bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Isenção Política na Polícia Federal: A autonomia em suas dimensões administrativa, funcional e orçamentária
Authors: Werner Guilherme Cunha
Published: June 2018

O foco do presente estudo é analisar sob uma perspectiva renovada a importância do reconhecimento da autonomia para o Departamento da Polícia Federal no exercício de sua função constitucional de Polícia Judiciária da União. A partir da análise minuciosa das formas de desconstrução das Instituições no Estado Democrático, sistematizadas em três grupos, quais sejam: apoderamento, usurpação e desestruturação, constrói-se argumentos fortes para fundamentar a necessidade do reconhecimento da autonomia em suas três dimensões: - administrativa, funcional e orçamentária - com o fim de buscar o fortalecimento institucional e seu necessário insulamento para ajudar a superar problemas gerados pelas crises política, econômica e ética no Brasil e, assim, garantir uma atuação independente, republicana, eficiente, isenta e imparcial. Ao final, há a apresentação de sugestão de medidas de caráter urgente quedevem ser providenciadas para atingir este objetivo.
Autonomia da Polícia Judiciária: a discussão sobre a PEC 412/2009
Authors: Pereira Eliomar da Silva
Published: June 2018

A autonomia funcional, administrativa e orçamentária da Polícia Federal, objeto da Proposta de Emenda Constitucional nº 412/2009, levou a 7ª Câmara de Coordenação e Revisão (CCR) do Ministério Público Federal (MPF), em 14 de abril de 2015, a pronunciar-se em Nota Técnica (NT) nº 4, visando a subsidiar debates parlamentares. Esse artigo pretende discutir a referida NT, cujo conteúdo pode ser analiticamente divido em oito pontos, assim definidos: 1) A PEC 412/2009 afronta o Estado Democrático de Direito; 2) A PEC 412/2009 fragiliza o sistema de freios e contrapesos entre os órgãos de poder; 3) A PEC 412/2009 pode levar à independência das Polícias Civis e Militares dos Estados; 4) A PEC 412/2009 cria a hipótese de possível autonomia das Forças Armadas; 5) A autonomia pretendida pela PEC 412/2009 não encontra exemplos históricos nem paralelo no mundo todo; 6) A PEC 412/2009 enfraquece o controlesobre o braço armado do Estado; 7) A PEC 412/2009 cria dificuldade para a investigação criminal; 8) A autonomia pretendida pela PEC 412/2009 representa uma desvantagem para os objetivos da segurança pública. O que se segue é uma exposição articulada sobre cada um desses oito pontos, com contra-argumentos que pretendem demonstrar a falácia do discurso baseadoem uma premissa absolutamente equivocada.
Applying Semantic Technologies to Fight Online Banking Fraud
Authors: Carvalho Rodrigo Alves
Published: June 2018

Cybercrime tackling is a major challenge for Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs). Traditional digital forensics and investigation procedures are not coping with the sheer amount of data to analyse, which is stored in multiple devices seized from distinct, possibly-related cases. Moreover, inefficient information representation and exchange hampers evidence recovery and relationship discovery. Aiming at a better balance between human reasoning skills and computer processing capabilities, this paper discusses how semantic technologies could make cybercrime investigation more efficient. It takes the example of online banking fraud to propose an ontology aimed at mapping criminal organisations and identifying malware developers. Although still on early stage of development, it reviews concepts to extend from well-established ontologies and proposes novel abstractions that could enhance relationship discovery. Finally, it suggests inference rules based on empirical knowledge which could better address the needs of the human analyst.
As Principais Controvérsias a respeito das Interceptações Telefônicas
Authors: Lopes Fabio Motta
Published: June 2018

Uma das formas eficazes de investigação criminal usadas pelas polícias judiciárias, voltadas à obtenção de provas no processo penal, são as interceptações telefônicas. Não obstante, para que sejam respeitados os direitos fundamentais dos investigados, especialmente o direito à intimidade, esse meio de obtenção de provas deve ser utilizado dentro dos limites estabelecidos pela Lei 9.296/96 e como mecanismo investigatório apenas nas hipóteses em que outros meios forem insuficientes para a elucidação da infração penal sob apuração. Para a validade das provas obtidas por meio das interceptações telefônicas, portanto, deve existir um equilíbrio entre a eficiência do processo penal e o respeito aos direitos fundamentais dos investigados. E é exatamente isso que se analisa no presente artigo, com ênfase às posições adotadas, atualmente, pelo Supremo Tribunal Federal e pelo Superior Tribunal de Justiça, principalmente com relação aos aspectos jurídicos mais polêmicos a respeito do tema.
Editorial
Authors: Diana Gilson Matilde
Published: June 2018

Editorial
Incidentes Procedimentais na Busca e Apreensão: prévia instauração do inquérito e capacidade para representar pelas medidas cautelares.
Authors: Gomes Rodrigo Carneiro
Published: June 2018

A diligência policial de cumprimento de mandado de busca e apreensão deve observar normas legais, atos normativos e a experiência adquirida no cotidiano, com preservação dos direitos e garantias do cidadão. É indispensável a prévia instauração de inquérito policial para execução das medidas cautelares de busca e apreensão, para a qual o Delegado de Polícia possui legitimidade para requerê-la.
Produção de Inteligência Forense com base em Características das Impressões Digitais em Documentos Falsos
Authors: Girelli Carlos Magno Alves
Published: June 2018

Crimes de falsidade documental merecem atenção especial porque, dentre outros motivos, lesam sobremaneira os cofres públicos e oferecem risco à segurança nacional ao ocultarem a verdadeira identidade de terroristas e outros criminosos procurados pela justiça. A política de enfrentamento a esses crimes é geralmente reativa e focada na prova. Os exames periciais em documentos questionados geralmente se limitam a satisfazer as necessidades da investigação específica e produzir provas que serão utilizadas estritamente no caso em questão. Em geral, nenhum trabalho de inteligência adicional é feito no sentido de se obter uma visão mais ampla do problema que permita propor soluções mais abrangentes e eficazes. O presente estudo destaca a importância da atividade de inteligência no campo das ciências forenses e a necessidade de se assumir uma postura mais proativa no combate aos crimes envolvendo documentos falsos. O objetivo da inteligência forense é gerar informação útil em tempo hábil para assessorar tomadas de decisão em diferentes níveis por parte das autoridades gestoras. Algumas ferramentas potencialmente úteis no exame de documentos para fins de inteligência forense são apresentadas, dentre elas a análise de perfis, a representação geográfica e temporal de casos criminais e o exame de detalhes intrínsecos e extrínsecos das impressões digitais. Nesse sentido, ênfase é dada às impressões digitais presentes em documentos, cujas características podem indicar tendências de falsificação e modus operandi dos falsificadores, ajudando a polícia a identificar ligações entre crimes aparentemente desconexos e até mesmo chegar à fonte de falsificação. O estudo demonstra alguns benefícios provenientes da análise de impressões digitais em documentos falsos, utilizando como exemplo dados de casos reais. Por fim, é sugerida a implantação de um programa de perfilagem de documentos em âmbito nacional, integrando resultados obtidos a partir de exames papiloscópicos e documentoscópicos com as demais informações provenientes da investigação.
Editorial
Authors: Pereira Eliomar da Silva
Published: June 2018

Editorial
Investigação de Desvio de Recursos Públicos na Polícia Federal: análise preliminar e classificação das notícias de crime
Authors: Chagas Alex Silva
Published: June 2018

O presente artigo científico tem a pretensão de analisar a forma como normalmente são recebidas, tratadas e distribuídas, na Polícia Federal, as notícias de crime de desvio de recursos públicos federais repassados às prefeituras municipais. Como, nesses casos, a instauração de numerososinquéritos policiais, de imediato, a partir de notícias de crime isoladamente consideradas, sem nenhum tratamento prévio, contribui para a baixa efetividade das investigações, a partir do momento em que se perde o foco na possível atuação de uma organização criminosa, sem falar nouso inadequado dos poucos recursos humanos e materiais disponíveis. Propõe-se que, a despeito da obrigatoriedade da instauração do inquérito policial, as notícias de crimes que versem sobre o desvio de recursos públicos federais destinados às prefeituras sejam preliminarmente analisadas, com o objetivo de identificar a possível atuação de uma organização criminosa em comum, e posteriormente reunidas em um só procedimento investigatório, facilitando a desarticulação de todo o grupo criminoso e a punição de todos os envolvidos.
O Indiciamento da Pessoa Jurídica nos Crimes Ambientais
Authors: Kishida Isabelle Vasconcellos
Published: June 2018

Este artigo pretende propor parâmetros para o indiciamento de pessoa jurídica em inquéritos sobre crimes ambientais. A partir da análise dos elementos do crime, em especial a culpabilidade da pessoa jurídica. Pretende-se discutir como é possível identificar tais elementos em investigações de crimes ambientais envolvendo empresas. O artigo também analisará a aplicabilidade da lei nº 12.850/13 a esses delitos. Por fim, após a releitura dos conceitos de autoria, fato ilícito e dolo para a pessoa jurídica, parte-se para uma análise da aplicação dos referidos conceitos ao caso concreto. Utilizou-se a investigação do desastre ambiental ocorrido em Mariana, envolvendo as empresas Vale, Vog BR e Samarco.
O Papel da Polícia Federal na Política Nacional de Enfrentamento ao Tráfico de Pessoas
Authors: Ribeiro Marcos Leôncio Sousa
Published: June 2018

O presente trabalho se trata de Estudo de caso sobre tráfico internacional de pessoas na modalidade exploração sexual por meio de pesquisa que envolveu a coleta quantitativa e análise qualitativa de dados e informações, além de entrevistas e aplicação de questionários com servidores da Polícia Federal a respeito de inquéritos, indiciamentos e operações das Delegacias de Polícia Federal, no período de 2005 a 2015, a partir da matriz de responsabilidade da Polícia Federal na respectiva política pública de prevenção criminal ao tráfico de pessoas no Brasil. Merecendo especial atenção a necessidade de proteção da vítima, de uma metodologia integrada de coleta e análise de dados e informações sobre tráfico de pessoas e a importância da utilização pela Polícia Federal da cooperação internacional e da repressão econômica às organizações criminosas que se dedicam aesse ilícito penal.
Novas Perspectivas na Investigação da Criminalidade de Massa e sua Importância para o Enfrentamento do Crime Organizado
Authors: Diniz Breno Freire
Published: June 2018

Este artigo tem por objeto a reflexão acerca da investigação de crimes que constituem a criminalidade de massa a partir dos resultados obtidos na execução do Portfólio Hermes1 da DPAT - Divisão de Repressão a Crimes Contra o Patrimônio e ao Tráfico de Armas da Polícia Federal, que teve por objetivo aumentar a eficiência no enfrentamento dos crimes de roubos e furtos contra os carteiros da Empresa de Correios e Telégrafos, na região Metropolitana de São Paulo. Os resultados obtidos nesta experiência demonstram uma inadequação do modelo de persecução criminal estabelecido no Brasil para a investigação da criminalidade de massa, por desconsiderar soluções já cientificamente embasadas que apontam para a inteligência e análise criminal como ferramentas essenciais à resposta da polícia judiciária. Ademais, o recrudescimento do combate ao fenômeno da criminalidade de massa exsurge mais relevante diante das evidências que corroboram a construção teórica da estreita relação entre a criminalidade de massa e a criminalidade organizada. Assim, parece necessária a construção de um novo paradigma para a investigação criminalque reconfigure o modelo de persecução da criminalidade de massa, adequando-o às mudanças de valores jurídicos, dogmáticos e ideológicos que estão remodelando o tradicional sistema de política criminal liberal-iluminístico, por influência, principalmente, dos nefastos reflexos da criminalidade organizada na sociedade contemporânea.
A Lei nº 9.099/1995 e o Sistema Criminal – uma busca pela eficiência
Authors: Ferreira Luís Henrique Costa , Ferreira Daniel Silva
Published: June 2018

A Lei dos Juizados Especiais Criminais, Lei nº 9.099/95, foi concebida para atender aos preceitos do Artigo 98 da Constituição Federal, e busca dar efetividade à norma penal, ao mesmo tempo em que privilegia os interesses da vítima, sem descuidar das garantias do devido processo legal.A proposta deste trabalho foi avaliar os impactos das ocorrências referentes aos  delitos absorvidos pela Lei nº 9.099/1995 nas atividades de uma Delegacia de Polícia e buscar um modelo mais eficiente para o Estado lidar com eles. A Delegacia estudada foi a 2ª DT – 2ª Delegacia Territorial de Salvador, Estado da Bahia. O estudo fez uso da observação participativa para desenhar as etapas que compõe a lavratura de Termo Circunstanciado e, em seguida, estimar a demanda mensal do recurso tempo destinado a execução do procedimento pela cronometragem dos eventos.  Após a análise dos dados, ficou demonstrado que o atual modelo, utilizado como padrão pelos Sistemas de Segurança Pública para o tratamento das ocorrências delituosas contidas na Lei Nº 9.099/1995, confronta o princípio da eficiência exibido na Constituição Federal. Ele impacta negativamente nas atividades de investigação criminal e atrasa a solução do conflito pela Justiça, ao criar uma instância administrativa desnecessária, na maioria das vezes.Ao final, foram apresentadas, dentre as muitas que possam ser enxergadas, duas possíveis soluções para o problema que despontaram dos elementos da pesquisa.
Seeking Light in the Darkness of “Race”
Authors: Wheeler Jamar
Published: June 2018

In this article, the author explores racialism through a lens that integrates a sociological and Bahá’í-informed perspective. A historical sketch of how the race concept evolved is offered, along with a contemporary analysis of what history has wrought at the macro and micro levels of society. Viewing racialism as a dark, subjugating aspect of social life, the author presents the oneness of mankind as an enlightening force that, when actualized through individual agency and collective social action, has the power to transform society as small-scale efforts snowball into community-level movements.
Modelling and Simulation of a Fluidized Bed Reactor for Minimum Ammonium Nitrate and Reduction of NOx Emissions
Authors: Jarullah Aysar Talib
Published: June 2018

Due to the environmental legislations related to the nitrates and their emissions, thermal decomposition of ammonium nitrate (AN) in a fluidized reactor (FR) is regarded one of the most reasonable chemical-free disposal process for an aqueous waste nitrate stream. Therefore, the present study is aimed to improve a mathematical model based on experiments (from the literature) for enhancing the design of such reactor in an environmentally friendly manner. Where, the optimal kinetic parameters of the relevant reactions are firstly obtained employing the optimization technique keeping in mind the goal to construct the model with high exactness. Such design factors are then utilized for the purpose of getting the optimal operating conditions of fluidized bed reactor (FBR) achieving the main target of this process with ammonium nitrate-free content (Nil) at the end of the reactor in addition to reducing the NOx emissions. The model is based on the two-phase theory of a FBR with predicting the concentration behavior along the reaction zone length for all components in the emulsion and bubble phases in addition to the temperature profile of the gas phase. New results related to output conversion of ammonium nitrate as well as NO content at the optimal operating conditions has been obtained in comparison with those reported in the literature.

Chemical Engineering Research Bulletin 20(2018) 8-18
HIF Oxygen Sensing Pathways in Lung Biology
Authors: Urrutia Andrés A. , Aragonés Julián
Published: June 2018

Cellular responses to oxygen fluctuations are largely mediated by hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs). Upon inhalation, the first organ inspired oxygen comes into contact with is the lungs, but the understanding of the pulmonary HIF oxygen-sensing pathway is still limited. In this review we will focus on the role of HIF1α and HIF2α isoforms in lung responses to oxygen insufficiency. In particular, we will discuss novel findings regarding their role in the biology of smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells in the context of hypoxia-induced pulmonary vasoconstriction. Moreover, we will also discuss recent studies into HIF-dependent responses in the airway epithelium, which have been even less studied than the HIF-dependent vascular responses in the lungs. In summary, we will review the biological functions executed by HIF1 or HIF2 in the pulmonary vessels and epithelium to control lung responses to oxygen fluctuations as well as their pathological consequences in the hypoxic lung.
Food Allergy Perceptions and Health-Related Quality of Life in a Racially Diverse Sample
Authors: Widge Alicia Toeruna , Flory Elizabeth , Sharma Hemant , Herbert Linda Jones
Published: June 2018

This study examined caregiver perceptions of risk of food allergen exposure, and food allergy severity, worry, and health-related quality of life, and identified variations by race/ethnicity. Given the lack of data on racial/ethnic background in research on the psychosocial impacts of food allergy, this study meets a pressing need for research regarding food allergy-related experiences among diverse populations. This study found there were significant differences in perceived risk of allergen exposure among racial/ethnic groups with Asian Americans reporting significantly higher perceived risk of allergen exposure than Hispanic, Caucasian, and African American caregivers. There were no significant differences in food allergy severity, food allergy worry, or health-related quality of life among racial/ethnic groups; however, variability among racial/ethnic groups was apparent. Data may inform screening, counseling, and education practices for families from diverse backgrounds and aid in hypothesis generation for future research.
From Mice to Men: An Evolutionary Conserved Breakdown of the Epidermal Calcium Gradient and Its Impact on the Cornified Envelope
Authors: Streubel Maria Karolin , Neuhofer Claudia , Bischof Johannes , Steinbacher Peter , Russe Elisabeth , Wechselberger Gottfried , Richter Klaus , Rinnerthaler Mark
Published: June 2018

In previous publications, we could establish that a hallmark of human skin aging is the breakdown of the epidermal calcium gradient. This redistribution of calcium has many implications, including a restructuring of the cornified envelope, a reduced epidermal barrier function, a change in lipid composition, a reduced skin hydration, and an increased skin pH. Especially the age-dependent change in the cornified envelope composition was solely studied in human foreskin samples. The aim of this study was to confirm that this effect is neither restricted to UV-protected skin area nor limited to a specific sex. In addition, we wanted to show that the collapse of the epidermal calcium gradient is not only a hallmark of human skin aging, but is also evolutionarily conserved in mammals. By using such techniques as IHC, Western blot analysis, and RT-PCR, we could demonstrate the following: (1) A change in the epidermal calcium gradient is in fact the most important sign of epidermal aging in mammals (as shown in female human eyelids and mouse skin samples of the external ear-shell); (2) The disturbed calcium homeostasis affects the expression and crosslinking of most cornified-envelope-specific genes such as loricrin and filaggrin. In this way, we could establish that the age-dependent altered composition of the cornified envelope is a typical sign of skin aging not only in humans, but in mice, too. This makes the mouse an important model organism to study these changes.
A Novel Boolean Kernels Family for Categorical Data
Authors: Polato Mirko , Lauriola Ivano , Aiolli Fabio
Published: June 2018

Kernel based classifiers, such as SVM, are considered state-of-the-art algorithms and are widely used on many classification tasks. However, this kind of methods are hardly interpretable and for this reason they are often considered as black-box models. In this paper, we propose a new family of Boolean kernels for categorical data where features correspond to propositional formulas applied to the input variables. The idea is to create human-readable features to ease the extraction of interpretation rules directly from the embedding space. Experiments on artificial and benchmark datasets show the effectiveness of the proposed family of kernels with respect to established ones, such as RBF, in terms of classification accuracy.
Impact of Low Molecular Weight Acids on Oil Impregnated Paper Insulation Degradation
Authors: Kouassi Kakou , Fofana Issouf , Cissé Ladji , Hadjadj Yazid , Yapi Kouba , Diby K.
Published: June 2018

Aging of a power transformer’s insulation system produces carboxylic acids. These acids—acetic, formic and levulinic—are absorbed by the paper insulating material, thus accelerating the degradation of the whole insulation system. In this contribution, the effect of these acids on the aging of oil-impregnated paper insulation used in power transformer is reported. A laboratory aging experiment considering different concentrations of these three acids was performed to assess their effect on the insulation system’s degradation. Each acid was individually mixed with virgin oil, and a mixture of acids was also blended with oil. The paper’s degradation was assessed by the degree of polymerization (DPv). It was found that the DPv of paper aged with formic acid decreased much faster in comparison to the other acids.
Towards Efficient Sink Mobility in Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Yahya Aqeb , Islam Saif , Akhunzada Adnan , Ahmed Ghufran , Shamshirband Shahaboddin , Lloret Jaime
Published: June 2018

The unique characteristics of underwater environment such as long propagation delay, limited bandwidth, energy-constraint and non-uniform topology are big challenges in designing a routing protocol for underwater wireless sensor networks (UWSNs). In this paper, a novel routing scheme is proposed through which two mobile sinks are used for efficient collection of sensed data packets. Moreover, a new metric “Mobile Sink Utility Ratio (MUR)” is also introduced that helps in measuring the usage of mobile sink in the collection of data packets. The proposed scheme is rigorously evaluated and compared with current state-of-the-art routing protocols. The simulation of the proposed scheme shows promising results in terms of throughput, network lifetime, packet drop ratio and MUR.
Cooperation or Localization in European Capacity Markets? A Coalitional Game over Graph Approach
Authors: Stamtsis Giorgos , Doukas Haris
Published: June 2018

Capacity markets, as a means to address the capacity adequacy issue, are constantly becoming an important part of the European internal electricity market. The debate focuses on how the capacity markets will be smoothly integrated in one Pan-European power market, without resulting in multiple national fragmentations and consequently in economic efficiency losses. Cross-border participation and regional cooperation are considered as two sine qua non conditions in this respect. The present paper provides a coalitional game theoretical approach aiming to facilitate the cooperation of neighboring countries, when it comes to the security of electricity supply and the necessity of establishing a capacity market. Such an approach can support respective decisions about capacity markets cooperation as well as stress-test the benefits considering all cooperation possibilities.
The Influence of LED Lighting Sources on the Nature of Power Factor
Authors: Wlas Miroslaw , Galla Stanislaw
Published: June 2018

This article presents measurements of electric power absorbed by a newly built facility for office and scientific research activities. These measurements highlighted the need for compensation of capacitive reactive power—not predicted by the designer—due to the vast use of LED lighting in the facility. The article also describes a reactive power compensation system, designed on the basis of the above-mentioned measurements, and the introduced control and measurement system that enables on-site monitoring and online analysis of consumed energy and power. The research was carried out using popular LED lighting sources available on the local market (Poland). Basic electrical parameters of the locally available LEDs were measured as a function of the changes in harmonic levels occurring in the supply voltage. The test illustrated that samples were characterized by a very low power factor, which decreased as the level of harmonic disturbances increased. On the basis of the measurements, the authors suggest that obligatory requirements should be introduced in regard to the minimum power factor at the level of 0.9 for popular LED lighting sources (below 25 W).
Strong Tracking of a H-Infinity Filter in Lithium-Ion Battery State of Charge Estimation
Authors: Xia Bizhong , Zhang Zheng , Lao Zizhou , Wang Wei , Sun Wei , Lai Yongzhi , Wang Mingwang
Published: June 2018

The accuracy of state-of-charge (SOC) estimation, one of the most important functions of a battery management system (BMS), is the basis for the proper operation of an electric vehicle. This study proposes a method for accurate SOC estimation. To achieve a balance between accuracy and simplicity, a second-order resistor–capacitor equivalent circuit model is applied before the algorithm is deduced, and the parameters of the established model are determined using a fitting technique. Battery state space equations are then described. A strong tracking H-infinity filter (STHF) is proposed based on an H-infinity filter (HF) and a strong tracking filter. By introducing a suboptimal fading factor, the STHF approach can use the relevant information in the estimation residual sequence to update the estimation results. To verify the robustness of this approach, battery test experiments are performed at different temperatures on lithium-ion batteries. Finally, the SOC estimation results obtained using the STHF suggest that the STHF method exhibits high robustness against the measured noises and initial error. For comparison, the estimation results of the commonly used extended Kalman filter (EKF) and HF methods are also displayed. It is suggested that the proposed STHF approach obtains a more accurate SOC estimation.
Upstream Flow Control for the Savonius Rotor under Various Operation Conditions
Authors: Kang Can , Opare Wisdom , Pan Chen , Zou Ziwen
Published: June 2018

Applications of the Savonius rotor have been extended in recent years, necessitating an in-depth investigation on flow characteristics of such a fluid energy converting device. For the wake flow downstream of the Savonius rotor, studies have been reported extensively. Nevertheless, literature specifically devoted to the upstream flow of the Savonius rotor can rarely be found. This review collects and compiles findings from relevant studies to prove the significance of upstream flow patterns to the operation of the Savonius rotor. Then attempts from experimental and numerical aspects to substantiate the important effect of the upstream flow are implemented. Based on practical cases and laboratory works, upstream flow patterns for the Savonius rotor are divided into four types, namely uniform flow, guided flow, rotor wake flow and oscillating flow. Accordingly, conditions under which these upstream flow patterns arise are analyzed respectively. Experimental and numerical results are presented to clarify the influential factors underlying diverse upstream flow patterns. Furthermore, the relationship between the performance of the Savonius and the upstream flow is elucidated, facilitating the development of techniques of controlling the upstream flow. This review provides a systematic reference for the control of the upstream flow for the Savonius rotor, which has the tendency of developing into an independent technical branch.
Isolation and Pathogenicity of Phytophthora Species from Poplar Plantations in Serbia
Authors: Milenković Ivan , Keča Nenad , Karadžić Dragan , Radulović Zlatan , Nowakowska Justyna A. , Oszako Tomasz , Sikora Katarzyna , Corcobado Tamara , Jung Thomas
Published: June 2018

During a survey in three declining and three healthy poplar plantations in Serbia, six different Phytophthora species were obtained. Phytophthora plurivora was the most common, followed by P. pini, P. polonica, P. lacustris, P. cactorum, and P. gonapodyides. Pathogenicity of all isolated species to four-month and one-year-old cuttings of Populus hybrid clones I-214 and Pánnonia, respectively, was tested using both a soil infestation and stem inoculation test. Isolates of P. polonica, P. × cambivora, P. cryptogea, and P. × serendipita from other host plants were included as a comparison. In the soil infestation test, the most aggressive species to clone I-214 were P. plurivora, P. × serendipita, and P. pini. On clone Pánnonia, P. gonapodyides and P. pini were the most aggressive, both causing 100% mortality, followed by P. cactorum, P. × cambivora, and P. polonica. In the underbark inoculation test, the susceptibility of both poplar clones to the different Phytophthora species was largely similar, as in the soil infestation test, with the exception of P. polonica, which proved to be only weakly pathogenic to poplar bark. The most aggressive species to clone I-214 was P. pini, while on clone Pánnonia, the longest lesions and highest disease incidence were caused by P. gonapodyides. Phytophthora cactorum and P. plurivora were pathogenic to both clones, whereas P. × cambivora showed only weak pathogenicity. The implications of these findings and possible pathways of dispersion of the pathogens are discussed.
Bark Assortments of Scots Pine and Norway Spruce as Industrial Feedstock for Tall Oil Production
Authors: Arshadi Mehrdad , Eriksson Daniel , Isacsson Patrik , Bergsten Urban
Published: June 2018

Fatty and resin acids in bark residues generated by forest industries can be used to produce high-value green chemicals, but more information about their concentrations in potential sources is required. We examined variations in the content of lipophilic extractives from both pulpwood bark and timber bark of Norway spruce and Scots pine trees growing in homogenous stands in mid-Sweden. We found that spruce pulpwood bark had the highest total amounts of fatty and resin acids (average yield, 0.9 kg/m3 wood). The regression functions, based on readily available tree parameters (age, stem diameter, height, growth rate and inner bark proportions), can be used to predict the concentrations of fatty and resin acids, triglycerides, sterols and steryl esters in bark materials before harvesting stands that supply industrial plants.
Carbon Stable-Isotope and Physicochemical Data as a Possible Tool to Differentiate between Honey-Production Environments in Uruguay
Authors: Berriel Verónica
Published: June 2018

The allocation of honey origin is an increasingly important issue worldwide as it is closely related to product quality and consumer preference. In South America, honeys produced in grasslands and eucalyptus or native forests are preferred at the regional level, so their differentiation is essential to assure consumers of their authenticity according to their productive system. The objective of this study was to differentiate honeys produced in three environments: one, a monoculture system based on the eucalyptus forest, and two others based in natural environments of grasslands and native forests. To do this, honey’s physicochemical and isotopic variables (pH, free acidity, lactic acid content, moisture, total sugar content, and honey and extracted protein 13C isotopic composition) were analysed. Discriminant analysis applied to the data revealed that, based on the selected variables, it was impossible to differentiate the three groups of honeys due to the superposition of those produced in grasslands and native forests. For this reason, a group of honeys derived from native and polyfloral environments (grasslands and native forests) was formed and subjected to discriminant analysis (DA), together with the group of honeys derived from a commercial plantation of eucalyptus forest. The model obtained in this case achieved 100% correct allocation both at the training stage and the cross-validation stage.
Stochastic Capsule Endoscopy Image Enhancement
Authors: Mohammed Ahmed , Farup Ivar , Pedersen Marius , Hovde Øistein , Yildirim Yayilgan Sule
Published: June 2018

Capsule endoscopy, which uses a wireless camera to take images of the digestive tract, is emerging as an alternative to traditional colonoscopy. The diagnostic values of these images depend on the quality of revealed underlying tissue surfaces. In this paper, we consider the problem of enhancing the visibility of detail and shadowed tissue surfaces for capsule endoscopy images. Using concentric circles at each pixel for random walks combined with stochastic sampling, the proposed method enhances the details of vessel and tissue surfaces. The framework decomposes the image into two detailed layers that contain shadowed tissue surfaces and detail features. The target pixel value is recalculated for the smooth layer using similarity of the target pixel to neighboring pixels by weighting against the total gradient variation and intensity differences. In order to evaluate the diagnostic image quality of the proposed method, we used clinical subjective evaluation with a rank order on selected KID image database and compared it to state-of-the-art enhancement methods. The result showed that the proposed method provides a better result in terms of diagnostic image quality and objective quality contrast metrics and structural similarity index.
From the Field to the Lab: A Converging Methods Approach to the Study of Codeswitching
Authors: Beatty-Martínez Anne L. , Valdés Kroff Jorge R. , Dussias Paola E.
Published: June 2018

Variation in the ways by which an individual processes codeswitched language may reveal fundamental dynamics of the language system that are otherwise obscured under unilingual conditions. Despite this, an important aspect that has been largely neglected in the field is the role of the bilingual experience in language processing. Drawing on corpus-driven and experimental research, the corpus-to-cognition approach to codeswitching integrates field- and laboratory-based work to examine how the bilingual experience may influence language processing. In this review, we elaborate on the best practices for investigating codeswitching, with converging evidence from different methodologies across different bilingual populations.
Šiuolaikinis požiūris į šlapimo nelaikymo gydymą
Authors: Skaudickas Darijus , Kėvelaitis Egidijus
Published: June 2018

Sergančiųjų šlapimo nelaikymu, metams bėgant, daugėja. Moterys ir vyrai iki 85 metų serga santykiu 2:1, vėliau sergamumas būna vienodas – 1:1. Šlapimo nelaikymas – tai liga, lemianti fizinę žmonių veiklą, emocinę pusiausvyrą, darbingumą bei socialinį bendravimą. Nelaikantys šlapimo žmonės turi psichologinių sunkumų, nevisavertiškumo jausmą, nerimą dėl ateities, diskomfortą dėl galimo blogo šlapimo kvapo. Dalis pacientų vengia viešai kalbėti apie esamą problemą, nedrįsta pasakoti gydytojui apie savo negalavimus. Literatūros duomenimis, vyrauja keletas šlapimo nelaikymo gydymo būdų, kurie taikomi klinikinėje praktikoje. Apibendrinus ir išanalizavus įvairias gydymo metodikas, nustatyta, kad šlapimo nelaikymo pradiniame etape rekomenduojami konservatyvūs gydymo būdai. Vėliau, nesant teigiamo poveikio, taikomi chirurginiai gydymo metodai.
De novo erosive esophagitis in duodenal ulcer patients related to pre-existing reflux symptoms, smoking, and patient age, but not to Helicobacter pylori eradication: a one-year follow-up study
Authors: Jonaitis Laimas , Kupčinskas Juozas , Kiudelis Gediminas , Kupčinskas Limas
Published: June 2018

It remains unclear whether the Helicobacter pylori eradication may cause or provoke gastroesophageal reflux disease. Therefore, we aimed to elucidate the role of H. pylori eradication and other factors in the development of erosive esophagitis in patients with duodenal ulcer. Materials and methods. We enrolled 183 H. pylori-positive duodenal ulcer patients without erosive esophagitis. Final endoscopy was performed 12 months later or in case if ulcer relapse was suspected. H. pylori was diagnosed by the urease test and histology if the results of at least one of the tests were positive. A total of 142 patients were assigned to the eradication treatment. The control group included 41 volunteers – 20-mg omeprazole b.i.d. for 4 weeks was administered. Results. A total of 150 patients completed the study. Of the 119 patients, 70 (58.8%) were cured from H. pylori, and in 49 (41.2%) of patients, treatment of H. pylori was unsuccessful. All 31 controls remained H. pylori-positive. At the final endoscopy, erosive esophagitis was found in 19 (12.7%) patients. Erosive esophagitis developed in 8 (11.4%) successfully eradicated patients, in 9 (18.4%) unsuccessfully treated patients, and in 2 (6.5%) controls (P>0.05 comparing the groups). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed 3 factors at baseline, which were significant (P<0.05) in predicting the occurrence of erosive esophagitis: age more than 43 years (OR, 4.96; 95% CI, 1.47–16.71), nonerosive gastroesophageal reflux disease (OR, 3.96; 95% CI, 1.34–11.68), and smoking (OR, 3.17; 95% CI, 1.01–9.17). Conclusions. H. pylori eradication did not influence the incidence of erosive esophagitis in patients with duodenal ulcer during a one-year follow-up period. Pre-existing nonerosive gastroesophageal reflux disease, smoking, and older age are important predictors of de novo development of erosive esophagitis.
Ultrasonic measurement of ocular rectus muscle thickness in patients with Graves’ ophthalmopathy
Authors: Imbrasienė Daiva , Jankauskienė Jūratė , Stanislovaitienė Daiva
Published: June 2018

The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in extraocular muscle thickness and to assess its correlation with the degree of proptosis in patients with Graves’ ophthalmopathy (GO). Material and methods. A total of 242 patients (207 females and 35 males) with Graves’ ophthalmopathy were enrolled into the study (GO group). Their mean age was 53.83±14.49 years. In addition, we examined an age-matched (53.51±12.79 years) control group of 40 healthy persons. All the participants underwent ophthalmological examination, including eye protrusion measurement and ultrasonographic evaluation of extraocular muscles thickness. Results. The mean exophthalmos in the GO and control groups was 17.84±2.79 mm and 16.0±1.58 mm, respectively. The enlargement of inferior rectus muscle was recorded in 92.1% of patients, lateral rectus muscle in 81.2%, and medial rectus muscle in 50.8% (P<0.001). A significant correlation between exophthalmos and muscle thickness sum was found in the GO group (Spearman correlation coefficient, 0.515; P<0.0001). Conclusions. Graves’ ophthalmopathy is more frequent in medium-aged women than men. A significant enlargement of inferior, lateral, and medial straight muscles was noticed in the GO group. With increasing proptosis, the sum of the muscle thickness was increasing, and exophthalmos moderately correlated with muscle thickness sum.
HLA class II alleles and haplotypes in Lithuanian children with type 1 diabetes and healthy children (HLA and type 1 diabetes)
Authors: Skrodenienė Erika , Marčiulionytė Dalia , Padaiga Žilvinas , Jašinskienė Edita , Sadauskaitė-Kuehne Vaiva , Sanjeevi Carani , Ludvigsson Johnny
Published: June 2018

Objective. Type 1 diabetes mellitus is a slowly progressive autoimmune disease. The genetic background of type 1 diabetes mellitus is polygenic with the major disease locus located in the human leukocytes antigen (HLA) region. High risk and protective alleles, haplotypes, and genotypes have been determined in Lithuanian children with type 1 diabetes mellitus and healthy children. Material and methods. In this case-control study, 124 children with diabetes (55 males and 69 females; mean age, 9.2±3.9 years) were tested for HLA class II and compared with 78 healthy controls (43 males and 35 females; mean age, 10.8±3.4 years; range, 0–15 years). HLA DRB1, DQA1, and DQB1 alleles were genotyped using a polymerase chain reaction. Results. T1D risk-associated haplotypes (DR4)-DQA1*0301-DQB1*0302, (DR3)- DQA1*0501-DQB1*0201, and (DR1)-DQA1*0101-04-DQB1*0501 were more prevalent among children with diabetes than controls (50.0%, 41.1%, and 37.9% vs. 10.3%, 5.1%, and 24.4%, P<0.001). The haplotypes (DR4)-DQA1*0301-DQB1*0302 and (DR3)-DQA1*0501-DQB1*0201 increased T1D risk by 8.75 and 12.93 times, respectively (P<0.001). Protective haplotypes (DR2)- DQA1*0102-B1*0602, (DR11/12/13)-DQA1*05-DQB1*0301, and (DR13)-DQA1*0103- DQB1*0603 were significantly more prevalent among controls than children with diabetes (25.6%, 33.3%, 19.2% vs. 0%, 3.2%, 0%; P<0.001). These frequencies are quite similar to those from neighbor countries with varying incidence of type 1 diabetes mellitus. Conclusions. HLA class II haplotypes associated with type 1 diabetes mellitus positively or negatively were the same in Lithuanian children as in other European Caucasian populations. Differences in incidence and clinical manifestations of type 1 diabetes might be due to different environmental factors and/or lifestyle.
Acute kidney injury in pediatric patients: experience of a single center during an 11-year period
Authors: Pundzienė Birutė , Dobilienė Diana , Rudaitis Šarūnas
Published: June 2018

The aim of our study was to determine the causes of acute kidney injury (AKI) in children, to compare outcomes between two periods – 1998–2003 and 2004-2008 – and to evaluate the influence of new methods of renal replacement therapy on mortality. Material and methods. A retrospective analysis of medical record data of all children treated for AKI at the Clinic of Children Diseases, Hospital of Kaunas University of Medicine, during the period of 1998–2008 was made. Both periods were compared regarding various variables. Results. Of the 179 children with AKI, 75 (41.9%) were treated during 1998–2003 and 104 (58.1%) during 2004–2008. Primary glomerular disease and sepsis were the leading causes of AKI in both the periods. AKI without involvement of other organs was diagnosed for 106 (59.2%) children: for 42 (56.0%) children in the first period and 64 (61.5%) in the second. A total of 124 (69.3%) children were treated in a pediatric intensive care unit. Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome with AKI was diagnosed for 33 (44%) patients in the first period and for 40 (38.5%) in the second. A significant decrease in mortality among patients with multiple organ dysfunction syndrome during the second period was observed (78.8% vs. 37.5%). Conclusions. More than half of patients had secondary acute kidney injury of nonrenal origin. More than two-thirds (69.3%) of patients with AKI were treated in the pediatric intensive care unit. Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome was diagnosed for 40.8% of children with AKI. Renal replacement therapy was indicated for one-third of patients with AKI. A 2.5-fold decrease in mortality was observed in the second period as compared to the first one.
Impact of hemodialysis dose and frequency on survival of patients on chronic hemodialysis in Lithuania during 1998–2005
Authors: Stankuvienė Asta , Žiginskienė Edita , Kuzminskis Vytautas , Bumblytė Inga
Published: June 2018

Introduction. The question of the targets of dialysis dosing remains controversial since the beginning of the long-term dialysis treatment era. It is still uncertain if higher dialysis dose is better. The aim of our study was to investigate issues of dialysis dose in Lithuania during the period of 1998–2005 and to determine associations between hemodialysis dose and survival of patients on chronic hemodialysis. Material and methods. We analyzed data of all patients who started hemodialysis due to endstage renal disease in Lithuania between January 1, 1998, and December 31, 2005. The information about hemodialysis frequency, duration, and adequacy (according to Kt/V) was obtained from medical documentation. The overall survival rate was estimated using the Kaplan- Meier method. Survival comparisons were made using the log-rank or Breslow tests. Univariate Cox proportional hazards analysis was used to select variables significantly associated with the risk of death; then these variables were included in multivariate Cox proportional hazards models. Results. During the study period, from 2428 patients who started chronic hemodialysis, 58.5% of patients started hemodialysis three times a week. More than one-third (36.2%) of patients were dialyzed twice weekly, and 5.3% of patients started hemodialysis once weekly. Survival analysis revealed that patients dialyzed less than three times per week survived shorter than patients receiving a higher dialysis dose. Duration of HD session of ≤8 hours per week was an independent risk factor for mortality. A higher mean Kt/V was associated with better survival of patients on chronic hemodialysis. Conclusions. Dialysis frequency and weekly duration of HD sessions were dependent on HD accessibility in Lithuania during the period of 1998–2005. Better survival of patients on chronic hemodialysis was associated with a higher hemodialysis dose.
Ten-year experience of kidney transplantation at the Hospital of Kaunas University of Medicine: demography, complications, graft and patient survival
Authors: Dalinkevičienė Eglė , Kuzminskis Vytautas , Petrulienė Kristina , Skarupskienė Inga , Bagdonavičiūtė Gintarė , Bumblytė Inga
Published: June 2018

During 10 years, 163 cadaveric kidney transplantations were performed at the Hospital of Kaunas University of Medicine. The aim of this study was to analyze the first 10-year experience in kidney transplantation and to evaluate the most frequent early and late complications after transplantation, graft and patient survival, and impact of delayed graft function on graft survival. Material and methods. A total of 159 patients were included into the study. Graft and patient survival was calculated at 1, 3, and 5 years after transplantation using the Kaplan-Meier method; graft function was also analyzed. Results. Fifty-three patients (33.3%) in the early period and 72 (55.4%) in the late period had at least one episode of urinary tract infection. Less than half (47.2%) of patients had complications related to immunosuppressive treatment, mostly cytomegalovirus infection, in the late period. The risk of CMV reactivation was 3.98 times higher among recipients who received prophylaxis only with intravenous ganciclovir as compared to patients who received valganciclovir after a brief course of ganciclovir (OR, 3.98; 95% CI, 1.48–8.19; P=0.003). Delayed graft function was observed in 53 cases (33.3%); 37 (23.3%) grafts were lost. Graft and patient survival at 1, 3, and 5 years after transplantation was 85%, 82%, and 71% and 97%, 94%, and 94%, respectively. Graft survival at 1, 3, and 5 years was worse among patients with delayed graft function as compared to patients with good graft function (69%, 69%, 50% vs. 93%, 86%, 84%, respectively; P<0.05). Conclusions. Urinary tract infection was the most frequent complication after kidney transplantation. Reactivation of cytomegalovirus infection was present only in a quarter of our patients. The administration of valganciclovir was associated with a significantly lower incidence of CMV infection/disease. Graft and patient survival was sufficiently good. Delayed graft function was an independent risk factor for worse graft survival.