bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
One Slope Model: Efforts to Optimize Wifi Networks in the Office of communication and informatics in Palembang
Authors: Wulandari Winda , Muzakir Ari
Published: March 2020

Information technology in the field of transmission that is currently developing, one of which is Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi devices provide user convenience in carrying out their activities. The quality of Wi-Fi network performance can be known by the reception of the signal received by the user. If the placement of an access point (AP) is done correctly, the network will be optimized. There are several propagation models in the room that can be used as a guideline in determining the placement of the AP, one slope model is a way to measure the average level of a building and only depends on the distance of the transmitter and receiver. This research was conducted in order to overcome the problem of Wi-Fi network area coverage at the Office of Communication and Information of the City of Palembang. This study conducted an experiment to change the layout of AP's placement, measure and calculate data in priority with the one slope model. The results of measurements and calculations carried out analysis and comparison in order to determine the results of the experiments conducted. The results of this study indicate that an attempt to change the AP layout with one slope model can overcome existing problems and get better Wi-Fi coverage area performance. In the calculation with the one slope model of the 2-trial access point placement results in a decrease and an increase in signal. The signal reduction occurred in experiment 1, whereas in experiment 2 (design 2) the signal increased by 1.46dBm.
Barcode Based Digital Library Information System Application (Case Study: SMA Yadika 3 Karang Tengah)
Authors: Afrinaldi Afrinaldi , Jumaryadi Yuwan
Published: March 2020

Perpustakaan SMA Yadika 3 Karang Tengah memiliki jumlah anggota dan koleksi buku yang begitu banyak, hal ini membuatnya sangat membutuhkan sebuah aplikasi perpustakaan digital yang berguna untuk membantu kinerja petugas perpustakaan. Dengan adanya aplikasi perpustakaan digital berbasis barcode ini dapat memudahkan serta membuat kinerja petugas menjadi lebih efisien dan cepat dalam melakukan proses transaksi peminjaman, pengembalian, penginputan buku maupun anggota baru serta dalam pembuatan laporan. Dalam proses pembuatan penelitian ini digunakan metode waterfall, sedangkan untuk desain sistem menggunakan UML yang meliputi use case diagram, class diagram, activity diagram dan sequence diagram. Metode yang digunakan dalam pengumpulan data pada penelitian ini adalah metode observasi, metode wawancara, dan kusioner.  Dari hasil kesimpulan penelitian ini diharapkan aplikasi perpustakaan digital berbasis barcode dapat digunakan oleh petugas perpustakaan dalam mengelola semua transaksi yang ada di perpustakaan, meminimalisir kesalahan, dan membuat laporan dengan cepat, serta mempermudah anggota perpustakaan dalam mendapatkan informasi mengenai koleksi buku yang akan dipinjam datau dibaca.
A Training Gesture-Based-Scroll Visual Artificial Intelligence And Measuring Its Effectiveness Using Hidden-Markov Modeling Methods
Authors: Wibisono Arif
Published: March 2020

In this article I discuss the method of hand gesture recognition as a visual motion detection based on artificial intelligence by training three main movements namely, scrolling up, scrolling down and stopping based on capturing the front camera image capture speed of 3 fps and measuring its efficiency against the control movements that performed using Hidden-Markov Modeling (HMM) with each catch object scroll up 3 fps / 15 frames scroll down scroll down 3 fps / 15 frames and stop 3 fps / 9 frames, the result is that the most effective hand gesture object training movement is stop gesture with 3 fps / 9 frames because the object's movement is able to be recognized by the system only in the 3rd second image capture frame.
Web-based Computerized Land Activities Analysis
Authors: Abdillah Leon A. , Febriansah Boby
Published: March 2020

Information technology (IT) development in internet and web technologies have grown a variety of web-based services. Public services no longer require face-to-face activity, but can already be done virtually through web media. This research will evaluate land services at the ATR/BPN office in Ogan Ilir South Sumatra. The evaluation method used is the PIECES framework which consists of performance, information, economy, control, efficiency, and service. The questionnaire consists of 23 items and distributed using Google Forms. After analyzing the results of the questionnaire, five (5) variables are included in the "Excellent" category (Performance, Information, Control & Security, Efficiency, and Service), and only 1 (one) variable is included in the "Good" category (Economy).
Optimization in Determining Routes of Goods Distribution Vehicle Using the Ant Colony Optimization Algorithm Method at PT XYZ
Authors: Dwi Djayanti Ranti , Iriani Yani
Published: March 2020

PT XYZ is one of freight forwarding companies in Indonesia, which is located in the city of Bandung. This company has managerial functions related to Collecting, Processing, Transporting, Delivery, and Reporting. However, the fact is in the process of Transporting this company still uses a zoning system which is a shipping system that still divides tertiary areas and each of these areas uses one vehicle. One problem that arises is that companies want effective and efficient performance in the distribution system of goods with the minimum total transportation costs. However, the company does not know yet whether the company's shipping routes have been effective and efficient or not. The company has tertiary network distribution route that are 2 routes with a total distance of 143.4 Km and a total transportation cost of  Rp 5,681,484 /month. This research aims to determine the optimal goods distribution route using the Ant Colony Optimization Algorithm method, which is the method of finding the shortest path following ant behavior in taking food to its nest. Based on the results of the research, it is obtained a total distance of 109.2 Km because it becomes 1 route and total transportation costs Rp 3,337,992 /month, then it is obtained optimal results with a difference in distance is 34.2 Km and a total transportation cost of  Rp 2,343,492 /month using one vehicle.

Keywords: Optimization, Distribution, Ant Colony Optimization Algorithm
MRI DEFECOGRAPHY IN PELVIC FLOOR DESCENT SYNDROME (review)
Authors: Goncharova E. P. , Zarodnyuk I. V.
Published: March 2020

Pelvic floor descent syndrome (PFDS) affects multiparous and postmenopausal women. According to epidemiological studies in postmenopausal women, more than 50% suffer from severe symptoms of PFDS, which significantly reduce the quality of life. The high prevalence of pelvic floor pathology increases the need for multimodal diagnosis and treatment. The pelvic floor is a unique anatomical and functional structure and malfunction of this system may lead to many different static and functional disorders. There are a lot of methods of medical imaging modalities for PFDS (X-ray defecography, perineal ultrasound, MR defecography). MRI defecography allows to visualize in detail all three parts of the pelvis, including soft tissues and supporting structures; to evaluate structural and functional pelvic abnormalities in a single study. The range of normal mobility of the pelvic floor and pelvic organs on MRI defecography is still required.
ENDOSCOPIC DIAGNOSIS OF DYSPLASIA IN PATIENTS WITH LONGSTANDING ULCERATIVE COLITIS
Authors: Arkhipova O. V. , Skridlevskiy S. N. , Veselov V. V. , Majnovskaya O. A.
Published: March 2020

AIM: to evaluate high-definition colonoscopy (HD-WLE) using chromoendoscopy for dysplasia in the longstanding ulcerative colitis (UC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS: a cohort prospective study included 140 patients (aged 29-79 years old) with a long course of UC (6-44 years) in time of endoscopic remission with good quality of bowel cleansing. A white-light endoscopy was performed using high-definition colonoscopies (HD-WLE). Chromoendoscopy (0.4% solution of indigo carmine), targeted biopsy, and histological analysis were performed.

RESULTS: HD-WLE revealed 34 lesions with endoscopic signs of dysplasia in 27 (19.3%) patients: in 20 patients – 1 (74.1%) lesion, in 7 patients 2 (25.9%). In 22 patients (64.7%) lesions were more than 1 cm.Chromoendoscopy confirmed the signs of dysplasia in 100.0% of cases (88.2% – low grade dysplasia).Histologically, low-grade dysplasia was detected in 58.8% of cases, undetected dysplasia – in 20.6%, sporadic adenomas – in 20.6%.The effectiveness of endoscopic diagnosis for detecting dysplasia was 74%. A comparative analysis of the endoscopic signs of dysplasia and sporadic adenomas showed the absence of significant differences.

CONCLUSION: the additional chromoendoscopy during HD-WLE colonoscopy with targeted biopsy does not lead to increase of colorectal epithelial dysplasia detection in UC.The experience of endoscopist should be considered when making decision which type of endoscopy for dysplasia detection in UC is needed.
Genetic Diversity Patterns and Discrimination of 172 Korean Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) Varieties Based on SSR Analysis
Authors: Hwang Tae-Young , Gwak Byeong Sam , Sung Jwakyung , Kim Hong-Sig
Published: March 2020

The soybean development goal in Korea has changed over time, but the pattern of genetic diversity in modern varieties has not yet been well characterized. In this study, 20 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers are shown to generate a total of 344 alleles, where the number of alleles ranges from 7 to 29, with an average of 17.2 per locus, and the polymorphism informative content (PIC) values range from 0.6799 to 0.9318, with an average of 0.8675. Five different clusters are classified using the unweighted pair group mean arithmetic (UPGMA) method. The genetic distance between clusters I and V (0.3382) is the farthest, and that between clusters III and IV (0.0819) is the closest. The genetic distance between all pairings of groups, according to the time period of their release, is lowest (0.1909) between varieties developed in the 1990s and those from 2000 onward, and highest (0.5731) between varieties developed in the 1980s and those from 2000 onward. Model-based structure analysis revealed the presence of three sub-populations and 17 admixtures in the Korean soybean varieties. All 172 Korean soybean varieties were tested for discrimination using six SSR markers. The numbers of varieties that were clustered in each step are as follows: 7 (4.1%) in step 1 (Sat_076), 73 (42.4%) in step 2 (Sat_417), 69 (40.1%) in step 3 (Sat_043), 13 (7.6%) in step 4 (Satt197), 8 (4.6%) in step 5 (Satt434), and 2 (1.2%) in step 6 (Satt179). These results, based on the analysis of genetic resources, can contribute to the creation of a core collection for soybean conservation and breeding, as well as to the development of future varieties with useful traits.
Agricultural Management Practices and Factors Affecting Technical Efficiency in Zimbabwe Maize Farming
Authors: Bahta Yonas T. , Jordaan Henry , Sabastain Gunda
Published: March 2020

Integrating best management practices and improving the technical efficiency of smallholder maize farmers is critical in raising overall agricultural output. However, there is not much information, besides marginalization and high rehabilitation and maintenance costs, which adequately explains why productivity of smallholder irrigation farmers drop at very high rates. Therefore, this study measured technical efficiency, identified factors affecting technical efficiency, and identified best management practices adopted by smallholder maize irrigation farmers at Tokwane-Ngundu (Zimbabwe). The Data Envelopment Analysis, Double Bootstrap Approach in a Principal Component Regression was used. Primary data were gathered using a questionnaire. Empirical results revealed that the mean technical efficiency of the respondents was 77%, which indicated a potential for them to increase their efficiency by 30%. The factors that increased technical efficiency included human capital, extension contacts and compliance with best management practices. The policy implication of this study is the need for robust group incentive schemes to promote farmer-to-farmer skills transfer to boost the technical efficiency of smallholder maize irrigation farmers in Zimbabwe.
The Effect of Pesticides on the Microbiome of Animals
Authors: Syromyatnikov Mikhail Y. , Isuwa Mariya M. , Savinkova Olga V. , Derevshchikova Mariya I. , Popov Vasily N.
Published: March 2020

In recent decades an increase in the use of pesticides to protect plants from pests, diseases and weeds has been observed. There are many studies on the effects of various pesticides on non-target organisms. This review aims to analyze and summarize published scientific data on the effects of pesticides on the animal microbiome. Pesticides can affect various parameters of the animal microbiome, such as the taxonomic composition of bacteria, bacterial biodiversity, and bacterial ratios and modify the microbiome of various organisms from insects to mammals. Pesticide induced changes in the microbiome reducing the animal’s immunity. The negative effects of pesticides could pose a global problem for pollinators. Another possible negative effect of pesticides is the impact of pesticides on the intestinal microbiota of bumblebees and bees that increase the body’s sensitivity to pathogenic microflora, which leads to the death of insects. In addition, pesticides can affect vitality, mating success and characteristics of offspring. The review considers methods for correcting of bee microbiome.
Energy and Economic Efficiency of Maize Agroecosystem under Three Management Strategies in the Frailesca, Chiapas (Mexico)
Authors: Martínez Franklin B. , Guevara Francisco , Aguilar Carlos E. , Pinto René , La O Manuel A. , Rodríguez Luis A. , Aryal Deb R.
Published: March 2020

Analysis of energy flows and economic dynamics allows the diversity of variables involved in the agroecosystem production to be observed in the same dimension. In this way, efficiency and performance can be analysed integrally to identify critical points to be improved. The objective of this study was to analyse the energy-economic efficiency within three management strategies (Management I, Management II and Management III) of the maize agroecosystem in the Frailesca region of Chiapas (Mexico). The hypothesis was that systemic typologies, defined by modes of production, can lead to different efficiencies for the system performance. The study was descriptive; case studies were selected as representative based on their technological variants. The efficiency analysis was conducted using a balance of inputs and outputs expressed in energy and economic terms. Management III resulted in better energy use efficiency, with 6.47, while Management I and Management II were more economically feasible, with a benefit/cost ratio of 1.56 pesos.
Seed Dressing Maize with Imazapyr to Control Striga hermonthica in Farmers’ Fields in the Savannas of Nigeria
Authors: Kamara Alpha Yaya , Menkir Abebe , Chikoye David , Solomon Reuben , Tofa Abdullahi Ibrahim , Omoigui Lucky O.
Published: March 2020

Use of small doses of imazapyr and pyrithiobac for seed coatings of imazapyr-resistant maize hybrids (IR-Maize) offers an effective means to control Striga hermonthica. Field trials were conducted in Bauchi and Kano States of Nigeria in 2014 and 2015 under heavy Striga infestation to evaluate the potential effectiveness of herbicide coated hybrids maize on Striga control in farmers’ field. Results showed that herbicide coated seeds reduced number of emerged Striga per m2 and Striga damage symptoms in farmers’ fields in all the locations. In Kano the number of emerged Striga was 4.9 to 7.9 times less in herbicide treated hybrids in comparison with those of the same hybrids planted without herbicide treatment. The Striga-resistant open pollinated variety (OPV) (TZL COMP1 SYN) had 6.7 to 8.0 times more Striga than the treated hybrids. In Bauchi, the number of emerged Striga on the untreated IR-maize hybrids were over four-times higher on the treated IR-maize hybrids than on the untreated hybrids. The Striga-resistant OPV check had four-times more Striga than the treated IR-maize hybrids and twice more than the untreated IR-maize hybrids across the two years. However, the effects of herbicide seed coating on grain yields were not consistent because of strong seasonal effects. The result revealed that coating of imazapyr-resistant hybrid maize seeds with imazapyr was effective in reducing Striga infestation in farmers’ fields. Although herbicide seed coating did not give consistent yield advantages of the hybrids over the untreated checks, a combination of herbicide seed treatment and genetic resistance to Striga would serve as an effective integrated approach that could significantly reduce the parasite seed bank from the soil and prevent production of new seeds. The IR-hybrids and the OPV checks contained Striga resistance/tolerant genes that protected them against drastic yield loss in the Striga infested fields in both Bauchi and Kano.
The WD40 Gene Family in Potato (Solanum Tuberosum L.): Genome-Wide Analysis and Identification of Anthocyanin and Drought-Related WD40s
Authors: Liu Zhen , Liu Yuhui , Coulter Jeffrey A. , Shen Baoyun , Li Yuanming , Li Chaozhou , Cao Zhengpeng , Zhang Junlian
Published: March 2020

WD40 proteins, also known as WD40 domain proteins, constitute a large gene family in eukaryotes and play multiple roles in cellular processes. However, systematic identification and analysis of WD40 proteins have not yet been reported in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.). In the present study, 178 potato WD40 (StWD40) genes were identified and their distribution on chromosomes, gene structure, and conserved motifs were assessed. According to their structural and phylogenetic protein features, these 178 StWD40 genes were classified into 14 clusters and 10 subfamilies. Collinearity analysis showed that segmental duplication events played a major role in the expansion of the StWD40 gene family. Synteny analysis indicated that 45 and 23 pairs of StWD40 genes were orthologous to Arabidopsis and wheat (Triticum aestivum), respectively, and that these gene pairs evolved under strong purifying selection. RNA-seq data from different tissues and abiotic stresses revealed tissue-specific expression and abiotic stress-responsive StWD40 genes in doubled monoploid potato (DM). Furthermore, we further analyzed the WD40 genes might be involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis and drought stress in tetraploid potato cultivars based on RNA-seq data. In addition, a protein interaction network of two homologs of Arabidopsis TTG1, which is involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis, was constructed to identify proteins that might be related to anthocyanin biosynthesis. The result showed that there were 112 pairs of proteins interacting with TTG1, with 27 being differentially expressed in pigmented tissues. This study indicates that WD40 proteins in potato might be related to anthocyanin biosynthesis and abiotic stress responses.
Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Antibiotic-Free Chicken Farms
Authors: Liu Yuhong , Dyall-Smith Michael , Marenda Marc , Hu Hang-Wei , Browning Glenn , Billman-Jacobe Helen
Published: March 2020

Rising concern about the use of antibiotics in food production has resulted in many studies on the occurrence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in animal-associated bacterial communities. There are few baseline data on the abundance of ARGs on farms where chickens are intensively raised with little or no use of antibiotics. This study used a high-throughput quantitative PCR array to survey two antibiotic-free chicken farms for the occurrence of ARGs and mobile genetic elements known to enhance the spread of ARGs. No antibiotics had been used on the study farms for five years prior to this study. The results provide a baseline for the occurrence of resistance genes in the chicken production system without direct selective pressure.
Improvement of Testicular Steroidogenesis Using Flavonoids and Isoflavonoids for Prevention of Late-Onset Male Hypogonadism
Authors: Martin Luc J. , Touaibia Mohamed
Published: March 2020

Androgen production, being important for male fertility, is mainly accomplished by the Leydig cells from the interstitial compartment of the testis. Testosterone plays a critical role in testis development, normal masculinization, and the maintenance of spermatogenesis. Within seminiferous tubules, appropriate Sertoli cell function is highly dependent on testicular androgen levels and is essential to initiate and maintain spermatogenesis. During aging, testosterone production by the testicular Leydig cells declines from the 30s in humans at a rate of 1% per year. This review outlines the recent findings regarding the use of flavonoids and isoflavonoids to improve testosterone production, contributing to normal spermatogenesis and preventing age-related degenerative diseases associated with testosterone deficiency. With the cumulation of information on the actions of different flavonoids and isoflavonoids on steroidogenesis in Leydig cells, we can now draw conclusions regarding the structure-activity relationship on androgen production. Indeed, flavonoids having a 5,7-dihydroxychromen-4-one backbone tend to increase the expression of the steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR), being critical for the entry of cholesterol into the mitochondria, leading to increased testosterone production from testis Leydig cells. Therefore, flavonoids and isoflavonoids such as chrysin, apigenin, luteolin, quercetin, and daidzein may be effective in delaying the initiation of late-onset hypogonadism associated with aging in males.
Effects of Bisphenol A on Oxidative Stress in the Rat Brain
Authors: Kobayashi Keiko , Liu Yanchen , Ichikawa Hiroshi , Takemura Shigekazu , Minamiyama Yukiko
Published: March 2020

We investigated the effect of bisphenol A (BPA) on oxidative stress and tau-related proteins in adult rat brains. BPA (10 mg/L) was administered to rats for eight weeks through their drinking water. The reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging capacity for hydroxyl radicals in the plasma was reduced after two weeks. In the hippocampus, four and eight weeks of BPA increased the ratio of oxidized DJ-1/DJ-1 (PARK7). The ratio of phosphorylated-GSK3β/GSK3β and phosphorylated-AKT/AKT increased after one week of BPA treatment. The ratio of phosphorylated JNK/JNK and phosphorylated-ERK/ERK increased after eight weeks of BPA; the elevation could be related to tau phosphorylation. Protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) in the hippocampus decreased after eight weeks of BPA treatment. At that time, SOD1 was significantly induced, but no changes in SOD2 expression were apparent in the hippocampus. Furthermore, the ratio of phosphorylated-tau (PHF-1, Ser396/ Ser404) to total tau level did not change. However, PHF-1 or other sites of tau could be phosphorylated after eight weeks in the hippocampi of rats. BPA induced systemic oxidative stress and could change ROS-induced signaling pathways in the brain. These results suggest that mitochondrial dysfunction possibly is not responsible for oxidative stress and neurodegeneration due to low doses of BPA.
Nitrates/Nitrites in Food—Risk for Nitrosative Stress and Benefits
Authors: Karwowska Małgorzata , Kononiuk Anna
Published: March 2020

In the context of impact on human health, nitrite/nitrate and related nitrogen species such as nitric oxide (NO) are a matter of increasing scientific controversy. An increase in the content of reactive nitrogen species may result in nitrosative stress—a deleterious process, which can be an important mediator of damage to cell structures, including lipids, membranes, proteins and DNA. Nitrates and nitrites are widespread in the environment and occur naturally in foods of plant origin as a part of the nitrogen cycle. Additionally, these compounds are used as additives to improve food quality and protect against microbial contamination and chemical changes. Some vegetables such as raw spinach, beets, celery and lettuce are considered to contain high concentrations of nitrates. Due to the high consumption of vegetables, they have been identified as the primary source of nitrates in the human diet. Processed meats are another source of nitrites in our diet because the meat industry uses nitrates/nitrites as additives in the meat curing process. Although the vast majority of consumed nitrates and nitrites come from natural vegetables and fruits rather than food additives, there is currently a great deal of consumer pressure for the production of meat products free of or with reduced quantities of these compounds. This is because, for years, the cancer risks of nitrates/nitrites have been considered, since they potentially convert into the nitrosamines that have carcinogenic effects. This has resulted in the development and rapid expansion of meat products processed with plant-derived nitrates as nitrite alternatives in meat products. On the other hand, recently, these two ions have been discussed as essential nutrients which allow nitric oxide production and thus help cardiovascular health. Thus, this manuscript reviews the main sources of dietary exposure to nitrates and nitrites, metabolism of nitrites/nitrates, and health concerns related to dietary nitrites/nitrates, with particular emphasis on the effect on nitrosative stress, the role of nitrites/nitrates in meat products and alternatives to these additives used in meat products.
Ex Vivo Exposure of Human Melanoma Tissue to Cold Physical Plasma Elicits Apoptosis and Modulates Inflammation
Authors: Bekeschus Sander , Moritz Juliane , Helfrich Iris , Boeckmann Lars , Weltmann Klaus-Dieter , Emmert Steffen , Metelmann Hans-Robert , Stoffels Ingo , von Woedtke Thomas
Published: March 2020

Cutaneous melanoma is the most aggressive type of skin cancer with a not-sufficient clinical outcome. High tumor mutation rates often hamper a remedial treatment, creating the need for palliative care in many patients. To reduce pain and burden, local palliation often includes cryo-ablation, immunotherapy via injection of IL2, or electrochemotherapy. Yet, a fraction of patients and lesions do not respond to those therapies. To reach even these resistances in a redox-mediated way, we treated skin biopsies from human melanoma ex vivo with cold physical plasma (kINPen MED plasma jet). This partially ionized gas generates a potent mixture of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Physical plasmas have been shown to be potent antitumor agents in preclinical melanoma and clinical head and neck cancer research. The innovation of this technology lies in its ease-of-use without anesthesia, as the “cold” plasma temperature of the kINPen MED does not exceed 37 °C. In metastatic melanoma skin biopsies from six patients, we identified a marked increase of apoptosis with plasma treatment ex vivo. This had an impact on the chemokine/cytokine profile of the cultured biopsies, e.g., three of six patient-derived biopsy supernatants showed an apparent decrease in VEGF compared to non-plasma treated specimens. Moreover, the baseline release levels of 24 chemokines/cytokines investigated may serve as a useful tool for future research on melanoma skin biopsy treatments. Our findings suggest a clinically useful role of cold physical plasma therapy in palliation of cutaneous melanoma lesions, possibly in a combinatory setting with other immune therapies.
Experimental Study of Gypsum-Concrete Dense-Column Composite Boards with External Thermal Insulation Systems
Authors: Ma Shaochun , Bao Peng , Jiang Nan
Published: March 2020

In this paper, a new kind of gypsum-concrete dense-column thermal insulation composite board was developed, with seismic tests conducted on three specimens under quasi-static loading conditions. The fracture feature, hysteresis behavior, material strain, load-bearing and deforming capacity, and energy-dissipating capacity of the composite board were analyzed. The results indicated that this composite board has a favorable energy-dissipating capacity, i.e., relatively high seismic performance. By comparing with the experimental results of composite boards without thermal insulation systems, the influence regularity of thermal insulation system on the deformation behavior of composite board was investigated. The comparison result indicated that with a thermal insulation system, the bearing capacity and ductility of composite board are obviously increased, implying that the thermal insulation system is beneficial for the seismic performance of composite boards.
Preparation of Microfibrillated Cellulose from Wood Pulp through Carbamate Modification and Colloid Milling
Authors: Wei Yujun , Zhou Mi , Yao Anrong , Zhu Puxin
Published: March 2020

This paper studies a new convenient method to prepare microfibrillated cellulose from a bleached eucalyptus kraft pulp. First, the wood pulp was reacted with urea to produce cellulose carbamate (CC), and then the CC was treated with colloid mill in an acidic medium. A feasible preparation process for CC was to soak the pulp with the urea solution, and then the cellulose pulp was dewatered, dried, and reacted with urea at high temperatures above the melting point of urea. The Kjeldahl method, infrared spectroscopy, and solid 13C NMR were used to confirm the effectiveness of the reaction. On the basis of CC with the degree of substitution, DS = 0.123, the aqueous suspension with 2% content of CC at pH values of 1, 3, or 7 was severally ground by a colloid milling. After centrifugation, the nanocellulose carbamate fiber (CCNF) in the supernatant was obtained. X-ray diffraction showed that CC and CCNF had the same crystal form as the cellulose pulp, but the crystallinity decreased successively. The nanometer diameter of the CCNF fiber was observed with scanning electron microscopy. Results showed that when the pH value of the CC suspension decreased during the colloid milling, the crystallinity of the CCNF decreased along with the decrease of fiber diameter, and the zeta potential of the supernatant increased. This indicated that carbamate side groups of CC were protonated at low pHs and the cation repulsion between cellulose molecular chains enhanced the driving force of the pulp separation to CCNF. Interestingly, the thermal stability of CCNF is comparable to that of the original cellulose, and the enhancement effect of CCNF on starch can be clearly observed even at a relatively low loading of CCNF.
Further Study on the Effects of Wind Turbine Yaw Operation for Aiding Active Wake Management
Authors: Dai Juchuan , Yang Xin , Yang Wenxian , Gao Guoqiang , Li Mimi
Published: March 2020

Active wake management (AWM) via yaw control has been discussed in recent years as a potential way to improve the power production of a wind farm. In such a technique, the wind turbines will be required to work frequently at misaligned yaw angles in order to reduce the vortices in the wake area behind the turbines. However, today, it is still not very clear about how yaw operation affects the dynamics and power generation performance of the wind turbines. To further understand the effects of yaw operation, numerical research is conducted in this paper. In the study, the optimal size of the flow field used in the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) calculation was specifically discussed in order to obtain an efficient numerical model to quickly and accurately predict the dynamics and the performance of the turbines. Through this research, the correlation between the blade loads during yaw and non-yaw operations is established for aiding yaw control, and the blade loads and power generation performances of the wind turbine during yaw operation under different wind shear and blade deflection conditions are analyzed for understanding the effects of yaw operation. It is found that the optimal size of the flow field for performing efficient and accurate CFD calculations does exist. The misaligned yaw operation generally tends to decrease the loads acting on the blade. However, the aerodynamic energy captured by the turbine rotor and blade loads during yaw operation is not only dependent on the yaw angle of the rotor but is also affected by wind speed, rotor speed, the pitch angle of the blades, blade deflection, and wind shear. Particularly, it is interestingly found that wind shear can cause undesirable fluctuation of the power, which will challenge the power quality of the wind farm if no measures are taken.
Remediation of Aviation Kerosene-Contaminated Soil by Sophorolipids from Candida bombicola CB 2107
Authors: Goswami Torsha , Tack Filip M. G. , McGachy Lenka , Šír Marek
Published: March 2020

Yeast-derived biosurfactants may substitute or complement chemical surfactants as green reagents to extract petroleum hydrocarbons from contaminated soil. The effectiveness of contaminant clean-up by sophorolipids was tested on kerosene-contaminated soil with reference to traditional synthetic surfactants. The sophorolipids produced by the yeast Candida bombicola CB 2107, cultivated with the carbon sources 10 g/L glucose and 10 g/L rapeseed oil, were most effective in contaminant removal. This biosurfactant revealed a critical micelle concentration of 108 mg/L which was close to that of Triton X-100 (103 mg/L), the synthetic surfactant considered as reference. It outperformed Triton X-100 in reducing kerosene concentrations (C10–C40) in contaminated soils. In a soil initially containing 1080 mg/kg of C10–C40, the concentration was reduced to 350 mg/kg using the biosurfactant, and to 670 mg/kg using Triton-X. In the soil with initial concentration of 472 mg/kg, concentrations were reduced to 285 and 300 mg/kg for biosurfactant and Triton X-100, respectively. Sophorolipids have the potential to replace synthetic surfactants. Properties and performance of the biosurfactants, however, strongly differ depending on the yeast and the growing conditions during production.
Simulation of Three Constitutive Behaviors Based on Nonlinear Ultrasound
Authors: Zhan Zaifu , Wang Shen , Wang Fuping , Huang Songling , Zhao Wei , Wang Zhe
Published: March 2020

Nonlinear ultrasound has attracted more and more attention. In classical acoustic nonlinear theory, the source of nonlinearity is the change of constitutive relation of materials. Structure response that distorts after a single tone ultrasound wave is important to detect imperfection. This is rarely found in current simulations. The current simulation always introduces defects which do not match to the classical acoustic nonlinear theory. In this manuscript, the recurrence expressions of three kinds of imperfect materials for subroutine are given. The verifying simulation model that is used for verifying recurrence equations and wave propagation model that are used for analysing the process of ultrasonic propagation are established. The results show that the two constitutive models are effective in the verifying simulation and the hysteresis material has some special characteristics. Finally, ultrasonic propagation in two types of materials produce the expected harmonics, which build foundations for simulations of nonlinear ultrasound.
Optimal Cache Deployment for Video-On-Demand in Optical Metro Edge Nodes under Limited Storage Capacity
Authors: Ayoub Omran , Andreoletti Davide , Musumeci Francesco , Tornatore Massimo , Pattavina Achille
Published: March 2020

Network operators must continuously explore new network architectures to satisfy increasing traffic demand due to bandwidth-hungry services, such as video-on-demand (VoD). A promising solution which enables offloading traffic consists of terminating VoD requests locally through deploying caches at the network edge. However, deciding the number of caches to deploy, their locations in the network and their dimensions in terms of storage capacity is not trivial and must be jointly optimized, to reduce costs and utilize network resources efficiently. In this paper, we aim to find the optimal deployment of caches in a hierarchical metro network, which minimizes the overall network resource occupation for VoD services, in terms of number of caches deployed across the various network levels, their locations and their dimensions (i.e., storage capacity), under limited storage capacity. We first propose an analytical model which serves as a tool to find the optimal deployment as a function of various parameters, such as popularity distribution and location of metro cache. Then, we present a discrete-event simulator for dynamic VoD provisioning to verify the correctness of the analytical model and to measure the performance of different cache deployment strategies in terms of overall network resource occupation. We prove that, to minimize resource occupation given a fixed budget in terms of storage capacity, storage capacity must be distributed among caches at different layers of the metro network. Moreover, we provide guidelines for the optimal cache deployment strategy when the available storage capacity is limited. We further show how the optimal deployment of caches across the various metro network levels varies depending on the popularity distribution, the metro network topology and the amount of storage capacity available (i.e., the budget invested in terms of storage capacity).
Superhydrophobic Polypyrrole-Coated Cigarette Filters for Effective Oil/Water Separation
Authors: Zhang Jialu , Xu Hao , Guo Jie , Chen Tianchi , Liu Hongtao
Published: March 2020

To facilitate the recycling and reuse of cigarette filters and oil/water separation, a superhydrophobic cigarette filter was made by coating with dodecanethiol-modified polypyrrole (Ppy) particles by a dip-coating method. SEM, FTIR, and XPS were used to analyze the surface morphology and chemical compositions. The as-prepared superhydrophobic cigarette filter can realize wettability alteration via changing the ammonium persulfate (APS) concentration from 0.15 mol/L to 3 mol/L, and the contact angle increased from 0° on the original cigarette filter to 155° with a sliding angle of 5°. The superhydrophobic cigarette filter could effectively separate various oils and organic solvents. The separation efficiency was 98.8% and the separation stability was good. Furthermore, the as-prepared superhydrophobic cigarette filter had a large oil absorption range and could absorb different oils and organic solvents, including petroleum ether, engine oil, vegetable oil, n-hexane, and chloroform, with maximum absorption capacities ranging from 9.4 g/g to 22.7 g/g. According to the above results, we believe that the as-prepared superhydrophobic cigarette filter should have great potential in the recovery of solid waste and high-efficiency oil/water separation.
Efficient On-Off Keying Underwater Acoustic Communication for Seafloor Observation Networks
Authors: Yao Yan , Wu Yanbo , Zhu Min , Li Dong , Tao Jun
Published: March 2020

In the cableless seafloor observation networks (SONs), the links among network nodes rely on underwater acoustic communication (UAC). Due to the energy constraint and the high-reliability requirement of the cableless SONs, the noncoherent UAC has been a preferred choice, even though a noncoherent UAC scheme generally suffers from low spectral efficiency. In this paper, we propose a high-spectral-efficiency noncoherent UAC transmission scheme which is implemented as an orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) system adopting the on-off keying (OOK) modulation. To simultaneously achieve high performance at a low energy consumption, an irregular recursive convolutional code (IrCC) is employed and an accumulator (ACC) is introduced to achieve a modulation with memory at the transmitter side. The ACC enables a turbo iteration between the soft demapper called the ACC-OOK demapper and the soft decoder on the receiver side, and also reduces the decoding error floor. To account for the unknown signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), an iterative threshold estimation (ITE) algorithm is proposed to determine a proper decision threshold for the ACC-OOK demapper. The IrCC is designed to match the extrinsic information transfer (EXIT) curve of the ACC-OOK demapper, lowering the SNR threshold of the aforementioned turbo iteration. Simulations and experimental results verify the superiority of the proposed noncoherent UAC scheme over conventional ones.
Radiomics and Machine Learning in Anal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A New Step for Personalized Medicine?
Authors: Giraud Nicolas , Sargos Paul , Leduc Nicolas , Saut Olivier , Vuong Te , Vendrely Veronique
Published: March 2020

Anal squamous cell carcinoma (ASCC) is an uncommon yet rising cancer worldwide. Definitive chemo-radiation (CRT) remains the best curative treatment option for non-metastatic cases in terms of local control, recurrence-free and progression-free survival. Still, despite overall good results, with 80% five-year survival, a subgroup of ASCC patients displays a high level of locoregional and/or metastatic recurrence rates, up to 35%, and may benefit from a more aggressive strategy. Beyond initial staging, there is no reliable marker to predict recurrence following CRT. Imaging, mostly positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), bears an important role in the diagnosis and follow-up of ASCC. The routine use of radiomics may enhance the quality of information derived from these modalities. It is thought that including data derived from radiomics into the input flow of machine learning algorithms may improve the prediction of recurrence. Although some studies have shown glimmers of hope, more data is needed before offering practitioners tools to identify high-risk patients and enable extensive clinical application, especially regarding the matters of imaging normalization, radiomics process standardization and access to larger patient databases with external validation in order to allow results extrapolation. The aim of this review is to present a critical overview from this data.
Potential Application of Propolis Extracts to Control the Growth of Stemphylium vesicarium in “Rocha” Pear
Authors: Loebler Marcella , Sánchez Claudia , Muchagato Maurício Elisabete , Diogo Eugénio , Santos Mário , Vasilenko Paula , Cruz Ana Sofia , Mendes Benilde , Gonçalves Margarida , Duarte Maria Paula
Published: March 2020

Stemphylium vesicarium (Wallr.) E. G. Simmons is the pathogen responsible of brown spot disease in pear and has become one of the main concerns for European pear producers. In Portugal, S. vesicarium is responsible for significant yield reduction and economic losses in “Rocha” pear (Pyrus communis L. cv Rocha) production. Considering the antimicrobial potential of propolis, the high incidence of brown spot in pears and the emergence of fungicides resistance in S. vesicarium, this study aimed to evaluate the potential of Portuguese propolis as an alternative strategy to control brown spot disease in “Rocha” pear. In vitro assays showed that propolis extracts were able to inhibit up to 90% the S. vesicarium mycelial growth. In vivo assays in artificially wounded and inoculated “Rocha” pears showed that, compared to the control, the disease incidence decreased up to 25% and the lesions diameter up to 57%, in fruits treated with propolis. Moreover, propolis seems to be more efficient in reducing the disease incidence when applied after pathogen inoculation (curative assay) than when applied before pathogen inoculation (prophylactic assay). Thus, the results suggest that propolis extracts have potential to be applied as part of an integrated approach for the control of brown spot of pear.
Finite Element Approaches to Model Electromechanical, Periodic Beams
Authors: Waszkowiak Wiktor , Krawczuk Marek , Palacz Magdalena
Published: March 2020

Periodic structures have some interesting properties, of which the most evident is the presence of band gaps in their frequency spectra. Nowadays, modern technology allows to design dedicated structures of specific features. From the literature arises that it is possible to construct active periodic structures of desired dynamic properties. It can be considered that this may extend the scope of application of such structures. Therefore, numerical research on a beam element built of periodically arranged elementary cells, with active piezoelectric elements, has been performed. The control of parameters of this structure enables one for active damping of vibrations in a specific band in the beam spectrum. For this analysis the authors propose numerical models based on the finite element method (FEM) and the spectral finite element methods defined in the frequency domain (FDSFEM) and the time domain (TDSFEM).
Mercury in Juvenile Solea senegalensis: Linking Bioaccumulation, Seafood Safety, and Neuro-Oxidative Responses under Climate Change-Related Stressors
Authors: Camacho Carolina , Maulvault Ana Luísa , Santos Marta T. , Barbosa Vera , Fogaça Fabíola H. S. , Pousão-Ferreira Pedro , Nunes M. Leonor , Rosa Rui , Marques António
Published: March 2020

Mercury (Hg) is globally recognized as a persistent chemical contaminant that accumulates in marine biota, thus constituting an ecological hazard, as well as a health risk to seafood consumers. Climate change-related stressors may influence the bioaccumulation, detoxification, and toxicity of chemical contaminants, such as Hg. Yet, the potential interactions between environmental stressors and contaminants, as well as their impacts on marine organisms and seafood safety, are still unclear. Hence, the aim of this work was to assess the bioaccumulation of Hg and neuro-oxidative responses on the commercial flat fish species Solea senegalensis (muscle, liver, and brain) co-exposed to dietary Hg in its most toxic form (i.e., MeHg), seawater warming (ΔT°C = +4 °C), and acidification (pCO2 = +1000 µatm, equivalent to ΔpH = −0.4 units). In general, fish liver exhibited the highest Hg concentration, followed by brain and muscle. Warming enhanced Hg bioaccumulation, whereas acidification decreased this element’s levels. Neuro-oxidative responses to stressors were affected by both climate change-related stressors and Hg dietary exposure. Hazard quotient (HQ) estimations evidenced that human exposure to Hg through the consumption of fish species may be aggravated in tomorrow’s ocean, thus raising concerns from the seafood safety perspective.
Exploring Geometric Feature Hyper-Space in Data to Learn Representations of Abstract Concepts
Authors: Sharma Rahul , Ribeiro Bernardete , Miguel Pinto Alexandre , Cardoso F. Amílcar
Published: March 2020

The term concept has been a prominent part of investigations in psychology and neurobiology where, mostly, it is mathematically or theoretically represented. Concepts are also studied in the computational domain through their symbolic, distributed and hybrid representations. The majority of these approaches focused on addressing concrete concepts notion, but the view of the abstract concept is rarely explored. Moreover, most computational approaches have a predefined structure or configurations. The proposed method, Regulated Activation Network (RAN), has an evolving topology and learns representations of abstract concepts by exploiting the geometrical view of concepts, without supervision. In the article, first, a Toy-data problem was used to demonstrate the RANs modeling. Secondly, we demonstrate the liberty of concept identifier choice in RANs modeling and deep hierarchy generation using the IRIS dataset. Thirdly, data from the IoT’s human activity recognition problem is used to show automatic identification of alike classes as abstract concepts. The evaluation of RAN with eight UCI benchmarks and the comparisons with five Machine Learning models establishes the RANs credibility as a classifier. The classification operation also proved the RANs hypothesis of abstract concept representation. The experiments demonstrate the RANs ability to simulate psychological processes (like concept creation and learning) and carry out effective classification irrespective of training data size.