bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Study on Impulsive Buying Behavior among Consumers in Supermarket in Kathmandu Valley
Authors: Pradhan Vidha
Published: August 2018

This paper is an attempt to examine some of the factors affecting impulsive buying behavior of consumers in supermarkets. It also aims to verify the interrelationship between these factors and impulsive buying behavior. A primary research is carried out among people who shop in supermarkets in Kathmandu valley. A structured questionnaire is used to collect data from respondents of sample size 200. The sample is taken by convenience and quota sampling as per their age group. The findings suggest that majority of supermarket goers buy impulsively. Whenever they visit a supermarket, most of the respondents do not plan ahead. Instead, they scroll through aisles/products and buy what they think they need. Most of the respondents purchase certain products like personal care items, grocery and accessories impulsively. For other products like electronics and kitchenware, they take time to think if they really require those products. Taking into consideration each factor, product category has an insignificant role in influencing impulsive buying behavior. Similarly, respondents who have financial independence also have an insignificant role in influencing impulsive buying behavior. Among the factors that are significant for triggering impulsive buying behavior is availability of cash, mood of consumer, POS terminal/ATM facility, price, store layout, availability of time, product promotion, store environment and reference group. However, the same factors coupled with certain demographic variables may or may not have the same impact on impulsive buying behavior of the same consumers.

Journal of Business and Social Sciences Research, Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 215-233
Why Important is Learning Turkish as a Mother Tongue for Bilingual Students in England?
Authors: Çiftci Ayşe , TOWNSEND Andrew
Published: August 2018

ABSTRACT: Learning a mother tongue (L2) is important for bilingual children who live abroad in order to learn the L1 of that society, improve the effectiveness of their communication with members of a family and increase transmission of cultural values and facilitate personal development. This study deploys a qualitative research methodology.  Data were collected from 4 students at 9-12 years old, 4 parents and 3 teachers at the Turkish Community Saturday School, in Nottingham, England. Structured-interviews and observations were used to gather data on learning techniques. The goal is to understand and describe the perceptions of teachers’, students’ and parents’ learning of the mother tongue by bilingual Turkish students between the ages of 9-12. Research findings support that the perceptions of the participants on learning Turkish as mother tongue are critical, as they learn Turkish in order to foster effective communication with their families, by using Turkish effectively and learn Turkish cultural values.

Keywords: bilingualism, mother tongue, learning Turkish, action research, qualitative research
Sentential Subjects and the Freezing Principle in Turkish
Authors: ÇAKIR Sinan
Published: August 2018

Abstract
Discipline (and Lenience) Beyond the Self
Authors: Reinhardt Bruno
Published: August 2018

Lighthouse Chapel International (LCI) is a Ghanaian Pentecostal-charismatic organization with a transnational reach. In this article, I analyze the pedagogical system whereby this denomination has introduced converts into its ‘church planting’ mission. LCI leaders are keenly aware of both the necessity and the perils of discipline to the Christian life, exemplifying two stances of Pentecostal-charismatic ethics and politics: its quantitative concern with accessibility, and its qualitative concern with piety. Attempts to balance these relatively autonomous trends engender a gradational and distributive approach to discipline and leniency in LCI, which calibrates disciplinary demands according to converts’ level of ‘spiritual maturity’. This article takes the dialectics of discipline and lenience that characterizes LCI’s ecclesiology as an opportunity to reconsider religious subject formation beyond the dominant problem of ‘self-fashioning’.
Zehn Jahre Vegetationsdynamik auf der Waldbrandfläche von Leuk (Wallis)
Authors: Wohlgemuth Thomas , Moser Barbara
Published: August 2018

Ten years of vegetation dynamics in a forest fire patch in Leuk (Valais)

The stand-replacing forest fire of Leuk (2003) extends from 900 to 2100 m a.s.l. and covers an area of 300 ha, which represents a big disturbance event in Switzerland, although it is small in a global perspective. Its location along a wide elevational gradient has offered a unique opportunity to study the dynamics of plant species richness and natural tree regeneration in relation to different environmental drivers. The vegetation was assessed on a systematic grid including 148 relevé plots and 5 time steps. Results show a peak of species richness in the fourth year after the disturbance and a distinctly higher number of species compared to the pre-fire forests. The increase of species richness during the first four years was slower on plots with highest fire severity. Above 1600 m a.s.l. species richness rose quickly above average due to the appearance of various mountain species. Tree regeneration has advanced in all studied elevation belts. Ten years after the disturbance, sapling densities ≥25 cm reached a rather low level of 1800 to 3000 stems per hectare. Aspen (Populus tremula), willow (Salix appendiculata and S. caprea), as well as birch (Betula pendula) are most abundant up to 1700 m a.s.l., where up to 95% of the regeneration consists of broadleaves. Above, European larch (Larix decidua) and Norway spruce (Picea abies) each constitute 12% of the regenerating saplings. At lowest elevations, oaks (Quercus pubescens) have established more frequently (6.4%) after ten years than Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris; 3.7%), even though the proportion of these formerly stand-forming tree species is still quite modest compared to the total number of stems per ha. Looking ahead, a young forest will grow on the forest fire patch, developing towards a larch-spruce forest at high elevations and towards a mixed forest with a considerable proportion of oak at low elevations. It may take quite a while until prevailing aspen, willow and birch will be overgrown by conifers and oaks.
The Philosophy of Technology and Engineering
Authors: Günay Durmuş
Published: August 2018

In this study, first, we will address the meaning of engineering, engineer and technology. The purpose here is to clarify these concepts and show the relationships between them. Technology has always been a difficult concept to understand and express exactly what it is. To understand easily what technology is, in this study, we take advantage of the philosophy of Aristotle, we will try to put forward a new explanation style. In other words, we will try to present a technology philosophy based on Aristotle’s philosophy and also its relation with the engineering science. Secondly, we will look at the history of engineering in the contexts of the technological development. Lastly, we will also address the new trends and approaches in the engineering education in the world at the beginning of the 21st century and today. Since engineering education is also being transformed in accordance with the possibilities brought about by technology in the education field and the needs and demands of society.
TRIZ ile Yenilikçi Mühendislik Eğitimini Tasarlama
Authors: KAYA Metin Orhan
Published: August 2018

Ülkemizde inovasyon kelimesi çok sık kullanılmakla
beraber, temel taşlarından biri olan fikir üretme konusunda yeterince
farkındalık oluşmadığı gözlemlenmiştir. Bu yazıda çok sayıda fikir üretme
tekniği arasından yıldızı gittikçe daha çok parlayan TRIZ konusunda temel bilgilendirme
yapılacak ve  TRIZ’in dünyanın değişik
üniversitelerinde mühendislik öğrencilerine nasıl verildiği ve başarı durumları
tartışılacaktır.
A Case Study on Measuring Research Efficiency of Public Universities in Turkey
Authors: GÜNAY Aslı , YÜKSEL HALİLOĞLU Ebru
Published: August 2018

This paper measures the research
efficiency and productivity of public universities founded before 1981 in
Turkey over the
period 2013-2016. Data Envelopment Analysis is applied to assess the relative
research efficiency of these universities, while Malmquist Total Factor
Productivity Index is used to measure the total factor productivity change with
respect to research inputs of universities. The analysis made here differ from
the similar studies in terms of the diversity of data set and the measurement
of university research efficiency and productivity changes together. The
results indicate that the number of relatively efficient universities according
to their reserach inputs declines continuously over the years. Also, the
productivity of research activities decreases except the period 2013-2014. It
is additionally observed that 2.3% fall in research productivity of the
universities is due to deterioration in both technological and technical
efficiency over the yaers.
Semianalytic integral method for the fast solution of circulating currents in power transformers
Authors: Díaz Flórez Guillermo A. , Mombello Enrique E. , Marulanda Geovanny A.
Published: August 2018

Power transformer design normally includes an optimization process which involves the assessment of a great number of design alternatives. This calculation process normally requires a high computation time and its reduction is always a desirable goal. Circulating currents in parallel connected conductors in transformer windings are a critical design aspect to be analyzed. This article presents a new methodology for the fast calculation of circulating currents for parallel connected conductors in power transformers. The formulation for solid conductor modeling has been developed using the same calculation strategy as in Semianalytic Integral Method (SAIM) [ 1 ], which allows a significant reduction of computational effort. A realistic case study of a 25 MVA transformer was used to validate the proposed methodology. As for the accuracy of the calculations, the comparison of the results obtained by the proposed methodology and those calculated using the Finite Element Method (FEM) shows an excellent agreement between both approaches. However, the computational performance of the new approach was found to be much higher than that of FEM. This makes the proposed method much more efficient for transformer design purposes.
The preoperative risk factors of postoperative self-extubation in elderly patients
Authors: Konishi Yasutaka , Nakata Yoshinori , Nemoto Asuka , Ushijima Masaru , Matsuura Masaaki
Published: August 2018

OBJECTIVE:

Self-extubation of tubes and catheters causes various adverse events in postoperative patients. We investigated preoperative risk factors associated with self-extubation.

DESIGN:

A matched case-control study.

SETTING:

Teikyo University Hospital.

PARTICIPANTS:

Postoperative patients over 50 years old.

METHODS:

Sixty-five patients with a comment in the incident report about self-extubation within 7 postoperative days were recruited for the case group. One hundred ninety-five matched patients in the control group were randomly recruited from an electronic medical record. This group was three times larger than the case group. The matching factors were age, sex, type of tube, duration of tube insertion, and year of the incident. Conditional multiple logistic regression analysis was performed.

RESULTS:

Sixty-five self-extubation events occurred, and constituted 6.5% of 996 postoperative incident reports. Three significant preoperative risk factors were abdominal operation (odds ratio [OR], 3.21; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.05–10.83), history of dementia (OR, 10.71; 95% CI, 1.45–132.55), and preoperative hemoglobin level (OR, 0.77 per 1.0 g/dL increase; 95% CI, 0.62–0.96).

CONCLUSIONS:

Elderly patients with a history of dementia and low preoperative hemoglobin are at a risk of postoperative self-extubation, especially after an abdominal operation. These predictors can contribute to the more effective prevention of perioperative self-extubation.
An intelligent algorithm for assessing patient safety culture and adverse events voluntary reporting using PCA and ANFIS
Authors: Omidi Leila , Akbari Reihane , Hadavandi Esmaeil , Zarei Esmaeil
Published: August 2018

BACKGROUND:

Patient safety culture (PSC) as a main component of the organizational culture plays a key role in providing safe, effective and economic cares and services in healthcare organizations. PSC provides a way to assist hospitals in order to improve patient safety and prevent medical errors.

OBJECTIVE:

The present study aimed to measure PSC and healthcare professionals’ attitude towards voluntary reporting of adverse events in two hospitals in Iran and to develop a hybrid intelligent approach for modeling PSC grades.

METHODS:

The Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (HSOPSC) questionnaire and a two-part questionnaire were used for examining the PSC and healthcare professionals’ attitude towards voluntary reporting of adverse events, respectively. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to extract of the main components in the HSOPSC questionnaire and to construct 12 dimensions of patient safety culture. The overall grade of patient safety culture was modeled using adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference systems (ANFIS) as a classification problem.

RESULTS:

Almost half of the participants have experienced a medical error and adverse events. The PSC grade was acceptable from the point of view of 55.5% and 50% of participants in hospital No.1 and hospital No.2, respectively. The overall accuracy of ANFIS in modeling overall grades of patient safety culture in both study hospitals was 0.84. Of those individuals gave an acceptable grade on patient safety culture in both study hospitals, more than 50% believed that all medical errors and near misses should be reported.

CONCLUSIONS:

The ANFIS algorithm was proposed for modeling and predicting of PSC for healthcare organizations. The results confirm the capability of the proposed model to predict patient safety grades in healthcare settings.
Sêneca, Epicteto, Medeia e a dissolução do trágico
Authors: Dinucci Aldo Lopes
Published: August 2018

Nesse artigo, partindo das reflexões de Epicteto sobre o trágico e da “Medeia” de Sêneca, veremos como as concepções estoicas desses filósofos diluem o trágico destruindo seus três princípios fundamentais: que as ações humanas sigam decretos divinos infalíveis, que a humanidade cumpra um papel especial no mundo, e que as ações humanas possam alterar o equilíbrio entre a ordem humana e a divina, provocando uma reação da justiça divina.
Sobre o manuscrito Alfa da Poética de Aristóteles (Parisinus Gr. 1741)
Authors: Pinheiro Paulo José Moraes
Published: August 2018

Dos manuscritos da Poética de Aristóteles que chegaram aos nossos dias, na condição de fonte primária subsistente (codd.), temos apenas dois textos gregos (o que consta no codex Parisinus Graecus 1741 (=A), proveniente do séc. X/XI, e o que consta no codex Riccardianus 46 (=B), do séc. XII), a tradução latina de G. de Moerbeke (codices Etonensis 129 (=O), de 1300, e Toletanus bibl. Capit. 47.10 (= T), de 1280), e a tradução árabe de Abu-Bishr Matta, feita a partir da tradução siríaca desaparecida. O que pretendo, nesse artigo, é descrever o percurso do assim chamado Manuscrito Alfa da Poética de Aristóteles, ou seja, a que consta no codex Parisinus Graecus 1741 entre as páginas 184 e 199. Pretendo ainda fazer alusão à importância de um estudo sobre as condições em que se dá a apreensão do texto antigo. De fato, a leitura que fazemos hoje da Poética é composta da variação de sentido inerente ao entendimento, o que é óbvio, e da variação, muitas vezes sutil e, via de regra, determinante, do que foi efetivamente escrito, há tantos séculos, com o estilete de um ou outro escriba.
Hubungan Pengetahuan Ibu dan Pola Pemberian Makanan Terhadap Status Gizi Anak Usia Toddler
Authors: Khayati Fitriana Noor , Munawaroh Ririn
Published: August 2018

ABSTRAKTujuan penelitian: untuk menganalisis hubungan pengetahuan ibu tentang gizi balita dan pola pemberian makanan terhadap status gizi anak usia toddler. Metode: Penelitian ini bersifat deskriptif analitik dengan pendekatan cross sectional. Populasi dalam penelitian ini yaitu ibu yang memiliki anak usia 1-3 tahun di Desa Kunden, Karanganom, Klaten. Sampel berjumlah 56 orang yang diambil dengan teknik concecutive sampling. Penelitian dilaksanakan pada bulan Juni-Juli 2016. Instrumen yang digunakan ialah kuesioner pengetahuan ibu tentang status gizi, kuesioner pola pemberian makanan, timbangan berat badan, serta stature meter. Pengukuran status gizi menggunakan indeks BB/TB. Analisis data menggunakan uji koefisien kontingensi untuk mengetahui korelasi. Hasil: Ibu yang memiliki pengetahuan tentang gizi balita cukup baik sejumlah 41,1% dan ibu yang memiliki pengetahuan tentang pola pemberian makanan baik sejumlah 78,6%. Balita di Desa Kunden sebagian besar memiliki status gizi normal, yaitu sejumlah 62,5%. Hasil uji statistik menunjukkan tidak ada hubungan pengetahuan ibu (p=0,166) dan pola pemberian makanan (p=0,313) terhadap status gizi balita (a=0,05). Kesimpulan: Tidak ada hubungan antara pengetahuan ibu tentang gizi anak usia toddler dan pola pemberian makanan terhadap status gizi anak usia toddler.Kata Kunci: pengetahuan ibu, pola pemberian makanan, status gizi, toddlerCORRELATION OF MOTHER’S KNOWLEDGE AND FEEDING PATTERN WITH NUTRITIONAL STATUS IN TODDLERSABSTRACTObjective: to analyze the correlation of mother’s knowledge about toddler’s nutrition and feeding pattern with nutritional status of toddlers. Methods: This research was analytical descriptive with cross sectional approach. The population was mothers who had children aged 1-3 years in Kunden, Karanganom Village, Klaten. Samples consisted of 56 people taken using consecutive sampling technique. The research was conducted in June-July 2016. The instruments used were a questionnaire of mother’s knowledge about nutritional status, feeding pattern questionnaire, body weight scales, and stature meter. The nutritional status was measured using Weight/Height index. Data were analyzed using contingency coefficient test to figure out the correlation. Results: 41.1% of mothers had relatively good knowledge about nutrition of toddler and 78.6% mothers had good knowledge about feeding pattern. 62.5% of toddlers in Kunden Village mostly had normal nutritional status. The results of statistical test showed that there was no correlation of mother’s knowledge (p=0.166) andfeeding pattern (p=0.313) with nutritional status of toddles (a=0.05). Conclusion: There is no correlation of mother’s knowledge about toddlers’ nutrition and feeding pattern with nutritional status of toddlers.Keywords: mother’s knowledge, feeding pattern, nutritional status, toddlers
FAKTOR YANG BERHUBUNGAN DENGAN KELULUSAN UJI KOMPETENSI NERS INDONESIA (UKNI) DI REGIONAL SULAWESI
Authors: Hartina Ayu , Tahir Takdir , Nurdin Nurhaya , Djafar Midawati
Published: August 2018

ABSTRAKTujuan penelitian: Mengidentifikasi faktor-faktor yang berhubungan dengan kelulusan dalam pelaksanaan UKNI di institusi regional Sulawesi. Metode: Penelitian ini menggunakan survei analitik dengan model pendekatan cross sectional study. Penelitian ini menggunakan kuesioner dengan skala Guttman. Pengambilan data dilakukan pada 16 Desember 2016-19 April 2017, sebanyak 72 orang lulusan ners sebagai sampel dari berbagai institusi keperawatan di wilayah Sulawesi, pengambilan sampel dilakukan secara cluster sampling, lalu diberikan kuesioner saat briefing H-1 sebelum ujian kompetensi ners. Uji statistik yang digunakan yaitu uji Pearson correlation dengan tingkat kemaknaan p-value =0,05. Hasil: Ada hubungan kesiapan ujian (p=0,001), try out UKNI (p=0,03), prestasi akademik (p=0,03), dan peran institusi (p=0,005) dengan tingkat kelulusan uji kompetensi ners dan tidak ada hubungan kondisi fisik (p=0,555), praktik profesi dengan tingkat kelulusan uji kompetensi ners. Kesimpulan: Faktor yang paling dominan berhubungan dengan kelulusan uji kompetensi adalah kesiapan uji kompetensi. Perlu dilakukan penelitian lanjutan yang terkait sistem bimbingan profesi dan pemahaman blueprint terhadap kelulusan uji kompetensi ners.Kata Kunci: uji kompetensi, tingkat kelulusan, prestasi akademikFACTORS RELATED TO A PASS IN TEST OF COMPETENCE FOR INDONESIAN NURSES IN SULAWESI REGIONABSTRACTObjective: To identify factors related to the pass in the Test of Competence for Indonesian Nurses in regional institutions of Sulawesi. Methods: This research employed analytical survey with cross sectional study approach. It used Guttman scale for the questionnaire. Data were collected from 16 December 2016 until 19 April 2017, involving 72 nursing graduates as samples from various nursing institutions in Sulawesi, taken using cluster sampling, and given questionnaire during a briefing session held one day before the test of competence for nurses. The statistical test used Pearson correlation test with significance level ofp-value=0.05. Results: There was correlation of test readiness (p=0.001), try-out for the Test of Competence for Indonesian Nurses (p=0.03), academic achievement (p=0.03), and institutional role (p=0.005) with the passing rate of the test of competence for nurses and there was correlation ofphysical condition (p=0.555), professional practice with the passing level of the test of competence for nurses. Conclusion: The most dominant factor related to the pass in the competence test is the readiness for the competence test. It is necessary to conduct further research on professional guidance system and understanding of blueprint concerning the pass in the test of competence for nurses.Keywords: competence test, passing rate, academic achievement
İlkokul ve Ortaokul Öğretmenlerinin Bilimsel Okuryazarlıklarının İncelenmesi
Authors: Yavuz Emine
Published: August 2018

Bu
çalışmada, Türk toplumunun şekillenmesine yön veren, bireylerin yetişmesinde
aktif rol oynayan öğretmenlerin bilimsel okuryazarlıklarının incelenmesi
amaçlanmaktadır. Bu amaç doğrultusunda çalışmaya
katılan öğretmenlerle odak grup görüşmeleri yapılmıştır. Araştırma için, 6 ve 4’er kişiden
oluşan iki odak grup görüşmesi yapılmıştır. Grup üyeleri ilkokul ve
ortaokulda çeşitli alanlarda (sınıf, fen bilgisi, matematik, İngilizce,
Türkçe, bilgisayar, müzik ve resim alanları) çalışan öğretmenlerden
oluşturulmuş, maksimum çeşitlilik örneklemesi yapılmıştır. Katılımcıların
katılımcıların kısaca kendilerini tanıtmalarıyla görüşmelere başlanmıştır.
Veriler telefon yardımı ile ses kaydı yöntemiyle toplanmıştır. Bunun için
öğretmenlere gerekli açıklamalar yapılarak gerekli izinler alınmıştır. Her
bir görüşme 60-97 dakika arası sürmüştür. Görüşme 7 adet soruya daylıdır.
Çalışmada, katılımcılara yöneltilen soruların her biri bir tema etrafında
gruplandırılmıştır. Bu temalar; “bilimsel okuryazar olmanın faydaları”, “bilimsel
okuryazar olmanın gereklilikleri”, “bilimsel okuryazar olmada kurum ve
kuruluşlara düşen görevler”, “öğretmenlerin akademik çalışmalara bakış
açıları” ve “öğretmenlerin kendi bilimsel okuryazarlıklarını
değerlendirmesi”ne yönelik yaklaşımlarının belirlenmesine ait sorulardan
oluşmaktadır. Bu çalışmada geçerlik kanıtları,
kanıt merkezli geçerlik çerçevesinde toplanmıştır. Yapılan
odak grup görüşmeleri sonucunda öğretmenlerin “bilimsel okuryazarlık”
kavramını önemli ve faydalı buldukları belirlenmiştir. Çalışmaya katılan
birçok öğretmenin akademik çalışmalara minimum düzeyde olsa da ilgilerinin
olduğu fakat bu ilgilerinin gerekli mercilerce desteklenmediği için söndüğü
gözlemlenmiştir.
The Pulmonary Extracellular Matrix Is a Bactericidal Barrier Against Haemophilus influenzae in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): Implications for an in vivo Innate Host Defense Function of Collagen VI
Authors: Abdillahi Suado M. , Tati Ramesh , Nordin Sara L. , Baumgarten Maria , Hallgren Oskar , Bjermer Leif , Erjefält Jonas , Westergren-Thorsson Gunilla , Singh Birendra , Riesbeck Kristian , Mörgelin Matthias
Published: August 2018

Non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) is a Gram-negative human commensal commonly residing in the nasopharynx of preschool children. It occasionally causes upper respiratory tract infection such as acute otitis media, but can also spread to the lower respiratory tract causing bronchitis and pneumonia. There is increasing recognition that NTHi has an important role in chronic lower respiratory tract inflammation, particularly in persistent infection in patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Here, we set out to assess the innate protective effects of collagen VI, a ubiquitous extracellular matrix component, against NTHi infection in vivo. In vitro, collagen VI rapidly kills bacteria through pore formation and membrane rupture, followed by exudation of intracellular content. This effect is mediated by specific binding of the von Willebrand A (VWA) domains of collagen VI to the NTHi surface adhesins protein E (PE) and Haemophilus autotransporter protein (Hap). Similar observations were made in vivo specimens from murine airways and COPD patient biopsies. NTHi bacteria adhered to collagen fibrils in the airway mucosa and were rapidly killed by membrane destabilization. The significance in host-pathogen interplay of one of these molecules, PE, was highlighted by the observation that it confers partial protection from bacterial killing. Bacteria lacking PE were more prone to antimicrobial activity than NTHi expressing PE. Altogether the data shed new light on the carefully orchestrated molecular events of the host-pathogen interplay in COPD and emphasize the importance of the extracellular matrix as a novel branch of innate host defense.
Effect of Surface Roughness on Early Stage Oxidation Behavior of Ni-Base Superalloy IN 625
Authors: Nowak Wojciech
Published: August 2018

In the present work the effect of surface roughness on oxidation behavior during the early stages of high temperature exposure of Ni-base superalloy IN 625 is described. The surface roughness was described using standard contact profilometer as well as novel method, fractal analysis. It was found that the different surface preparation resulted in a difference in roughness with a parameter increase of at least one order of magnitude for the ground sample as compared with the polished sample. The oxidation test was performed in a horizontal tube furnace. Post-exposure analyses including glow discharge optical emission spectrometry (GD-OES) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), which revealed that grinding lowers the oxidation kinetics of IN 625 from 1.76 × 10−12 cm2·s−1, obtained for polished sample, to 9.04 × 10−13 cm2·s−1. It was found that surface preparation influences the oxide scale composition and morphology. The hypothesis explaining the mechanism responsible for the changes in oxidation behavior is proposed as well.
A Motivational Model of BCI-Controlled Heuristic Search
Authors: Cavazza Marc
Published: August 2018

Several researchers have proposed a new application for human augmentation, which is to provide human supervision to autonomous artificial intelligence (AI) systems. In this paper, we introduce a framework to implement this proposal, which consists of using Brain–Computer Interfaces (BCI) to influence AI computation via some of their core algorithmic components, such as heuristic search. Our framework is based on a joint analysis of philosophical proposals characterising the behaviour of autonomous AI systems and recent research in cognitive neuroscience that support the design of appropriate BCI. Our framework is defined as a motivational approach, which, on the AI side, influences the shape of the solution produced by heuristic search using a BCI motivational signal reflecting the user’s disposition towards the anticipated result. The actual mapping is based on a measure of prefrontal asymmetry, which is translated into a non-admissible variant of the heuristic function. Finally, we discuss results from a proof-of-concept experiment using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to capture prefrontal asymmetry and control the progression of AI computation of traditional heuristic search problems.
Injured Achilles Tendons Treated with Adipose-Derived Stem Cells Transplantation and GDF-5
Authors: De Aro Andrea Aparecida , Carneiro Giane Daniela , Teodoro Luis Felipe R. , Da Veiga Fernanda Cristina , Ferrucci Danilo Lopes , Simões Gustavo Ferreira , Simões Priscyla Waleska , Alvares Lúcia Elvira , De Oliveira Alexandre Leite R. , Vicente Cristina Pontes , Gomes Caio Perez , Pesquero João Bosco , Esquisatto Marcelo Augusto M. , De Campos Vidal Benedicto , Pimentel Edson Rosa
Published: August 2018

Tendon injuries represent a clinical challenge in regenerative medicine because their natural repair process is complex and inefficient. The high incidence of tendon injuries is frequently associated with sports practice, aging, tendinopathies, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and the use of corticosteroids. The growing interest of scientists in using adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSC) in repair processes seems to be mostly due to their paracrine and immunomodulatory effects in stimulating specific cellular events. ADMSC activity can be influenced by GDF-5, which has been successfully used to drive tenogenic differentiation of ADMSC in vitro. Thus, we hypothesized that the application of ADMSC in isolation or in association with GDF-5 could improve Achilles tendon repair through the regulation of important remodeling genes expression. Lewis rats had tendons distributed in four groups: Transected (T), transected and treated with ADMSC (ASC) or GDF-5 (GDF5), or with both (ASC+GDF5). In the characterization of cells before application, ADMSC expressed the positive surface markers, CD90 (90%) and CD105 (95%), and the negative marker, CD45 (7%). ADMSC were also differentiated in chondrocytes, osteoblast, and adipocytes. On the 14th day after the tendon injury, GFP-ADMSC were observed in the transected region of tendons in the ASC and ASC+GDF5 groups, and exhibited and/or stimulated a similar genes expression profile when compared to the in vitro assay. ADMSC up-regulated Lox, Dcn, and Tgfb1 genes expression in comparison to T and ASC+GDF5 groups, which contributed to a lower proteoglycans arrangement, and to a higher collagen fiber organization and tendon biomechanics in the ASC group. The application of ADMSC in association with GDF-5 down-regulated Dcn, Gdf5, Lox, Tgfb1, Mmp2, and Timp2 genes expression, which contributed to a lower hydroxyproline concentration, lower collagen fiber organization, and to an improvement of the rats’ gait 24 h after the injury. In conclusion, although the literature describes the benefic effect of GDF-5 for the tendon healing process, our results show that its application, isolated or associated with ADMSC, cannot improve the repair process of partial transected tendons, indicating the higher effectiveness of the application of ADMSC in injured Achilles tendons. Our results show that the application of ADMSC in injured Achilles tendons was more effective in relation to its association with GDF-5.
Evaluation of Unconventional Protein Secretion by Saccharomyces cerevisiae and other Fungi
Authors: Miura Natsuko , Ueda Mitsuyoshi
Published: August 2018

Development of proteome analysis of extracellular proteins has revealed that a wide variety of proteins, including fungal allergens are present outside the cell. These secreted allergens often do not contain known secretion signal sequences. Recent research progress shows that some fungal allergens are secreted by unconventional secretion pathways, including autophagy- and extracellular-vesicle-dependent pathways. However, secretion pathways remain unknown for the majority of extracellular proteins. This review summarizes recent data on unconventional protein secretion in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and other fungi. Particularly, methods for evaluating unconventional protein secretion are proposed for fungal species, including S. cerevisiae, a popular model organism for investigating protein secretion pathways.
A Screen Method for the Mass-Production of the Small-Size and Side-View LED Package
Authors: Chen Wen-Ray , Luo You-Sheng
Published: August 2018

In this study, the small-size and side-view LED packages used in the backlight modules were examined by performing the electrostatic discharge (ESD) process. The high voltages used for the ESD process were 2 kV, 3 kV, and 4 kV. After ESD, the current–voltage curves were scanned from −7 V to 3 V. It was found that the significant leakage currents were in the reverse bias of 4 V~7 V and also in the forward bias of 1 V~2.5 V for ESD-damaged LED chips. However, the phenomenon of a slight increase in current was not found for the non-damaged samples. In our study case, the screening conditions could be set at a bias of −7 V or 2.3 V and the current of 0.1 µA.
Central Nervous System Vasculitis for Cryptococcosis in an Immunocompetent Patient
Authors: Zimelewicz Oberman Dan , Patrucco Liliana , Cuello Oderiz Carolina
Published: August 2018

Cryptococcal meningitis is a life-threatening condition caused by a fungal pathogen, Cryptococcus neoformans, that can infect both immunosuppressed and immunocompetent hosts. It is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in severely immunodeficient patients. However, in an immunocompetent patient it represents a diagnostic challenge, mainly because it is extremely rare, but also because of its nonspecific clinical manifestation. Neurovascular involvement in cryptococcal meningitis is rare and not well known and only few reports have described this association. We describe a cryptococcal meningitis in an immunocompetent patient associated with central nervous system vasculitis.
Optimal Perturbations of an Oceanic Vortex Lens
Authors: Meunier Thomas , Ménesguen Claire , Carton Xavier , Le Gentil Sylvie , Schopp Richard
Published: August 2018

The stability properties of a vortex lens are studied in the quasi geostrophic (QG) framework using the generalized stability theory. Optimal perturbations are obtained using a tangent linear QG model and its adjoint. Their fine-scale spatial structures are studied in details. Growth rates of optimal perturbations are shown to be extremely sensitive to the time interval of optimization: The most unstable perturbations are found for time intervals of about 3 days, while the growth rates continuously decrease towards the most unstable normal mode, which is reached after about 170 days. The horizontal structure of the optimal perturbations consists of an intense counter-shear spiralling. It is also extremely sensitive to time interval: for short time intervals, the optimal perturbations are made of a broad spectrum of high azimuthal wave numbers. As the time interval increases, only low azimuthal wave numbers are found. The vertical structures of optimal perturbations exhibit strong layering associated with high vertical wave numbers whatever the time interval. However, the latter parameter plays an important role in the width of the vertical spectrum of the perturbation: short time interval perturbations have a narrow vertical spectrum while long time interval perturbations show a broad range of vertical scales. Optimal perturbations were set as initial perturbations of the vortex lens in a fully non linear QG model. It appears that for short time intervals, the perturbations decay after an initial transient growth, while for longer time intervals, the optimal perturbation keeps on growing, quickly leading to a non-linear regime or exciting lower azimuthal modes, consistent with normal mode instability. Very long time intervals simply behave like the most unstable normal mode. The possible impact of optimal perturbations on layering is also discussed.
Assessing Metagenomic Signals Recovered from Lyuba, a 42,000-Year-Old Permafrost-Preserved Woolly Mammoth Calf
Authors: Ferrari Giada , Lischer Heidi E. L. , Neukamm Judith , Rayo Enrique , Borel Nicole , Pospischil Andreas , Rühli Frank , Bouwman Abigail S. , Campana Michael G.
Published: August 2018

The reconstruction of ancient metagenomes from archaeological material, and their implication in human health and evolution, is one of the most recent advances in paleomicrobiological studies. However, as for all ancient DNA (aDNA) studies, environmental and laboratory contamination need to be specifically addressed. Here we attempted to reconstruct the tissue-specific metagenomes of a 42,000-year-old, permafrost-preserved woolly mammoth calf through shotgun high-throughput sequencing. We analyzed the taxonomic composition of all tissue samples together with environmental and non-template experimental controls and compared them to metagenomes obtained from permafrost and elephant fecal samples. Preliminary results suggested the presence of tissue-specific metagenomic signals. We identified bacterial species that were present in only one experimental sample, absent from controls, and consistent with the nature of the samples. However, we failed to further authenticate any of these signals and conclude that, even when experimental samples are distinct from environmental and laboratory controls, this does not necessarily indicate endogenous presence of ancient host-associated microbiomic signals.
Human Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A165 Expression Induces the Mouse Model of Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Authors: Kokki Emmi , Karttunen Tommi , Olsson Venla , Kinnunen Kati , Ylä-Herttuala Seppo
Published: August 2018

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression induces age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which is a common vision-threatening disease due to choroidal neovascularization and a fibrovascular membrane. We describe a mouse model of neovascular AMD with the local expression of human VEGF-A165 in the eye. We use a transgenic mouse in which human VEGF-A165 has been silenced with the loxP-STOP fragment. The choroidal neovascularization and human VEGF-A165 expression in the mouse are induced by subretinal adenoviral Cre gene delivery. Cre gene transfer is compared with adenoviral LacZ gene transfer control. We characterize the AMD phenotype and changes in the vasculature by using fluorescein angiography, optical coherence tomography, and immunohistochemistry. At early time points, mice exhibit increases in retinal thickness (348 ± 114 µm vs. 231 ± 32 µm) and choroidal neovascularization area (12000 ± 15174 µm2 vs. 2169 ± 3495 µm2) compared with the control. At later time points, choroidal neovascularization develops into subretinal fibrovascular membrane. Human VEGF-A165 expression lasts several weeks. In conclusion, the retinas display vascular abnormalities consistent with choroidal neovascularization. Together with immunohistochemical findings, these changes resemble clinical AMD-like ocular pathologies. We conclude that this mouse model of Cre-induced choroidal neovascularization is useful for mimicking the pathogenesis of AMD, studying the effects of human VEGF-A165 in the retina, and evaluating anti-VEGF treatments for choroidal neovascularization.
Cys2/His2 Zinc-Finger Proteins in Transcriptional Regulation of Flower Development
Authors: Lyu Tianqi , Cao Jiashu
Published: August 2018

Flower development is the core of higher-plant ontogenesis and is controlled by complex gene regulatory networks. Cys2/His2 zinc-finger proteins (C2H2-ZFPs) constitute one of the largest transcription factor families and are highly involved in transcriptional regulation of flowering induction, floral organ morphogenesis, and pollen and pistil maturation. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanism of C2H2-ZFPs has been gradually revealed only in recent years. During flowering induction, C2H2-ZFPs can modify the chromatin of FLOWERING LOCUS C, thereby providing additional insights into the quantification of transcriptional regulation caused by chromatin regulation. C2H2-ZFPs are involved in cell division and proliferation in floral organ development and are associated with hormonal regulation, thereby revealing how a flower is partitioned into four developmentally distinct whorls. The studies reviewed in this work integrate the information from the endogenous, hormonal, and environmental regulation of flower development. The structure of C2H2-ZFPs determines their function as transcriptional regulators. The findings indicate that C2H2-ZFPs play a crucial role in flower development. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of the structure, expression, and function of C2H2-ZFPs and discuss their molecular mechanism in flower development.
Viewing Experience Model of First-Person Videos
Authors: Ma Biao , Reibman Amy R.
Published: August 2018

First-Person Videos (FPVs) are recorded using wearable cameras to share the recorder’s First-Person Experience (FPE). Ideally, the FPE is conveyed by the viewing experience of the FPV. However, raw FPVs are usually too shaky to watch, which ruins the viewing experience. To solve this problem, we improve the viewing experience of FPVs by modeling it as two parts: video stability and First-Person Motion Information (FPMI). Existing video stabilization techniques can improve the video stability but damage the FPMI. We propose a Viewing Experience (VE) score, which measures both the stability and the FPMI of a FPV by exploring the mechanism of human perception. This enables us to further develop a system that can stabilize FPVs while preserving their FPMI so that the viewing experience of FPVs is improved. Objective tests show that our measurement is robust under different kinds of noise, and our system has competitive performance relative to current stabilization techniques. Subjective tests show that (1) both our stability and FPMI measurements can correctly compare the corresponding attributes of an FPV across different versions of the same content, and (2) our video processing system can effectively improve the viewing experience of FPVs.
Machining of Iron-Carbon Alloys by the Use of Poly-Crystalline Diamond Cutting Inserts with Internal Cooling
Authors: Reiter Manuel , Brier Jens , Bleicher Friedrich
Published: August 2018

Poly-crystalline diamond (PCD) is an extremely tough, synthetically produced cutting tool material, which offers outstanding capabilities concerning wear behavior in abrasive cutting environments. Currently, the primary application of PCD cutting tools is the machining of non-ferrous materials, as the diamond’s carbon high affinity towards iron causes diffusion effects while cutting steel with rising temperature. This effect significantly reduces tool life. To lower the occurring temperature of the cutting process, and therefore avoid the reaction of carbon and iron, a thermal functionalization of the cutting inserts has been investigated. The results give insight into making PCD cutting tools economically usable for the machining of iron-carbon materials.
(1R,5S)-6-(4-Methyl-2-oxo-2,5-dihydrofuran-3-yl)-3-phenyl-4-oxa-2,6-diazabicyclo[3.2.0]hept-2-en-7-one
Authors: Fu Dong-Jun , Pham Victor , Tippin Matthew-Alexander , Song Liankun , Zi Xiaolin , Zhang En , Liu Hong-Min
Published: August 2018

Efficient large-scale and feasible industrial synthesis of the 1-oxacephem core structure from 6-aminopenicillanic acid (6-APA) has been reported for several decades. Via the industrial synthesis route, a byproduct (compound 9) containing a butenolide unit was purified and characterized by NMR and HRMS in this work. It is worth noting that compound 9 is an entirely new compound. Additionally, a plausible mechanism and effects on the formation of 9 by different Lewis acids were proposed. The discovery of compound 9 could improve the purity of this feasible industrial synthesis and provide considerable cost savings.
Acupuncture and Lifestyle Myopia in Primary School Children—Results from a Transcontinental Pilot Study Performed in Comparison to Moxibustion
Authors: Shang Xiaojuan , Chen Luquan , Litscher Gerhard , Sun Yanxia , Pan Chuxiong , Liu Cun-Zhi , Litscher Daniela , Wang Lu
Published: August 2018

Background: Lifestyle risks for myopia are well known and the disease has become a major global public health issue worldwide. There is a relation between reading, writing, and computer work and the development of myopia. Methods: Within this prospective pilot study in 44 patients aged between 6 and 12 years with myopia we compared possible treatment effects of acupuncture or moxibustion. The diopters of the right and left eye were evaluated before and after the two treatment methods. Results: Myopia was improved in 14 eyes of 13 patients (15.9%) within both complementary methods. Using acupuncture an improvement was observed in seven eyes from six patients out of 22 patients and a similar result (improvement in seven eyes from seven patients out of 22 patients) was noticed in the moxibustion group. The extent of improvement was better in the acupuncture group (p = 0.008 s., comparison before and after treatment); however, group analysis between acupuncture and moxibustion revealed no significant difference. Conclusions: Possible therapeutic aspects with the help of evidence-based complementary methods like acupuncture or moxibustion have not yet been investigated adequately in myopic patients. Our study showed that both acupuncture and moxibustion can improve myopia of young patients. Acupuncture seems to be more effective than moxibustion in treating myopia, however group analysis did not prove this trend. Therefore, further Big data studies are necessary to confirm or refute the preliminary results.
Strength Prediction for Pearlitic Lamellar Graphite Iron: Model Validation
Authors: Fourlakidis Vasilios , Belov Ilia , Diószegi Attila
Published: August 2018

The present work provides validation of the ultimate tensile strength computational models, based on full-scale lamellar graphite iron casting process simulation, against previously obtained experimental data. Microstructure models have been combined with modified Griffith and Hall–Petch equations, and incorporated into casting simulation software, to enable the strength prediction for four pearlitic lamellar cast iron alloys with various carbon contents. The results show that the developed models can be successfully applied within the strength prediction methodology along with the simulation tools, for a wide range of carbon contents and for different solidification rates typical for both thin- and thick-walled complex-shaped iron castings.
Superhydrophobic Film on Hot-Dip Galvanized Steel with Corrosion Resistance and Self-Cleaning Properties
Authors: Li Chongchong , Ma Ruina , Du An , Fan Yongzhe , Zhao Xue , Cao Xiaoming
Published: August 2018

Super-hydrophobic film with hierarchical micro/nano structures was prepared by galvanic replacement reaction process on the surface of galvanized steel. The effects of the etching time and copper nitrate concentration on the wetting property of the as-prepared surfaces were studied. Scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and electrochemical technique were employed to characterize the surface morphology, chemical composition, and corrosion resistance. The stability and self-cleaning property of the as-fabricated super-hydrophobic film were also evaluated. The super-hydrophobic film can be obtained within 3 min and possesses a water contact angle of 164.3° ± 2°. Potentiodynamic polarization measurements indicated that the super-hydrophobic film greatly improved the corrosion resistance of the galvanized steel in 3.5 wt % NaCl aqueous solution. The highest inhibition efficiency was estimated to be 96.6%. The obtained super-hydrophobic film showed good stability and self-cleaning property.