bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Therapy Outcome Case Study Applying Formal Theory’s Concepts: Revamping Psychology into The Science of Conflict Resolution, The Moral Science
Authors: Levis Albert , Levis Max
Published: November 2019

Introduction: This case study presents utilization of the Formal Theory’s (FT) conceptual and technological innovations. FT defines the unconscious as a homeostatic conflict resolution entity abiding by the laws of physics. This study utilizes the Conflict Analysis Battery (CAB), a manualized self-assessment that is based on the FT. Prior research evidences that CAB is didactic, diagnostic, and therapeutic.Methods: Study presents a case-record of a 32-year-old female with a history of psychiatric hospitalizations. Patient completed CAB two-times over the course of 16 outpatient sessions. Outcome is documented through the patient’s drawings and statements comparing how the patient felt before and after, symptom record, statements by the patient upon the end of therapy, and transcripts contrasting the two CAB completions.Results: Evidence suggests the efficacy of CAB model. In contrast to her previous failed treatments (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and psychopharmaceutical therapies) the patient experiences significant clinical improvement after 16 sessions. Improvements are observed to be enduring over time. The study examines four factors influencing the successful outcome: changes in the conceptualization of the unconscious, wellness diagnostic categories compared to DSM5 illness diagnoses, the therapeutic effectiveness of the manual-driven self-assessment compared to CBT and finally changes in the patient-therapist relationship.
Sauciuc et al. Imitation recognition 6-month old infants
Authors: Sauciuc Gabriela-Alina , Zlakowska Jagoda , Persson Tomas , Lenninger Sara , Madsen Elainie Alenkaer
Published: November 2019

The experience of being imitated is theorised to be a driving force of infant social cognition, yet evidence on the emergence of imitation recognition and the effects of imitation in early infancy is disproportionately scarce. To address this lack of empirical evidence, in a within-subjects study we compared the responses of 6-month old infants when exposed to ipsilateral imitation as opposed to non-imitative contingent responding. To examine mediating mechanisms of imitation recognition, infants were also exposed to contralateral imitation and bodily imitation with suppressed emotional mimicry. We found that testing behaviours - the hallmark of high-level imitation recognition - occurred at significantly higher rates in each of the imitation conditions compared to the contingent responding condition. Moreover, when being imitated, infants showed higher levels of attention, smiling and approach behaviours compared to the contingent responding condition. The suppression of emotional mimicry moderated these results, leading to a decrease in all social responsiveness measures. The results show that imitation engenders prosocial effects in 6-month old infants and that infants at this age reliably show evidence of implicit and high-level imitation recognition. In turn, the latter can be indicative of infants’ sensitivity to others’ intentions directed towards them.
Standard enthalpy of formation of selenium stannite Cu2FeSnSe4
Authors: Baranov A. V. , Stolyarova T. A. , Brichkina E. A. , Osadchii E. G.
Published: November 2019

The calorimetric determination of the standard enthalpy of formation of Cu2FeSnSe4 selenium stannite (CITSe) was carried out for the first time. This compound in its pure form does not occur in nature, but is a promising functional material (direct-gap semiconductor) and is used in photovoltaics to create solar cells as an alternative to silicon. The standard enthalpy of Cu2FeSnSe4 formation was obtained by measuring the heat of its formation from the elements in the calorimeter according to the reaction 2Cu + Fe + Sn + 4Se Cu2FeSnSe4. As a result, the standard enthalpy of formation is detrmined: ∆fH0298.15K(Cu2FeSnSe4) = (254.11 3.96) kJ/mol.
Leisure-Time Activities Including Children with Special Needs: A Research Overview
Authors: Lundbäck Birgitta , Fälth Linda
Published: November 2019

In Sweden and the other Scandinavian countries children are offered a curricular based combination of care and teaching before and after compulsory school hours. These leisure time centers, so-called fritidshem, are offered to children aged between 6 and 12 whose parents’ study or work, as well as to children that require special development support. The aim of this systematic literature review was to investigate how similar activities are described in international research. The focus was on children aged 6-12 who have been assessed to need special support. The initial step in this literature survey was the reading of 108 abstracts from academic articles. The second step included 21 articles that were read in their entirety. Fourteen of them met the sampling criteria and were included in the result section. The Nordic model combines care and curricular activities before and after compulsory school hours. In other countries activities taking place after school hours are separated into activities meeting children’s need of care and activities supplementing school. Another result that became clear in this research is the need of further studies to map pre- and after-school activities where children are simultaneously offered development support and care, with special focus on children in need of extra support.
The Effects of Using Oregano and L-Carnitine on Second Phase Laying Performance Parameters of Force Molting Programs in Laying Hens
Authors: AKKAYA Abdil Burhaneddin , BAYRAM İsmail
Published: November 2019

This study was carried out to use Oregano leaf and L-carnitine as an

alternative feed additives in alfalfa flour or low Sodium-Calcium (Na-Ca) diet

and to determine their effect on second phase laying period after force molting

in commercial laying hens. A total of 1170 birds were divided into 13 groups

which were further subdivided into 6 replicates having 15 birds in each. A

negative control group (K) which was

neither forced molted nor provided with any feed additive substances in their

diets Moreover, other three treatment groups (M: Marbel powder, A:

Alfalfa, F: Low Ca-Na diet), were

forced molted and one withhold feeding group was used for the study; the forced

molted groups were supplied L-carnitine (C)

(100 ppm) and Oregano leaves (O) (5%)

as a feed additive in designed individual diets (MC, AC, FC, MO, AO, FO )

alone and in combination (50 ppm; 2.5%) in groups (MCO, ACO, FCO). All hens were feeding with commercial feeds during

the second laying phase.The

trial was 98 days after 22 days of forcing stage. Performance

parameters (except egg quality) were measured during 14 days periods. In the

results, eggs yield values were found significantly higher (P<0.01) among

the treatment groups over control group. It was concluded that supplementing

L-carnitine and Oregano leaves could be used as an alternative feed additives

in alfalfa meal during feed withdrawal period and their combination also showed

a positive impact on laying performance in laying hens. 
Analisis Pengelola Barang Milik Daerah Pada Laporan Keuangan Pemerintah Kabupaten Kotawaringin Timur
Authors: Mambang Mambang , Fadli Fadli
Published: November 2019

This research is agreed to explore and analyze the management of regional goods in the financial report of the East Kotawarwant regency. This is to find out how the Kotim regional government has received an unexempted WTP or reasonable opinion from 2013 to 2018. The type of research used is a type of qualitative research, namely; Describe aspects related to the research object in depth. The location of this research is conducted on Regional device Unit (SKPD) in the government of East Kotawarwants regency.

The results of this research show the management of assets/property goods carried out by the area of assets on the body of financial management and regional assets as the manager's assistant has done with the maximum and according to the system and procedure cycle Management of regional goods as stipulated in PERMENDAGRI number 19 year 2016 about the guidelines for management of local goods, and East Kotawaringin PERDA number 4 year 2010, but not all carried out with maximum, especially To the regional head policy on the HR management of goods. Some obstacles or inhibitory factors encountered in the implementation of the management cycle of regional property is the HR factor because of the need for knowledge and understanding of human resources in asset management.
Analisis Pengelolaan Perusahaan Daerah Isen Mulang Kota Palangka Raya
Authors: Masrukin Masrukin , Ristiantoro Danang
Published: November 2019

The purpose of this research is to know and describe the management of the District company Isen Mulang City Palangka Raya In this regard with good corporate governance principles. The type of research used in this study is descriptive using a qualified research method. The type of data in this study is primary data and secondary data that includes the board of directors, supervisory board and employees in the regional area of Isen Mulang City Palangka Raya. While its secondary data is emerging from Perda about the establishment and financial report of the regional company Isen Mulang City Palangka Raya, other data sources, data collection techniques using interviews, observation, and documentation.

Based on the results of this research the management of the District company Isen Mulang Kota Palangka Raya based on good corporate governance principle has not been done with the maximum this can be seen from the not yet implemented Openness is still the absence of accessible websites or blogs, not yet the clarity of the details of tasks, and internal control of the company, suitability has not carried out well the company has not committed social responsibility, not yet Contribution to the PAD, has not paid the income tax because the company has not acquired profit, independence or independent has not carried out well-characterized by the still the responsibility of the responsibilities among employees, Fairness has not been implemented with the maximum that is characterized by the dissemination of information about the recruitment of employees has not been widely and still with a family system and not yet carried out training and development of employees.
Strategi Dinas Perhubungan Menerapkan Regulasi Angkutan Online Dalam Menambah Pendapatan Asli Daerah (PAD) Di Kota Palangka Raya
Authors: Hidayat Rahmat , Diani Diani
Published: November 2019

Public transport is transport from one place to another within the general region by using public bus cars and public passenger cars that are bound to the route remains organized. While online transport is one of the traffic and road transport events that rely on and utilize the development of science and technology. A transport device that uses a private vehicle associated with an application. The objectives of this research for the Transportation Service strategy apply the regulation of online transport in increasing the regional original income in the city of Palangkaraya. And to find out what are the positive and negative impacts of the Transportation Service strategy to apply the regulation of online transport in increasing the regional original revenue in the city of Palangkaraya.

During this time the online transport has no permission (illegal) to operate which is one aspect that raises the prolonged conflict between online and public transport. Because of the impact on regional indigenous revenue since many entrepreneurs-public transport entrepreneurs may have moved to online transport. PM No. 118 the year 2018 about special rental transport is the current regulation. The research uses qualitative methods that generate descriptive data on spoken and written words. And the results of the authors of research found that the Department of Transportation has not implemented new online transport regulations because it does not have the operation license of municipal government Palangka Raya does not get retribution of the online transport with There is no additional regional income in the city of Palangka Raya.
Microwave Power Absorption Evaluation of River Shell Particles Reinforced Polyester Composite
Authors: Hameed Isam Salah , Mahan Hamid M. , Hameed Ahmed Salah
Published: November 2019

The objective of this research is to analyze the microwave power absorption properties of Unsaturated Polyester Resin (UPR) composite reinforced with micro size river-shell with an aim to figure out the new formed composites with the best microwave power absorption scenario. The composites were prepared by using river shell powder in micro-particle size as a filler material with unsaturated polyester composites. Using free-space transmission technique and within the x-band frequency range, the microwave power absorption properties were studied with varied percentages of river shell powder being loaded into the unsaturated polyester composites. River shells were introduced in an 50 microns particle size powder which was mixed in different weight percentages of 5, 10, and 15 % of a 12 cm square shape side length composite sample along with a thickness of 4 mm for each sample. The test specimens were prepared using the pre-mentioned weight amounts after mixing them with the Unsaturated Polyester Resin (UPR) compositions and in accordance with ASTM standard. Number of teste samples are four represented by pure, 5 %, 10 %, and 15 % of river-shell reinforced polyester composites. It has been found that the 5 % is the case when maximum power absorption presents higher levels than other loading percentages. Therefore, such kind of composites can be established under focus in those applications at which their trends is about necessity and importance of microwave power absorption.
Tolerance as a dominant social partnershih of intellectual education subjects
Authors: Shinkaryova Zhanna
Published: November 2019

The article stresses the necessity of forming a tolerant attitude towards others in order to ensure effective interaction of all subjects of inclusive education, namely: pedagogical staff; children (both with special needs and ordinary pupils); parents, or persons who replace them. A comparative analysis of the content load of the concepts
of «inclusive education» and «tolerance» is made. The ideology of social partnership and the establishment of «social peace» are defined. The compromise, as the leading method of solving social conflicts within the framework of social partnership, is emphasized. It has been determined that cooperation of all subjects in the context of
inclusive education should be based on universal values, mutual respect and tolerance. It is proved that social partnership is a pledge of non-conflict tolerant interaction of children with special needs and their environment.
The special role of the teacher from the point of view of tolerance is outlined, and the importance of possessing the technology of tolerant communication. It is emphasized that personal example and favorable environment help to establish and practical implementation of the value of tolerance.
It is proved that one of the conditions for inclusion of a child in inclusive education is the ability of parents to consciously perceive the child’s condition, to be able to work with teachers, acting as their active assistants.
It is stressed that the problem of education of tolerance for people with special educational needs should unite specialists of different directions and levels: philosophers, psychologists, teachers, managers, etc.; The representatives of different age groups are no exception. Tolerance, as the key value of the individual, has to become the dominant social partnership of all subjects of inclusive education, the uniting solution for a brick for the full development of children with special educational needs.
Implementation of methodology of content and language integrated learning (CLIL) in the process of teaching the History of the English language for future English teachers
Authors: Shevchenko Iryna
Published: November 2019

The primary purpose of Ukrainian higher education system is to create professional communicative competences of future philologists, i.e. the ability to solve communicative tasks in the sphere of their future professional activity. Many graduates aspire to work not only at secondary educational establishments, but also in big transnational companies, where the office language is English. Therefore, the increasing pressure of globalization changes our images of education, and good knowledge continues to provide the employment of future graduates.
That is why learning English with the purpose of further development of future career is becoming extremely important. And the accent of learning the English language is being replaced to immediacy and clearness of communication. Decreasing class hours, giving a great amount of hours to individual work requires from teachers to change the traditional methodology of learning English and turn to contemporary world experience. CLIL methodology of studying the English language is becoming more widespread in the world teaching practice.
The article is dedicated to the problem of implementation of content and language integrated learning (CLIL) in the process of teaching the History of the English language for the 4th year students of higher educational establishments of Ukraine. Advantages of the presented methodology are represented. The main advantages of CLIL
methodology are encouraging to study the English language, the development of creative mental abilities of students, purposeful mastering of the History of the English language. The importance of the presented methodology is in the fact that learners acquire knowledge in the History of the English language which they will use in their
future professional activity.
Holiness, holy places and the El-Baqqali family in Northern Morocco
Authors: SUOLINNA KIRSTI , LAHTINEN TOMMY
Published: November 2019

No abstract available
IDENTIDADE PROFISSIONAL DE PROFESSORES QUE ENSINAM MATEMÁTICA EM UMA COMUNIDADE DE PRÁTICA
Authors: Garcia Tânia Marli Rocha , Cyrino Márcia Cristina de Costa Trindade
Published: November 2019

Neste artigo discutimos elementos que potencializaram o movimento de constituição da Identidade Profissional (IP) de Professores que ensinam Matemática (PEM), participantes da“Comunidade de Prática de Professores que Aprendem e Ensinam Matemática – CoP-PAEM”, cultivada no contexto do projeto “Educação Matemática de professores que ensinam Matemática”, no Programa Observatório da Educação – OBEDUC. Para tanto, analisamos a prática da CoP-PAEM, considerando a constituição e a dinâmica da comunidade entre 2011 e 2014, as negociações designificado e o repertório produzido e compartilhado pelo grupo no empreendimento Estudo do Raciocínio Proporcional. Essa análise evidenciou trajetórias de aprendizagem de seus membros e oselementos desse contexto de formação que potencializaram o movimento de constituição da IP por meio: da interação, da reflexão e da construção de relações de respeito e confiança, que permitiram diferentes modos de participação. A estrutura e a dinâmica da CoP-PAEM ofereceram abertura e flexibilidade necessárias para abarcar a complexidade dos processos de aprendizagem e de constituição da IP de PEM, e os elementos identificados revelaram indícios a respeito do que é precisoe do que é possível promover e incluir nos contextos de formação docente, para potencializar esses processos.
Redox Regulation and Oxidative Stress: The Particular Case of the Stallion Spermatozoa
Authors: Peña Fernando J. , O’Flaherty Cristian , Ortiz Rodríguez José M. , Martín Cano Francisco E. , Gaitskell-Phillips Gemma L. , Gil María C. , Ortega Ferrusola Cristina
Published: November 2019

Redox regulation and oxidative stress have become areas of major interest in spermatology. Alteration of redox homeostasis is recognized as a significant cause of male factor infertility and is behind the damage that spermatozoa experience after freezing and thawing or conservation in a liquid state. While for a long time, oxidative stress was just considered an overproduction of reactive oxygen species, nowadays it is considered as a consequence of redox deregulation. Many essential aspects of spermatozoa functionality are redox regulated, with reversible oxidation of thiols in cysteine residues of key proteins acting as an “on–off” switch controlling sperm function. However, if deregulation occurs, these residues may experience irreversible oxidation and oxidative stress, leading to malfunction and ultimately death of the spermatozoa. Stallion spermatozoa are “professional producers” of reactive oxygen species due to their intense mitochondrial activity, and thus sophisticated systems to control redox homeostasis are also characteristic of the spermatozoa in the horse. As a result, and combined with the fact that embryos can easily be collected in this species, horses are a good model for the study of redox biology in the spermatozoa and its impact on the embryo.
An ECG Signal De-Noising Approach Based on Wavelet Energy and Sub-Band Smoothing Filter
Authors: Zhang Dengyong , Wang Shanshan , Li Feng , Wang Jin , Sangaiah Arun Kumar , Sheng Victor S. , Ding Xiangling
Published: November 2019

Electrocardiographic (ECG) signal is essential to diagnose and analyse cardiac disease. However, ECG signals are susceptible to be contaminated with various noises, which affect the application value of ECG signals. In this paper, we propose an ECG signal de-noising method using wavelet energy and a sub-band smoothing filter. Unlike the traditional wavelet threshold de-noising method, which carries out threshold processing for all wavelet coefficients, the wavelet coefficients that require threshold de-noising are selected according to the wavelet energy and other wavelet coefficients remain unchanged in the proposed method. Moreover, The sub-band smoothing filter is adopted to further de-noise the ECG signal and improve the ECG signal quality. The ECG signals of the standard MIT-BIH database are adopted to verify the proposed method using MATLAB software. The performance of the proposed approach is assessed using Signal-To-Noise ratio (SNR), Mean Square Error (MSE) and percent root mean square difference (PRD). The experimental results illustrate that the proposed method can effectively remove noise from the noisy ECG signals in comparison to the existing methods.
Characterization of Biofilm Extracts from Two Marine Bacteria
Authors: Passerini Delphine , Fécamp Florian , Marchand Laetitia , Kolypczuk Laetitia , Bonnetot Sandrine , Sinquin Corinne , Verrez-Bagnis Véronique , Hervio-Heath Dominique , Colliec-Jouault Sylvia , Delbarre-Ladrat Christine
Published: November 2019

In the marine environment, biofilm formation is an important lifestyle for microorganisms. A biofilm is comprised of cells embedded in an extracellular matrix that holds them close together and keeps the biofilm attached to the colonized surface. This predominant lifestyle and its main regulation pathway, namely quorum-sensing (QS), have been shown to induce specific bioactive metabolites. In this study, we investigated the biofilm formation by two marine bacteria belonging to the Vibrio species to discover potentially innovative bioactive compounds. We proposed a protocol to isolate biofilm extracts, to analyze their biochemical composition, and to compare them to planktonic cell extracts. Cells were grown attached to a plastic surface; extracts were prepared in water, NaOH, or in ethyl acetate and analyzed. Extracellular matrix components featured carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and low amount of DNA. Carbohydrates appeared to be the main constituent of biofilm but also of the planktonic cell supernatant. Moreover, antimicrobial and QS-signaling activities were evidenced in extracts.
Multi-Objective Optimization of Massive MIMO 5G Wireless Networks towards Power Consumption, Uplink and Downlink Exposure
Authors: Matalatala Michel , Deruyck Margot , Shikhantsov Sergei , Tanghe Emmeric , Plets David , Goudos Sotirios , Psannis Kostas E. , Martens Luc , Joseph Wout
Published: November 2019

The rapid development of the number of wireless broadband devices requires that the induced uplink exposure be addressed during the design of the future wireless networks, in addition to the downlink exposure due to the transmission of the base stations. In this paper, the positions and power levels of massive MIMO-LTE (Multiple Input Multiple Output-Long Term Evolution) base stations are optimized towards low power consumption, low downlink and uplink electromagnetic exposure and maximal user coverage. A suburban area in Ghent, Belgium has been considered. The results show that the higher the number of BS antenna elements, the fewer number of BSs the massive MIMO network requires. This leads to a decrease of the downlink exposure (−12% for the electric field and −32% for the downlink dose) and an increase of the uplink exposure (+70% for the uplink dose), whereas both downlink and uplink exposure increase with the number of simultaneous served users (+174% for the electric field and +22% for the uplink SAR). The optimal massive MIMO network presenting the better trade-off between the power consumption, the total dose and the user coverage has been obtained with 37 64-antenna BSs. Moreover, the level of the downlink electromagnetic exposure (electric field) of the massive MIMO network is 5 times lower than the 4G reference scenario.
An Octahedric Regression Model of Energy Efficiency on Residential Buildings
Authors: Navarro-Gonzalez Francisco J. , Villacampa Yolanda
Published: November 2019

System modeling is a main task in several research fields. The development of numerical models is of crucial importance at the present because of its wide use in the applications of the generically named machine learning technology, including different kinds of neural networks, random field models, and kernel-based methodologies. However, some problems involving the reliability of their predictions are common to their use in the real world. Octahedric regression is a kernel averaged methodology developed by the authors that tries to simplify the entire process from raw data acquisition to model generation. A discussion about the treatment and prevention of overfitting is presented and, as a result, models are obtained that allow for the measurement of this effect. In this paper, this methodology is applied to the problem of estimating the energetic needs of different buildings according to their principal characteristics, a problem that has importance in architecture and civil and environmental engineering due to increasing concerns about energetic efficiency and ecological footprint.
General Linear Recurrence Sequences and Their Convolution Formulas
Authors: Ricci Paolo Emilio , Natalini Pierpaolo
Published: November 2019

We extend a technique recently introduced by Chen Zhuoyu and Qi Lan in order to find convolution formulas for second order linear recurrence polynomials generated by 1 1 + a t + b t 2 x . The case of generating functions containing parameters, even in the numerator is considered. Convolution formulas and general recurrence relations are derived. Many illustrative examples and a straightforward extension to the case of matrix polynomials are shown.
Biomaterials for In Situ Tissue Regeneration: A Review
Authors: Abdulghani Saba , Mitchell Geoffrey
Published: November 2019

This review focuses on a somewhat unexplored strand of regenerative medicine, that is in situ tissue engineering. In this approach manufactured scaffolds are implanted in the injured region for regeneration within the patient. The scaffold is designed to attract cells to the required volume of regeneration to subsequently proliferate, differentiate, and as a consequence develop tissue within the scaffold which in time will degrade leaving just the regenerated tissue. This review highlights the wealth of information available from studies of ex-situ tissue engineering about the selection of materials for scaffolds. It is clear that there are great opportunities for the use of additive manufacturing to prepare complex personalized scaffolds and we speculate that by building on this knowledge and technology, the development of in situ tissue engineering could rapidly increase. Ex-situ tissue engineering is handicapped by the need to develop the tissue in a bioreactor where the conditions, however optimized, may not be optimum for accelerated growth and maintenance of the cell function. We identify that in both methodologies the prospect of tissue regeneration has created much promise but delivered little outside the scope of laboratory-based experiments. We propose that the design of the scaffolds and the materials selected remain at the heart of developments in this field and there is a clear need for predictive modelling which can be used in the design and optimization of materials and scaffolds.
Older Adults’ Perceptions of Psychotherapy in Cyprus
Authors: Katsounari Ioanna
Published: November 2019

The purpose of the study was to explore older adults’ views and perceptions of psychotherapy in Cyprus. A total of 25 older adults, aged between 65–89, participated in semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis identified three main themes: Familiar term/Unfamiliar process; existential crises during this stage; and the issue of stigma in psychotherapy. Participants indicated a basic understanding of what psychotherapy entails, but did not associate psychotherapy with serious mental illness. Participants identified a number of existential issues that are potentially major life stressors for an elderly person and referred to the historical stigma that has an impact on their own perceptions about psychotherapy. However, participants seemed to view their ability to overcome psychological difficulties on their own as a proof of personal strength. Psychologists and other health professionals also need to be mindful of how they describe psychological concepts and treatment, as older adults may not understand what they are being told or may be afraid of what treatment involves based on historical context. This study highlights the importance of using strategies that may have the potential to empower this population in order to proactively attend to their mental health, including community-based education and national mental health campaigns.
Nano-TiO2 in Hydraulic Lime–Metakaolin Mortars for Restoration Projects: Physicochemical and Mechanical Assessment
Authors: Kapetanaki Kali , Kapridaki Chrysi , Maravelaki Pagona-Noni
Published: November 2019

In recent years, lime mortars mixed with artificial or natural pozzolans are commonly used in restoration applications. The aim of this work is the assessment of carbonation, pozzolanic reaction, setting time, and mechanical properties of metakaolin–lime mortars mixed with crystalline nano-titania (nT) as additive. The studied mortars consist of hydrated lime and metakaolin in 60/40 ratio (wt%) and fine aggregates of either carbonate or silicate sand. The concentration of the nano-titania is equal to 6 (wt%) of the binder. For comparison purposes, three types of mortars and pastes are designed: Without the addition of nano-titania, with nT activated or not under UV irradiation. The evaluation of the carbonation and pozzolanic reaction over a 1.5-year curing period is carried out through thermal analysis (DTA/TG), infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). The uniaxial compression and the three-point bending tests at 28 days, 3 months, and 6 months were carried out to evaluate mechanical properties. The addition of activated nano-titania, due to an increased photocatalytic activity, accelerated the setting of the mortars, improving at the same time the mechanical properties. The plastic behavior of the lime–metakaolin mortars with activated nT was attributed to the evolution of carbonation and pozzolanic reaction.
Platelet Adhesion on Commercially Pure Titanium Plates in Vitro II. Immunofluorescence Visualization of PDGF-B, TGFβ1, and PPARγ Released from Activated Adherent Platelets
Authors: Tsujino Tetsuhiro , Takahashi Akira , Watanabe Taisuke , Isobe Kazushige , Kitamura Yutaka , Okuda Kazuhiro , Nakata Koh , Kawase Tomoyuki
Published: November 2019

Recent progress in the industrial development of dental implants has improved their surface bio-affinity, while clinical implantologists attempt to improve it through coating with various compounds, including platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in clinical settings. However, it is poorly understood how PRP acts on titanium surfaces. To validate this surface modification method and demonstrate how platelet-derived soluble biomolecules released from the activated adherent platelets act on plain, commercially pure-titanium (cp-Ti) plates, we evaluated the distribution of biomolecules by immunofluorescence. PPARγ, PDGF-B, and TGFβ1 were similarly released at immunofluorescence levels from activated adherent platelets, retained in the surrounding extra-platelet spaces for a while, and did not immediately diffuse away to distant spaces. Exogenously added CaCl2 augmented release and retention of those biomolecules along with activation and aggregation. Taken together with our previous data regarding platelet adhesion, these findings suggest that especially when treated with CaCl2, platelets immediately adhere on cp-Ti plates to release their stored biomolecules in the absence of plasma proteins and that these biomolecules do not diffuse away, but stay longer in extra-platelet spaces around the platelets by newly formed, immature fibrin fiber fragments. Consequently, these retained biomolecules are anticipated to cooperatively stabilize implants by stimulating alveolar bone regeneration and integration.
Dynamical Behavior of β-Lactamases and Penicillin- Binding Proteins in Different Functional States and Its Potential Role in Evolution
Authors: Wang Feng , Zhou Hongyu , Wang Xinlei , Tao Peng
Published: November 2019

β-Lactamases are enzymes produced by bacteria to hydrolyze β-lactam-based antibiotics, and pose serious threat to public health through related antibiotic resistance. Class A β-lactamases are structurally and functionally related to penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs). Despite the extensive studies of the structures, catalytic mechanisms and dynamics of both β-lactamases and PBPs, the potentially different dynamical behaviors of these proteins in different functional states still remain elusive in general. In this study, four evolutionarily related proteins, including TEM-1 and TOHO-1 as class A β-lactamases, PBP-A and DD-transpeptidase as two PBPs, are subjected to molecular dynamics simulations and various analyses to characterize their dynamical behaviors in different functional states. Penicillin G and its ring opening product serve as common ligands for these four proteins of interest. The dynamic analyses of overall structures, the active sites with penicillin G, and three catalytically important residues commonly shared by all four proteins reveal unexpected cross similarities between Class A β-lactamases and PBPs. These findings shed light on both the hidden relations among dynamical behaviors of these proteins and the functional and evolutionary relations among class A β-lactamases and PBPs.
Multi-Criteria and Life Cycle Assessment of Wood-Based Bioenergy Alternatives for Residential Heating: A Sustainability Analysis
Authors: Martín-Gamboa Mario , Dias Luis C. , Quinteiro Paula , Freire Fausto , Arroja Luís , Dias Ana Cláudia
Published: November 2019

Moving towards a global bioeconomy can mitigate climate change and the depletion of fossil fuels. Within this context, this work applies a set of multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) tools to prioritise the selection of five alternative bioenergy systems for residential heating based on the combination of three commercial technologies (pellet, wood stove and traditional fireplace) and two different feedstocks (eucalypt and maritime pine species). Several combinations of MCDA methods and weighting approaches were compared to assess how much results can differ. Eight indicators were used for a sustainability assessment of the alternatives while four MCDA methods were applied for the prioritisation: Weighted Sum Method (WSM), Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), Elimination and Choice Expressing Reality (ELECTRE), and Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluation (PROMETHEE). Regarding the sustainability performance indicators, the highest environmental impacts were calculated for the fireplace alternatives, and there was not a best environmental option. Also, no clear trend was found for the economic and social dimensions. The application of MCDA tools shows that wood stove alternatives have the best sustainability performance, in particular wood stove with combustion of maritime pine logs (highest scores in the ranking). Regarding the worst alternative, fireplaces with combustion of eucalypt logs ranked last in all MCDA rankings. Finally, a sensitivity analysis for the weighting of the performance indicators confirmed wood stoves with combustion of maritime pine logs as the leading alternative and the key role of the analysts within this type of MCDA studies.
Recent Approaches of Forecasting and Optimal Economic Dispatch to Overcome Intermittency of Wind and Photovoltaic (PV) Systems: A Review
Authors: Ellahi Manzoor , Abbas Ghulam , Khan Irfan , Koola Paul Mario , Nasir Mashood , Raza Ali , Farooq Umar
Published: November 2019

Renewable energy sources (RESs) are the replacement of fast depleting, environment polluting, costly, and unsustainable fossil fuels. RESs themselves have various issues such as variable supply towards the load during different periods, and mostly they are available at distant locations from load centers. This paper inspects forecasting techniques, employed to predict the RESs availability during different periods and considers the dispatch mechanisms for the supply, extracted from these resources. Firstly, we analyze the application of stochastic distributions especially the Weibull distribution (WD), for forecasting both wind and PV power potential, with and without incorporating neural networks (NN). Secondly, a review of the optimal economic dispatch (OED) of RES using particle swarm optimization (PSO) is presented. The reviewed techniques will be of great significance for system operators that require to gauge and pre-plan flexibility competence for their power systems to ensure practical and economical operation under high penetration of RESs.
Overexpression of Maize ZmC1 and ZmR Transcription Factors in Wheat Regulates Anthocyanin Biosynthesis in a Tissue-Specific Manner
Authors: Riaz Bisma , Chen Haiqiang , Wang Jing , Du Lipu , Wang Ke , Ye Xingguo
Published: November 2019

Maize ZmC1 and ZmR transcription factors belong to the MYB-type and bHLH families, respectively, and control anthocyanin biosynthesis. In this study, Agrobacterium-mediated transformation was used to generate transgenic wheat plants that overexpress ZmC1 and ZmR or both, with the objective of developing anthocyanin-enriched wheat germplasm. Three kinds of stable transgenic wheat lines were obtained. The integration of target genes in the transgenic wheat plants was confirmed by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis. We found that single overexpression of ZmC1 regulates pigmentation in the vegetative tissues such as coleoptiles, auricles, and stems. The single overexpression of ZmR controls the coloration in reproductive tissue like spikelets and seeds. The simultaneous overexpression of ZmC1 and ZmR showed the strongest pigmentation in almost all tissues. Furthermore, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis revealed that expression of the two transgenes, and of two conserved homologous and six associated structural genes involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis in wheat were greatly up-regulated in the transgenic plants. Similarly, quantitative analysis for anthocyanin amounts based on HPLC-MS also confirmed that the transgenic wheat plants with combined overexpression of ZmC1 and ZmR accumulated the highest quantity of pigment products. Moreover, developing seeds overexpressing ZmR exposed to light conditions showed up-regulated transcript levels of anthocyanin biosynthesis-related genes compared to dark exposure, which suggests an important role of light in regulating anthocyanin biosynthesis. This study provides a foundation for breeding wheat materials with high anthocyanin accumulation and understanding the mechanism of anthocyanin biosynthesis in wheat.
Maternal and Neonatal Hair Cortisol Levels Are Associated with Infant Neurodevelopment at Six Months of Age
Authors: Caparros-Gonzalez Rafael A. , Romero-Gonzalez Borja , Gonzalez-Perez Raquel , Lucena-Prieto Lidia , Perez-Garcia Miguel , Cruz-Quintana Francisco , Peralta-Ramirez Maria Isabel
Published: November 2019

Background: Maternal stress during pregnancy can affect fetal development during certain sensitive periods. Objective: To longitudinally assess maternal hair cortisol levels during pregnancy, and the postpartum along with neonatal hair cortisol levels that could be associated with infant neurodevelopment at six months of age. Methods: A sample of 41 pregnant women longitudinally assessed during the first, second, and third trimester and the postpartum, along with their 41 full-term neonates participated in this study. Hair cortisol levels were assessed from participants. Infant neurodevelopment was assessed by means of the Bayley Scale of Infants Development, Third Edition at age six months. Results: Maternal hair cortisol levels in the first and second trimester accounted for 24% and 23%, respectively, of variance of infant gross motor development (p < 0.05). Maternal hair cortisol levels during the postpartum accounted for 31% of variance of infant cognitive development (p < 0.05), and 25% of variance of infant gross motor development (p < 0.05). Neonatal hair cortisol levels accounted for 28% of variance of infant gross motor development (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The preconception and prenatal time are sensitive periods related to infant neurodevelopment along with the cortisol levels surrounding the fetus while in the womb. Pregnant women could be assessed for hair cortisol levels while attending a prenatal appointment.
When a Differential Diagnosis Is Fundamental: Choriocarcinoma Mimicking Lung Carcinoma
Authors: Gasparri Roberto , Sedda Giulia , Brambilla Daniela , Girelli Lara , Diotti Cristina , Spaggiari Lorenzo
Published: November 2019

Background: Choriocarcinoma is a rare malignant disease that is usually associated with a gestational event. Lung metastasis with no evident primary origin and choriocarcinoma, which mimics features of non-small-cell lung cancer, might be misdiagnosed as adenocarcinoma or large-cell carcinoma. This is a pivotal clinical concern since the tumor can lead to various symptoms, seriously affecting the quality of life and can escalate rapidly, with a high mortality rate, compared to lung cancer. Methods: We reported a case of a 37-year-old woman with a history of one-year enhancement of beta-human chorionic gonadotropin levels and only a single nodule in the right upper lobe, with no abnormal findings on the gynecological investigation. Then we retrospectively examined all cases treated in the Division of Thoracic Surgery at the European Institute of Oncology in the last twenty years (from 1998 to 2018). Results: This was the first time in our experience that choriocarcinoma presentation was with a single nodule without a gynecological finding. Moreover, the differential diagnosis between lung carcinoma and choriocarcinoma was achieved only after surgical removal. Conclusions: As confirmed by our literature search, precise and expedited differential diagnosis is essential in choriocarcinoma care (both with single or multiple metastases), to successfully remove the tumor and increase the patient’s chances of survival.
Monitoring of Bactericidal Effects of Silver Nanoparticles Based on Protein Signatures and VOC Emissions from Escherichia coli and Selected Salivary Bacteria
Authors: Monedeiro Fernanda , Pomastowski Paweł , Milanowski Maciej , Ligor Tomasz , Buszewski Bogusław
Published: November 2019

Escherichia coli and salivary Klebsiella oxytoca and Staphylococcus saccharolyticus were subjected to different concentrations of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), namely: 12.5, 50, and 100 µg mL−1. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization–time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) spectra were acquired after specified periods: 0, 1, 4, and 12 h. For study of volatile metabolites, headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled to gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) was employed—AgNPs were added to bacteria cultures and the headspace was analyzed immediately and after 12 h of incubation. Principal components analysis provided discrimination between clusters of protein profiles belonging to different strains. Canonical correlation, network analysis, and multiple linear regression approach revealed that dimethyl disulfide, dimethyl trisulfide, 2-heptanone, and dodecanal (related to the metabolism of sulfur-containing amino acids and fatty acids synthesis) are exemplary molecular indicators, whose response variation deeply correlated to the interaction with bacteria. Therefore, such species can serve as biomarkers of the agent’s effectiveness. The present investigation pointed out that the used approaches can be useful in the monitoring of response to therapeutic treatment based on AgNPs. Furthermore, biochemical mechanisms enrolled in the bactericidal action of nanoparticles can be applied in the development of new agents with enhanced properties.
Space of Quasi-Periodic Limit Functions and Its Applications
Authors: Xie Rui , Xia Zhinan , Liu Junwei
Published: November 2019

We introduce a class consisting of what we call quasi-periodic limit functions and then establish the relation between quasi-periodic limit functions and asymptotically quasi-periodic functions. At last, these quasi-periodic limit functions are applied to study the existence of asymptotically quasi-periodic solutions of abstract Cauchy problems.
Plocabulin Displays Strong Cytotoxic Activity in a Personalized Colon Cancer Patient-Derived 3D Organoid Assay
Authors: Costales-Carrera Alba , Fernández-Barral Asunción , Bustamante-Madrid Pilar , Guerra Laura , Cantero Ramón , Barbáchano Antonio , Muñoz Alberto
Published: November 2019

Plocabulin is a novel microtubule-disrupting antitumor agent of marine origin that is currently undergoing phase II clinical trials. Plocabulin has potent antiproliferative and antiangiogenic actions in carcinoma cell lines and has antitumor activity in xenografted mice. Here, we used three-dimensional (3D) tumor organoids derived from three colorectal cancer (CRC) patients to study the effect of plocabulin in a personalized assay system that ensures dose dependence and high reproducibility. The cytotoxicity of plocabulin was an order of magnitude higher than that of the active irinotecan derivative SN38 (7-ethyl-10-hydroxy-camptothecin) in tumor organoids at different passages. Moreover, plocabulin maintained its strong cytotoxic activity in wash-out experiments, in which a short pulse treatment of tumor organoids was as efficient as continuous treatment. Our data show that plocabulin has a very potent cytotoxic action in CRC patient-derived tumor organoids, supporting ongoing clinical trials with plocabulin and the use of organoid assays to provide personalized validation of antitumor drugs.