bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Emergency Medical System in Greece: Opening Aeolus’ Bag of Winds
Authors: Kotsiou Ourania S. , Srivastava David S. , Kotsios Panagiotis , Exadaktylos Aristomenis K. , Gourgoulianis Konstantinos I.
Published: April 2018

An Emergency Medical Service (EMS) system must encompass a spectrum of care, with dedicated pre-hospital and in-hospital medical facilities. It has to be organised in such a way as to include all necessary services—such as triage accurate initial assessment, prompt resuscitation, efficient management of emergency cases, and transport to definitive care. The global economic downturn has had a direct effect on the health sector and poses additional threats to the healthcare system. Greece is one of the hardest-hit countries. This manuscript aims to present the structure of the Greek EMS system and the impact of the current economic recession on it. Nowadays, primary care suffers major shortages in crucial equipment, unmet health needs, and ineffective central coordination. Patients are also facing economic limitations that lead to difficulties in using healthcare services. The multi-factorial problem of in-hospital EMS overcrowding is also evident and has been linked with potentially poorer clinical outcomes. Furthermore, the ongoing refugee crisis challenges the national EMS. Adoption of a triage scale, expansion of the primary care network, and an effective primary–hospital continuum of care are urgently needed in Greece to provide comprehensive, culturally competent, and high-quality health care.
Taking a Gamble for High Rewards? Management Perspectives on the Value of Mental Health Peer Workers
Authors: Byrne Louise , Roennfeldt Helena , O’Shea Peri , Macdonald Fiona
Published: April 2018

Mental health peer work is attracting growing interest and provides a potentially impactful method of service user involvement in mental health design and delivery, contributing to mental health reform. The need to effectively support this emerging workforce is consequently increasing. This study aimed to better understand the views of management in relation to peer work and specifically explores the value of peer work from the perspective of management. This qualitative research employed grounded theory methods. There were 29 participants in total, employed in both peer designated and non-peer designated management roles, in not for profit and public health organisations in Queensland, Australia. The value of peer work as described by participants is found to be partially dependent on practical supports and strategies from the organisation. There were high benefits for all facets of the organisation when effective recruitment and ongoing support for peer workers was prioritised and a higher perception of limitations when they were not. Due to some parallels, it may be useful to explore the potential for peer work to be conceptually and/or practically considered as a form of diversity and inclusion employment.
The Effect of PM2.5 from Household Combustion on Life Expectancy in Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Aboubacar Badamassi , Deyi Xu , Abdoul Razak Mahaman Yacoubou , Hamidou Leyla Boubacar
Published: April 2018

Household fuel combustion, especially using solid combustibles (biomass and fossil fuels), for cooking and other activities produces emissions that contribute to concentrations of indoor as well as outdoor air pollutants such as particulate matter with diameter smaller than 2.5 μm (PM2.5) that deteriorate health and likely affect life expectancy (LEX). This study investigates the impact of PM2.5 from household combustion on LEX considering several covariates while controlling for ambient PM2.5 generated by other sectors. The generalized method of moments (GMM) model and the panel cointegration model were applied to a dataset of 43 Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries over the time period of 1995–2010. Both approaches provide similar results indicating that household PM2.5 is significantly and negatively associated with higher aggregate LEX in the long-run, and, to a greater degree for female’s. Also, among the control variables, PM2.5 from the transport sector has a greater influence on male’s LEX. Thus, efforts should be combined to reduce household PM2.5 since lower levels are associated with increased LEX.
Expressing OsMPK4 Impairs Plant Growth but Enhances the Resistance of Rice to the Striped Stem Borer Chilo suppressalis
Authors: Liu Xiaoli , Li Jiancai , Xu Liping , Wang Qi , Lou Yonggen
Published: April 2018

Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MPKs) play a central role not only in plant growth and development, but also in plant responses to abiotic and biotic stresses, including pathogens. Yet, their role in herbivore-induced plant defenses and their underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. Here, we cloned a rice MPK gene, OsMPK4, whose expression was induced by mechanical wounding, infestation of the striped stem borer (SSB) Chilo suppressalis, and treatment with jasmonic acid (JA), but not by treatment with salicylic acid (SA). The overexpression of OsMPK4 (oe-MPK4) enhanced constitutive and/or SSB-induced levels of JA, jasmonoyl-l-isoleucine (JA-Ile), ethylene (ET), and SA, as well as the activity of elicited trypsin proteinase inhibitors (TrypPIs), and reduced SSB performance. On the other hand, compared to wild-type plants, oe-MPK4 lines in the greenhouse showed growth retardation. These findings suggest that OsMPK4, by regulating JA-, ET-, and SA-mediated signaling pathways, functions as a positive regulator of rice resistance to the SSB and a negative regulator of rice growth.
The Double Face of Exosome-Carried MicroRNAs in Cancer Immunomodulation
Authors: Alfonsi Romina , Grassi Ludovica , Signore Michele , Bonci Désirée
Published: April 2018

In recent years many articles have underlined the key role of nanovesicles, i.e., exosomes, as information carriers among biological systems including cancer. Tumor-derived exosomes (TEXs) are key players in the dynamic crosstalk between cancer cells and the microenvironment while promote immune system control evasion. In fact, tumors are undoubtedly capable of silencing the immune response through multiple mechanisms, including the release of exosomes. TEXs have been shown to boost tumor growth and promote progression and metastatic spreading via suppression or stimulation of the immune response towards cancer cells. The advantage of immunotherapeutic treatment alone over combining immuno- and conventional therapy is currently debated. Understanding the role of tumor exosome-cargo is of crucial importance for our full comprehension of neoplastic immonosuppression and for the construction of novel therapies and vaccines based on (nano-) vesicles. Furthermore, to devise new anti-cancer approaches, diverse groups investigated the possibility of engineering TEXs by conditioning cancer cells’ own cargo. In this review, we summarize the state of art of TEX-based immunomodulation with a particular focus on the molecular function of non-coding family genes, microRNAs. Finally, we will report on recent efforts in the study of potential applications of engineered exosomes in cancer immunotherapy.
Molecular and Ultrastructural Mechanisms Underlying Yellow Dwarf Symptom Formation in Wheat after Infection of Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus
Authors: Rong Wei , Wang Xindong , Wang Xifeng , Massart Sebastien , Zhang Zengyan
Published: April 2018

Wheat (Tritium aestivum L.) production is essential for global food security. Infection of barley yellow dwarf virus-GAV (BYDV-GAV) results in wheat showing leaf yellowing and plant dwarfism symptom. To explore the molecular and ultrastructural mechanisms underlying yellow dwarf symptom formation in BYDV-GAV-infected wheat, we investigated the chloroplast ultrastructure via transmission electron microscopy (TEM), examined the contents of the virus, H2O2, and chlorophyll in Zhong8601, and studied the comparative transcriptome through microarray analyses in the susceptible wheat line Zhong8601 after virus infection. TEM images indicated that chloroplasts in BYDV-GAV-infected Zhong8601 leaf cells were fragmentized. Where thylakoids were not well developed, starch granules and plastoglobules were rare. Compared with mock-inoculated Zhong8601, chlorophyll content was markedly reduced, but the virus and H2O2 contents were significantly higher in BYDV-GAV-infected Zhong8601. The transcriptomic analyses revealed that chlorophyll biosynthesis and chloroplast related transcripts, encoding chlorophyll a/b binding protein, glucose-6-phosphate/phosphate translocator 2, and glutamyl-tRNA reductase 1, were down-regulated in BYDV-GAV-infected Zhong8601. Some phytohormone signaling-related transcripts, including abscisic acid (ABA) signaling factors (phospholipase D alpha 1 and calcineurin B-like protein 9) and nine ethylene response factors, were up-regulated. Additionally, reactive oxygen species (ROS)-related genes were transcriptionally regulated in BYDV-GAV infected Zhong8601, including three up-regulated transcripts encoding germin-like proteins (promoting ROS accumulation) and four down-regulated transcripts encoding peroxides (scavenging ROS). These results clearly suggest that the yellow dwarf symptom formation is mainly attributed to reduced chlorophyll content and fragmentized chloroplasts caused by down-regulation of the chlorophyll and chloroplast biosynthesis related genes, ROS excessive accumulation, and precisely transcriptional regulation of the above-mentioned ABA and ethylene signaling- and ROS-related genes in susceptible wheat infected by BYDV-GAV.
Substantially Evolutionary Theorizing in Designing Software-Intensive Systems
Authors: Sosnin Petr
Published: April 2018

Useful inheritances from scientific experience open perspective ways for increasing the degree of success in designing of systems with software. One such way is a search and build applied theory that takes into account the nature of design and the specificity of software engineering. This paper presents a substantially evolutionary approach to creating the project theories, the application of which leads to positive effects that are traditionally expected from theorizing. Any implementation of the approach is based on a reflection by designers of an operational space of designing onto a semantic memory of a question-answer type. One of the results of such reflection is a system of question-answer nets, the nodes of which register facts of interactions of designers with accessible experience. A set of such facts is used by designers for creating and using the theory that belongs to the new subclass of Grounded Theories. This sub-class is oriented on organizationally behavioral features of a project’s work based on design thinking, automated mental imagination, and thought experimenting that facilitate increasing the degree of controlled intellectualization in the design process and, correspondingly, increasing the degree of success in the development of software-intensive systems.
Excellent Tribological Properties of Lower Reduced Graphene Oxide Content Copper Composite by Using a One-Step Reduction Molecular-Level Mixing Process
Authors: Nie Haibin , Fu Licai , Zhu Jiajun , Yang Wulin , Li Deyi , Zhou Lingping
Published: April 2018

Reduced graphene oxide (RGO) composite copper matrix powders were fabricated successfully by using a modified molecular-level mixing (MLM) method. Divalent copper ions (Cu2+) were adsorbed in oxygen functional groups of graphene oxide (GO) as a precursor, then were reduced simultaneously by one step chemical reduction. RGO showed a distribution converting from a random to a three-dimensional network in the copper matrix when its content increased to above 1.0 wt.% The tribological tests indicated that the friction coefficient of the composite with 1.0 wt.% RGO decreased markedly from 0.6 to 0.07 at an applied load of 10 N, and the wear rate was about one-third of pure copper. The excellent tribological properties were attributed to a three-dimensional and uniform distribution, which contributes to improving toughness and adhesion strength.
The Work Softening Behavior of Pure Mg Wire during Cold Drawing
Authors: Sun Liuxia , Bai Jing , Xue Feng , Chu Chenglin , Meng Jiao
Published: April 2018

We performed multiple-pass cold drawing for pure Mg wire which showed excellent formability (~138% accumulative true strain) at room temperature. Different from the continuous work hardening occurring during cold drawing of Mg alloy wires, for pure Mg, an initially rapid increase in hardness and strength was followed by significant work softening and finally reached a steady-state level, approximately 40~45 HV. The work softening can be attributed to the dynamic recovery and recrystallization of pure Mg at room temperature. Meanwhile, an abrupt change in texture component also was detected with the transition from work hardening to softening in the strain range of 28~34%. During the whole drawing, the strongest texture component gradually transformed from as-extruded basal to <10 1 ¯ 0> fiber (~28% accumulative true strain), and then rapidly returned to the weak basal texture.
Photopatternable Magnetic Hollowbots by Nd-Fe-B Nanocomposite for Potential Targeted Drug Delivery Applications
Authors: Li Hui , Chen Jing , Zhang Jinjie , Zhang Jingyong , Zhao Guoru , Wang Lei
Published: April 2018

In contrast to traditional drug administration, targeted drug delivery can prolong, localize, target and have a protected drug interaction with the diseased tissue. Drug delivery carriers, such as polymeric micelles, liposomes, dendrimers, nanotubes, and so on, are hard to scale-up, costly, and have short shelf life. Here we show the novel fabrication and characterization of photopatternable magnetic hollow microrobots that can potentially be utilized in microfluidics and drug delivery applications. These magnetic hollowbots can be fabricated using standard ultraviolet (UV) lithography with low cost and easily accessible equipment, which results in them being easy to scale up, and inexpensive to fabricate. Contact-free actuation of freestanding magnetic hollowbots were demonstrated by using an applied 900 G external magnetic field to achieve the movement control in an aqueous environment. According to the movement clip, the average speed of the magnetic hollowbots was estimated to be 1.9 mm/s.
Comparative Phytonutrient Analysis of Broccoli By-Products: The Potentials for Broccoli By-Product Utilization
Authors: Liu Mengpei , Zhang Lihua , Ser Suk , Cumming Jonathan , Ku Kang-Mo
Published: April 2018

The phytonutrient concentrations of broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) florets, stems, and leaves were compared to evaluate the value of stem and leaf by-products as a source of valuable nutrients. Primary metabolites, including amino acids, organic acids, and sugars, as well as glucosinolates, carotenoids, chlorophylls, vitamins E and K, essential mineral elements, total phenolic content, antioxidant activity, and expression of glucosinolate biosynthesis and hydrolysis genes were quantified from the different broccoli tissues. Broccoli florets had higher concentrations of amino acids, glucoraphanin, and neoglucobrassicin compared to other tissues, whereas leaves were higher in carotenoids, chlorophylls, vitamins E and K, total phenolic content, and antioxidant activity. Leaves were also good sources of calcium and manganese compared to other tissues. Stems had the lowest nitrile formation from glucosinolate. Each tissue exhibited specific core gene expression profiles supporting glucosinolate metabolism, with different gene homologs expressed in florets, stems, and leaves, which suggests that tissue-specific pathways function to support primary and secondary metabolic pathways in broccoli. This comprehensive nutrient and bioactive compound profile represents a useful resource for the evaluation of broccoli by-product utilization in the human diet, and as feedstocks for bioactive compounds for industry.
Influence of Blue Mussel (Mytilus edulis) Intake on Disease Activity in Female Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis: The MIRA Randomized Cross-Over Dietary Intervention
Authors: Lindqvist Helen M. , Gjertsson Inger , Eneljung Tove , Winkvist Anna
Published: April 2018

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease. This study evaluates the effect of blue mussel intake on disease activity and quality of life in women with RA. Thirty-nine women with established RA and a disease activity score 28 (DAS28) >3.0 were recruited to a randomized 2 × 11-week cross-over dietary intervention. The participants continued with their medication and habitual diet and exchanged one cooked meal a day, five days a week, with a meal including 75 g blue mussels or 75 g meat. Diets were switched after an eight week washout period. Data regarding quality of life (SF-36), blood lipids, erythrocyte sediment rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP) and tender and swollen joints were examined at the start and end of each dietary period. Thirty women completed one period, and twenty-three completed both. Intake of the blue mussel diet led to a significant reduction of DAS28-CRP (p = 0.048), but not DAS28. The number of EULAR (European League Against Rheumatism) criteria moderate and good responders were higher when consuming blue mussel diet (p = 0.036). Blood lipids did not change. To conclude, blue mussel intake reduced disease symptoms in women with RA and improved perceived health. The reported effects need to be confirmed by non-patient reported outcomes, such as inflammation markers.
Can a Simple Dietary Index Derived from a Sub-Set of Questionnaire Items Assess Diet Quality in a Sample of Australian Adults?
Authors: Bivoltsis Alexia , Trapp Georgina , Knuiman Matthew , Hooper Paula , Ambrosini Gina
Published: April 2018

Large, longitudinal surveys often lack consistent dietary data, limiting the use of existing tools and methods that are available to measure diet quality. This study describes a method that was used to develop a simple index for ranking individuals according to their diet quality in a longitudinal study. The RESIDential Environments (RESIDE) project (2004–2011) collected dietary data in varying detail, across four time points. The most detailed dietary data were collected using a 24-item questionnaire at the final time point (n = 555; age ≥ 25 years). At preceding time points, sub-sets of the 24 items were collected. A RESIDE dietary guideline index (RDGI) that was based on the 24-items was developed to assess diet quality in relation to the Australian Dietary Guidelines. The RDGI scores were regressed on the longitudinal sub-sets of six and nine questionnaire items at T4, from which two simple index scores (S-RDGI1 and S-RDGI2) were predicted. The S-RDGI1 and S-RDGI2 showed reasonable agreement with the RDGI (Spearman’s rho = 0.78 and 0.84; gross misclassification = 1.8%; correct classification = 64.9% and 69.7%; and, Cohen’s weighted kappa = 0.58 and 0.64, respectively). For all of the indices, higher diet quality was associated with being female, undertaking moderate to high amounts of physical activity, not smoking, and self-reported health. The S-RDGI1 and S-RDGI2 explained 62% and 73% of the variation in RDGI scores, demonstrating that a large proportion of the variability in diet quality scores can be captured using a relatively small sub-set of questionnaire items. The methods described in this study can be applied elsewhere, in situations where limited dietary data are available, to generate a sample-specific score for ranking individuals according to diet quality.
Highly Efficient Luminescent Polycarboxylate Lanthanide Complexes Incorporated into Di-Ureasils by an In-Situ Sol—Gel Process
Authors: Fang Ming , Fu Lianshe , Correia Sandra , Ferreira Rute , Carlos Luís
Published: April 2018

In order to prepare efficient luminescent organic–inorganic hybrid materials embedded with a lanthanide (Ln3+) complex with polycarboxylate ligands, Ln3+-doped di-ureasils with 4,4-oxybis(benzoic acid) and 1,10-phenanthroline ligands were synthesized via an in-situ sol–gel route. The resulting hybrids were structurally, thermally, and optically characterized. The energy levels of the ligands and the host-to-ion and ligand-to-ion energy transfer mechanisms were investigated (including DFT/TD–DFT calculations). The results show that these Ln3+-based di-ureasil hybrids exhibit promising luminescent features, e.g., Eu3+-based materials are bright red emitters displaying quantum yields up to 0.50 ± 0.05. The luminescent color can be fine-tuned either by selection of adequate Ln3+ ions or by variation of the excitation wavelength. Accordingly, white light emission with CIE coordinates of (0.33, 0.35) under 310 nm irradiation was obtained.
Monitoring Groundwater Storage Changes in the Loess Plateau Using GRACE Satellite Gravity Data, Hydrological Models and Coal Mining Data
Authors: Xie Xiaowei , Xu Caijun , Wen Yangmao , Li Wei
Published: April 2018

Monitoring the groundwater storage (GWS) changes is crucial to the rational utilization of groundwater and to ecological restoration in the Loess Plateau of China, which is one of the regions with the most extreme ecological environmental damage in the world. In this region, the mass loss caused by coal mining can reach the level of billions of tons per year. For this reason, in this work, in addition to Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite gravity data and hydrological models, coal mining data were also used to monitor GWS variation in the Loess Plateau during the period of 2005–2014. The GWS changes results from different GRACE solutions, that is, the spherical harmonics (SH) solutions, mascon solutions, and Slepian solutions (which are the Slepian localization of SH solutions), were compared with in situ GWS changes, obtained from 136 groundwater observation wells, and the aim was to acquire the most robust GWS changes. The results showed that the GWS changes from mascon solutions (mascon-GWS) match best with in situ GWS changes, showing the highest correlation coefficient, lowest root mean square error (RMSE) values and nearest annual trend. Therefore, the Mascon-GWS changes are used for the spatial-temporal analysis of GWS changes. Based on which, the groundwater depletion rate of the Loess Plateau was −0.65 ± 0.07 cm/year from 2005–2014, with a more severe consumption rate occurring in its eastern region, reaching about −1.5 cm/year, which is several times greater than those of the other regions. Furthermore, the precipitation and coal mining data were used for analyzing the causes of the groundwater depletion: the results showed that seasonal changes in groundwater storage are closely related to rainfall, but the groundwater consumption is mainly due to human activities; coal mining in particular plays a major role in the serious groundwater consumption in eastern region of the study area. Our results will help in groundwater resource management, ecological restoration, and policy planning for coal mining and economic development.
Verifying Safety Messages Using Relative-Time and Zone Priority in Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks
Authors: Banani Sam , Gordon Steven , Thiemjarus Surapa , Kittipiyakul Somsak
Published: April 2018

In high-density road networks, with each vehicle broadcasting multiple messages per second, the arrival rate of safety messages can easily exceed the rate at which digital signatures can be verified. Since not all messages can be verified, algorithms for selecting which messages to verify are required to ensure that each vehicle receives appropriate awareness about neighbouring vehicles. This paper presents a novel scheme to select important safety messages for verification in vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs). The proposed scheme uses location and direction of the sender, as well as proximity and relative-time between vehicles, to reduce the number of irrelevant messages verified (i.e., messages from vehicles that are unlikely to cause an accident). Compared with other existing schemes, the analysis results show that the proposed scheme can verify messages from nearby vehicles with lower inter-message delay and reduced packet loss and thus provides high level of awareness of the nearby vehicles.
A Literature Review Informing an Operational Guideline for Inertial Sensor Propulsion Measurement in Wheelchair Court Sports
Authors: Shepherd Jonathan , James Daniel , Espinosa Hugo , Thiel David , Rowlands David
Published: April 2018

With the increasing rise of professionalism in sport, teams and coaches are looking to technology to monitor performance in both games and training to find a competitive advantage. Wheelchair court sports (wheelchair rugby, wheelchair tennis, and wheelchair basketball) are no exception, and the use of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)-based inertial measurement unit (IMU) within this domain is one innovation researchers have employed to monitor aspects of performance. A systematic literature review was conducted which, after the exclusion criteria was applied, comprised of 16 records. These records highlighted the efficacy of IMUs in terms of device validity and accuracy. IMUs are ubiquitous, low-cost, and non-invasive. The implementation in terms of algorithms and hardware choices was evidenced as a barrier to widespread adoption. This paper, through the information collected from the systematic review, proposes a set of implementation guidelines for using IMUs for wheelchair data capture. These guidelines, through the use of flow-charts and data tables, will aid researchers in reducing the barriers to IMU implementation for propulsion assessment.
Effect of the Safe Fall Programme on Children’s Health and Safety: Dealing Proactively with Backward Falls in Physical Education Classes
Authors: Toronjo-Hornillo Luis , DelCastillo-Andrés Óscar , Campos-Mesa María del Carmen , Díaz Bernier Víctor Manuel , Zagalaz Sánchez María Luisa
Published: April 2018

The aim of this study is to show that the implementation of the Safe Fall programme in physical education classes can help to reduce the negative effects of unintentional backward falls in the adolescent population, by teaching them how to protect themselves when falling. A quasi-experimental research design was applied in a sample of 120 children (M = 15.1 years, SD = 2.45), attending a secondary school in Seville (Spain). Data was collected on an ad hoc observation scale INFOSECA (which records five basic elements during a backward fall: position of the neck, the hands, the trunk, the hips, and the knees), applying descriptive, correlational, and contrast statistics. The criteria for considering statistical significance was p < 0.05 in McNemar’s test. The data indicates that learning safe and protected ways of falling backward is possible through the implementation of the Safe Fall programme, and no differences were found in terms of gender.
The Public Value of Reducing the Incidence of Oil Spill Accidents in Korean Rivers
Authors: Lee Hye-Jeong , Kim Hyo-Jin , Yoo Seung-Hoon
Published: April 2018

Oil spill accidents involving cars or boats for transport in rivers can contaminate drinking water sources. During the past ten years, an annual average of forty-six cases of oil spill accidents have occurred in Korean rivers. Because of this, the Korean government is seeking to reduce the incidence of oil spill accidents in rivers by half. This article aims to evaluate the public value of the reduction. Household willingness to pay (WTP) for the reduction was investigated, applying the contingent valuation approach. A survey of 1000 households was carried out in Korea. The data on the WTP were gathered using a dichotomous choice question and analyzed employing the spike model. The mean WTP estimate is obtained as KRW 6188 (USD 5.28) per household per annum, which is statistically meaningful. The total public value expanded to the population amounts to KRW 120.8 billion (USD 103.0 million) per year. The information can be utilized in policy-making and decision-making about the reduction of the incidence of oil spill accidents in rivers by half.
The Effects of Zoning Regulations along Fault Zone Areas on Land Development and Property Values after the 921 Chi-Chi Earthquake in Taiwan
Authors: Chen Tzu-Ling , Chang Hsueh-Sheng
Published: April 2018

Earthquakes are widely recognized as unpredictable and infrequent disasters that result in serious impacts on human settlements. Land use planning is one non-structural measure used to eliminate disaster risk by steering future development away from the existing built environment and enforcing particular structural engineering measures according to the disaster risk. However, arguments have arisen about applying land use planning to earthquake risk areas, as this serves as a type of disaster risk information disclosure that might impact the willingness to develop land or property value. Therefore, this study uses the spatial autocorrelation coefficient to examine the impact of land use planning on both land use and property transactions in the Chelungpu fault zone area (15 m from each side of the fault line) in Taiwan. The overall impacts with and without zoning regulation in the fault zone area are explored. The results demonstrate that parcels that changed to building use in the earlier time period (1995–2008) are located distant from those maintaining the same building use, whereas, later, building use (2008–2014) is located on or nearby the fault zone area. In addition, the most recently constructed buildings are located in or close to the fault zone area and have a relatively higher property price. The legal zoning regulation along the fault zone for building use requires lower height and less intensive building, which might help mitigate the potential impact of future earthquakes.
Evaluation and Utilization of Thermal Environment Associated with Policy: A Case Study of Daegu Metropolitan City in South Korea
Authors: Eum Jeong-Hee , Kim Kwon , Jung Eung-Ho , Rho Paikho
Published: April 2018

This study aimed to propose a way to utilize vulnerability assessment effectively in policy-making by conducting policy-related assessment of the thermal environment. For this purpose, a variety of indices concerning thermal vulnerability assessment were reviewed, and finally, 15 indices were selected. In addition, adaptation policies for climate change applied to Korean cities were synthesized and examined to establish policies for improving thermal environments which correspond to 15 indices. Finally, a framework consisting of five areas (improvement of the atmospheric environment, expansion of eco-friendly buildings, management of the surface, cool spot creation and revitalization of communities), 15 indices and 25 policies was proposed. As a result, 15 vulnerability maps based on the standardized indices and a comprehensive map with four classes were established for Daegu Metropolitan City in South Korea. Based on the maps, Guji-myeon and Ansim-1-dong were found to be the most vulnerable areas. Hence, the causes of the thermal environment vulnerability and the policies for improving urban thermal environment were analyzed in these two areas using the proposed framework. Guji-myeon was necessary to more actively implement policies regarding the improvement of the atmospheric environment, management of the surface, and revitalization of communities. To improve the thermal environment of Ansim-1-dong, active policy implementation was required in all five areas. The results of this study are expected to contribute to the effective establishment of thermal environment policies by policy-makers.
Age Estimation Robust to Optical and Motion Blurring by Deep Residual CNN
Authors: Kang Jeon , Kim Chan , Lee Young , Cho Se , Park Kang
Published: April 2018

Recently, real-time human age estimation based on facial images has been applied in various areas. Underneath this phenomenon lies an awareness that age estimation plays an important role in applying big data to target marketing for age groups, product demand surveys, consumer trend analysis, etc. However, in a real-world environment, various optical and motion blurring effects can occur. Such effects usually cause a problem in fully capturing facial features such as wrinkles, which are essential to age estimation, thereby degrading accuracy. Most of the previous studies on age estimation were conducted for input images almost free from blurring effect. To overcome this limitation, we propose the use of a deep ResNet-152 convolutional neural network for age estimation, which is robust to various optical and motion blurring effects of visible light camera sensors. We performed experiments with various optical and motion blurred images created from the park aging mind laboratory (PAL) and craniofacial longitudinal morphological face database (MORPH) databases, which are publicly available. According to the results, the proposed method exhibited better age estimation performance than the previous methods.
A Framework for Understanding Sense of Place in an Urban Design Context
Authors: Hu Ming , Chen Roger
Published: April 2018

Creating a sense of place and community is a guiding principle in designing livable and high-quality built environments. This paper presents a framework for understanding the relationship between design and people’s perceptions about a place, within an urban design context. While a large volume of literature on sense of place (SOP) already exists, the proposed framework and its application in the design field present a unique opportunity to add new knowledge to this interdisciplinary topic. This research will investigate the empirical relationship between architecture/urban design and people’s perceptions about a place and their contributions to SOP. Urban designers and architects play important and determining roles in defining the physical qualities and the characteristics of a place. However, it has always been challenging to quantify the relationship between a physical environment and a person’s emotional experience. Three urban sites were analyzed to illustrate this framework, and four physical characteristics and four perceptual qualities were cross-investigated and analyzed. This proposed framework will help architects and urban designers to gain a better understanding of SOP and placemaking techniques, eventually helping to improve urban design quality.
Counteracting Akt Activation by HIV Protease Inhibitors in Monocytes/Macrophages
Authors: Pasquereau Sébastien , Kumar Amit , Abbas Wasim , Herbein Georges
Published: April 2018

Akt signaling plays a central role in many biological processes that are key players in human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) pathogenesis. The persistence of latent reservoirs in successfully treated patients, mainly located in macrophages and latently infected resting CD4+ T cells, remains a major obstacle in HIV-1 eradication. We assessed the in vitro effects of an HIV protease inhibitor (PI) and a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) on HIV-1 Nef-induced Akt activation in macrophages and on HIV-1 reactivation in U1 monocytoid cells. Ex vivo, we investigated the impact of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) on Akt activation, as measured by flow cytometry, and on the viral reservoir size, quantified by qPCR, in monocytes and autologous resting CD4+ T cells from HIV-infected individuals (Trial registration: NCT02858414). We found that, in myeloid cells, both Akt activation and HIV-1 reactivation were inhibited by PI but not by NNRTI in vitro. Our results indicate that cART decreases Akt activation and reduces the size of the HIV reservoir in both monocytes and resting CD4+ T cells. Our study indicates that Akt activation could play a role in HIV reservoir formation, indicating that drugs which target Akt could be efficient for limiting its size in aviremic chronically infected patients.
Full-Genome Characterization and Genetic Evolution of West African Isolates of Bagaza Virus
Authors: Faye Martin , Faye Oumar , Diagne Moussa , Fall Gamou , Weidmann Manfred , Sembene Mbacke , Sall Amadou , Faye Ousmane
Published: April 2018

Bagaza virus is a mosquito-borne flavivirus, first isolated in 1966 in Central African Republic. It has currently been identified in mosquito pools collected in the field in West and Central Africa. Emergence in wild birds in Europe and serological evidence in encephalitis patients in India raise questions on its genetic evolution and the diversity of isolates circulating in Africa. To better understand genetic diversity and evolution of Bagaza virus, we describe the full-genome characterization of 11 West African isolates, sampled from 1988 to 2014. Parameters such as genetic distances, N-glycosylation patterns, recombination events, selective pressures, and its codon adaptation to human genes are assessed. Our study is noteworthy for the observation of N-glycosylation and recombination in Bagaza virus and provides insight into its Indian origin from the 13th century. Interestingly, evidence of Bagaza virus codon adaptation to human house-keeping genes is also observed to be higher than those of other flaviviruses well known in human infections. Genetic variations on genome of West African Bagaza virus could play an important role in generating diversity and may promote Bagaza virus adaptation to other vertebrates and become an important threat in human health.
Image Stabilization in Central Vision Loss: The Horizontal Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex
Authors: González Esther G. , Shi Runjie , Tarita-Nistor Luminita , Mandelcorn Efrem D. , Mandelcorn Mark S. , Steinbach Martin J.
Published: April 2018

For patients with central vision loss and controls with normal vision, we examined the horizontal vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) in complete darkness and in the light when enhanced by vision (VVOR). We expected that the visual-vestibular interaction during VVOR would produce an asymmetry in the gain due to the location of the preferred retinal locus (PRL) of the patients. In the dark, we hypothesized that the VOR would not be affected by the loss of central vision. Nine patients (ages 67 to 92 years) and 17 controls (ages 16 to 81 years) were tested in 10-s active VVOR and VOR procedures at a constant frequency of 0.5 Hz while their eyes and head movements were recorded with a video-based binocular eye tracker. We computed the gain by analyzing the eye and head peak velocities produced during the intervals between saccades. In the light and in darkness, a significant proportion of patients showed larger leftward than rightward peak velocities, consistent with a PRL to the left of the scotoma. No asymmetries were found for the controls. These data support the notion that, after central vision loss, the preferred retinal locus (PRL) in eccentric vision becomes the centre of visual direction, even in the dark.
Pour une véritable archéologie des premières bandes cinématographiques
Authors: Malthête Jacques
Published: April 2018

In spite of Sadoul's wish expressed 33 years ago, nothing serious has been carried out as regards comparative physico-chemical analysis of nitrate stocks and dies used in early cinema. Nevertheless, such an approach would be a precious safeguard, notably in historical and theoritical studies on editing, nar-rativity and coloring. In addition, directly observable clews such as logos (the complete list of Méliès' logos is presented in appendix), bristles, perforations or splices should be systematically used for identification and dating.
"Legal terminology and the difficulties facing the foreign learner"
Authors: Kenny Michael , Greenall Simon
Published: April 2018

La terminologie juridique et ses difficultés pour l'étudiant non anglophone :

Analyser le nature de la terminologie juridique anglaise devrait aider à résoudre les problèmes de l'enseignement de cette langue de spécialité à des non anglophones.

Comme les concepts ne peuvent fonctionner ou ne peuvent être analysés que dans le contexte du système auquel ils appartiennent, la terminologie juridique anglaise ne peut être enseignée sans référence au système juridique de ce pays.

Se référant aux concepts de langage, langue et discours, cet article a pour but d'attirer l'attention sur certains problèmes conceptuels et d'apporter quelques suggestions en ce qui concerne les critères de choix qui président à l'élaboration d'un programme d'enseignement.
"Le lexique économique dans le discours scientifique anglo-saxon"
Authors: Gallais-Hamonno Janine
Published: April 2018

La langue scientifique n'est pas uniquement constituée d'une terminologie (ensemble des termes et expressions utilisées pour désigner les concepts). Elle se compose également d'un lexique (ensemble des termes utilisés en relation avec chacun des termes de la terminologie).

Ce lexique est propre non seulement à une science donnée, mais à une branche de cette science. Il est également fonction du niveau de culture scientifique du public pour lequel le texte est écrit. C'est pourquoi une grande attention doit être portée sur son apprentissage.
Les quatre niveaux d'un texte scientifique allemand
Authors: Brunet Louis
Published: April 2018

Ce travail constitue une première approche d'un texte scientifique allemand, selon la méthode d'Analyse Syntaxique des Langues de Spécialité élaborée par J. Gallais-Hamonno. Il s'efforce d'abord d'indiquer quels sont les critères susceptibles de différencier les quatre niveaux d'analyse (Discours Pédagogique, Discours Scientifique, Langue et Langage) et tente de montrer que certains moyens syntaxiques utilisés dans l'analyse d'un texte scientifique anglais peuvent s'appliquer également à un texte économique allemand. Si la détermination du Discours Pédagogique est relativement aisée, grâce à des critères syntaxiques et sémantiques, qui tiennent compte des particularités de la phrase allemande, il n'en va pas de même pour les autres niveaux où l'on ne peut se passer d'une réflexion globale sur le sens du texte, donc d'une certaine intuition.

Il semble néanmoins qu'un travail de recherche sur les moyens linguistiques propres à l'allemand et qui sous-tendent chacun des quatre niveaux devrait - à n'en pas douter - être fructueux.
Invitation à la lecture
Authors: Kammerer Gerhard
Published: April 2018

L'auteur, germaniste à 1'I.U.T. de Belfort, fait le point d'une expérience pédagogique de plusieurs années : la LECTURE SUIVIE (LS) pour éviter les effets paralysants d'une utilisation systématique des méthodes audio-visuelles ou d'un entraînement exclusif au langage scientifique et technique ; il propose, en alternance, l'introduction d'une LS dès que le niveau du groupe le permet, ou les motivations des étudiants se manifestent. Différentes formes d'approche et de mise en oeuvre sont exposées, ainsi que des suggestions pour l'exploitation des LS allant d'un simple travail d'assimilation à une phase créative, soit individuellement, soit en groupe. La créativité collective a un effet socialisateur dès qu'elle est basée sur la motivation existentielle des étudiants en face du contenu culturel de la langue étrangère.
Une analyse syntaxique du texte publicitaire anglo-saxon
Authors: Chocheyras Jacqueline
Published: April 2018

La théorie de Janine Gallais-Hamonno peut fort bien s'appliquer, moyennant quelques adaptations, au texte publicitaire. Une différence essentielle avec le texte scientifique est le rôle de modificateur que le publicitaire fait jouer dans un grand nombre de cas à l'adjectif qualifiant. Une autre différence réside dans l'utilisation de la langue en fonction de Langage pour abuser le lecteur en donnant la valeur de concepts à de simples notions. Souvent aussi, les notions sont utilisées sous forme de répétitions incantatoires dans le but d'endormir l'esprit critique du lecteur. Enfin l'étude du Discours pédagogique est particulièrement révélatrice, puisqu'il s'agit avant tout de convaincre. C'est pourquoi les trames rhétoriques sont très structurées.
Les langages de spécialité : leurs rapports avec la mise en oeuvre et les limites de l'Intelligence Artificielle
Authors: Strauss André
Published: April 2018

Dans ce bref article, le professeur Strauss s'intéresse à l'utilisation de l'ordinateur pour l'enseignement des langues de spécialité et tente de faire ressortir les rapports entre ces "langages de spécialité" et la mise en oeuvre et les limites de l'intelligence artificielle.

S'appuyant sur sa longue expérience et sur les résultats obtenus dans son Centre de Recherche, il rappelle un certain nombre de caractéristiques des langues de spécialité. Puis, à l'aide de l'exemple concret d'un extrait de listing fréquentiel de biotechnologie, il montre l'existence de ce qu'il appelle des "dérégulations" dans les énoncés séléctionnés. L'essentiel de son travail consiste donc à tenter de mettre au point un processus susceptible d'aboutir à un repérage systématique de toutes les "dérégulations".
Un séminaire d'E.A.O. avec John Higgins
Authors: Pradeilles Anne , Guionnet Guy , Beaufrère-Bertheux Christiane
Published: April 2018

Les 13 et 14 mars 1986, à l'Université de Paris IX-Dauphine, un séminaire d'E.A.O. organisé par M. Rivas pour le GERAS, avec la collaboration du British Council, a réuni une vingtaine de participants autour de John Higgins, membre du British Council et chercheur de l'Université de Lancaster. Auteur de plusieurs ouvrages et articles sur l'E.A.O. en langues, John Higgins est aussi l'auteur d'un certain nombre de didacticiels maintenant connus. Le séminaire s'est déroulé selon le schéma traditionnel de l'exposé théorique suivi d'exercices pratiques avec mise en commun ensuite des différentes expériences. Le compte rendu comporte deux annexes : John Higgins répond en anglais aux questions de Anne Pradeilles sur le didacticiel "Pinpoint", et une bibliographie importante sur l'E.A.O. en langues, tirée du No. de Mai 86 de British Book News.
L'apprentissage des tournures idiomatiques anglo-américaines par l'E.A.O. : le programme IDIOMS
Authors: Montgomery Marie-Pierre de
Published: April 2018

Learning Anglo-American Idioms through CAI : the IDIOMS program

The choice of English-American idioms as the content of a CAI (computer-assisted instruction program) is explained, as well as the population it is aimed at, and the type of idioms selected for study (there are 60 idioms in the program). Then the structure of the program is described : the acquisition phase by means of Multiple Choice Questions and use of the idioms in context, followed by the recall phase, which is a game. The learner is required to answer in a variety of ways : filin, free answer, true-false, pick-out answer, watching sentence combining. Emphasis is laid on the relative freedom and constraints imposed on the learner ; lastly the importance of graphics to "trigger" the understanding of the metaphoric sense of the idioms is stressed, as well as the hope of integrating digitized speech into the program.
Lese kurse "Sciences Humaines", Goethe Institut Paris
Authors: Brandi Marie-Luise , Momenteau Barbara
Published: April 2018

Marie-Luise Brandi et Barbara Momenteau présentent leur méthode pour la lecture rapide de textes allemands de sciences humaines développée à l'Institut Goethe de Paris sur la demande de non-germanistes désireux de lire les documents de leur spécialité dans la langue d'origine. Une stratégie d'approche amène le lecteur d'abord à une compréhension globale du texte à partir de l'auteur, du titre et des sous-titres. Les mots étrangers et les noms propres, les chiffres ainsi que les mots à haute fréquence permettent un premier niveau de compréhension. Le deuxième palier de lecture vise l'analyse de l'argumentation par la reconnaissance des éléments linguistiques correspondants. Ce n'est qu'après ces deux phases de décryptage qu'une lecture détaillée est proposée après un repérage de l'ensemble des structures de la proposition. Selon les besoins du lecteur, l'approche du texte peut être interrompue à chaque palier de compréhension. Naturellement, la langue de travail reste le français.
Arbeit mit Wirtschaftstexten
Authors: Nicolas Gerd , Sprenger Margret
Published: April 2018

Les auteurs présentent de manière très concrète différentes techniques pour aborder et pour exploiter des textes d'ordre économique et pour développer aussi bien des stratégies de lecture que l'expression écrite des étudiants. Il s'agit de "textes économiques" au sens large du terme, tels que l'on les rencontre dans les pages économiques de la presse quotidienne et hebdomadaire : articles, commentaires, annonces publicitaires, graphiques, etc.