réflexion sur les relations de la conscience avec d’autres notions théologiques, notamment la conception anthropologique et la place de l’histoire, de la raison et de l’identité dans la vie morale (deuxième partie).
La loi naturelle. Quelques repères historiques et interrogations contemporaines
Authors: Gaziaux Éric
Published: March 2017

Cet article a pour but de dessiner quelques repères historiques sur la loi naturelle et d’esquisser à travers ceux-ci la complexité de cette notion ambiguë. Dans cette perspective, il dessine rapidement une « coupe » schématique sur la compréhension de la loi naturelle, en partant de saint Thomas, en passant par deux relectures de la loi naturelle autour des années 1960 (J. Fuchs et Ph. Delhaye) et des années 1970 (morale autonome et éthique de la foi). Un bref examen des documents magistériels est proposé, avant d’en venir à quelques éléments sur la tentative de réappropriation de ce concept par la théologienne américaine Jean Porter.
Rôle et place de la théologie spirituelle dans l’enseignement de la théologie et la recherche universitaire. Erratum
Authors: Berceville Gilles , Fino Catherine , Marin Catherine
Published: March 2017

L’article de Gilles Berceville paru dans la RETM 292, qui traitait de la théologie spirituelle selon le dominicain Pie-Raymond Régamey, avait été amputé des deux réponses données l’une par une théologienne moraliste (Catherine Fino), l’autre par une historienne (Catherine Marin). Nous publions dans ce numéro un résumé de l’article paru et les deux réponses.
Insects as food and feed: can research and business work together?
Authors: Dobermann D.
Published: March 2017

There is an apparent incongruence between businesses and researchers targeting insects for food and feed. With the Novel Foods Application looming, legislative hurdles to insects in animal feed and the uncertainty of Brexit, businesses and researchers find themselves questioning whether a collaborative partnership is worth pursuing. Discussion with experts on both sides highlighted the main tension points and possible paths to reconciliation. The key differences were established as views on end goals, access to resources, inherent personal risk and communication of findings. Ultimately, for the marriage of business and research to survive it must be recognised how similarities, however limited, work together rather than how differences divide.
Computerized-Aid Medical Training
Authors: Nieto Javier , Juanes Juan A. , Alonso Pablo , Curto Belén , Hernández Felipe , Moreno Vidal , Ruisoto Pablo
Published: March 2017

The application of new technologies in training environments allows the development of new teaching modalities that enable knowledge and ability acquisition in healthcare professionals. Simulation has proven to be an effective method to favor and improve learning as well as to attain the necessary skills to perform a specific technique with greater reliability and security for the patient. We present a new tool or technological development in medical training, through an ultrasound simulator, valid for the knowledge and necessary ability acquisition in the proper infiltration of botulinum toxin guided by ultrasound. This tool benefits from the advantages that new technologies bring when applied in medical training, offering a virtual setting, comfortable and accessible, that does not require the user to move or have access to an ultrasound machine, allowing ultrasound explorations without the existence of a real patient.
Using Narrative with Avatars and Robots to Enhance Elder Care
Authors: Lewis Lundy
Published: March 2017

Elderly care is of increasing global concern. The aging population is expected to increase two-fold by 2050. It is anticipated that there will not be enough caregivers to assist the elderly very soon, and thus, researchers are looking at various technologies and potential applications that will help alleviate the problem of elderly care. This chapter examines one such assistive technology: conversational agents in the form of avatars or robots as an aid to decrease loneliness and depression among the elderly and increase the cognitive function and quality of life. The authors discuss the state-of-the-science of research prototypes and commercial off-the-shelf systems. They propose a novel concept and design, and the authors discuss the ethical ramifications of senior citizens possibly bonding with inanimate objects as if they were human companions.
Medical Students Meet User Driven Health Care for Patient Centered Learning in Clinical Medicine
Authors: Arora Nitesh , Tamrakar Neha , Price Amy , Biswas Rakesh
Published: March 2017

Patient-centered learning and participatory research are emerging movements in the transformation of primary healthcare and research participation. In recent years this focus has extended to the utilization of User Driven Health Care (UDHC) networks for patient centered learning in medical education. Technology now makes it possible for patients, medical students, and providers to communicate through the Internet on a secure platform. Student authors experiencing this new brush with technology-supported, patient centered learning experience share how participation in a User Driven Health Care online education experience informed their learning and incited them to develop an interest in evidence based knowledge. They developed a survey tool and conducted interviews over the Internet to report on the experiences of others within the network. The findings were largely positive although some students did not feel the reality of the connection to an actual patient. Others report enjoying the experience and being enriched through the interaction, but, at the same time, expressed doubts whether this was a sustainable way to learn given the volume of information a student has to master to attain to the level of a practicing physician
Improving Quality of Services in Maternity Care Triage System
Authors: Abelha António , Pereira Eliana , Brandão Andreia , Portela Filipe , Santos Manuel Filipe , Machado José , Braga Jorge
Published: March 2017

The main objectives in triage are to improve the quality of care and reduce the risks associated to the waiting time in emergency care. Thus, an efficient triage is a good way to avoid some future problems and how much quicker it is, more the patient can benefit. The most common triage system is the Manchester Triage System that is a reliable system focused in the emergency department of a hospital. However, its use is more suitable for more widespread medical emergencies and not for specialized cases, like Gynecological and Obstetrics emergencies. To overcome these limitations, an alternative pre-triage system, integrated into an intelligent decision support system, was developed in order to better characterize the patient and correctly defined her as urgent or not. This system allows the increase of patient's safety, especially women who need immediate care. This paper includes the workflow that describes the decision process in real time in the emergency department, when women are submitted to triage and identify points of evolution.
The Perspectives of Medical Errors in the Health Care Industry
Authors: Kasemsap Kijpokin
Published: March 2017

This chapter presents the overview of medical errors; drug prescription errors and prescribing; the overview of medical error disclosure; medical errors and telemedicine; medical errors and medical education; the overview of nursing medication errors; and the aspects of medical errors in the health care industry. Reducing medical errors, increasing patient safety, and improving the quality of health care are the major goals in the health care industry. Medical errors are caused by mistakes in drug prescription, dosing, and medical administration in inpatient and outpatient settings. Heath care-related guidelines, institutional safety practices, and modern health care technologies must be applied in hospitals, clinics, and medical offices to reduce the occurrence of medical errors. The chapter argues that understanding the perspectives of medical errors has the potential to enhance health care performance and reach strategic goals in the health care industry.
Health Services Quality and Patient Satisfaction
Authors: Xesfingi Sofia , Vozikis Athanassios
Published: March 2017

Quality of care from the patient's perspective and patient satisfaction are two major multidimensional concepts that are used several times interchangeably. Patient satisfaction is a topic that is important both to medical (health) providers, the patients (consumers) and other third-party stakeholders in the medical care industry; it is, therefore, a dominant concept in quality assurance and quality improvement programmes. Patient satisfaction is an important measure of healthcare quality because it offers information on the provider's success at meeting the expectations of most relevance to the client. The importance of quality in the health care sector has been recognized recently, but it has been accelerated over the past years through the development of quality assurance, quality improvement programmes and patients' agendas. Patients are the ones situated at the front lines of care; therefore their opinion may provide useful insights into the quality of healthcare in different European systems, nevertheless the methodological limitations that should be taken into consideration.
Towards Evaluating the Quality of Experience of Remote Patient Monitoring Services
Authors: Skorin-Kapov Lea , Dobrijevic Ognjen , Piplica Domagoj
Published: March 2017

The applicability of advanced mobile technologies in the m-Health domain has led to a number of studies and (limited) commercial products supporting delivery of health services to remote users. A key issue regarding successful delivery and acceptance of such services is meeting their Quality of Service (QoS) and Quality of Experience (QoE) requirements, focusing on technical aspects and end user perceived quality, respectively. In this paper, the authors address the topic of evaluating QoE for non-emergency remote patient monitoring services. They identify relevant QoE influence factors and metrics, and present the results of a QoE evaluation study, whereby they focus on usability aspects. The study involves 26 users testing a prototype version of the Ericsson Mobile Health service, which is based on a smartphone application and measurement of vital signs via medical sensors. The results show a strong correlation between QoE and: perceived effectiveness of the mobile interface (regarding both adequacy of smartphone screen size and smartphone application navigational support), perceived ease of conducting a blood pressure measurement task, and user motivation for service usage.
High Purity Silica Nanoparticles from Geothermal Waste Brine as Reinforcing Filler in Rubber Composite Material
Authors: Villarias Joann A. , Yorro Miguel Lorenzo H. , Galvan Mitch Irene Kate N. , Diaz Leslie Joy L.
Published: March 2017

Extraction of high purity silica nanoparticles from geothermal waste brine was studied as potential reinforcement for rubber. Properties of both as-received geothermal silica (AGS) and upgraded geothermal silica nanoparticles (UGS) were compared to the commercially-acquired precipitated silica (CPS). By X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, AGS was found to have 58.19% Si content that was upgraded to 99.46% Si content (UGS). CPS, AGS and UGS were confirmed to be amorphous by X-ray diffraction analysis. Aggregate particles around ~100-300 nm were determined for CPS and UGS while AGS has around ~350-500 nm through Particle Size Analysis (PSA). Electron micrographs show that primary particles are around ~28-34 nm and ~40-65 nm in size for CPS and WGS, respectively. These differences resulted in the different properties of rubber filled with the three types of silica fillers. Mainly, due to the differences in particle sizes, the compound bearing AGS showed lower Mooney viscosity at (6 MU difference), faster curing at (0.4 min difference) and lower tensile modulus (about 1 MPa difference). Use of UGS showed improvements in the resulting rubber properties with the different parameters being comparable in value to those of the reference compound. Utilization of AGS and UGS will be beneficial both to the rubber and power industries – the former for its low-cost nature and potential as reinforcing filler in rubber compounds and the latter by resolving waste-handling problem in geothermal setting.
Unidirectional Kenaf Polypropylene Composites: Optimization Process by Two Level Full Factorial
Authors: Tholibon Dulina , Sulong Abu Bakar , Muhamad Norhamidi , Ismail Nur Farhani , Tharazi Izdihar , Md Radzi Mohd Khairul Fadzly
Published: March 2017

The interest of using kenaf fibers in composite fabrication has grown due to renewable, sustainable and environmental issues. The applications of kenaf composite have been broadly exploited especially in automotive industry. In this research, unidirectional kenaf polypropylene (PP) composites were prepared using the hot pressing method. The processing parameter need to be optimized to ensure that the fabrication process will enhance the mechanical properties of the composite. Thus, a research on the optimization process on the processing parameter (temperature, pressure, pressing time and kenaf percentage) on the tensile properties was conducted by using a two-level full factorial design. The effect of the individual factors and their interaction were observed. From statistical analysis, the main effect of tensile strength and young modulus is the percentage of kenaf fibers with 21.67% contribution. The interaction between kenaf percentage and pressing time also contribute an effect on the tensile properties with 13.29% contribution. Finally, the result showed that at 190°C, pressure 5 MPa, 5 minutes pressing time and 50% fiber content will give the optimum tensile strength and young modulus which is 163.12 MPa and 11.17 GPa respectively with improvement of 486% tensile strength compared to pure PP.
Cutting Edge: Class II–like Structural Features and Strong Receptor Binding of the Nonclassical HLA-G2 Isoform Homodimer
Authors: Kuroki Kimiko , Mio Kazuhiro , Takahashi Ami , Matsubara Haruki , Kasai Yoshiyuki , Manaka Sachie , Kikkawa Masahide , Hamada Daizo , Sato Chikara , Maenaka Katsumi
Published: March 2017

HLA-G is a natural tolerogenic molecule and has the following unique features: seven isoforms (HLA-G1 to HLA-G7), formation of disulfide-linked homodimers, and β2-microglobulin (β2m)-free forms. Interestingly, individuals null for the major isoform, HLA-G1, are healthy and expressed the α2 domain–deleted isoform, HLA-G2, which presumably compensates for HLA-G1 function. However, the molecular characteristics of HLA-G2 are largely unknown. In this study, we unexpectedly found that HLA-G2 naturally forms a β2m-free and nondisulfide-linked homodimer, which is in contrast to the disulfide-bonded β2m-associated HLA-G1 homodimer. Furthermore, single-particle analysis, using electron microscopy, revealed that the overall structure and domain organization of the HLA-G2 homodimer resemble those of the HLA class II heterodimer. The HLA-G2 homodimer binds to leukocyte Ig-like receptor B2 with slow dissociation and a significant avidity effect. These findings provide novel insights into leukocyte Ig-like receptor B2–mediated immune regulation by the HLA-G2 isoform, as well as the gene evolution of HLA classes.
Bonobos Maintain Immune System Diversity with Three Functional Types of MHC-B
Authors: Wroblewski Emily E. , Guethlein Lisbeth A. , Norman Paul J. , Li Yingying , Shaw Christiana M. , Han Alex S. , Ndjango Jean-Bosco N. , Ahuka-Mundeke Steve , Georgiev Alexander V. , Peeters Martine , Hahn Beatrice H. , Parham Peter
Published: March 2017

Fast-evolving MHC class I polymorphism serves to diversify NK cell and CD8 T cell responses in individuals, families, and populations. Because only chimpanzee and bonobo have strict orthologs of all HLA class I, their study gives unique perspectives on the human condition. We defined polymorphism of Papa-B, the bonobo ortholog of HLA-B, for six wild bonobo populations. Sequences for Papa-B exon 2 and 3 were determined from the genomic DNA in 255 fecal samples, minimally representing 110 individuals. Twenty-two Papa-B alleles were defined, each encoding a different Papa-B protein. No Papa-B is identical to any chimpanzee Patr-B, human HLA-B, or gorilla Gogo-B. Phylogenetic analysis identified a clade of MHC-B, defined by residues 45–74 of the α1 domain, which is broadly conserved among bonobo, chimpanzee, and gorilla. Bonobo populations have 3–14 Papa-B allotypes. Three Papa-B are in all populations, and they are each of a different functional type: allotypes having the Bw4 epitope recognized by killer cell Ig-like receptors of NK cells, allotypes having the C1 epitope also recognized by killer cell Ig-like receptors, and allotypes having neither epitope. For population Malebo, these three Papa-B are the only Papa-B allotypes. Although small in number, their sequence divergence is such that the nucleotide diversity (mean proportional distance) of Papa-B in Malebo is greater than in the other populations and is also greater than expected for random combinations of three Papa-B. Overall, Papa-B has substantially less diversity than Patr-B in chimpanzee subspecies and HLA-B in indigenous human populations, consistent with bonobo having experienced narrower population bottlenecks.