bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Flexible Medical Devices: Review of Controllable Stiffness Solutions
Authors: Blanc Loïc , Delchambre Alain , Lambert Pierre
Published: July 2017

In the medical field and in soft robotics, flexible devices are required for safe human interaction, while rigid structures are required to withstand the force application and accuracy in motion. This paper aims at presenting controllable stiffness mechanisms described in the literature for applications with or without shape-locking performances. A classification of the solutions based on their working principle is proposed. The intrinsic properties of these adaptive structures can be modified to change their mechanical characteristics from a geometrical point of view or equivalent elastic properties (with internal mechanisms or with a change in material properties). These solutions are compared quantitatively, based on selected criteria linked to the medical field as the stiffness range, the activation time and the working conditions. Depending on the application and its requirements, the most suitable solution can be selected following the quantitative comparisons. Several applications of these tunable stiffness structures are proposed and illustrated by examples of the literature.
On the Delayed Scaled Consensus Problems
Authors: Shang Yilun
Published: July 2017

In this note, we study the scaled consensus (tracking) problems, wherein all agents reach agreement, but with different assigned ratios in the asymptote. Based on the nearest neighbor-interaction rules, the scaled consensus processes are characterized with and without time delay. We consider both the signal transmission and signal processing delays and calculate the final scaled consensus values. When the underlying communication network contains a spanning tree, it is found that the scaled consensus can be achieved independent of the transmission delays while the specified consensus values in the asymptote depend on the initial history of the agents over a period of time. This phenomenon is in sharp contrast to the case of processing delays, where large delays are likely to jeopardize the consensus behavior, but the scaled consensus values once achieved are the same as the undelayed case.
Reduction of Hexavalent Chromium Using Sorbaria sorbifolia Aqueous Leaf Extract
Authors: Dubey Shashi , Sillanpaa Mika , Varma Rajender
Published: July 2017

Aqueous plant leaves extract (PLE) of an abundant shrub, Sorbaria sorbifolia, was explored for the reduction of hexavalent chromium, Cr(VI), to trivalent chromium, Cr(III). The effect of contact time, pH, PLE quantity, ionic strength, hardness, temperature and effective initial Cr(VI) ion concentration were tested; Cr(VI) reduction followed the pseudo-first order rate kinetics and maximum reduction was observed at pH 2. Significantly, Cr(VI) reduction efficacies varied from 97 to 66% over the pH range of 2 to 10, which bodes well for PLE to be used for the reduction of Cr(VI) also at a higher pH. PLE-mediated Cr(VI) reduction displays considerable efficiency at various ionic strengths; however, hardness strongly affects the reduction ability. Higher temperature significantly enhances the Cr(VI) reduction. This study reveals the potential use of PLE as a green reducing agent in aqueous extract for the efficient reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III).
Numerical Study on Dynamic Response of a Horizontal Layered-Structure Rock Slope under a Normally Incident Sv Wave
Authors: Zhan Zhifa , Qi Shengwen
Published: July 2017

Several post-earthquake investigations have indicated that the slope structure plays a leading role in the stability of rock slopes under dynamic loads. In this paper, the dynamic response of a horizontal layered-structure rock slope under harmonic Sv wave is studied by making use of the Fast Lagrangian Analysis of Continua method (FLAC). The suitability of FLAC for studying wave transmission across rock joints is validated through comparison with analytical solutions. After parametric studies on Sv wave transmission across the horizontal layered-structure rock slope, it is found that the acceleration amplification coefficient η, which is defined as the ratio of the acceleration at the monitoring point to the value at the toe, wavily increases with an increase of the height along the slope surface. Meanwhile, the fluctuation weakens with normalized joint stiffness K increasing and enhances with normalized joint spacing ξ increasing. The acceleration amplification coefficient of the slope crest ηcrest does not monotonously increase with the increase of ξ, but decreases with the increase of K. Additionally, ηcrest is more sensitive to ξ compared to K. From the contour figures, it can also be found that the contour figures of η take on rhythm, and the effects of ξ on the acceleration amplification coefficient are more obvious compared to the effects on K.
Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase-Dependent Signalling Pathways in Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinomas
Authors: Janus Joanna , O’Shaughnessy Ryan , Harwood Catherine , Maffucci Tania
Published: July 2017

Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) derives from keratinocytes in the epidermis and accounts for 15–20% of all cutaneous malignancies. Although it is usually curable by surgery, 5% of these tumours metastasise leading to poor prognosis mostly because of a lack of therapies and validated biomarkers. As the incidence rate is rising worldwide it has become increasingly important to better understand the mechanisms involved in cSCC development and progression in order to develop therapeutic strategies. Here we discuss some of the evidence indicating that activation of phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3Ks)-dependent signalling pathways (in particular the PI3Ks targets Akt and mTOR) has a key role in cSCC. We further discuss available data suggesting that inhibition of these pathways can be beneficial to counteract the disease. With the growing number of different inhibitors currently available, it would be important to further investigate the specific contribution of distinct components of the PI3Ks/Akt/mTOR pathways in order to identify the most promising molecular targets and the best strategy to inhibit cSCC.
Granulated Silica Method for the Fiber Preform Production
Authors: Pilz Sönke , Najafi Hossein , Ryser Manuel , Romano Valerio
Published: July 2017

During the past few years, we have studied the granulated silica method as a versatile and cost effective way of fiber preform production and the sol-gel method. Until now, we have used the sol-gel technology together with an iterative re-melting and milling step in order to produce rare earth or transition metal doped granular material for the granulated silica method. Here, we present that the iterative re-melting (laser-assisted) and milling step is no longer needed to reach a high homogeneity. The sol-gel method also offers a high degree of compositional flexibility with respect to dopants; it further facilitates achieving high concentrations, even in cases when several dopants are used. We employed optical active doped sol-gel derived granulate for the fiber core, whereas pure or index-raised granulated silica has been employed for the cladding. Based on the powder-in-tube technique, where silica glass tubes are appropriately filled with these granular materials, fibers has been directly drawn (“fiber rapid prototyping”), or eventually after an additional optional quality enhancing vitrification step. The powder-in-tube technique is also ideally suited for the preparation of microstructured optical fibers.
Physical and Emotional Benefits of Different Exercise Environments Designed for Treadmill Running
Authors: Yeh Hsiao-Pu , Stone Joseph , Churchill Sarah , Brymer Eric , Davids Keith
Published: July 2017

(1) Background: Green physical activity promotes physical health and mental wellbeing and interesting questions concern effects of this information on designing indoor exercise environments. This study examined the physical and emotional effects of different nature-based environments designed for indoor treadmill running; (2) Methods: In a counterbalanced experimental design, 30 participants performed three, twenty-minute treadmill runs at a self-selected pace while viewing either a static nature image, a dynamic nature image or self-selected entertainment. Distance ran, heart rate (HR) and five pre-and post-exercise emotional states were measured; (3) Results: Participants ran farther, and with higher HRs, with self-selected entertainment compared to the two nature-based environment designs. Participants attained lowered anger, dejection, anxiety and increased excitement post exercise in all of the designed environments. Happiness increased during the two nature-based environment designs compared with self-selected entertainment; (4) Conclusions: Self-selected entertainment encouraged greater physical performances whereas running in nature-based exercise environments elicited greater happiness immediately after running.
Positive Emotional Effects of Leisure in Green Spaces in Alleviating Work–Family Spillover in Working Mothers
Authors: Chang Po-Ju , Bae So
Published: July 2017

Studies have shown that family and work spillover affects well-being and that leisure activities can alleviate the negative effects of work-related stress on health. However, few studies have focused on investigating the effects of specific leisure activities among specific populations. To examine whether leisure activities in green spaces can promote individual recovery processes and alleviate the effects of work and family spillover on positive emotions, this study applied the effort-recovery model to a population of working mothers. Through online and paper questionnaires, sample data were collected from 221 working mothers in Taiwan. Structural equation modeling was used to test the experimental hypothesis, and mediation analysis was used to determine whether leisure in green spaces is a mediating factor. The results indicated that leisure in green spaces is a mediator of the relationship of negative work and family spillover with positive emotions. In addition, strolls and park visits were found to provide greater psychological benefits to working mothers, compared with picnics.
Dendritic Cells and Their Role in Allergy: Uptake, Proteolytic Processing and Presentation of Allergens
Authors: Humeniuk Piotr , Dubiela Pawel , Hoffmann-Sommergruber Karin
Published: July 2017

Dendritic cells (DCs) are the most important antigen presenting cells to activate naïve T cells, which results in the case of Type 1 allergies in a Type 2 helper T cell (Th2)-driven specific immune response towards allergens. So far, a number of different subsets of specialized DCs in different organs have been identified. In the recent past methods to study the interaction of DCs with allergenic proteins, their different uptake and processing mechanisms followed by the presentation to T cells were developed. The following review aims to summarize the most important characteristics of DC subsets in the context of allergic diseases, and highlights the recent findings. These detailed studies can contribute to a better understanding of the pathomechanisms of allergic diseases and contribute to the identification of key factors to be addressed for therapeutic interventions.
Metals Challenged by Neutron and Synchrotron Radiation
Authors: Liss Klaus-Dieter
Published: July 2017

In the past one and a half decades, neutron and synchrotron radiation techniques have come to the forefront as an excellent set of tools for the wider investigation of material structures and properties [1,2], becoming available to a large user community.[...]
Characterization of the Fifth Putative Acetylcholinesterase in the Wolf Spider, Pardosa pseudoannulata
Authors: Meng Xiangkun , Xu Xixia , Bao Haibo , Wang Jianjun , Liu Zewen
Published: July 2017

Background: Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is an important neurotransmitter hydrolase in invertebrate and vertebrate nervous systems. The number of AChEs is various among invertebrate species, with different functions including the ‘classical’ role in terminating synaptic transmission and other ‘non-classical’ roles. Methods: Using rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) technology, a new putative AChE-encoding gene was cloned from Pardosa pseudoannulata, an important predatory natural enemy. Sequence analysis and in vitro expression were employed to determine the structural features and biochemical properties of this putative AChE. Results: The cloned AChE contained the most conserved motifs of AChEs family and was clearly clustered with Arachnida AChEs. Determination of biochemical properties revealed that the recombinant enzyme had the obvious preference for the substrate ATC (acetylthiocholine iodide) versus BTC (butyrylthiocholine iodide). The AChE was highly sensitive to AChE-specific inhibitor BW284C51, but not butyrylcholinesterase-specific inhibitor tetraisopropyl pyrophosphoramide (ISO-OMPA). Based on these results, we concluded that a new AChE was identified from P. pseudoannulata and denoted as PpAChE5. Conclusion: Here we report the identification of a new AChE from P. pseudoannulata and increased the AChE number to five in this species. Although PpAChE5 had the biggest Vmax value among five identified AChEs, it showed relatively low affinity with ATC. Similar sensitivity to test insecticides indicated that this AChE might serve as the target for both organophosphorus and carbamate insecticides.
Synthesis and Study of Fe-Doped Bi2S3 Semimagnetic Nanocrystals Embedded in a Glass Matrix
Authors: Silva Ricardo , Mikhail Hanna , Guimarães Eder , Gonçalves Elis , Cano Nilo , Dantas Noelio
Published: July 2017

Iron-doped bismuth sulphide (Bi2−xFexS3) nanocrystals have been successfully synthesized in a glass matrix using the fusion method. Transmission electron microscopy images and energy dispersive spectroscopy data clearly show that nanocrystals are formed with an average diameter of 7–9 nm, depending on the thermic treatment time, and contain Fe in their chemical composition. Magnetic force microscopy measurements show magnetic phase contrast patterns, providing further evidence of Fe incorporation in the nanocrystal structure. The electron paramagnetic resonance spectra displayed Fe3+ typical characteristics, with spin of 5/2 in the 3d5 electronic state, thereby confirming the expected trivalent state of Fe ions in the Bi2S3 host structure. Results from the spin polarized density functional theory simulations, for the bulk Fe-doped Bi2S3 counterpart, corroborate the experimental fact that the volume of the unit cell decreases with Fe substitutionally doping at Bi1 and Bi2 sites. The Bader charge analysis indicated a pseudo valency charge of 1.322|e| on FeBi1 and 1.306|e| on FeBi2 ions, and a spin contribution for the magnetic moment of 5.0 µB per unit cell containing one Fe atom. Electronic band structures showed that the (indirect) band gap changes from 1.17 eV for Bi2S3 bulk to 0.71 eV (0.74 eV) for Bi2S3:FeBi1 (Bi2S3:FeBi2). These results are compatible with the 3d5 high-spin state of Fe3+, and are in agreement with the experimental results, within the density functional theory accuracy.
2,5-Dihydroxyacetophenone Induces Apoptosis of Multiple Myeloma Cells by Regulating the MAPK Activation Pathway
Authors: Ko Jeong-Hyeon , Lee Jae Hwi , Jung Sang Hoon , Lee Seok-Geun , Chinnathambi Arunachalam , Alharbi Sulaiman Ali , Yang Woong Mo , Um Jae-Young , Sethi Gautam , Ahn Kwang Seok
Published: July 2017

2,5-Dihydroxyacetophenone (DHAP) is an active compound obtained from Radix rehmanniae preparata, which is widely used as a herbal medicine in many Asian countries. DHAP has been found to possess anti-inflammatory, anti-anxiety, and neuroprotective qualities. For the present study, we evaluated the anti-cancer effects of DHAP on multiple myeloma cells. It was discovered that DHAP downregulated the expression of oncogenic gene products like Bcl-xl, Bcl-2, Mcl-1, Survivin, Cyclin D1, IAP-1, Cyclin E, COX-2, and MMP-9, and upregulated the expression of Bax and p21 proteins, consistent with the induction of G2/M phase cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in U266 cells. DHAP inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis, as characterized by the cleavage of PARP and the activation of caspase-3, caspase-8, and caspase-9. Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways have been linked to the modulation of the angiogenesis, proliferation, metastasis, and invasion of tumors. We therefore attempted to determine the effect of DHAP on MAPK signaling pathways, and discovered that DHAP treatment induced a sustained activation of JNK, ERK1/2, and p38 MAPKs. DHAP also potentiated the pro-apoptotic and anti-proliferative effects of bortezomib in U266 cells. Our results suggest that DHAP can be an effective therapeutic agent to target multiple myeloma.
Characterization and Biological Evaluation of Propolis from Poland
Authors: Popova Milena , Giannopoulou Efstathia , Skalicka-Woźniak Krystyna , Graikou Konstantia , Widelski Jaroslaw , Bankova Vassya , Kalofonos Haralabos , Sivolapenko Gregory , Gaweł-Bęben Katarzyna , Antosiewicz Beata , Chinou Ioanna
Published: July 2017

In this study, we assessed the therapeutic potential of propolis from Poland and performed chemical analysis by GC–MS, as well as determined its botanical origin. Chemical constituents typical for bud exudates of Populus nigra (section Aigeiros) were determined, however, glycerol esters of phenolic acids, as well as unusually high amounts of p-coumaric and ferulic acid and their benzyl esters, were also detected. These constituents are characteristic for buds of Populus tremula (section Leuce). We also evaluated the antiproliferative effect of propolis extracts against nine human cancer cell lines. Additionally, promising antibacterial activity of the dichloromethane extract (Minimal Inhibitory Concentration MIC values of 0.95–1.24 mg/mL), as well as a moderate antifungal activity (MIC values of 1.25–1.40 mg/mL), was noticed. Propolis from Poland appeared as a rich source of antibacterial and antiproliferative compounds and this confirmed that it is a valuable natural product with the potential to improve human health.
Assessment of Land Use-Cover Changes and Successional Stages of Vegetation in the Natural Protected Area Altas Cumbres, Northeastern Mexico, Using Landsat Satellite Imagery
Authors: Sánchez-Reyes Uriel Jeshua , Niño-Maldonado Santiago , Barrientos-Lozano Ludivina , Treviño-Carreón Jacinto
Published: July 2017

Loss of vegetation cover is a major factor that endangers biodiversity. Therefore, the use of geographic information systems and the analysis of satellite images are important for monitoring these changes in Natural Protected Areas (NPAs). In northeastern Mexico, the Natural Protected Area Altas Cumbres (NPAAC) represents a relevant floristic and faunistic patch on which the impact of loss of vegetation cover has not been assessed. This work aimed to analyze changes of land use and coverage (LULCC) over the last 42 years on the interior and around the exterior of the area, and also to propose the time of succession for the most important types of vegetation. For the analysis, LANDSAT satellite images from 1973, 1986, 2000, 2005 and 2015 were used, they were classified in seven categories through a segmentation and maximum likelihood analysis. A cross-tabulation analysis was performed to determine the succession gradient. Towards the interior of the area, a significant reduction of tropical vegetation and, to a lesser extent, temperate forests was found, as well as an increase in scrub cover from 1973 to 2015. In addition, urban and vegetation-free areas, as well as modified vegetation, increased to the exterior. Towards the interior of the NPA, the processes of perturbation and recovery were mostly not linear, while in the exterior adjacent area, the presence of secondary vegetation with distinct definite time of succession was evident. The analysis carried out is the first contribution that evaluates LULCC in this important NPA of northeastern Mexico. Results suggest the need to evaluate the effects of these modifications on species.
Windows of Opportunity for Whom? Commissioners, Access, and the Balance of Interest in European Environmental Governance
Authors: Fuchs Doris
Published: July 2017

The European Union’s ambition on environmental issues proves to be highly uneven. While it has agreed on stringent binding sustainability objectives in its reforms of the Common Fisheries Policy in 2013, it failed to reach such agreement on its 2030 climate change objectives at almost the same time. How can we make sense of this uneven performance of the European Union (EU) in environmental policy? The present article argues that integrating the multiple streams approach (MSA) with a focus on business power allows a better understanding of the divergence in the EU’s sustainability ambitions across policy fields. Based on this framework, it suggests that Commissioners can be highly influential policy entrepreneurs in the European governance process. Employing a content analysis of relevant documents from the two policy processes as well as interviews with representatives from political as well as non-state actors, the article depicts the suggested dynamics and deduces corresponding lessons for science and politics.
The Supply Chain Design for Perishable Food with Stochastic Demand
Authors: Yang Shuai , Xiao Yujie , Kuo Yong-Hong
Published: July 2017

It has been a challenging task to manage perishable food supply chains because of the perishable product’s short lifetime, the possible spoilage of the product due to its deterioration nature, and the retail demand uncertainty. All of these factors can lead to a significant amount of shortage of food items and a substantial retail loss. The recent development of tracing and tracking technologies, which facilitate effective monitoring of the inventory level and product quality continuously, can greatly improve the performance of food supply chain and reduce spoilage waste. Motivated by this recent technological advancement, our research aims to investigate the joint decision of pricing strategy, shelf space allocation, and replenishment policy in a single-item food supply chain setting, where our goal is to maximize the retailer’s total expected profit subject to stochastic retail demand. We prove the existence of optimality for the design of the perishable food supply chain. We then extend the single-item supply chain problem to a multi-item setting and propose an easy-to-implement searching algorithm to produce the optimal allocation of shelf space among these items for practical implementation. Finally, we provide numerical examples to demonstrate the effectiveness of our solution.
Resilience for Whom? The Problem Structuring Process of the Resilience Analysis
Authors: Herrera Hugo
Published: July 2017

Resilience is a flexible concept open to many different interpretations. The openness of resilience implies that while talking about resilience, stakeholders risk talking past each other. The plurality of the interpretations has practical implications in the analysis and planning of resilience. This paper reflects on these implications that have so far not explicitly been addressed in the literature, by discussing the problem structuring process (PSP) of a modelling-based resilience analysis. The discussion is based on the analysis of food security resilience to climate change in Huehuetenango, Guatemala, jointly undertaken by the author, governmental authorities, small-scale farmers and academics of the national university. The aim of this discussion is to highlight the underestimated challenges and practical implications of the resilience concept ambiguity and potential avenues to address them. The contributions of the results presented in this paper are twofold. First, they show that, in practice, the resilience concept is constructed and subjective. Second, there remains a need for a participatory and contested framework for the PSP of resilience.
PCR-DGGE Analysis: Unravelling Complex Mixtures of Badnavirus Sequences Present in Yam Germplasm
Authors: Turaki Aliyu , Bömer Moritz , Silva Gonçalo , Kumar P. , Seal Susan
Published: July 2017

Badnaviruses (family Caulimoviridae, genus Badnavirus) have emerged as serious pathogens especially affecting the cultivation of tropical crops. Badnavirus sequences can be integrated in host genomes, complicating the detection of episomal infections and the assessment of viral genetic diversity in samples containing a complex mixture of sequences. Yam (Dioscorea spp.) plants are hosts to a diverse range of badnavirus species, and recent findings have suggested that mixed infections occur frequently in West African yam germplasm. Historically, the determination of the diversity of badnaviruses present in yam breeding lines has been achieved by cloning and sequencing of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products. In this study, the molecular diversity of partial reverse transcriptase (RT)-ribonuclease H (RNaseH) sequences from yam badnaviruses was analysed using PCR-dependent denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE). This resulted in the identification of complex ‘fingerprints’ composed of multiple sequences of Dioscorea bacilliform viruses (DBVs). Many of these sequences show high nucleotide identities to endogenous DBV (eDBV) sequences deposited in GenBank, and fall into six monophyletic species groups. Our findings highlight PCR-DGGE as a powerful tool in badnavirus diversity studies enabling a rapid indication of sequence diversity as well as potential candidate integrated sequences revealed by their conserved nature across germplasm.
NF-RO Membrane Performance for Treating the Effluent of an Organized Industrial Zone Wastewater Treatment Plant: Effect of Different UF Types
Authors: Uyanık İbrahim , Özkan Oktay , Koyuncu İsmail
Published: July 2017

Reuse of water is necessary in Organized Industrial Zones (OIZ) due to excessive use of groundwater in semi-arid Turkey. Membrane treatment of the OIZ wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents should be explored for new treatment options. In this study, three different UF membranes with variable molecular weight cutoff (MWCO) values (4, 10, and 250 kDa) were used to treat the effluent of an OIZ WWTP at laboratory scale. Six different nanofiltration (NF) and reverse osmosis (RO) membranes were used for the effluent of UF membranes to evaluate the difference in the membrane filtration performance and the water quality. Effluent electrical conductivity (EC) values of NF membranes were 1.77 ± 0.17, 3.73 ± 0.27, and 4.20 ± 0.23 ms/cm for NF (NF90, NF270, and TM610) membranes, respectively while they were 0.83 ± 0.47, 1.17 ± 0.47, and 1.13 ± 0.57 ms/cm for RO (XLE, AD90, and BW30) membranes, respectively. Scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), and confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) images showed severe biofouling in UF 4 kDa and UF 10 kDa membranes whereas UF 250 kDa membrane showed larger metal precipitates and little bacterial fouling. The results indicated that OIZ WWTP effluent could be reused as irrigation water according to Turkish regulations with UF 250 kDa and RO-XLE membranes, effectively.
THE IMPACTS OF RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION AND PROPERTY PRICES ON RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION OUTPUTS: AN INTER-MARKET EQUILIBRIUM APPROACH
Authors: MA Le , LIU Chunlu , REED Richard
Published: July 2017

Research into the links between construction output and broader economic development has provided valuable references for inducing theoretical, empirical and policy implications. However, the impact of the construction and property markets on the construction output have not been fully addressed yet. This research argues an inter-market equilibrium between residential construction output and the related markets in terms of construction and property prices. Implementing the panel error correction model, longitudinal data of Australian capital cities is used to identify the inter-market equilibrium and associated dynamic patterns across the observed cities. Subsequently, by comparing the simulated and actual residential construction outputs, the estimated findings are evaluated. The inter-market equilibriums in the Australian capital cities appeared in geographic-spatial clusters while the economy-scale-spatial clusters were observed in dynamic patterns.
The Surface UV Environment on Planets Orbiting M Dwarfs: Implications for Prebiotic Chemistry and the Need for Experimental Follow-up
Authors: Ranjan Sukrit , Wordsworth Robin , Sasselov Dimitar D.
Published: July 2017

Potentially habitable planets orbiting M dwarfs are of intense astrobiological interest because they are the only rocky worlds accessible to biosignature search over the next 10+ years because of a confluence of observational effects. Simultaneously, recent experimental and theoretical work suggests that UV light may have played a key role in the origin of life on Earth, especially the origin of RNA. Characterizing the UV environment on M-dwarf planets is important for understanding whether life as we know it could emerge on such worlds. In this work, we couple radiative transfer models to observed M-dwarf spectra to determine the UV environment on prebiotic Earth-analog planets orbiting M dwarfs. We calculate dose rates to quantify the impact of different host stars on prebiotically important photoprocesses. We find that M-dwarf planets have access to  100–1000 times less bioactive UV fluence than the young Earth. It is unclear whether UV-sensitive prebiotic chemistry that may have been important to abiogenesis, such as the only known prebiotically plausible pathways for pyrimidine ribonucleotide synthesis, could function on M-dwarf planets. This uncertainty affects objects like the recently discovered habitable-zone planets orbiting Proxima Centauri, TRAPPIST-1, and LHS 1140. Laboratory studies of the sensitivity of putative prebiotic pathways to irradiation level are required to resolve this uncertainty. If steady-state M-dwarf UV output is insufficient to power these pathways, transient elevated UV irradiation due to flares may suffice; laboratory studies can constrain this possibility as well.
Notes on the Stenus cirrus group of Zhejiang, East China, with descriptions of two new species (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae)
Authors: Liu Sheng-Nan , Tang Liang , Luo Rong-Ting
Published: July 2017

Two new Stenus species of the cirrus group collected from Zhejiang Province, East China, are described, S. wuyanlingus Liu, Tang & Luo, sp. n., S. yuyimingi Liu, Tang & Luo, sp. n. and a new distributional locality for S. ovalis Tang, Li & Zhao, 2005 was discovered. The diagnostic characters of the new species are illustrated, and a key to species of the group from Zhejiang Province is provided.
Technology Transfer and Innovation Management
Authors: Silva Luan Carlos Santos , Gaia Silvia , ten Caten Carla Schwengber , Facó Renata Tilemann
Published: July 2017

The goal consisted in analyzing the innovation management process and the technology transfer between Industry-University in the TTOs of the public universities in the state of Paraná, Brazil. The research is of Practical Research nature. The approach is qualitative and as a technical procedure it was used the case study. The research analyzed the faced challenges, strategies and actions taken in the TTOs that got a better result in stage 1. It was possible to identify that the offices have highly capacitated in a level of excellency in different areas of graduation, however with difficulties to stablish an internal relationship between its members, professors and research groups from the university. They find it difficult external problems. The government, universities and institutions must create transfer mechanisms connected to the form of the technology demand, innovation and the enterprises characteristics.
Redesign of the Clinical Pharmacy Practice Model in a Tertiary Academic Hospital in Medellín, Colombia
Authors: Botero Aguirre Juan Pablo , Valencia Quintero Andrés Felipe , Granados Vega Elkyn Johan
Published: July 2017

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Pharmacy Practice in Japan
Authors: Nakagawa Sari , Kume Noriaki
Published: July 2017

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Risk Factors for Severe Infection, Hospitalization, and Prolonged Antimicrobial Therapy in Patients with Babesiosis
Authors: Mareedu Neeharik , Schotthoefer Anna M. , Tompkins Jason , Hall Matthew C. , Fritsche Thomas R. , Frost Holly M.
Published: July 2017

Babesiosis is an emerging tick-borne disease transmitted by the hard tick Ixodes scapularis, which also transmits Lyme disease. Better gradation of prognostic indicators are needed to determine which patients may develop serious complications requiring hospitalization, and to provide early guidance on appropriate therapy. In this study, we evaluated 128 patients with smear or real time polymerase chain reaction-confirmed Babesia microti infections over a period of 16 years. Patients with asplenia or immunocompromising conditions were more likely to have severe infection (P < 0.01), require hospitalization (P < 0.01), or receive prolonged courses of antimicrobials (P < 0.01). Nausea or vomiting (P < 0.01) and diarrhea (P < 0.01) along with hyperbilirubinemia (P < 0.01) were predictive of severe infection, hospitalization, and prolonged antimicrobial therapy. Patients with concurrent Lyme disease were less likely to require hospitalization and had similar severity of disease and length of antibiotic treatment compared with those without Lyme disease.
The Proposition: Imagining Race, Family and Violence on the Nineteenth-Century Australian Frontier
Authors: Elder Catriona
Published: July 2017

http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/2175-8026.2016v69n2p165This article analyses John Hillcoat’s 2005 film The Proposition in relation to a spate of Australian films about violence and the (post)colonial encounter released in the early twenty-first century. Extending on  Felicity Collins and Therese Davis argument that these films can be read in terms of the ways they capture or refract aspects of contemporary race relations in Australia in a post-Mabo, this article analyses how The Proposition reconstructs the trauma of the Australian frontier; how from the perspective of the twenty-first century it worries over the meaning of violence on the Australian frontier. It also explores what has become speakable (and remains unspeakable) in the public sphere about the history of the frontier encounter, especially in terms of family and race.  The article argues that The Proposition and other early twenty-first century race relations films can be understood as post-reconciliation films, emerging in a period when Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians were rethinking ideas of belonging through a prism of post-enmity and forgiveness. Drawing on the theme of violence and intimate relations in the film, this article argues that the challenges to the everyday formulation of Australian history proffered in The Proposition reveal painful and powerful differences amongst Australian citizens’ understanding of who belongs and how they came to belong to the nation. I suggest that by focusing on violence in terms of intimacy, relationships, family and kin, it is possible to see this film presented an opportunity to begin to refigure ideas of belonging.
Postcolonial Longing on the Australian Cinematic Frontier
Authors: Marsh Pauline
Published: July 2017

http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/2175-8026.2016v69n2p177The Tracker and Red Hill are cinematic re-interpretations of Australia’s colonial past, which they characterise by a sense of postcolonial longing and an expectation of intimacy. Both films are portals through which arguments about historical truth, subjective memory and contemporary realities are explored and tested. In this paper I argue that both these two films create the idea that the historical colonial space was a constant interplay of violence and beauty, and of hatred and friendship. As black and white characters negotiate their way in and around these seemingly polemical positions, viewers are also challenged to do the same.
Escrita disciplinar: contribuições para o ensino de língua portuguesa na graduação
Authors: Silva Elizabeth Maria da , Reinaldo Maria Augusta Gonçalves de Macedo
Published: July 2017

http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/2175-8026.2016v69n3p141Objetivamos neste artigo: (1) descrever uma proposta de ensino de escrita para cursos de graduação orientada pelos princípios teórico-metodológicos que norteiam a abordagem de Escrita nas Disciplinas e (2) identificar e analisar as percepções de graduandos sobre a implementação desse tipo de metodologia de ensino da escrita. Para isso, aplicamos um questionário com estudantes do Curso de Ciência da Computação que cursaram a disciplina Leitura e Produção de Textos (LPT), ofertada para diferentes cursos de graduação de uma universidade pública do interior paraibano. Os depoimentos desses alunos apontam para o reconhecimento de que é necessário ensinar na universidade a escrita acadêmica; de que esse ensino deve ser específico; de que um dos fatores que contribuem para o processo de apropriação dos textos acadêmicos é a prática de escrevê-los; e de que o aluno pode ser um agente da aprendizagem, indicando para o professor de LPT textos específicos da sua área.
Latin-American writing initiatives in engineering from Spanish-speaking countries
Authors: Narváez-Cardona Elizabeth
Published: July 2017

http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/2175-8026.2016v69n3p223 Este artigo analisa publicações latino-americanas a partir de países que falam Espanhol para mapear programas realizados na Região e, em seguida, fornecer um contexto para vislumbrar novas agendas de pesquisa para estudos de escrita latino-americanos em engenharia. A análise de 22 publicações sugere que as iniciativas e estudos em engenharia são recentes (a partir de 2009). A amostra revela uma ênfase em publicações orientadas pedagogicamente com foco em engenharia como um campo. As tendências sugerem que os defensores latino-americanos da escrita em engenharia podem se beneficiar através da incorporação de referenciais teóricos para a) explorar e compreender diferentes papéis da escrita através do tempo e do currículo na aprendizagem dos alunos e por subcampos de engenharia e, b) explorar abordagens teóricas para entender gêneros além de textos individuais (ou seja, repertórios de gênero e sistemas de gênero).
Students’ and teachers’ academic writing and reading: Colombia in three voices
Authors: Pérez Olga López
Published: July 2017

Os livros resenhados são:¿Para qué se lee y se escribe en la universidad colombiana? Un aporte a la consolidación de la cultura académica del país;Tras las huellas de las investigaciones sobre lectura y escritura en la Universidad;Escritura académica e identidad en la educación superior: Un enfoque sociocultural.
A escrita de artigo acadêmico na universidade: autoria x plágio
Authors: Alves Maria Fátima , Magalhães de Moura Lucielma De Oliveira Batista
Published: July 2017

http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/2175-8026.2016v69n3p77Diante da cobrança de produzir textos específicos do discurso acadêmico na universidade, muitos graduandos acabam realizando a prática do plágio. Observaremos neste trabalho a presença do plágio versus as marcas de autoria na introdução de artigos acadêmicos produzidos por graduandos iniciantes, em um Curso de Licenciatura. Para tanto, destacamos a questão do plágio e da autoria, notadamente a partir dos estudos enunciativos bakhtinianos e, em seguida, apresentamos a base teórica dos Letramentos – com foco corrente dos Novos Estudos dos Letramentos - e da Sociorretórica. A análise dos dados evidenciou  e ratificou a escrita acadêmica como uma atividade complexa, dada a prática do plágio constatada nas produções analisadas. A falta de domínio da escrita acadêmica aliada à exigência de uma escrita situada e com marcas de autoria concorrem para que ocorra a prática do plágio.
Modalities of representation and perception in Michael Ondaatje’s Anil’s Ghost
Authors: Renaux Sigrid
Published: July 2017

http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/2175-8026.2017v70n1p113Este estudo analisa a maneira pela qual a interdependência da representação e percepção da realidade é exemplificada e questionada em O Fantasma de Anil, de Michael Ondaatje (2000). Neste trabalho de literatura de resistência, através de um narrador onisciente, entramos não apenas nos espaços geográficos e na história cultural do Sri Lanka, mas nos encontramos participando da luta diária do povo para sobreviver, identificar e buscar justiça para os muitos mortos neste conflito entre grupos étnicos e o governo. Esta fragmentação da estrutura narrativa - lançando dúvidas sobre as relações conflituosas estabelecidas entre o presente e o passado dos personagens, entre valores ocidentais e orientais em relação ao conceito de verdade, a busca de identidade e amor perdidos - destaca ainda o intercâmbio entre representações e percepções da realidade.
Orlandos: intercâmbio entre Virginia Woolf e Sally Potter
Authors: Assis Fabiana Gomes
Published: July 2017

http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/2175-8026.2017v70n1p187Proponho, neste ensaio, pensar os diálogos entre narrativa literária e fílmica a partir de uma perspectiva sintonizada com o pensamento feminista. Para isso, trago ao palco o intrigante livro de Virginia Woolf, Orlando: a biography (1928), seguido da (re)criação cinematográfica, Orlando (1992), dirigida e produzida pela autêntica Sally Potter, tendo em vista que ambas as autoras, em suas obras, demonstram certa preocupação e engajamento em questionar os papéis sociais que mulheres e homens desempenham culturalmente. O objetivo é refletir, portanto, sobre as convergências entre esses dois textos, em se tratando das problematizações referentes ao gênero identitário, construído de modo ambivalente, da protagonista.
Poe, entre o cinema e a literatura: uma leitura intermidiática de The Raven
Authors: De Medeiros Nóbrega Nunes Gomes Caio Antônio , Azeredo Genilda
Published: July 2017

http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/2175-8026.2017v70n1p211Em The Raven (2012), filme dirigido por James McTeigue, além de termos Edgar Allan Poe como protagonista e alusões a vários de seus textos, a relação entre cinema e literatura é ainda mais adensada a partir da presença de questões ligadas à própria materialidade, socialidade e economia da mídia literária. Neste trabalho, fundamentado especialmente nos pressupostos teóricos de Rajewski (2012) e Moser (2006), propomos uma leitura intermidiática de The Raven, em que examinamos o processo de referenciação intermidiática realizada pelo cinema em relação à literatura. Duas conclusões foram alcançadas: i. o filme, ao tornar opaca a mídia literária, procurou esconder sua própria midialidade audiovisual; ii. The Raven se articula com uma série de discursos sobre o escritor estadunidense na contemporaneidade, contribuindo para o fortalecimento da posição de significante cultural de Edgar Allan Poe.
Chronos sickness: digital reality in Duncan Jones’s Source Code
Authors: Kawamoto Marcia Tiemy Morita
Published: July 2017

http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/2175-8026.2017v70n1p249O advento das tecnologias digitais inquestionavelmente afetou o cinema. A relação indexical e o efeito realístico com o mundo fotografado, muito elogiados por André Bazin (2005) e Roland Barthes (1986), é apenas um dos aspectos afetados. Este artigo discute o cinema à luz das novas possibilidades digitais, refletindo sobre a consideração de Steven Shaviro sobre "como um realismo não indexical pode ser possível" (Postcinematic 63) e como de fato um novo tipo de realidade, digital, pode emergir no filme de ficção científica Contra o Tempo (2013), de Duncan Jones.
Nadsat - the language of violence: from novel to film
Authors: Noletto Israel Alves Correa , Costa Margareth Torres de Alencar
Published: July 2017

http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/2175-8026.2017v70n1p257Nadsat, uma linguagem artificial construída por Anthony Burgess, é usada em seu romance, aparentemente, como meio de imersão, alienação e repulsão do leitor. A adaptação cinematográfica de Kubrick de Laranja Mecânica reconhece o papel supremo de Nadsat e dá vida a ela como uma língua falada através das linhas de Alex e seus droogs. O objetivo do presente artigo é, portanto, examinar a linguagem artificial do autor, suas ocorrências no livro, bem como na adaptação cinematográfica, seguindo as contribuições de Gualda (2010) e Hutchings (1991) aos estudos cinematográficos, ao mesmo tempo que apontamos os significados da glossopéia e efeitos sobre a audiência, e como tanto o autor quanto o diretor parecem manipular as implicações da teoria da recepção como formuladas por Wolfgang Iser (1978). As perguntas respondidas por este artigo são se o papel desempenhado por Nadsat no romance corresponde àquele jogado no filme; e quais são as implicações da teoria de recepção de Iser no romance e no filme. Os resultados mostrarão que sem uma compreensão de Nadsat o leitor / espectador não será capaz de preencher as lacunas de interpretação deixadas por Burgess e Kubrick.
Os limites do realismo em The Mutilated, de Tennessee Williams: expressionismo e verfremdungseffekt
Authors: Ponciano Gustavo
Published: July 2017

http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/2175-8026.2017v70n1p275Este artigo inicia sua reflexão sobre a dificuldade de parcela da crítica em classificar a produção dramática de Tennessee Williams (1911-1983) sob termos rígidos, especialmente ao tentar vinculá-lo ao “Realismo”. Porém, a atenção às notas de produção de The Glass Menagerie (1944) – o manifesto do que o dramaturgo chama de Plastic Theater – evidencia que o desejo do autor era o de afastar-se das convenções dramáticas do Realismo descritivo. Ao final, o estudo localiza em The Mutilated (1967), de Williams, o influxo de características caras ao Expressionismo e ao Verfremdungseffekt brechtiano, técnicas dramáticas que apontam para outra concepção de Realismo.
Pergunte ao pó de John Fante e o “sonho americano” dos imigrantes
Authors: Ceccagno Douglas
Published: July 2017

http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/2175-8026.2017v70n1p51Muitas das personagens do romance Pergunte ao pó, de John Fante, são migrantes e imigrantes em busca do “sonho americano”. Este artigo analisa de que maneira o escritor Arturo Bandini, narrador-protagonista do romance, identifica-se inicialmente com os valores da cultura estadunidense, porém, afinal, constrói sua voz literária baseada em seu relacionamento com aqueles que vivem à margem da identidade nacional. O trabalho faz uso, principalmente, de fontes da historiograia estadunidense e das considerações de Antonio Candido sobre o lugar do escritor na sociedade.
River of Blood: George Martin’s Fevre Dream and the road to dark designr
Authors: Howe Andrew
Published: July 2017

http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/2175-8026.2017v70n1p81Com a publicação de Sonho Febril em 1982, George R. R. Martin experimentou com a narrativa de "vampiro simpático", popularizada apenas alguns anos antes por Anne Rice. Uma história sobre vampiros que assombravam o sul americano durante os anos anteriores à guerra civil, Sonho Febril focalizou a ambiguidade moral, a brutalidade do poder, e outros aspectos narrativos que eventualmente emergirão mais desenvolvidos na grande obra do autor, a aclamada série As Crônicas de Gelo e Fogo. Muitas vezes negligenciado, Sonho Febril é importante porque uma leitura atenta do texto indica a abertura de Martin à fantasia sombria, não apenas no material temático, mas também na inclusão de eventos históricos do mundo real (a Guerra Civil Americana) e instituições (escravidão).
Entre humanos e bestas: o insólito ficcional em The Great God Pan e Shame
Authors: Carreira Shirley De Souza Gomes
Published: July 2017

http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/2175-8026.2017v70n1p91O objetivo deste trabalho é analisar duas obras ficcionais, a novela The Great God Pan, de Arthur Machen, e o romance Shame, de Salman Rushdie, que contêm situações e eventos insólitos, examinando-as de modo a discutir como os elementos fantásticos presentes em ambos os textos relacionam-se ao contexto de produção das obras, ou seja, respectivamente, o século XIX e a segunda metade do século XX. Machen promoveu uma ruptura em relação à tradição das histórias de horror, então em voga, e Rushdie introduziu na literatura pós-colonial indiana características do Realismo Mágico. Temporalmente distantes, as duas obras recorrem a um mesmo artifício, típico da ficção fantástica, a metamorfose de personagens, e, por meio dela, os autores constroem uma crítica subliminar ao sistema político e social dominante em seu tempo.