Evaluating an intelligent diagnosis system of historical text comprehension

This work aims to present and evaluate a Fuzzy-Case Based Reasoning Diagnosis system of Historical Text Comprehension. The synergism of fuzzy logic and case based reasoning techniques handles the uncertainty in the acquisition of human expert's knowledge regarding learner's observable behaviour and integrates the right balance between expert's knowledge described in the form of fuzzy sets and previous experiences documented in the form of cases. The formative evaluation focused on the comparison of the system's performance to the performance of human experts concerning the diagnosis accuracy. The system was also evaluated for its behaviour when using two different historical texts. Empirical evaluation conducted with human experts and real students indicated the need for revision of the diagnosis model. The evaluation results are encouraging for the system's educational impact on learners and for future work concerning an intelligent educational system for individualized learning.     

A process model of cyberbullying in adolescence

Cyberbullying is an emerging form of aggression that utilizes information and communication technologies (ICTs). While cyberbullying incidents attract considerable attention, research on the causes and psychosocial predictors of cyberbullying is still limited. The present study used an integrated theoretical model incorporating empathy, moral disengagement, and social cognitions related to cyberbullying. Structured questionnaires were administered to 355 randomly selected adolescents (M = 14.7, SD = 1.20). Linear regression analysis showed that social norms, prototype similarity and situational self-efficacy directly predicted cyberbullying expectations. Multiple mediation modelling indicated that normative influences mediated the effects of moral disengagement and affective empathy on cyberbullying expectations. These findings provide valuable information regarding the effect of both distal and proximal risk factors for cyberbullying in adolescence, highlight the relationship between normative processes and moral self-regulation, and set the basis for related educational and preventive interventions.     

Comparison results of two optimization techniques for a combined wind and solar power plant

Two optimization techniques have been tested on an hour-by-hour simulation of a combined wind and solar power plant. The system also includes a battery storage system as well as a group of diesel generators. The two optimization techniques are: simplex from the package of MINUITS written at CERN and a modified steepest descent algorithm. Both techniques are suited to hour-by-hour simulation for the above system since the function being minimized is monotonically decreasing towards a minimum. The comparison results showed that the steepest descent algorithm converges slightly faster than the simplex one. Moreover, the application of the techniques for two different sites with different load profiles let us conclude that the results are stable.     

Origin of nondisjunction in trisomy 8 and trisomy 8 mosaicism

OBJECTIVES: This study explores reactions to low-level chemical challenge, aiming at the development of test procedures for assessing individual sensitivity to smells and chemicals. METHODS: Subjects with symptoms and neuropsychological test results compatible with toxic encephalopathy type 2A (TE-2A) and 2B (TE-2B) and unexposed referents (N=12 in each group) were challenged in an exposure chamber. Toluene exposure was started at 11 mg/m3, and it followed a geometric progression scale with a ratio of 2, until reaching 180 mg/m3. In a counterbalanced design, the subjects were similarly exposed to n-butyl acetate starting at a concentration of 14 mg/m3 and increasing to 228 mg/m3. At each exposure level, smell intensity was measured on a 7-step category scale. Mucous membrane irritation and annoyance reactions were rated on visual analogue scales. RESULTS: Both TE groups showed high sensitivity to the low-level solvent challenge, which provoked immediate annoyance and fatigue reactions. In particular the TE-2B group related smell intensity to various annoyance dimensions during exposure to n-butyl acetate, a pattern not observed during toluene exposure. The reference group clearly separated smell intensity and annoyance reactions in both exposure conditions. CONCLUSIONS: The reaction of the TE cases suggests that chemical sensitivity can be distinguished from normal annoyance reactions by the inability to differentiate between smell intensity and an experience of irritation from mucous membranes in air concentrations well below the trigeminal irritation threshold level. Fatigue coreactivity in challenges to single substances below the neurotoxic level may also be important.     

Sorption of reactive dyes from aqueous solutions by ordered hexagonal and disordered mesoporous carbons

In the present study two synthetic mesoporous carbons, a highly ordered CMK-3 sample with hexagonal structure and a disordered mesoporous carbon (denoted DMC) were investigated for the sorption of Remazol Red 3BS (C.I. 239) dye in comparison to three commercial activated carbons and a HMS mesoporous silica with a wormhole pore structure. The structural, porosity and surface characteristics of the materials were evaluated using XRD, TEM, N₂ porosimetry, FT-IR spectroscopy and zeta-potential measurements. Optimal dye sorption occurred at pH ～2. Equilibrium sorption data followed the Langmuir model and showed that the two synthetic mesoporous carbons exhibit higher sorption capacities (q_max ～ 500–580 mg/g at 25 °C) in comparison to the commercial activated carbons which possessed either microporous (Takeda 5A and Calgon carbon) or combined micro-/mesoporous (Norit SAE-2) structures and to the HMS mesoporous silica. Thermodynamic parameters as the change in free energy, enthalpy, and entropy of sorption were also estimated. Kinetic studies were carried out and showed a rapid sorption of dye in the first ca. 30 min while equilibrium was reached after ca. 3 h. The sorption kinetics of dye was best described by a second-order kinetic model. A surfactant enhanced carbon regeneration (SECR) technique was used to regenerate the dye-loaded carbon sorbents.     

Aging of packaging films in the marine environment

The present article examines the aging behavior in the marine environment of some representative flexible plastic packaging films including supermarket plastic bags made of low‐density polyethylene (LDPE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) films, polyamide–polyethylene (PAPE) films and films made of a material under the commercial name Mater‐Bi®. The effect of aging was studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and tension including creep‐recovery tests. The polyethylene films were not hydrolytically degraded during aging in seawater, and the polyethylene chains did not undergo any substantial chain scission. The PET films after exposure for 8 months in seawater did not suffer any substantial degradation, and the PET chains were plasticized by the absorbed water. After prolonged exposure to seawater (12 months), the PET films started to degrade. The PAPE film underwent extensive chemical and structural changes during aging in seawater as result of plasticization and hydrolysis of the polyamide (PA) component in combination with an eventual loosening of the tie layer. Mater‐Bi® film underwent a severe deterioration during aging in seawater due to the hydrolysis of the starch and polycaprolactone components. All films exhibited a marked degradation of their tensile properties after exposure to accelerating aging conditions under UV radiation. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 59:E432–E441, 2019. © 2019 Society of Plastics Engineers     

The Impact of Angiogenesis in the Most Common Salivary Gland Malignant Tumors

Salivary gland carcinomas (SGCs) represent a group of rare tumors, with complete surgical resection being the main treatment option. Therapeutic armory for cases of locally aggressive, recurrent, and/or metastatic SGCs, though, remains poor since they exhibit high rates of resistance to systematic therapy. Angiogenesis is considered one of the contemporary hallmarks of cancer and anti-angiogenic factors have already been approved for the treatment of several cancer types. This review aims to summarize, in a histotype-specific manner, the most current available data on the angiogenic factors implicated in SGC angiogenesis, in order to highlight the differences between the most common SGC histotypes and the factors that may have a potential role as therapeutic targets.     

Evaluation of three methods for retrospective correction of vignetting on medical microscopy images utilizing two open source software tools

Correction of vignetting on images obtained by a digital camera mounted on a microscope is essential before applying image analysis. The aim of this study is to evaluate three methods for retrospective correction of vignetting on medical microscopy images and compare them with a prospective correction method. One digital image from four different tissues was used and a vignetting effect was applied on each of these images. The resulted vignetted image was replicated four times and in each replica a different method for vignetting correction was applied with fiji and gimp software tools. The highest peak signal-to-noise ratio from the comparison of each method to the original image was obtained from the prospective method in all tissues. The morphological filtering method provided the highest peak signal-to-noise ratio value amongst the retrospective methods. The prospective method is suggested as the method of choice for correction of vignetting and if it is not applicable, then the morphological filtering may be suggested as the retrospective alternative method.     

Effect of organomodified clay on the reaction kinetics,properties and thermal degradation of nanocomposites based on poly(styrene‐co‐ethyl methacrylate)

In this research, synthesis of novel nanocomposites based on a poly(styrene‐co‐ethyl methacrylate) copolymer matrix was investigated with different types and amounts of organomodified montmorillonite (MMT) clays. The in situ polymerization technique was selected with dispersion of the MMT nanoparticles into the comonomer mixture and subsequent bulk radical polymerization. Reaction kinetics was measured gravimetrically and it was found that the existence of rigid phenyl rings in the organomodifier may result in a hindered reaction rate especially at high clay loadings. Structural characteristics of the nanocomposites formed were verified with XRD and Fourier transform infrared analysis and mainly intercalated/partially exfoliated structures were verified; their glass transition temperature was measured with DSC, and their molecular weight distribution and average molecular weights were measured with gel permeation chromatography. The latter was also used to measure the variation of the copolymer average molecular weight with conversion. Slightly higher average molecular weight and T_g values for the copolymer in the nanocomposites were measured, compared with neat copolymer. The thermal stability of the nanocomposites was measured with TGA and found to be significantly improved. One‐step degradation revealed the existence of macromolecular chains without defective structures. Finally, pyrolysis of the nanocomposite copolymers resulted in the production of both comonomers in high amounts, followed by some dimers or trimers. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry