bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Conceptualizing the ‘Failed State’: The Construction of the Failed State Discourse
Authors: Thiessen Beth
Published: October 2018

The concept of the ‘failed state’ emerged in the 1990s to describe and explain why states residing outside the Western world do not function as advanced states. The failed state narrative has inherent conceptual limitations and is based on flawed assumptions that obscure its utility. These so-­‐called failed states are held against a Western-­‐centric norm and a universalized spectrum of state development. The concept is now widely used in the context of global security, peacekeeping, poverty reduction, humanitarian assistance and good governance. The application of the narrative within the realm of policy means Western actors use the concept to promote their own security and development interests. This translates into an inability to formulate effective policy responses to society-­‐wide challenges. This essay examines the failed state narrative by exploring how the state is theorized in the context of failed states, and how the narrative is plagued with neocolonial underpinnings, definitional ambiguity, western centrism and analytical reductionism.
An Objective Way to Evaluate Continuity of Care in Residency
Authors: Kushneriuk Brendan Chad , Hosain Jason
Published: October 2018

Objective: To develop a tool to assess Canadian family medicine residents in regards to continuity of care (COC).Design: Analysis of the first 100 patient visits of family medicine residents during their four-month block time in the second year of residency. Data was collected between the years of 2009 and 2012 and used to construct standardized curves for COC.Setting: West Winds Primary Health Centre in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.Participants: 36 second-year family medicine residents training at West Winds Primary Health Centre in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.Main outcome measures: The number of unique patients that a family medicine second-year resident encounters within the first 100 patient visits of family medicine block time.Results: Family medicine residents demonstrate individual variation in the number of unique patients they encounter within one hundred patientvisits.Conclusion: It is possible to develop a tool that can assess second-year family medicine residents in their ability to practise COC. This tool can be used to identify residents in difficulty, such that appropriate interventions can be made early on in their family medicine block time. Further research, involving residents from across Canada, is needed before this tool can be employed in a widespread manner.
D.O.A.'s "General Strike" and the Politics of Punk Rock in Late Twentieth-Century British Columbia
Authors: Cooley Hannah Roth
Published: October 2018

Within the realm of punk music, little attention has been paid the musical and cultural movement of political punk rock within the Canadian context. The Vancouver-based punk band D.O.A. has achieved recognition within the punk community both for their music, their political consciousness, and for their role in labour activism in the 1980s. Their 1983 song “General Strike” was written about, and produced as a benefit for, a group of leftists in British Columbia known as the Solidarity Movement, who were fighting against the provincial Social Credit Government headed by Premier Bill Bennett. Using the theoretical framework of Simon Frith’s “Towards and Aesthetic of Popular Music,” this essay analyzes the way in which punk music and leftist politics intersected during the 1983 Solidarity Protests and how D.O.A. contributed to the construction of a unified communal identity among protestors. Furthermore, in exploring mainstream and underground media coverage surrounding D.O.A and the Solidarity Movement, this essay examines the way in which the political events of 1983 have been viewed in years since and have become part of a national political narrative.
Letter from the Editors-in-Chief
Authors: Nicole Haldoupis Caitilin Terfloth &
Published: October 2018

An issue of USURJ takes form through case-by-case selection of exceptional student work, without consideration for theme; this is in keeping with the nature of a multidisciplinary journal. It is a pleasant inadvertency that, although issue 2.1 is penned by a diverse academic community, it yields notable thematic cohesion.In fact, cohesion is itself variously focused upon by issue 2.1, through its authors' research into issues of personal and societal well being. One researcher supports the incorporation of culturally meaningful healing processes into mainstream medical care. Another highlights the importance of the patientdoctor relationship and long-term, consistent health care, by proposing a tool for improving continuityof-care during medical professionals' residency training. We learn about the potential of combining GIS mapping, soil test data, and socioeconomic survey results to boost West African smallholder farmers' profitability and community well-being, by enabling efficient enrichment of nutrient-deficient soil. Finally, the politically and socially unifying power of music with a cause is demonstrated, through punk band D.O.A.'s part British Columbia's labour movement in the 1980s.We hope you will be as delighted as we are by the work of our featured visual artist, Stephanie Mah, as she explores breaks and connections between human and nature, and delicately twists them into powerful moments for us to experience.The knowledge and ideas shared in issue 2.1 certainly demonstrate the relevance and power of publicly engaged undergraduate research. Similarly, as the collaborative product of student editors, researchers, faculty, and reviewers, USURJ represents our desire to improve, to disseminate knowledge, and to contribute meaningfully to a larger community of research.Thanks to the diligence and initiative of our contributors, USURJ has established itself as part of the University of Saskatchewan academic community. Consequently, both volunteers and research submissions are increasing in number and, for the first time, we are now able to release two issues in one academic year.We have many contributors to thank for building up USURJ, and we do so with genuine appreciation. We hope that our hardworking authors, reviewers, and editors are as proud as we are of their promotion of valuable undergrad research! Thanks are particularly due to Liv Marken (staff advisor) and Kathleen James-Cavan (faculty advisor), who have been with USURJ since its inception, providing stability and expertise to the journal and its volunteers.Happy reading!Nicole Haldoupis, Graduate Editor-in-Chief& Caitilin Terfloth, Undergraduate Editor-in-Chief
Match-Making in Britain from 1827 to 1910: The Dangers of White Phosphorus in Lucifer Match Production
Authors: Lehmann Elise
Published: October 2018

Throughout the nineteenth century the British match-making industry used white phosphorus in the production of lucifer matches, despite the knowledge taht the chemical could cause a deadly disease known as phosphorus necrosis. Until the 1890s, due to cover-ups made by match-making companies, the British government was unaware of the scale of phosphorus necrosis cases and had been led to believe that the chemical was being used safely. However, even after journalists exposed the truth, the British government and match-making companies were still unwilling to ban white phosphorus because of the economic and social consequences of shutting down lucifer match production. It was not until a chemical alternative was found that both the match-making industry and the British government were prepared to ban the use of white phosphorus.
Editorial Board and Acknowledgements
Authors: Marken Liv
Published: October 2018

The Editorial Board for the spring 2017 issue, volume 3, issue 2 of USURJ. Advisors for USURJ. Acknowledgments to campus partners and contributors.
Does Accounting Matter? A Social Constructivist Perspective
Authors: Loewen Krista
Published: October 2018

Accounting plays an integral role in the construction of economic reality, and therefore, it matters to accountants, users of financial information, and all those who are impacted by the decisions made based on accounting information. Beyond examining why accounting matters, this paper demonstrates how a cyclical process creates and reinforces a particular accountant-created reality, and how legitimacy is gained for agents within the system. Accounting matters because as the preparers of financial statements, accountants construct a reality. As this constructed reality is used, it is legitimized and perpetuated, and the process repeats to reinforce the reality and influence society. Throughout this process, the structure of society is also reinforced. Understanding that the reality is a created one means that societal change is possible, as the construction can be altered.
“Health of the World”: The Symbolic Associations of Trees in Eleventh-Century England, in the Context of Landscape
Authors: Ruten Daniel
Published: October 2018

The Christianization of Anglo-­Saxon England in the seventh century CE was a momentous period of religious change which had many far­‐reaching effects. Anglo-­Saxon paganism had attached a set of sacred and symbolic meanings to various natural features in the English landscape. In this belief system, trees and groves were strongly associated with healing and defensive powers. This paper will argue that due to the persistent presence of once-­sacred trees and groves in the English landscape, combined with a continually widespread demand for health remedies, the pre-Christian associations of trees with healing and defense in England were not easily forgotten after the conversion period and in fact continued throughout the eleventh century. However, these pre-­Christian symbolic associations were effectively subsumed within the hegemony of a Christian ideological framework. A continual, bidirectional alignment of these symbolic associations of trees with elements of Christian symbolism, namely that of Paradise and that of the Cross, served to explain and legitimize their syncretic continuation within this Christian framework. These insights invite us to appreciate some of the complexity of the syncretism that occurred during the period of Christian conversion in Anglo-­‐Saxon England. They also invite us to further contemplate some of the lasting effects of this gradual syncretic process.
Effects of the Moon on the Earth in the Past, Present and Future
Authors: Rast Rina , Finney Sarah , Cheng Lucas , Schmidt Joland , Gerein Kessa , Miller Alexandra
Published: October 2018

The Moon has fascinated human civilization for millennia. Exploration of the lunar surface played a pioneering role in space exploration, epitomizing the heights to which modern science could bring mankind. In the decades since then, human interest in the Moon has dwindled. Despite this fact, the Moon continues to affect the Earth in ways that seldom receive adequate recognition. This paper examines the ways in which our natural satellite is responsible for the tides, and also produces a stabilizing effect on Earth’s rotational axis. In addition, phenomena such as lunar phases, eclipses and lunar libration will be explained. While investigating the Moon’s effects on the Earth in the past and present, it is hoped that human interest in it will be revitalized as it continues to shape life on our blue planet.
A comprehensive analysis of smart home energy management system optimization techniques
Authors: Molla Tesfahun , Khan Baseem , Singh Pawan
Published: October 2018

Development of smart grid technology provides an opportunity to various consumers in context for scheduling their energy utilization pattern by themselves. The main aim of this whole exercise is to minimize energy utilization and reduce the peak to average ratio (PAR) of power. The two way flow of information between electric utilities and consumers in smart grid opened new areas of applications. The main component is this management system is energy management controller (EMC), which collects demand response (DR) i.e. real time energy price from various appliances through the home gateway (HG). An optimum energy scheduling pattern is achieved by EMC through the utilization of DR information. This optimum energy schedule is provided to various appliances via HG. The rooftop photovoltaic system used as local generation micro grid in the home and can be integrated to the national grid. Under such energy management scheme, whenever solar generation is more than the home appliances energy demand, extra power is supplied back to the grid. Consequently, different appliances in consumer premises run in the most efficient way in terms of money. Therefore this work provides the comprehensive review of different smart home appliances optimization techniques, which are based on mathematical and heuristic one.
KEBIASAAN OLAH RAGA BERPENGARUH TERHADAP TINGKAT STRESS MAHASISWA POLTEKKES KEMENKES JAKARTA III
Authors: Andalasari Ricca , Berbudi BL Abdurahman
Published: October 2018

Health is something everyone needs, but with a solid activity we sometimes forget to maintain health, and more often ignore it. To maintain health we must do exercise, good exercise will increase endorphin hormone, and decrease cortisol, which affects a person's stress level, good exercise habits will decrease a person's stress level. The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship of exercise habits to stress levels of the students Poltekkes Kemenkes Jakarta III. Sampling Method using purposive random sampling, and the design study used is crossectional design. There were 100 students participated in tjis study. The results of this study found that exercise habits of stress levels have a high relationship, and significant influence where obtained p value <0.05. This shows that good sports habits affect the level of stress in students Poltekkes Kemenkes Jakarta III
INTERVENSI BREATHING EXERCISE DAPAT MENURUNKAN TINGKAT KECEMASAN SISWA BIMBINGAN BELAJAR SAKURA
Authors: Aminoto Toto
Published: October 2018

Breathing Exercise is a method of breathing in a certain way to improve and improve the performance of organs, especially the lungs. It turns out that if we do well and regular breathing can improve the quality of life and avoid anxiety. In students who will follow the National Exam often experience anxiety caused by various things. This study aims to show the effect of Breathing Exercise on decreasing anxiety levels.The population in this study is Sakura's tutorial student who is in Jatisari Jatiasih Kota Bekasi. The sampling technique used is purposive sampling. Samples that met the criteria of 31 respondents In this study prior to the previous intervention anxiety level was examined. After the intervention, similar investigations were also conducted. Before and after the examination results are then compared. Using t-parametric paired t test analysis resulted in the value of sign 0.00 while the value of α = 5%. Where the sign value <α. It can be concluded that Breathing Exercise has an effect on decreasing anxiety level of student of bimbel Sakura Jatisari Jatiasih Kota Bekasi.
O ciclo histórico da narrativa casariana. A Galicia do século XX e o papel dos intelectuais
Authors: Monteagudo Henrique
Published: October 2018

A presente achega coloca o foco no “arco central” da narrativa de Carlos Casares, un ciclo narrativo que ten como pórtico a novela Xoguetes para un tempo prohibido e que se completa coa triloxía formada por Ilustrísima, Os mortos daquel verán e Deus sentado nun sillón azul. Téntase unha aproximación temática a esta parte da súa obra, realizada desde a historia das ideas, co obxectivo de mostrar como neste ciclo se ofrece unha determinada lectura dun período da historia recente de Galicia –que abrangue, aproximadamente, os dous primeiros terzos do século XX–, e como nesa lectura do dito período se plasma tanto a visión que o autor ten do papel dos intelectuais no mundo contemporáneo, canto a súa concepción da súa propia posición como intelectual.
O difícil xogo das transparencias
Authors: Riveiro Coello Antón
Published: October 2018

Este artigo é un breve percorrido pola narrativa de Carlos Casares coobxecto de salientar os atrancos que el foi atopando até chegar ao seu estilotransparente, á súa voz clara, centrada na suxestión e nunha teimuda paixónpola oralidade, aspecto crucial na súa literatura, ateigada dunha importanteatmosfera coloquial. Dende os primeiros relatos de Vento ferido até a novelapóstuma O sol do verán, analizamos o papel fundamental que o autor desenvolveno xogo galego, virando en verdadeira alternativa para acadar a universalidadeda nosa literatura, sempre dende o noso, vestindo o pracer do realismocoas técnicas máis anovadoras do século XX, e trasladando así toda a frescurae espontaneidade da narración oral ao relato máis culto.
Carlos Casares, a xeito de coda ou estrambote
Authors: Fernández Freixanes Víctor
Published: October 2018

O ano Carlos Casares deu pé a numerosos traballos, ensaios de carácter científico (filolóxicos, históricos e literarios), crónicas e testemuñas persoais. A xeito de colofón o presidente da Real Academia Galega, editor, igual que o foi Carlos Casares, evoca nunha anécdota compartida a personalidade e compromisos da figura á que a Academia dedicou o Día das Letras Galegas.
A difusión da obra de Fernández Morales en Galicia
Authors: Costas Xosé Henrique
Published: October 2018

Ata moi recentemente, a obra de Antonio Fernández Morales foi unha gran descoñecida nos medios literarios galegos. Neste artigo describimos como en Galicia fomos sabendo deste autor e como sería moi necesario para reforzar o galego no Bierzo, que a Real Academia Galega lle concedese a este autor un Día das Letras Galegas. Por un lado estudaríase a súa extensa poesía e por outro poríanse os focos da atención lingüística sobre a crítica situación do galego no Bierzo.
Hubungan Tingkat Pengetahuan tentang HIV/AIDS dengan Sikap Pencegahan HIV/AIDS pada Remaja
Authors: Priastana I Ketut Andika , Sugiarto Hendra
Published: October 2018

Introduction. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a virus that attacks the human immune system and Acquired immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is a collection of symptoms of disease caused by HIV. UNICEF stated that the number of deaths among adolescents due to HIV/AIDS has increased. In Indonesia, cases of HIV/AIDS have begun to attack adolescents, one of the causes of which is a lack of knowledge about HIV/AIDS. This study aims to determine the relationship between the level of knowledge about HIV/AIDS with the prevention attitude against HIV/AIDS in adolescents in Jembrana, Bali, Indonesia. Methods. The research design used was cross sectional, random sampling technique with a sample of 82 people. The statistical analysis used was Chi square test with a significance level of 5%. Results. The results showed that the majority of respondents in the category of sufficient knowledge, namely as many as 53.7% and most had an agreeing attitude towards the prevention of HIV/AIDS as many as 65.9%. The results of the analysis of the Chi square test showed that the relationship between the level of knowledge about HIV/AIDS and the attitude of prevention of HIV/AIDS in adolescents showed p value = 0.001 (p value <0.05). Conclusion. This study found that there was a correlation between the level of knowledge about HIV/AIDS and the attitude of preventing HIV/AIDS in adolescents. Teenagers can improve their knowledge more optimally so that they are more vigilant and supportive of HIV/AIDS prevention.
FAKTOR-FAKTOR YANG MEMPENGARUHI INTENSI ENTREPRENEURIAL PADA SISWA DAN MAHASISWA DI SURABAYA
Authors: Sienatra Krimsi Budi , Padmalia Metta
Published: October 2018

This study aims to look at the early stages of the birth of a business or at the stage of conception and preparation. Specifically, the purpose of this study is to develop and test empirically the determinants of entrepreneurial intentions using entrepreneur characteristic variables such as age, education, competence, gender, job status, parental background, ability to see persuasion and persistence as a predicting factor. The sample of this research is students and students who get formal education about entrepreneurship in Surabaya city. The analysis is based on a binary logistic regression model that estimates the effect of a set of predictor variables on entrepreneurship intentions. Logistic regression results show that only the age, competence, network relations, and ability to see the opportunities that affect the intention of entrepreneurship. Out-of-the-box results are the background of the parents not impacting the entrepreneurship intentions.
UPAYA MENINGKATKAN SOFT SKILL MAHASISWA MELALUI PEMBELAJARAN BERBASIS PROJECT DALAM MATA KULIAH BUSINESS PRACTICE
Authors: Murtianingsih Murtianingsih
Published: October 2018

The School of Economics of Asia is one of the universities that runs the education system. In the implementation of education system in STIE ASIA Malang using competency-based curriculum. Changes in global conditions with competition, job requirements and strategic change. STIE ASIA as one of the universities in Indonesia where the results of a review of the curriculum offered to be able to compete with the strength of the work force of the ASEAN Economic Community (MEA) that has been implemented since January 1, 2016. With the orientation on the needs and relevance of the user then applied courses that are part of the local-based curriculum project "Business Practices". Project-based learning enables students to learn which is a process whereby participants or students are self-clearing information through direct contact with others, working with groups, learning to be leaders, running a profit-oriented business, producing results in simple financial statements. Business Patterns, 2) Personal Selling, 3) Digital Marketing, 4) Business Functions. Meanwhile, soft skill as dependent variable is measured from communication ability, cooperation, confidence, and ability to be a leader.
PENGARUH CORPORATE GOVERNANCE TERHADAP PROFITABILITAS PERUSAHAAN
Authors: Islami Nungky Wanodyatama
Published: October 2018

This study aims to analyze the effect of corporate governance as measured by the variables of the board of commissioners, the proportion of independent members of the board of commissioners, the number of board of commissioners and audit committee meeting on the profitability of the company as measured by return on equity (ROE). The population used in this study is a manufacturing company listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange during 2013-2016. Sampling technique used in this research is purposive sampling method and obtained 48 samples. This study uses secondary data from annual reports obtained from Indonesia Stock Exchange (BEI) in the period 2013-2016. The method of analysis used to analyze data is multiple regression. Based on the results of hypothesis testing in this study, it is evident that (1) the size of the board of commissioners has a positive effect on the profitability of the company. (2) the proportion of independent members of the board of commissioners positively affects the profitability of the company. (3) the board of commissioners meeting positively affect the profitability of the company. (4) audit committee negatively affect the profitability of the company.
PENGARUH KEPEMIMPINAN DAN DISIPLIN KERJA TERHADAP KINERJA KARYAWAN PADA PT CENTRAL CAPITAL FUTURES CABANG MALANG
Authors: Isvandiari Any , Idris Bagus Al
Published: October 2018

This study aims to determine: (1). The influence of leadership on employee performance of PT Central Capital Futures Malang Branch; (2). The influence of work discipline on employee performance of PT Central Capital Futures Malang Branch; (3). The influence of leadership and work discipline simultaneously on employee performance of PT Central Capital Futures Malang Branch. The research method is quantitative causality or causal with multiple linear regression analysis technique. The population is all 37 employees with 37 samples using full sampling (census). Hypothesis test using t test (partial) and F test (simultaneous). The result of t test (partial) shows that leadership has positive and significant effect to employee's performance, work discipline has positive and significant impact to employee's performance; and F test results (simultaneous) indicate that leadership And Work Discipline Together Effect On Employee performance.
The Truncated Icosahedron as an Inflatable Ball
Authors: Tarnai Tibor , Lengyel András
Published: October 2018

In the late 1930s, an inflatable truncated icosahedral beach-ball was made such that its hexagonal faces were coloured with five different colours. This ball was an unnoticed invention. It appeared more than twenty years earlier than the first truncated icosahedral soccer ball. In connection with the colouring of this beach-ball, the present paper investigates the following problem: How many colourings of the dodecahedron with five colours exist such that all vertices of each face are coloured differently? The paper shows that four ways of colouring exist and refers to other colouring problems, pointing out a defect in the colouring of the original beach-ball.
Thomas Twyne's Appropriation of Thomas Phaer's Æneidos: ‘Worke unperfyt’ Perfected?
Authors: Braund Susanna
Published: October 2018

Abstract: This paper attempts to reconstruct from the limited evidence available the rationale and development of Thomas Twyne's completion (1573–84) of Thomas Phaer's unfinished English translation of the Aeneid (1555–60). In Phaer's hands, it is suggested, ‘continuation’ and ‘completion’ gradually turn over time into ‘competition’, ‘absorption’, and even ‘appropriation’. A key element in this process is Phaer's decision to add to the twelve books of Virgil's epic his translation of Maffeo Vegio's Latin Supplementum (1428): Twyne brings a similar kind of closure to Phaer's project to that involved in Vegio's Aeneid Book 13.
Miscanthus Biochar had Limited Effects on Soil Physical Properties, Microbial Biomass, and Grain Yield in a Four-Year Field Experiment in Norway
Authors: O’Toole Adam , Moni Christophe , Weldon Simon , Schols Anne , Carnol Monique , Bosman Bernard , Rasse Daniel P.
Published: October 2018

The application of biochar to soils is a promising technique for increasing soil organic C and offsetting GHG emissions. However, large-scale adoption by farmers will likely require the proof of its utility to improve plant growth and soil quality. In this context, we conducted a four-year field experiment between October 2010 to October 2014 on a fertile silty clay loam Albeluvisol in Norway to assess the impact of biochar on soil physical properties, soil microbial biomass, and oat and barley yield. The following treatments were included: Control (soil), miscanthus biochar 8 t C ha−1 (BC8), miscanthus straw feedstock 8 t C ha−1 (MC8), and miscanthus biochar 25 t C ha−1 (BC25). Average volumetric water content at field capacity was significantly higher in BC25 when compared to the control due to changes in BD and total porosity. The biochar amendment had no effect on soil aggregate (2–6 mm) stability, pore size distribution, penetration resistance, soil microbial biomass C and N, and basal respiration. Biochar did not alter crop yields of oat and barley during the four growing seasons. In order to realize biochar’s climate mitigation potential, we suggest future research and development efforts should focus on improving the agronomic utility of biochar in engineered fertilizer and soil amendment products.
Antibiotic Activity of Actinobacteria from the Digestive Tract of Millipede Nedyopus dawydoffiae (Diplopoda)
Authors: Glukhova Alla A. , Karabanova Anna A. , Yakushev Andrey V. , Semenyuk Irina I. , Boykova Yuliya V. , Malkina Natalia D. , Efimenko Tatiana A. , Ivankova Tatiana D. , Terekhova Larissa P. , Efremenkova Olga V.
Published: October 2018

Because of the spread of drug resistance, it is necessary to look for new antibiotics that are effective against pathogenic microorganisms. The purpose of this study was to analyse the species composition of actinobacteria isolated from the digestive tract of the millipedes Nedyopus dawydoffiae and to determine their antimicrobial properties. Species identification was carried out on the basis of the morphological and culture properties and the sequence of the 16S rRNA gene. Actinobacteria were grown in different liquid media. Antibiotic properties were determined against some Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria as well as fungi. Of the 15 isolated strains, 13 have antibiotic activity against Gram-positive bacteria (including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus—MRSA) and fungi, but there was no antibiotic activity against Gram-negative test strains Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853. It was established that antibiotic-producing actinobacteria belong to eight species of the genus Streptomyces. Depending on the nutrient medium, actinobacteria demonstrate different antimicrobial activities. As an example, S. hydrogenans shows that even strains selected in one population differ by the range of antimicrobial activity and the level of biosynthesis. Since the antibiotic production is considered as a feature for species competition in the microbiota community, the variability of antibiotic production among different strains of the same species is an adaptive characteristic for the competition in millipedes’ digestive tract community.
Hmox1 Upregulation Is a Mutual Marker in Human Tumor Cells Exposed to Physical Plasma-Derived Oxidants
Authors: Bekeschus Sander , Freund Eric , Wende Kristian , Gandhirajan Rajesh Kumar , Schmidt Anke
Published: October 2018

Increasing numbers of cancer deaths worldwide demand for new treatment avenues. Cold physical plasma is a partially ionized gas expelling a variety of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, which can be harnesses therapeutically. Plasmas and plasma-treated liquids have antitumor properties in vitro and in vivo. Yet, global response signatures to plasma treatment have not yet been identified. To this end, we screened eight human cancer cell lines to investigate effects of low-dose, tumor-static plasma-treated medium (PTM) on cellular activity, immune-modulatory properties, and transcriptional levels of 22 redox-related genes. With PTM, a moderate reduction of metabolic activity and modest modulation of chemokine/cytokine pattern and markers of immunogenic cell death was observed. Strikingly, the Nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (nrf2) target heme oxygenase 1 (hmox1) was upregulated in all cell lines 4 h post PTM-treatment. nrf2 was not changed, but its baseline expression inversely and significantly correlated with hmox1 expression after exposure to PTM. Besides awarding hmox1 a central role with plasma-derived oxidants, we present a transcriptional redox map of 22 targets and chemokine/cytokine secretion map of 13 targets across eight different human tumor cell lines of four tumor entities at baseline activity that are useful for future studies in this field.
Blind Detection for Serial Relays in Free Space Optical Communication Systems
Authors: Elbawab Mohamed , Abaza Mohamed , H. Aly Moustafa
Published: October 2018

Free-space optical (FSO) communication systems have attracted considerable research interest owing to its high transmission rates and its efficient solution for the last mile problem. Atmospheric turbulence degrades the performance of FSO systems. To estimate the received signal, Channel State Information (CSI) or blind detection is used. The blind detection estimates the received signal without the need for pilot signals which reduce the throughput and increase the complexity of the signal. In this paper, we have proposed a relay technique which utilizes the blind detection method for FSO communications. This proposed technique would improve the performance of the FSO system compared to the direct link method. It is observed that the proposed method achieves a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) close to the SNR reported by CSI method maintaining the same average bit error rate, provided that only a small observation window is employed. Moreover, Monte Carlo simulation results are further provided to demonstrate the validity of the derived approximated average bit error rate.
Analysis of Heat Transfer and Thermal Environment in a Rural Residential Building for Addressing Energy Poverty
Authors: Zhu Yiyun , Fan Xiaona , Wang Changjiang , Sang Guochen
Published: October 2018

Reducing energy consumption and creating a comfortable thermal indoor environment in rural residential buildings can play a key role in fighting global warming in China. As a result of economic development, rural residents are building new houses and modernizing existing buildings. This paper investigated and analyzed a typical rural residential building in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in Northwest China through field measurements and numerical simulation. The results showed that making full use of solar energy resources is an important way to improve the indoor temperature. Reasonable building layout and good thermal performance of the building envelope can reduce wind velocities and convective heat loss. Insulation materials and double-glazed windows should be used to reduce energy loss in new buildings, although it is an evolution process in creating thermally efficient buildings in rural China. This research provides a reference for the design and construction of rural residential buildings in Northwest China and similar areas for addressing energy poverty.
Dynamic Long Short-Term Memory Neural-Network- Based Indirect Remaining-Useful-Life Prognosis for Satellite Lithium-Ion Battery
Authors: Wang Cunsong , Lu Ningyun , Wang Senlin , Cheng Yuehua , Jiang Bin
Published: October 2018

On-line remaining-useful-life (RUL) prognosis is still a problem for satellite Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. Meanwhile, capacity, widely used as a health indicator of a battery (HI), is inconvenient or even impossible to measure. Aiming at practical and precise prediction of the RUL of satellite Li-ion batteries, a dynamic long short-term memory (DLSTM) neural-network-based indirect RUL prognosis is proposed in this paper. Firstly, an indirect HI based on the Spearman correlation analysis method is extracted from the battery discharge voltages, and the relationship between the indirect HI indices and battery capacity is established using a polynomial fitting method. Then, by integrating the Adam method, L2 regularization method, and incremental learning, a DLSTM method is proposed and applied for Li-ion battery RUL prognosis. Finally, verification of the results on NASA #5 battery data sets demonstrates that the proposed method has better dynamic performance and higher accuracy than the three other popular methods.
A Comparison of Empirical Procedures for Fatigue Damage Prediction in Instrumented Risers Undergoing Vortex-Induced Vibration
Authors: Shi Chen , Manuel Lance , Tognarelli Michael
Published: October 2018

To gain insight into riser motions and associated fatigue damage due to vortex-induced vibration (VIV), data loggers such as strain sensors and/or accelerometers are sometimes deployed on risers to monitor their motion in different current velocity conditions. Accurate reconstruction of the riser response and empirical estimation of fatigue damage rates over the entire riser length using measurements from a limited number of sensors can help in efficient utilization of the costly measurements recorded. Several different empirical procedures are described here for analysis of the VIV response of a long flexible cylinder subjected to uniform and sheared current profiles. The methods include weighted waveform analysis (WWA), proper orthogonal decomposition (POD), modal phase reconstruction (MPR), a modified WWA procedure, and a hybrid method which combines MPR and the modified WWA method. Fatigue damage rates estimated using these different empirical methods are compared and cross-validated against measurements. Detailed formulations for each method are presented and discussed with examples. Results suggest that all the empirical methods, despite different underlying assumptions in each of them, can be employed to estimate fatigue damage rates quite well from limited strain measurements.
Inactivation Kinetics of Salmonella typhimurium and Staphylococcus aureus in Different Media by Dielectric Barrier Discharge Non-Thermal Plasma
Authors: Huang Mingming , Zhuang Hong , Wang Jiamei , Yan Wenjing , Zhao Jianying , Zhang Jianhao
Published: October 2018

A study was conducted to determine the effect of dielectric barrier discharge non-thermal plasma (DBD-NTP) on Salmonella typhimurium and Staphylococcus aureus populations on solid surfaces and in liquid suspensions. Our results showed that inactivation kinetics of S. typhimurium and S. aureus by DBD-NTP treatments can be well predicted with mathematical models. The survival curves of both S. typhimurium and S. aureus showed a log-linear phase followed by tailing behaviors on solid surfaces, and shoulder behaviors followed by a log-linear phase in liquid suspensions. The D values (decimal reduction time) for S. typhimurium and S. aureus in suspension were higher than those on solid surfaces (p < 0.05). Additionally, the maxima of sublethal injury values under low NaCl concentration and neutral pH condition were higher than those under high NaCl and low pH condition. In addition, mathematical modeling was evaluated to predict the final inactivation result for potential industrial applications. This study indicates that different microbial supporting matrices significantly influence the inactivation effect of DBD-NTP; it also provides useful information for future applications of NTP in enhancing food shelf life and safety.
Characterisation and Antibiotic Resistance of Selected Bacterial Pathogens Recovered from Dairy Cattle Manure during Anaerobic Mono-Digestion in a Balloon-Type Digester
Authors: Manyi-Loh Christy , Mamphweli Sampson , Meyer Edson , Okoh Anthony
Published: October 2018

Dairy cattle manure serves as a potential source of contamination and infection of animals, humans and the environment. Manure samples withdrawn from a balloon-type digester during anaerobic digestion were evaluated for the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens. The bacterial load of the samples was determined via a viable plate count method and the recovered isolates were subjected to characterisation and identification. These isolates were employed in antibiotic susceptibility testing using a disc diffusion method against a suite of 10 conventional antibiotics. The multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) index was calculated and MAR phenotypes were generated. Although all the bacterial pathogens showed a certain degree of resistance to the studied antibiotics, a marked resistance was demonstrated by Campylobacter sp. to co-trimoxazole (87.5%) and nalidixic acid (81.5%). Remarkably, a high resistance (82.42%) was demonstrated against the antibiotic class, macrolide, followed by beta-lactams (40.44%), suggesting that bacterial resistance depended on the chemical structure of the antibiotics. However, individual bacterial isolates varied in resistance to particular antibiotics. Of the 83 bacterial isolates, 40(48.19%) observed MAR > 0.2 and, thus, were described as multidrug-resistant isolates. A total of 28 MAR phenotypes were revealed with the highest frequency of MAR phenotypes (37.5%) expressed against 3 antibiotics. Results indicated a high risk of exposure to various antibiotics and wide diversity of antibiotic resistance.
A System for Analysing the Basketball Free Throw Trajectory Based on Particle Swarm Optimization
Authors: Przednowek Krzysztof , Krzeszowski Tomasz , Przednowek Karolina H. , Lenik Pawel
Published: October 2018

This paper describes a system for the automatic detection and tracking of a ball trajectory during a free throw. The tracking method is based on a particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. The proposed method allows for the measurement of selected parameters of a basketball free throw trajectory. Ten parameters (four distances, three velocities, and three angle parameters) were taken into account. The research material included 200 sequences captured by a 100 Hz monocular camera. The study was based on a group of 30 basketball players who played in the Polish Second Division during the 2015/2016 season and the Youth Polish National Team in 2017. The experimental results showed the differences between the parameters in both missed and hit throws. The proposed system may be used in the training process as a tool to improve the technique of the free throw in basketball.
Medium-Range Probabilistic Forecasts of Wind Power Generation and Ramps in Japan Based on a Hybrid Ensemble
Authors: Ohba Masamichi , Kadokura Shinji , Nohara Daisuke
Published: October 2018

This study shows the application of self-organizing maps (SOMs) to probabilistic forecasts of wind power generation and ramps in Japan. SOMs are applied to atmospheric variables obtained from the Japanese 55-year atmospheric Reanalysis JRA-55 over the region, thus deriving classified weather patterns (WPs). Probabilistic relationships are established between the synoptic-scale atmospheric variables over East Japan and the generation of regionally integrated wind power in East Japan. Medium-range probabilistic wind power predictions are derived by SOM as analog ensembles based on the WPs of the multi-center ensemble forecasts. As this analog approach handles stochastic uncertainties effectively, probabilistic wind power forecasts are rapidly generated from a very large number of forecast ensembles. The use of a multi-model ensemble provides better results than a one-forecast model. The hybrid ensemble forecasts further improve the probabilistic predictability skill of wind power generation compared with non-hybrid methods. It is expected that long-term wind forecasts will provide better guidance to transmission grid operators. The advantage of this method is that it can include an interpretative analysis of meteorological factors for variations in renewable energy.
On the Shape Differentiability of Objectives: A Lagrangian Approach and the Brinkman Problem
Authors: González Granada José Rodrigo , Gwinner Joachim , Kovtunenko Victor A.
Published: October 2018

This paper establishes the shape derivative of geometry-dependent objective functions for use in constrained variational problems. Using a Lagrangian approach, our differentiablity result is based on the theorem of Delfour–Zolésio on directional derivatives with respect to a parameter of shape perturbation. As the key issue of the paper, we analyze the bijection under the kinematic transport of geometries that is needed for function spaces and feasible sets involved in variational problems. Our abstract theoretical result is applied to the Brinkman flow problem under incompressibility and mixed Dirichlet–Neumann boundary conditions, and provides an analytic formula of the shape derivative based on the velocity method.
Parental Educational Attainment and Mental Well-Being of College Students: Diminished Returns of Blacks
Authors: Assari Shervin
Published: October 2018

Background. According to the Minorities’ Diminished Returns (MDR) theory, the health returns of socioeconomic status (SES) are systemically smaller for Blacks compared to Whites. Less is known, however, about trans-generational aspects of such diminished gains. For example, the differential impact of parental educational attainment on differences in mental well-being between White versus Black college students remains unknown. Aims. With a national scope, this study explored racial differences in the effect of parental educational attainment on the mental well-being of college students in the United States. Methods. The Healthy Mind Study (HMS), 2016–2017, is a national telephone survey that included 41,898 college students. The sample was composed of Whites (n = 38,544; 92.0%) and Blacks (n = 3354; 8.0%). The independent variable was highest parental educational attainment. The dependent variable was mental well-being (mentally healthy days in the past month) which was measured using a single item. Age and gender were covariates. Race was the moderator. Logistic regression was used for data analysis. Results. In the pooled sample, high parental educational attainment was associated with better mental wellbeing, independent of race, age, and gender. Race, however, showed a significant interaction with parental educational attainment on students’ mental wellbeing, indicating a smaller effect of parent education on the mental wellbeing of Black compared to White college students. Conclusions. The returns of parental educational attainment in terms of mental well-being is smaller for Black college students compared to their White counterparts. To minimize the diminished returns of parental education in Black families, policies should go beyond equalizing SES and reduce the structural barriers that are common in the lives of Black families. Policies should also aim to reduce extra costs of upward social mobility, prevent discrimination, and enhance the quality of education for Blacks. As the mechanisms that are involved in MDR are multi-level, multi-level solutions are needed to minimize the racial gaps in gaining mental health benefits from higher socioeconomic levels.
Mesoporous Beta Zeolite Catalysts for Benzylation of Naphthalene: Effect of Pore Structure and Acidity
Authors: Hao Wenming , Zhang Weimin , Guo Zaibin , Ma Jinghong , Li Ruifeng
Published: October 2018

To improve the catalytic performance of zeolite catalysts in reactions involving bulky molecules, a series of mesoporous Beta zeolite were prepared using organic functionalized fumed silica as the silicon source, which were thoroughly characterized in terms of porosity and acidity. The peaks in X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns showed broadening, and the external surface area and mesoporosity increased progressively when the content of organic functionalization increased. An infrared (IR) spectroscopy study of adsorbed probe molecules, including pyridine (Py-IR), 2,6-ditertbutylpyridine (DTBPy-IR) and pivalonitrile (Pn-IR), showed that the improvement of mesoporosity increased the accessibility of acidic sites. In the catalytic benzylation of naphthalene with benzyl chloride (BC) over the mesoporous Beta zeolite catalysts, the conversion of BC was significantly increased when the accessibility of Brönsted acid sites improved. The increase of mesoporosity not only improved the diffusion ability of the reactants and products, but also increased the accessibility of acid sites, which greatly enhanced the activity of the mesoporous Beta zeolite catalysts. It is highlighted that the interdependence of mesoporosity, acid type, acid concentration, and strength of the mesoporous Beta zeolites on the catalytic performance in the benzylation of naphthalene with BC was comprehensively studied.
Preparation of Electrically Conductive Calcium Phosphate Composite Foams by Particle-Stabilized Emulsion Route
Authors: Tseng Wenjea J. , Kao Wuei-Hung
Published: October 2018

Macroporous composite foams consisting of β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) and titanium nitride (TiN) have been prepared by a facile emulsion route involving sintering at elevated temperatures after shaping. Commercially available hydroxyapatite and titanium particles are used as the starting material; to which, the surface of the particles has been modified by preferential adsorption of hexadecylamine to change from hydrophilic to hydrophobic character in water. This renders stable air-in-water emulsions from the particle-filled suspensions by simple mechanical frothing. Sintered β-TCP/TiN foams with a porosity of 65–70%, pore size of 20–2000 nm, and three-point rupture strength of 25–43 kPa have been obtained. Electrical resistance has been found to reduce pronouncedly when the initial titanium loading exceeds 15 vol.% for the composite foams sintered at 1000 °C under reducing nitrogen-hydrogen atmosphere.