bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Opportunities for Integrated Landscape Planning – the Broker, the Arena, the Tool
Authors: Carlsson Julia , Lidestav Gun , Bjärstig Therese , Svensson Johan , Nordström Eva-Maria
Published: December 2017

As an integrated social and ecological system, the forest landscape includes multiple values. The need for a landscape approach in land use planning is being increasingly advocated in research, policy and practice. This paper explores how institutional conditions in the forest policy and management sector can be developed to meet demands for a multifunctional landscape perspective. Departing from obstacles recognised in collaborative planning literature, we build an analytical framework which is operationalised in a Swedish context at municipal level. Our case illustrating this is Vilhelmina Model Forest, where actual barriers and opportunities for a multiple-value landscape approach are identified through 32 semi-structured interviews displaying stakeholders’ views on forest values, ownership rights and willingness to consider multiple values, forest policy and management premises, and collaboration. As an opportunity to overcome the barriers, we suggest and discuss three key components by which an integrated landscape planning approach could be realized in forest management planning: the need for a landscape coordinator (broker), the need for a collaborative forum (arena), and the development of the existing forest management plan into an advanced multifunctional landscape plan (tool).
Conic Projections of the Triaxial Ellipsoid: The Projections for Regional Mapping of Celestial Bodies
Authors: Nyrtsov Maxim , Fleis Maria , Borisov Michael , Stooke Philip
Published: December 2017

In our previous works, we described the projections that make it possible to construct maps of the celestial bodies in planetary scale – the azimuthal and cylindrical projections of different distortion classes. However, for regions in the middle latitudes, it is advisable to use a conic projection, which has not been developed previously. In this investigation, we describe the development of three conic projections of a triaxial ellipsoid: a conic projection with true scale along meridians, an equal-area conic projection, and a quasi-conformal conic projection. The quasi-conformal conic projection is a projection close to the conformal projection in the neighbourhood of each meridian corresponding to a meridian section. We treat conic projections as projections in which the meridians are a bundle of straight lines emanating from a single point, and parallels are curves constructed in accordance with the selected character of distortion. This definition of conic projections of the triaxial ellipsoid allows us to connect various classes of projections in a system. Thus, cylindrical projections can be considered as a limiting case of conic projections, and azimuthal projections as a special case. For the triaxial ellipsoid as a surface that can be projected on a plane without distortions, we use a direct elliptic cone tangent to the ellipsoid. The projections are calculated, and maps in these projections are created for the first time.
Literary Arendt: The Right to Political Allegory
Authors: Bhaumik Munia
Published: December 2017

This article puts forth a theory of an Arendtian mode of political allegory: a technique of reading to illuminate an effaced and excluded figure in philosophical accounts of the polis. I retrieve how a speechless hero recurs throughout Arendt’s writing as a critique of a “tradition” of political philosophy. Arendt’s readings of figures silent before the law, such as Socrates’s “speechless wonder” in representations of his trial and Melville’s casting of a figure with a “vocal defect” in Billy Budd, are political allegories about rightlessness. I assemble a range of such literary citations and examples to demonstrate how her understudied but remarkable attentiveness to the literary works to expose the limits of an established rationality in political philosophy about law. In addition, I demonstrate how literary concepts—allegory, doxai (irony), and verse—inform Arendt’s influential thesis on the “right to have rights.” Literature is a recurring “trace,” not only in The Origins of Totalitarianism and Eichmann in Jerusalem but throughout Arendt’s writings: the essays on Socrates’s trial, the introduction to Walter Benjamin’s Illuminations, the references to Herman Melville’s Billy Budd, and her readings of Plato. Literary concepts such as allegory, irony, and verse then function to contest an entrenched juridical rationality in the legal setting and in philosophical prose that effectively erases the predicament of the stateless from a history of political philosophy.
Radical Empiricism Revisited
Authors: Kates Joshua
Published: December 2017

“Radical Empiricism Revisited” accomplishes a twofold task. In its early going, it raises questions concerning what arguably remains the most prominent force in continental philosophy and theory today: the radically empiricist, albeit also transcendentally inflected, projects of thinkers like Gilles Deleuze or Bruno Latour. After arguing that such empiricism, whatever its other merits, still trades on fairly standard Kantian frameworks for its own thinking, alternatives are explored. More novel, because more radically temporal (i.e., disappearing or evanescent), approaches are traced in the early writings of Jacques Derrida and, above all, in Michel Foucault’s first masterpiece, Folie et déraison: Histoire de folie à l’âge classique, on the basis of a different genealogy for transcendental questioning that follows Maurice Merleau-Ponty—a middle figure, to whom Deleuze was close—back to Edmund Husserl.
Ruin Lust and Totalitarian Remnants
Authors: Goldfarb Moss Yelizaveta
Published: December 2017

This article posits Nabokov’s Invitation to a Beheading as an allegorical novel that resists classical markers of allegory. Its narrative action unfolds without a history, setting, or temporality, and it becomes, in its self-containment, a system outside specific reference. Attributing this text to a critique of a particular totalitarian regime is difficult, as there are no Soviet or Nazi markers in place. The text denies orientation with reality outside the novel; it draws into itself, denying history, nationhood, and language; yet the political system in which Cincinnatus is stuck and to whose laws he is subject follows classic game-plays of totalitarianism. Nabokov uses the literary to enhance the absurdity of such political and social games. Nabokov’s counter-allegorical allegory functions according to a logic of ruins, which gives readable form to the text, the suggestion of a real-life politic, but at the same time exposes its instability and turns its reader-voyeur to its inner workings. The power system is an absurdly intricate theater with no playwright, no director, and no sovereign. It is self-perpetuating; it relies on absolute loyalty to what remains of central dynamism, but the edges of the stage illusion lie exposed. The system reveals nothing about its political inception, and this seems to be the point. In the novel’s prison ruins, we only have the remnants of a past political system, continuing to sustain itself from a previous momentum but unable to draw power from a specific historical past and unable to guarantee a sustainable future.
Energieflexibilitätspotenziale in der Produktionsinfrastruktur
Authors: Moog Daniel , Weber Thomas , Flum Dominik , Strobel Nina , Schraml Philipp , Abele Eberhard , Scharmer Valerie M. , Popp Richard S.-H. , Schulz Julia , Zäh Michael F.
Published: December 2017

Kurzfassung

Dieser Beitrag gibt einen Überblick über die im vom BMBF geförderten Kopernikus-Vorhaben SynErgie verfolgte Strategie zur Energieflexibilitätsbefähigung der Produktionsinfrastruktur. Diese umfasst die Analyse bestehender Flexibilitätspotenziale, die technische Anlagenbefähigung sowie den standardisierten Lösungstransfer in die indus-trielle Praxis. In diesem Beitrag wird vorgestellt, wie relevante Anlagen identifiziert werden und wie sich die Energieflexibilität in einem Datenmodell beschreiben lässt.*)
Controlling the Glycosylation Profile in mAbs Using Time-Dependent Media Supplementation
Authors: Radhakrishnan Devesh , Robinson Anne , Ogunnaike Babatunde
Published: December 2017

In order to meet desired drug product quality targets, the glycosylation profile of biotherapeutics such as monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) must be maintained consistently during manufacturing. Achieving consistent glycan distribution profiles requires identifying factors that influence glycosylation, and manipulating them appropriately via well-designed control strategies. Now, the cell culture media supplement, MnCl2, is known to alter the glycosylation profile in mAbs generally, but its effect, particularly when introduced at different stages during cell growth, has yet to be investigated and quantified. In this study, we evaluate the effect of time-dependent addition of MnCl2 on the glycan profile quantitatively, using factorial design experiments. Our results show that MnCl2 addition during the lag and exponential phases affects the glycan profile significantly more than stationary phase supplementation does. Also, using a novel computational technique, we identify various combinations of glycan species that are affected by this dynamic media supplementation scheme, and quantify the effects mathematically. Our experiments demonstrate the importance of taking into consideration the time of addition of these trace supplements, not just their concentrations, and our computational analysis provides insight into what supplements to add, when, and how much, in order to induce desired changes.
A Network-Based Method for the EMU Train High-Level Maintenance Planning Problem
Authors: Wu Jianping , Lin Boliang , Wang Jiaxi , Liu Siqi
Published: December 2017

Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) high-level maintenance planning is a typical discrete system. EMU high-level maintenance (HM) planning determines when to undergo HM or execute transportation task for train-sets, based on practical requirements such as passenger transport demand, workshop maintenance capacity, and maintenance regulations. This research constructs a time-state network that can display the transformation processes between different states. On this basis, a path based model and its improvement are developed to minimize the HM costs with consideration of all necessary regulations and practical constraints. To handle the solution space, a path set generation method is presented. A real-world instance from Shanghai Railway, which is the largest affiliate in China Railway Corporation, was conducted to demonstrate the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed approach, which indicates that the model can be solved to optimum within short computational times by the state-of-the-art solver Gurobi. Moreover, a sensitivity analysis was also performed to evaluate the effects of the variation in average daily operating mileage, HM capacity at the depot and the assumed minimum value of cumulative mileage.
Age-Related Differences of Maximum Phonation Time in Patients after Cardiac Surgery
Authors: Izawa Kazuhiro , Kasahara Yusuke , Hiraki Koji , Hirano Yasuyuki , Watanabe Satoshi
Published: December 2017

Background and aims: Maximum phonation time (MPT), which is related to respiratory function, is widely used to evaluate maximum vocal capabilities, because its use is non-invasive, quick, and inexpensive. We aimed to examine differences in MPT by age, following recovery phase II cardiac rehabilitation (CR). Methods: This longitudinal observational study assessed 50 consecutive cardiac patients who were divided into the middle-aged group (<65 years, n = 29) and older-aged group (≥65 years, n = 21). MPTs were measured at 1 and 3 months after cardiac surgery, and were compared. Results: The duration of MPT increased more significantly from month 1 to month 3 in the middle-aged group (19.2 ± 7.8 to 27.1 ± 11.6 s, p < 0.001) than in the older-aged group (12.6 ± 3.5 to 17.9 ± 6.0 s, p < 0.001). However, no statistically significant difference occurred in the % change of MPT from 1 month to 3 months after cardiac surgery between the middle-aged group and older-aged group, respectively (41.1% vs. 42.1%). In addition, there were no significant interactions of MPT in the two groups for 1 versus 3 months (F = 1.65, p = 0.20). Conclusion: Following phase II, CR improved MPT for all cardiac surgery patients.
A Survey of WEC Reliability, Survival and Design Practices
Authors: Coe Ryan , Yu Yi-Hsiang , Van Rij Jennifer
Published: December 2017

A wave energy converter must be designed to survive and function efficiently, often in highly energetic ocean environments. This represents a challenging engineering problem, comprising systematic failure mode analysis, environmental characterization, modeling, experimental testing, fatigue and extreme response analysis. While, when compared with other ocean systems such as ships and offshore platforms, there is relatively little experience in wave energy converter design, a great deal of recent work has been done within these various areas. This paper summarizes the general stages and workflow for wave energy converter design, relying on supporting articles to provide insight. By surveying published work on wave energy converter survival and design response analyses, this paper seeks to provide the reader with an understanding of the different components of this process and the range of methodologies that can be brought to bear. In this way, the reader is provided with a large set of tools to perform design response analyses on wave energy converters.
FRP for Infrastructure Applications: Research Advances
Authors: Reda Taha Mahmoud
Published: December 2017

n/a
Climate Change and Health under the Shared Socioeconomic Pathway Framework
Authors: Sellers Samuel , Ebi Kristie
Published: December 2017

A growing body of literature addresses how climate change is likely to have substantial and generally adverse effects on population health and health systems around the world. These effects are likely to vary within and between countries and, importantly, will vary depending on different socioeconomic development patterns. Transitioning to a more resilient and sustainable world to prepare for and manage the effects of climate change is likely to result in better health outcomes. Sustained fossil fuel development will likely result in continued high burdens of preventable conditions, such as undernutrition, malaria, and diarrheal diseases. Using a new set of socioeconomic development trajectories, the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs), along with the World Health Organization’s Operational Framework for Building Climate Resilient Health Systems, we extend existing storylines to illustrate how various aspects of health systems are likely to be affected under each SSP. We also discuss the implications of our findings on how the burden of mortality and the achievement of health-related Sustainable Development Goal targets are likely to vary under different SSPs.
Relationship between Telomere Length, Genetic Traits and Environmental/Occupational Exposures in Bladder Cancer Risk by Structural Equation Modelling
Authors: Pavanello Sofia , Carta Angela , Mastrangelo Giuseppe , Campisi Manuela , Arici Cecilia , Porru Stefano
Published: December 2017

Background: Telomere length (TL) maintenance plays an important role in bladder cancer (BC) and prognosis. However the manifold influence of everyday life exposures and genetic traits on leucocyte TL (LTL), is not fully elucidated. Methods: Within the framework of a hospital-based case (n = 96)/control (n = 94) study (all Caucasian males), we investigated the extent to which LTL and BC risk were modulated by genetic polymorphisms and environmental and occupational exposures. Data on lifetime smoking, alcohol and coffee drinking, dietary habits and occupational exposures, pointing to aromatic amines (AAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were collected. Structural equation modelling (SEM) analysis appraised this complex relationships. Results: The SEM analysis indicates negative direct links (p < 0.05) between LTL with age, DNA adducts, alcohol and NAT2, and positive ones with coffee, MPO and XRCC3; and between BC risk (p < 0.01) with cigarettes, cumulative exposure to AAs and coffee, while are negative with LTL and age. There was evidence of indirect effects (p < 0.05) on BC risk, probably via LTL reduction, by age and NAT2 (positive link), MPO and XRCC3 (negative link). Conclusions: Our study supports evidence that LTL attrition is a critical event in BC. The new finding that LTL erosion depends on some preventable everyday life exposures genetically modulated, opens new perspectives in BC prevention.
Structural Differences between the Lignin-Carbohydrate Complexes (LCCs) from 2- and 24-Month-Old Bamboo (Neosinocalamus affinis)
Authors: Yue Pan-Pan , Hu Ya-Jie , Fu Gen-Que , Sun Chang-Xia , Li Ming-Fei , Peng Feng , Sun Run-Cang
Published: December 2017

The lignin-carbohydrate complex (LCC) was isolated from milled wood lignin of 2- and 24-month-old crude bamboo (Neosinocalamus affinis) culms using acetic acid (AcOH) and then characterized. The results have shown that the LCC preparation from 2-month-old bamboo (L2) exhibited a slightly lower molecular weight than the LCC preparation from the 24-month-old bamboo (L24). Further studies using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and heteronuclear single quantum coherence (2D-HSQC) NMR spectra analyses indicate that the LCC preparations included glucuronoarabinoxylan and G-S-H lignin-type with G>S>>H. The content of the S lignin units of LCC in the mature bamboo was always higher than in the young bamboo. Combined with sugar composition analysis, the contents of phenyl glycoside and ether linkages in the L24 preparation were higher than in the L2 preparation; however, there was a reverse relationship of ester LCC bonds in L2 and L24. Lignin–xylan was the main type of LCC linkage in bamboo LCCs. Lignin–lignin linkages in the LCC preparations included β-β, β-5 and β-1 carbon-to-carbon, as well as β-O-4 ether linkages, but β-1 linkages were not present in L2.
Receptor-Like Kinase LYK9 in Pisum sativum L. Is the CERK1-Like Receptor that Controls Both Plant Immunity and AM Symbiosis Development
Authors: Leppyanen Irina , Shakhnazarova Vlada , Shtark Oksana , Vishnevskaya Nadezhda , Tikhonovich Igor , Dolgikh Elena
Published: December 2017

Plants are able to discriminate and respond to structurally related chitooligosaccharide (CO) signals from pathogenic and symbiotic fungi. In model plants Arabidopsis thaliana and Oryza sativa LysM-receptor like kinases (LysM-RLK) AtCERK1 and OsCERK1 (chitin elicitor receptor kinase 1) were shown to be involved in response to CO signals. Based on phylogenetic analysis, the pea Pisum sativum L. LysM-RLK PsLYK9 was chosen as a possible candidate given its role on the CERK1-like receptor. The knockdown regulation of the PsLyk9 gene by RNA interference led to increased susceptibility to fungal pathogen Fusarium culmorum. Transcript levels of PsPAL2, PsPR10 defense-response genes were significantly reduced in PsLyk9 RNAi roots. PsLYK9’s involvement in recognizing short-chain COs as most numerous signals of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, was also evaluated. In transgenic roots with PsLyk9 knockdown treated with short-chain CO5, downregulation of AM symbiosis marker genes (PsDELLA3, PsNSP2, PsDWARF27) was observed. These results clearly indicate that PsLYK9 appears to be involved in the perception of COs and subsequent signal transduction in pea roots. It allows us to conclude that PsLYK9 is the most likely CERK1-like receptor in pea to be involved in the control of plant immunity and AM symbiosis formation.
Upgrading the Performance of Cholesteric Liquid Crystal Lasers: Improvement Margins and Limitations
Authors: Ortega Josu , Folcia César , Etxebarria Jesús
Published: December 2017

The topic of cholesteric-liquid-crystal lasers is a rapidly expanding research area in the field of soft-matter photonics. The increasing interest in this field is due to the high versatility that these lasers may possibly present and the prospects of giving rise to new miniaturized devices. However, further improvements in their operation capabilities are still required for potential applications. In this paper, we critically analyze the main strategies proposed up to now to optimize their performance. We show theoretically and experimentally that possible innovations in the device structure cannot produce lasers with threshold energies below a certain limit. This limit is determined by the light scattering and absorption losses inside the liquid crystal. Even assuming the case of samples free of defects and perfectly non-absorbing, an intrinsic light scattering, typical of mesogens, still remains. Numerical estimates of the thresholds indicate that these lasers could hardly be driven by compact light sources such as current electroluminescent or light-emitting diodes. Since the improvement possibilities regarding cell architecture seem to be exhausted, the advance must come from the use of new dye molecules. These molecules should show enhanced emission cross-sections and be efficiently integrable within the mesogenic solvent. In addition, the fluorescent systems must present very small quantum yields to triplet states if continuous-wave lasing is sought. In this respect, quantum dots are an alternative to explore for further investigations.
Fibre Bragg Gratings for the Monitoring of Wooden Structures
Authors: Marsili Roberto , Rossi Gianluca , Speranzini Emanuela
Published: December 2017

The aim of this work was to develop and validate an experimental methodology suitable for analysing on-site the behaviour of fibre-reinforced wooden structures. The proposed measurement method is based on the application of fibre Bragg grating (FBG) strain sensors. An analysis of adhesive behaviour was performed preliminarily, which provided indications for choosing the type of adhesive and for the fibre bonding length in accordance with the volume of measurement. The first series of tests was carried out on wood samples to verify the coupling between the measuring sensor and the wood support when the latter is subject to mechanical stresses. The second investigation was done on site to test the behaviour of a historical wood floor before and after reinforcement by means of a series of tests performed using optical fibres with the Bragg grating. The optical fibre system measurements were compared to those obtained using a laser vibrometer, a measurement system of proven stability and precision. The comparison makes it possible to confirm the validity of the results and the reliability of the system for the monitoring of historic wooden structures.
Synthesis of Non-Racemic Pyrazolines and Pyrazolidines by [3+2] Cycloadditions of Azomethine Imines
Authors: Požgan Franc , Al Mamari Hamad , Grošelj Uroš , Svete Jurij , Štefane Bogdan
Published: December 2017

Asymmetric [3+2] cycloadditions of azomethine imines comprise a useful synthetic tool for the construction of pyrazole derivatives with a variable degree of saturation and up to three stereogenic centers. As analogues of pyrrolidines and imidazolidines that are abundant among natural products, pyrazoline and pyrazolidine derivatives represent attractive synthetic targets due to their extensive applications in the chemical and medicinal industries. Following the increased understanding of the mechanistic aspect of metal-catalyzed and organocatalyzed [3+2] cycloadditions of 1,3-dipoles gained over recent years, significant strides have been taken to design and develop new protocols that proceed efficiently under mild synthetic conditions and duly benefit from superior functional group tolerance and selectivity. In this review, we represent the current state of the art in this field and detailed methods for the synthesis of non-racemic pyrazolines and pyrazolidines via [3+2] metal and organocatalyzed transformations reported since the seminal work of Kobayashi et al. and Fu et al. in 2002 and 2003 up to the end of year 2017.
Measuring Liquid-Level Utilizing Wedge Wave
Authors: Matsuya Iwao , Honma Yudai , Mori Masayuki , Ihara Ikuo
Published: December 2017

A new technique for measuring liquid-level utilizing wedge wave is presented and demonstrated through FEM simulation and a corresponding experiment. The velocities of wedge waves in the air and the water, and the sensitivities for the measurement, are compared with the simulation and the results obtained in the experiments. Combining the simulation and the measurement theory, it is verified that the foundation framework for the methods is available. The liquid-level sensing is carried out using the aluminum waveguide with a 30° wedge in the water. The liquid-level is proportional to the traveling time of the mode 1 wedge wave. The standard deviations and the uncertainties of the measurement are 0.65 mm and 0.21 mm using interface echo, and 0.39 mm and 0.12 mm utilized by end echo, which are smaller than the industry standard of 1.5 mm. The measurement resolutions are 7.68 μm using the interface echo, which is the smallest among all the guided acoustic wave-based liquid-level sensing.
A Support Vector Learning-Based Particle Filter Scheme for Target Localization in Communication-Constrained Underwater Acoustic Sensor Networks
Authors: Li Xinbin , Zhang Chenglin , Yan Lei , Han Song , Guan Xinping
Published: December 2017

Target localization, which aims to estimate the location of an unknown target, is one of the key issues in applications of underwater acoustic sensor networks (UASNs). However, the constrained property of an underwater environment, such as restricted communication capacity of sensor nodes and sensing noises, makes target localization a challenging problem. This paper relies on fractional sensor nodes to formulate a support vector learning-based particle filter algorithm for the localization problem in communication-constrained underwater acoustic sensor networks. A node-selection strategy is exploited to pick fractional sensor nodes with short-distance pattern to participate in the sensing process at each time frame. Subsequently, we propose a least-square support vector regression (LSSVR)-based observation function, through which an iterative regression strategy is used to deal with the distorted data caused by sensing noises, to improve the observation accuracy. At the same time, we integrate the observation to formulate the likelihood function, which effectively update the weights of particles. Thus, the particle effectiveness is enhanced to avoid “particle degeneracy” problem and improve localization accuracy. In order to validate the performance of the proposed localization algorithm, two different noise scenarios are investigated. The simulation results show that the proposed localization algorithm can efficiently improve the localization accuracy. In addition, the node-selection strategy can effectively select the subset of sensor nodes to improve the communication efficiency of the sensor network.
4,5-Dimethoxy-2-nitrobenzohydrazides and 1-(1-Benzylpiperidin-4-yl)ethan-1-ones as Potential Antioxidant/Cholinergic Endowed Small Molecule Leads
Authors: Banu Rukhsar , Gerding Jason , Franklin Cynthia , Sikazwe Donald , Horton William , Török Marianna , Davis Julian , Cheng Kwan , Nakazwe Muziya , Mochona Bereket
Published: December 2017

The objective of this research is to generate leads for developing our ultimate poly-active molecules with utility in central nervous system (CNS) diseases. Indeed, poly-active molecules capable of mitigating brain free radical damage while enhancing acetylcholine signaling (via cholinesterase inhibition) are still being sought for combating Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We differentiate “poly-active” agents from “multi-target” ones by defining them as single molecular entities designed to target only specific contributory synergistic pharmacologies in a disease. For instance, in AD, free radicals either initiate or act in synergy with other pharmacologies, leading to disease worsening. For this preliminary report, a total of 14 (i.e., 4,5-dimethoxy-2-nitrobenzohydrazide plus 1-(1-benzylpiperidin-4-yl)ethan-1-one) derivatives were synthesized and screened, in silico and in vitro, for their ability to scavenge free radicals and inhibit acetylcholinesterase (AChE)/butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) enzymes. Overall, six derivatives (4a, 4d, 4e, 4f, 4g, 9b) exhibited potent (>30%) antioxidant properties in the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay. The antioxidant values were either comparable or more potent than the comparator molecules (ascorbic acid, resveratrol, and trolox). Only three compounds (4d, 9a, 9c) yielded modest AChE/BuChE inhibitions (>10%). Please note that a SciFinder substance data base search confirmed that most of the compounds reported herein are new, except 9a and 9c which are also commercially available.
Sustainable Urbanization Synergy Degree Measures—A Case Study in Henan Province, China
Authors: Jiao Leilei , Deng Fumin , Liang Xuedong
Published: December 2017

Sustainable urbanization emphasizes properly handling the relationships between people, people and society, and people and nature in the process of urban development. However, sometimes these interactions are difficult to quantify. Through an analysis of the structure and functions of the sustainable urbanization system, this paper introduced synergetic theory and constructed a sustainable urbanization synergy system (SUSS) with five subsystems; demographic change, economic development, spatial structure, environmental quality, and social development; to study the synergistic development and orderly evolution trend of the sustainable urbanization composite system. Using sustainable urbanization in Henan province as an example, a mathematical quantitative model was established to measure the subsystem order degrees and the composite system synergy degree from 2006 to 2015. The results were consistent with the actual situation and indicated that over time, sustainable urbanization in Henan developed towards a more harmonious and orderly state, though the overall synergy degree was not high. It was found that the model was a sound basis for scientific judgment and effective decision-making when seeking to coordinate sustainable urbanization.
Persistent Threats by Persistent Pollutants: Chemical Nature, Concerns and Future Policy Regarding PCBs—What Are We Heading For?
Authors: Hens Bart , Hens Luc
Published: December 2017

Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-contaminated sites around the world affect human health for many years, showing long latency periods of health effects. The impact of the different PCB congeners on human health should not be underestimated, as they are ubiquitous, stable molecules and reactive in biological tissues, leading to neurological, endocrine, genetic, and systemic adverse effects in the human body. Moreover, bioaccumulation of these compounds in fatty tissues of animals (e.g., fish and mammals) and in soils/sediments, results in chronic exposure to these substances. Efficient destruction methods are important to decontaminate polluted sites worldwide. This paper provides an in-depth overview of (i) the history and accidents with PCBs in the 20th century, (ii) the mechanisms that are responsible for the hazardous effects of PCBs, and (iii) the current policy regarding PCB control and decontamination. Contemporary impacts on human health of historical incidents are discussed next to an up to date overview of the health effects caused by PCBs and their mechanisms. Methods to decontaminate sites are reviewed. Steps which lead to a policy of banning the production and distribution of PCBs are overviewed in a context of preventing future accidents and harm to the environment and human health.
The Re-Emergence and Emergence of Vector-Borne Rickettsioses in Taiwan
Authors: Minahan Nicholas , Chao Chien-Chung , Tsai Kun-Hsien
Published: December 2017

Rickettsial diseases, particularly vector-borne rickettsioses (VBR), have a long history in Taiwan, with studies on scrub typhus and murine typhus dating back over a century. The climatic and geographic diversity of Taiwan’s main island and its offshore islands provide many ecological niches for the diversification and maintenance of rickettsiae alike. In recent decades, scrub typhus has re-emerged as the most prevalent type of rickettsiosis in Taiwan, particularly in eastern Taiwan and its offshore islands. While murine typhus has also re-emerged on Taiwan’s western coast, it remains neglected. Perhaps more alarming than the re-emergence of these rickettsioses is the emergence of newly described VBR. The first case of human infection with Rickettsia felis was confirmed in 2005, and undetermined spotted fever group rickettsioses have recently been detected. Taiwan is at a unique advantage in terms of detecting and characterizing VBR, as it has universal health coverage and a national communicable disease surveillance system; however, these systems have not been fully utilized for this purpose. Here, we review the existing knowledge on the eco-epidemiology of VBR in Taiwan and recommend future courses of action.
Impact of titanium dioxide nanoparticles on purification and contamination of nematic liquid crystals
Authors: Shcherbinin Dmitrii Pavlovich , Konshina Elena A
Published: December 2017

We have investigated the impact of titanium dioxide nanoparticles on the ionic contamination of liquid crystals. Nematic liquid crystals with high and low initial ionic contamination have been examined. It has been shown that titanium dioxide nanoparticles reduced the ion density of liquid crystals with high initial ionic contamination from 134.5 × 1012 cm−3 to 63.2 × 1012 cm−3. In the case of liquid crystals with low initial ionic contamination, the nanoparticles led to an insignificant increase of ion density from 19.8 × 1012 cm−3 to 25.7 × 1012 cm−3.
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CARTOGRAPHIC METHOD AS A TOOL IN ILLUSTRATION OF RESEARCH DATA: A CASE STUDY OF DELTA UNIVERSITY, ABRAKA-NIGERIA
Authors: OKOSUN Oboh Satur
Published: December 2017

This research work examined the effectiveness of cartographic method as a tool in the illustration of research data, by examining the role cartographic method has over descriptive method, it effectiveness, and process involved; in Delta State University Abraka. In line with these a structured questionnaires were administered to 200 student from various levels of study; that is from 100 to M.sc level and some question­naire were also administered to some lecturers of the department in other to obtain information on the effectiveness of cartographic method usage. The data generated where analysed using the spearman’s rank correlation and the student’s’ test. For the spearman rank analysis, the test revealed that the calculated t value (8.53) is greater than the tabulated t value (2.35) at 5% level of significance, the student‘t’ test analysis showed that the calculated t value (0.00) is less than the tabulated value (2.78) at 5% level of significance. The result of the research at the end of the day reveals that, there is a strong relationship within all the level of study based on the cartographic technique employed in research data illustration. On the other hand, with the use of statistical diagram and map, it shown that with the information extracted there is no strong relationship between the two methods. Based on the findings, recommendations were made on the use of cartographic method toward adequate coverage of the entire study topic.
STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF MATERIALS AND STRUCTURES
Authors: CORREIA José , DE JESUS Abílio , CALÇADA Rui
Published: December 2017

"Editorial. Structural integrity of materials and structures" Engineering Structures and Technologies, 9(4), pp. 157
X-Ray Brightening and UV Fading of Tidal Disruption Event ASASSN-15oi
Authors: Gezari S. , Cenko S. B. , Arcavi I.
Published: December 2017

We present late-time observations by Swift and XMM-Newton of the tidal disruption event (TDE) ASASSN-15oi that reveal that the source brightened in the X-rays by a factor of ∼10 one year after its discovery, while it faded in the UV/optical by a factor of ∼100. The XMM-Newton observations measure a soft X-ray blackbody component with

, corresponding to radiation from several gravitational radii of a central

black hole. The last Swift epoch taken almost 600 days after discovery shows that the X-ray source has faded back to its levels during the UV/optical peak. The timescale of the X-ray brightening suggests that the X-ray emission could be coming from delayed accretion through a newly forming debris disk and that the prompt UV/optical emission is from the prior circularization of the disk through stream–stream collisions. The lack of spectral evolution during the X-ray brightening disfavors ionization breakout of a TDE “veiled” by obscuring material. This is the first time a TDE has been shown to have a delayed peak in soft X-rays relative to the UV/optical peak, which may be the first clear signature of the real-time assembly of a nascent accretion disk, and provides strong evidence for the origin of the UV/optical emission from circularization, as opposed to reprocessed emission of accretion radiation.
L’enfant qui ne sourit pas
Authors: Dasen Véronique
Published: December 2017

L’expression grave des portraits d’enfants dans la sculpture en relief et en ronde bosse de l’époque romaine républicaine et impériale constitue un code visuel qui ne manifeste pas de sentiments personnels. La retenue corporelle de ces enfants, vivants ou morts, se rapporte à un discours éducatif normatif qui prône le contrôle des émotions. Cette maîtrise de soi les associe au milieu de l’élite et trahit les aspirations sociales de leurs proches. Leur attitude révèle aussi une façon de penser l’enfance comme un temps suspendu de formation du corps et de l’âme.
Orphée, Isis, Sarapis et l’âne terrassé, le décor d’un cadran solaire de Durostorum (Silistra)
Authors: Vendries Christophe
Published: December 2017

Un cadran solaire sphérique de Durostorum‑Silistra (Bulgarie), daté sans doute du iii e  s., se singularise par l’importance et l’unicité de son décor sculpté organisé autour de trois personnages : Orphée, Isis et Sarapis. La scène centrale montre Orphée musicien jouant de la cithare au milieu de plusieurs animaux. L’anomalie tient à la présence parmi le bestiaire d’un âne renversé sur le sol, pattes en l’air, bien visible au premier plan. Étant donné que la scène est encadrée par les bustes d’Isis‑Luna et de Sarapis‑Sol, la présence de cet âne et sa posture singulière s’expliquent à la fois à la lumière des croyances égyptiennes autour de Seth, incarnation de l’âne, ennemi d’Osiris et d’Isis, et des théories pythagoriciennes qui font de l’âne un animal incompatible avec les lois de l’harmonie musicale. Ce décor à résonance cosmique, qui offre une synthèse de ces deux courants de pensée, était bien adapté pour un cadran solaire vraisemblablement exposé dans un sanctuaire isiaque.
Les silos d’Ensérune, nouvelles propositions pour d’anciennes découvertes
Authors: Olive Christian , Ugolini Daniela
Published: December 2017

Les excavations du site d’Ensérune, couramment appelées « silos », sont traditionnellement datées des vi e ‑ iv e  s. av. J.‑C. On leur a attribué les fonctions de réserves pour les denrées alimentaires ou de stockage des céréales. Cette dernière hypothèse a donné lieu à des développements sur le commerce entre Grecs et indigènes du Midi, qui auraient fourni des céréales en contrepartie des marchandises grecques. Nous proposons une chronologie plus récente pour ces structures ( ii e ‑ i er  s. av. J.‑C.) et une fonction liée à la gestion domestique de l’eau, mais aussi, notamment lorsqu’ils forment un groupement important, à des activités artisanales nécessitant l’emploi de l’eau, comme par exemple une tannerie/teinturerie.
Une représentation méconnue de Jupiter dolichénien
Authors: Gatier Pierre‑Louis
Published: December 2017

Une statuette de bronze provenant du Levant et conservée au musée du Louvre a été considérée jadis comme figurant un guerrier parthe. Elle doit plutôt être interprétée comme une représentation, à l’époque impériale romaine, du dieu syrien Jupiter Dolichénien. C’est un fragment probablement ancien d’ex‑voto ( i er  s. apr. J.‑C.). À l’origine, le dieu, qui brandissait une hache bipenne dans la main droite, était juché sur le dos d’un taureau.
Contrôle et innovation : étude de l’effet médiateur de la diffusion des connaissances dans les réseaux de franchise
Authors: Karmeni Kerim , de La Villarmois Olivier , Mansouri Faysal
Published: December 2017

Le contrôle, en restreignant l’autonomie, est généralement considéré comme un frein à l’innovation. Dans les réseaux de franchise, cela signifierait que le franchiseur devrait arbitrer entre la maîtrise de ses opérations et la capacité de son réseau à évoluer, innover. Une étude menée auprès de 106 points de vente appartenant à des réseaux de franchise implantés en France révèle un rôle positif de chacun des mécanismes de contrôle (comportement, résultats et social) sur au moins une des trois formes d’innovation étudiées (produit, processuelle et administrative). Au surplus, la mise en évidence d’un effet de médiation de la diffusion de connaissances sur ces relations contribue à la compréhension de ce résultat : c’est par la diffusion de connaissances que les systèmes de contrôle influent favorablement sur l’innovation.
Rêver de C.G. Jung
Authors: Serina Florent
Published: December 2017

Quel statut l’historien doit-il accorder aux cahiers de rêves d’un analysant et d’un psychothérapeute ? Quel usage est-il permis d’en faire ? Ces questions sont ici abordées pour introduire une sélection de scripts oniriques, extraits des carnets d’Hélène Kiener, élève alsacienne de C.G. Jung.
Polyvocité de Jung. Une note empathico-critique
Authors: Sorge Giovanni , Pazienza Liliana
Published: December 2017

L’auteur nous invite à partager son écoute personnelle des voix multiples qu’il entend dans l’œuvre de Jung. Il se dégage de sa lecture de l’opus jungien, une pluralité de styles – contemplatif, assertif, provocateur, problématisant –, une pratique assumée de la contradiction, qui manifestent de la part de Jung une volonté délibérée de faire résonner les harmoniques rendant compte de la complexité du réel.
Fortunes du kairós
Authors: Neuquelman-Denis Fabienne
Published: December 2017

L’article revient, dans un premier temps, aux fondements grecs de la notion de kairόs, afin de lui rendre toute sa richesse polysémique et son épaisseur conceptuelle et d’en mettre en évidence les arrières plans ontologiques. Il s’intéresse ensuite à la façon dont cette notion a été introduite dans le champ psychothérapeutique et dans le corpus jungien, et dont elle se différencie de la synchronicité. Tout au long de ce cheminement, c’est un regard d’analyste qui est porté sur l’activité et le processus analytiques. Sont ainsi interrogées nos représentations de la nature du changement et leur influence sur notre façon d’agir, jusqu’à tenter d’en proposer une appréhension au plus proche de ce qui est vécu en analyse.
Dire et faire le commun
Authors: Judde de Larivière Claire , Weisbein Julien
Published: December 2017

Cet article propose un cadrage historiographique et conceptuel de la question des pratiques ordinaires du politique et de leur centralité dans l’élaboration du commun, en mettant en perspective les travaux des historien.ne.s et ceux des politistes. Suivant des parcours distincts, les deux disciplines ont élaboré sur cette question des objets qui semblent aujourd’hui converger sans que les connexions soient encore faites de façon formelle. Partant de ces constats et de l’analyse de travaux récents, cet article propose des définitions et des principes d’étude de ces pratiques politiques ordinaires, et interroge les sources à notre disposition, les formes d’action et de discours qu’elles révèlent, le contenu et le sens de ces pratiques, ainsi que leur influence sur la construction de l’ordre politique tel que l’élabore ensuite la puissance publique. Cette introduction reflète les attendus théoriques ayant présidé à l’élaboration des articles du dossier, et questionne notamment les définitions de l’ordinaire, les notions de commun, d’ancrage en proximité ou de conjonctures fluides qui ont structuré notre réflexion collective.
Protestants et catholiques n’ont-ils rien en commun ?
Authors: Foa Jérémie
Published: December 2017

Cet article interroge la capacité politique des acteurs ordinaires de petites villes du royaume de France à résister à la violence au temps des premières guerres de Religion (1560-1574). Quand tout, au niveau national, les pousse à se considérer comme des ennemis, comme des « protestants » ou des « catholiques » n’ayant plus rien en commun, comment les citoyens ordinaires de ces villages s’y prennent-ils pour continuer à vivre ensemble ? Pour répondre à cette question, cet article analyse des « pactes d’amitié », signés entre protestants et catholiques, à l’occasion de la reprise des guerres au niveau national. Dans ces accords, les signataires s’engagent à se comporter en « frères, amis et concitoyens » et s’ingénient, en dressant un inventaire hétéroclite de « ce qu’ils ont en commun », à penser ce qui, malgré la déchirure religieuse, les fera « tenir ensemble ».
Effects of fermented soymilk with Lactobacillus casei Shirota on skin condition and the gut microbiota: a randomised clinical pilot trial
Authors: Nagino T. , Kaga C. , Kano M. , Masuoka N. , Anbe M. , Moriyama K. , Maruyama K. , Nakamura S. , Shida K. , Miyazaki K.
Published: December 2017

Several clinical studies have shown that isoflavones and Lactobacillus casei Shirota (LcS) have beneficial effects on skin condition and the gut microbiota, respectively. Thus, we investigated the effects of consecutive intake of fermented soymilk (FSM) with LcS on skin condition and the gut microbiota, as well as isoflavone bioavailability, in a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial as a pilot study. Sixty healthy premenopausal Japanese women received FSM containing a moderate level of isoflavone aglycones and a probiotic LcS, or soymilk (SM) containing neither of them, twice a day for 8 weeks. Skin condition was assessed by a subjective questionnaire for face and morphological analysis of the stratum corneum on the inner forearm. Faecal microbiota and urinary isoflavone were analysed by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry, respectively. Both the FSM and SM groups had improved skin condition as assessed from scores of overall satisfaction, dryness, moisture, elasticity, coarseness, pigmentation and/or stratum corneum morphology, as well as significantly increased levels of urinary isoflavones during the intake period compared with the pre-intake period, although there were no significant differences between the two groups. There was a significant positive correlation between urinary isoflavone levels and skin questionnaire scores. In contrast, the relative abundance levels of Lactobacillaceae significantly increased and those of Bifidobacteriaceae tended to increase during the intake period compared with the pre-intake period. For the after-intake period they only decreased significantly in the FSM group. The levels of Enterobacteriaceae and Porphyromonadaceae significantly decreased during the intake period in the FSM group. These findings suggest that daily intake of FSM, as well as SM, provides health benefits that improve skin condition via increased levels of isoflavone absorption in the body, and that only FSM beneficially modifies the gut microbiota in premenopausal healthy women.