bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Prediction of neural differentiation fate of rat mesenchymal stem cells by quantitative morphological analyses using image processing techniques
Authors: Kazemimoghadam Mahdieh , Janmaleki Mohsen , Fouani Mohamad Hassan , Abbasi Sara 
Published: October 2014

AbstractDifferentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) into neural cells has received significant attention in recent years. However, there is still no practical method to evaluate differentiation process non-invasively and practically. The cellular quality evaluation method is still limited to conventional techniques, which are based on extracting genes or proteins from the cells. These techniques are invasive, costly, time consuming, and should be performed by relevant experts in equipped laboratories. Moreover, they cannot anticipate the future status of cells. Recently, cell morphology has been introduced as a feasible way of monitoring cell behavior because of its relationship with cell proliferation, functions and differentiation. In this study, rat BMSCs were induced to differentiate into neurons. Subsequently, phase contrast images of cells taken at certain intervals were subjected to a series of image processing steps and cell morphology features were calculated. In order to validate the viability of applying image-based approaches for estimating the quality of differentiation process, neural-specific markers were measured experimentally throughout the induction. The strong correlation between quantitative imaging metrics and experimental outcomes revealed the capability of the proposed approach as an auxiliary method of assessing cell behavior during differentiation.
Existence of positive solutions for a class of fractional differential equation systems with multi-point boundary conditions
Authors: Akrami Mohammad Hussian , Erjaee Gholam Hussian 
Published: October 2014

Abstract
In this article, we study the existence of positive solutions of a multi-point boundary value problem for some system of fractional differential equations. The fixed point theorem on cones will be applied to demonstrate the existence of solutions for this system. At the end, an example shows the application of the main results.
Development of a Software Tool for Calculating Transmission Line Parameters and Updating Related Databases
Authors: Xiu Wanjing , Liao Yuan 
Published: October 2014

Abstract
Transmission lines are essential components of electric power grids. Diverse power system applications and simulation based studies require transmission line parameters including series resistance, reactance, and shunt susceptance, and accurate parameters are pivotal in ensuring the accuracy of analyses and reliable system operation. Commercial software packages for performing power system studies usually have their own databases that store the power system model including line parameters. When there is a physical system model change, the corresponding component in the database of the software packages will need to be modified. Manually updating line parameters are tedious and error-prone. This paper proposes a solution for streamlining the calculation of line parameters and updating of their values in respective software databases. The algorithms used for calculating the values of line parameters are described. The software developed for implementing the solution is described, and typical results are presented. The proposed solution is developed for a utility and has a potential to be put into use by other utilities.
Physicochemical Characterization of Arrowroot Starch (Maranta arundinacea Linn) and Glycerol/Arrowroot Starch Membranes
Authors: Sandoval Gordillo Carlos Andrés , Ayala Valencia Germán , Vargas Zapata Rubén Antonio , Agudelo Henao Ana Cecilia 
Published: October 2014

Abstract
In the current work, physicochemical properties of arrowroot starch and thermal properties of glycerol/arrowroot starch membranes were investigated. Arrowroot starch exhibited high purity (starch content >99%) with amylose content >40% and granule size dispersion between 29 and 126 μm. Arrowroot starch has a gelatinization temperature of 63.94°C and a B-type crystalline structure. Arrowroot starch, in combination with three levels of glycerol, was used to manufacture membranes by casting method. Increasing the plasticizer effect due to glycerol content increased the water weight loss of the membranes at temperatures higher than 110°C. Additionally, the onset temperature of the endothermic peak observed by differential scanning calorimetry and associated to water removal from the membranes changed with glycerol content. Physicochemical and thermal properties of arrowroot starch and glycerol/arrowroot starch membranes were similar to those reported previously for other starch sources. From the data obtained in this study, it is clear that arrowroot starch could have promising industrial applications.
Tolerability of the combination of ginger (Zingiber officinalis), gentian (Gentiana lutea) and turmeric (Curcuma longa) in patients with cancer-associated anorexia
Authors: Sanatani Michael , Younus Jawaid , Stitt Larry , Malik Nazish 
Published: October 2014

Abstract

Background: Anorexia is a common symptom for patients with advanced cancer. Gentian, ginger, and turmeric have traditionally been used to stimulate appetite. We tested these agents in combination, in a pilot study to assess tolerability in patients indicating 4/10 or worse anorexia on the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System, and who were not currently on chemotherapy. We collected exploratory data on the patient’s appetite using a visual analogue scale.

Methods: Between 2009 and 2012, 17 patients were enrolled in arm 1 (turmeric 1 g and ginger 1 g orally twice daily, and gentiana lutea tincture 1 mL three times a day, for 14 days). The three patients enrolled in arm 2 received the same doses of ginger and turmeric but no gentian. All patients completed a daily appetite diary and a weekly symptom assessment.

Results: In arm 1, seven patients (41%) completed treatment. Seven patients (41%) stopped early because of unacceptable toxicity or patient-initiated discontinuation, and 3 stopped because of other reasons. All patients in arm 2 stopped taking the study medication within few days of starting the treatment, leading the study committee to recommend stopping the trial. The most common adverse effects attributed to study drugs were nausea (6 patients), vomiting (3), fatigue (3), diarrhea (2) and bloating (2). There was no statistically significant effect seen on appetite.

Conclusions: At the doses used in this study, the combination of ginger, turmeric, and gentian is not tolerated well in cancer patients. Future studies should use fewer agents or lower doses.
Derivative Properties and the Too Many Thinkers Problem
Authors: Lim Joungbin 
Published: October 2014

AbstractThe central objection to the constitution view is the too many thinkers problem – if the animal that constitutes you thinks and you are not it, then there are two thinkers within the region you occupy. Lynne Rudder Baker claims that the animal thinks only derivatively, in virtue of constituting the person that thinks nonderivatively, and this leads to a solution to the too many thinkers problem. This paper offers two objections to Baker’s solution. First, the idea of derivative/nonderivative properties faces a dilemma unacceptable to constitutionalists: either the too many thinkers problem is reinstated or the constitution view is undermined by the idea itself. Further, Baker should concede that the person thinks in virtue of brain functions. This implies,contraBaker’s claim, that the person thinks derivatively and the animal thinks nonderivatively. The paper also considers a way in which Baker might respond to the two objections.
Against the Maximality Principle
Authors: Sutton C. S. 
Published: October 2014

Abstract
To hold that only one conscious thing is sitting in your chair, philosophers have appealed to maximality: If a property M is maximal, then anything that has property M does not have large proper parts that have property M. Philosophers have said that ordinary objects are maximal, including houses, cats, rocks, and have argued by analogy that consciousness is maximal. I argue that the maximality principle mistakenly excludes some members of a kind. Thus, it is not the correct principle to explain why, for example, you are conscious but the proper part that is all-of-you-but-your-arm is not conscious.
Relations and Order-Sensitivity
Authors: Liebesman David 
Published: October 2014

AbstractI ate my broccoli, though my broccoli did not eat me. Theeatingrelation, like many other relations, differentiates between its arguments. The fact thateatingholds betweenaandbdoes not entail that it holds betweenbanda. How are we to make sense of this? The standard view is that relations are sensitive to the order of their arguments. As natural as this view is, it has been the target of a powerful objection from Kit Fine. I examine Fine’s objection and defend the standard view.
Whose parallellingualism? Overt and covert ideologies in Danish university language policies
Authors: Hultgren Anna Kristina 
Published: October 2014

AbstractThis paper aims to contribute to the study of multilingualism in the workplace by analysing top-down language policies advocating parallellingualism at Denmark’s eight universities. Parallellingualism, a key concept in Nordic language policy, has been suggested as a way to ensure an equitable balance between English and the Nordic language(s) without the former encroaching on the latter. Drawing on theories which consider discourses about language to constitute positioning for or against a particular social, moral or political order (Cameron 2012), the paper contrasts state- and institution-authored university language policies. The overall aim is to understand what the different actors mean when they invoke ‘parallellingualism’. Supplementary data consist of a corpus of newspaper articles on the topic of the use of English and Danish at Danish universities published in the same period as the university language policies. It is argued that while both state and institution-authored policies overtly advocate ‘parallellingualism’ as a guiding principle for managing multilingualism at Danish universities, in the state-authored policies, this seems to mean ‘more Danish’, while in the institution-authored policies it seems to mean ‘more English’. Some underlying ideologies of each of these positions are proposed before the implications for workplace discourse are discussed.
Dating the Shift to English in the Financial Accounts of Some London Livery Companies: A Reappraisal
Authors: Alcolado Carnicero José Miguel 
Published: October 2014

AbstractA mixed-language phenomenon such as language shift has been acknowledged to constitute one of the hallmarks of the manuscripts in which the members of the City of London livery companies recorded their financial transactions during the late medieval period. Despite these texts having been studied by scholars in very diverse disciplines, inconsistencies pertaining to the exact date when some companies shifted from Latin and/or French to English as their official language of record keeping have prevailed in the literature. This article is intended to shed light on the evolution over time of language shift in different livery companies, by revisiting the two single studies which, albeit marginally, have so far touched on this topic (Heather Creaton’s [1976] edition and translation of the London Mercers’ Wardens’ Accounts and Lisa Jefferson’s [2003] edition and translation of the London Goldsmiths’ Wardens’ Accounts and Court Minutes), and by contrasting each perspective with linguistic information from first-hand sources. I conclude that there remains a need for a much more consistent and focused approach to the issue of language shift in the City of London livery companies.
Gene Status in HER2 Equivocal Breast Carcinomas: Impact of Distinct Recommendations and Contribution of a Polymerase Chain Reaction-Based Method
Authors: Sapino Anna , Maletta Francesca , Verdun di Cantogno Ludovica , Macrì Luigia , Botta Cristina , Gugliotta Patrizia , Scalzo Maria Stella , Annaratone Laura , Balmativola Davide , Pietribiasi Francesca , Bernardi Paolo , Arisio Riccardo , Viberti Laura , Guzzetti Stefano , Orlassino Renzo , Ercolani Cristiana , Mottolese Marcella , Viale Giuseppe , Marchiò Caterina 
Published: October 2014

Abstract

Background.
The primary objectives of this study on carcinomas with equivocal HER2 expression were to assess the impact of distinct recommendations with regard to identifying patients eligible for anti-HER2 agents by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and to elucidate whether multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) may be of support in assessing HER2 gene status.

Methods.
A cohort of 957 immunohistochemistry-evaluated HER2-equivocal cases was analyzed by dual-color FISH. The results were assessed according to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA) guidelines and American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and College of American Pathologists (CAP) 2007 and 2013 guidelines for dual- and single-signal in situ hybridization (ISH) assays. A subgroup of 112 cases was subjected to MLPA.

Results.
HER2 amplification varied from 15% (ASCO/CAP 2007 HER2/CEP17 ratio) to 29.5% (FDA/EMA HER2 copy number). According to the ASCO/CAP 2013 interpretation of the dual-signal HER2 assay, ISH-positive carcinomas accounted for 19.7%. In contrast with the ASCO/CAP 2007 ratio, this approach labeled as positive all 32 cases (3.34%) with a HER2/CEP17 ratio &lt;2 and an average HER2 copy number ≥6.0 signals per cell. In contrast, only one case showing a HER2 copy number &lt;4 but a ratio ≥2 was diagnosed as positive. MLPA data correlated poorly with FISH results because of the presence of heterogeneous HER2 amplification in 33.9% of all amplified carcinomas; however, MLPA ruled out HER2 amplification in 75% of ISH-evaluated HER2-equivocal carcinomas.

Conclusion.
The ASCO/CAP 2013 guidelines seem to improve the identification of HER2-positive carcinomas. Polymerase chain reaction-based methods such as MLPA can be of help, provided that heterogeneous amplification has been ruled out by ISH.
Effect of Initial Periodontal Therapy on Oxidative Stress Markers in Gingival Crevicular Fluid, Saliva, and Serum in Smokers and Non‐Smokers With Chronic Periodontitis
Authors: Hendek Meltem Karsiyaka , Erdemir Ebru Olgun , Kisa Ucler , Ozcan Gonen 
Published: October 2014

Background: The aim of this case‐control study with an intervention arm is to determine the effect of initial periodontal treatment on oxidative stress biomarkers in smokers and non‐smokers with chronic periodontitis (CP).Methods: The study included 47 patients with CP (24 smokers [S+P+] and 23 non‐smokers [S−P+]) and 46 periodontally healthy individuals (23 smokers [S+P−] and 23 non‐smokers [S−P−]) for a total of 93 participants. Gingival crevicular fluid (GCF), serum, and saliva samples were obtained and clinical periodontal measurements were recorded at baseline and at the first and third months after periodontal therapy. 8‐hydroxydeoxyguanosine (OHdG) and 4‐hydroxynonenal (HNE) and enzyme activity of glutathione peroxidase (GSH‐Px) were analyzed with enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay.Results: The level of 8‐OHdD in GCF was found to be significantly higher in both periodontitis groups compared with both periodontally healthy groups. 8‐OHdG and GSH‐Px in saliva in both periodontitis groups were significantly increased compared with the S−P− group. In the S+P+ group, 4‐HNE in GCF was found to be significantly higher than in periodontally healthy participants. After initial periodontal treatment, the levels of 8‐OHdG in GCF and saliva were significantly decreased in both periodontitis groups.Conclusion: Initial periodontal therapy may be helpful for diminishing oxidative stress in periodontitis.
Regional Differences in the Capital Structure of Hungarian SMEs
Authors: Gál Veronika , Gáspár Katalin , Parádi-Dolgos Anett 
Published: October 2014

Abstract
Small and medium-sized enterprises play an important role in employment and also significantly contribute to GDP production. Therefore, an important function of economic policy in all countries is to create an economic milieu that supports the SMEs’ operation. By analysing several economic indices of SMEs in Hungary, we could identify that there are significant differences between the regions. About 40 percent of the enterprises are located in the Central Hungary Region. By examining specific indices of these firms, we can tell that enterprises operating in this region provide higher performance in the point of Return and Gross Value Added. The aim of this study is to assert that regional differences can be found not only in the performance of firms, but also in their capital structure. As a proof of this, we analysed the regional breakdown of capital structure based on a database which contains corporate income tax declaration data of Hungarian joint small and medium-sized enterprises (168,070 firms), and then we separated different financing characteristics by using cluster analysis. Finally, we discovered those endogenous and exogenous factors that could generate the disclosed regional differences and which interact with the performance of enterprises.
Quantifying the Economic Value of Warranties: A Survey
Authors: Lázár Ede 
Published: October 2014

Abstract
This paper is a review of the most recent literature regarding the econometric modelling of the impact of warranties on demand. The reviewed literature is limited to the papers that apply the random-coefficient logit model based on Berry, Levinsohn and Pakes (1995) to estimate differentiated products demand. An important feature of these demand system models that is a clear advantage to earlier demand functions is to account for the endogeneity of prices. We focus on those model specifications that take into account endogeneity of both prices and warranty. Another goal for modelling the effect of warranties is to explore the economic rationale for warranty provision. Four theories have been proposed in the literature: insurance, sorting, signalling and incentive theories. This paper aims at decomposing the effect of these theories, to account for different underlying assumptions and to separately determine the implications as presented in the recent literature
CSR Strategies in Greater China: Global, East Asian, American, European Style?
Authors: Heiduk Guenter , McCaleb Agnieszka 
Published: October 2014

Abstract
The concept of Corporate Social Responsibility emerged in the United States and spread to Europe and Asia while being adapted to national/local characteristics. Since borders between markets and societies are blurring and globalization is promoting MNCs which find themselves acting in hybrid societies, international institutions put efforts into the development and moral acceptance of global CSR standards. The scientific interest in CSR focused on the conflicts between company returns and benefits for society. The resulting concepts of performance-oriented, awareness-oriented and welfare-oriented CSR should facilitate the evaluation of CSR strategies implemented by MNCs. In research on the cultural dimensions of economies, it might be possible to allocate geographically the three concepts. Regarding the newly emerging Chinese MNCs, the paper aims to shed light on which concept they follow. On the one hand, CSR concepts of American and/or European MNCs that are present in China might serve as a role model; on the other hand, by learning from Taiwanese/ Hong Kong MNCs, a “greater China CSR approach” might emerge. Empirical studies and own field research suggest that compared to American and European companies, CSR is less deeply rooted in Chinese companies. Furthermore, significant differences between Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwanese companies indicate that a Greater Chinese CSR approach does not yet exist. Therefore, it cannot be assumed that American and European CSR concepts will experience a Chinese influence in the near future.
Empirical Evidence and Frst Assessment of the Competitiveness Clusters Policy in France
Authors: Czyżewska Dorota 
Published: October 2014

Abstract
The paper is an attempt to show the competitiveness clusters policy as a key element of the new French industrial policy using recent evaluation results of this policy. The aim of the paper is threefold. Firstly, objectives of the competitiveness clusters policy as well as their characteristics, spatial distribution across the country, selected statistical data concerning their functioning are overviewed. Secondly, evaluation results of the French competitiveness clusters policy and a comparison of this instrument to similar ones existing in leading EU countries are provided. Thirdly, some crucial challenges resulting from the evaluation and policy orientations are proposed in order to increase the effectiveness of the competitiveness clusters policy in France. The descriptive analysis has been used in the paper as research method.
The competitiveness clusters policy was launched in 2005 to raise the international profile of French technology clusters and promote growth and job-creation in high value-added industries, anchoring these industries in a regional context. Apart from selected positive effects of the competitiveness clusters policy, some not very promising conclusions concerning this policy can therefore be drawn in terms of the number of innovation or patent applications. In order to improve the effectiveness of this industrial policy measure, some structural changes presented in the paper need to be implemented in this field.
Does the Common Currency Increase Exports? Evidence from Firm-Level Data
Authors: Cieślik Andrzej , Michałek Jan , Michałek Anna 
Published: October 2014

Abstract
The main goal of this paper is to investigate empirically whether the adoption of the common currency increases the export activity of individual frms using the probity model. There are many studies that seek to estimate the aggregate trade effects of the adoption of the euro by the “outside” EU countries, which are based on the gravity model. In contrast to the existing literature we use an alternative micro econometric approach based on firm level data compiled by the EBRD and the World Bank. We demonstrate that the propensity to export of individual frms from Slovenia and Slovakia increased after the accession of those countries to the Eurozone.
Geographic Labor Mobility as an Element of Adjustment Process in the Eurozone Countries and the USA States
Authors: Ziółkowski Michał 
Published: October 2014

Abstract
The aim of the article is to compare geographic labor mobility (the migration channel of adjustment) in the eurozone and the USA since the 1990s. The first part of the article contains a review of selected literature on migration in Europe and the USA. In the second part three hypotheses are formulated on the basis of this review. The third part of the article presents the methodology and data used to verify these hypotheses. Tat methodology rests on analyzing how net emigration rates in the period 1992-2011 in eurozone countries and various states in the United States (plus the District of Columbia) reacted to unemployment rates. The fourth part of the article presents the results of the analysis, together with an explanation of the intensity and dynamics of the migration channel of adjustment in both monetary unions. The analysis confirms that migration has been less supportive for the functioning of the monetary union in the eurozone than in the USA. It also shows that visible strengthening of the migration channel in the eurozone seems to have taken place only after 2004, which suggests an association with the European Union enlargement in 2004. For the eurozone, the analysis does not provide convincing evidence that the migration channel strengthened after the outbreak of the fnancial crisis. For the USA the analysis suggests that the fnancial and economic crisis significantly weakened the migration channel. The article ends with concluding remarks.