bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Some Notes (with Badiou and Žižek) on Event/Truth/Subject/Militant Community in Jean-Paul Sartre's Political Thought
Authors: Vogt Erik M.
Published: June 2017

The main object of this paper is to examine the new philosophical frame proposed by Alain Badiou and Slavoj Žižek and to show that it implies some traces of Sartre's philosophical and political heritage. According the project of Alain Badiou and Slavoj Žižek one should no longer accept today's constellation of freedom, particularistic truth and democracy, but to (re)inscribe the issues of freedom and universal truth into a political project that attempts to re-activate a thinking of revolution. Their thinking consists in the wager that it is still possible to provide a philosophical frame for this leftist emancipatory position that claims the dimension of the universal against the vicious circle of capitalist globalization-cum-particularization and, by following Marx's claim that there are formal affinities between the ambitions of emancipatory politics and the working mode of capitalism, takes up the struggle of universalism against globalization (capital). It is only through this struggle for the universal that the intertwined processes of a constant expansion of the automatism of capital and "a process of fragmentation into closed identities," accompanied by "the culturalist and relativist ideology" (Badiou) can be suspended. It is precisely this constellation of revolutionary act, universal truth, subject, and militant community, that reveal some similarities with Sartre's concepts of the subject, the revolutionary action, the militant community a.o.
The Actuality of Sartre's Free Will Conception
Authors: Kampits Peter
Published: June 2017

The main Sartrean concepts and theses of freedom of will and unlimited responsibility, which seemed for many already outdated, are gaining actually interest in respect to the recent results in brain research. The main objective of the paper is to reevaluate Sartre's free will conception trying to answer the question: How would Sartre who, in the time of his existentialist phase during which his radical theory of freedom received its most pointed articulation, was familiar with psychological theories of determinism, have responded to statements of actually leading brain researchers such as "we are determined," "brain research liberates from illusions" or "I am my brain"?
Tugend als Wert: Christoph Halbig und Max Scheler im Vergleich
Authors: Moser Susanne
Published: June 2017

Virtue as Value: A Comparison between Christoph Halbig and Max SchelerThe aim of the following contribution is to compare the virtue conceptions of Christoph Halbig and Max Scheler in order to scrutinize their common positions and differences and thus to answer two questions: Firstly, is it true that Scheler's approach is based on the basic assumptions of the recursive theory of virtues, as Halbig asserts this? Secondly, can the virtues be defined as attitudes (Thomas Hurka, Christopher Halbig), or should they be conceived as qualities of the person (Max Scheler)? In addition, the author examines the connection of virtues and emotions more closely and shows that virtues can be regarded as a kind of transformers from the negative to the positive, because they fix the right way of dealing with negative emotions and because they switch over the negative basic mood into a positive and joyful one. The reflection of these questions is embedded in a constant reference to Aristotle's understanding of virtues.
Role of weather parameters on seasonal abundance of insects in a mangobased agroforestry in Bangladesh, with particular reference to mango hopper
Authors: Namni S , Amin MR , Miah MRU , Rahman MF , Suh SJ
Published: June 2017

Weekly sweeping was done by sweep net in order to collect insects to study the effect of weather parameters on the seasonal abundance of total insect species as well as mango hopper population in a mango-based agroforestry in Bangladesh during January to June 2013. The total insect species abundance was the highest during April to May, following the flushing of inflorescence and fruit set. At that time temperature and relative humidity were comparatively higher and there was rainfall. Mango hopper population was the highest in May and synchronized to fruit set. The abundance of total insect species and mango hopper population showed significant positive correlation with temperature, and relative humidity, while significant negative correlation with light intensity and non-significant positive correlation with rainfall. Multiple linear regression equation based on weather parameters revealed 59.2% and 61.7% role on population build up of total insect species and mango hopper, respectively. Temperature was found to be the most important effect which individually contributed 31.3% on population abundance of total insect species and 29.9% on mango hopper.Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 42(2): 197-205, June 2017
Utilization of specialized agricultural credit on onion and garlic cultivation in selected areas of Bangladesh
Authors: Khatun M , Hossain Tanvir MB , Khandoker S , Begum MEA , Anowar AFMS
Published: June 2017

Specialized Agricultural Credit (SAC) policy implemented by the Bangladesh Bank played a significant role to increase agricultural production specially spices. But documentation in this regard is scarce in Bangladesh. Therefore, this study captured the impacts of specialized credit on onion and garlic cultivation at Faridpur and Natore district respectively. The survey was conducted on two hundred farmers of which fifty were credit recipient farmers and fifty were non-recipient farmers of each district. Credit recipient farmers received on an average Tk. 26,255 for spices cultivation. Average cost to complete the process from receiving to repaying credit was Tk. 515. Farmers in the study areas utilized their maximum part of credit for spices cultivation (96.2%) followed by other crop cultivation (2.15%), family expenditure (1.4%) and business (0.25%). Due to getting credit facility farmers cultivated 16 decimals more land compared to previous years for spices, 42% of the farmers increased number of spices crop for cultivation, and farmers also increased amount of input use with better quality. For these, credit recipient farmers harvested spices with higher yield which finally helped in getting higher farm income. Credit recipient farmers received 7% higher net return from onion and 16% higher net return from garlic cultivation. Highest percentage of farmers (82%) mentioned that lack of information about spices credit was the main reason behind not receiving credit facility by large number of farmers. Specialized credit facility for farmers need to be widened through spreading information of spices credit facility among the farmers and increasing amount of credit.Therefore, domestic production of spices will increase and imports of spices from abroad will decrease.Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 42(2): 233-247, June 2017
Optimum sampling plan of yield contributing characters of pointed gourd
Authors: Mohammad N , Islam MS , Rahman KS , Rahman MM , Rahman MM
Published: June 2017

To improve efficiency in collecting data from field experiment on fruit attributes of pointed gourd (Patal) the sample size was studied for determining optimum sample size at Olericulture Division, Horticulture Research Centre (HRC) of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) Gazipur during 2013-14. Fruit length, breadth and weight data were used to design optimum sampling plan for equal number of observations per cell. The observation on fruit length (cm), breadth (cm) and weight (gm) were taken from 7 plots/treatments at random. A randomized complete block design (RCBD) with 2 replications and seven treatments/varieties were used in this experiment. A sampling plan of selecting 3 plants at random and measuring 9 fruits per selected plant (27 fruits per plot and plots were 5m2 i.e. 2.5m long and 2m wide) was found to be optimum and economy for the measurement of fruit attributes of pointed gourd. It saves time required for constant vigilance opening of flower and subsequent observations.Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 42(2): 301-307, June 2017
Growth rates of fruits cultivation in hilly areas of Bangladesh
Authors: Hossain MA , Khatun M , Matin MA , Dewan MF
Published: June 2017

Abstract not availableBangladesh J. Agril. Res. 42(2): 387-392, June 2017
Common behavioral problems among patients with dementia attending in tertiary care hospitals in Dhaka city
Authors: Tarannum Sadya , Sultana Bushra , Algin Sultana , Majumder Atiqul Haq
Published: June 2017

Elderly people are increasing day by day both in developing and developed country due to development of new treatment, increased awareness of people and improved health facilities. This present study was conducted with the aim to identify behavioral problems according to severity of dementia. This descriptive cross sectional study was conducted in the Department of Psychiatry and Department of Neuro-medicine of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka, Bangladesh and in National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Sher-E-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka, Bangladesh from September 2013 to March 2015. A total 150 patients were selected purposefully; severity of dementia was graded according to Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and another questionnaire was applied to detect behavioral problems of patients. In this study mild dementia was found as the most frequent (38%), followed by severe dementia (35.3%) and moderate dementia (26.7%). The results indicated that behavioral problem was more common in severe dementia. Behavioral problem was more common in severe dementia than in mild and moderate dementia. Among behavioral problems sleep disturbance and sexual disturbance were statistically significant This study provides information about pattern of behavioral problems among patients with dementia. Liaison approach with other discipline may improve quality of life of these patients treatable.Bang J Psychiatry Dec 2014; 28(2): 50-52
Psychotherapy for child and adolescent with psychiatric disorder attending in National Institute of Mental Health, Dhaka
Authors: Uddin Md Zahir , Khan Muhammad Zillur Rahman , Nilav Mumita Jerin , Alam Md Faruq , Mohit Md Abdul
Published: June 2017

Psychotherapy for child and adolescent with psychiatric disorder is relatively a newer concept in Bangladesh. This cross sectional study was done to determine the pattern of psychotherapy provided by the psychotherapy department for children and adolescents with psychiatric disorder in National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) from June 2010 to November 2014. Total 121 samples were taken purposefully from the records of psychotherapy department where data were collected retrospectively using check list. Results showed that among respondents more were boys than girls (64.5% vs. 35.5%) whereas their mean (±SD) age was 12.1 (±3.2) years. Majority (47.9%) of them were within class six to class ten. Most of the respondents (89%) were referred from the outpatient department and 11% were referred by inpatient department. Conduct disorder (27.3%), conversion disorder (13.2%), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (12.4%) and intellectual developmental disorder (9.1%) were common diagnoses of the respondents. It was found that 74.4% respondents attended up to one to five psychotherapy sessions and cognitive behavior therapy (38%) and behavior therapy (25.6%) were most commonly used psychotherapy. Though 60.3% of the respondents improved to certain extent in psychotherapy sessions, patients dropout rate was found as 55.4%.Bang J Psychiatry Dec 2014; 28(2): 53-57
Psychiatric morbidity among patients in cardiac outpatient department
Authors: Sultana Bushra , Khan Muhammad Zillur Rahman , Tarannum Sadya , Jahan Nasim , Ahmed Ahsan Uddin , Alam Md Faruq
Published: June 2017

Psychiatric morbidity among patients attending cardiac outpatient department has been revealed as a significant problem in many studies. The objective of this study was to determine the proportion of psychiatric morbidity among cardiac outdoor patients in National Institute of Cardio-Vascular Diseases (NICVD), Dhaka. It was a cross-sectional study conducted from September 2015 to February 2016 among the purposively selected patients of NICVD outdoor. Convenient sampling technique was used to select 151 patients aged 18 to 65 years who were attending the cardiac outpatient department in NICVD, Dhaka. A semi-structured questionnaire including Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ) was used to screen psychiatric symptoms. Results showed that the mean (+SD) age of the patients was 46.09 (+11.17) years and majority of the respondents (60.9%) were male. The most common cardiac morbidity was ischemic heart disease (29.8%). Among all the respondents, 21.9% were suffering from psychiatric disorders. Maximum of the cases were diagnosed with major depressive disorder (11.3%). Thus, it was apparent that psychiatric morbidity was commonly present in patients who attended cardiac outpatient departments.Bang J Psychiatry June 2015; 29(1): 1-4
Dementia among older patients attending National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Dhaka, Bangladesh
Authors: Haq Arman Ibne , Sarkar Mekhala , Roy Susmita , Alam Md Faruq
Published: June 2017

Dementia has become the focus of attention of health care professionals worldwide. The objective of the study was to find out the proportion of dementia among older patients as well as to identify the socio-demographic characteristics of patients with dementia attending National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Sher-E-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka, Bangladesh. This was a cross sectional study conducted in NIMH during the period from 1st November 2014 to 30th April 2015. For this purpose, 78 elderly patients aged e60 years attending both in outpatient and inpatient departments of NIMH, satisfying inclusion and exclusion criteria were selected by convenient sampling technique. Data were collected by face-to-face interview using semi-structured questionnaire. Cognitive impairment was assessed by Bengali version of Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and dementia was diagnosed according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5). The results showed that most of the patients (51.3%) were in between the ages of 60 to 64 years with male predominance (56.4%). The mean (± SD) age of the patients was 66.84 (±5.49) years. Among the patients 43.6 % came from urban area, 39.7% from the family with monthly income within 30001-45000 Bangladeshi taka (BDT) and 53.9% had family members in between 4 to 6. Among them 61.5% patients were married, 43.6% were retired from service, 32.1% studied up to primary level and 62.8% had caregivers. Most of them (88.5%) scored between 24-30 in Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and only 5.1% respondents had dementia. This study has provided baseline information about the proportion of dementia among elderly patients in Bangladesh that can be used in future studies.Bang J Psychiatry June 2015; 29(1): 5-9
Computational Vibroacoustics in Low- and Medium- Frequency Bands: Damping, ROM, and UQ Modeling
Authors: Ohayon Roger , Soize Christian
Published: June 2017

Within the framework of the state-of-the-art, this paper presents a summary of some common research works carried out by the authors concerning computational methods for the prediction of the responses in the frequency domain of general linear dissipative vibroacoustics (structural-acoustic) systems for liquid and gas in the low-frequency (LF) and medium-frequency (MF) domains, including uncertainty quantification (UQ) that plays an important role in the MF domain. The system under consideration consists of a deformable dissipative structure, coupled with an internal dissipative acoustic fluid including a wall acoustic impedance, and surrounded by an infinite acoustic fluid. The system is submitted to given internal and external acoustic sources and to prescribed mechanical forces. An efficient reduced-order computational model (ROM) is constructed using a finite element discretization (FEM) for the structure and the internal acoustic fluid. The external acoustic fluid is treated using a symmetric boundary element method (BEM) in the frequency domain. All the required modeling aspects required for the analysis in the MF domain have been introduced, in particular the frequency-dependent damping phenomena and model uncertainties. An industrial application to a complex computational vibroacoustic model of an automobile is presented.
Optimization of the Runner for Extremely Low Head Bidirectional Tidal Bulb Turbine
Authors: Luo Yongyao , Liu Xin , Wang Zhengwei , Xiao Yexiang , He Chenglian , Zhang Yiyang
Published: June 2017

This paper presents a multi-objective optimization procedure for bidirectional bulb turbine runners which is completed using ANSYS Workbench. The optimization procedure is able to check many more geometries with less manual work. In the procedure, the initial blade shape is parameterized, the inlet and outlet angles (β1, β2), as well as the starting and ending wrap angles (θ1, θ2) for the five sections of the blade profile, are selected as design variables, and the optimization target is set to obtain the maximum of the overall efficiency for the ebb and flood turbine modes. For the flow analysis, the ANSYS CFX code, with a SST (Shear Stress Transport) k-ω turbulence model, has been used to evaluate the efficiency of the turbine. An efficient response surface model relating the design parameters and the objective functions is obtained. The optimization strategy was used to optimize a model bulb turbine runner. Model tests were carried out to validate the final designs and the design procedure. For the four-bladed turbine, the efficiency improvement is 5.5% in the ebb operation direction, and 2.9% in the flood operation direction, as well as 4.3% and 4.5% for the three-bladed turbine. Numerical simulations were then performed to analyze the pressure pulsation in the pressure and suction sides of the blade for the prototype turbine with optimal four-bladed and three-bladed runners. The results show that the runner rotational frequency (fn) is the dominant frequency of the pressure pulsations in the blades for ebb and flood turbine modes, and the gravitational effect, rather than rotor-stator interaction (RSI), plays an important role in a low head horizontal axial turbine. The amplitudes of the pressure pulsations on the blade side facing the guide vanes varies little with the water head. However, the amplitudes of the pressure pulsations on the blade side facing the diffusion tube linearly increase with the water head. These results could provide valuable insight for reducing the pressure amplitudes in the bidirectional bulb turbine.
Consumers’ Preferences for Electronic Nicotine Delivery System Product Features: A Structured Content Analysis
Authors: Kistler Christine , Crutchfield Trisha , Sutfin Erin , Ranney Leah , Berman Micah , Zarkin Gary , Goldstein Adam
Published: June 2017

To inform potential governmental regulations, we aimed to develop a list of electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) product features important to U.S. consumers by age and gender. We employed qualitative data methods. Participants were eligible if they had used an ENDS at least once. Groups were selected by age and gender (young adult group aged 18–25, n = 11; middle-age group aged 26–64, n = 9; and women’s group aged 26–64, n = 9). We conducted five individual older adult interviews (aged 68–80). Participants discussed important ENDS features. We conducted a structured content analysis of the group and interview responses. Of 34 participants, 68% were white and 56% were female. Participants mentioned 12 important ENDS features, including: (1) user experience; (2) social acceptability; (3) cost; (4) health risks/benefits; (5) ease of use; (6) flavors; (7) smoking cessation aid; (8) nicotine content; (9) modifiability; (10) ENDS regulation; (11) bridge between tobacco cigarettes; (12) collectability. The most frequently mentioned ENDS feature was modifiability for young adults, user experience for middle-age and older adults, and flavor for the women’s group. This study identified multiple features important to ENDS consumers. Groups differed in how they viewed various features by age and gender. These results can inform ongoing regulatory efforts.
Enhancement of X-ray Induced Apoptosis by Mobile Phone-Like Radio-Frequency Electromagnetic Fields in Mouse Spermatocyte-Derived Cells
Authors: Zhang Ke-Ying , Xu Hui , Du Le , Xing Jun-Ling , Zhang Bin , Bai Qiang-Shan , Xu Yu-Qiao , Zhou Yong-Chun , Zhang Jun-Ping , Zhou Yan , Ding Gui-Rong
Published: June 2017

To explore the combined effects of environmental radio-frequency (RF) field and X-ray, mouse spermatocyte-derived (GC-1) cells were exposed to 1950 MHz RF field at specific absorption rate (SAR) of 3 W/kg for 24 h combined with or without X-ray irradiation at 6 Gy. After treatment, the cell proliferation level was determined by 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) Assay and 5-Bromo-2-deoxy Uridine (BrdU) enzyme linked immunosorbent (ELISA) Assay. The apoptosis level was detected by annexin V flow cytometry assay, transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) Assay and Caspase-3 Activity Assay. It was found that the proliferation and apoptosis level did not change in GC-1 cells after RF exposure alone. However, compared with the X-ray group, the proliferation level significantly decreased and the apoptotic rate significantly increased in the RF+X-ray group. Moreover, a significant decrease in Bcl-2 protein expression and increase in Bax protein expression were observed. The findings suggested that RF exposure at SAR of 3 W/kg did not affect apoptosis and proliferation in GC-1 cells by itself, but that it did enhance the effects of X-ray induced proliferation inhibition and apoptosis, in which B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) and Bcl-2 associated X protein (Bax) might be involved.
Lignins and Their Derivatives with Beneficial Effects on Human Health
Authors: Vinardell Maria , Mitjans Montserrat
Published: June 2017

A review of the pharmacological applications of lignins provides evidence of their protective role against the development of different diseases. In many cases, the effects of lignins could be explained by their antioxidant capacity. Here, we present a systematic review of the literature from the period 2010–2016 which provides information concerning new applications of lignins derived from recent research. The most promising findings are reported, including the methodologies employed and results obtained with lignins or their derivatives which may improve human health. We highlight potential applications in the treatment of obesity, diabetes, thrombosis, viral infections and cancer. Moreover, we report both that lignins can be used in the preparation of nanoparticles to deliver different drugs and also their use in photoprotection.
Structure-Controllable Synthesis of Multiferroic YFeO3 Nanopowders and Their Optical and Magnetic Properties
Authors: Wang Meng , Wang Ting , Song Shenhua , Tan Manlin
Published: June 2017

Phase-pure hexagonal and orthorhombic YFeO3 nanopowders are synthesized by low-temperature solid-state reaction along with Zr doping. The obtained powders are characterized by X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and physical property measurements. The hexagonal YFeO3 exhibits a narrower optical band gap in comparison to the orthorhombic one, while the orthorhombic YFeO3 presents better magnetic properties. The formation of hexagonal or orthorhombic phase can be effectively controlled by Zr doping. The temperature range of synthesizing the hexagonal YFeO3 nanopowders is increased by ~200 °C due to Zr doping so that they can be easily synthesized, which possesses a finer particle size and a smaller optical band gap, making it favorable for optical applications.
Effect of the SiCl4 Flow Rate on SiBN Deposition Kinetics in SiCl4-BCl3-NH3-H2-Ar Environment
Authors: Li Jianping , Qin Hailong , Liu Yongsheng , Ye Fang , Li Zan , Cheng Laifei , Zhang Litong
Published: June 2017

To improve the thermal and mechanical stability of SiCf/SiC or C/SiC composites with SiBN interphase, SiBN coating was deposited by low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) using SiCl4-BCl3-NH3-H2-Ar gas system. The effect of the SiCl4 flow rate on deposition kinetics was investigated. Results show that deposition rate increases at first and then decreases with the increase of the SiCl4 flow rate. The surface of the coating is a uniform cauliflower-like structure at the SiCl4 flow rate of 10 mL/min and 20 mL/min. The surface is covered with small spherical particles when the flow rate is 30 mL/min. The coatings deposited at various SiCl4 flow rates are all X-ray amorphous and contain Si, B, N, and O elements. The main bonding states are B-N, Si-N, and N-O. B element and B-N bonding decrease with the increase of SiCl4 flow rate, while Si element and Si-N bonding increase. The main deposition mechanism refers to two parallel reactions of BCl3+NH3 and SiCl4+NH3. The deposition process is mainly controlled by the reaction of BCl3+NH3.
Breast Tissue Metabolism by Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
Authors: Jagannathan Naranamangalam , Sharma Uma
Published: June 2017

Metabolic alterations are known to occur with oncogenesis and tumor progression. During malignant transformation, the metabolism of cells and tissues is altered. Cancer metabolism can be studied using advanced technologies that detect both metabolites and metabolic activities. Identification, characterization, and quantification of metabolites (metabolomics) are important for metabolic analysis and are usually done by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) or by mass spectrometry. In contrast to the magnetic resonance imaging that is used to monitor the tumor morphology during progression of the disease and during therapy, in vivo NMR spectroscopy is used to study and monitor tumor metabolism of cells/tissues by detection of various biochemicals or metabolites involved in various metabolic pathways. Several in vivo, in vitro and ex vivo NMR studies using 1H and 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) nuclei have documented increased levels of total choline containing compounds, phosphomonoesters and phosphodiesters in human breast cancer tissues, which is indicative of altered choline and phospholipid metabolism. These levels get reversed with successful treatment. Another method that increases the sensitivity of substrate detection by using nuclear spin hyperpolarization of 13C-lableled substrates by dynamic nuclear polarization has revived a great interest in the study of cancer metabolism. This review discusses breast tissue metabolism studied by various NMR/MRS methods.
The Impact of Integrated Infant and Young Child Feeding and Micronutrient Powder Intervention on Feeding Practices and Anemia in Children Aged 6–23 Months in Madagascar
Authors: Locks Lindsey , Reerink Ietje , Tucker Brown Amal , Gnegne Smaila , Ramalanjaona Noelimanjaka , Nanama Simeon , Duggan Christopher , Garg Aashima
Published: June 2017

This study assesses the impact of an integrated infant and young child feeding (IYCF) and micronutrient powder (MNP) intervention on children’s risk of anemia and IYCF practices in Madagascar. Quantitative baseline and endline surveys were conducted in representative households with children 6–23 months from two districts, where an 18-month IYCF-MNP intervention was implemented. Relative risks comparing children’s risk of anemia and maternal IYCF knowledge and practices at baseline versus endline, and also at endline among MNP-users versus non-users were estimated using log-binomial regression models. 372 and 475 children aged 6–23 months were assessed at baseline and endline respectively. Prevalence of anemia fell from 75.3% to 64.9% from baseline to endline (p = 0.002); the reduction in the risk of anemia remained significant in models adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics (ARR (95% CI): 0.86 (0.78, 0.95), p = 0.003). In endline assessments, 229 out of 474 (48.3%) of children had consumed MNPs. MNP-users had a lower risk of anemia (ARR (95% CI): 0.86 (0.74, 0.99), p = 0.04) than non-users, after controlling for child’s dietary diversity and morbidity, maternal counseling by community-health-workers, and sociodemographic characteristics. Mothers interviewed at endline also had greater nutrition knowledge and were more likely to feed their children ≥4 food groups (ARR (95% CI): 2.92 (2.24, 3.80), p < 0.001), and the minimum acceptable diet (ARR (95% CI): 2.88 (2.17, 3.82), p < 0.001) than mothers interviewed at baseline. Integration of MNP into IYCF interventions is a viable strategy for improving children’s consumption of micronutrients and reducing risk of anemia. The addition of MNP does not negatively impact, and may improve, IYCF practices.
Response to a Comment by Albert et al. (Nutrients 2017, 9, 137) Entitled “Concerns with the Study on Australian and New Zealand Fish Oil Products” by Nichols et al. (Nutrients 2016, 8, 703)
Authors: Nichols Peter , Dogan Lalen , Sinclair Andrew
Published: June 2017

The Comment by Albert et al., 2017 [1] raises five issues on our 2016 Nutrients paper [2].
Surface-Modification of Carbonate Apatite Nanoparticles Enhances Delivery and Cytotoxicity of Gemcitabine and Anastrozole in Breast Cancer Cells
Authors: Mozar Fitya , Chowdhury Ezharul
Published: June 2017

pH sensitive nanoparticles of carbonate apatite (CA) have been proven to be effective delivery vehicles for DNA, siRNAs and proteins. More recently, conventional anti-cancer drugs, such as doxorubicin, methotrexate and cyclophosphamide have been successfully incorporated into CA for intracellular delivery to breast cancer cells. However, physical and chemical properties of drug molecules appeared to affect their interactions with CA, with hydrophillic drug so far exhibiting better binding affinity and cellular uptakes compared to hydrophobic drugs. In this study, anastrozole, a non-steroidal aromatase inhibitor which is largely hydrophobic, and gemcitabine, a hydrophilic nucleoside inhibitor were used as solubility models of chemotherapy drug. Aggregation tendency of poorly soluble drugs resulting in larger particle-drug complex size might be the main factor hindering their delivery effectiveness. For the first time, surface modification of CA with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) has shown promising result to drastically reduce anastrozole- loaded CA particle size, from approximately 1000 to 500 nm based on zeta sizer analysis. Besides PEG, a cell specific ligand, in this case fibronectin, was attached to the particles in order to facilitate receptor mediated endocytosis based on fibronectin–integrin interaction. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was performed to measure uptake of the drugs by breast cancer cells, revealing that surface modification increased the drug uptake, especially for the hydrophobic drug, compared to the uncoated particles and the free drug. In vitro chemosensitivity assay and in vivo tumor regression study also showed that coated apatite/drug nanoparticle complexes presented higher cytotoxicity and tumor regression effects than uncoated apatite/drug nanoparticles and free drugs, indicating that surface modification successfully created optimum particles size with the consequence of more effective uptake along with favorable pharmacokinetics of the particles.
Preparation and Characterization of Quaternized Chitosan Coated Alginate Microspheres for Blue Dextran Delivery
Authors: Chen Kuo-Yu , Zeng Si-Ying
Published: June 2017

In this study, 2-[(Acryloyloxy)ethyl]trimethylammonium chloride was graft polymerized onto chitosan (CS) to form quaternary ammonium CS (QAC) by using ammonium persulfate as a redox initiator. Alginate (ALG) microspheres loaded with a water-soluble macromolecular model drug, blue dextran (BD), were obtained by corporation of coaxial gas-flow method and ionic gelation process. CS and QAC were then coated on the surfaces of ALG microspheres to generate core/shell structured CS/ALG and QAC/ALG microspheres, respectively. The experiment result showed that QAC/ALG microspheres had a smaller particle size due to the stronger electrostatic interactions between QAC and ALG molecules. In vitro drug release studies at pH 7.4 and pH 9.0 exhibited that the release rate of BD was significantly decreased after ALG microspheres coating with CS and QAC. Moreover, ALG microspheres coated with QAC showed a prolonged release profile for BD at pH 9.0. Therefore, QAC/ALG microspheres may be a promising hydrophilic macromolecular drug carrier for a prolonged and sustained delivery.
High Power Laser Facilities at the Kansai Photon Science Institute
Authors: Kondo Kiminori , Utsumi Wataru , Kando Masaki , Nishikino Masaharu , Itakura Ryuji , Kiriyama Hiromitsu
Published: June 2017

At the Kansai Photon Science Institute (KPSI, Kyoto, Japan), there are three unique high-power laser facilities. Here, we introduce the features of each facility and some experimental studies, which will be useful to users as a reference.
Moving to the RADARSAT Constellation Mission: Comparing Synthesized Compact Polarimetry and Dual Polarimetry Data with Fully Polarimetric RADARSAT-2 Data for Image Classification of Peatlands
Authors: White Lori , Millard Koreen , Banks Sarah , Richardson Murray , Pasher Jon , Duffe Jason
Published: June 2017

For this research, the Random Forest (RF) classifier was used to evaluate the potential of simulated RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM) data for mapping landcover within peatlands. Alfred Bog, a large peatland complex in Southern Ontario, was used as a test case. The goal of this research was to prepare for the launch of the upcoming RCM by evaluating three simulated RCM polarizations for mapping landcover within peatlands. We examined (1) if a lower RCM noise equivalent sigma zero (NESZ) affects classification accuracy, (2) which variables are most important for classification, and (3) whether classification accuracy is affected by the use of simulated RCM data in place of the fully polarimetric RADARSAT-2. Results showed that the two RCM NESZs (−25 dB and −19 dB) and three polarizations (compact polarimetry, HH+HV, and VV+VH) that were evaluated were all able to achieve acceptable classification accuracies when combined with optical data and a digital elevation model (DEM). Optical variables were consistently ranked to be the most important for mapping landcover within peatlands, but the inclusion of SAR variables did increase overall accuracy, indicating that a multi-sensor approach is preferred. There was no significant difference between the RF classifications which included RADARSAT-2 and simulated RCM data. Both medium- and high-resolution compact polarimetry and dual polarimetric RCM data appear to be suitable for mapping landcover within peatlands when combined with optical data and a DEM.
Wearable Sensor Data Classification for Human Activity Recognition Based on an Iterative Learning Framework
Authors: Davila Juan , Cretu Ana-Maria , Zaremba Marek
Published: June 2017

The design of multiple human activity recognition applications in areas such as healthcare, sports and safety relies on wearable sensor technologies. However, when making decisions based on the data acquired by such sensors in practical situations, several factors related to sensor data alignment, data losses, and noise, among other experimental constraints, deteriorate data quality and model accuracy. To tackle these issues, this paper presents a data-driven iterative learning framework to classify human locomotion activities such as walk, stand, lie, and sit, extracted from the Opportunity dataset. Data acquired by twelve 3-axial acceleration sensors and seven inertial measurement units are initially de-noised using a two-stage consecutive filtering approach combining a band-pass Finite Impulse Response (FIR) and a wavelet filter. A series of statistical parameters are extracted from the kinematical features, including the principal components and singular value decomposition of roll, pitch, yaw and the norm of the axial components. The novel interactive learning procedure is then applied in order to minimize the number of samples required to classify human locomotion activities. Only those samples that are most distant from the centroids of data clusters, according to a measure presented in the paper, are selected as candidates for the training dataset. The newly built dataset is then used to train an SVM multi-class classifier. The latter will produce the lowest prediction error. The proposed learning framework ensures a high level of robustness to variations in the quality of input data, while only using a much lower number of training samples and therefore a much shorter training time, which is an important consideration given the large size of the dataset.
Development of High Sensitivity Humidity Sensor Based on Gray TiO2/SrTiO3 Composite
Authors: Zhang Min , Wei Shunhang , Ren Wei , Wu Rong
Published: June 2017

A gray TiO2/SrTiO3 composite nanocrystalline sensor with narrow band-gap was successfully prepared through a facile wet chemical method. The precursor was calcined in N2 flow under atmospheric pressure and thereafter, a humidity sensor based on the composite was fabricated. The sensor showed high resistive sensitivity and varied by more than four orders of magnitude with an increase in relative humidity (RH) from 11% to 95%. The response and recovery time were about 3.1 s and 76 s, respectively with maximum hysteresis at 1% RH. In comparison with pure SrTiO3 and black TiO2, the gray composite based device exhibits a higher sensitivity. These results demonstrate the potential of gray TiO2/SrTiO3 for humidity sensing applications.
Spatial Characterization of Radio Propagation Channel in Urban Vehicle-to-Infrastructure Environments to Support WSNs Deployment
Authors: Granda Fausto , Azpilicueta Leyre , Vargas-Rosales Cesar , Lopez-Iturri Peio , Aguirre Erik , Astrain Jose , Villandangos Jesus , Falcone Francisco
Published: June 2017

Vehicular ad hoc Networks (VANETs) enable vehicles to communicate with each other as well as with roadside units (RSUs). Although there is a significant research effort in radio channel modeling focused on vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), not much work has been done for vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) using 3D ray-tracing tools. This work evaluates some important parameters of a V2I wireless channel link such as large-scale path loss and multipath metrics in a typical urban scenario using a deterministic simulation model based on an in-house 3D Ray-Launching (3D-RL) algorithm at 5.9 GHz. Results show the high impact that the spatial distance; link frequency; placement of RSUs; and factors such as roundabout, geometry and relative position of the obstacles have in V2I propagation channel. A detailed spatial path loss characterization of the V2I channel along the streets and avenues is presented. The 3D-RL results show high accuracy when compared with measurements, and represent more reliably the propagation phenomena when compared with analytical path loss models. Performance metrics for a real test scenario implemented with a VANET wireless sensor network implemented ad-hoc are also described. These results constitute a starting point in the design phase of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) radio-planning in the urban V2I deployment in terms of coverage.
Joint Estimation of Source Range and Depth Using a Bottom-Deployed Vertical Line Array in Deep Water
Authors: Li Hui , Yang Kunde , Duan Rui , Lei Zhixiong
Published: June 2017

This paper presents a joint estimation method of source range and depth using a bottom-deployed vertical line array (VLA). The method utilizes the information on the arrival angle of direct (D) path in space domain and the interference characteristic of D and surface-reflected (SR) paths in frequency domain. The former is related to a ray tracing technique to backpropagate the rays and produces an ambiguity surface of source range. The latter utilizes Lloyd’s mirror principle to obtain an ambiguity surface of source depth. The acoustic transmission duct is the well-known reliable acoustic path (RAP). The ambiguity surface of the combined estimation is a dimensionless ad hoc function. Numerical efficiency and experimental verification show that the proposed method is a good candidate for initial coarse estimation of source position.
Design and Fabrication of a Ratiometric Planar Optode for Simultaneous Imaging of pH and Oxygen
Authors: Jiang Zike , Yu Xinsheng , Hao Yingyan
Published: June 2017

This paper presents a simple, high resolution imaging approach utilizing ratiometric planar optode for simultaneous measurement of dissolved oxygen (DO) and pH. The planar optode comprises a plastic optical film coated with oxygen indicator Platinum(II) octaethylporphyrin (PtOEP) and reference quantum dots (QDs) embedded in polystyrene (PS), pH indicator 5-Hexadecanoylamino-fluorescein (5-Fluorescein) embedded in Hydromed D4 matrix. The indicator and reference dyes are excited by utilizing an LED (Light Emitting Diode) source with a central wavelength of 405 nm, the emission respectively matches the different channels (red, green, and blue) of a 3CCD camera after eliminating the excitation source by utilizing the color filter. The result shows that there is low cross-sensitivity between the two analytes dissolved oxygen and pH, and it shows good performance in the dynamic response ranges of 0–12 mg/L and a dynamic range of pH 6−8. The optode has been tested with regard to the response times, accuracy, photostability and stability. The applied experiment for detecting pH/Oxygen of sea-water under the influence of the rain drops is demonstrated. It is shown that the planar optode measuring system provides a simple method with low cross-talk for pH/Oxygen imaging in aqueous applications.
On the System. Boundary Choices, Implications, and Solutions in Telecoupling Land Use Change Research
Authors: Friis Cecilie , Nielsen Jonas
Published: June 2017

Land-based production provides societies with indispensable goods such as food, feed, fibre, and energy. Yet, with economic globalisation and global population growth, the environmental and social trade-offs of their production are ever more complex. This is particularly so since land use changes are increasingly embedded in networks of long-distance flows of, e.g., material, energy, and information. The resulting scientific and governance challenge is captured in the emerging telecoupling framework addressing socioeconomic and environmental interactions and feedbacks between distal human-environment systems. Understanding telecouplings, however, entails a number of fundamental analytical problems. When dealing with global connectivity, a central question is how and where to draw system boundaries between coupled systems. In this article, we explore the analytical implications of setting system boundaries in the study of a recent telecoupled land use change: the expansion of Chinese banana plantation investments in Luang Namtha Province, Laos. Based on empirical material from fieldwork in Laos in 2014 and 2015, and drawing on key concepts from the ‘systems thinking’ literature, we illustrate how treating the system and its boundaries as epistemological constructs enable us to capture the differentiated involvement of actors, as well as the socio-economic and environmental effects of this land use change. In discussing our results, the need for more explicit attention to the trade-offs and implications of scale and boundary choices when defining systems is emphasised.
Addressing Complexity in Environmental Management and Governance
Authors: Kirschke Sabrina , Newig Jens
Published: June 2017

Governance for complex problem solving has been increasingly discussed in environmental sustainability research. Above all, researchers continuously observe that sustainability problems are complex or “wicked”, and suggest participatory models to address these problems in practice. In order to add to this debate, this study suggests a more differentiated theoretical approach to define governance for complex environmental problem solving than in previous studies. The approach consists of two vital steps: First, we operationalize complexity and define management strategies for solving environmental sustainability problems based on findings from psychology research. Second, we identify governance strategies that facilitate these management strategies. Linking those strategies suggests that the role of diverse institutions, actors, and interactions differs for five key dimensions of complexity: goals, variables, dynamics, interconnections, and informational uncertainty. The results strengthen systematic analyses of environmental sustainability problems in both theory and practice.
Sustainability Multivariate Analysis of the Energy Consumption of Ecuador Using MuSIASEM and BIPLOT Approach
Authors: Tejedor-Flores Nathalia , Vicente-Galindo Purificación , Galindo-Villardón Purificación
Published: June 2017

Rapid economic growth, expanding populations and increasing prosperity are driving up demand for energy, water and food, especially in developing countries. To understand the energy consumption of a country, we used the Multi-Scale Integrated Analysis of Societal and Ecosystem Metabolism (MuSIASEM) approach. The MuSIASEM is an innovative approach to accounting that integrates quantitative information generated by distinct types of conventional models based on different dimensions and scales of analysis. The main objective of this work is to enrich the MuSIASEM approach with information from multivariate methods in order to improve the efficiency of existing models of sustainability. The Biplot method permits the joint plotting, in a reduced dimension of the rows (individuals) and columns (variables) of a multivariate data matrix. We found, in the case study of Ecuador, that the highest values of the Exosomatic Metabolic Rate (EMR) per economic sector and Economic Labor Productivity (ELP) are located in the Productive Sector (PS). We conclude that the combination of the MuSIASEM variables with the HJ-Biplot allows us to easily know the detailed behavior of the labor productivity and energy consumption of a country.
Evaluation of Double Perforated Baffles Installed in Rectangular Secondary Clarifiers
Authors: Lee Byonghi
Published: June 2017

Double perforated baffles in rectangular secondary clarifiers were studied to determine whether they contribute to producing high-quality effluents. The Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations indicated that bio-flocculation occurred at the front of the baffle and the longitudinal movement of the settled sludge was hampered whenever the clarifier had high inflow. Simulation results showed that the rectangular clarifier with the double perforated baffle produced an effluent with lower suspended solid (SS) concentrations than the effluent from the clarifier without the baffle. To verify the simulation results, a double perforated baffle was installed in two of the 48 rectangular clarifiers in a 300,000 m3/d-capacity wastewater treatment plant. To study the effect of the baffle on solid removal, the effluent turbidity of the clarifier with and without the double perforated baffle was measured simultaneously. Experimental data showed that the double perforated baffle played a significant role in reducing effluent turbidity. The effluent turbidity reduction ratio with the baffle decreased when the Sludge Volume Index (SVI) of the Mixed Liquor Suspended Solids (MLSS) was below 100 mL/g. The overall average reduction ratio was 24.3% for SVI < 100 mL/g and 45.1% for SVI > 100 mL/g. The results of this study suggest that double perforated baffles must be installed in secondary rectangular clarifiers to produce high-quality effluent regardless of the operational conditions.