bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigation of olopatadine hydrochloride under stress conditions by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography
Authors: Maksic Jelena , Tumpa Anja , Popovic Igor , Jancic-Stojanovic Biljana
Published: July 2015

The purpose of the present research was to conduct stress degradation studies
on the olopatadine hydrochloride, an antiallergic drug, using the hydrophilic
interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC). HILIC requires the utilization of
polar and moderately polar stationary phases and aqueous-organic mobile phase
usually containing more than 70% of organic solvent. In this study,
olopatadine hydrochloride was subjected to acid and base hydrolysis,
oxidation and termolytic degradation in order to estimate its stability under
different stress conditions recommended by ICHQ1A (R2) guideline. Degree of
degradation was followed by HILIC method. The chromatographic conditions
were: column Betasil Cyano (100 mm ? 4.6 mm, 5 mm particle size), mobile
phase consisted of acetonitrile and ammonium acetate 5 mM (pH adjusted to
4.50) in ratio 85:15 V/V, flow rate was 1 mL min-1, column temperature was
set at 30?C and detection was performed at 257 nm. Results obtained for
stress studies indicated that olopatadine hydrochloride underwent
transformation under acidic and oxidative (30% w/v hydrogen peroxyde)
conditions showing high degree of degradation. Furthermore, it was found that
olopatadine hydrochloride is relatively stable when exposed to thermal (60?C)
and basic (1 M NaOH) conditions. Therewith, kinetics of degradation reaction
was determined with an aim to define the corresponding reaction rate
constants and half-lives. Firstly, the order of the reaction was evaluated
experimentally using the integral method. Based on the calculated values of
the correlation coefficients, it was shown that the acidic, basic and
oxidative degradation are the second-order reaction. High stability under
basic conditions was achieved on the basis of the great degradation half-life
values. Also, it has been verified that acidic degradation is the fastest
reaction.
Inhaled Technosphere Insulin Compared With Injected Prandial Insulin in Type 1 Diabetes: A Randomized 24-Week Trial
Authors: Bode Bruce W. , McGill Janet B. , Lorber Daniel L. , Gross Jorge L. , Chang P.-C. , Bregman David B. ,   for the Affinity 1 Study Group
Published: July 2015

OBJECTIVE

To compare the efficacy and safety of Technosphere insulin (TI) and insulin aspart in patients with type 1 diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

This open-label noninferiority trial compared the change in HbA1c from baseline to week 24 of prandial TI (n = 174) with that of subcutaneous aspart (n = 171), both with basal insulin, in patients with type 1 diabetes and HbA1c 7.5–10.0% (56.8–86.0 mmol/mol).

RESULTS

Mean change in HbA1c in TI patients (–0.21% [–2.3 mmol/mol]) from baseline (7.94% [63.3 mmol/mol]) was noninferior to that in aspart patients (–0.40% [–4.4 mmol/mol]) from baseline (7.92% [63.1 mmol/mol]). The between-group difference was 0.19% (2.1 mmol/mol) (95% CI 0.02–0.36), satisfying the noninferiority margin of 0.4%. However, more aspart patients achieved HbA1c <7.0% (53.0 mmol/mol) (30.7% vs. 18.3%). TI patients had a small weight loss (–0.4 kg) compared with a gain (+0.9 kg) for aspart patients (P = 0.0102). TI patients had a lower hypoglycemia event rate than aspart patients (9.8 vs. 14.0 events/patient-month, P < 0.0001). Cough (generally mild) was the most frequent adverse event (31.6% with TI, 2.3% with aspart), leading to discontinuation in 5.7% of patients. Treatment group difference for mean change from baseline in forced expiratory volume in 1 s was small (40 mL) and disappeared upon TI discontinuation.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with type 1 diabetes receiving basal insulin, HbA1c reduction with TI was noninferior to that of aspart, with less hypoglycemia and less weight gain but increased incidence of cough.
Randomized Controlled Trial of Intensive Versus Conservative Glucose Control in Patients Undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery: GLUCO-CABG Trial
Authors: Umpierrez Guillermo , Cardona Saumeth , Pasquel Francisco , Jacobs Sol , Peng Limin , Unigwe Michael , Newton Christopher A. , Smiley-Byrd Dawn , Vellanki Priyathama , Halkos Michael , Puskas John D. , Guyton Robert A. , Thourani Vinod H.
Published: July 2015

OBJECTIVE

The optimal level of glycemic control needed to improve outcomes in cardiac surgery patients remains controversial.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We randomized patients with diabetes (n = 152) and without diabetes (n = 150) with hyperglycemia to an intensive glucose target of 100–140 mg/dL (n = 151) or to a conservative target of 141–180 mg/dL (n = 151) after coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) surgery. After the intensive care unit (ICU), patients received a single treatment regimen in the hospital and 90 days postdischarge. Primary outcome was differences in a composite of complications, including mortality, wound infection, pneumonia, bacteremia, respiratory failure, acute kidney injury, and major cardiovascular events.

RESULTS

Mean glucose in the ICU was 132 ± 14 mg/dL (interquartile range [IQR] 124–139) in the intensive and 154 ± 17 mg/dL (IQR 142–164) in the conservative group (P < 0.001). There were no significant differences in the composite of complications between intensive and conservative groups (42 vs. 52%, P = 0.08). We observed heterogeneity in treatment effect according to diabetes status, with no differences in complications among patients with diabetes treated with intensive or conservative regimens (49 vs. 48%, P = 0.87), but a significant lower rate of complications in patients without diabetes treated with intensive compared with conservative treatment regimen (34 vs. 55%, P = 0.008).

CONCLUSIONS

Intensive insulin therapy to target glucose of 100 and 140 mg/dL in the ICU did not significantly reduce perioperative complications compared with target glucose of 141 and 180 mg/dL after CABG surgery. Subgroup analysis showed a lower number of complications in patients without diabetes, but not in patients with diabetes treated with the intensive regimen. Large prospective randomized studies are needed to confirm these findings.
Antimicrobial and anti-oxidant potential of Periploca hydaspidis
Authors: Ullah Rafi , Bakht Jehan , Shafi Mohammad
Published: July 2015

The present study investigates antimicrobial and anti-oxidant potential of different solvent extracted samples from Periploca hydaspidis through disc diffusion assay. The data revealed that all the extracts reduced the growth of the tested microbes using three different concentrations. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and E. coli were sensitive to crude extracts and all fractions measuring varying degree of growth inhibition.  Similarly, the growth of Citrobacter freundii was not inhibited by crude methanolic extracts, n-hexane, ethyl acetate and aqueous extracted samples. Maximum growth inhibition was measured against Klebsiella pneumoniae exposed to aqueous fraction followed by n-hexane fraction. Our results also suggested that among various fungi, Candida albicans was sensitive to crude methanolic extracts, n-hexane and aqueous fractions compared with other fractions. The rest of the fungi under test were resistant to crude and all fractions showing no zone of inhibition. All the extracted samples of the stems and roots showed antioxidant activity, however, crude methanolic extract of stem tissues exhibited better antioxidant activity than the other extracts.
Mammalian Cell Surface Display as a Novel Method for Developing Engineered Lectins with Novel Characteristics
Authors: Soga Keisuke , Abo Hirohito , Qin Sheng-Ying , Kyoutou Takuya , Hiemori Keiko , Tateno Hiroaki , Matsumoto Naoki , Hirabayashi Jun , Yamamoto Kazuo
Published: July 2015

Leguminous lectins have a conserved carbohydrate recognition site comprising four loops (A–D). Here, we randomly mutated the sequence and length of loops C and D of peanut agglutinin (PNA) and expressed the proteins on the surface of mouse green fluorescent protein (GFP)-reporter cells. Flow cytometry, limiting dilution, and cDNA cloning were used to screen for several mutated PNAs with distinct properties. The mutated PNA clones obtained using NeuAcα2-6(Galβ1-3)GalNAc as a ligand showed preference for NeuAcα2-6(Galβ1-3)GalNAc rather than non-sialylated Galβ1-3GlcNAc, whereas wild-type PNA binds to Galβ1-3GlcNAc but not sialylated Galβ1-3GalNAc. Sequence analyses revealed that for all of the glycan-reactive mutated PNA clones, (i) loop C was eight amino acids in length, (ii) loop D was identical to that of wild-type PNA, (iii) residue 127 was asparagine, (iv) residue 125 was tryptophan, and (v) residue 130 was hydrophobic tyrosine, phenylalanine, or histidine. The sugar-binding ability of wild-type PNA was increased nine-fold when Tyr125 was mutated to tryptophan, and that of mutated clone C was increased more than 30-fold after His130 was changed to tyrosine. These results provide an insight into the relationship between the amino acid sequences of the carbohydrate recognition site and sugar-binding abilities of leguminous lectins.
Fairness and Trust in Structured Populations
Authors: Tarnita Corina
Published: July 2015

Classical economic theory assumes that people are rational and selfish, but behavioral experiments often point to inconsistent behavior, typically attributed to “other regarding preferences.” The Ultimatum Game, used to study fairness, and the Trust Game, used to study trust and trustworthiness, have been two of the most influential and well-studied examples of inconsistent behavior. Recently, evolutionary biologists have attempted to explain the evolution of such preferences using evolutionary game theoretic models. While deterministic evolutionary game theoretic models agree with the classical economics predictions, recent stochastic approaches that include uncertainty and the possibility of mistakes have been successful in accounting for both the evolution of fairness and the evolution of trust. Here I explore the role of population structure by generalizing and expanding these existing results to the case of non-random interactions. This is a natural extension since such interactions do not occur randomly in the daily lives of individuals. I find that, in the limit of weak selection, population structure increases the space of fair strategies that are selected for but it has little-to-no effect on the optimum strategy played in the Ultimatum Game. In the Trust Game, in the limit of weak selection, I find that some amount of trust and trustworthiness can evolve even in a well-mixed population; however, the optimal strategy, although trusting if the return on investment is sufficiently high, is never trustworthy. Population structure biases selection towards strategies that are both trusting and trustworthy trustworthy and reduces the critical return threshold, but, much like in the case of fairness, it does not affect the winning strategy. Further considering the effects of reputation and structure, I find that they act synergistically to promote the evolution of trustworthiness.
Deregulated SLC2A1 Promotes Tumor Cell Proliferation and Metastasis in Gastric Cancer
Authors: Yan Shiyan , Wang Yuqin , Chen Meimei , Li Guangming , Fan Jiangao
Published: July 2015

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the common reasons of cancer-related death with few biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis. Solute carrier family 2 (facilitated glucose transporter) member 1 protein SLC2A1, also known as glucose transporter type 1 (GLUT1), has been associated with tumor progression, metastasis, and poor prognosis in many human solid tumors. However, little is reported about its clinical significance and biological functions in GC. Here we observed a strong up-regulation of SLC2A1 in patients with GC and found that SLC2A1 was significantly correlated with depth of invasion and clinical stage. Additionally, over-expression of SLC2A1 in GC cells promotes cellular proliferation and metastasis in vitro and enhances tumor growth in vivo as well as enhancement of glucose utilization. Meanwhile, elevated SLC2A1 also contributes to tumor metastasis in vitro. Our results indicate SLC2A1 exhibits a pivotal role in tumor growth, metastasis and glucose metabolism, and also suggest SLC2A1 as a promising target for gastric cancer therapy.
Baicalin Protects Mice from Aristolochic Acid I-Induced Kidney Injury by Induction of CYP1A through the Aromatic Hydrocarbon Receptor
Authors: Wang Ke , Feng Chenchen , Li Chenggang , Yao Jun , Xie Xiaofeng , Gong Likun , Luan Yang , Xing Guozhen , Zhu Xue , Qi Xinming , Ren Jin
Published: July 2015

Exposure to aristolochic acid I (AAI) can lead to aristolochic acid nephropathy (AAN), Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN) and urothelial cancer. The induction of hepatic CYP1A, especially CYP1A2, was considered to detoxify AAI so as to reduce its nephrotoxicity. We previously found that baicalin had the strong ability to induce CYP1A2 expression; therefore in this study, we examined the effects of baicalin on AAI toxicity, metabolism and disposition, as well as investigated the underlying mechanisms. Our toxicological studies showed that baicalin reduced the levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (CRE) in AAI-treated mice and attenuated renal injury induced by AAI. Pharmacokinetic analysis demonstrated that baicalin markedly decreased AUC of AAI in plasma and the content of AAI in liver and kidney. CYP1A induction assays showed that baicalin exposure significantly increased the hepatic expression of CYP1A1/2, which was completely abolished by inhibitors of the Aromatic hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), 3ʹ,4ʹ-dimethoxyflavone and resveratrol, in vitro and in vivo, respectively. Moreover, the luciferase assays revealed that baicalin significantly increased the luciferase activity of the reporter gene incorporated with the Xenobiotic response elements recognized by AhR. In summary, baicalin significantly reduced the disposition of AAI and ameliorated AAI-induced kidney toxicity through AhR-dependent CYP1A1/2 induction in the liver.
Processing and Properties of Zirconia-Toughened Alumina Prepared by Gelcasting
Authors: Abbas Salam , Maleksaeedi Saeed , Kolos Elizabeth , Ruys Andrew
Published: July 2015

Zirconia-toughened alumina (ZTA) using yttria-stabilised zirconia is a good option for ceramic-ceramic bearing couples for hip joint replacement. Gelcasting is a colloidal processing technique capable of producing complex products with a range of dimensions and materials by a relatively low-cost production process. Using gelcasting, ZTA samples were prepared, optimising the stages of fabrication, including slurry preparation with varying solid loadings, moulding and de-moulding, drying and sintering. Density, hardness, fracture toughness, flexural strength and grain size were observed relative to slurry solid loadings between 58 and 62 vol. %, as well as sintering temperatures of 1550 °C and 1650 °C. Optimal conditions found were plastic mould, 4000 g/mol PEG with 30 vol. % concentration, 61% solid loading and Ts = 1550 °C. ZTA samples of high density (maximum 99.1%), high hardness (maximum 1902 HV), high fracture toughness (maximum 5.43 MPa m1/2) and high flexural strength (maximum 618 MPa) were successfully prepared by gelcasting and pressureless sintering.
Enantioselective Solvent-Free Synthesis of 3-Alkyl-3-hydroxy-2-oxoindoles Catalyzed by Binam-Prolinamides
Authors: Bañn-Caballero Abraham , Flores-Ferrándiz Jesús , Guillena Gabriela , Nájera Carmen
Published: July 2015

BINAM-prolinamides are very efficient catalyst for the synthesis of non-protected and N-benzyl isatin derivatives by using an aldol reaction between ketones and isatins under solvent-free conditions. The results in terms of diastereo- and enantioselectivities are good, up to 99% de and 97% ee, and higher to those previously reported in the literature under similar reaction conditions. A high variation of the results is observed depending on the structure of the isatin and the ketone used in the process. While 90% of ee and 97% ee, respectively, is obtained by using (Ra)-BINAM-l-(bis)prolinamide as catalyst in the addition of cyclohexanone and α-methoxyacetone to free isatin, 90% ee is achieved for the reaction between N-benzyl isatin and acetone using N-tosyl BINAM-l-prolinamide as catalyst. This reaction is also carried out using a silica BINAM-l-prolinamide supported catalyst under solvent-free conditions, which can be reused up to five times giving similar results.
Are BMI and Sedentariness Correlated? A Multilevel Study in Children
Authors: Gomes Thayse , Katzmarzyk Peter , Santos Fernanda , De Chaves Raquel , Santos Daniel , Pereira Sara , Champagne Catherine , Hedeker Donald , Maia José
Published: July 2015

The purpose of this research was to investigate the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and sedentariness (Sed) in children and to examine the influence of child and school correlates on their variation. The sample comprises 580 children (337 girls, 9–11 years). Sedentariness was assessed with an accelerometer, and BMI was computed. Child- and school-level covariates were analyzed using multilevel models. No significant correlation between Sed and BMI was found. School context explains 5% and 1.5% of the total variance in Sed and BMI, respectively. At the child level, only moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was associated with both Sed (β = −0.02 ± 0.002) and BMI (β = −0.005 ± 0.002). Sleep time is related to Sed (β = −0.42 ± 0.04), while sex (β = 1.97 ± 0.13), biological maturity (β = 1.25 ± 0.07), media in the bedroom (β = 0.26 ± 0.08) and healthy (β = −0.09 ± 0.03) and unhealthy (β = −0.07 ± 0.04) diet scores were associated with BMI. None of the school-level covariates were related to BMI, but access to cafeteria (β = −0.97 ± 0.25), playground equipment (β = −0.67 ± 0.20) and restaurants (β = 0.16 ± 0.08) were related to Sed. In conclusion, Sed and BMI were not correlated. Further, they have different correlates, while children’s traits seem to play more relevant roles in their differences in Sed and BMI than the school milieu. This information should be taken into account when strategies to reduce Sed and BMI are implemented.
From Self-Assembled Monolayers to Coatings: Advances in the Synthesis and Nanobio Applications of Polymer Brushes
Authors: Kim Myungwoong , Schmitt Samantha , Choi Jonathan , Krutty John , Gopalan Padma
Published: July 2015

In this review, we describe the latest advances in synthesis, characterization, and applications of polymer brushes. Synthetic advances towards well-defined polymer brushes, which meet criteria such as: (i) Efficient and fast grafting, (ii) Applicability on a wide range of substrates; and (iii) Precise control of surface initiator concentration and hence, chain density are discussed. On the characterization end advances in methods for the determination of relevant physical parameters such as surface initiator concentration and grafting density are discussed. The impact of these advances specifically in emerging fields of nano- and bio-technology where interfacial properties such as surface energies are controlled to create nanopatterned polymer brushes and their implications in mediating with biological systems is discussed.
Methods and Tools for Robust Optimal Control of Batch Chromatographic Separation Processes
Authors: Holmqvist Anders , Andersson Christian , Magnusson Fredrik , Åkesson Johan
Published: July 2015

This contribution concerns the development of generic methods and tools for robust optimal control of high-pressure liquid chromatographic separation processes. The proposed methodology exploits a deterministic robust formulation, that employs a linearization of the uncertainty set, based on Lyapunov differential equations to generate optimal elution trajectories in the presence of uncertainty. Computational tractability is obtained by casting the robust counterpart problem in the framework of bilevel optimal control where the upper level concerns forward simulation of the Lyapunov differential equation, and the nominal open-loop optimal control problem augmented with the robustified target component purity inequality constraint margin is considered in the lower level. The lower-level open-loop optimal control problem, constrained by spatially discretized partial differential equations, is transcribed into a finite dimensional nonlinear program using direct collocation, which is then solved by a primal-dual interior point method. The advantages of the robustification strategy are highlighted through the solution of a challenging ternary complex mixture separation problem for a hydrophobic interaction chromatography system. The study shows that penalizing the changes in the zero-order hold control gives optimal solutions with low sensitivity to uncertainty. A key result is that the robustified general elution trajectories outperformed the conventional linear trajectories both in terms of recovery yield and robustness.
Downscaling Snow Cover Fraction Data in Mountainous Regions Based on Simulated Inhomogeneous Snow Ablation
Authors: Li Hong , He Yong , Hao Xiao , Che Tao , Wang Jian , Huang Xiao
Published: July 2015

High-resolution snow distributions are essential for studying cold regions. However, the temporal and spatial resolutions of current remote sensing snow maps remain limited. Remotely sensed snow cover fraction (SCF) data only provide quantitative descriptions of snow area proportions and do not provide information on subgrid-scale snow locations. We present a downscaling method based on simulated inhomogeneous snow ablation capacities that are driven by air temperature and solar radiation data. This method employs a single parameter to adjust potential snow ablation capacities. Using this method, SCF data with a resolution of 500 m are downscaled to a resolution of 30 m. Then, 18 remotely sensed TM, CHRIS and EO-1 snow maps are used to verify the downscaled results. The mean overall accuracy is 0.69, the average root-mean-square error (RMSE) of snow-covered slopes between the downscaled snow map and the real snow map is 3.9°, and the average RMSE of the sine of the snow covered aspects between the downscaled snow map and the real snow map is 0.34, which is equivalent to 19.9°. This method can be applied to high-resolution snow mapping in similar mountainous regions.
Classification of Multi-Frequency Polarimetric SAR Images Based on Multi-Linear Subspace Learning of Tensor Objects
Authors: Liu Chun , Yin Junjun , Yang Jian , Gao Wei
Published: July 2015

One key problem for the classification of multi-frequency polarimetric SAR images is to extract target features simultaneously in the aspects of frequency, polarization and spatial texture. This paper proposes a new classification method for multi-frequency polarimetric SAR data based on tensor representation and multi-linear subspace learning (MLS). Firstly, each cell of the SAR images is represented by a third-order tensor in the frequency, polarization and spatial domains, with each order of tensor corresponding to one domain. Then, two main MLS methods, i.e., multi-linear principal component analysis (MPCA) and multi-linear extension of linear discriminant analysis (MLDA), are used to learn the third-order tensors. MPCA is used to analyze the principal component of the tensors. MLDA is applied to improve the discrimination between different land covers. Finally, the lower dimension subtensor features extracted by the MPCA and MLDA algorithms are classified with a neural network (NN) classifier. The classification scheme is accessed using multi-band polarimetric SAR images (C-, L- and P-band) acquired by the Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (AIRSAR) sensor of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) over the Flevoland area. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method has good classification performance in comparison with the classic multi-band Wishart classifier. The overall classification accuracy is close to 99%, even when the number of training samples is small.
Marginalised Stacked Denoising Autoencoders for Robust Representation of Real-Time Multi-View Action Recognition
Authors: Gu Feng , Flórez-Revuelta Francisco , Monekosso Dorothy , Remagnino Paolo
Published: July 2015

Multi-view action recognition has gained a great interest in video surveillance, human computer interaction, and multimedia retrieval, where multiple cameras of different types are deployed to provide a complementary field of views. Fusion of multiple camera views evidently leads to more robust decisions on both tracking multiple targets and analysing complex human activities, especially where there are occlusions. In this paper, we incorporate the marginalised stacked denoising autoencoders (mSDA) algorithm to further improve the bag of words (BoWs) representation in terms of robustness and usefulness for multi-view action recognition. The resulting representations are fed into three simple fusion strategies as well as a multiple kernel learning algorithm at the classification stage. Based on the internal evaluation, the codebook size of BoWs and the number of layers of mSDA may not significantly affect recognition performance. According to results on three multi-view benchmark datasets, the proposed framework improves recognition performance across all three datasets and outputs record recognition performance, beating the state-of-art algorithms in the literature. It is also capable of performing real-time action recognition at a frame rate ranging from 33 to 45, which could be further improved by using more powerful machines in future applications.
Evaluation of Fear Using Nonintrusive Measurement of Multimodal Sensors
Authors: Choi Jong-Suk , Bang Jae , Heo Hwan , Park Kang
Published: July 2015

Most previous research into emotion recognition used either a single modality or multiple modalities of physiological signal. However, the former method allows for limited enhancement of accuracy, and the latter has the disadvantages that its performance can be affected by head or body movements. Further, the latter causes inconvenience to the user due to the sensors attached to the body. Among various emotions, the accurate evaluation of fear is crucial in many applications, such as criminal psychology, intelligent surveillance systems and the objective evaluation of horror movies. Therefore, we propose a new method for evaluating fear based on nonintrusive measurements obtained using multiple sensors. Experimental results based on the t-test, the effect size and the sum of all of the correlation values with other modalities showed that facial temperature and subjective evaluation are more reliable than electroencephalogram (EEG) and eye blinking rate for the evaluation of fear.
La montagne du Vuache (Jura méridional): un exemple de structure géologique d'apparence simple mais de formation complexe
Authors: Blondel Thierry
Published: July 2015

Structure originale par sa forme et son orientation au regard des plis classiques jurassiens, la montagne du Vuache nous livre, après une observation géologique et tectonique détaillée, quelques-uns des secrets sur sa mise en place. Une fracture de grande importance, tant d'un point de vue géologique que géographique, longe le flanc occidental de ce chaînon. L'étude structurale de cette zone a permis de mettre en évidence, pour le Cénozoïque, au moins quatre phases de contraintes en extension ou en compression ; celles-ci ont engendré successivement des mouvements verticaux normaux, puis inverse, et enfin latéraux sénestres.

Ainsi, la montagne du Vuache, sous une apparence actuelle simple, s'avère être un merveilleux outil de travail pour la compréhension des phénomènes géologiques liés à l'orogenèse alpine.
Katrina ou l'art de transformer un risque "naturel" en catastrophe urbaine
Authors: Mancebo François
Published: July 2015

Résumé : La meilleure politique est inutile si elle reste lettre morte. Sa faisabilité est une question aussi importante que ses objectifs. Or, ce que les gens perçoivent de leur environnement donne donc lieu à un travail de négociation et d'interprétation de la réalité qui doit être au cœur de la gestion des risques si l'on veut que celle-ci présente un minimum d'efficacité. Cela signifie qu'il n'existe, en fait, ni risques naturels, ni catastrophes naturelles. La question de l'acceptabilité du risque et son intégration dans les politiques d'aménagement sont en jeu ici. Elle est abordée à partir du cyclone Katrina à la Nouvelle-Orléans.
"Mon regard distrait erre sur les rives du lac de Lugano... " II Ticino di Elisée Reclus
Authors: Fosanelli Ivano
Published: July 2015

Abstract : During his two years stay in Ticino, from April 1872, until July 1874, Elisée Reclus, a French geographer completed the defined outline for the editing and publication of the Nouvelle Géographie Universelle from a scientific point of view. Various passages, referring to our region, can befound in this major work which are the result of the personal experiences of the author. This contribution begins with an interesting discovery : that of probably some unpublished pages, inspired by the vision of the lake of Lugano, written in Pazzallo in April 1873.
La civilisation de la vigne et du châtaigner dans le Malcantone : retour vers le futur
Authors: Guindani Silvio
Published: July 2015

Résumé : L'article se propose d'analyser l'interaction entre la société, le paysage et l'identité territoriale dans la région du Malcantone (Tessin, Suisse) en mettant particulièrement l'accent sur deux éléments qui ont fortement caractérisé la région : les pratiques vitivinicoles, d'une part, et la mise en valeur du châtaigner, de l'autre. Après une phase de désintérêt et d'abandon, ces activités sont aujourd'hui remises en valeur, dans le contexte d'une nouvelle dynamique territoriale de nature économique, environnementale, paysagère et culturelle. L 'article met en exergue une forme de réhabilitation du «passé » qui se greffe sur la réalité présente et se tourne aussi vers l'avenir.
La préhistoire des Alpes : enjeux scientifiques, méthodes et perspectives de la recherche
Authors: Della Casa Philippe
Published: July 2015

Abstract : Any account on the prehistory of the Alps has to start by addressing some fundamental research questions and issues. The specific spaciotemporal Alpine entities formed by ecological, economical, and cultural constraints can only be understood through a differentiated and fundamentally pluridisciplinary approach. Both archaeological and palaeoecological data, necessary to investigate the complex processes of colonization, seulement and use of the Alpine territory and resources, need a critical and targeted acquisition. Even if it is possible to draw a scénario of a progressive colonization of the Alpine region throughout Prehistory, many questions remain unanswered, in particular regarding interactions between climate and human activity.
Air, climat et territoires dans la région genevoise transfrontalière : à la recherche d'un meilleur cadre de vie
Authors: Stein Véronique , Ait-Bouziad Idriss
Published: July 2015

Abstract : How are the three domains of air quality, climate and territories approached in the France-Vaud-Geneva agglomération ? In terms of the main environmental issues today, what are the main views ? Which solutions are considered and how to apply them ?A brief introduction defines the current perspectives in terms ofthe management of Geneva's cross-border territory and of environmental issues ; this paper then gives a voice to the stakeholders in the area, refering to the main results of a research project led by members of the Geography department ofthe Univers ity of Geneva.
Territorialiser les flux touristiques : les exemples du Grosses Walsertal (Autriche) et du Val d’Hérens (Suisse)
Authors: Del Biaggio Cristina , Petite Mathieu
Published: July 2015

Ce texte se concentre sur les stratégies touristiques que des acteurs locaux alpins mettent en place pour " faire territoire". Il montre comment le phénomène touristique peut engendrer des processus structurant le territoire. Cette territorialisation des flux touristiques s'appuie non seulement sur des phénomènes endogènes, mais découle également de la constitution de réseaux liant les acteurs locaux à d'autres acteurs locaux, situés en d'autres lieux. Les cas du Grosses Walsertal (Autriche) et du Val d'Hérens (Suisse) illustrent ce propos.
Voyage et littérature : L'Italie de Hermann Hesse
Authors: Lévy Bertrand
Published: July 2015

Hermann Hesse (1877-1962) a parcouru l''Italie du Nord et du Centre au début du XXe siècle. Nous retraçons ses itinéraires et examinons les valeurs symboliques associées aux lieux et aux paysages visités. Nous comparons sa démarche romanesque (" Peter Camenzind") à celle de ses Carnets de voyage en mettant en relation ses écrits avec son espace vécu. Nous comparons son code linguistique et culturel germanique avec celui de Jean Giono dans son " Voyage en Italie".
Sur les frontières de la République d’Arménie
Authors: De Sinety Renaud
Published: July 2015

Bien que le " Rideau de fer" soit tombé et que les relations diplomatiques arméno-turques tendent à se normaliser depuis l’accord signé le 10 octobre 2009, l’Arménie reste un pays très enclavé. Plus de 80% de ses frontières sont fermées par ses voisins turcophones d’Azerbaïdjan, du Nakhitchevan et de Turquie. Et pour cause, leur tracé a été bouleversé par la guerre que se sont livrée Arméniens et Azéris entre 1988 et 1994, alors que l’Europe avait les yeux braqués sur le chaos yougoslave. Pour appréhender au plus près son territoire et rendre compte de la complexité de sa situation géopolitique, l’auteur a préféré le train pour rejoindre Erevan depuis La Rochelle, et le vélo pour longer ses frontières.
Métropole et littérature : image et identité de Porto et Lisbonne chez Miguel Torga (1907-1996)
Authors: Lévy Bertrand
Published: July 2015

L’article met en relief l’image et l’identité urbaines de Porto et Lisbonne telles qu’elles ressortent dans la littérature de Miguel Torga, écrivain portugais majeur du XXe siècle. Les thèmes suivants sont abordés : la comparaison entre les métropoles, l’espace vécu de l’auteur, le paysage urbain des deux villes, leurs spécialités respectives et leur rapport aux autres régions du Portugal.
Alternative vs Polar Questions: the cornering effect
Authors: Biezma Maria
Published: July 2015

No abstract.
Hungarian focus is not exhausted
Authors: Onea Edgar , Beaver David
Published: July 2015

No abstract.
ASYMPTOTIC INTEGRATION OF FRACTIONAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS WITH INTEGRODIFFERENTIAL RIGHT-HAND SIDE
Authors: Medved Milan , Pospisil Michal
Published: July 2015

In this paper we deal with the problem of asymptotic integration of a class of fractional differential equations of the Caputo type. The left-hand side of such type of equation is the Caputo derivative of the fractional order r ∈ (n − 1, n) of the solution, and the right-hand side depends not only on ordinary derivatives up to order n − 1 but also on the Caputo derivatives of fractional orders 0 < r
1
< · · · < r
m
< r, and the Riemann–Liouville fractional integrals of positive orders. We give some conditions under which for any global solution x(t) of the equation, there is a constant c ∈ R such that x(t) = ctR + o(tR) as t → ∞, where R = max{n − 1, r
m
}.
Невролупус
Authors: Бундовска Смилјана , Кузмановска Дафина
Published: July 2015

Системски лупус еритематозус (СЛЕ) не е невообичаена состојба. Повеќето невролози се свесни дека тaa може да предизвика широк спектар на невролошки компликации, и СЛЕ речиси секогаш се појавува на листа на "диференцијална дијагноза“ во случаи на клиничка несигурност. Сепак, точната природа на манифестациите на СЛЕ во централниот и периферниот нервен систем е можеби помалку разбрана, и заблудите за феноменот и третманот се чести. Ќе бидат разгледани некои од главните примарни невролошки компликации на СЛЕ - 'невролупус' - земјќи во обзир дека второстепените проблеми во врска со други последици од СЛЕ (на пример, хипертензивна болест на ЦНС појава како резултат на бубрежен лупус) не се ниту помалку сериозни ниту пак може полесно да се лекуваат.
Cálculo retrospectivo del coeficiente de balasto horizontal a partir de mediciones de desplazamientos en pantallas del Metro de Sevilla
Authors: Arozamena P. , Jaramillo A. , Oteo C.
Published: July 2015

En este artículo se presenta un ábaco con los valores del coeficiente de balasto horizontal para el cálculo de pantallas en Sevilla. Dichos valores se han extrapolado a partir del comportamiento real en obra de las pantallas, medido con inclinómetros, durante las distintas fases de excavación. Se realiza de inicio un análisis primario utilizando los programas de cálculo Plaxis, Rido y Cype y los valores del coeficiente de balasto de Chadeisson. La comparación y discusión de los resultados obtenidos nos lleva a concluir que los cálculos habituales con Rido y Cype no son fiables para predecir adecuadamente el comportamiento real de las pantallas. Por eso se realiza un análisis paramétrico, variando los valores del coeficiente de balasto, hasta dar con aquéllos que mejor reproducen la realidad medida. Los resultados alcanzados se sintetizan en forma de ábaco para que lo aprendido con la experiencia pueda ser aplicado en futuros trabajos.
Hacia una taxonomía constructiva de las tapias de tierra y fábricas encofradas históricas
Authors: Gil-Crespo I. J. , Maldonado-Ramos L.
Published: July 2015

El objetivo fundamental de la investigación es el estudio de los fundamentos constructivos de las fábricas históricas de tapia de tierra y mampostería encofrada de las fortificaciones bajomedievales. Ante las incertidumbres detectadas en la datación de estas estructuras y frente al excesivo número de excepciones que quedan fuera de las clasificaciones tradicionalmente empleadas para estudiar este tipo de técnicas, el artículo desarrolla una propuesta de tipología o taxonomía constructiva basada en un sistema abierto. Este sistema nace del análisis de un número significativo de fábricas y atiende a diversos parámetros de control para la completa caracterización de cada fábrica: material, grado de compactación, función constructiva, encofrado, acabado superficial, combinación de materiales y situación, profundidad, formación y sección de los agujales. Cada fábrica se clasifica mediante una etiqueta alfanumérica. El sistema permite establecer tipos constructivos con los que se genera una clasificación cronotipológica constructiva.
Respite Tourism for Family Caregivers
Authors: Holda Robert
Published: July 2015

One of the most misunderstood and unappreciated segments of society in relation to medical tourism is the family caregiver; those caring for a loved one who sacrifice their own employment schedule, their personal time for relaxing and recreation, and often and importantly their own health. The purpose of this chapter is to raise awareness of the plight of family caregivers as an issue for medical tourism, the effects of stress and burnout, and the essential need for respite of body, mind, and spirit for these central assistants in the matter of healthcare for patients. Though healthcare and its subset, medical tourism, are frequently perceived as focused on a “patient”, they also encompass many other individuals and organizations. As addressed here, the focus is on the family member caring for a loved one. The intent is to link the concept of medical tourism as an avenue for relaxation and respite to enhance the wellness of this specific target market.
Electronic Customer Relationship Management (E-CRM) Practices of Micro, Small, and Medium Scale Enterprises in Ghana
Authors: Baah-Ofori Rebecca , Amoako George Kofi
Published: July 2015

This book chapter is aimed at finding out how SMEs in Ghana employ electronic customer relationship management (E-CRM) to improve their business performance.Case studies were used and five companies were selected and their managers interviewed. The study found that there is a growing awareness among SME owners about social media platforms. It also found that SME owners use such platforms for marketing and e-CRM purposes. The most reported social platforms used for e-CRM were found to be Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram. Regarding the effectiveness of these platforms for marketing and e-CRM, the SME owners interviewed intimated that they are fast, convenient, and cost effective marketing platforms. This study concludes that SMEs in Ghana are aware of and use mostly free internet platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram for e-CRM. Specifically, SMEs use such platforms to share information with clients and build and maintain relationships.
The Role of Primary Health Care in Prevention, Early Detection, and Control of Cancer
Authors: Bahkali Salwa , Househ Mowafa , Bawazir Amin , Khalifa Mohamed , Sheikh Mohamud
Published: July 2015

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, and the incidence is growing. Recent evidence shows a reduced risk of dying from cancer. For years Primary Health Care (PHC) has played a vital role in promoting health, but little has been done in emphasizing its role in reducing the incidence of and mortality from cancer through performing early diagnosis. PHC is directly involved in the initial diagnosis of more than 85% of all cancer cases worldwide (Vedsted & Olesen, 2009). PHC also has an important role in the public awareness about the importance of screening, especially in high-risk patient groups. The interaction between the patient and the health service is crucial in ensuring that relevant alarming symptoms are presented and that action is taken at the earliest possible time. This chapter aims to explore the role of primary healthcare in the prevention, early detection, and control of cancer in a developing nation - Saudi Arabia.
Harnessing Non-Communicable Diseases
Authors: Albawardi Nada M.
Published: July 2015

Public health services in the developing world have predominately focused on curative rather than preventive strategies for managing communicable diseases. Non-communicable diseases however have now emerged as the leading threat to the health and socio-economic prosperity of these nations. The rising incidence of non-communicable diseases in Saudi Arabia and other Arabian Gulf countries now affects younger populations causing longer periods of ill health and decreased labour output. Prevention is vital in battling non-communicable diseases and reducing the strain on the health care system. Almost all non-communicable diseases share modifiable risk factors that require the attention of health care and other sectors to introduce greater preventive measures. This chapter will discuss factors contributing to the obstacles the health systems of countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council face in meeting the growing burden of non-communicable diseases and the steps taken to meet these challenges.
Medical Image Fusion in Wavelet and Ridgelet Domains
Authors: Bhateja Vikrant , Krishn Abhinav , Patel Himanshi , Sahu Akanksha
Published: July 2015

Medical image fusion facilitates the retrieval of complementary information from medical images and has been employed diversely for computer-aided diagnosis of life threatening diseases. Fusion has been performed using various approaches such as Pyramidal, Multi-resolution, multi-scale etc. Each and every approach of fusion depicts only a particular feature (i.e. the information content or the structural properties of an image). Therefore, this paper presents a comparative analysis and evaluation of multi-modal medical image fusion methodologies employing wavelet as a multi-resolution approach and ridgelet as a multi-scale approach. The current work tends to highlight upon the utility of these approaches according to the requirement of features in the fused image. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) based fusion algorithm has been employed in both ridgelet and wavelet domains for purpose of minimisation of redundancies. Simulations have been performed for different sets of MR and CT-scan images taken from ‘The Whole Brain Atlas'. The performance evaluation has been carried out using different parameters of image quality evaluation like: Entropy (E), Fusion Factor (FF), Structural Similarity Index (SSIM) and Edge Strength (QFAB). The outcome of this analysis highlights the trade-off between the retrieval of information content and the morphological details in finally fused image in wavelet and ridgelet domains.
Attract-Repulse Fireworks Algorithm and its CUDA Implementation Using Dynamic Parallelism
Authors: Ding Ke , Tan Ying
Published: July 2015

Fireworks Algorithm (FWA) is a recently developed Swarm Intelligence Algorithm (SIA), which has been successfully used in diverse domains. When applied to complicated problems, many function evaluations are needed to obtain an acceptable solution. To address this critical issue, a GPU-based variant (GPU-FWA) was proposed to greatly accelerate the optimization procedure of FWA. Thanks to the active studies on FWA and GPU computing, many advances have been achieved since GPU-FWA. In this paper, a novel GPU-based FWA variant, Attract-Repulse FWA (AR-FWA), is proposed. AR-FWA introduces an efficient adaptive search mechanism (AFW Search) and a non-uniform mutation strategy for spark generation. Compared to the state-of-the-art FWA variants, AR-FWA can greatly improve the performance on complicated multimodal problems. Leveraging the edge-cutting dynamic parallelism mechanism provided by CUDA, AR-FWA can be implemented on the GPU easily and efficiently.
Thermal Conductivity of Aluminum Particle Filled High Density Polyethylene Composites – Particle Size Effect
Authors: Evgin Tuba , Tavman Ismail Hakkı
Published: July 2015

The aim of the experimental study is to determine thermal conductivity of composites as a function of volume fraction and size of aluminum (Al) particles. High density polyethylene (HDPE) were filled with Al particles that have different particle sizes, 80 nm and 40-80 μm. Nanocomposites were prepared by the melt-mixing technique at various volume fractions (up to 33%). Thermal conductivity of polymer composites has been measured by C-Therm thermal analyzer depending on the modified transient plane source technique. Thermal conductivity of HDPE/Al composites increases by increasing volume fraction of Al in HDPE matrix. It is found that size of Al particles hasn’t significant effect on thermal conductivity, thermal conductivity of HDPE/Al (80 nm) is close to thermal conductivity of HDPE/Al (40-80 μm).
Investigation of Surface Roughness and Material Removal Rate for High Speed Micro End Milling on PMMA
Authors: Atiqah Nur , Ali Mohammad Yeakub , Mohamed Abdul Rahman , Chowdhury Md. Sazzad Hossein
Published: July 2015

Micro end milling is one of the most important micromachining process and widely used for producing miniaturized components with high accuracy and surface finish. This paper present the influence of three micro end milling process parameters; spindle speed, feed rate, and depth of cut on surface roughness (Ra) and material removal rate (MRR). The machining was performed using multi-process micro machine tools (DT-110 Mikrotools Inc., Singapore) with poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA) as the workpiece and tungsten carbide as its tool. To develop the mathematical model for the responses in high speed micro end milling machining, Taguchi design has been used to design the experiment by using the orthogonal array of three levels L18 (21×37). The developed models were used for multiple response optimizations by desirability function approach to obtain minimum Ra and maximum MRR. The optimized values of Ra and MRR were 128.24 nm, and 0.0463 mg/min, respectively obtained at spindle speed of 30000 rpm, feed rate of 2.65 mm/min, and depth of cut of 40 μm. The analysis of variance revealed that spindle speeds are the most influential parameters on Ra. The optimization of MRR is mostly influence by feed rate.
Keywords:Micromilling,surfaceroughness,MRR,PMMA