bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Morpho-Physical and Chemical Characteristics of Mountain Soils in Central Leyte
Authors: Maranguit Deejay S. , Asio Victor
Published: November 2019

An important prerequisite to sustainable soil management is a good understanding of soil morphological, physical and chemical characteristics. Until now, very limited data are available on the characteristics of mountain soils in the central part of Leyte Island. Thus, this study was conducted to determine the morpho-physical and chemical characteristics of mountain soils derived from andesite and shale in central Leyte, and to evaluate the effects of parent material and topographic position on the properties of the soils.
Eight soil profiles representing the dominant parent materials and topographic positions in the Abuyog-Mahaplag-Baybay portion of the central mountain range of the island were examined. Results revealed that the soils varied in their morphological, physical and chemical characteristics which to some extent reflect the nature of their parent material and the slope positions where they were formed. Soils derived from shale (Soil profiles 1, 2, 3 and 6) developed into young (Fluventric Eutropepts) and well-developed (Typic Hapludalfs) soils with generally moderate nutrient status. Soils derived from andesite (Soil profiles 4, 5, 7 and 8) developed into young (Typic Dystropepts) and well-developed (Typic Kandiudults) soils with generally low nutrient status. Regardless of parent material, soils on summit slope position tended to be better developed than soils on footslope and shoulder slope positions. The study showed that the influence of parent material on soil development was modified by the topographic position.
Physico-chemical Changes in Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) Fruits as Influenced by Cultivation Systems and Modified Atmosphere Packaging
Authors: Sta. Iglesia Ness Marie , Quevedo Marcelo , Gonzaga Zenaida
Published: November 2019

Tomatoes are highly perishable and postharvest losses vary greatly among production areas and seasons of production. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of open or protected cultivation system and postharvest modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) on the physical and chemical changes of tomatoes during ambient storage with temperatures ranging from 20°C to 35°C and relative humidity (RH) of 80% to 90%.
The cultivation system had no significant effect on the physicochemical constituents. In contrast, MAP storage significantly influenced some of the storage parameters evaluated. Use of paper bags and 0.02 mm thick low density polyethylene bags with diffusion holes slightly delayed ripening, effectively reduced weight loss, minimized decay incidence and maintained better visual quality throughout the 12 – day storage period relative to fruits stored in the open.
Increasing Cabbage Production Through NPK Application In Cabintan, Ormoc City, Leyte, Philippines
Authors: Tulin Anabella , Rallos Roland , Rañises Mechelle , Dorahy Chris
Published: November 2019

One of the major issues affecting vegetable production in the Southern Philippines is the improper allocation of limited resources such as fertilizers due to lack of knowledge on the nutrient status of the soil. This study determined the effects of P application on P fertilizer efficiency and demonstrated the influence of N, P and K application in increasing the yield of cabbage (Brassica oleracea L.) in Cabintan, Ormoc City, Philippines. The treatments included: T1 – Farmers’practice consisting of chicken manure (75 bags/ha) + Complete (12 bags/ha) + Urea (13.5 bags/ha); T2 – Ammophos (5.5 bags/ha) + Muriate of Potash (1 bag/ha); T3 – Ammophos (11 bags/ha) + Muriate of Potash (2 bags/ha); T4 – Ammophos (8.25 bags/ha) + Muriate of Potash (1.5 bags/ha). The study demonstrated the importance of applying appropriate levels of NPK fertilizers in improving the growth and yield of cabbage. It also revealed that reducing the fertilizer costs by 50 percent in Treatment 3 as compared to the farmer’s practice in Treatment 1 (i.e. from P38,400 to P16,800) would give a more sustainable yield as compared to the farmer’s practice. Reduction of fertilizer inputs from 444-93-142 kg/ha N-P2O5-K2O to 88-110-60 kg/ha N-P2O5-K2O in T3 will lead to a better allocation of limited resource that is available to the farmers.
Faktor yang Berhubungan dengan Kejadian Kecelakaan Kerja Pada Pekerja di Bagian Produksi Pabrik Kelapa Sawit Adolina PTPN IV Kabupaten Serdang Bedagai
Authors: Muharani Riska , Dameria Dameria
Published: November 2019

Kecelakaan kerja merupakan hal yang tidak terduga dan tidak diharapkan yang dapat merugikan baik bagi pekerja maupun bagi perusahaan. Berdasarkan laporan International Labour Organization (ILO, 2013) bahwa 2,78 juta pekerja meninggal setiap tahun karena kecelakaan kerja dan penyakit akibat kerja. Sekitar 2,4 juta (86,3%) dari kematian ini dikarenakan penyakit akibat kerja, sementara lebih dari 380.000 (13,7%) dikarenakan kecelakaan kerja. Pabrik kelapa sawit Adolina merupakan pabrik yang bergerak di bidang pengolahan minyak sawit mentah. Jenis penelitin ini bersifat survey analitik dengan menggunakan desain studi cross-sectional. Populasi penelitian ini adalah karyawan yang bekerja di pabrik kelapa sawit adolina PTPN IV Kabupaten Serdang Bedagai yaitu sebanyak 85 orang. Sampel dalam penelitian ini menggunakan teknik total sampling yaitu sebanyak 85 orang. Analisis pengolahan data yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah uji chi square dengan derajat kepercayaan 95%. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa terdapat hubungan pengetahuan penggunaan APD dengan kejadian kecelakaan kerja dengan nilai p value 0,000, tidak terdapat hubungan sikap dengan kejadian kecelakaan kerja dengan nilai p value 0,575, terdapat hubungan tindakan penggunaan APD dengan kejadian kecelakaan kerja dengan nilai p value 0,002, tidak terdapat hubungan kepatuhan terhadap prosedur dengan kejadian kecelakaan kerja dengan nilai p value 0,277, dan terdapat hubungan lingkungan kerja dengan kejadian kecelakaan kerja dengan p value 0,000. Kesimpulan penelitian ini adalah terdapat hubungan antara pengetahuan penggunaan APD, tindakan penggunaan APD, dan lingkungan kerja dengan kejadian kecelakaan kerja. Disarankan bagi pekerja untuk meningkatkan penggunaan APD agar mencegah kejadian kecelakaan kerja.
The Adjustment Method of Bus Lines along New Subway after Operation
Authors: Cao Yi , Yang Zhongzhen
Published: November 2019

In order to adapt to the passenger demand after urban subway new line operation, and improve the operational efficiency of the bus lines along subway, the adjustment method of bus lines is studied. Taking the HuangHe Rd. segment with Dalian Metro Line 2 as the research object, the passenger volumes of every main traffic mode before and after subway operation were investigated respectively. By mathematical statistics method, the characteristics of passenger volume transferring among the bus, car and subway before and after operation were compared and analyzed. Based on the theory of random utility, not only the Logit model of traffic mode selection before and after subway operation was constructed, but also the calibration method of model parameter was proposed. The adjustment method of bus lines along subway was proposed. The calculation and analysis of application in the case was also conducted. The research indicates that, after subway operation, the passengers undertaken by car and bus along the subway will be attracted by subway to some extent. To adjust the bus lines according to the characteristic of passenger transferring can improve the operational efficiency of the bus lines along subway.
The Feasibility of E-Learning Media on Anecdote Text Material for X Grade Students of Senior High School Harapan 3 Delitua, Indonesia
Authors: Alamsyah Zulfikar , Adisaputera Abdurrahman , Pramuniati Isda
Published: November 2019

The feasibility of anecdote text e-learning based learning media is based on the validation test of material experts and design experts. After being validated, the research products can be tested on individual students, small groups and limited groups. The following will be explained the feasibility test of e-learning based text and text learning media. Research methods in this research plan include: location and time of study, population and sample of research, research design, operational definition, research procedures, types of data, techniques and data collection instruments. The conclusion is that the use of e-learning based anecdote text learning media is more effective than non-e-learning based learning, this can be seen from the average results of the pretest and posttest and the achievement of the indicator value of students in using e-learning learning media.
Development of Traditional Bun Arrangement Module for 11th Grade Students in State Vocational High School
Authors: Lubis Siti Fauziah , Ellizar Ellizar , Sukardi Sukardi
Published: November 2019

The problem in this study is the completeness of student learning in traditional bun arrangement subjects is still unsatisfactory, students lack the initiative to find information about traditional bun arrangement to support learning, students lack understanding of the basic topic oftraditional bun arrangement, students are less skilled in making traditional bun arrangement techniques and the limitations time and resources for learning during learning activities in the delivery of traditional bun arrangement.Based on these problems, this study aims to develop a valid, practical and effective discovery learning module based on subjects in traditional bun arrangement. This development model plompis applied. There are three phase, namely initial investigation, prototyping and assessment. The evaluation method used is formative evaluation consisting of self evaluation, expert review, individual evaluation, and small group evaluation. The research instruments used were interview sheets, questionnaires in the form of validity in practicality sheet and objective. Validation results obtained as very high criteria. The practical results by students in small group and on field test obtained as high criteria, while the level of practicality by teachers obtained as very high. The result of hypothesis test show that there was a significant difference between the studentslearning outcomes of the experimental and the control class in the school. The result shows that the traditional bun arrangement module based on discovery learning has fulfilled the valid, practical and effective criteria.
Teaching Material Development of Explanation Text Based on Multiple Intelligences on 11th Grade Students in Vocational High School 1 Padangsidimpuan
Authors: Hutasuhut Ismi Aulia Rizki , Lubis Malan , Daulay Syahnan
Published: November 2019

This study aims to (1) describe the process of developing explanatory text teaching materials based on multiple intelligences, (2) describe the feasibility of explanatory text teaching materials based on multiple intelligences and (3) describe the effectiveness of explanatory text teaching materials based on multiple intelligences. This research was conducted in 11th grade of vocational high school 1 Padangsidimpuan. The research method used is the Research and Development research method which refers to the Borg and Gall model. The results showed that (1) the process of developing teaching materials was carried out in three stages, namely preliminary studies, product development and trials. Based on the analysis of the needs, 100% of the teachers and students need data obtained from other teaching materials in explanatory text learning, product development is carried out with expert and material validation, and individual product trials score 88.89 in the excellent category, small group trials score 92, 75 with a very good category and limited field trials obtained a score of 94.75 with a very good category. (2) teaching material is declared feasible with 84.56% content eligibility percentage, 94.23% presentation eligibility, 93.27% language assessment, 96.88 multiple aspects intelligence feasibility and 84.17% graphic assessment. (3) teaching materials are declared effective for use in 11th grade students of  vocational high school 1 Padangsidimpuan with an average of 60.63 pretest learning outcomes and 80.94 posttest. The results of this study prove that explanatory text teaching materials based on multiple intelligences are feasible, easy and effective to use in learning in 11th grade of vocational high school.
GAYA BAHASA PERBANDINGAN DALAM BUKU CINTA HITAM CINTA PUTIH KARYA NABIL HAMID AL-MA’AZ
Authors: Azizah Emil Mulida , Sorraya Artifa , Sriwulandari Yunita Anas
Published: November 2019

Gaya atau khususnya gaya bahasa dikenal dalam retorika dengan istilah style.Gaya Bahasa dalam karya satra mengandung pengertian cara seseorang pengarang menyampaikan gagasannya dengan menggunakan media bahasa yang indah dan harmonis serta mampu menuansakan makna dan suasana yang dapat menyentuh daya intelektual dan emosi pembaca. Gaya Bahasa Perbandingan yaitu majas ini berusaha mengungkapkan suatu hal dengan cara membandingkan sutu hal atau keadaan dengan suatu hal atau keadaan lain. Menurut pakar lain membandingkan sesuatu dengan yang lain, berarti mencoba menemukan ciri-ciri yang menunjukan kesamaan antara kedua hal tersebut. Peneliti menentukan dua rumusan masalah pada penelitian ini, antara lain: 1) bagaimana gaya Bahasa perbadingan asosiasi dalam buku cinta hitam cinta putih karya Nabil Hamid Al-Ma’az?, dan 2) bagaimana gaya Bahasa perbandingan personifikasi dalam buku cinta hitam cinta putih karya Nabil Hamid Al-Ma’az?. Metodelogi penelitian yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah rancangan kualitatif, hal ini dikarenakan data hasil penelitian diuraikan dengan tidak mengutamakan angka angka, tetapi mengutamakan kedalaman penghayatan terhadap interaksi-interaksi antar konsep yang sedang dikaji oleh peneliti secara empiris. Teknik analisis data yang digunakan adalah antara lain: 1) reduksi data, 2) penyajian data, 3) verifikasi data, dan 4) penyimpulan data. Dari hasil penelitian ini, ditemukan tiga data gaya Bahasa perbandingan personifikasi, dan lima data gaya Bahasa perbandingan asosiasi.
Citra Tokoh Sutik dalam Novel Burung Burung Migran Karya Miranda Harlan dan Sutik AS (Kajian Perspektif Feminisme)
Authors: Kurnia Yuliana Fitrianita , Sengaji Harun Ahmad
Published: November 2019

The novel Burung-Burung Migran created by Miranda Harlan and Sutik AS reveals female power in a way she deals with how hard a life could be. Sutik’s character which portrayed in the novel is suitable to be viewed from feministic perspective. Therefore, the study was taken, besides explaining the structure of the novel, also to explain, in particularly, the image of Sutik’s character in the Burung-Burung Migran’s novel viewed from feministic perspective. The object studied from this novel was about the structure of the novel itself, which divided into three elements; the background, characterization, and the plot of the story. However, Sutik’s characterization was analyzed through three different aspects, physically, psychologically, and socially. This literature study of Burung-Burung Migran applies descriptive qualitative method with feministic ideological mode of literature critics approach. It uses a written form source, taken from the novel “Burung-Burung Migran” by Miranda Harlan and Sutik AS. The data is collected through a literature study and analyzed through several steps, which are (a) data selection, (b) identification and classification of the data, (c) data interpretation, which finally ends in the drawing of conclusion. The result of the study shows that the structure of the novel, “Burung-Burung Migran”, considered from the background, has nine place settings, eight time settings, and five social settings. It has ten characters, which are prominent in the story, also has fifty-five other characters. Considered from the plotting, it uses back-and-forth flow of ideas, which has four climaxes of different stages. However, the image of Sutik’s character is divided into three different aspects, they are one physical aspect, five psychological aspects, and her social aspect is subdivided into three aspects of hers in the family and three others in the society. My suggestion is that another study needs to be conducted towards this novel, from feministic gynocritics perspective. In addition to that point, in order to achieve the best result in conducting a feminist literature study, the appropriate choice of data source is a necessity.
West Florida Shelf pipeline serves as sea turtle benthic habitat based on in situ towed camera observations
Authors: Broadbent HA , Grasty SE , Hardy RF , Lamont MM , Hart KM , Lembke C , Brizzolara JL , Murawski S
Published: November 2019

The use of marine offshore benthic habitats by sea turtles is poorly characterized due to the difficulty of obtainingin situdata. Understanding benthic habitat use that is important to the species’ reproduction, foraging, and migrations is critical for guiding management decisions. A towed camera-based assessment survey system (C-BASS) equipped with environmental sensors was used to characterize and assess benthic habitats on the West Florida Shelf (WFS) from 2014 to 2018. During these cruises, sea turtles were opportunistically observed during the surveys, and criticalin situdata such as spatiotemporal information, species identification, habitat use, behavior, and environmental data were collected and evaluated. In total, 79 sea turtles were observed during 97 transects of approximately 2700 km of seafloor, which was recorded on 380 h of video. Several sea turtle species were spotted within the WFS, including loggerheadCaretta caretta, Kemp’s ridleyLepidochelys kempii, and green turtlesChelonia mydas. These opportunistic sightings revealed an area of high use on the WFS, an anthropogenic structure known as the Gulfstream natural gas pipeline (GSPL). C-BASS survey results suggest that 2 sea turtle species (C. carettaandL. kempii) utilize this artificial structure primarily as a resting area. We emphasize the importance of combining habitat mapping techniques (towed underwater video and multibeam bathymetry/backscatter) with tracking technology to better understand the fine-scale habitat use of sea turtles.
APPLICATION OF THE WASSERSTEIN METRIC TO SOLVING THE INVERSE DYNAMIC SEISMIC PROBLEM
Authors: Vasilenko Alexey
Published: November 2019

The inverse dynamic problem of seismic consists in recovering the velocity model of elastic medium based on the observed seismic data. In this work it is proposed to use the Wasserstein metric since its use reduces the number of local extremes of the target functional in comparison with the L2-norm.
This work also presents and discusses the results of numerical experiments including a comparative analysis of the velocity models recovered using the Wasserstein metric and L2-norm.
IMPACT OF FRACTURED-POROUS MEDIA TRANSPORT PROPERTIES CHANGE IN SEISMIC WAVEFIELDS
Authors: Novikov Mikhail , Lisitsa Vadim , Khachkova Tatiana
Published: November 2019

In this paper we research the response of carbonates dissolution when interacting with carbon dioxide in the seismic wave fields in a fractured-porous reservoir. We numerically estimate the change of limestone physical properties due to CO2 sequestration based on the analysis of samples CT-scans. Obtained estimations is then used to model a poroelastic material, which we use as fracture-filling material in statistically generated fractured porous fluid-saturated media models. A numerical modeling of wave propagation is performed to estimate a velocity dispersion and attenuation caused by a wave-induced fluid flow.
Rebel Rivalry and The Strategic Nature of Rebel Group Ideology and Demands
Authors: Ogutcu-Fu Sema Hande , Akcinaroglu Seden , Tokdemir Efe , Sedashov Evgeny , Berkowitz Jeremy , Moreno Leon Carlos
Published: November 2019

How does the presence of multiple combatants affect rebel groups’ ideological positioning? Although violent forms of inter-group conflict have been widely studied in the civil war literature, rebel groups’ strategic use of ideology has so far received scarce scholarly attention. We argue that the pressure of competition forces rebel groups to differentiate themselves ideologically from their rivals to maximize their chances of survival and success. Rebel groups strive to set themselves apart by offering unique ideological products to their supporters and recruits. Thus, we contend that rebel groups are more likely to modify their ideologies and demands from the government in the face of competition from rival groups. We test this theory using novel data collected from rebel group manifestos and public statements. Our findings suggest that groups are more likely to shift their ideology and modify their demands from the government as the number of rival groups increases.
Comparison of Satellite Repeat Shift Time for GPS, BDS, and Galileo Navigation Systems by Three Methods
Authors: Yang Yanxi , Jiang Jinguang , Su Mingkun
Published: November 2019

The characteristic of the satellite repeat shift time can reflect the status of the satellite operation, and is also one of the key factors of the sidereal filtering multipath correction. Although some methods have been developed to calculate the repeat shift time, few efforts have been made to analyze and compare the performance of this feature for the GPS (Global Positioning System), BDS (BeiDou System), and Galileo in depth. Hence, three methods used for calculating the repeat shift time are presented, and used to compare and analyze the three global systems in depth, named the broadcast ephemeris method (BEM), correlation coefficient method (CCM), and aspect repeat time method (ARTM). The experiment results show that the repeat shift time of each satellite is different. Also, the difference between the maximum and minimum varies from different systems. The maximum difference is about 25 s for the BDS IGSO (Inclined Geosynchronous Orbit) and the minimum is merely 10 s for the GPS system. Furthermore, for the same satellite, the shift time calculated by the three methods is almost identical, and the maximum difference is only about 7 s between the CCM and the ARTM method for the BDS MEO (Medium Earth Orbit) satellite. Although the repeat shift time is different daily for the same satellite and the same method, the changes are very small. Moreover, in terms of the STD (Standard Deviation) of the BS (between satellites) and MS (mean shift for the same satellite), the GPS system is the best, the performance of the BDS system is medium, and the Galileo performs slightly worse than the GPS and BDS.
Antibody-Drug Conjugates Targeting the Urokinase Receptor (uPAR) as a Possible Treatment of Aggressive Breast Cancer
Authors: Harel Efrat T. , Drake Penelope M. , Barfield Robyn M. , Lui Irene , Farr-Jones Shauna , Van’t Veer Laura , Gartner Zev J. , Green Evan M. , Lourenço André Luiz , Cheng Yifan , Hann Byron C. , Rabuka David , Craik Charles S.
Published: November 2019

A promising molecular target for aggressive cancers is the urokinase receptor (uPAR). A fully human, recombinant antibody that binds uPAR to form a stable complex that blocks uPA-uPAR interactions (2G10) and is internalized primarily through endocytosis showed efficacy in a mouse xenograft model of highly aggressive, triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) of 2G10 were designed and produced bearing tubulin inhibitor payloads ligated through seven different linkers. Aldehyde tag technology was employed for linking, and either one or two tags were inserted into the antibody heavy chain, to produce site-specifically conjugated ADCs with drug-to-antibody ratios of either two or four. Both cleavable and non-cleavable linkers were combined with two different antimitotic toxins—MMAE (monomethylauristatin E) and maytansine. Nine different 2G10 ADCs were produced and tested for their ability to target uPAR in cell-based assays and a mouse model. The anti-uPAR ADC that resulted in tumor regression comprised an MMAE payload with a cathepsin B cleavable linker, 2G10-RED-244-MMAE. This work demonstrates in vitro activity of the 2G10-RED-244-MMAE in TNBC cell lines and validates uPAR as a therapeutic target for TNBC.
Special Issue on Microgrids
Authors: Aragüés Peñalba Mònica , Sumper Andreas
Published: November 2019

Integration of renewable energy sources in the electrical power system is key for enabling the decarbonization of that system [...]
Characterization of HMGB1/2 Interactome in Prostate Cancer by Yeast Two Hybrid Approach: Potential Pathobiological Implications
Authors: Barreiro-Alonso Aida , Cámara-Quílez María , Salamini-Montemurri Martín , Lamas-Maceiras Mónica , Vizoso-Vázquez Ángel , Rodríguez-Belmonte Esther , Quindós-Varela María , Martínez-Iglesias Olaia , Figueroa Angélica , Cerdán María-Esperanza
Published: November 2019

High mobility group box B (HMGB) proteins are pivotal in the development of cancer. Although the proteomics of prostate cancer (PCa) cells has been reported, the involvement of HMGB proteins and their interactome in PCa is an unexplored field of considerable interest. We describe herein the results of the first HMGB1/HMGB2 interactome approach to PCa. Libraries constructed from the PCa cell line, PC-3, and from patients’ PCa primary tumor have been screened by the yeast 2-hybrid approach (Y2H) using HMGB1 and HMGB2 baits. Functional significance of this PCa HMGB interactome has been validated through expression and prognosis data available on public databases. Copy number alterations (CNA) affecting these newly described HMGB interactome components are more frequent in the most aggressive forms of PCa: those of neuroendocrine origin or castration-resistant PCa. Concordantly, adenocarcinoma PCa samples showing CNA in these genes are also associated with the worse prognosis. These findings open the way to their potential use as discriminatory biomarkers between high and low risk patients. Gene expression of a selected set of these interactome components has been analyzed by qPCR after HMGB1 and HMGB2 silencing. The data show that HMGB1 and HMGB2 control the expression of several of their interactome partners, which might contribute to the orchestrated action of these proteins in PCa
Ag- and Cu-Promoted Mesoporous Ta-SiO2 Catalysts Prepared by Non-Hydrolytic Sol-Gel for the Conversion of Ethanol to Butadiene
Authors: Dochain Denis D. , Stýskalík Aleš , Debecker Damien P.
Published: November 2019

The direct catalytic conversion of bioethanol to butadiene, also known as the Lebedev process, is one of the most promising solution to replace the petro-based production of this important bulk chemical. Considering the intricate reaction mechanism—where a combination of acid-catalyzed dehydration reactions and metal-catalyzed dehydrogenation have to take place simultaneously—tailor-made bifunctional catalysts are required. We propose to use non-hydrolytic sol-gel (NHSG) chemistry to prepare mesoporous Ta-SiO2 materials which are further promoted by Ag via impregnation. An acetamide elimination route is presented, starting from silicon tetraacetate and pentakis(dimethylamido)tantalum(V), in the presence of a Pluronic surfactant. The catalysts display advantageous texture, with specific surface area in the 600–1000 m² g−1 range, large pore volume (0.6–1.0 mL g−1), an average pore diameter of 4 nm and only a small contribution from micropores. Using an array of characterization techniques, we show that NHSG allows achieving a high degree of dispersion of tantalum, mainly incorporated as single sites in the silica matrix. The presence of these monomeric TaOx active sites is responsible for the much higher dehydration ability, as compared to the corresponding catalyst prepared by impregnation of Ta onto a pristine silica support. We attempt to optimize the butadiene yield by changing the relative proportion of Ta and Ag and by tuning the space velocity. We also demonstrate that Ag or Cu can be introduced directly in one step, during the NHSG process. Copper doping is shown to be much more efficient than silver doping to guide the reaction towards the production of butadiene.
Air Pollution Flow Patterns in the Mexico City Region
Authors: Salcido Alejandro , Carreón-Sierra Susana , Celada-Murillo Ana-Teresa
Published: November 2019

According to the Mexico City Emissions Inventory, mobile sources are responsible for approximately 86% of nitrogen oxide emissions in this region, and correspond to a NOx emission of 51 and 58 kilotons per year in Mexico City and the State of Mexico, respectively. Ozone levels in this region are often high and persist as one of the main problems of air pollution. Identifying the main scenarios for the transport and dispersion of air pollutants requires the knowledge of their flow patterns. This work examines the surface flow patterns of air pollutants (NO2, O3, SO2, and PM10) in the area of Mexico City (a region with strong orographic influences) over the period 2001–2010. The flow condition of a pollutant depends on the spatial distribution of its concentration and the mode of wind circulation in the region. We achieved the identification and characterization of the pollutant flow patterns through the exploitation of the 1-hour average values of the pollutant concentrations and wind data provided by the atmospheric monitoring network of Mexico City and the application of the k-means method of cluster analysis. The data objects for the cluster analysis were obtained by modeling Mexico City as a 4-cell spatial domain and describing, for each pollutant, the flow state in a cell by the spatial averages of the horizontal pollutant flow vector and its gradients (the divergence and curl of the flow vector). We identified seven patterns for wind circulation and nine patterns for each of NO2, O3, PM10, and SO2 pollutant flows. Their seasonal and annual average intensities and probabilities of occurrence were estimated.
Estimating the Spatial Accessibility to Blood Group and Rhesus Type Point-of-Care Testing for Maternal Healthcare in Ghana
Authors: Kuupiel Desmond , Adu Kwame M. , Bawontuo Vitalis , Adogboba Duncan A. , Mashamba-Thompson Tivani P.
Published: November 2019

Background: In Ghana, a blood group and rhesus type test is one of the essential recommended screening tests for women during antenatal care since blood transfusion is a key intervention for haemorrhage. We estimated the spatial accessibility to health facilities for blood group and type point-of-care (POC) testing in the Upper East Region (UER), Ghana. Methods: We assembled the attributes and spatial data of hospitals, clinics, and medical laboratories providing blood group and rhesus type POC testing in the UER. We also obtained the spatial data of all the 131 towns, and 94 health centres and community-based health planning and services (CHPS) compounds providing maternal healthcare in the region. We further obtained the topographical data of the region, and travel time estimated using an assumed tricycle speed of 20 km/h. We employed ArcGIS 10.5 to estimate the distance and travel time and locations with poor spatial access identified for priority improvement. Findings: In all, blood group and rhesus type POC testing was available in 18 health facilities comprising eight public hospitals and six health centres, one private hospital, and three medical laboratories used as referral points by neighbouring health centres and CHPS compounds without the service. Of the 94 health centres and CHPS compounds, 51.1% (48/94) and 66.4% (87/131) of the towns were within a 10 km range to a facility providing blood group and rhesus type testing service. The estimated mean distance to a health facility for blood group and rhesus POC testing was 8.9 ± 4.1 km, whilst the mean travel time was 17.8 ± 8.3 min. Builsa South district recorded the longest mean distance (25.6 ± 7.4 km), whilst Bongo district recorded the shortest (3.1 ± 1.9 km). The spatial autocorrelation results showed the health facilities providing blood group and rhesus type POC testing were randomly distributed in the region (Moran Index = 0.29; z-score = 1.37; p = 0.17). Conclusion: This study enabled the identification of district variations in spatial accessibility to blood group and rhesus type POC testing in the region for policy decisions. We urge the health authorities in Ghana to evaluate and implement recommended POC tests such as slide agglutination tests for blood group and rhesus type testing in resource-limited settings.
Bonding of Core Build-Up Composites with Glass Fiber-Reinforced Posts
Authors: Fragkouli Margarita , Tzoutzas Ioannis , Eliades George
Published: November 2019

The purpose of this study was to investigate the bonding capacity of composite core build-up materials with prefabricated glass fiber-reinforced posts possessing different coronal morphologies. Five post types (Archimede Line (ARL), Fibrekleer (FBK), Glassix (GLX), Matrix Plus (MTP), and ParaPost White (PRW) and three core build-up materials (ClearfilPhoto Core (CPC), ClearfilDC Core (CDC), ClearfilNew Bond (CNB) of different curing modes (light-, self-, dual-cured respectively) were selected. The coronal part was embedded in the core build-up materials and the specimens were loaded under tensile force up to failure. The reliability (β) and characteristic life (σο, in Ν) of the debonding force were evaluated by Weibull statistics and the debonded specimens were subjected to failure mode analysis. The results showed that ARL, MPT posts were the most and GLX the least retentive, despite the core build-up material used. CPC provided the highest retention with four posts (FBK, GLX, MTP, and PRW), without statistically significant differences from CDC in two (FBK and MTP) and CNB in one (PRW). CPC and CDC were the most reliable core materials for two posts (ARL and PRW), with no statistically significant difference from CNB in three (FBK, GLX, and MTP). GLX and PRW demonstrated the highest (93%) incidence of post detachment from core, whereas FBK demonstrated the highest percentage of core material fracture, with most fractures occurring in CDC (57%). Post fractures were most prominent in MTP when combined with CNB. The presence of specific coronal retentive features did not essentially ensure increased strength with the core material, due to their delamination.
An FPGA-Based 16-Bit Continuous-Time 1-1 MASH ΔΣ TDC Employing Multirating Technique
Authors: Mouri Zadeh Khaki Ahmad , Farshidi Ebrahim , Hamid MD Ali Sawal , Othman Masuri
Published: November 2019

An all-digital voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO)-based second-order multi-stage noise-shaping (MASH) ΔΣ time-to-digital converter (TDC) is presented in this paper. The prototype of the proposed TDC was implemented on an Altera Stratix IV FPGA board. In order to improve the performance over conventional TDCs, a multirating technique is employed in this work in which higher sampling rate is used for higher stages. Experimental results show that the multirating technique had a significant influence on improving signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), from 43.09 dB without multirating to 61.02 dB with multirating technique (a gain of 17.93 dB) by quadrupling the sampling rate of the second stage. As the proposed design works in the time-domain and does not consist of any loop and calibration block, no time-to-voltage conversion is needed which results in low complexity and power consumption. A built-in oscillator and phase-locked loops (PLLs) of the FPGA board are utilized to generate sampling clocks at different frequencies. Therefore, no external clock needs to be applied to the proposed TDC. Two cases with different sampling rates were examined by the proposed design to demonstrate the capability of the technique. It can be implied that, by employing multirating technique and increasing sampling frequency, higher SNR can be achieved.
Large Normal Dispersion Mode-Locked Erbium-Doped Fiber Laser
Authors: Tang Mincheng , Granger Geoffroy , Lesparre Fabien , Wang Hongjie , Qian Kai , Lecaplain Caroline , Oudar Jean-Louis , Jaouen Yves , Gabet Renaud , Gaponov Dmitry , Likhachev Mikhail , Godin Thomas , Février Sébastien , Hideur Ammar
Published: November 2019

We report on a passively mode-locked oscillator based on an erbium-doped dual concentric core fiber combining high normal dispersion and large mode area. This large normal dispersion laser generates long pulses with 30 ps duration and 0.17 nm spectral width at 1530 nm wavelength. The source delivers an average power of 64 mW at a repetition rate of 16 MHz, corresponding to 4 nJ energy. This concept opens up new degrees of freedom in the design of mode-locked fiber lasers.
Personalised Medicine Using N-of-1 Trials: Overcoming Barriers to Delivery
Authors: Chalmers Iain , Smeeth Liam , Goldacre Ben
Published: November 2019

In this paper we discuss the value of N-of-1 trials in personalising health care. We describe the challenges faced in implementing N-of-1 trials in the United Kingdom’s National Health Service and suggest how making greater use of these personalised trials might be facilitated.
Does Information Asymmetry Impact Sub-Regions’ Cooperation of Regional Water Resource Allocation?
Authors: Pan Li , Chen Xudong , Zhao Lu , Xiao Anran
Published: November 2019

Water resources allocation is an urgent problem for basin authorities. In order to obtain greater economic benefits from limited water supplies, sub-regions must cooperate with each other. To study the influence of cooperation among sub-regions and the symmetry of cooperation information on the interests of the basin authority and each sub-region, this study proposes a regional water allocation model in three different situations: (1) non-cooperation; (2) cooperation and information symmetry; (3) cooperation and information asymmetry. The proposed model clearly reflects the Stackelberg game relationship between the basin authority and sub-regions. Finally, the model is applied to the Qujiang River Basin in China, and the decisions of the basin authority and sub-regional managers of the Qujiang River Basin under three different situations are discussed. The results show that regional cooperation benefits both the cooperative regions and the social welfare value of the entire river basin, when compared with non-cooperation.
Let-7f: A New Potential Circulating Biomarker Identified by miRNA Profiling of Cells Isolated from Human Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
Authors: Spear Rafaelle , Boytard Ludovic , Blervaque Renaud , Chwastyniak Maggy , Hot David , Vanhoutte Jonathan , Lamblin Nicolas , Amouyel Philippe , Pinet Florence
Published: November 2019

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a progressive vascular disease responsible for 1–4% of the deaths in elderly men. This study aimed to characterize specific microRNA (miRNA) expression in aneurysmal smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and macrophages in order to identify circulating miRNAs associated with AAA. We screened 850 miRNAs in aneurysmal SMCs, M1 and M2 macrophages, and in control SMCs isolated by micro-dissection from aortic biopsies using microarray analysis. In all, 92 miRNAs were detected and 10 miRNAs were selected for validation by qRT-PCR in isolated cells (n = 5), whole control and aneurysmal aorta biopsies (n = 13), and plasma from patients (n = 24) undergoing AAA (over 50 mm) repair matched to patients (n = 18) with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) with atherosclerosis but not AAA. Seven miRNAs were modulated similarly in all aneurysmal cells. The Let-7f was downregulated in aneurysmal cells compared to control SMCs with a significant lower expression in M1 compared to M2 macrophages (0.1 fold, p = 0.03), correlated with a significant downregulation in whole aneurysmal aorta compared to control aorta (0.2 fold, p = 0.03). Significant levels of circulating let-7f (p = 0.048) were found in AAA patients compared to PAD patients with no significant correlation with aortic diameter (R2 = 0.03). Our study underlines the utility of profiling isolated aneurysmal cells to identify other miRNAs for which the modulation of expression might be masked when the whole aorta is used. The results highlight let-7f as a new potential biomarker for AAA.
Lysozyme-Induced Transcriptional Regulation of TNF-α Pathway Genes in Cells of the Monocyte Lineage
Authors: Bergamo Alberta , Gerdol Marco , Pallavicini Alberto , Greco Samuele , Schepens Isabelle , Hamelin Romain , Armand Florence , Dyson Paul J. , Sava Gianni
Published: November 2019

Lysozyme is one of the most important anti-bacterial effectors in the innate immune system of animals. Besides its direct antibacterial enzymatic activity, lysozyme displays other biological properties, pointing toward a significant anti-inflammatory effect, many aspects of which are still elusive. Here we investigate the perturbation of gene expression profiles induced by lysozyme in a monocyte cell line in vitro considering a perspective as broad as the whole transcriptome profiling. The results of the RNA-seq experiment show that lysozyme induces transcriptional modulation of the TNF-α/IL-1β pathway genes in U937 monocytes. The analysis of transcriptomic profiles with IPA® identified a simple but robust molecular network of genes, in which the regulation trends are fully consistent with the anti-inflammatory activity of lysozyme. This study provides the first evidence in support of the anti-inflammatory action of lysozyme on the basis of transcriptomic regulation data resulting from the broad perspective of a whole-transcriptome profiling. Such important effects can be achieved with the supplementation of relatively low concentrations of lysozyme, for a short time of exposure. These new insights allow the potential of lysozyme in pharmacological applications to be better exploited.
Mouse Models of Human Claudin-Associated Disorders: Benefits and Limitations
Authors: Seker Murat , Fernández-Rodríguez Cármen , Martínez-Cruz Luis , Müller Dominik
Published: November 2019

In higher organisms, epithelia separate compartments in order to guarantee their proper function. Such structures are able to seal but also to allow substances to pass. Within the paracellular pathway, a supramolecular structure, the tight junction transport is largely controlled by the temporospatial regulation of its major protein family called claudins. Besides the fact that the expression of claudins has been identified in different forms of human diseases like cancer, clearly defined mutations in the corresponding claudin genes have been shown to cause distinct human disorders. Such disorders comprise the skin and its adjacent structures, liver, kidney, the inner ear, and the eye. From the phenotype analysis, it has also become clear that different claudins can cause a complex phenotype when expressed in different organs. To gain deeper insights into the physiology and pathophysiology of claudin-associated disorders, several mouse models have been generated. In order to model human disorders in detail, they have been designed either as full knockouts, knock-downs or knock-ins by a variety of techniques. Here, we review human disorders caused by CLDN mutations and their corresponding mouse models that have been generated thus far and assess their usefulness as a model for the corresponding human disorder.
Imaging Metabolically Active Fat: A Literature Review and Mechanistic Insights
Authors: Frankl Joseph , Sherwood Amber , Clegg Deborah J. , Scherer Philipp E. , Öz Orhan K.
Published: November 2019

Currently, obesity is one of the leading causes death in the world. Shortly before 2000, researchers began describing metabolically active adipose tissue on cancer-surveillance 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in adult humans. This tissue generates heat through mitochondrial uncoupling and functions similar to classical brown and beige adipose tissue in mice. Despite extensive research, human brown/beige fat’s role in resistance to obesity in humans has not yet been fully delineated. FDG uptake is the de facto gold standard imaging technique when studying brown adipose tissue, although it has not been rigorously compared to other techniques. We, therefore, present a concise review of established and emerging methods to image brown adipose tissue activity in humans. Reviewed modalities include anatomic imaging with CT and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); molecular imaging with FDG, fatty acids, and acetate; and emerging techniques. FDG-PET/CT is the most commonly used modality because of its widespread use in cancer imaging, but there are mechanistic reasons to believe other radiotracers may be more sensitive and accurate at detecting brown adipose tissue activity. Radiation-free modalities may help the longitudinal study of brown adipose tissue activity in the future.
Time-Resolved Spectroscopic Study of N,N–Di(4–bromo)nitrenium Ions in Acidic Aqueous Solution
Authors: Du Lili , Yan Zhiping , Bai Xueqin , Liang Runhui , Phillips David Lee
Published: November 2019

Nitrenium ions are common reactive intermediates with high activities towards some biological nucleophiles. In this paper, we employed femtosecond transient absorption (fs-TA) and nanosecond transient absorption (ns-TA) as well as nanosecond time-resolved resonance Raman (ns-TR3) spectroscopy and density function theory (DFT) calculations to study the spectroscopic properties of the N(4,4′–dibromodiphenylamino)–2,4,6–trimethylpyridinium BF4− salt (1) in an acidic aqueous solution. Efficient cleavage of the N–N bond (4 ps) to form the N,N–di(4–bromophenyl)nitrenium ion (DN) was also observed in the acidic aqueous solution. As a result, the dication intermediate 4 appears more likely to be produced after abstracting a proton for the nitrenium ion DN in the acid solution first, followed by an electron abstraction to form the radical cation intermediate 3. These new and more extensive time-resolved spectroscopic data will be useful to help to develop an improved understanding of the identity, nature, and properties of nitrenium ions involved in reactions under acidic aqueous conditions.
Resistant/Refractory Hypertension and Sleep Apnoea: Current Knowledge and Future Challenges
Authors: Oscullo Grace , Torres Gerard , Campos-Rodriguez Francisco , Posadas Tomás , Reina-González Angela , Sapiña-Beltrán Esther , Barbé Ferrán , Martinez-Garcia Miguel Angel
Published: November 2019

Hypertension is one of the most frequent cardiovascular risk factors. The population of hypertensive patients includes some phenotypes whose blood pressure levels are particularly difficult to control, thus putting them at greater cardiovascular risk. This is especially true of so-called resistant hypertension (RH) and refractory hypertension (RfH). Recent findings suggest that the former may be due to an alteration in the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone axis, while the latter seems to be more closely related to sympathetic hyper-activation. Both these pathophysiological mechanisms are also activated in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). It is not surprising, therefore, that the prevalence of OSA in RH and RfH patients is very high (as reflected in several studies) and that treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) manages to reduce blood pressure levels in a clinically significant way in both these groups of hypertensive patients. It is therefore necessary to incorporate into the multidimensional treatment of patients with RH and RfH (changes in lifestyle, control of obesity and drug treatment) a study of the possible existence of OSA, as this is a potentially treatable disease. There are many questions that remain to be answered, especially regarding the ideal combination of treatment in patients with RH/RfH and OSA (drugs, renal denervation, CPAP treatment) and patients’ varying response to CPAP treatment.