bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MOTIVASI BERMAIN BOLA BASKET SISWA SMA NEGERI 12 MAKASSAR
Authors: Gunawan Edy Edy
Published: July 2019

Penelitian ini  bertujuan   untuk   memperoleh  jawaban  atas permasalahan: 1). Bagaimana motivasi bermain bola basket siswa SMA Negeri 12 Makassar. Dalam penelitian ini menggunakan metode survei yaitu penelitian yang mengambil sampel dari suatu populasi dan menggunakan kuesioner sebagai alat pengumpulan data yang pokok. Penelitian ini bersifat deskriptif  dengan variabel  mandiri. Populasi dan sampel adalah siswa  SMA Negeri 12 Makassar dipilih secara random sampling diperoleh sampel sebanyak 30 orang. Teknik analisis data yang digunakan deskriptif prosentase.  Berdasarkan hasil analisis data dapat disimpulkan sebagai berikut: 1). motivasi dalam bermain bola basket siswa SMA Negeri 12 Makassar menunjukkan kategori sedang (71,66%). Hal tersebut karena dipengaruhi oleh faktor-faktor yang dapat mempengaruhi motivasi untuk bermain bola basket seperi sarana dan prasana, media pembelajaran, dukungan dari keluarga,  dan lain-lain.
UPAYA MENINGKATKAN KETERAMPILAN MENGAJAR GURU MATEMATIKA SD DALAM MERANCANG PEMBELAJARAN BERBANTUAN ALAT PERAGA MELALUI BIMBINGAN BERKELOMPOK
Authors: Ernalis Ernalis
Published: July 2019

This research is motivated by the learning carried out by teachers is less attractive to elementary school students, resulting in student learning outcomes being low. The purpose of this study is to improve teacher teaching skills in designing teaching aids assisted by group guidance. This research is a school action research conducted at the Lubuk Batu Jaya sub-district target schools. The implementation of this study began February 18 to April 27, 2019. The subjects of this study were 4 groups of Mathematics teachers. Data analysis techniques are carried out through steps: data reduction, data presentation, verification. The results of the study showed an increase from cycle I to cycle II with the percentage and each category being 62% (sufficient) and 73% (good).
PENINGKATAN KOMPETENSI PEDAGODIK GURU MELALUI PELAKSANAAN SUPERVISI KLINIS DENGAN TEKNIK KELOMPOK
Authors: Babuta Asma Is , Rahmat Abdul
Published: July 2019

This study aims to find out the picture, find a solution, and increase the pedagogical competence of teachers in 4 junior high schools under the guidance of researchers. The research subjects were Pohuwato district, namely SMPN 2 Wanggarasi, SMPN 2 Dengilo, SMPN 2 Randangan  dan SMPN 3 Marisa. Data collection in this study was carried out by observation, and documentation. In this study data validation was done by triangulation technique. Data analysis starts from the field or empirical facts by going into the field, observing, studying, analyzing, interpreting and drawing conclusions. The results showed that the teacher's pedagogical competence increased from 2 teachers or 9.09% in the pre-cycle, to 10 teachers or 45.45%, and in the last cycle increased to 100% or all teachers were stated to have increased pedagogical competence. This indicates that clinical supervision by school supervisors has proven effective as an effort to improve teacher pedagogical competencies in the 4 Guidance Middle Schools.
MANAJEMEN PENGEMBANGAN PONDOK PESANTREN (Studi Kasus di Pondok Pesantren As’adiyah Belawa Baru, Masamba, Sulawesi Selatan)
Authors: Yunus Yunus , Mukhtar Jazuli , Nugroho Ichwan
Published: July 2019

This study aims to determine the pattern of development strategy Boarding School in Malangke. Pattern or strategic used by the container or place in order to process a change of plans that require the support of all parties to develop and improve educational quality. In this study, researchers used a qualitative research and data sources through interviews with the leadership of the cottage. Boarding school development opportunities in the North Luwu, belonging to the sub-national education system in Indonesia that aims to educate the nation, making the man who is faithful and devoted to God Almighty, noble, healthy, knowledgeable, skilled, creative. In addition, the boarding school New Belawa As'adiyah, considered successful because students-students directly involved in the community, for example in the Holy month of Ramadhan, these students were sent to be Imam in every mosque in Malangke. But beyond the success, there are some some of the barriers faced by Islamic Schools As'adiyah New Belawa (Malangke) include: 1) a more modern curriculum system, so that schools lag far from public schools, 2) Lack of funds and sources of funding due to lack of students. 3) the majority of parents are not keen to send children in school boarding school.
Brine Shrimp Toxicity of Essential Oils from Musa spp.
Authors: Zailani Mohd Alhafiizh , Fikri Sharkawi Abdul Razzak
Published: July 2019

Essential oils of seven Musa spp.’s fruits namely, Musa acuminata colla ‘gros michel’ (PE), Musa acuminata colla ‘lakatan’ (PB), Musa acuminata colla ‘sucrier’ (PM), Musa acuminata × balbisiana ‘horn plantain’ (PT), Musa acuminata × balbisiana colla ‘saba’ (PN), Musa acuminata colla 'inarnibal' (PO) and Musa acuminata colla ‘red’ (PJ) were extracted by hydrodistillation method using Clevenger apparatus. The essential oils were analysed using GC-FID and identified using Kovat Indeces compared with published information. PE gave the highest yields of oils compared to the other species with yield of 0.43% and 0.28% for its peels and flesh, respectively. The most abundant groups present in most of the essential oils are ester and alcohol groups. The brine shrimp toxicity of PT, PM, PN and PO essential oils were tested and showed toxicity against brine shrimp in dose dependent manner. It can be concluded that the essential oils showed some biological activities which may be a potent medicine in curing tumor. This study implies that the presence of ester and alcohol groups are a good marker for the biological activities of plants. Further studies should focus on the potential of the essential oils of Musa spp. as an antitumor medicine.
Computational Analysis of 3D Lattice Structures for Skin in Real-Scale Camber Morphing Aircraft
Authors: Alsaidi Bashir , Joe Woong Yeol , Akbar Muhammad
Published: July 2019

Conventional or fixed wings require a certain thickness of skin material selection that guarantees structurally reliable strength under expected aerodynamic loadings. However, skin structures of morphing wings need to be flexible as well as stiff enough to deal with multi-axial structural stresses from changed geometry and the coupled aerodynamic loadings. Many works in the design of skin structures for morphing wings take the approach either of only geometric compliance or a simplified model that does not fully represent 3D real-scale wing models. Thus, the main theme of this study is (1) to numerically identify the multi-axial stress, strain, and deformation of skin in a camber morphing wing aircraft under both structure and aerodynamic loadings, and then (2) to show the effectiveness of a direct approach that uses 3D lattice structures for skin. Various lattice structures and their direct 3D wing models have been numerically analyzed for advanced skin design.
Growth, Fruit Yield, Photosynthetic Characteristics, and Leaf Microelement Concentration of Two Blueberry Cultivars under Different Long-Term Soil pH Treatments
Authors: Jiang Yanqin , Zeng Qilong , Wei Jiguang , Jiang Jiafeng , Li Yajing , Chen Jingbo , Yu Hong
Published: July 2019

Soil pH is a key factor affecting the growth of blueberries. Understanding the response mechanism of blueberries to different pH values and selecting suitable evaluation indexes are the basis of breeding new blueberry cultivars with high pH tolerances. The effects of different soil pH treatments for 17 months on the plant growth, fruit yield, photosynthetic characteristics, and leaf microelement concentration of Vaccinium ashei Reade ‘Climax’ and V. corymbosum hybrid ‘Chaoyue No. 1′ were studied. Plant height, main stem diameter, branch number per plant, leaf dry weight, stem dry weight, root dry weight, and total dry weight decreased with increasing soil pH. With an increase in soil pH, the first flowering date, 50% flowering date, first ripening date, and 50% ripening date of the two cultivars were postponed, and the flower bud numbers per plant, the floret numbers per bud, and yield per plant showed a downward trend. Moreover, the fruit quality decreased, which was reflected in the increase in the titratable acid content (TA) and the decrease in the total soluble solids content (TSS) and the TSS:TA ratio in the high pH treatment. With increasing soil pH, the chlorophyll content index (CCI), maximal photochemical efficiency of the PSII (Fv/Fm), quantum photosynthetic yield of the PSII (Y(II)) and net photosynthetic rate (Pn) of the two cultivars showed a downward trend, and some microelement concentrations in the leaves were imbalanced. Under high pH treatment, ‘Chaoyue No. 1′ had a relatively higher plant biomass and fruit yield, so it had a stronger tolerance to high pH than ‘Climax’ did. More strongly acidified rhizosphere soil capacity, as well as higher CCI, Fv/Fm, Y(II), and Pn values were the main reasons for the high pH tolerance of ‘Chaoyue No. 1′. Compared with destructive biomass indicators such as plant weight, nondestructive indicators such as CCI, Fv/Fm, and Y(II) can be more valuable indicators for fast and accurate evaluation of blueberry tolerance to high pH at early stages of treatment.
Different LED Light Intensities and 6-Benzyladenine Concentrations in Relation to Shoot Development, Leaf Architecture, and Photosynthetic Pigments of Gerbera jamesonii Bolus In Vitro
Authors: Cioć Monika , Kalisz Andrzej , Żupnik Marek , Pawłowska Bożena
Published: July 2019

A mixture of red and blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs; at a ratio of 7:3, respectively) were used to analyze the effects of different photosynthetic photon flux densities (PPFDs) (40, 80, and 120 µmol m−2 s−1 hereafter known as LED 40, 80, and 120, respectively) on the micropropagation of Gerbera jamesonii Bolus shoots. The experiment also examined the effect of 6-benzyladenine (BA) in 1, 2.5, and 5 µM concentrations in the media. Biometrical observations and analyses of leaf morphometry and photosynthetic pigment content were conducted. Shoot multiplication increased with an increasing BA concentration. A PPFD of 80 µmol m−2 s−1 and 5 µM BA is suggested as efficient for shoot propagation and economically viable. LED 120 increased the leaf blade area and its width, and circularity and elongation ratios. The intensity of light did not affect the fresh weight, which increased at higher BA concentrations (2.5 and 5 μM). The dry weight content decreased with increasing cytokinin concentration; the greatest content was observed on media with 1 µM BA under PPFD 120 µmol m−2 s−1. LED 80 increased the photosynthetic pigments content in the leaves in comparison to the standard intensity of LED 40. Increased BA concentration raises the content of chlorophyll a.
Interactive Effects of Water and Fertilizer on Yield, Soil Water and Nitrate Dynamics of Young Apple Tree in Semiarid Region of Northwest China
Authors: Zhou Hanmi , Niu Xiaoli , Yan Hui , Zhao Na , Zhang Fucang , Wu Lifeng , Yin Dongxue , Kjelgren Roger
Published: July 2019

Exploring the interactive effect of water and fertilizer on yield, soil water and nitrate dynamics of young apple tree is of great importance to improve the management of irrigation and fertilization in the apple-growing region of semiarid northwest China. A two-year pot experiment was conducted in a mobile rainproof shelter of the water-saving irrigation experimental station in Northwest A&F University, and the investigation evaluated the response of soil water and fertilizer migration, crop water productivity (CWP), irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE), partial factor productivity (PFP) of young apple tree to different water and fertilizer regimes (four levels of soil water: 75%–85%, 65%–75%, 55%–65% and 45%–55% of field capacity, designated W1, W2, W3 and W4, respectively; three levels of N-P2O5-K2O fertilizer, 30-30-10, 20-20-10 and 10-10-10 g plant−1, designated F1, F2 and F3, respectively). Results showed that F1W1, F2W1 and F3W1 had the highest average soil water content at 0~90 cm compared with the other treatments. When fertilizer level was fixed, the average soil water content was gradually increased with increasing irrigation amount. For W1, W2, W3 and W4, high levels of water content were mainly distributed at 50~80 cm, 40~70 cm, 30~50 cm and 10~30 cm, respectively. There was no significant difference in soil water content at all fertilizer treatments. However, F1 and F2 significantly increased soil nitrate-N content by 146.3%~246.4% and 75.3%~151.5% compared with F3. The highest yield appeared at F1W1 treatment, but there was little difference between F1W1 and F2W2 treatment. F2W2 treatment decreased yield by 7.5%, but increased IWUE by 11.2% compared with F1W1 treatment. Meanwhile, the highest CWP appeared at F2W2 treatment in the two years. Thus, F2W2 treatment (soil moisture was controlled in 65–75% of field capacity, N-P2O5-K2O were controlled at 20-20-10 g·tree−1) reached the best water and fertilizer coupling mode and it was the optimum combinations of water and fertilizer saving.
Leptin Gene Polymorphism in Goats Fed with Diet at Different Energy Level: Effects on Feed Intake, Milk Traits, Milk Fatty Acids Composition, and Metabolic State
Authors: Avondo Marcella , Di Trana Adriana , Valenti Bernardo , Criscione Andrea , Bordonaro Salvatore , De Angelis Anna , Giorgio Daniela , Di Gregorio Paola
Published: July 2019

The study investigated the effects of a polymorphism at the LEP gene intron 1 microsatellite region and its interaction with diet energy level on feed intake, milk traits, milk fatty acid composition, and metabolic state in goats. Sixteen Girgentana lactating goats at mid-lactation, selected on the basis of their genotype (8 goats homozygous 266 bp/266 bp, L genotype; 8 goats heterozygous 266 bp/264 bp, H genotype), were fed ad libitum according to a change-over design, with two diets at different energy levels reached with different hay inclusion: low energy diet (LE)—100% of hay; and high energy diet (HE)—65% of hay. No differences in milk yield and composition or in dry matter intake were found between leptin genotypes or between diets. Leptin genotype had no effect on plasma metabolite concentrations. The differences between diets were recorded for plasma β-hydroxybutyric acid (BHBA) concentrations with higher (p = 0.01) values for the HE compared to the LE diet (0.44 vs. 0.24 mmol/L, respectively). Nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA) values seem to indicate a positive energy balance in goats. No interaction genotype per diet was evident for most of the studied parameters. Fatty acid composition was strongly influenced by LEP genotype: L goats, compared to H goats, showed higher levels of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), and 14:1/14:0 desaturation index; lower levels of saturated fatty acids (SFA); and a more favorable atherogenic index. These results seem to suggest an improvement of health characteristics of milk with the L genotype.
Whole Blood Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Positive Effects of Dried Olive Pomace-Supplemented Diet on Inflammation and Cholesterol in Laying Hens
Authors: Iannaccone Marco , Ianni Andrea , Ramazzotti Solange , Grotta Lisa , Marone Elettra , Cichelli Angelo , Martino Giuseppe
Published: July 2019

Olive pomace (OP) represents one of the by-products of the olive industry and represents an important source of bioactive compounds. This characteristic makes OP a potential feed supplement in livestock nutrition. Thus, in the last years, several studies have been published to evaluate the productive traits following OP supplementation in animal diets; however, relatively little is known from a molecular biology standpoint. Therefore, in this study, we report the RNA-sequencing analysis of laying hens fed with a 10% dried OP (DOP) supplementation. Applying a false discovery rate (FDR) <0.05 and a Log2Fc either less than −1.5 or higher than +1.5, we identified 264 differentially regulated genes (DEGs) between the non-supplemented diet control group (CTR) and the DOP group. Using the 264 DEGs to identify enriched biological pathways, we noted that cholesterol biosynthesis showed the highest enrichment followed by several pathways related to immune response and inflammation. As a consequence, when we quantified the cholesterol amount in yolk egg, we found a significant reduction in the DOP vs. the CTR group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, this study shows that DPO affects gene expression in laying hens, which is directly correlated with cholesterol decrease and can potentially ameliorate health status influencing immune response and inflammation.
Bayesian Inference of Vocal Fold Material Properties from Glottal Area Waveforms Using a 2D Finite Element Model
Authors: Hadwin Paul J. , Motie-Shirazi Mohsen , Erath Byron D. , Peterson Sean D.
Published: July 2019

Bayesian estimation has been previously demonstrated as a viable method for developing subject-specific vocal fold models from observations of the glottal area waveform. These prior efforts, however, have been restricted to lumped-element fitting models and synthetic observation data. The indirect relationship between the lumped-element parameters and physical tissue properties renders extracting the latter from the former difficult. Herein we propose a finite element fitting model, which treats the vocal folds as a viscoelastic deformable body comprised of three layers. Using the glottal area waveforms generated by self-oscillating silicone vocal folds we directly estimate the elastic moduli, density, and other material properties of the silicone folds using a Bayesian importance sampling approach. Estimated material properties agree with the “ground truth” experimental values to within 3 % for most parameters. By considering cases with varying subglottal pressure and medial compression we demonstrate that the finite element model coupled with Bayesian estimation is sufficiently sensitive to distinguish between experimental configurations. Additional information not available experimentally, namely, contact pressures, are extracted from the developed finite element models. The contact pressures are found to increase with medial compression and subglottal pressure, in agreement with expectation.
Coherent Perfect Absorption Laser Points in One-Dimensional Anti-Parity–Time-Symmetric Photonic Crystals
Authors: Wang Huiling , Kong Weihao , Zhang Pu , Li Zhongming , Zhong Dong
Published: July 2019

We investigate the coherent perfect absorption laser points (CPA-LPs) in anti-parity–time-symmetric photonic crystals. CPA-LPs, which correspond to the poles of reflection and transmission, can be found in the parameter space composed of gain–loss factor and angular frequency. Discrete exceptional points (EPs) split as the gain–loss factor increases. The CPA-LPs sandwiched between the EPs are proved to be defective modes. The localization of light field and the bulk effect of gain/loss in materials induce a sharp change in phase of the reflection coefficient near the CPA-LPs. Consequently, a large spatial Goos–Hänchen shift, which is proportional to the slope of phase, can be achieved around the CPA-LPs. The study may find great applications in highly sensitive sensors.
Acoustic Beam Characterization and Selection for Optimized Underwater Communication
Authors: Ahmed Akram , Younis Mohamed
Published: July 2019

To increase underwater acoustic signal detectability and conserve energy, nodes leverage directional transmissions. In addition, nodes operate in a three-dimensional (3D) environment that is categorized as inhomogeneous where a propagating signal changes its direction based on the observed sound speed profile (SSP). Coupling 3D directional transmission with frequent node drifts and the varying underwater SSP complicates the process of selecting suitable transmission angles to maintain underwater communication links. Fundamentally, utilizing directional transmission while nodes are drifting causes breaks in established communication links and thus nodes need to find new angles to reestablish these links. Moreover, selecting arbitrary transmission angles may lead to overlapping beams or result in leaving an underwater region uncovered. To tackle the abovementioned challenges, this paper proposes an autonomous beam selection approach that optimizes underwater communication by selecting non-overlapping beams while mitigating the possibility of missing a region, i.e., maximize coverage. Such optimization is achieved by utilizing a structured angle selection mechanism that accounts for the capability of the used transducer. Moreover, we introduce an algorithm suited for resource constrained nodes to classify rays into different types. Then we divide the underwater medium into regions where each region is identified by the limits of the coverage area of each ray type. Finally, we utilize the limits of these regions to aid nodes in selecting the best ray to reestablish communication with drifted nodes. We validate our contribution through simulation where actual SSPs are leveraged to validate the beam classification process.
Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production from Glycerol Aqueous Solution Using Cu-Doped ZnO under Visible Light Irradiation
Authors: Vaiano Vincenzo , Iervolino Giuseppina
Published: July 2019

Cu-doped ZnO photocatalysts at different Cu loadings were prepared by a precipitation method. The presence of Cu in the ZnO crystal lattice led to significant enhancement in photocatalytic activity for H2 production from an aqueous glycerol solution under visible light irradiation. The best Cu loading was found to be 1.08 mol %, which allowed achieving hydrogen production equal to 2600 μmol/L with an aqueous glycerol solution at 5 wt % initial concentration, the photocatalyst dosage equal to 1.5 g/L, and at the spontaneous pH of the solution (pH = 6). The hydrogen production rate was increased to about 4770 μmol/L by increasing the initial glycerol concentration up to 10 wt %. The obtained results evidenced that the optimized Cu-doped ZnO could be considered a suitable visible-light-active photocatalyst to be used in photocatalytic hydrogen production without the presence of noble metals in sample formulation.
Power Control and Link Selection for Wireless Relay Networks with Hybrid Energy Sources
Authors: Wu Runze , Xie Huan , Chen Zhiyi , Tang Liangrui
Published: July 2019

The Hybrid energy supply (HES) wireless relay system is a new green network technology, where the source node is powered by the grid and relay is powered by harvested renewable energy. However, the network’s performance may degrade due to the intermittent nature of renewable energy. In this paper, our purpose is to minimize grid energy consumption and maximize throughput. However, improving the throughput requires increasing the transmission power of the source node, which will lead to a higher grid energy consumption. Linear weighted summation method is used to turn the two conflicting objectives into a single objective. Link assignment and a power control strategy are adopted to maximize the total reward of the network. The problem is formulated as a discrete Markov decision model. In addition, a backwards induction method based on state deletion is proposed to reduce the computational complexity. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can effectively alleviate performance degradation caused by the lack of renewable energy, and present the trade-off between energy consumption and throughput.
NO Removal by Plasma-Enhanced NH3-SCR Using Methane as an Assistant Reduction Agent at Low Temperature
Authors: Zhao Weixuan , Liu Yanghaichao , Wei Heng , Zhang Renxi , Luo Gang , Hou Huiqi , Chen Shanping , Zhang Ruina
Published: July 2019

The effects of using CH4 as an assistant reduction agent in plasma-assisted NH3–SCR were investigated. The new hybrid reaction system performed better than DBD–NH3–SCR when the O2 concentration varied from 2% to 12%. Compared with DBD–NH3–SCR, DBD–NH3–CH4–SCR (NH3:CH4 = 1:1) showed a more significant promotion effect on the performance and N2 selectivity for NOX abatement. When the O2 concentration was 6% and the SIE was 512 J/L, the NO removal efficiency of the new hybrid system reached 84.5%. The outlet gas components were observed via FTIR to reveal the decomposition process and its mechanism. This work indicated that CH4, as an assistant agent, enhances DBD–NH3–SCR in excess oxygen to achieve a new process with significantly higher activity at a low temperature (≤348 K) for NOX removal.
Augmented Reality in Heritage Apps:Current Trends in Europe
Authors: Luna Ursula , Rivero Pilar , Vicent Naiara
Published: July 2019

Although augmented reality (AR) has come to play an increasingly important role in a wide range of areas, its use remains rather limited in the realm of heritage education. This paper sets out to analyze which heritage-related apps can be found in Europe that partly or wholly use AR as a tool to help users learn about different types of heritage. Our study only identified a limited number of such apps and we used this sample both to paint a portrait of the current state of the question and also to highlight certain observable trends. The results showed that most such apps used AR to reconstruct spaces and buildings, and to a lesser extent, objects. Many of these apps used an academic mode of communication to provide a temporal perspective of monumental and (mainly) historical heritage. The paper also outlines future lines of research dedicated to finding more apps that could be used to increase the current sample size. This would allow for a more comprehensive assessment of such apps from an educational point of view. Several case studies are proffered in order to highlight the keys to successful use of AR in heritage apps.
Algorithmically Optimized Hemispherical Dome as a Secondary Optical Element for the Fresnel Lens Solar Concentrator
Authors: Qandil Hassan , Wang Shuping , Zhao Weihuan
Published: July 2019

The significance of this work lies in the development of a novel code-based, detailed, and deterministic geometrical approach that couples the optimization of the Fresnel lens primary optical element (POE) and the dome-shaped secondary optical element (SOE). The objective was to maximize the concentration acceptance product (CAP), while using the minimum SOE and receiver geometry at a given f-number and incidence angle (also referred to as the tracking error angle). The laws of polychromatic light refraction along with trigonometry and spherical geometry were utilized to optimize the POE grooves, SOE radius, receiver size, and SOE–receiver spacing. Two literature case studies were analyzed to verify this work’s optimization, both with a spot Fresnel lens POE and a spherical dome SOE. Case 1 had a 625 cm2 POE at an f-number of 1.5, and Case 2 had a 314.2 cm2 POE at an f-number of 1.34. The equivalent POE designed by this work, with optimized SOE radiuses of 13.6 and 11.4 mm, respectively, enhanced the CAP value of Case 1 by 52% to 0.426 and that of Case 2 by 32.4% to 0.45. The SOE’s analytical optimization of Case 1 was checked by a simulated comparative analysis to ensure the validity of the results. Fine-tuning this design for thermal applications and concentrated photovoltaics is also discussed in this paper. The algorithm can be further improved for more optimization parameters and other SOE shapes.
Indoor and Outdoor Exposure to Volatile Organic Compounds and Health Risk Assessment in Residents Living near an Optoelectronics Industrial Park
Authors: Chang Ta-Yuan , Liu Chin-Lin , Huang Kuei-Hung , Kuo Hsien-Wen
Published: July 2019

This study aimed to determine indoor and outdoor levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and to assess potential risks among residents living in the vicinity of an optoelectronics industrial park in 2006–2007. We used steel canisters to collect 72 indoor samples and 80 outdoor samples over 24 h. Gas chromatography with a mass-selective detector was used for qualitative and quantitative analyses. The amounts of time residents spent doing activities in different microenvironments were determined by the self-administered questionnaire. The chronic hazard index (HIc) and cancer risk were applied to assess the non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks of VOCs among residents. Four VOCs of ethanol (indoor: 77.8 ± 92.8 μg/m3; outdoor: 26.8 ± 49.6 μg/m3), toluene (67.0 ± 36.7 μg/m3; 56.9 ± 19.0 μg/m3), m/p-xylene (50.8 ± 66.1 μg/m3; 21.2 ± 20.3 μg/m3), and acetone (37.7 ± 27.5 μg/m3; 25.8 ± 9.8 μg/m3) were identified as dominant components in both the indoor and outdoor environments. Total VOCs and six VOCs of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, m/p-xylene, o-xylene, and ethanol in indoor sites were significantly higher than those in outdoor sites (all p-values < 0.05). All estimated HIc values were less than unity and the cancer risk of benzene exposure was 1.8 × 10−4 (range: 9.3 × 10−5 to 3.4 × 10−4) based on resident time-weighted patterns. Strategies to reduce benzene exposure should be implemented to protect public health.
Twitter Analyzer—How to Use Semantic Analysis to Retrieve an Atmospheric Image around Political Topics in Twitter
Authors: Spettel Stefan , Vagianos Dimitrios
Published: July 2019

Social media are heavily used to shape political discussions. Thus, it is valuable for corporations and political parties to be able to analyze the content of those discussions. This is exemplified by the work of Cambridge Analytica, in support of the 2016 presidential campaign of Donald Trump. One of the most straightforward metrics is the sentiment of a message, whether it is considered as positive or negative. There are many commercial and/or closed-source tools available which make it possible to analyze social media data, including sentiment analysis (SA). However, to our knowledge, not many publicly available tools have been developed that allow for analyzing social media data and help researchers around the world to enter this quickly expanding field of study. In this paper, we provide a thorough description of implementing a tool that can be used for performing sentiment analysis on tweets. In an effort to underline the necessity for open tools and additional monitoring on the Twittersphere, we propose an implementation model based exclusively on publicly available open-source software. The resulting tool is capable of downloading Tweets in real-time based on hashtags or account names and stores the sentiment for replies to specific tweets. It is therefore capable of measuring the average reaction to one tweet by a person or a hashtag, which can be represented with graphs. Finally, we tested our open-source tool within a case study based on a data set of Twitter accounts and hashtags referring to the Syrian war, covering a short time window of one week in the spring of 2018. The results show that while high accuracy of commercial or other complicated tools may not be achieved, our proposed open source tool makes it possible to get a good overview of the overall replies to specific tweets, as well as a practical perception of tweets, related to specific hashtags, identifying them as positive or negative.
Ameliorative Effect of Beta vulgaris Root Extract on Chlorpyrifos-Induced Oxidative Stress, Inflammation and Liver Injury in Rats
Authors: Albasher Gadah , Almeer Rafa , Al-Otibi Fatimah O. , Al-Kubaisi Noorah , Mahmoud Ayman M.
Published: July 2019

Exposure to organophosphorus insecticides causes several health problems to animals and humans. Red beetroot (RBR) is rich in antioxidant ingredients and possesses a promising hepatoprotective activity. This study evaluated the potential of RBR extract to prevent chlorpyrifos (CPF)-induced liver injury, with an emphasis on oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis. Rats received 10 mg/kg CPF and were treated with 300 mg/kg RBR extract for 28 days. CPF caused liver injury evidenced by elevated serum levels of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and bilirubin, along with several histological alterations. Hepatic lipid peroxidation (LPO) and nitric oxide (NO) levels, as well as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and pro-inflammatory cytokines were increased in CPF-intoxicated rats. RBR prevented CPF-induced histological alterations, and ameliorated liver function, LPO, NO, iNOS and pro-inflammatory cytokines. RBR boosted glutathione and antioxidant enzymes, and increased Nrf2 expression. In addition, RBR diminished Bax and caspase-3, and increased Bcl-2 expression. In conclusion, RBR prevented CPF-induced liver injury via attenuation of oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis. RBR enhanced antioxidant defenses, suggesting that it could be used as a potential therapeutic intervention to minimize CPF hepatotoxicity.
Identification of MicroRNA Targeting Mlph and Affecting Melanosome Transport
Authors: Lee Jeong Ah , Hwang Seok Joon , Hong Sung Chan , Myung Cheol Hwan , Lee Ji Eun , Park Jong Il , Hwang Jae Sung
Published: July 2019

Melanosomes undergo a complex maturation process and migrate into keratinocytes. Melanophilin (Mlph), a protein complex involving myosin Va (MyoVa) and Rab27a, enables the movement of melanosomes in melanocytes. In this study, we found six miRNAs targeting Mlph in mouse using two programs (http://targetscan.org and DianaTools). When melan-a melanocytes were treated with six synthesized microRNAs, miR-342-5p, miR-1839-5p, and miR-3082-5p inhibited melanosome transport and induced melanosome aggregation around the nucleus. The other microRNAs, miR-5110, miR-3090-3p, and miR-186-5p, did not inhibit melanosome transport. Further, miR-342-5p, miR-1839-5p, and miR-3082-5p decreased Mlph expression. The effect of miR-342-5p was the strongest among the six synthesized miRNAs. It inhibited melanosome transport in melan-a melanocytes and reduced Mlph expression in mRNA and protein levels in a dose-dependent manner; however, it did not affect Rab27a and MyoVa expressions, which are associated with melanosome transport. To examine miR-342-5p specificity, we performed luciferase assays in a mouse melanocyte-transfected reporter vector including Mlph at the 3′-UTR (untranslated region). When treated with miR-342-5p, luciferase activity that had been reduced by approximately 50% was restored after inhibitor treatment. Therefore, we identified a novel miRNA affecting Mlph and melanosome transport, and these results can be used for understanding Mlph expression and skin pigmentation regulation.
Endosymbiotic Evolution of Algae, Secondary Heterotrophy and Parasitism
Authors: Oborník Miroslav
Published: July 2019

Photosynthesis is a biochemical process essential for life, serving as the ultimate source of chemical energy for phototrophic and heterotrophic life forms. Since the machinery of the photosynthetic electron transport chain is quite complex and is unlikely to have evolved multiple independent times, it is believed that this machinery has been transferred to diverse eukaryotic organisms by endosymbiotic events involving a eukaryotic host and a phototrophic endosymbiont. Thus, photoautotrophy, as a benefit, is transmitted through the evolution of plastids. However, many eukaryotes became secondarily heterotrophic, reverting to hetero-osmotrophy, phagotrophy, or parasitism. Here, I briefly review the constructive evolution of plastid endosymbioses and the consequential switch to reductive evolution involving losses of photosynthesis and plastids and the evolution of parasitism from a photosynthetic ancestor.
Assessment of Current Energy Consumption in Residential Buildings in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Authors: Felimban Ahmed , Prieto Alejandro , Knaack Ulrich , Klein Tillmann , Qaffas Yasser
Published: July 2019

In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), residential buildings’ energy consumption accounts for almost 50% of the building stock electricity consumption. The KSA’s economy relies heavily on fossil fuel sources, namely oil reservoirs, whose depletion will negatively affect the future development of the country. The total electricity consumption is growing by approximately 5–8% annually, which would lead to oil production and oil consumption being equal in 2035. Therefore, residential buildings need further assessment as regards their current energy consumption. This research used a survey to explore current user behaviour in residential buildings’ energy performance in the city of Jeddah, KSA. The findings of the survey show that several factors impact the energy performance in residential buildings. First, the buildings’ thermal properties were found to be poorly designed. Second, the cultural aspects (family member role and generous hospitality), and the majority of users within the buildings preferring a room temperature of below 24 °C, requires a massive amount of cooling due to the climate conditions. Third, an increase in user awareness has helped to slightly improve residential buildings’ energy efficiency. Knowing the current high-energy-consumption sources and causes, being able to define opportunities for thermal properties’ enhancement, and increasing user awareness of how to achieve self-sustaining buildings are essential.
Research on the Evolution of Building Technology Based on Regional Revitalization
Authors: Wu Jingjing , Wei Hongyang , Peng Li
Published: July 2019

With the rapid development of the times, regionalization has become one of the hotspots in the field of architecture. The aim of this paper is to deal with the regionalization of contemporary architecture from the perspective of building technology. This paper systematically and comprehensively evaluates and summarizes the development process of China's building technology, determines the key points of the evolution of building technology, and combines a large number of historical documents and historical remains to analyze the causes of the evolution of building technology, which include the natural environment, science and technology, building system and concept consciousness. Based on this, it analyses buildings in Sichuan from three aspects—building materials, structural system and construction process—and seeks for a reasonable regional development direction of building technology. Analysis results showed that greening, integration and scientific are the evolution path of building technology in the new era. Not only building technology is a necessary means of building realization, but also its influence on the regionalization of architecture should be supplemented and promoted.
An Overview of Climate Change and Building Energy: Performance, Responses and Uncertainties
Authors: Yassaghi Hamed , Hoque Simi
Published: July 2019

It is becoming increasingly crucial to develop methods and strategies to assess building performance under the changing climate and to yield a more sustainable and resilient design. However, the outputs of climate models have a coarse spatial and temporal resolution and cannot be used directly in building energy simulation tools. This paper reviews methods to develop fine spatial and temporal weather files that incorporate climate emissions scenarios by means of downscaling. An overview of the climate change impact on building energy performance is given, and potential adaptation and mitigation factors in response to the changing climate in the building sector are presented. Also, methods to reflect, propagate, and partition main sources of uncertainties in both weather files and buildings are summarized, and a sample approach to propagate the uncertainties is demonstrated.
Kinetic Study of Peroxidase-Catalyzed Oxidation of 2-Hydroxyanthracene and 9-Phenanthrol in Presence of Biosurfactant Escin
Authors: Ivanec-Goranina Rūta
Published: July 2019

The kinetics of fungal peroxidase-catalyzed 2-hydroxyanthracene and 9-phenanthrol oxidation was investigated in presence of biosurfactant escin at pH 5.5 and 25 °C. The kinetic measurements were performed using the fluorimetric method and the critical micelle concentration (CMC) of escin was determined using the dynamic light scattering technique. Inactivation of peroxidase was observed in absence of biosurfactant escin. It was shown that escin, used in concentrations lower than CMC, decreases or completely stops the peroxidase inactivation and increases the conversion of 2-hydroxyanthracene as well as of 9-phenanthrol. The environmentally friendly method of peroxidase-catalyzed 2-hydroxyanthracene and 9-phenanthrol oxidation in presence of biosurfactant Escin has an advantage over traditional decontamination methods due to their less environmental impact.
Neural Modeling of Laviron Treatment for Coating of Electrodes with Mediator
Authors: Mureşan Vlad , Ungureşan Mihaela-Ligia , Gligor Delia , Varodi Codruţa
Published: July 2019

In this paper, an original solution for modeling and simulation of the nonlinear electrochemical process associated to the Laviron treatment is proposed. The graphite electrodes were coated with mediator by adsorption. The Laviron treatment was firstly used to determine the efficiency of modified electrodes coatings. The experimental data were obtained using an electrochemical experiment. The mathematical model of the process is expressed using a neural network with complex structure, an aspect which represents a novel approach in this domain. The main advantages of the proposed model are: its accuracy in relation to the experimental data and the fact that its usage permits the numerical simulation of the process, with multiple future applications. Based on the proposed neural model, an original procedure to determine the parameters of the nonlinear Laviron equation is presented. Another interesting element is represented by proving the fact that the value of heterogeneous electron-transfer rate constant kS is a function depending in the potential scan rate. This aspect is possible due to the original proposed approach of the Laviron treatment as a nonlinear process, on the entire range of input signals, in contrast with the big majority of the studies from the literature which are based on the linearization of this process near particular steady state working points.
Fabrication of a Conjugated Fluoropolymer Film Using One-Step iCVD Process and its Mechanical Durability
Authors: Lee Hyo Seong , Kim Hayeong , Lee Jeong Heon , Kwak Jae B.
Published: July 2019

Most superhydrophobic surface fabrication techniques involve precise manufacturing process. We suggest initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) as a novel CVD method to fabricate sufficiently durable superhydrophobic coating layers. The proposed method proceeds with the coating process at mild temperature (40 °C) with no need of pretreatment of the substrate surface; the pressure and temperature are optimized as process parameters. To obtain a durable superhydrophobic film, two polymeric layers are conjugated in a sequential deposition process. Specifically, 1,3,5,7-tetravinyl-1,3,5,7-tetramethylcyclotetrasiloxane (V4D4) monomer is introduced to form an organosilicon layer (pV4D4) followed by fluoropolymer formation by introducing 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-Perfluorodecyl methacrylate (PFDMA). There is a high probability of covalent bond formation at the interface between the two layers. Accordingly, the mechanical durability of the conjugated fluoropolymer film (pV4D4-PFDMA) is reinforced because of cross-linking. The superhydrophobic coating on soft substrates, such as tissue paper and cotton fabric, was successfully demonstrated, and its durability was assessed against the mechanical stress such as tensile loading and abrasion. The results from both tests confirm the improvement of mechanical durability of the obtained film.
The Secrets of Beautiful Hair: Why is it Flexible and Elastic?
Authors: Ezure Mikako , Tanji Noriyuki , Nishita Yukari , Mizooku Takashi , Nagase Shinobu , Osumi Takahiro
Published: July 2019

Beautiful hair, so called “SHINAYAKA” hair in Japanese, has a good appearance not only when stationary but also when in motion, and it is a highly desirable hair condition for Japanese consumers. We investigated such SHINAYAKA hair, which was selected by sensory evaluation, for the relationship between physical properties, such as flexibility and elasticity, and hair structure. It has already been reported that human hair cortical cells have two types, similar to wool: the ortho-like cortex and the para-like cortex. Microscopic observation revealed that the ortho-like cortex is distributed in the outer layer of the hair (near the hair surface) and the para-like cortex exists in the inner layer (near the center of the fiber). This cell distribution, a concentric double-layered structure, was deemed to be a characteristic of SHINAYAKA hair. Furthermore, analysis of physical properties showed the difference between the elasticity of the outer layer and inner layer, and that this difference was bigger in SHINAYAKA hair compared to other hair. This phenomenon was observed not only in Japanese hair, but also in Caucasian hair. In addition, we have developed a new technology for creating “SHINAYAKA” hair by treatment with succinic acid. Inflexible and inelastic hair can be changed by this treatment, and its flexibility and elasticity improve by selective reduction of stiffness of the outer layer.
A Novel Dual Integrated LLC Resonant Converter Using Various Switching Patterns for a Wide Output Voltage Range Battery Charger
Authors: Choi Bong-Yeon , Lee Soon-Ryung , Kang Jin-Wook , Jeong Won-Sang , Won Chung-Yuen
Published: July 2019

This paper proposes a novel dual integrated LLC resonant converter (DI-LRC) with a wide output voltage range using various switching patterns. The primary side of the proposed DI-LLC converter consists of two resonant tanks and six switches, while the secondary side consists of a six-pulse diode rectifier. Depending on the switching pattern of the primary switch, the DI-LRC converter is performed by single full-bridge operation with a voltage gain of 1, series-connected full-bridge operation with a voltage gain of 0.5, series-connected half bridge operation with a voltage gain of 0.25, and parallel-connected full-bridge operation with a voltage gain of 2. Accordingly, the proposed DI-LRC converter has four voltage gain curves with different variations and achieves a wider output voltage range than the conventional single voltage gain curve in a given operating frequency range. In this paper, the equivalent circuits derived for each switching pattern are proposed to analyze the operating characteristics of the proposed converter according to each switching pattern, and each Q factor and voltage gain are calculated based on the analyzed equivalent circuit. The performance of the proposed converter and switching pattern is verified using the simulation and experimental results of the prototype battery charger, which is designed to be 4-kW class.
Efficiency Tests of DBA Algorithms in XG-PON
Authors: Sikora Pavel , Horvath Tomas , Munster Petr , Oujezsky Vaclav
Published: July 2019

Sophisticated dynamic bandwidth allocation (DBA) algorithms can dramatically improve or worsen throughput and delay in whole networks. It is very important to choose the right DBA algorithm. Our work tests static assignment and three DBA algorithms, namely GigaPON Access Network DBA, Hybrid Reporting Allocation, and modified Max–Min Fair. All tests were made on our simulator of ten-gigabit passive optical network DBA specially developed for testing DBA algorithms. The tests verify delay of each optical network unit and amount of waste with bandwidth. This paper describes how the used DBA algorithms work and the processes involved in DBA algorithms.