bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Systematic Study of Neutron-Rich Rare Isotope Production in Peripheral Heavy-Ion Collisions at Beam Energies 15–25 MeV/nucleon
Authors: Fountas P. N. , Souliotis G. A. , Veselsky M.
Published: February 2020

The production cross sections of projectile-like fragments from collisions of 86Kr projectiles with 64,58Ni and 124,112Sn targets at 15 and 25 MeV/nucleon are studied systematically with emphasis on the neutron-rich isotopes. Our recent experimental data are compared with calculations for the above collisions employing a hybrid approach. The dynamical stage of the projectile-target interaction was described with either the phenomenological deep-inelastic transfer (DIT) model or with the the microscopic constrained molecular dynamics model (CoMD). Subsequently, for the de-excitation of the projectile-like fragments, the statistical multifragmentation model (SMM) or the binary-decay code GEMINI were employed. An overall good agreement with the experimental results was obtained. We point out that our current understanding of the reaction mechanism at beam energies below the Fermi energy suggests that such nuclear reactions, involving peripheral nucleon exchange, can be exploited as a novel route to access extremely neutron-rich rare isotopes toward the r-process path and the hard-to-reach neutron drip-line. For this purpose, we believe that the use of re-accelerated neutron-rich radioactive beams may offer unique and exciting opportunities toward unexplored regions of the nuclear landscape.
Exotic structure and decay of medium mass nuclei near the drip lines
Authors: Petrovici A.
Published: February 2020

Properties of medium mass nuclei near the drip lines are not only relevant for nuclear structure, but are of high interest in nuclear astrophysics and in several applications, in particular nuclear technology. Shape coexistence effects play an essential role in the structure and dynamics of proton-rich A∼70 nuclei and neutron-rich A∼100 nuclei. Results concerning a self-consistent description of exotic phenomena including Gamow-Teller β-decay of proton-rich nuclei, triple shape coexistence and shape evolution in the N=58 Sr and Zr isotopes as well as Gamow-Teller β-decay strength distributions and structure properties of neutron- rich nuclei relevant for reactor decay heat obtained in the frame of the complex Excited Vampir model using realistic effective interactions in large model spaces will be presented.
Characterization of Canberra BE3825 Broad Energy High Purity Germanium Detector by means of GEANT4 Monte Carlo calculations
Authors: Patronis N. , Tsamis V. , Stamoulis K. , Ioannides K. G.
Published: February 2020

The Canberra BE3825 Broad Energy High Purity Germanium Detector facilitates the detection of -rays from a few keV up to the MeV energy region. Phenomena like self-attenuation and/or coincidence summing e↵ects are hindering the detection of low energy gamma-rays in those cases where extended sources, particu- larly high volume sources are considered. In order to make corrections accordingly, the full characterisation of the HPGe detector is needed. In the present work the Geant4 modeling of the University of Ioannina BE3825 HPGe -ray measuring station is described. The Monte Carlo simulation results are compared with the experimental eciency curves at two di↵erent source to detector distances. In both cases excellent agreement with the experimental results was obtained.
Radiation Protection Calculations for the New Radioactive Waste Interim Storage Facility of NCSR “Demokritos"
Authors: Karachristou I. , Chouvardas St. , Terzoudi G. , Savidou A.
Published: February 2020

The present study concerns the determination of the maximum acceptable contact dose rate per radioac- tive waste package for safekeeping at the New Radioactive Waste Interim Storage (NRWIS) of the National Centre for Scientific Research “Demokritos” (NCSR “D”). The NRWIS facility is used for temporary storage of spent/ orphan sealed sources, devices like lightning rods and primary radioactive waste. The contact dose rate per package is determined in a level that even in case the highest radiation background is built up in- side the storage facility, the doses to the workers will not exceed the maximum permissible doses. The total dose that a worker receives inside the facility should not exceed one half of the annual occupational dose constraint of 6 mSv. Furthermore in cases of the highest radiation background inside the facility, shielding calculations are performed.
Radionuclides and Heavy Metals Concentrations at the Seabed of NW Piraeus, Greece
Authors: Eleftheriou G. , Tsabaris C. , Kapsimalis V. , Patiris D. L. , Androulakaki E. G. , Pappa F. K. , Kokkoris M. , Vlastou R.
Published: February 2020

The coastal area of Piraeus is an environmentally aggravated region since many decades due to persistent pollution sources as the international port of Piraeus, a coastal fertilizers plant, the Athens sewage outfall and the industrial zone of Eleusis Bay. Recent sediment samples from the seabed of NW Salamina strait (upper Saronikos Gulf) were collected and analyzed for radionuclides and heavy metals composition. Measurements of 22 samples were performed including gralunometrical analyses using wet sieving treatment, radiological measurements using high resolution gamma-ray spectrometry and determination of main heavy metals concentrations using the XRF technique. The activity concentrations of all radionuclides exhibited values expected in natural sediments, while the heavy metals concentrations are locally far above the sediment quality guidelines values. The most contaminated area is the small harbor of the ex fertilizers plant at Sfageion Bay, where discrepancy from the linear correlation between the unsupported210Pb with the trace Pb is indicative of the prior intensive pollution. The measured activity concentrations of 137Cs combined with these of naturally occurring radionuclides were also used to estimate the sedimentological texture of the studied region.
Localization of a submarine groundwater source at the eastern coast of Black Sea, Georgia, using radio-tracing techniques
Authors: Patiris D. L. , Schübert M. , Eleftheriou G. , Androulakaki E. G. , Pappa F. K. , Melikadze G. , Kapanadze N. , Tsabaris C.
Published: February 2020

In this work the results of a preliminary study are presented concerning the localization of a submarine groundwater discharge diffusive source at the coastal area of Georgia, Eastern Black Sea. The results were obtained during the first cruise campaign along the Georgian coastline during the October 2012 in the frame of an on-going FP7 BS-ERA.NET project. Measurements of radon gas 222Rn were accomplished in seawater samples by means of an on-site radon measurement method. The samples were collected along two trajec- tories, parallel to the coast, of a total length of 35km. In the same samples conductivity measurements were supplementary accomplished. Where radon exhibited local maxima and conductivity local minima, seabed surface sediment samples were collected for subsequent radioactivity measurements by High Purity Germanium detector. As groundwater tracer the excess of 210Pb in the sediment samples was used. Combining the results from the seawater and sediment, a part of the initial trajectory - with length of 800m - was revealed as a potential area of submarine groundwater discharge diffusive source
A Study On The Heterogeneity of Reference Metal Alloys Using A Micro-XRF Spectrometer
Authors: Kantarelou V. , Cano E. C. , Padilla R. , Markowicz A. , Karydas A. G.
Published: February 2020

N/A
Studying the coherent channel of neutral current ν-nucleus interaction
Authors: Tsakstara V. , Kosmas T. S.
Published: February 2020

Original cross-sections calculations for neutral current neutrino scattering on 40Ar isotope are performed in the context of the quasi-particle random phase approximation (QRPA) by utilizing realistic two-nucleon forces. The incoming neutrino energy range adopted, εν ≤ 100 MeV, covers the supernova neutrinos, the low-energy beta-beam-neutrinos and the pion-muon stopped neutrino-beams existing or planned to be conducted at future neutron spallation sources. Subsequently, are the original cross sections convoluted with various supernova neutrino-energy distributions such as the two-parameter Fermi-Dirac and the power law distributions. The folded cross sections are obtained for various values of the parameters of these neutrino energy distributions corresponding to different supernova scenarios. One of the main purposes of this work is to explore the response of the 40Ar isotope as supernova neutrino detector.
Chernobyl still affects the environment of Greece: Recent measurements of 137Cs in soil cores from Grevena–Trikala area
Authors: Ioannidis I. , Mertzimekis T. J. , Godelitsas A. , Stamoulis K. C. , Ioannides K. G.
Published: February 2020

Cores to a depth of 20 cm from surface were collected from Central Greece to study the 137Cs concentration and mobility in soils from the most afflicted areas by the Chernobyl Accident. As we are approaching a time almost equal to one halflife of radiocesium from the Chernobyl accident, new data can be proven extremely useful for assessing the present status.
The validation of a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and the effect of freeze-thaw cycles of serum on the stability of cortisol and testosterone concentrations in Aceh cattle
Authors: Gholib Gholib , Wahyuni Sri , Akmal Muslim , Hasan Muhammad , Agil Muhammad , Purwantara Bambang
Published: February 2020

Background: To obtain accurate measurements of cortisol (C) and testosterone (T) in Aceh cattle, commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits need to be carefully validated. Moreover, repeated freeze-thaw cycles during the storage of the samples may affect the stability of the hormones in the serum. Here, the reliability of C and T concentration measurements in the serum of Aceh cattle, was tested using commercial C and T ELISA kits designed to measure human C and T concentrations. Further, the effect of repeated freeze-thaw cycles on the stability of C and T concentrations in the serum was evaluated.

Methods: Commercial C (Cat. no. EIA-1887) and T (Cat. no. EIA-1559) ELISA kits from DRG Instruments GmbH were validated through an analytical validation test (i.e., parallelism, accuracy, and precision) and a biological validation test (for C: effect of transportation on the C excretion; for T: the concentrations of T between bulls and cows). To test the effects of freeze-thaw cycles, cattle serum was subjected to the following treatments: (i) remained frozen at -20OC (control group); (ii) exposed to freeze-thaw cycles for two, four, six, and eight times (test groups).  

Results: Parallelism, accuracy, and precision tests showed that both  C and T ELISA kits adequately measured C and T in the serum of Aceh cattle. Concentrations of C post-transportation were significantly higher than pre-transportation (p<0.05). Concentrations of T in bulls were significantly higher than in cows (p<0.05). After four to eight freeze-thaw cycles, C concentrations were significantly lower compared to the control group (all p < 0.05). In contrast, T concentrations remained stable (all p>0.05).

Conclusions: Commercial C (EIA-1887) and T (EIA-1559) ELISA kits are reliable assays for measuring serum C and T, respectively, in Aceh cattle. Repeated freeze-thaw cycles significantly affected the stability of serum C, but did not for T.
Recent advances in understanding and managing chronic pelvic pain in women with special consideration to endometriosis
Authors: Ball Elizabeth , Khan Khalid S
Published: February 2020

Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) in women is defined variably, but for clinical use it is cyclical or non-cyclical pain of at least 3–6 months’ duration. It has major impacts on individuals and society. There are both structural and idiopathic causes. Whereas CPP is not curable in many cases, it is treatable. The most promising approach is multidisciplinary patient-centered care including cause-directed therapy, lifestyle changes, talking therapies, meditation, acupuncture, and physiotherapy (this is not a complete list). One of the most common structural causes for CPP is endometriosis. This review investigates current scientific concepts and recent innovations in this field as well as for CPP in general.
The Finances of Slave Life Insurance: Did Life Insurers Act Appropriately from a Financial Perspective?
Authors: Wise William
Published: February 2020

An important part of having slaves as a labor force is insuring their lives and their income. This paper explores whether antebellum life insurance companies insuring slaves did so appropriately and/or responsibly from a financial perspective. Determining whether antebellum life insurance companies did so is essential, as life insurance is a major segment of the economy of most countries and hence it is vital that life insurers perform well and are viable for the benefit of other industries and national economies, including with respect to the antebellum United States. This is the first study to investigate several critical financial elements, including premiums, expenses and mortality, of antebellum life insurance companies regarding feasibility. One characteristic of the results is that if firms employed a suitable expense assumption then the premium did not have a high enough mortality assumption and vice-versa. Additionally, most premium increases used regarding hazardous occupations, sum insured limits and location failed to adequately account for the associated increased mortality. The overall result is that, from a financial perspective, antebellum life insurers had trouble accounting for slave life insurance appropriately and/or responsibly.
Źródła do dziejów Kościoła ormiańskokatolickiego w Galicji w zbiorach wiedeńskich
Authors: Miławicki Marek
Published: February 2020

Sources for the History of the Armenian Catholic Church in Galicia in the Viennese Collections The article is a report from a query that took place in March 2019. The author discusses sources that relate to the history of the Armenian Catholic Church in Galicia (i.e. the Archdiocese of Lwów, Lemberg) found in the Austrian State Archives (Österreichisches Staatsarchiv) and in the Library of the Mechitharist Congregation (Bibliothek des Mechitharistenklosters) in Vienna. The collections contain a wealth of sources on the history of the Church and the Armenians living in Poland on the territories acquired in 1772 by the Austrian Empire, and until now only some of them have been used in the scientific literature. They present the relations of the central offices of the Habsburg monarchy with the Galician Armenians (who, in the overwhelming majority, were Catholics), and the role of this minority in the provincial administration. The sources also denote the importance of the religious congregation of Mechitarists in the life of the Armenian Catholic Archdiocese of Lwów. Many future priests learnt the Armenian language and Armenian liturgy at the Viennese religious secondary school (gymnasium) led by Mechitarists, and later a number of them joined the congregation. The book of religious professions, the letters and personal files, which mention a great number of Galician names, not only of Armenian descent (like archbishop Samuel Cyryl Stefanowicz or Rev. Dominik Barącz), but also of Polish origin serve as evidence of the aforementioned bond.
Nowe znalezisko z Jass jako źródło do analizy obrazu "Chrzest Armenii" pędzla Teodora Axentowicza
Authors: Zięba Andrzej A.
Published: February 2020

New Discovery in Iaşi as a Source for Analysis of the "Picture Baptism" of Armenia by Teodor Axentowicz

The author compares the oil painting showing the baptism of Thyristates III, King of Armenia, recently found in the Armenian-Apostolic church in Iaşi and attributed (due to the inscription on the back of the canvas) to Teodor Axentowicz, to the work of the same painter on the same subject that is currently displayed in the Roman Catholic church of St. Peter and St. Paul in Gdańsk. He claims that the painting from Iaşi is probably a copy of Axentowicz’s original work from around 1901 and it fully shows his original composition that was intended for the Armenian Catholic altar in the Roman Catholic church in Suceava. By contrast, the painting from Gdańsk only depicts the central part of the original. The reasons for this reduction remain unknown. Perhaps this was done by the buyer to adapt the image to the altar on which it was exhibited, or by the author himself to enhance the artistic value of the new version. The article also talks about the identification of another painting that captured the baptism of the Armenian king. The work was created in Lwów in 1839 by another Polish painter, Feliks Kasper Orlikowski, and it was intended for an unspecified Armenian church in Suceava. It may be that it was meant for the Armenian monastery Hagigadar located in the suburbs of the city.
List do uczestników ceremonii otwarcia Ośrodka Badań nad Kulturą Ormiańską w Polsce
Authors: Ghazaryan Edgar
Published: February 2020

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RSE: What do young people want and need?
Authors: Emmerson Lucy
Published: February 2020

Who better to ask about what is needed from relationships and sex education than the young people themselves. This is what the Sex Education Forum has done. Lucy Emmerson explains
LSPR optical fiber biosensor based on a 3D composite structure of gold nanoparticles and multilayer graphene films
Authors: Li Can , Li Zhen , Li Shuanglu , Zhang Yanan , Sun Baoping , Yu Yuehao , Ren Haiyang , Jiang Shouzhen , Yue Weiwei
Published: February 2020

In this paper, a localized surface-plasmon resonance (LSPR) biosensor, which uses a U-shaped multi-mode fiber (U-MMF), is introduced and investigated. It is modified with a complex of three-dimensional (3D) gold nanoparticles and multilayer graphene as spacer: n*(Au/G)@U-MMF, where n denotes the layer number of gold nanoparticles. The gold nanoparticles were synthesized by reducing chloroauric acid. Graphene films were formed using a liquid/chemical method. The number of gold-nanoparticle layers was found to be critical for the performance of the sensor. Moreover, using the ﬁnite-difference time domain, 3D nanostructures, with a wide range of gold-nanoparticle layers, were explored. The sensor showed the sensitivity of 1251.44 nm/RIU, as well as high stability and repeatability; for the measurement-process of time- and concentration-dependent DNA hybridization kinetics with detection concentrations, ranging from 0.1nM to 100 nM, the sensor displayed excellent performance, which points towards a vast potential in the field of medical diagnostics.
Multispectral curved compound eye camera
Authors: Yu Xiaodan , Liu Chenyang , Zhang Yuanjie , Xu Huangrong , Wang Yuanyuan , Yu Weixing
Published: February 2020

In this work, we propose a new type of multispectral imaging system, named multispectral curved compound eye camera (MCCEC). The so called MCCEC consists of three subsystems, a curved micro-lens array integrated with selected narrow-band optical filters, an optical transformation subsystem, and the data processing unit with an image sensor. The novel MCCEC system can achieve multi-spectral imaging at an ultra-large field of view (FOV), and obtain information of multiple spectrum segments at real time. Moreover, the system has the advantages of small size, light weight, and high sensitivity in comparison with conventional multispectral cameras. In current work, we mainly focus on the optical design of the MCCEC based on the overlap of FOV between the neighboring clusters of ommatidia to achieve the multispectral imaging at an ultra-large FOV. The optical layout of the curved micro-lens array, narrow-band filter array and the optical relay system for image plane transformation are carefully designed and optimized. The whole size of the optical system is 93 mm × 42 mm × 42 mm. The simulation results show that a maximum FOV of about 120° can be achieved for seven-waveband multispectral imaging with center wavelengths of 480 nm, 550 nm, 591 nm, 676 nm, 704 nm, 740 nm, and 767 nm. The new designed MCCEC has a great potential as an airborne or satellite-born payload for real time remote sensing and thus paves a new way for the design of compact and light-weight spectral-imaging cameras with an ultra large FOV.
Remarks on the Blacks in the Fatimid Army, Tenth–Twelfth Century CE
Authors: Zouache Abbès
Published: February 2020

In this article, I revisit some aspects of the organization of the Fatimid army, and more specifically to the role played by its black contingents, who are still often considered the most faithful supporters of the dynasty. Wherever they came from and regardless of their social and legal status, black soldiers, whose Egyptian-ness was indisputable, were major players in the history of the Fatimid Caliphate. Medieval authors, who sometimes conveyed negative representations linked with racial bias, and who are not necessarily accurate in dealing with other races, even acknowledged this role.
Dyskusja nad modelem wykładni prounijnej w polskiej nauce prawa
Authors: Rowiński Wojciech
Published: February 2020

The aim of this paper is to present the discussion on normative models of the pro-EU interpretation of national law in Polish jurisprudence. The European Court of Justice drew only general assumptions concerning the pro-EU interpretation, and left the Member States free to choose the methods of its implementation. The author analyses the proposals of the models described in the science of European law as well as in the theory of law, and on that basis comes to the conclusion that a universal and consistent model that would ensure full realisation of the EU law objectives regarding the pro-EU interpretation has not yet been developed.
Analiza prawnej i faktycznej sytuacji poręczyciela – wybrane zagadnienia
Authors: Jurek Łukasz , Maciąg Rafał
Published: February 2020

This paper highlights the issues arising from an obligation such as surety. Under the provisions of the Polish Civil Code, the legal position of a guarantor is closely related to non-legal factors. The ambiguity and uncertainty of the status of a guarantor are even greater due to the variability in time of the normative construction of a surety. Therefore, in addition to the measures available in law, a certain counterweight, such as the general public values, is necessary to address this state of affairs. The most widely understood trust, being the necessary condition for the proper development of a modern democratic state of law, may undoubtedly play that role.
Uznanie dziecka według przepisów Kodeksu rodzinnego i opiekuńczego w świetle regulacji prawa prywatnego międzynarodowego
Authors: Uchańska Joanna
Published: February 2020

The paper discusses the current issues on recognition of paternity in the light of children’s rights. It identifies the proper tools necessary for determining paternity and maternity and highlights their growing importance in connection with common migration and free movement of persons in the EU. The issue of establishing the law applicable to the content or the form of declaration of paternity is presented based on judicial practice. 34 E. Skrzydło-Tefelska, op. cit., s. 149–150.106 | Przegląd Prawniczy Uniwersytetu im. Adama Mickiewicza The paper describes the relationship between recognition of paternity and the process of establishing citizenship and the conditions that must be fulfilled to obtain legal residence in Poland. The conclusions de lege ferenda call for changes in the acquisition of Polish citizenship by operation of law by a child who has been recognized by a man of Polish citizenship. Currently, this possibility is limited by the annual date on which it is necessary to recognize to change a citizenship of a child by law
Prawo do zapłodnienia in vitro w Polsce i na świecie
Authors: Łowińska Ewa
Published: February 2020

In vitro fertilization involves many issues that need to be regulated by law. The main one is the status of the embryo and arising from it other concerns such as cryoconservation of embryos, assisted reproductive techniques, gamete donation, surrogacy, or preimplantation diagnosis. This paper surveys the legal regulation of in vitro fertilization at different levels of the law systems, from international standards, through regional regulations, to the national law.
İŞYERİNDE ŞİDDETE (WORKPLACE VIOLENCE) KARŞI ÇALIŞANLARIN BİREYSEL ÇATIŞMA YÖNETİMİ YAKLAŞIMLARI; SAĞLIK SEKTÖRÜNDE BİR ARAŞTIRMA
Authors: AKYÖN Fehmi Volkan
Published: February 2020

İş yerinde, bir veya birden fazda çalışana bilinçli bir şekilde psikolojik ve fiziksel zarar veren davranışlara iş yerinde şiddet adı verilmektedir. İşyerinde şiddet; sözel, fiziksel ve psikolojik saldırı, psikolojik baskı ve yıldırma, zorbalık, tehdit, korkutma, yaralama, zarar görme ile sonuçlanabilecek tiim şiddet davranışlarını içermektedir. Yönetim ve organizasyon literatürü; bireysel çatışma yönetimi yaklaşımlarını beş grupta toparlamaktadır. Bunlar: kaçınma yaklaşımı, işbirliği yaklaşımı, uzlaşma yaklaşımı, uyma yaklaşımı ve zorlama yaklaşımıdır. Çalışanların iş yerinde yaşadıkları anlaşmazlıklara karşı tercih ettikleri bireysel çatışma yönetimi yaklaşımlarının iş yerinde şiddetle yakından ilişkisi bulunmaktadır. Araştırmanın temel amacı çalışanların tercih ettikleri bireysel çatışma yönetimi yaklaşımları ile iş yerinde yaşadıkları şiddet arasında ilişki olup olmadığının tespit edilmesidir.
LİDERLİK TARZININ ÖRGÜTSEL ADALET İLE İLİŞKİSİ VE LİDERE OLAN GÜVENİN BU İLİŞKİDEKİ ROLÜ
Authors: DEMİR Nevzat
Published: February 2020

Günümüzde örgütsel adalet kavramı farklı yönleriyle ele alınmakta ve değerlendirilmektedir. Bireylerin çalıştıkları örgütte kendilerine ne kadar adil davranıldığına ilişkin algıları olarak ifade edilen örgütsel adalet vatandaşlık davranışı, bağlılık, iş tatmini gibi örgütsel çıktılarla ilişkili olup, kişisel özelliklerden örgütsel uygulamalara kadar çok farklı unsurlardan etkilenmektedir. Bu çalışmada örgütsel adalete ilişkin algıda liderlik tarzının etkisi ve bu ilişkide yöneticiye duyulan güvenin rolü inceleme konusu yapılmıştır. Bu amaçla bir anket çalışması yapılmıştır. Aynı örgütte görev yapan beyaz yakalı çalışanlar üzerinde yapılan analizlerde, dönüştürücü liderlik tarzı faktörlerinin örgütsel adalet boyutları üzerinde etkili olduğu ve yöneticiye duyulan güvene ilişkin faktörlerin bu ilişkide anlamlılık kazandığı ortaya çıkmıştır.
Between Prudential Regulation and Shareholder Value: An Empirical Perspective on Bank Shareholder Equity (2001-2017)
Authors: Biondi Yuri , Graeff Imke J.
Published: February 2020

We analyse the effects of changes in regulatory capital requirements under Basel III on the dynamic evolution of bank shareholder equity over time. Evidence from managerial and regulatory reports shows that bank shareholder equity stands between micro-prudential regulatory capital requirements and managerial pursuit of equity economising strategies. Shareholder value strategies see shareholders as the equity investment remuneration recipients. Micro-prudential regulators, in turn, address them as equity investment providers. With opposing cash streams, one orientation puts the other to a test. The article visualises this conflict by analysing the actual shareholder contribution to the bank equity position in nine case studies of European financial institutions between 2001 and 2017; our evidence-based financial analysis applies an innovative method to data directly extracted from financial statements, in order to measure this equity position evolution and assess bank equity dynamics in light of revised regulatory capital requirements and persistent assurance of shareholder value thriving in managerial reports. The choice of in-depth analysis of a sample of relevant case studies overcomes the absence of detailed data on changes in bank equity in existing databases.
Nuciferine prevents hepatic steatosis by regulating lipid metabolismin diabetic rat model
Authors: Ning Qian , Wang Yang , Zhang Yi , Shen Guozhi , Xie Zhenglu , Pang Jie
Published: February 2020

Objective

This study investigatesthe nuciferine capacity to regulate the liver’s lipid metabolism regarding steatosis and injury in STZ-induced diabetic rats.

Materials and Methods

The rats were randomly divided into groups control, diabetic and nuciferine 200 mg/kg/ day treatment. After 4 days of STZ injection, the nuciferine group was treated and administered via oral gavages for 4 weeks. At the end of experiment, blood, liver, myocardial and muscular samples were collected.

Results

Nuciferine-treated significantly increased the body weight from 339.4g to 367.8g, but significantly decreased the food and water intake compared with diabetic rats. Also, the nuciferine-treated rats had significantly decreased TC, TG, and FFAs in the liver compared with the diabetic group, especially the serum markers of blood glucose. These were associated with the gene expression related to lipogenesis which was significantly down-regulated; the gene expression involved in lipolysis and fatty acid β-oxidation was significantly up-regulated. Discussion and

Conclusion

The data provide evidence that nuciferine supplementation could protect the liver by regulating lipid metabolism gene expression resulting in decreasing the steatosis and injury in diabetic rat. Thus, nuciferine could be developed as a diabetic adjuvant food additive in future.
Comparative Simulation Study of Multi Stage Hybrid All Optical Fiber Amplifiers in Optical Communications
Authors: Amiri IS , Rashed Ahmed Nabih Zaki , Yupapin P.
Published: February 2020

This study clarifies the comparison between hybrid all optical fiber amplifiers in single-stage and multi-stage amplification. EDFA/Raman, Raman/EDFA/Raman, and EDFA/Raman/EDFA configurations are employed for upgrading optical communication systems. Single-stage Raman amplifiers clarifies very better performance than single-stage EDFA amplifier. Multi-stage Raman/EDFA/Raman also outlines very better performance than other hybrid configuration up to 475 km distance. Single-stage Raman amplification has outlined maxi. Q factor up to 218.392 for 250 km distance and 11.937 up to 475 km propagation range. So hybrid all optical amplifiers are essentially for upgrading optical system performance efficiency.
Impact Analysis of the Number of Core on Hexagonal Multicore Fibre
Authors: Vyas Ajay Kumar
Published: February 2020

The multicore fibre (MCF) is an effective and auspicious technology to overawe the limitation of the single-mode fibre. One of the important applications of MCF is power over fibre. In this paper, we have been designed eight different hexagonal structures by using 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 cores MCF. Those designs are categorized as even core multicore fibre (ECMCF) for 6, 8, 10 and 12 cores and odd core multicore fibre (OCMCF) for 7, 9, 11 and 13 number of cores. We also studied the impact analysis of odd or even number of the cores. The proposed designs having 140 µm diameter, large effective area of 1256 µ2m and two pitches d1=20 µm and d2=10 µm. The comparative analysis has been done by core multiplicity factor, electric field, coupled power, cross overpower parameter calculated for 10,000 samples. The hexagonal core shape MCF shows better performance if the number of the core in even number.
From symmetric to asymmetric bowtie nanoantennas: electrostatic conformal mapping perspective
Authors: Pacheco-Peña Victor , Alves Rúben A. , Navarro-Cía Miguel
Published: February 2020

Plasmonic nanoantennas have revolutionized the way we study and modulate light–matter interaction. Due to nanofabrication limitations, dimer-type nanoantennas always exhibit some degree of asymmetry, which is desirable in some cases. For instance, in sensing applications, asymmetry is sometimes induced by design in plasmonic nanoantennas to favor higher order nonradiative modes with sharp Fano line shapes. Regardless of the actual origin of the asymmetry, unintentional or intentional, an analytical frame that can deal with it in a seamless manner would be beneficial. We resort to conformal mapping for this task and we track the influence of the degree of asymmetry of the circular sectors composing gold bowtie nanoantennas on the nonradiative Purcell enhancement of a nearby nanoemitter. This manuscript reviews the contributions of conformal mapping to plasmonic nanoantennas and illustrates the advantages of the elegant analytical solution provided by conformal mapping to grasp physical insights, which can serve as a springboard for new plasmonic asymmetric nanoantenna designs.
Crystal structure, Hirshfeld surfaces, topology, energy frameworks and dielectric studies of 1-(2-chlorophenyl)- 3,3-bis(methylthio)prop-2-en-1-one
Authors: Madan Kumar Shankar , Hemraju Byrapura Chandregowda , Anil Seegehalli Manjegowda , Manjunatha Neralekere Kenchegowda , Swamy Menasagere Thammannagowda , Lokanath Neratur Krishnappagowda , Al-Ghorbani Mohammed , Al-Zaqri Nabil , Alsalme Ali
Published: February 2020

The title compound 1-(2-chlorophenyl)-3,3-bis(methylthio)prop-2-en-1-one (1) have been synthesized, crystallized and characterized using FT-IR,1H NMR,13C NMR, LCMS and confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction method. In addition, the intermolecular interactions in the crystal structure are analyzed using Hirshfeld surfaces computational method. The (1) crystallizes in a monoclinic crystal system (space groupP 21/c) with cell parametersa = 17.0132(9) Å,b = 8.6521(4) Å,c = 8.2815(7) Å,β = 95.512(6) ° andZ = 4. Intermolecular hydrogen bonds/interactions of the type C · · · H · · · O, C–H · · · S, C–H · · · Cg and C–Cl · · · Cg stabilize the crystal structure. The intermolecular interactions responsible for crystal packing are analyzed using Hirshfeld surfaces computational method, 2D finger print plots, electrostatic potential surfaces, toplogy surfaces [curvedness (C) and shape index (S), enrichment ratio (E) and 3D energy frameworks]. In addition the dielectric studies were performed for the title molecule. The crystal structure database (CSD) analysis was carried out for structural conformation and crystal packing confirmation. Overall structural studies confirmed that the intermolecular interactions of the type S · · · S chalocogen bonds are involved in crystal packing in addition to the C11–H11 · · · O1, C10–H10B · · · O1, two C10–H10 · · · S1, C4–H11 · · · Cg1 and C1–Cl1 · · · Cg1 interactions.
The untypical high-pressure Zintl phase SrGe6
Authors: Schwarz Ulrich , Castillo Rodrigo , Hübner Julia M. , Wosylus Aron , Prots Yurii , Bobnar Matej , Grin Yuri
Published: February 2020

The binary strontium germanide SrGe6 was synthesized at high-pressure high-temperature conditions of approximately 10 GPa and typically 1400 K before quenching to ambient conditions. At ambient pressure, SrGe6 decomposes in a monotropic fashion at T = 680(10) K into SrGe2 and Ge, indicating its metastable character. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction data indicate that the compound SrGe6 adopts a new monoclinic structure type comprising a unique three-dimensional framework of germanium atoms with unusual cages hosting the strontium cations. Quantum chemical analysis of the chemical bonding shows that the framework consists of three- and four- bonded germanium atoms yielding the precise electron count Sr[(4bGe0]4[(3b)Ge−]2 in accordance with the 8 − N rule and the Zintl concept. Conflicting with that, a pseudo-gap in the electronic density of states appears clearly below the Fermi level, and elaborate bonding analysis reveals additional Sr–Ge interactions in the concave coordination polyhedron of the strontium atoms.
Effect of Active Dynamic Versus Passive Static Stretching on Hamstring Muscle Tightness in Healthy Female Students: A Randomized Trial Study
Authors: Heshmatipour Mojtaba , Esfandiari Azam , Kazemi Naeini Maryam , Raei Mehdi , Firoozpur Omolbanin , Shariatinia Neda , Hushmandi Kiavash
Published: February 2020

Background: For decades, static stretching has been the standard benchmark for training programs, because it has been shown to increase flexibility compared with other methods of stretching. Objective: The current study investigated and compared the effects of active dynamic stretching and passive static stretching on hamstring tightness. Methods: For this experiment, 64 female students were enrolled and randomly assigned to active dynamic or passive static stretching groups (n=32 each). The first and second experimental groups were trained with repetitive dynamic stretching and static stretching exercises, respectively. Exercises were performed 10 times per limb, 3 times per day, 5 days per week for 4 weeks. Hamstring muscle length measurements were repeated in weeks 2 and 4. Statistical analysis of the results was performed by t-test and repeated measures ANOVA using SPSS 15. Results: Both experimental groups showed significant improvements in the active knee extension range of motion during the intervention (P<0.001). However, active stretching showed better results and had a greater effect on range of motion in comparison with static stretching. Conclusion: Active dynamic training can be considered a suitable method for increasing the flexibility of the hamstring muscle and, consequently, reducing the complications and problems associated with hamstring tightness.
Better Late Than Never - An Analysis of Last-Minute Travelers Attending a Specialist Travel Medicine Clinic in Ireland
Authors: Flaherty Gerard Thomas , Hasnol Muhammad Haziq , Sulaiman Lokman Hakim
Published: February 2020

Introduction: Last-minute travelers (LMTs) are a vulnerable group, because it may not be possible to adequately vaccinate them against exposure to infectious diseases. The purpose of this retrospective cross-sectional study was to describe the characteristics of LMTs attending a travel health clinic. Methods: The following data was extracted from records of travelers attending the Tropical Medical Bureau (Galway, Ireland) over a 6-year period with less than 2 weeks remaining before their departure: gender, age, occupation, destination(s), purpose of travel, departure date, travel duration, travel group size, accommodation, past medical history, medications, and vaccination history. Results: Of 7555 traveler records, 1296 (17.2%) were of LMTs, of whom 45 (3.5%) were recurrent LMTs. LMTs were equally likely to be male or female. The mean age of this cohort was 32.2 years. The most common travel destination was Asia, and holiday was the most frequent purpose of travel. The mean interval before departure was 7.54 ± 3.65 days, and the mean travel duration was 7.36 ± 2.3 weeks. The majority (n=454, 35.1%) of LMTs traveled in pairs. Approximately 2 in 5 (n=497, 38.4%) travelers reported a past medical history; over half (n=674, 52.0%) had previously received travel vaccinations. The majority (n=1202, 92.8%) of LMTs were unable to complete a scheduled course of pre-travel vaccines. Conclusion: This study provides insight into the characteristics and travel patterns of LMTs. A large proportion of LMTs have pre-existing medical conditions. Further research should focus on the travel health risk-taking behavior of these individuals.
Second-Hand Smoke Exposure at Home in the United States; Minorities’ Diminished Returns
Authors: Assari Shervin , Bazargan Mohsen
Published: February 2020

Introduction: Educational attainment and poverty status are two strong socioeconomic status (SES) indicators that protect individuals against exposure to second-hand smoke. Minorities’ Diminished Returns (MDRs), however, refer to smaller protective effects of SES indicators among ethnic minority groups such as Hispanics and Blacks, compared to non-Hispanic Whites. This study explored ethnic differences in the effects of educational attainment and poverty status on second-hand smoke exposure in the homes of American adults. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 18,274 non-smoking adults who had participated in the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH; 2013). The independent variables were educational attainment and poverty status. The dependent variable was secondhand smoke exposure at home. Age and region of residence were the covariates. Ethnicity was the moderator. Results: Overall, individuals with a higher educational attainment (odds ratio [OR] = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.74-0.79) and those who lived out of poverty (OR = 0.56, 95% CI =0.51-0.62) had lower odds of second-hand smoke exposure at home. Hispanic ethnicity showed significant interactions with both SES indicators, suggesting that the protective effects of education and poverty on second-hand smoke exposure at home are smaller for Hispanics (ORs for interaction with education and poverty status = 1.30 and 1.26, P < 0.05) than for Non-Hispanics. Conclusion: In the US, high SES Hispanics remain at high risk of exposure to second-hand smoke at home despite a high education and income. High SES better reduces environmental exposures for non-Hispanic than for Hispanic individuals.
Synaptic Integration of Thalamic and Limbic Inputs in Rodent Gustatory Cortex
Authors: Stone M. E. , Fontanini A. , Maffei A.
Published: February 2020

Neurons in the gustatory cortex (GC) process multiple aspects of a tasting experience, encoding not only the physiochemical identity of tastes, but also their anticipation and hedonic value. Information pertaining to these stimulus features is relayed to GC via the gustatory thalamus (VPMpc) and basolateral amygdala (BLA). It is not known whether these inputs drive separate groups of neurons, thus activating separate channels of information, or are integrated by neurons that receive both afferents. Here, we used anterograde labeling andin vivointracellular recordings in anesthetized rats to assess the potential convergence of BLA and VPMpc inputs in GC, and to investigate the dynamics of integration of these inputs. We report substantial anatomic overlap of BLA and VPMpc axonal fields across GC, and identify a population of GC neurons receiving converging BLA and VPMpc inputs. Our data show that BLA modulates the gain of VPMpc-evoked responses in a time-dependent fashion and that this modulation is dependent on the recruitment of synaptic inhibition by both BLA and VPMpc. Our results suggest that BLA shapes cortical processing of thalamic inputs by dynamically gating the excitatory/inhibitory balance of the GC circuit.
Paratextuality, Materiality, and Corporeality in Medieval Chinese Religions
Authors: Steavu Dominic
Published: February 2020

In medieval China, talismans (fu) and sacred diagrams (tu) were ubiquitous elements in religious texts. Since they were composed of divine illegible esoteric patterns, meaning was not produced by the markings talismans and diagrams bore; it was, rather, displaced onto the objects themselves, whether they were two-dimensionally represented in scriptures and ritual manuals or externalized and materialized onto physical supports. In this respect, the objecthood and palpable materiality of talismans and diagrams made them shorthand tokens for direct access to the supernatural. Drawing on emblematic yet understudied scriptures of medieval Daoism and esoteric Buddhist, the present study considers talismans and diagrams as paratextual objects, bringing to light the fact that they not only passively frame the reading of a text but in many instances also constitute the primary and determining level of “text” that is read. In this way, sources in which talismans and diagrams featured prominently were approached first and foremost through their material aspects, namely paratexts. What is more, the talismans and diagrams that appeared in texts were often meant to be externalized and materialized, in some cases onto the bodies of adepts or visualized in their mind’s eye, thereby conflating paratextuality, materiality, and corporeality. In a pair of striking examples, practitioners are instructed to embody and become actual ritual objects, blurring the boundaries between text, object, and body in one single divine locus.
Silk Cultivatiom in Italy
Authors: Zanier Claudio
Published: February 2020

Silk cultivation in Italy started in the eleventh century CE. Initially, silkworms were cultivated using only indigenous black mulberry trees. For several centuries following, manufacturers in Italian towns manufactured luxury silk fabrics utilizing only imported foreign silk threads. In the fifteenth century, however, the practice of cultivating non-native white mulberry trees made its way from China to Italy. Due to the better quality of their leaves, this facilitated the production of domestic Italian silk threads for use in the manufacture of luxury products. Rural silk cultivation then expanded sharply.
Approximation of the classes $W^{r}_{\beta,\infty}$ by three-harmonic Poisson integrals
Authors: Hrabova U.Z. , Kal'chuk I.V.
Published: February 2020

In the paper, we solve one extremal problem of the theory of approximation of functional classes by linear methods. Namely, questions are investigated concerning the approximation of classes of differentiable functions by $\lambda$-methods of summation for their Fourier series, that are defined by the set $\Lambda =\{{{\lambda }_{\delta }}(\cdot )\}$ of continuous on $\left[ 0,\infty \right)$ functions depending on a real parameter $\delta$. The Kolmogorov-Nikol'skii problem is considered, that is one of the special problems among the extremal problems of the theory of approximation. That is, the problem of finding of asymptotic equalities for the quantity $$\mathcal{E}{{\left( \mathfrak{N};{{U}_{\delta}} \right)}_{X}}=\underset{f\in \mathfrak{N}}{\mathop{\sup }}\,{{\left\| f\left( \cdot \right)-{{U}_{\delta }}\left( f;\cdot;\Lambda \right) \right\|}_{X}},$$ where $X$ is a normalized space, $\mathfrak{N}\subseteq X$ is a given function class, ${{U}_{\delta }}\left( f;x;\Lambda \right)$ is a specific method of summation of the Fourier series. In particular, in the paper we investigate approximative properties of the three-harmonic Poisson integrals on the Weyl-Nagy classes. The asymptotic formulas are obtained for the upper bounds of deviations of the three-harmonic Poisson integrals from functions from the classes $W^{r}_{\beta,\infty}$. These formulas provide a solution of the corresponding Kolmogorov-Nikol'skii problem. Methods of investigation for such extremal problems of the theory of approximation arised and got their development owing to the papers of A.N. Kolmogorov, S.M. Nikol'skii, S.B. Stechkin, N.P. Korneichuk, V.K. Dzyadyk, A.I. Stepanets and others. But these methods are used for the approximations by linear methods defined by triangular matrices. In this paper we modified the mentioned above methods in order to use them while dealing with the summation methods defined by a set of functions of a natural argument.
Filtering of multidimensional stationary sequences with missing observations
Authors: Masyutka O.Yu. , Moklyachuk M.P. , Sidei M.I.
Published: February 2020

The problem of mean-square optimal linear estimation of linear functionals which depend on the unknown values of a multidimensional stationary stochastic sequence is considered. Estimates are based on observations of the sequence with an additive stationary stochastic noise sequence at points which do not belong to some finite intervals of a real line. Formulas for calculating the mean-square errors and the spectral characteristics of the optimal linear estimates of the functionals are proposed under the condition of spectral certainty, where spectral densities of the sequences are exactly known. The minimax (robust) method of estimation is applied in the case where spectral densities are not known exactly while some sets of admissible spectral densities are given. Formulas that determine the least favorable spectral densities and minimax spectral characteristics are proposed for some special sets of admissible densities.