bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
KORONAVİRÜS (COVİD-19) SÜRECİNDE ÖĞRENCİ OLMA DENEYİMİ: BİR FOTOSES(PHOTOVOICE) ÇALIŞMASI
Authors: Sever Melih , Özdemir Seyhan
Published: October 2020

Fotoses, bireylerin günlük yaşamlarını fotoğrafladıkları katılımcı bir eylem araştırması yöntemidir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, üniversite öğrencilerinin pandemi deneyimlerini inceleyen fotoses etkinliğini benzersiz ve yenilikçi bir yöntem olarak belirlemektir. Bu çalışmada Süleyman Demirel Üniversitesi Sosyal Hizmet bölümü (N= 154) öğrencileri pandemi döneminde yaşadıklarını ve uzaktan eğitimi fotoğraflarla betimlemeye çalışmıştır. Toplamda 66 fotoğraf ve açıklaması katılımcılar tarafından oluşturuldu, odak grup görüşmelerinde oylanarak seçildi, yorumlandı ve bu fotoğraflardan 12’si bu çalışmada ele alınmıştır. Fotoğrafların ve yorumların analizinde 5 farklı tema inşa edildi: 1-Görünmeyeni görünür kılma-Koronavirüs sürecini temsil eden sembolik imgeler, 2-Koronavirüs bizi nasıl etkiledi? Koronavirüsün yansımaları, 3-Pandemi süreci bize ne öğretti? Sürecin öğrettikleri, 4- Ne yapmamız gerek? Toplumsal mesajlar, 5-Fotoses çalışmasına katılmak nasıl bir deneyimdi? Fotoses çalışması hakkındaki görüşler.
Çalışma sonunda öğrencilerden ayrıca fotoses çalışmasının kendileri için nasıl bir deneyim olduğunu aktarmaları istenmiştir. Öğrencilerin süreç ve fotoğraflar hakkında oldukça olumsuz yorumlarına rağmen çalışmanın oldukça anlamlı ve verimli olduğu konusunda görüş birliği ortaya çıktığı görünmektedir. Bu çalışmada son olarak fotoses yönteminin özellikle genç nüfus ile birlikte uygulandığında oldukça verimli ve katılımcı odaklı bir çalışma olabileceğine ilişkin görüşler ifade edilmiştir.
GÜÇLENMEYİ GÜÇ, GÜÇSÜZLÜK, BASKI VE GÜÇ İLİŞKİLERİ TEMELİNDE ANLAMAK
Authors: Cankurtaran Özlem , Akoğlu Gizem , Sakarya Hakan
Published: October 2020

Güçlenme yaklaşımı, geleneksel sosyal hizmetin bilgi ve değer temelinin yanında, baskıyı kavramayı ve analiz etmeyi, güç ve baskıya odaklanarak güçlenme sürecini deneyimlemeyi içerir. İlgili alanyazında gücün yalnızca kavramsal boyutlarıyla tartışıldığı, güç ilişkilerine odaklanılmadığı, güç ilişkilerinin analizinin nasıl gerçekleştirilebileceğine ilişkin bilgilerin ve tartışmaların yer almadığı görülmektedir. Güç, güçsüzlük ve baskı kavramları temelinde yapılandırılan bu makalede, güç ve güçsüzlüğe ilişkin tarihsel görüşler ile birlikte sosyal hizmet disiplin ve mesleğinde Jane Addams ile başlayan güçlenme meselesi ele alınmaktadır. Bu çalışma ile güç kavramı ve gücün tarihselliği tartışılarak baskı ve baskı araçlarının kullanımı ile bireylerin nasıl güçsüzleştirildiği, güç ilişkilerinin analiz adımları olan güç ilişkilerini anlama, keşfetme, yeniden çerçeveleme ve eleştirel bilincin gelişimi ile güç ilişkilerinde değişimi sağlama ile güçlenme sürecinin kavranması amaçlanmaktadır. Sonuç olarak sevgi dolu, adil ve eşitlikçi bir toplum hayaline erişmede sosyal hizmet için güçlenmenin önemine vurgu yapılarak sosyal hizmet bilgi üretiminde ve uygulamasında güçlenme temelli bir paradigma değişimine ihtiyaç olduğu savunulmaktadır.
Effect of biochar and compost application on nitrogen dynamics in organically managed nutrient-poor paddy soil system and in organic rice cultivation system
Authors:   The Joint Graduate School of Energy and Environment (JGSEE), King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), Bangkok, Thailand., Wisethaksorn Udomluk , Towprayoon Sirintornthep ,   The Joint Graduate School of Energy and Environment (JGSEE), King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), Bangkok, Thailand., Chidthaisong Amnat ,   The Joint Graduate School of Energy and Environment (JGSEE), King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), Bangkok, Thailand., Jiaphasuanan Tassanee ,   Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Ubon Ratchathani University, Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand., Buddhaboon Chitnucha ,   Ubon Ratchathani Rice Research Center (URRC), Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand.
Published: October 2020

Nitrogen (N) is an essential plant nutrient, and its retention in the soil is beneficial to plant growth and productivity. High levels of N can leach from soil with organic amendments, particularly in water-rich paddy rice cultivation. Biochar has the potential to influence the soil N cycle. The study included four treatments applied to organically managed nutrient-poor paddy soil (S) and rice cultivation (R) systems, respectively over two growing seasons: biochar only (BA), compost only (CA), biochar and compost mixed at an equal rate (BC), and no amendment (control). Biochar produced from mangrove (Rhizophora apiculata) which obtained from slow pyrolysis in a traditional kiln, whereas compost generated from organic municipal solid waste. The results showed that, on average, BA and BC maintained NO3--N and NH4+-N in the soil and reduced absolute N leaching compared to the control and CA, respectively. System R maintained nitrogen better than system S. BA reduced N mass leaching by 27.25% in system S and by 59.21% in system R, compared to the control, while BC reduced N mass leaching by 24.85% in system S and by 58.48% in system R, compared to CA. However, the reduction in N2O emission fluxes was not significant in both BA and BC in both seasons, although cumulative emission fluxes after a year of cultivation decreased significantly. BC significantly boosted water use efficiency relative to yield in system R. These results show that co-application of biochar and compost to nutrient-poor soil in an organically managed system substantially reduced N leaching and suggests that it could be an effective management option for organic rice cultivation in Thailand. Keywords: Biochar, compost, nitrogen leaching, N2O emmision, nitrogen balance, organic rice cultivation.
KEMAMPUAN SPASIAL PERCEPTION DALAM MENYELESAIKAN MASALAH GEOMETRI BERDASARKAN TEORI VAN HIELE DITINJAU DARI KEMAMPUAN MATEMATIKA
Authors: Pungkasari Amalia Mareta , Purwosetiyono FX. Didik
Published: October 2020

Difficulties in learning geometry relate to spatial abilities. Students with good spatial skills will be able to solve geometric problems. In helping students overcome difficulties in learning geometry, they used the Van Hiele's learning theory. This qualitative descriptive study aimed to describe the spatial perception ability in solving geometric problems based on Van Hiele's theory in terms of mathematical ability. The subjects in this study were three junior high school students with high, medium, and low math abilities. Subjects were given a spatial ability test and an interview twice. The triangulation time and subject was carried out to test the credibility of data. Based on the results of data analysis, students with high, medium, and low math abilities were able to observe objects from different perspectives. Subjects with medium math abilities were able to observe the object from different perspectives. However, subjects with high and low math abilities have some difficulties in observing objects from different perspectives.
Multiple stressors and disturbance effects on eelgrass and epifaunal macroinvertebrate assemblage structure
Authors: Cimon S , Deslauriers A , Cusson M
Published: October 2020

Multiple forms of environmental change and anthropogenic pressure co-occur in coastal marine ecosystems. These external forces affect ecosystem structure, functioning, and, eventually, services to humans. Studies that include more than 2 simultaneous stressors are still needed to understand potential interactions among multiple stressors. We evaluated single and interactive effects of density reduction of Zostera marina L. (a habitat-forming species), shading, and sediment nutrient enrichment on the response of Z. marina and its associated epifauna over 10 wk. Shading had the greatest effect on reducing the eelgrass relative leaf elongation rate (RLE), non-structural carbohydrate reserves, and eelgrass shoot density. A reduced eelgrass density sustained higher epifaunal densities and increased the eelgrass RLE. Sediment nutrient enrichment increased eelgrass shoot density but decreased epifaunal richness, diversity, and total abundance. Our disturbance and pair of stressors differed in their influence on diversity measures, but all affected assemblage structure. Most of the changes to the epifaunal assemblage and diversity likely occurred due to altered habitat availability and epiphytic algae load. We observed additive, antagonistic, and negatively synergistic interactions among our treatments, while most of the cumulative effects showed dominance by one stressor over another. Our results highlight the importance of field experiments that are based on multiple disturbances and stressors to determine their interaction type on communities.
АНАЛИЗ СТАТИСТИКИ ПРОЯВЛЕНИЯ НЕБЛАГОПРИЯТНЫХ И ОПАСНЫХ ДЛЯ ЖИЗНИ И ЗДОРОВЬЯ НАСЕЛЕНИЯ СВОЙСТВ ОБЪЕКТОВ НЕДВИЖИМОСТИ
Authors: Дубровский Алексей Викторович , Радионова Алина Ивановна , Алмагамбетова Диана Темирлановна
Published: October 2020

В статье рассмотрены примеры проявления неблагоприятных и опасных для жизни и здоровья населения свойств объектов недвижимости. Приведены три группы факторов, оказывающих негативное влияние на человека объектами недвижимости. Выполненный анализ статистики данных по проявлению неблагоприятных и опасных свойств объектов недвижимости показал, что в 70 % случаев вредное влияние проявляется опосредованно в результате загрязнения окружающей природной среды, а затем объекта недвижимости. На долю объектов недвижимости, при строительстве которых использовались опасные и токсичные строительные материалы приходится 25 % случаев причинения вреда жизни и здоровью населения. В 5 % случаев проявление неблагоприятных и опасных для жизни и здоровья населения свойств объектов недвижимости связано с их разрушением в результате действия природных или техногенных процессов, а также допущенными в результате проектирования объектов ошибками.
ГЕОДЕЗИЧЕСКИЙ МОНИТОРИНГ ДЕФОРМАЦИЙ ПРИ ОБЕСПЕЧЕНИИ ТЕХНОСФЕРНОЙ БЕЗОПАСНОСТИ ЭКСПЛУАТАЦИИ СТАЛЬНЫХ РЕЗЕРВУАРОВ ДЛЯ ХРАНЕНИЯ НЕФТЕПРОДУКТОВ В УСЛОВИЯХ КРАЙНЕГО СЕВЕРА
Authors: Горбулин Роман Павлович , Уваров Анатолий Иванович , Гарагуль Александр Сергеевич
Published: October 2020

В статье представлены результаты геодезического мониторинга деформаций стенок резервуара. Резервуар для хранения нефтепродуктов, расположен на многолетнемерзлых грунтах. Выполнен анализ величин деформации стенки резервуара на соответствие допускам. Выдана информация по отклонениям образующих стенок резервуара от вертикали для принятия управленческого решения. Предложено изменить срок обследований резервуара.
ОСОБЕННОСТИ УПРАВЛЕНИЯ И ОЦЕНКИ ИМУЩЕСТВЕННОГО КОМПЛЕКСА ПРЕДПРИЯТИЯ (БИЗНЕСА)
Authors: Лобанова Елена Ивановна , Охотникова Татьяна Васильевна , Межуева Татьяна Васильевна
Published: October 2020

Выявлены особенности управления целостным имущественным комплексом как решение проблем получения прибыли выше среднеотраслевой посредством эффективного управления активами. Обоснована необходимость оценки бизнеса для собственника методом нескорректированных чистых активов в рамках затратного подхода.
ЭТАПЫ РАЗВИТИЯ АГЛОМЕРАЦИЙ И ПРЕИМУЩЕСТВА АГЛОМЕРАЦИОННОГО УСТРОЙСТВА ТЕРРИТОРИИ НАСЕЛЕННЫХ ПУНКТОВ
Authors: Дубровский Алексей Викторович , Логинова Евгения Витальевна
Published: October 2020

В статье рассмотрен исторический опыт формирования городских агломераций. Приводится перечень параметров, на основании которых оценивается комфортность проживания населения на территории агломерации и в целом потенциал экономического развития. Показана минимизация процессов борьбы за «ресурсы развития» между участниками агломерации. Авторами обобщен и сформулирован перечень преимуществ агломеративного устройства территории близлежащих населенных пунктов.
ГРАДОСТРОИТЕЛЬНОЕ ПРОЕКТИРОВАНИЕ НА ОСНОВЕ САПР И ГИС
Authors: Кряхтунов Александр Викторович , Мартынова Наталья Григорьевна , Бударова Валентина Алексеевна , Брылев Игорь Сергеевич
Published: October 2020

Статья посвящена рассмотрению градостроительного проектирования на основе использования современных программных средств. Обоснован выбор программных средств для разработки графической части проекта планировки территории и проекта межевания территории. Приведены результаты градостроительного проектирования в системах САПР и ГИС на примере населенного пункта (Тобольского городского округа).
Pemodelan Kesetimbangan Massa pada Keadaan Tunak (Steady) sebagai Penentuan Konsentrasi Optimum Tawas (Alumunium Sulfate) pada Proses Penurunan Kadar Fe pada Sumber Air Tercemar
Authors: Adhitasari Alfiana , Andrijanto Eko
Published: October 2020

Air tanah merupakan andalan sumber mata air bagi masyarakat pada umumnya, beberapa sumber air tanah sering dijumpai air yang masih terkandung Fe, hal tersebut berdampak buruk bagi kesehatan oleh karena itu perlu dilakukan penuruan kadar Fe pada air sebelum digunakan. Beberapa metode yang umum dilakukan untuk menghilangkan kandungan Fe pada air adalah dengan cara koagulasi oleh tawas. Penelitian ini akan memodelkan sebuah persamaan matematika yang dapat mengkuantifikasi penurunan kadar Fe pada setiap fungsi kosentrasi tawas yang ditambahkan. Model matematika pada penelitian menggunakan penurunan rumus dari kesetimbangan masa. Dari hasil perbandingan data percobaan dengan data perhitungan didapat konstanta penurunan Fe (kF) pada fungsi konsentrasi tawas sebesar 1.8/mg tawas dan nilai konstanta R2 sebesar 0.935, dari data tersebut maka model matematika yang dibuat dapat mewakili fenomena proses penurunan Fe di lapangan.

 

In general groundwater is relied as source water but somtimes we found precense of Fe in some of groundwater products that could harm our health due to its toxicity, therefore it is necessary to reduce Fe content as pretreatment process. Some common methods to reduce Fe content in water are coagulation by alum. This study will build a mathematical equation to quantify the reduction of Fe content in function of alum concentration. In this study the equations were derive from mass balance equation. By comparing the experimental data with calculated data, we obtained kF (The constant of consuming Fe) = 1.8 / mg alum and for R2 constant we obtained  0.935, from these result we conclude our derived equation can represent the phenomenon of alum-Fe reduction phenomena in the field.
Efektivitas Zeolit Alam Ende-NTT sebagai Adsorben dalam Pemurnian Bioetanol Berbahan Baku Moke: Minuman Tradisional Flores
Authors: Ngapa Yulius Dala , Gago Jumilah
Published: October 2020

Ketergantungan akan pemakaian bahan bakar fosil yang terus meningkat telah mengubah pola pikir manusia untuk mengembangkan penelitian terkait energi alternatif terbarukan. Bioetanol yang berasal dari hasil fermentasi nira tanaman aren (Arenga pinnata MERR), dan dikenal sebagai minuman tradisional Moke di Flores dapat dimanfaatkan sebagai bahan bakar alternatif jika memiliki kemurnian di atas 99,5%. Proses adsorpsi merupakan salah satu metode yang dilakukan untuk menghasilkan bioetanol dengan kadar di atas titik azeotrop. Adsorben yang efektif digunakan sebagai molecular sieve adalah zeolit alam yang berasal dari kabupaten Ende – NTT. Peningkatan efisiensi penyerapan zeolit alam dalam pemurnian bioetanol berbahan baku Moke sudah dilakukan melalui proses aktivasi kimia. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui kadar dan kualitas bioetanol setelah pemurnian menggunakan adsorben zeolit alam Ende – NTT yang telah diaktivasi NaOH pada berbagai konsentrasi. Kadar bioetanol yang terdapat pada Moke sebelum dan sesudah proses adsorpsi ditentukan dengan instrumen gas kromatografi, karakterisasi zeolit alam menggunakan X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) dan Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Zeolit alam Ende dapat digunakan sebagai adsorben dalam meningkatkan kadar bioetanol berbahan baku Moke.

 

The reliance on increasing use of fossil fuels has changed the human mindset to develop research related to renewable alternative energy. Bioethanol derived from fermented palm sugar sap (Arenga pinnata MERR), and known as Moke, traditional drink in Flores can be used as an alternative fuel if it has a purity above 99.5%. The adsorption process is one method used to produce bioethanol with a level above the azeotrope point. The effective adsorbent used as molecular sieve is natural zeolite originating from Ende - NTT. Increased efficiency of absorption of natural zeolite in bioethanol purification made from Moke has been done through a chemical activation process. This study aims to determine the level and quality of bioethanol after purification using Ende-NTT natural zeolite adsorbent which has been activated by NaOH at various concentrations. Bioethanol levels found in the Moke before and after the adsorption process were determined by gas chromatography instruments, natural zeolite characterization using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Ende natural zeolite can be used as an adsorbent to increase the level of bioethanol made from Moke.
Efektifitas Metode Kombinasi Pasir Zeolit dan Arang Aktif dalam Pengolahan Air Lindi di Tempat Pembuangan Akhir (TPA)
Authors: Gemala Mega , Ulfah Nurul
Published: October 2020

TPA Sei Nam Kijang merupakan TPA yang menggunakan sistem sanitary landfill dalam pengelolaan sampah. Kolam penampungan air lindi di TPA tersebut kurang berfungsi dengan baik terlihat dari warna air lindi hitam coklat kepekatan, terdapat lumut dipermukaan air lindi, dan masih tercium bau yang menyengat. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui efektifas kombinasi pasir zeolit dan arang aktif dalam mereduksi parameter fisika dan kimia pada air lindi. Hasil menunjukan bahwa kombinasi arang aktif dan pasir zeolit efektif dalam menurunkan kadar BOD, COD, N total, TSS dan pH air lindi pada tiga jenis ketebalan. Efektifitas tertinggi dalam menurunkan TSS adalah ketebalan 10cm sebesar 11,76%. Efektifitas tertinggi dalam menurunkan kadar pH, COD, BOD dan N total adalah ketebalan 20cm sebesar 19,6%, 22,6%, 35,5% dan 33,33%. Untuk Hg dan Cd, proses filtrasi untuk setiap ketebalan tidak efektif dalam menurunkan kadar logam berat tersebut.

 

Sanitary landfill is used method for municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal in Sei Nam Kijang dumpling land. Leachate evaporation pond in a landfill site is not working properly which can be seen from the dark brown color of leachate, the moss on the surface of leachate water, and the odor. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of a combination of zeolite sand and activated charcoal in reducing physical and chemical parameters in leachate with variations in thickness used, namely 10 cm, 15 cm, and 20 cm. The results showed that the combination of activated charcoal and zeolite sand is effective in reducing levels of BOD, COD, total N, TSS, and pH of leachate water in all three types of thickness. The highest effectiveness in reducing TSS is 10cm thickness of 11.76%. The highest effectiveness in reducing total pH, COD, BOD and N is 20cm thickness by 19.6%, 22.6%, 35.5% and 33.33%. For Hg and Cd, the filtration process for each thickness is not effective in reducing levels of heavy metals.
Aplikasi Microwave Hydrodistillation pada Ekstraksi Biji Kapulaga
Authors: Rahkadima Y. Tri , Ningsih Anggun Fitria Laila , Fitri Medya Ayunda
Published: October 2020

Minyak Atsiri dari kapulaga memiliki banyak manfaat dibidang industri maupun kesehatan. Metode alternatif diperlukan untuk mengoptimalkan kualitas dan kuantitas minyak atsiri yang dihasilkan karena metode konvensional memiliki banyak kelemahan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk membandingkan hasil minyak atsiri dari proses ekstraksi konvensional menggunakan soxhlet dan ekstraksi microwave hydrodistilation . Penelitian dilakukan dengan menggunakan serbuk biji kapulaga seberat 40 gram yang telah dipisahkan dari bahan impuritiesnya . Pada metode ekstraksi Soxhlet , n-heksan digunakan sebagai pelarut, sementara itu pada metode ekstraksi Microwave Hydrodistilation menggunakan aquadest sebagai pelarutnya.  Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa persen yield tertinggi diperoleh saat menggunakan metode ekstraksi soxhlet yaitu sebesar 3,608% dengan volume pelarut 250 ml , waktu ekstraksi 6 jam. Penggunaan aquades dalam metode microwave hydro-distilation tidak memberikan hasil yang maksimal jika dibandingkan metode konventional ekstraksi soxhlet dengan pelarut n-heksan.

 

Essential oils from cardamom have many benefits in the field of industry and health. Alternative methods are needed to optimize the quality and quantity of essential oils produced because conventional methods have many disadvantages. This study aims to compare the results of essential oils from conventional extraction processes using Soxhlet and Microwave Hydrodistilation extraction. The study was conducted using cardamom seed powder weighing 40 grams which had been separated from the impurities. In the Soxhlet extraction method, n-hexane is used as a solvent, while in the Microwave Hydrodistilation extraction method uses aquadest as the solvent. The results showed that the highest percent yield was obtained when using the Soxhlet extraction method which was 3.608% with a volume of solvent of 250 ml, extraction time of 6 hours. The use of distilled water in the microwave hydro-distillation method does not give maximum results when compared to the conventional method of extracting Soxhlet with n-hexane solvent.
Radiomics Nomogram of DCE-MRI for the Prediction of Axillary Lymph Node Metastasis in Breast Cancer
Authors: Mao Ning , Dai Yi , Lin Fan , Ma Heng , Duan Shaofeng , Xie Haizhu , Zhao Wenlei , Hong Nan
Published: October 2020

Purpose

This study aimed to establish and validate a radiomics nomogram based on dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE)-MRI for predicting axillary lymph node (ALN) metastasis in breast cancer.

Method

This retrospective study included 296 patients with breast cancer who underwent DCE-MRI examinations between July 2017 and June 2018. A total of 396 radiomics features were extracted from primary tumor. In addition, the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) algorithm was used to select the features. Radiomics signature and independent risk factors were incorporated to build a radiomics nomogram model. Calibration and receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves were used to confirm the performance of the nomogram in the training and validation sets. The clinical usefulness of the nomogram was evaluated by decision curve analysis (DCA).

Results

The radiomics signature consisted of three ALN-status-related features, and the nomogram model included the radiomics signature and the MR-reported lymph node (LN) status. The model showed good calibration and discrimination with areas under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.92 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.87–0.97] in the training set and 0.90 (95% CI, 0.85–0.95) in the validation set. In the MR-reported LN-negative (cN0) subgroup, the nomogram model also exhibited favorable discriminatory ability (AUC, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.70–0.87). DCA findings indicated that the nomogram model was clinically useful.

Conclusions

The MRI-based radiomics nomogram model could be used to preoperatively predict the ALN metastasis of breast cancer.
The Clinical Need for New Diagnostics in the Identification and Management of Patients with Suspected Sepsis in UK NHS Hospitals: A Survey of Healthcare Professionals
Authors: Winter Amanda , Jones William Stephen , Allen A. Joy , Price D. Ashley , Rostron Anthony , Filieri Raffaele , Graziadio Sara
Published: October 2020

Development of a new diagnostic is ideally driven by an understanding of the clinical need that the test addresses and the optimal role the test will have within a care pathway. This survey aimed to understand the clinical need for new sepsis diagnostics and to identify specific clinical scenarios that could be improved by testing. An electronic, cross-sectional survey was circulated to UK National Health Service (NHS) doctors and nurses who care for patients with suspected sepsis in hospitals. Two hundred and sixty-five participants completed the survey, representing 64 NHS Trusts in England. Sixty-seven percent of respondents suggested that the major cause of delay was during the initial identification of sepsis and the subsequent recognition of patients who were deteriorating. Existing blood tests did not enhance the confidence of consultants making their diagnoses. Those surveyed identified a role for a near-patient test to “rule out” suspected sepsis and, thereby, stop or postpone use of antibiotics. Current diagnostic tests are slow, non-specific, and do not reliably identify patients with a high suspicion of sepsis. As a result, they have a limited use in patient management and antibiotic stewardship. Future development of sepsis diagnostics should focus on overcoming these limitations.
Synergistic Effect of Propolis and Antibiotics on Uropathogenic Escherichia coli
Authors: Lavigne Jean-Philippe , Ranfaing Jérémy , Dunyach-Rémy Catherine , Sotto Albert
Published: October 2020

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the most common bacterial infections around the world. Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is among the main pathogens isolated in UTIs. The rate of UPEC with high resistance towards antibiotics and multidrug-resistant bacteria have increased dramatically and conduct to the difficulty to treat UTIs. Due to the rarefaction of new antibiotics molecules, new alternative strategies must be evaluated. Since many years, propolis has demonstrated an interesting antibacterial activity against E. coli. Here, we evaluated its activity added to antibiotics on a panel of UPEC with different resistance mechanisms. Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and time–kill curves of fosfomycin, ceftriaxone, ertapenem and ofloxacin, with and without propolis, were determined. Significant diminution of the MICs was observed using ceftriaxone or ofloxacin + propolis. Propolis alone had a bacteriostatic activity with time-dependent effect against UPEC. The addition of this nutraceutical improved the effect of all the antibiotics evaluated (except fosfomycin) and showed a synergistic bactericidal effect (fractional inhibitory concentrations index ≤ 0.5 and a decrease ≥ 2 log CFU/mL for the combination of propolis plus antibiotics compared with the antibiotic alone). Propolis is able to restore in vitro antibiotic susceptibility when added to antibiotics against UPEC. This study showed that propolis could enhance the efficiency of antibiotics used in UTIs and could represent an alternative solution.
Parallel Molecular Evolution of Catalases and Superoxide Dismutases—Focus on Thermophilic Fungal Genomes
Authors: Chovanová Katarína , Böhmer Miroslav , Poljovka Andrej , Budiš Jaroslav , Harichová Jana , Szemeš Tomáš , Zámocký Marcel
Published: October 2020

Catalases (CAT) and superoxide dismutases (SOD) represent two main groups of enzymatic antioxidants that are present in almost all aerobic organisms and even in certain anaerobes. They are closely interconnected in the catabolism of reactive oxygen species because one product of SOD reaction (hydrogen peroxide) is the main substrate of CAT reaction finally leading to harmless products (i.e., molecular oxygen and water). It is therefore interesting to compare the molecular evolution of corresponding gene families. We have used a phylogenomic approach to elucidate the evolutionary relationships among these two main enzymatic antioxidants with a focus on the genomes of thermophilic fungi. Distinct gene families coding for CuZnSODs, FeMnSODs, and heme catalases are very abundant in thermophilic Ascomycota. Here, the presented results demonstrate that whereas superoxide dismutase genes remained rather constant during long-term evolution, the total count of heme catalase genes was reduced in thermophilic fungi in comparison with their mesophilic counterparts. We demonstrate here, for the newly discovered ascomycetous genes coding for thermophilic superoxide dismutases and catalases (originating from our sequencing project), the expression patterns of corresponding mRNA transcripts and further analyze translated protein sequences. Our results provide important implications for the physiology of reactive oxygen species metabolism in eukaryotic cells at elevated temperatures.
Robust LQR Control for PWM Converters with Parameter-Dependent Lyapunov Functions
Authors: Aouani Nedia , Olalla Carlos
Published: October 2020

This paper presents a novel framework for robust linear quadratic regulator (LQR)-based control of pulse-width modulated (PWM) converters. The converter is modeled as a linear parameter-varying (LPV) system and the uncertainties, besides their rate of change, are taken into account. The proposed control synthesis method exploits the potential of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs), assuring robust stability whilst obtaining non-conservative results. The method has been validated in a PWM DC–DC boost converter, such that it has been shown, with the aid of simulations, that improved robustness and improved performance properties can be achieved, with respect to previously proposed approaches.
High-Detail Animation of Human Body Shape and Pose From High-Resolution 4D Scans Using Iterative Closest Point and Shape Maps
Authors: Nowak Marta , Sitnik Robert
Published: October 2020

In this article, we present a method of analysis for 3D scanning sequences of human bodies in motion that allows us to obtain a computer animation of a virtual character containing both skeleton motion and high-detail deformations of the body surface geometry, resulting from muscle activity, the dynamics of the motion, and tissue inertia. The developed algorithm operates on a sequence of 3D scans with high spatial and temporal resolution. The presented method can be applied to scans in the form of both triangle meshes and 3D point clouds. One of the contributions of this work is the use of the Iterative Closest Point algorithm with motion constraints for pose tracking, which has been problematic so far. We also introduce shape maps as a tool to represent local body segment deformations. An important feature of our method is the possibility to change the topology and resolution of the output mesh and the topology of the animation skeleton in individual sequences, without requiring time-consuming retraining of the model. Compared to the state-of-the-art Skinned Multi-Person Linear (SMPL) method, the proposed algorithm yields almost twofold better accuracy in shape mapping.
Preparation and Tribological Behaviors of Lubrication-Enhanced PEEK Composites
Authors: Yan Yutao , Jiang Cheng , Huo Yuqiu , Li Chaofeng
Published: October 2020

Poly-ether-ether ketone (PEEK) is a great potential thermoplastic in industry and medical treatment and health. In this work, PEEK/graphene oxide (GO) and PEEK/MoS2 composites were prepared by a novel hot isostatic pressing method. The addition of GO alters the tribological behaviors mechanism; fatigue wear mechanism is predominant to PEEK/GO composites. However, the combination of abrasive and adhesive wear mechanisms is observed for PEEK/MoS2 composites and PEEK. The reason for this is that the hardness and tensile strength of composites are increased with the appropriate addition of GO. The response time to stable friction state of PEEK/GO and PEEK/MoS2 composites is reduced in comparison with PEEK, which is conducive to shorten running-in time, reduce the energy consumption, and improve the tribological performances of composites. The addition of GO and MoS2 can effectively decrease the friction coefficient and wear rate, and the optimal content of GO and MoS2 was 0.7 wt.% and 15 wt.%, respectively. The results indicate that PEEK/GO and PEEK/MoS2 are impressive composites that possess super tribological properties.
Model-Based Test Case Prioritization Using an Alternating Variable Method for Regression Testing of a UML-Based Model
Authors: Shin Ki-Wook , Lim Dong-Jin
Published: October 2020

Many test case prioritization (TCP) studies based on regression testing using a code-based development approach have appeared. However, few studies on model-based mutation testing have explored what kind of fault seeding is appropriate or how much the code-based results differ. In this paper, as automatic seeding for the mutation generation, several mutation operators were employed for the UML statechart. Here, we suggest mutation testing employing the model-based development approach and a new TCP method based on an alternating variable method (AVM). We statistically compare the average percentage of the fault detection (APFD) results of the new method to other TCP methods such as a greedy algorithm for code coverage or fault exposure possibility. Finally, in empirical studies, the model-based TCP results for a power window switch module, a body control module, and a passive entry and start system are derived; these are real industrial challenges in the automotive industry.
Effect of Thermal Boundary Condition on Tilting Pad Journal Bearing Behavior
Authors: Suh Junho , Kim Changwon , Han Je-Heon
Published: October 2020

This research presents the effect of the thermal boundary condition on the tilting pad journal bearing characteristics. The thermal boundary condition includes the temperature around the bearing pad, spinning journal, and lubricant supply temperature. Change in bearing performance according to the temperature around each element constituting the bearing was analyzed without paying attention to how the actual thermal boundary conditions around the bearing are configured. High fidelity numerical model of tilting pad journal bearing is presented for (1) the analysis of heat generation in the thin film, (2) heat transfer in the lubricant, (3) heat flux flowing into the journal and pad, (4) temperature change in the journal and bearing, (5) the resultant thermal deformation, (6) change in the lubricant film thickness arising from the thermal deformation of journal and bearing pads, and (7) the resulting change in the heat generation in the thin film. To reach the steady state of the bearing–journal system, the Runge–Kutta scheme with adaptive time step is adopted where the dynamic and thermal system are solved simultaneously in multi-physics model. Performance change of the bearing according to three changes: (a) boundary temperature around shaft, (b) boundary temperature around bearing pads, and (c) lubricant supply temperature were investigated.
Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris Strain Variability in the Inactivation Kinetics of Spores in Orange Juice by Temperature-Assisted High Hydrostatic Pressure
Authors: Sourri Patra , Argyri Anthoula A. , Panagou Efstathios Z. , Nychas George-John E. , Tassou Chrysoula C.
Published: October 2020

In this work, the inactivation kinetics of Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris spores by temperature-assisted high hydrostatic pressure was assessed by means of the Weibull model. Spores from two A. acidoterrestris strains (a wild-type strain and a reference strain) were inoculated in commercial orange juice and subjected to high pressure levels (500 and 600 MPa) combined with four temperature regimes (25, 45, 60 and 70 °C) for time up to 30 min. Results showed that for a given high-pressure level spore inactivation was higher as temperature progressively increased. Furthermore, the Weibull model consistently produced satisfactory fit to the inactivation data based on the values of the root mean squared error (RMSE < 0.54 log colony-forming units (CFU)/mL) and the coefficient of determination (R2 > 0.90 in most cases). The shape of inactivation curves was concave upward (p < 1) for all temperature/high pressure levels tested, indicating rapid inactivation of the sensitive cells of the bacterium whereas the remaining ones adapted to high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatment. The values of the shape (p) and scale (δ) parameters of the Weibull model were dependent on the applied temperature for a given high pressure level and they were further described in a secondary model using first-order fitting curves to provide predictions of the surviving spore population at 55 and 65 °C. Results revealed a systematic over-prediction for the wild-type strain regardless of temperature and high pressure applied, whereas for the reference strain under-prediction was evident after 3 log-cycles reduction of the surviving bacteria spores. Overall, the results obtained indicate that the effectiveness of high hydrostatic pressure against A. acidoterrestris spores is strain-dependent and also underline the need for temperature-assisted HPP for effective spore inactivation during orange juice processing.
Antiproliferative Activity of Pyracantha and Paullinia Plant Extracts on Aggressive Breast and Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells
Authors: Kaushik Neha , Yang Hyeonyeong , Jeong SungRyong , Kaushik Nagendra Kumar , Bhartiya Pradeep , Nhat Nguyen Linh , Choi Eun Ha , Kim June Hyun
Published: October 2020

In recent decades, the use of plants as a natural remedy has been widely applied in traditional medicine and the treatment of various diseases, including cancer. However, in order to confirm the potential benefits of anticancer drug development from natural sources, in-depth screening assessments are necessary. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the cytotoxic effects of eight medicinal plants against breast carcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines. Remarkably, among all the tested plant extracts, Pyracantha angustifolia and Paullinia cupana extracts showed maximum inhibition in the two cancer cell line models, as detected by cell viability assays, but not in normal mammary epithelial cells. Moreover, induction of cell cycle arrest was seen in both cancer cell models after treatment with extracts derived from the fruits of P. angustifolia and the seeds of P. cupana. Phytochemical and antioxidant analyses demonstrated the presence of high phenolic and flavonoid contents, including an increase in 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) activity. The growth inhibition of human breast carcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma cells mediated by both extracts appears to be associated with apoptosis and upregulated expression of pro-apoptotic genes (caspase-3, caspase-7, tumor suppressor protein-p53, cytochrome c, poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, p53 upregulated modulator of apoptosis, and Bcl-2-associated X-protein). Together, these results indicate that P. angustifolia and P. cupana offer a promising approach for the development of anticancer agents. However, further detailed research is required to make these plants applicable for therapeutic use.
Effect of Thermal Treatment of Birch Wood by Saturated Water Vapor on Granulometric Composition of Chips from Sawing and Milling Processes from the Point of View of Its Processing to Composites
Authors: Kminiak Richard , Orlowski Kazimierz A. , Dzurenda Ladislav , Chuchala Daniel , Banski Adrián
Published: October 2020

The goal of this work is to investigate the impact of thermal modification of birch wood with saturated steam on the particle size distribution of the sawing and milling process. Birch wood (Betula pendula Roth) is an excellent source to produce plywood boards. Wastes from mechanical processing of birch wood are suitable to produce composite materials. Granulometric analyses of chips from sawing processes on the PRW 15M frame saw, as well as on the 5-axis CNC machining centre SCM TECH Z5 and the 5-axis CNC machining centre AX320 Pinnacle, proved that more than 95% of chips are chips of coarse and medium coarse chip fractions with dimensions above 0.125 mm. Depending on the shape, coarse and medium-thick chips belong to the group of fiber chips, the length of which is several times greater than the width and thickness. Fine fractions with dimensions smaller than 125 μm are isometric chips that are approximately the same size in all three dimensions. Thoracic dust fractions below 30 μm were not measured. The performed analyses showed that the heat treatment of birch wood with saturated steam did not affect the grain size of chips formed in sawing and milling processes on CNC machining centre and can be used as a raw material for the production of composite materials. Fabric filters are suitable for separating chips extracted from frame saws, PRW-15M or machining centre. Environmental criteria for the separation of chips from transport air in textile filters are met by filters with a fabric classified in class G4.
Effect of Demand Side Management on the Operation of PV-Integrated Distribution Systems
Authors: Sa’ed Jaser A. , Wari Zakariya , Abughazaleh Fadi , Dawud Jafar , Favuzza Salvatore , Zizzo Gaetano
Published: October 2020

In this new era of high electrical energy dependency, electrical energy must be abundant and reliable, thus smart grids are conducted to deliver load demands. Hence, smart grids are implemented alongside distributed generation of renewable energies to increase the reliability and controllability of the grid, but, with the very volatile nature of the Distributed Generation (DG), Demand Side Management (DSM) helps monitor and control the load shape of the consumed power. The interaction of DSM with the grid provides a wide range of mutual benefits to the user, the utility and the market. DSM methodologies such as Conservation Voltage Reduction (CVR) and Direct Load Control (DLC) collaborate in the reduction of plant generation and reciprocally to the comprehensive cost. The aim of this paper is to investigate the effects caused by the implementation of DSM on the operation of PV-integrated distribution systems. The algorithms of CVR, DLC and the combination of CVR and DLC were implemented using OpenDSS and MATLAB. The effectiveness of the aforementioned schemes was verified on IEEE 30-Bus test system. Various possible integration scenarios between Photovoltaic (PV) and DSM schemes are illustrated. The optimal integration of such schemes constraining the reduction of energy consumed by the user and utility is presented. The results show that the implemented DSM algorithms provide a noticeable reduction in energy losses and reduction in consumed energy.
Calliblepharis jubata Cultivation Potential—A Comparative Study between Controlled and Semi-Controlled Aquaculture
Authors: Araujo Glacio Souza , Cotas João , Morais Tiago , Leandro Adriana , García-Poza Sara , Gonçalves Ana M. M. , Pereira Leonel
Published: October 2020

Calliblepharis jubata is an edible red seaweed and a carrageenan primary producer, considered native in Figueira da Foz (Portugal). C. jubata has the particularity of producing only one kind of carrageenan, the iota fraction. However, this seaweed is not yet valuable for the food industry or even for human consumption. In this work, we characterize important biochemical compounds of C. jubata growing up within different cultivation techniques and wild specimens. The aim of this work is to know if there are differences between the biological compounds of interest and identify the advantages for human consumption and the food industry. The results supported the nutritional value of the seaweed, where the ones from inshore cultivation (T) were more identical to the wild specimens (F), than the indoor C. jubata (A, B, C). The parameters analyzed were fatty acids, carbohydrates and carrageenan content.
Crack Propagation and Burst Pressure of Pipeline with Restrained and Unrestrained Concentric Dent-Crack Defects Using Extended Finite Element Method
Authors: Okodi Allan , Li Yong , Cheng Roger , Kainat Muntaseer , Yoosef-Ghodsi Nader , Adeeb Samer
Published: October 2020

Mechanical damage in form of dents, cracks, gouges, and scratches are common in pipelines. Sometimes, these damages form in proximity of each other and act as one defect in the pipe wall. The combined defects have been found to be more injurious than individual defects. One of the combined defects in pipeline comprises of a crack in a dent, also known as dent-crack defect. This paper discusses the development of finite element models using extended finite element criterion (XFEM) in Abaqus to predict burst pressure of specimens of API X70 pipeline with restrained and unrestrained concentric dent-crack defects. The models are calibrated and validated using results of full-scale burst tests. The effects of crack length, crack depth, dent depth, and denting pressure on burst pressure are investigated. The results show that restrained dent-crack defects with shallow cracks (depth less than 50% wall thickness) inside dents do not affect pipeline operations at maximum allowable operating pressure if crack lengths are less than 200 mm. Releasing restrained dent-cracks when the pressure is at maximum allowable operating pressure can cause propagation of deep cracks (depth of 50% wall thickness or more) longer than 60 mm. However, only very long cracks (200 mm and higher) propagate to burst the pipe. Cracks of depth less than 20% of wall thickness inside dents formed at zero pressure are not propagated by the maximum allowable operating pressure. Dent-crack defects having dents of depth less than 2% outside diameter of pipe behave as plain cracks if the dents are formed at zero denting pressure but are more injurious than plain cracks if the dents are formed in pressurized pipes.
Delayed Combination of Feature Embedding in Bidirectional LSTM CRF for NER
Authors: Ronran Chirawan , Lee Seungwoo , Jang Hong Jun
Published: October 2020

Named Entity Recognition (NER) plays a vital role in natural language processing (NLP). Currently, deep neural network models have achieved significant success in NER. Recent advances in NER systems have introduced various feature selections to identify appropriate representations and handle Out-Of-the-Vocabulary (OOV) words. After selecting the features, they are all concatenated at the embedding layer before being fed into a model to label the input sequences. However, when concatenating the features, information collisions may occur and this would cause the limitation or degradation of the performance. To overcome the information collisions, some works tried to directly connect some features to latter layers, which we call the delayed combination and show its effectiveness by comparing it to the early combination. As feature encodings for input, we selected the character-level Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) or Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) word encoding, the pre-trained word embedding, and the contextual word embedding and additionally designed CNN-based sentence encoding using a dictionary. These feature encodings are combined at early or delayed position of the bidirectional LSTM Conditional Random Field (CRF) model according to each feature’s characteristics. We evaluated the performance of this model on the CoNLL 2003 and OntoNotes 5.0 datasets using the F1 score and compared the delayed combination model with our own implementation of the early combination as well as the previous works. This comparison convinces us that our delayed combination is more effective than the early one and also highly competitive.
Selective Extraction of REEs Thanks to One-Pot Silica Hybrid Materials
Authors: Winkler Robert , Pellet-Rostaing Stéphane , Arrachart Guilhem
Published: October 2020

The importance of rare-earth elements (REEs) in the global economy is rapidly growing, since they are essential to many advanced technologies. Therefore, the development of more performant separation procedures for REEs has become necessary. In the present study, we used silica hybrid materials (SHMs), which were synthesized by an all-in-one approach that allows the direct incorporation of desired functional groups, as sorbent material. Promising results were obtained for the extraction capacities of diglycolamide-functionalized materials. Under the tested conditions, they showed high efficiency (Nd uptake capacity of about 25 mg per g of material) and high selectivity toward REEs from a simulated NdFeB magnet leachate. For these materials, Nd recovery after extraction was achieved with an efficiency of 80% by contacting the loaded material with distilled water at moderate pH (6.5).