bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modelling rainfall with a Bartlett–Lewis process: New developments
Authors: Onof Christian , Wang Li-Pen
Published: August 2019

Abstract. The use of Poisson-cluster processes to model rainfall time series at a range of scales now has a history of more than 30 years. Among them, the Randomised (also called modified) Bartlett–Lewis model (RBL1) is particularly popular, while a refinement of this model was proposed recently (RBL2) (Kaczmarska et al., 2014). Fitting such models essentially relies upon minimising the difference between theoretical statistics of the rainfall signal and their observed estimates. The first are obtained using closed form analytical expressions for statistics of order 1 to 3 of the rainfall depths, as well as useful approximations of the wet-dry structure properties. The second are standard estimates of these statistics for each month of the data. This paper discusses two issues that are important for optimal model fitting of the RBL1 and RBL2. The first is that, when revisiting the derivation of the analytical expressions for the rainfall depth moments, it appears that the space of possible parameters is wider than has been assumed in the past papers. The second is that care must be exerted in the way monthly statistics are estimated from the data. The impact of these two issues upon both models, in particular upon the estimation of extreme rainfall depths at hourly and sub-hourly timescales is examined using 69 years of 5-min and 105 years of 10-min rainfall data from Bochum (Germany) and Uccle (Belgium), respectively.
Evaluating the impact of model complexity on flood wave propagation and inundation extent with a hydrologic–hydrodynamic model coupling framework
Authors: Hoch Jannis M. , Eilander Dirk , Ikeuchi Hiroaki , Baart Fedor , Winsemius Hessel C.
Published: August 2019

Abstract. Fluvial flood events are a major threat to people and
infrastructure. Typically, flood hazard is driven by hydrologic or river
routing and floodplain flow processes. Since they are often simulated by
different models, coupling these models may be a viable way to increase the
integration of different physical drivers of simulated inundation estimates. To facilitate coupling different models and integrating across flood hazard processes, we here present GLOFRIM 2.0, a globally applicable framework for integrated hydrologic–hydrodynamic modelling. We then tested the hypothesis that smart model coupling can advance inundation modelling in the Amazon and Ganges basins. By means of GLOFRIM, we coupled the global hydrologic model PCR-GLOBWB with the hydrodynamic models CaMa-Flood and LISFLOOD-FP. Results show that replacing the kinematic wave approximation of the hydrologic model with the local inertia equation of CaMa-Flood greatly enhances accuracy of peak discharge simulations as expressed by an increase in the Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) from 0.48 to 0.71. Flood maps obtained with LISFLOOD-FP improved representation of observed flood extent (critical success index C=0.46), compared to downscaled products of PCR-GLOBWB and CaMa-Flood (C=0.30 and C=0.25, respectively). Results confirm that model coupling can indeed be a viable way forward towards more integrated flood simulations. However, results also suggest that the accuracy of coupled models still largely depends on the model forcing. Hence, further efforts must be undertaken to improve the magnitude and timing of simulated runoff. In addition, flood risk is, particularly in delta areas, driven by coastal processes. A more holistic representation of flood processes in delta areas, for example by incorporating a tide and surge model, must therefore be a next development step of GLOFRIM, making even more physically robust estimates possible for adequate flood risk management practices.
Parameter sensitivity analysis of dynamic ice sheet models-Numerical computations
Authors: Cheng Gong , Lötstedt Per
Published: August 2019

Abstract. The friction coefficient and the base topography of a stationary and a dynamic ice sheet are perturbed in two models for the ice: the full Stokes equations and the shallow shelf approximation. The sensitivity to the perturbations of the velocity and the height at the surface is quantified by solving the adjoint equations of the stress and the height equations providing weights for the perturbed data. The adjoint equations are solved numerically and the sensitivity is computed in several examples in two dimensions. Comparisons are made with analytical solutions to simplified problems.
The Effect of Transformational Leadership on Company Innovation Culture: Perspectives from the Service Sector of an Emerging Economy
Authors: Agyenim-Boateng Irene Stella , Ghansah Kyeame
Published: August 2019

Focusing on the importance of innovation culture to the growth of firms, the study examined the effect of transformational leadership on the innovation culture of firms in the service industry in Ghana. The study further assessed the moderating role of organizational learning capability and market dynamism. A sample of 210 employees in the telecommunication, banking and insurance, tourism and hospitality sectors were surveyed. A quantitative research approach was employed to test the various relationships. The findings indicated that transformational leadership had a significant and positive relationship with innovation culture. The findings further revealed that the relationship between transformational leadership and innovation culture was positively enhanced by market dynamism. Organizational learning capability which had two dimensions, that is, interaction with external environment and dialogue had a partial moderating effect on innovation culture. The study provides executives with critical insights on the need to allow employees to make some decisions where necessary and also trust in their decision and not always control the work tightly from the top; as such micromanaging could have adverse impact on the firm’s innovation drive and culture. The researcher contributes to extant literature by finding the moderating role of market dynamism and learning capability on the effect of transformational leadership and innovation culture in an organisation specifically in the service industry of an emerging country.
Pragmatic improvements to seismic resilience of non-structural elements
Authors: Ferner Helen , Lander Matthew , Douglas Gavin , Baird Andrew , Wemyss Martin , Hunter Dave
Published: August 2019

The recent Canterbury earthquake sequence and the more recent Seddon, Lake Grassmere and Castlepoint earthquakes have raised awareness of the vulnerability of non-structural elements of buildings (e.g. ceilings, cladding, building services equipment and piping, etc.). With architectural and building services components comprising up to 70% of a building’s value, significant damage to these elements resulted in some buildings being declared economic losses, even when the structure itself was not badly damaged. Impacts on business continuity due to the damage of non-structural elements have also been identified as a major issue in recent earthquakes in New Zealand, as well as worldwide. It appears a step change is required in the seismic performance of non-structural elements in New Zealand.

This paper explores whether the current approach being used in New Zealand for non-structural contractor designed elements is appropriate in meeting society’s expectations. It contrasts the approach that has historically been taken in New Zealand, with that followed overseas.

The paper goes on to explore a pragmatic “best bang for the buck” approach to upgrading non-structural elements in existing buildings. The approach is presented through illustrated examples of issues and solutions that have been adopted. It also discusses the challenges with trying to upgrade non-structural elements within existing operational buildings including for example, congestion issues and practicalities of access.

The paper concludes with ideas on possible ways to improve the seismic performance of non-structural elements within the New Zealand environment and regulatory regimen from both design and construction perspectives.
Nonlinear modelling and seismic behaviour of precast concrete structures with steel shear walls
Authors: Behnamfar Farhad , Artoonian Rafeek , Ghandil Mehdi
Published: August 2019

A new structural system consisting of precast concrete frames and steel shear walls (SSW's) is introduced and studied numerically in this paper. Two different models, first using ''exact'' FEM and second using approximate equivalent strip model (ESM), are utilized for analysis of such a system with nonlinear static (pushover) procedure. In the FEM model use is made of shell elements while the ESM benefits from simple links that replace the wall panels in the model and are oriented such that they work in tension. Because of good agreement observed between the results of the models in smaller structures, for taller buildings only the ESM approach is followed where computationally applying the FEM approach is impractical. The lateral behaviour of the systems under consideration is investigated with regard to parameters such as number of stories and beam-column connection type. As a result, the ductility, overstrength and response modification factors are calculated for this new structural system as quantities required for their practical design.
Degradation of Ethylene Diaminetetra Acetic Acid With Ferrous Ions Using Fenton’s Reagent in Absence of Light
Authors: Mishra Ajay Kumar , Velmurugan S , Panigrahi B S , Paul Biplob , Chitra S , Khandelwal S K
Published: August 2019

Accumulation of deposit corrosion products inside secondary side of steam generator can lead to serious issue for pressurized water reactor in operation.One way to avoid accumulation of these deposits is to perform chemical cleaning which removes certain amount of deposits but this kind of operation generates high amount of liquid waste which contains process chemicals and metal ions in complex state. Oxidation of complexes will render radioactive ions in free state enabling us for further treatment to innocuous level and condition. In waste treatment there are various treatment technologies (advance oxidation process, ozone, hydrogen peroxide, electrochemical oxidation, supercritical water oxidation, electro flocculation etc to remove the accumulated deposit.).In decontamination process removal of the deposits was carried out using EDTA. which complexes the metal ions but it generates secondary waste with EDTA. We have made an attempt to degrade ethylene diaminetetra acetic acid (with ferrousions) using Fenton’s reagent in absence of light. This will free the radioactive ion for further treatment. We have studied different volume of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and different concentration of ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid (EDTA). Study was also done to find the effect of pH and temp on the degradation of EDTA. In the range of concentration of ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid 400ppm to 22500 ppm % degradation was found to change from 57 to 98% in 180 min. The pH was found to change from 4.0 to 8.2. The temperature was found to change from 298K to 328K. The rate constant of the degradation reaction was found to be in the range 10-4 to 10-3 in temperature range 298K to 328K. Activation energy for degradation reaction was found to be 33-88 KJ/mol.
Features of the Commission of Fraud, Coupled with the Failure to Comply with the Provisions of a Civil Contract
Authors: S. S. Togaibayeva , M. S. Yelyubayev , N. Aikumbeckov , A. I. Togaibayev , T. A. Khanov
Published: August 2019

The relevance of the study due to the need to consider the composition of a criminal offense in the form of fraud under the laws of the Republic of Kazakhstan. New market relations and insufficient legal regulation of certain aspects have expanded the offenders' ability to use the imperfections of legal norms for their own mercenary purposes. The difficulties arising in practical activities necessitate the clarification of controversial issues and the development of sound recommendations for the correct qualification and delimitation of fraud from other legal relations. Based on the study of practical examples of individual forms of fraud, the need for a differentiated approach to qualifications and the establishment of responsibility for fraud is indicated. The main content of the article is aimed at identifying and disclosing the basic concepts that determine the content of the considered offense and highlighting the main forms of deception that ensure the offender to achieve a criminal result. The objective and subjective characteristics of the composition of fraud are investigated, the features of establishing individual qualifying characteristics are considered. The main method of research used a comparative legal analysis of domestic legislation, used statistical data and the results of a survey of law enforcement officers.

The article touches upon the problem of non-fulfillment of contractual obligations as a sign of fraud in the business sphere. Identified and investigated some signs of the objective side of fraudulent activity, in which as a cover for illegal actions, the use of civil law contracts that facilitate the commission of fraud is used. It justifies the conclusion that, taking into account the signs of the objective side, the moment of the end of fraud, coupled with non-fulfillment of contractual obligations, is different from the moment of the end of the usual fraud. Article materials may be valuable for practitioners of pre-trial investigations in terms of scientifically based proposals and recommendations on the qualification of typical fraudulent acts veiled under a civil law transaction.
Agent Based Modeling: het simuleren van nalevingsgedrag
Authors: van Asselt Esther , Osinga Sjoukje , Asselman Mariska , Sterrenburg Piet
Published: August 2019

Agent Based Modeling: het simuleren van nalevingsgedrag

Nalevingsgedrag wordt door een aantal factoren beïnvloed. Deze factoren zijn door het ministerie van Justitie samengevat in de Tafel van Elf, die zowel spontane nalevings- als handhavingsdimensies bevat. Elk individu gaat verschillend om met deze dimensies. Om overall iets te kunnen zeggen over het nalevingsgedrag van een doelgroep dienen de verschillende individuen/bedrijven en hun interacties beschreven te worden. Dit is mogelijk door gebruik te maken van Agent-Based Modeling (ABM). ABM is in het hier beschreven onderzoek toegepast in een casestudie naar correct gebruik van antibiotica door varkenshouders. Simulaties lieten zien dat een hoog nalevingsniveau bereikt kan worden door een hoge mate van acceptatie van de wetgeving, waarbij enige mate van inspectie nodig zal blijven. Verder bleek dat het gedrag van varkenshouders beïnvloed wordt door het nalevingsgedrag van varkenshouders in de omgeving. Voor zover ons bekend is dit de eerste toepassing van ABM op het gebied van naleving en toezicht.
(G)een verrassend verschil. Twee gemeentelijke ranglijsten nader bekeken
Authors: Brouwer Diederik
Published: August 2019

(G)een verrassend verschil. Twee gemeentelijke ranglijsten nader bekeken

Met de Atlas voor gemeenten en Beste gemeente beschikt Nederland over twee brede ranglijsten. Omgeven met een redelijke hoeveelheid publiciteit belanden ze elk jaar in de postbakjes van colleges van B en W en beleidsadviseurs. Wie beide lijsten met elkaar vergelijkt, wacht een flinke verrassing: de top tien van de één lijkt nauwelijks op die van de ander. Verschillen de lijsten ook verder nog van elkaar? Waar komen de verschillen vandaan? En kunnen we iets zeggen over de betrouwbaarheid en bruikbaarheid? Dit zijn enkele van de vragen die in het onderstaande artikel aan de orde komen.
Evidence-based policy en de doorwerking van sociaalwetenschappelijk onderzoek: are we there yet?
Authors: Smet Valérie
Published: August 2019

Evidence-based policy en de doorwerking van sociaalwetenschappelijk onderzoek: are we there yet?

Internationaal stijgt de aandacht voor evidence-based policy (EBP); de term duikt steeds vaker op in het beleidsdiscours. Het empirisch onderzoek naar kennisgebruik en doorwerking van wetenschappelijk onderzoek is evenwel eerder gelimiteerd, al bestaat er consensus dat de doorwerking van sociaalwetenschappelijk onderzoek beperkt is. De vraag stelt zich of het recente EBP-discours hierin verandering kan brengen. Kan EBP leiden tot meer doorwerking van sociaalwetenschappelijk onderzoek, gelet op de inherente kenmerken van beleid en wetenschappelijk onderzoek die belangrijke obstakels blijken te vormen voor kennisgebruik en doorwerking? Kunnen we in Vlaanderen reeds spreken over een EBP? Wat verstaan beleidsmakers onder ‘evidence-based’? Is een EBP überhaupt mogelijk? Wat zijn de belangrijkste obstakels voor kennisgebruik volgens beleidsmakers en wat zijn de belangrijkste gebruiksverhogende factoren? In dit artikel wordt aan de hand van een literatuurstudie, een bevraging van (Vlaamse) beleidsmakers en een citaats- en inhoudsanalyse van Vlaamse parlementaire bronnen gepoogd een antwoord te bieden op deze vragen.
Systemy wentylacji i klimatyzacji. HVAC w obiektach handlowych
Authors: Kaczmarczyk Jan , Glück Izabela , Żydek Karolina
Published: August 2019

Współczesne obiekty handlowe przejmują dodatkowe funkcje, zapewniając swoim klientom rozrywkę i rekreację. Zróżnicowanie przestrzeni pod kątem ich przeznaczenia oraz obciążeń cieplno-wilgotnościowych wymaga odpowiedniego podejścia do projektowania systemów ogrzewania, wentylacji i klimatyzacji. W artykule przedstawiono najczęściej stosowane rozwiązania instalacji HVAC umożliwiające utrzymanie komfortu cieplnego i dobrej jakości powietrza w obiektach handlowych. Przedstawiono także rozwiązania wentylacji pożarowej niezbędne w wielkokubaturowych obiektach użyteczności publicznej.
Fibrobeton. Wybrane wyniki badań
Authors: Grzymski Filip
Published: August 2019

Zbrojenie betonu włóknami stalowymi jest coraz częściej wykorzystywaną metodą zwiększania jego odporności na zarysowanie i pękanie. Najszersze zastosowanie w praktyce znalazło ono w przypadku posadzek przemysłowych. Różnorodność dostępnych na rynku włókien pozwala na spełnienie zróżnicowanych kryteriów projektowych, a włókna stalowe najnowszej generacji umożliwiają niekiedy całkowitą rezygnację z klasycznego zbrojenia prętami, nawet w przypadku silnie obciążonych posadzek. W artykule przedstawiono wybrane wyniki badań dotyczących potencjału wykorzystania odpadów z obróbki skrawaniem jako substytutu włókien stalowych dostępnych na rynku. Podstawowe parametry wytrzymałościowe fibrobetonu uzyskanego z użyciem proponowanych włókien zostały porównane z materiałami referencyjnymi – betonem bez zbrojenia oraz fibrobetonem ze stalowymi włóknami haczykowatymi. Dodatkowo przedstawiono analizę czynników technologicznych, które mają duży wpływ na zasadność stosowania badanego materiału.
O Impacto do 11 de Setembro no Desenvolvimento da Política de Segurança e Defesa da União Europeia (2001-2010)
Authors: Martinez Elias , Mendes Jacqueline Oliveira
Published: August 2019

Este artigo discute o impacto dos atentados terroristas de setembro de 2001 e da subsequente invasão do Iraque na Política de Segurança e Defesa da União Europeia no período 2001-2010. Analisa-se como tais eventos alteraram a integração do bloco em matéria de segurança e de que forma a resposta norte-americana dada aos atentados causou uma cisão e divergência entre os países europeus que preferiram atuar de forma isolada.
Nonlinear Controller with the Enhanced Resistance to Electromagnetic Disturbances
Authors: Baskys Algirdas
Published: August 2019

The controller, which provides the control system dynamics similar to PID controller, but guarantees higher resistance of the control system to electromagnetic disturbances, has been proposed. The controller is similar to Proportional Integral (PI) controller. Distinctive feature of the controller is that the impact of the proportional term on the controller output signal is proportional to the control error raised to a power. The controller investigation results and their comparison with the results obtained using popular PID and PI controllers are presented.
Sliding Mode Control for Position Tracking of Servo System with a Variable Loaded DC Motor
Authors: Durdu Akif , Dursun Emre Hasan
Published: August 2019

In this paper, the real-time position control of servo system is carried out using sliding mode control (SMC) method based on variable structure control (VSC). As DC Motors are commonly used in many industrial applications and robotics, studies in this paper have are tested on a DC servo system, which is designed and produced by Quanser Inc. Three different types of sliding mode controllers are designed for position control of servo system and, later, performance comparison of DC Motor on Servo system is made. According to results obtained from real-time servo system, it is shown that SMC method is robust against to disturbing effects, variabilities, and uncertainties on the systems. Outstanding part of this paper is that designed controllers are implemented to servo system in real-time with a variable loaded DC Motor. Moreover, this study shows that this control structure can be performed as high performance in the real-time motor control applications.
Hybrid K Based Influential Parameter Determination and Design Optimization of 220 kV High Voltage Insulator
Authors: Goswami Anik , Sadhu Paromita , Sadhu Pradip Kumar
Published: August 2019

Insulator failure generally occurs due to improper design, and if there exists sharp edges over the insulator surface. There is a need to detect the fragile parameters in the insulator design as they can cause large electrical stress, leading to insulation failure. In this paper, machine learning based approach is used to identify the fragile design parameter and thus determine an optimized design of the insulator, which will eventually decrease the voltage stress over it. A 220 kV insulator is designed and electric field intensity and potential distribution for an assembly of live, ground and insulator is calculated for different geometries. The design parameters of the insulator are considered and varied. The electric field is calculated for the whole assembly of insulator to generate the most optimized design. The optimized design reduces the overall stress by 13.12 %.
Dynamic Resource Management of Real-Time Edge Services for Intelligent Vehicular Networks: A Case Study
Authors: Gilly Katja , Filiposka Sonja , Alcaraz Carrasco Salvador , Mishev Anastas
Published: August 2019

The Internet of Vehicles requires high bandwidth and low latency services to unleash the potential of fully connected vehicles. Thus, the offloading proposals that successfully manage massive real-time service requests from vehicle nodes are needed. In this paper, we analyse the dynamic resource management for intelligent vehicular networks based on Multi-access Edge Computing architecture services. Using a combination of CloudSim and SUMO simulators, we present a case study of infotainment services in the city centre of Alicante, in Spain, that shows a high degree of optimality both in service allocation and migration when considering dense urban environments.
Outage Performance Analysis of Cell-Center/Edge Users Under Two Policies of Energy Harvesting
Authors: Do Dinh-Thuan , Le Anh-Tu , Le Chi-Bao , Le Si-Phu , Nguyen Hong-Nhu , Sevcik Lukas , Voznak Miroslav
Published: August 2019

In this paper, two energy harvesting policies deploying in cooperative non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) systems are considered. After period of wireless power transfer, the NOMA users including cell-edge and cell-center users simultaneously transmit the superposition coded symbols to the base station (BS). In the last time slot, the BS decodes to achieve its signal based on superposition coded symbol with corresponding power allocation factors. This paper provides exact expressions of outage probability in two schemes. Performance gap of two NOMA users can be raised by providing different power allocation factors. It is confirmed by numerical result. Distance and data rate are main factors affecting outage performance. Scheme I exhibit scenario where power beacon transmits energy signal to NOMA user while the BS feeds energy to NOMA user in Scheme II. It is shown that outage performance of Scheme I is better than that of Scheme II.
Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology in Pediatric Thyroid Nodules: Experience of a Tertiary Care Referral Center
Authors: Heider Amer , Arnold Stacy , Jing Xin
Published: August 2019

Context.—

The Management Guidelines for Children with Thyroid Nodules and Differentiated Thyroid Cancer from The American Thyroid Association recommends fine-needle aspiration (FNA) as an essential tool for evaluation and management of pediatric thyroid nodules, and The Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology (TBSRTC) as a guideline to categorize FNA cytologic findings. A few publications have focused on TBSRTC categorization in children.

Objective.—

To evaluate our institutional experience of using TBSRTC in the pediatric population.

Design.—

We conducted a retrospective data search for thyroid FNA specimens from patients younger than 21 years who were assessed by using TBSRTC categorization between January 1, 2011, and September 30, 2017. Cytologic and histologic diagnoses, rate of surgical follow-up, rate of histology-proven malignancy, and cytologic-histologic concordance were assessed in comparison with our previously published adult experience.

Results.—

Among a total of 201 specimens, benign category accounted for 103 (51.2%), followed by 35 (17.4%) malignant, 30 (14.9%) atypia of undetermined significance/follicular lesion of undetermined significance (AUS/FLUS), 14 (7.0%) nondiagnostic, 10 (5.0%) follicular neoplasm/suspicious for follicular neoplasm (FN/SFN), and 9 (4.5%) suspicious for malignancy (SFM) categories. Surgeries were subsequently performed in 100 of the 201 cases (49.8%). All surgically removed nodules categorized as malignant and SFM by FNA showed malignancy, while malignancy was evident in various proportions of specimens classified as AUS/FLUS (5 of 16; 31.3%), FN/SFN (1 of 9; 11.1%), and nondiagnostic (1 of 7; 14.2%). No malignancy was identified in the benign category. Cytologic-histologic concordance achieved 100% in malignant, SFM, and FN/SFN categories, and exceeded beyond 85% and 50% for benign and AUS/FLUS categories, respectively.

Conclusions.—

TBSRTC is effective for appropriate categorization of pediatric thyroid nodules. Risk of malignancy in thyroid nodules is higher for the pediatric than adult population. Understanding the difference in TBSRTC categorization between children and adults may aid in achieving more appropriate evaluation and management of pediatric thyroid nodules.
A rapid spread of the Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease outbreak in the Mexican Caribbean
Authors: Alvarez-Filip Lorenzo , Estrada-Saldívar Nuria , Pérez-Cervantes Esmeralda , Molina-Hernández Ana , Gonzalez-Barrios Francisco J.
Published: August 2019

Caribbean reef corals have experienced unprecedented declines from climate change, anthropogenic stressors and infectious diseases in recent decades. Since 2014 a highly lethal, new disease, called stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD), has impacted many species in Florida. During the summer of 2018 we noticed an anomalously high disease prevalence affecting different coral species in the northern portion of the Mexican Caribbean. We assessed the severity of this outbreak in 2018/2019 using the AGRRA coral protocol to survey 82 reef sites across the Mexican Caribbean. Then, using a subset of 14 sites we detailed information from before the outbreak (2016/2017) to explore the consequences of the disease on the condition and composition of coral communities. Our findings show that the disease outbreak has already spread across the entire region, affecting similar species (with similar disease patterns) to those previously described for Florida. However, we observed a great variability in prevalence and tissue mortality that was not attributable to any geographical gradient. Using long-term data, we determined that there is no evidence of such high coral disease prevalence anywhere in the region before 2018, which suggests that the entire Mexican Caribbean (~450 km) was afflicted by the disease within a few months. The analysis of sites that contained pre-outbreak information showed that this event considerably increased coral mortality and severely changed the structure of coral communities in the region. Given the high prevalence and lethality of this disease, and the high number of susceptible species, we encourage reef researchers, managers and stakeholders across the Western Atlantic to accord it the highest priority for the near future.
A potent voltage-gated calcium channel inhibitor engineered from a nanobody targeted to auxiliary CaVβ subunits
Authors: Morgenstern Travis J , Park Jinseo , Fan Qing R , Colecraft Henry M
Published: August 2019

Inhibiting high-voltage-activated calcium channels (HVACCs; CaV1/CaV2) is therapeutic for myriad cardiovascular and neurological diseases. For particular applications, genetically-encoded HVACC blockers may enable channel inhibition with greater tissue-specificity and versatility than is achievable with small molecules. Here, we engineered a genetically-encoded HVACC inhibitor by first isolating an immunized llama nanobody (nb.F3) that binds auxiliary HVACC CaVβ subunits. Nb.F3 by itself is functionally inert, providing a convenient vehicle to target active moieties to CaVβ-associated channels. Nb.F3 fused to the catalytic HECT domain of Nedd4L (CaV-aβlator), an E3 ubiquitin ligase, ablated currents from diverse HVACCs reconstituted in HEK293 cells, and from endogenous CaV1/CaV2 channels in mammalian cardiomyocytes, dorsal root ganglion neurons, and pancreatic β cells. In cardiomyocytes, CaV-aβlator redistributed CaV1.2 channels from dyads to Rab-7-positive late endosomes. This work introduces CaV-aβlator as a potent genetically-encoded HVACC inhibitor, and describes a general approach that can be broadly adapted to generate versatile modulators for macro-molecular membrane protein complexes.
Estudo de mercado sobre viabilidade da abertura de uma empresa de Consultoria na área de Secretariado Executivo
Authors: Oliveira Michele lúcia , Gouveia Joseilme Fernandes , Peronico Barbotin Maria Angeluce Soares
Published: August 2019

A consultoria tem se tornado um diferencial para os profissionais de Secretariado Executivo, nos dias atuais. Esse profissional pode desenvolver o papel empreendedor por meio das atividades de consultoria secretarial interna ou externa. Baseado nesse contexto o presente estudo teve como objetivo investigar, por meio de uma pesquisa de mercado, a viabilidade da abertura de uma empresa de consultoria secretarial no Vale do Mamanguape. Do ponto de vista metodológico, foi realizada uma pesquisa de campo no Vale do Mamanguape com representantes das doze prefeituras (6 prefeitos, 4 chefes de gabinete e 2 secretários de finanças) e também com 19 representantes das empresas de pequeno, médio e grande porte. De modo geral, os resultados nas organizações estudadas apontam para: a falta de um profissional especializado para organizar os eventos e tomar conta do acervo documental, necessidade de transformação dos arquivos físicos em digitais, falta de capacitação dos servidores que trabalham direto com o atendimento ao público e a necessidade de contratação de um consultor para orientar os funcionários no atendimento ao cliente. Considerando o mercado consumidor essa pesquisa identificou a existência de demanda e interesse pela consultoria na área de organização de eventos, gestão documental e atendimento ao público; o que aponta para a viabilidade da abertura de uma empresa de consultoria secretarial. Portanto, a consultoria secretarial é um mercado promissor para o profissional de Secretariado Executivo atuar no Vale do Mamanguape.
Capacidade de inovação em negócios tradicionais e de impacto social
Authors: Da Costa Priscila Rezende , Ronzani Célia Maria
Published: August 2019

O objetivo é demonstrar a utilização do software Atlas.Ti na análise da capacidade de inovação em negócios tradicionais e de impacto social. Para tal, as unidades de análise contemplaram: um negócio tradicional, a BRAILE, vencedora do prêmio “FINEP de Inovação (Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos de Inovação)”, categoria Média Empresa; e um negócio de impacto social, o CREN, vencedor do prêmio “Empreendedor Social”, do Jornal Folha de S. Paulo. Os resultados demonstraram que a aplicação do Atlas.Ti, a partir de estudo de caso múltiplo, possibilita a organização, recuperação e análise de dados de forma contínua e cíclica. Para apoiar a análise dos dados também foram utilizados componentes específicos do Atlas.Ti, como Code Cooccurence Table, Querry Tool e Visão de Rede, o que facilitou a validação dos códigos e as respectivas categorias que emergiram dos dados, possibilitando a compreensão da capacidade de inovação em negócios tradicionais e de impacto social. Como principal contribuição, destaca-se a proposição de um framework sobre o significado da capacidade de inovação, enfatizando-se as distinções e similaridades de negócios tradicionais e de impacto social.
In-vivo Study on Organometallic Compounds as Anticancer Agents
Authors: Mohammed F. Z. , Elsayed Elsherbiny H. , Elbaky Atef E. Abd , Shalaby H. M.
Published: August 2019

This study aims to study the in-vivo anticancer effect of the synthesized copper complexes of 2,3-dihydroxy benzaldehyde thiosemicarbazone (3a,b), followed by evaluating their antioxidant activity.  Materials and methods: A total number of 80 adult female swiss albino mice weighing 20-25 gm were divided into 8 groups (10 mice /each group).  The acute toxicity was estimated by intraperitoneal injection of the compounds (3a, b). Results:  We found that, 5 mg /kg and 10 mg /kg were considered to be the most effective dose of compounds 3a & 3b, respectively. The mean volume of EAC in the positive control group was found to be 4.2 ±0.5 (mL), this value was significantly decreased by 100%, (p<0.001) for 3a & 3b treated groups, respectively.
A Comparative Analysis of Selected Fisher Linear Discriminant Based Algorithms in Human Faces
Authors: Okediran Oladotun O. , Ashaolu Temitope O. , Omidiora Elijah O.
Published: August 2019

One of the most reliable biometrics when issues of access control and security is been considered is face recognition. An integral part of a face recognition system is the feature extraction stage, which becomes a critical problem where is a need to obtain the best feature with minimum classification error and low running time. Many of the existing face recognition systems have adopted different linear discriminant-based algorithms independently for feature extraction in which excellent performance were achieved, but identifying the best most suitable of these variants of linear discriminant-based algorithms for face recognition systems remains a subject open for research. Therefore, this paper carried out a comparative analysis of the performance of the basic Linear Discriminant Algorithm (LDA) and two of its variants which are Kernel Linear Discriminant Analysis (KLDA) and Multiclass Linear Discriminant Analysis (MLDA) in face recognition application for access control.

Three Hundred and forty (340) face images were locally acquired with default size of 1200 x 1200. Two hundred and forty (240) images were used for training while the remaining hundred (100) images were used for testing purpose. The image enhancement involves converting into grayscale and normalizing the acquired images using histogram equalization method. Feature extraction and dimension reduction of the images were done using each of LDA, KLDA and MLDA algorithms individually. The extracted feature subsets of the images from each of LDA, KLDA and MLDA algorithm were individually classified using Euclidian distance. This technique was implemented using Matrix Laboratory (R2015a). The performance of LDA, KLDA and MLDA was evaluated and compared at 200 x 200 pixel resolution and 0.57 threshold value using recognition accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, false positive rate, training time and recognition time.

The evaluation result shows that the LDA algorithm yielded recognition accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, false positive rate, training time and recognition time of 93.00%, 92.86%, 93.33%, 6.67%, 1311.76 seconds and 67.98 seconds respectively. Also, KLDA recorded recognition accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, false positive rate, training time and recognition time of 95.00%, 95.71%, 93.33%, 6.67%, 1393.24 seconds and 63.67 seconds respectively. Furthermore, MLDA algorithm yielded recognition accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, false positive rate, training time and recognition time of 97.00%, 97.14%, 96.67%, 3.33%, 1191.55 seconds and 58.65 seconds respectively. The t-test measured between the accuracies of MLDA algorithm and KLDA reveals that MLDA algorithm was statistically significant at . Also, the t-test measured between the accuracies of MLDA algorithm and LDA reveals that MLDA algorithm was statistically significant at .
Cause‐and‐Effect Diagrams
Authors: Kenett Ron S.
Published: August 2019

Cause and effect is a basic knowledge driven by theoretical and empirical considerations. Several tools have been proposed to map cause‐and‐effect relationships, with some more heuristics and some highly quantitative. This article covers the Ishikawa fishbone diagram, structural equation models, Bayesian networks, and causal networks.
Causality for Decision‐Making
Authors: Cox Louis A.
Published: August 2019

Rational decisions seek to cause preferred outcomes by selecting actions or policies that make them more likely. Decision optimization models therefore typically include causal models of how outcome probabilities depend on the decision maker's choices, as well as on other direct causes such as the uncontrollable state of nature – a catchall term for causes of outcomes that the decision maker cannot choose. These causal models are often left implicit in the objective functions (e.g., expected utility) that the decision maker seeks to maximize and in the constraints on allowed values of decision variables. Making them explicit through causal network models that display the dependencies (indicated by arrows) among decision variables and other uncertain quantities (represented as nodes in the network) allows a variety of network‐based algorithms to be used to solve for optimal decisions and invites natural extensions to include choices over time by multiple decision makers. This article reviews causal network models and optimization algorithms for single and multiple decision makers.
Simulation for Management of Passenger Facilitation within Airport Terminals
Authors: Ebert Anthony , Wu Paul , Mengersen Kerrie
Published: August 2019

Airports facilitate more passengers than ever before. Since upgrading the existing infrastructure is often financially or politically infeasible, attention turns to optimizing airport management. The complexity of passenger flows in airport systems means that prediction with simulators is often the only viable method for optimization.
Amborella– Bearing Witness to the Past?
Authors: Poncet Valérie , Birnbaum Philippe , Burtet‐Sarramegna Valérie , de Kochko Alexandre , Fogliani Bruno , Gâteblé Gildas , Isnard Sandrine , Jaffré Tanguy , Job Dominique , Munoz François , Munzinger Jérôme , Scutt Charles P. , Tournebize Rémi , Trueba Santiago , Pillon Yohan
Published: August 2019

Amborella trichopoda(Amborellaceae) is a shrub endemic to New Caledonia in the Southwest Pacific region. This plant suddenly became famous when molecular phylogenetic studies revealed that this sole species is likely the sister taxon to all other angiosperms. It has thus been a prime research model for reconstructing plant evolution and gaining insight into what the earliest angiosperms looked like. A wealth of studies onAmborellahave now shed considerable light on its genome, morphology, anatomy, physiology, development, and architecture – this research is reviewed in this article. WhileAmborellalikely retained some ancestral traits, critical character reconstructions have also highlighted some derived and sometimes unique characters in this species. The history ofAmborellais also tied to the South Pacific archipelago of New Caledonia, its homeland. It was part of the New Caledonian biogeography puzzle and its genetic history shed light on the dynamics of its ecosystem, the rainforest understorey.Amborellais now cultivated in botanical gardens and has been the focus of some conservation measures that will also benefit other species in this biodiversity hotspot.
High Ambipolar Mobility in a Neutral Radical Gold Dithiolene Complex
Authors: Mizuno Asato , Benjamin Helen , Shimizu Yasuhiro , Shuku Yoshiaki , Matsushita Michio M. , Robertson Neil , Awaga Kunio
Published: August 2019

A new anionic gold dithiolene complex NBu4·[1] is synthesized from the (1‐((1,1‐biphenyl)‐4‐yl‐)‐ethylene‐1,2‐dithiolene ligand 1, and the cis and trans isomers are separated by recrystallization. The trans isomer is oxidized via electrocrystallisation to the neutral gold dithiolene complex 2. Complex 2 crystalizes in 1D chains, held together by short (3.30–3.37 Å) S–S contacts, which are packed in a herringbone arrangement in the ab‐plane. The complex exhibits semiconductor behavior (σRT = 1.5 × 10−4 S cm−1) at room temperature with a small activation energy (Ea = 0.11 eV), with greater conductivity along the stacking direction. The charge transport behavior of complex 2 is further investigated in single‐crystal field‐effect transistor (FET) measurements, the first such measurements reported for gold dithiolene complexes. Complex 2 shows incredibly balanced ambipolar behavior in the single‐crystal field‐effect transistor (SC‐FET), with high charge‐carrier mobilities of 0.078 cm2 V−1 s−1, the highest ambipolar mobilities reported for metal dithiolene complexes. This well‐balanced behavior, along with the activated conductivity and band structure calculations, suggests that 2 behaves as a Mott insulator. The magnetic properties are also studied by superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometry and solid state 1H NMR, with evidence of a nonmagnetic ground state at low temperature.
Surface Engineered Polymersomes for Enhanced Modulation of Dendritic Cells During Cardiovascular Immunotherapy
Authors: Yi Sijia , Zhang Xiaohan , Sangji M. Hussain , Liu Yugang , Allen Sean D. , Xiao Baixue , Bobbala Sharan , Braverman Cameron L. , Cai Lei , Hecker Peter I. , DeBerge Matthew , Thorp Edward B. , Temel Ryan E. , Stupp Samuel I. , Scott Evan A.
Published: August 2019

The principle cause of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is atherosclerosis, a chronic inflammatory condition characterized by immunologically complex fatty lesions within the intima of arterial vessel walls. Dendritic cells (DCs) are key regulators of atherosclerotic inflammation, with mature DCs generating pro‐inflammatory signals within vascular lesions and tolerogenic DCs eliciting atheroprotective cytokine profiles and regulatory T‐cell (Treg) activation. Here, the surface chemistry and morphology of synthetic nanocarriers composed of poly(ethylene glycol)‐b‐poly(propylene sulfide) copolymers to enhance the targeted modulation of DCs by transporting the anti‐inflammatory agent 1,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D3‐(aVD) and ApoB‐100‐derived antigenic peptide P210 are engineered. Polymersomes decorated with an optimized surface display and density for a lipid construct of the P‐D2 peptide, which binds CD11c on the DC surface, significantly enhance the cytosolic delivery and resulting immunomodulatory capacity of aVD in vitro. Weekly low‐dose intravenous administration of DC‐targeted, aVD‐loaded polymersomes significantly inhibit atherosclerotic lesion development in high‐fat‐diet‐fed ApoE−/− mice. The results validate the key role of DC immunomodulation during aVD‐dependent inhibition of atherosclerosis and demonstrate the therapeutic enhancement and dosage lowering capability of cell‐targeted nanotherapy in the treatment of CVD.
A Versatile Biosynthetic Hydrogel Platform for Engineering of Tissue Analogues
Authors: Klotz Barbara J. , Oosterhoff Loes A. , Utomo Lizette , Lim Khoon S. , Vallmajo‐Martin Queralt , Clevers Hans , Woodfield Tim B. F. , Rosenberg Antoine J. W. P. , Malda Jos , Ehrbar Martin , Spee Bart , Gawlitta Debby
Published: August 2019

For creating functional tissue analogues in tissue engineering, stem cells require very specific 3D microenvironments to thrive and mature. Demanding (stem) cell types that are used nowadays can find such an environment in a heterogeneous protein mixture with the trade name Matrigel. Several variations of synthetic hydrogel platforms composed of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), which are spiked with peptides, have been recently developed and shown equivalence to Matrigel for stem cell differentiation. Here a clinically relevant hydrogel platform, based on PEG and gelatin, which even outperforms Matrigel when targeting 3D prevascularized bone and liver organoid tissue engineering models is presented. The hybrid hydrogel with natural and synthetic components stimulates efficient cell differentiation, superior to Matrigel models. Furthermore, the strength of this hydrogel lies in the option to covalently incorporate unmodified proteins. These results demonstrate how a hybrid hydrogel platform with intermediate biological complexity, when compared to existing biological materials and synthetic PEG‐peptide approaches, can efficiently support tissue development from human primary cells.
Genetically Programmable Self‐Regenerating Bacterial Hydrogels
Authors: Duraj‐Thatte Anna M. , Courchesne Noémie‐Manuelle Dorval , Praveschotinunt Pichet , Rutledge Jarod , Lee Yuhan , Karp Jeffrey M. , Joshi Neel S.
Published: August 2019

A notable challenge for the design of engineered living materials (ELMs) is programming a cellular system to assimilate resources from its surroundings and convert them into macroscopic materials with specific functions. Here, an ELM that uses Escherichia coli as its cellular chassis and engineered curli nanofibers as its extracellular matrix component is demonstrated. Cell‐laden hydrogels are created by concentrating curli‐producing cultures. The rheological properties of the living hydrogels are modulated by genetically encoded factors and processing steps. The hydrogels have the ability to grow and self‐renew when placed under conditions that facilitate cell growth. Genetic programming enables the gels to be customized to interact with different tissues of the gastrointestinal tract selectively. This work lays a foundation for the application of ELMs with therapeutic functions and extended residence times in the gut.
Enabling Robust Self‐Folding Origami by Pre‐Biasing Vertex Buckling Direction
Authors: Kang Ji‐Hwan , Kim Hyunki , Santangelo Christian D. , Hayward Ryan C.
Published: August 2019

Self‐folding is a powerful approach to fabricate materials with complex 3D forms and advanced properties using planar patterning steps, but suffers from intrinsic limitations in robustness due to the highly bifurcated nature of configuration space around the flat state. Here, a simple mechanism is introduced to achieve robust self‐folding of microscale origami by separating actuation into two discrete steps using different thermally responsive hydrogels. First, the vertices are pre‐biased to move in the desired direction from the flat state by selectively swelling one of the two hydrogels at high temperature. Subsequently, the creases are folded toward their target angles by activating swelling of the second hydrogel upon cooling to room temperature. Since each vertex can be individually programmed to move upward or downward, it is possible to robustly select the desired branch even in multi‐vertex structures with reasonably high complexity. This strategy provides key new principles for designing shaping‐morphing materials that avoid undesired distractor states, expanding their potential applications in areas such as soft robotics, sensors, mechanical metamaterials, and deployable devices.