bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adsorción de diésel en solución acuosa sobre aserrín cedro (cedrela odorata l.) en columna de lecho fijo
Authors: Villabona Ángel , Tejada Candelaria , Tejeda Lesly
Published: June 2019

Se evaluó el uso de aserrín de Cedro (Cedrela odorata L.) en la adsorción de diésel en solución acuosa. El potencial del aserrín como adsorbente en sistema continuo fue investigado, variando la cantidad de biomasa y el caudal, usando columnas de plástico transparente de diámetro 3,5 cm y una altura de 18,5 cm, con tiempo de contacto de 180 min, tomando alícuotas de 50 mL en diferentes intervalos. La medición de la concentración residual fue realizada por cromatografía de gases, donde se estableció la saturación de la columna a las mejores condiciones; se determinó que a los 600 minutos se llega a un equilibrio, en el cual posiblemente se produce una alta saturaciónde la biomasa, que alcanza una capacidad de 62,93mg/g Esta fue determinada con el modelo de Thomas a un flujo de 0,1 mL/s y 4 g de aserrín de cedro.
Factores asociados al uso de la citología cervicouterina en estudiantes de enfermería de la ciudad de Cartagena
Authors: Castillo Ávila Irma Yolanda , Sepúlveda Mendoza Yelin , Vergara Hernández Laura , Zambrano Martinez Yuranis , Carvajal Salcedo Maria Camila , Alvares Puello Jessica
Published: June 2019

Introducción: El uso adecuado del tamizaje cérvico-uterino se configura como la mejor estrategia para la detección temprana del cáncer.Objetivo: determinar los factores asociados al uso de la citología cérvico-uterina en estudiantes de enfermería de la ciudad de Cartagena.Métodos: estudio analítico, con población de 1 109 estudiantes y tamaño de muestra de 469, seleccionadas por muestreo polietápico.Se utilizó un modelo de regresión para determinar las variables explicativas de la utilización adecuada de la citología.Resultados: Participaron 469 estudiantes, promedio de edad 20.8 años (DE=3,4). El 50.7% (238) ha realizado la prueba alguna vez, solo 31.3% (147) tienen uso adecuado. Ser mayor de 20 años (OR: 3,3 CI: 2,2 – 5,0), pertenecer a semestres superiores (OR: 1,9 CI: 1,3 – 2,9), tener pareja (OR: 3,1 CI: 1,9 – 5,0), tener hijos (OR: 2,9 CI: 1,8 – 4,7), haber estado embarazada (OR: 3,4 CI: 2,2 – 5,3), haber sufrido abortos (OR: 2,8 CI: 1,3 – 5,8) se asocian al uso adecuado.Conclusiones: Factores personales, principalmente antecedentes gineco-obstétricos, son predictores de la utilización adecuada de la citología.
EVALUASI MASTER PLAN TERMINAL PETIKEMAS SEMARANG DITINJAU DARI ALUR PELAYARAN
Authors: Efrianto Dody
Published: June 2019

The master plan evaluation of Semarang Container Terminal was carried out in anticipation of current container flow. It is also used to analyze the Container Terminal master plan to be able to meet the needs up to the year of 2030. The evaluation was conducted by collecting secondary data related to shipping lanes, vessel flows and container flows. Regression method was used to analyze container flows and vessel flows. The results of the analysis were used to determine the Container Terminal master plan development plan up to the year of 2030. The results of the evaluation showed that the existing conditions of the depth and width of the shipping channel also in the port pond have exceeded the existing conditions. The shipping lanes and port pond must be deepened to 13 m and 12 m and the widening of the shipping lane is up to 146 m.

Keywords: Container terminal, master plan, shipping Lanes

 

Evaluasi master plan Terminal Petikemas Semarang (TPKS) dilakukan dalam mengantisipasi arus petikemas saat ini. Analisis terhadap master plan TPKS juga dilakukan untuk bisa memenuhi kebutuhan hingga tahun 2030. Penelitian dilakukan dengan mengumpulkan data sekunder yang berkaitan dengan alur pelayaran, arus kapal serta arus petikemas. Metode regresi dilakukan untuk memprediksi arus petikemas dan arus kapal yang hasilnya digunakan untuk menentukan rencana pengembangan master plan TPKS hingga tahun 2030.Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa kondisi existing pada kebutuhan dalam dan lebar alur pelayaran, serta dalam kolam pelabuhan sudah melebihi kondisi existing. Kedalaman alur pelayaran dan kolam pelabuhan harus diperdalam hingga 13 m dan 12 m. Pelebaran alur pelayaran dilakukan hingga 146 m.

Kata kunci : Master plan TPKS dan alur pelayaran
The Phallus Unveiled: Lacan, Badiou and the Comedic Moment in Genet's The Balcony
Authors: Penney James
Published: June 2019

This essay explores how the image of the Chief of Police dressed as a giant phallus is the often overlooked and misconstrued key to the interpretation of Jean Genet's canonical play The Balcony (1956). Drawing on, but also moving beyond, the invaluable readings of Alain Badiou and Jacques Lacan in their respective seminars, it argues that the motif of the Chief's costume condenses the play's insightful, and more relevant than ever, examination of the functioning of ideology in the visible world. Genet's play is a theatrical allegory for ideology's workings at a historical juncture when spontaneous identification with, and therefore allegiance to, traditional authority figures is no longer possible as it presumably once was. A proper appreciation of the comedic moment of the play sheds ironic light on its final vision of conservative restoration, generating precious insights about the workings of contemporary power and the renaissance of authoritarianism at the twilight of the liberal era.
A Politics of Indifference: Reading Cavarero, Rancière and Arendt
Authors: Huzar Timothy J.
Published: June 2019

This article compares the accounts of politics found in the work of Adriana Cavarero and Jacques Rancière. It argues that when Cavarero offers a formal account of politics she thinks politics with Hannah Arendt and thus falls foul of Rancière's critique of Arendt. However, Cavarero offers the sense of another account of politics in her reading of Penelope in In Spite of Plato, one that not only avoids Rancière's critique but demonstrates the limits of Rancière's own account of politics. Cavarero makes tangible a sense of a politics indifferent to extant orders, something that is difficult to discern in Rancière given his insistence that politics makes visible forms of existence that could not otherwise be seen, said or heard.
Educación en epidemiología para una medicina centrada en la persona
Authors: Administrador Administrador
Published: June 2019

Tradicionalmente la enseñanza de la epidemiología se ha focalizado en desarrollar competencias en la investigación de la dinámica de las enfermedades con el objetivo de intentar comprenderlas, intervenirlas, limitarlas y especialmente prevenirlas. Sin embargo, existen propuestas que están enfatizando como fundamental para el cuidado de la salud, una atención al entendimiento de las circunstancias en torno a la misma y a la consideración de perspectivas de las personas acerca de sus problemas. Estas aproximaciones involucran la ampliación del ámbito del campo de la epidemiología a otros aspectos contextuales vinculados con conceptos de atención centrada en las personas o la gente, que involucran no solo aspectos de enfermedad o aspectos “negativos” de la salud sino también a aspectos más relacionados con bienestar que han sido denominados salud positiva. Contribuciones desde la salud mental pero perfectamente aplicadas a la salud en general, anticipan el desarrollo de una epidemiología orientada hacia la formulación de una ciencia del bienestar y al avance hacia una promoción de la salud a nivel más elevado tanto en el ambiente clínico como en el de la salud pública. Por tal motivo, se propone que la enseñanza de la epidemiología integre dos aspectos, por un lado, incluir en la búsqueda de la exploración de la dinámica y entendimiento de las enfermedades, los factores relacionados con salud positiva; y por otro lado, integrar al del planteamiento clásico de un período pre-patogénico y patogénico, un enfoque a la salud positiva que considere de la misma manera un período pre-salutogénico y salutogénico, contemplando no solo los factores protectores de la salud desde un modelo de enfermedad, sino la identificación de factores promotores e inhibidores de la salud, convirtiendo la salud positiva en centro de atención y de estudio epidemiológico. La combinación de ambos, enfermedad y bienestar o salud negativa y salud positiva, implica la ampliación a un modelo más comprehensivo de la salud vinculado y dirigido a la totalidad de las personas; de esta manera la actividad epidemiológica y por ende la atención clínica devienen en una verdadera epidemiología de la salud.
The Change of Metallothionein and Oxidative Response in Gills of the Oreochromis niloticus after Exposure to Copper
Authors: Ma’rifah Faridlotul , Saputri Miftahul Rohmah , Soegianto Agoes , Irawan Bambang , Putranto Trisnadi Widyaleksono Catur
Published: June 2019

In the present study, we investigated the effects of waterborne copper (Cu) on the levels of metallothionein (MT) and malondialdehyde (MDA), as well as activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in gills of cichlid fish Oreochromis niloticus. The Cu concentrations in gills were measured using an atomic absorption spectrometer. The sandwich-ELISA was used to measure MT, SOD, CAT, and MDA. The Cu concentrations in gills of fish that were exposed to 1, 5, and 10 mg Cu/L were significantly increased at day 1 (D1), then gradually decreased starting from D2, and reaches the similar value with the controls at D5. A similar tendency has been observed in the MT levels in the gills. All of the Cu-exposed fish showed the highest level of MT on D1, and then decreased at D3 and a plateau at D4 and D5. The levels of SOD and CAT in gills in all Cu-exposed fish showed a similar pattern: increased significantly at D1, then gradually decreased starting from D2, and increased again at D4 and D5. The levels of MDA in gills of all Cu-exposed fish showed no significant difference. The indifference levels of MDA in gills of all Cu-exposed fish suggested the antioxidant defense systems (SOD and CAT) combined with the induction of MT were able to completely scavenge the increased ROS.
Environment and Behavior: Neurochemical Effects of Different Diets in the Calf Brain
Authors: Peli Angelo , Grandis Annamaria , Tassinari Marco , Famigli Bergamini Paolo , Tagliavia Claudio , Roccaro Mariana , Bombardi Cristiano
Published: June 2019

Calves reared for the production of white veal are subjected to stressful events due to the type of liquid diet they receive. Stress responses are mediated by three main stress-responsive cerebral regions: the prefrontal cortex, the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, and the nucleus of the solitary tract of the brainstem. In the present study, we have investigated the effects of different diets on these brain regions of ruminants using immunohistochemical methods. In this study, 15 calves were used and kept in group housing systems of five calves each. They were fed with three different diets: a control diet, a milk diet, and a weaned diet. Brain sections were immunostained to evaluate the distribution of neuronal nitric oxide synthase and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein immunoreactivity in the prefrontal cortex; the expression of oxytocin in the paraventricular nucleus; and the presence of c-Fos in the A2 group of the nucleus of the solitary tract. The main results obtained indicate that in weaned diet group the oxytocin activity is lower than in control diet and milk diet groups. In addition, weaning appears to stimulate myelination in the prefrontal cortex. In summary, this study supports the importance of maintaining a nutritional lifestyle similar to that occurring in natural conditions.
Research on Measurement Technology of Thermophysical Properties for Full-Scale Phase Change Material Product in a Container
Authors: Wang Yong , Dai Jingmin , Xiao Peng
Published: June 2019

The thermophysical properties of phase change material include thermal conductivity, heat of absorption, and phase change temperature range. This paper investigates the measurement methods of thermophysical properties for phase change material inside a full-scale container. The influence of contact thermal resistance is considered in a thermal conductivity test, and the formula for calculating the thermal conductivity of a phase change material inside the full-scale container is derived. In addition, the heat of absorption is measured based on the calibration results of the correction coefficient for heat flux sensors. In order to verify the reliability of the measurement method, the thermophysical properties of docosane and erythritol inside a full-scale specimen are measured, and the results are compared with HotDisk analyzer results and published data. The comparison results reveal that the method proposed in this paper can accurately measure the thermophysical properties of phase change material inside a full-scale specimen.
Experimental Study of the Effect of High Temperature on the Mechanical Properties of Coarse Sandstone
Authors: Wei Sijiang , Yang Yushun , Su Chengdong , Cardosh Syabilla Rachmadina , Wang Hao
Published: June 2019

In order to study the effect of high temperature on the mechanical properties of rock, two groups of coarse sandstone samples were subjected to the uniaxial compression and triaxial compression test at room temperature of 25 °C and high temperatures of 100~1000 °C. The study comes to some conclusions: (1) With the increase of temperature, the longitudinal wave velocity gradually decreases, and the damage factor of temperature gradually increases. (2) For uniaxial compression tests at different temperatures, the high temperature action within 500 °C has a strengthening effect on the compression strength, and the high temperature effect has a weakening effect on the compression strength when temperatures exceed 500 °C; so 500 °C is the temperature threshold. (3) For triaxial compression tests at different temperatures, the rock strength is positively correlated with temperature and confining pressure when the temperature is lower than 800 °C and the confining pressure is lower than 15 MPa; the rock strength is negatively correlated with temperature and confining pressure when the temperature is over 800 °C and confining pressure is above 15 MPa, so 800 °C is the temperature threshold, and 15 MPa is the confining pressure threshold. (4) In the triaxial compression, the actual fracture angle of the sample after high temperature is basically the same as the theoretical calculation value, high temperature has little effect on the actual fracture angle of the sample, and the actual fracture angle is negatively correlated with the confining pressure.
A Super-Harmonic Feature Based Updating Method for Crack Identification in Rotors Using a Kriging Surrogate Model
Authors: Lu Zhiwen , Lv Yong , Ouyang Huajiang
Published: June 2019

Dynamic model updating based on finite element method (FEM) has been widely investigated for structural damage identification, especially for static structures. Despite the substantial advances in this method, the key issue still needs to be addressed to boost its efficiency in practical applications. This paper introduces the updating idea into crack identification for rotating rotors, which has been rarely addressed in the literature. To address the problem, a novel Kriging surrogate model-based FEM updating method is proposed for the breathing crack identification of rotors by using the super-harmonic nonlinear characteristics. In this method, the breathing crack induced nonlinear characteristics from two locations of the rotors are harnessed instead of the traditional linear damage features for more sensitive and accurate breathing crack identification. Moreover, a FEM of a two-disc rotor-bearing system with a response-dependent breathing crack is established, which is partly validated by experiments. In addition, the associated breathing crack induced nonlinear characteristics are investigated and used to construct the objective function of Kriging surrogate model. Finally, the feasibility and the effectiveness of the proposed method are verified by numerical experiments with Gaussian white noise contamination. Results demonstrate that the proposed method is effective, accurate, and robust for breathing crack identification in rotors and is promising for practical engineering applications.
Experimental Study on Deformation Monitoring of Bored Pile Based on BOTDR
Authors: Gao Lei , Han Chuan , Xu Zhongquan , Jin Yingjie , Yan Jianqiang
Published: June 2019

In order to study the deformation of bored pile, it is necessary to monitor the strain of the pile. The distributed optical fiber sensing technology realizes the integration of sensing and transmission, which is incomparable with traditional point monitoring method. In this paper, the Brillouin optical time domain reflectometer (BOTDR) distributed optical fiber sensing technology is used to monitor the deformation of the bored pile. The raw data monitored by BOTDR is processed by the wavelet basis function, that can perform noise removal processing. Three different methods of noise removal are chosen. Through the processing, the db5 wavelet is used to decompose the deformation data of bored pile monitored by BOTDR into two layers. The decomposed high-frequency signal is denoised by the Stein-based unbiased risk threshold, rigrsure. The decomposed data is smoothed by the translational mean method, and the final data after denoising and smoothing processing is real and reliable. The results of this study will provide data support for the deformation characteristics of bored pile, and also show the advantages of distributed optical fiber sensing technology.
Discrete and Phase Field Methods for Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics: A Comparative Study and State-of-the-Art Review
Authors: Egger Adrian , Pillai Udit , Agathos Konstantinos , Kakouris Emmanouil , Chatzi Eleni , Aschroft Ian A. , Triantafyllou Savvas P.
Published: June 2019

Three alternative approaches, namely the extended/generalized finite element method (XFEM/GFEM), the scaled boundary finite element method (SBFEM) and phase field methods, are surveyed and compared in the context of linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM). The purpose of the study is to provide a critical literature review, emphasizing on the mathematical, conceptual and implementation particularities that lead to the specific advantages and disadvantages of each method, as well as to offer numerical examples that help illustrate these features.
Novel Polymer–Silica Composite-Based Bifunctional Catalysts for Hydrodeoxygenation of 4-(2-Furyl)-3-Buten-2-One as Model Substance for Furfural–Acetone Aldol Condensation Products
Authors: Goepel Michael , Ramos Ruben , Gläser Roger , Kubička David
Published: June 2019

Novel bifunctional metal-loaded polymer–silica composite (PSC) catalysts were investigated in the hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of 4-(2-furyl)-3-buten-2-one (FAc) as a model substance for furfural–acetone aldol condensation products. PSC catalysts were synthesized via a sol–gel method with different polymer contents and subsequently doped with different noble metals. The product composition of the HDO of FAc could be tuned by using catalysts with different polymer (i.e., acidic properties) and metal content (i.e., redox properties), showing the great potential of metal-loaded PSC materials as tunable catalysts in biomass conversions with complex reaction networks. Furthermore, high yields (>90%) of the fully hydrodeoxygenated product (n-octane) could be obtained using noble metal-loaded PSC catalysts in only 8 h of reaction time.
Characterization of Natural Gypsum Materials and Their Composites for Building Applications
Authors: Bouzit Said , Laasri Said , Taha Mohamed , Laghzizil Abdelaziz , Hajjaji Abdelowahed , Merli Francesca , Buratti Cinzia
Published: June 2019

Building retrofitting plays a key-role in energy saving and a growing interest is focused on insulating materials that allow a reduction in heat loss from envelopes with low thickness, by a process of reducing heating and cooling demand. In this context, a complete characterization of the physical properties of Moroccan natural gypsum materials was carried out. Basic information on the mineralogical, microstructure, thermal, mechanical, and acoustic characteristics of the rocks sampled from two Moroccan regions is provided. It was found that mineralogy, porosity, and water content are the main factors governing the development of the structure and the strength of the samples. The measured values of the porosity were 8.94%, the water content varied between 2.5–3.0% for the two studied typologies, coming from Agadir and Safi, respectively. Gypsum powder was used for fabricating samples, which were investigated in terms of thermal and acoustic performance. Thermal properties were measured by means of a hot disk apparatus and values of conductivity of 0.18 W/mK and 0.13 W/mK were obtained for Agadir and Safi Gypsum, respectively. The acoustic performance was evaluated in terms of absorption coefficient and sound insulation, measured by means of a Kundt’s Tube (ISO 10534-2). The absorption coefficients were slightly higher than the ones of conventional plasters with similar thickness. A good sound insulation performance was confirmed, especially for Safi Gypsum, with a transmission loss-value up to about 50 dB at high frequency.
Repair of Heavily Damaged RC Beams Failing in Shear Using U-Shaped Mortar Jackets
Authors: Chalioris Constantin , Kytinou Violetta , Voutetaki Maristella , Papadopoulos Nikos
Published: June 2019

The effectiveness of slightly reinforced thin U-shaped cementitious mortar jacketing for the repair of damaged shear-critical reinforced concrete beams is experimentally investigated. The test project includes two parts. In the first one, five concrete beams over-reinforced against flexure and under-reinforced against shear with different ratio of closed stirrups were initially subjected to monotonic loading until failure. The initially tested beams have been designed to fail in shear after wide diagonal cracking and to exhibit various strength and deformation capacities along with different levels of damages. In the second experimental part, the heavily damaged beams were jacketed with mild steel small diameter U-shaped transverse stirrups and longitudinal reinforcing bars. The retrofitted specimens using the proposed jacketing technique were tested again following the same four-point-bending load scheme. Based on the overall performance of the beams, it is deduced that the shear strength and deformation capability of the jacketed beams were substantially increased compared to the corresponding capacities of the initial beams. Further, although all beams failed in a shear abrupt manner, the retrofitted ones exhibited reduced brittleness and higher deflections at failure up to six times with respect to the initially tested specimens. The level of the initial damage influences the efficiency of the jacketing. Additional test data derived from relative shear-damaged beam specimens and retrofitted with similar thin jackets is also presented herein in order to establish the effectiveness of this repair system and to clarify the parameters affecting its structural reliability. Comparisons indicated that jacketed beams can alter the failure mode from brittle shear to ductile flexural under certain circumstances.
Phase I Dose Escalation Study with Expansion Cohort of the Addition of Nab-Paclitaxel to Capecitabine and Oxaliplatin (CapOx) as First-Line Treatment of Metastatic Esophagogastric Adenocarcinoma (ACTION Study)
Authors: Schokker Sandor , van der Woude Stephanie O. , van Kleef Jessy Joy , van Zoen Daan J. , van Oijen Martijn G. H. , Mearadji Banafsche , Beenen Ludo F. M. , Stroes Charlotte I. , Waasdorp Cynthia , Jibodh R. Aarti , Creemers Aafke , Meijer Sybren L. , Hooijer Gerrit K. J. , Punt Cornelis J. A. , Bijlsma Maarten F. , van Laarhoven Hanneke W. M.
Published: June 2019

First-line triplet chemotherapy including a taxane may prolong survival in patients with metastatic esophagogastric cancer. The added toxicity of the taxane might be minimized by using nab-paclitaxel. The aim of this phase I study was to determine the feasibility of combining nab-paclitaxel with the standard of care in the Netherlands, capecitabine and oxaliplatin (CapOx). Patients with metastatic esophagogastric adenocarcinoma received oxaliplatin 65 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8, and capecitabine 1000 mg/m2 bid on days 1–14 in a 21-day cycle, with nab-paclitaxel on days 1 and 8 at four dose levels (60, 80, 100, and 120 mg/m2, respectively), using a standard 3 + 3 dose escalation phase, followed by a safety expansion cohort. Baseline tissue and serum markers for activated tumor stroma were assessed as biomarkers for response and survival. Twenty-six patients were included. The first two dose-limiting toxicities (i.e., diarrhea and dehydration) occurred at dose level 3. The resulting maximum tolerable dose (MTD) of 80 mg/m2 was used in the expansion cohort, but was reduced to 60 mg/m2 after three out of eight patients experienced diarrhea grade 3. The objective response rate was 54%. The median progression-free (PFS) and overall survival were 8.0 and 12.8 months, respectively. High baseline serum ADAM12 was associated with a significantly shorter PFS (p = 0.011). In conclusion, albeit that the addition of nab-paclitaxel 60 mg/m2 to CapOx may be better tolerated than other taxane triplets, relevant toxicity was observed. There is a rationale for preserving taxanes for later-line treatment. ADAM12 is a potential biomarker to predict survival, and warrants further investigation.
Bismuth Oxide Faceted Structures as a Photocatalyst Produced Using an Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jet
Authors: Köhler Robert , Siebert Dominik , Kochanneck Leif , Ohms Gisela , Viöl Wolfgang
Published: June 2019

The photocatalyst bismuth oxide, which is active under visual light, was deposited using an atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ). Sixteen different samples were generated under different parameters of the APPJ to investigate their catalytic activity. The prepared samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), laser scanning microscopy (LSM), and UV–vis diffuse reflectance absorption spectroscopy. The measured data, such as average sample thickness, coverage ratio, phase fraction, chemical composition, band gap, and photocatalytic performance were used for comparing the samples. The XRD analysis showed that the deposition process produced a mixed phase of monocline Bi2O3 and tetragonal Bi2O2.33. Using the Rietveld refinement method, phase fractions could be determined and compared with the XPS data. The non-stoichiometric phases were influenced by the introduction of nitrogen to the surface as a result of the deposition process. The band gap calculated from the diffuse absorption spectroscopy shows that Bi2O2.33 with 2.78 eV had a higher band gap compared to the phases with a high proportion of Bi2O3 (2.64 eV). Furthermore, it was shown that the band gap was dependent on the thickness of the sample and oxygen vacancies or loss of oxygen in the surface. All coatings had degraded methyl orange (MO) under irradiation by xenon lamps.
Opioid-Mediated Astrocyte–Neuron Signaling in the Nucleus Accumbens
Authors: Corkrum Michelle , Rothwell Patrick E. , Thomas Mark J. , Kofuji Paulo , Araque Alfonso
Published: June 2019

Major hallmarks of astrocyte physiology are the elevation of intracellular calcium in response to neurotransmitters and the release of neuroactive substances (gliotransmitters) that modulate neuronal activity. While μ-opioid receptor expression has been identified in astrocytes of the nucleus accumbens, the functional consequences on astrocyte–neuron communication remains largely unknown. The present study has investigated the astrocyte responsiveness to μ-opioid signaling and the regulation of gliotransmission in the nucleus accumbens. Through the combination of calcium imaging and whole-cell patch clamp electrophysiology in brain slices, we have found that μ-opioid receptor activation in astrocytes elevates astrocyte cytoplasmic calcium and stimulates the release of the gliotransmitter glutamate, which evokes slow inward currents through the activation of neuronal N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. These results indicate the existence of molecular mechanisms underlying opioid-mediated astrocyte–neuron signaling in the nucleus accumbens.
Cloud-Based Image Retrieval Using GPU Platforms
Authors: Mahmoudi Sidi Ahmed , Belarbi Mohammed Amin , Dadi El Wardani , Mahmoudi Saïd , Benjelloun Mohammed
Published: June 2019

The process of image retrieval presents an interesting tool for different domains related to computer vision such as multimedia retrieval, pattern recognition, medical imaging, video surveillance and movements analysis. Visual characteristics of images such as color, texture and shape are used to identify the content of images. However, the retrieving process becomes very challenging due to the hard management of large databases in terms of storage, computation complexity, temporal performance and similarity representation. In this paper, we propose a cloud-based platform in which we integrate several features extraction algorithms used for content-based image retrieval (CBIR) systems. Moreover, we propose an efficient combination of SIFT and SURF descriptors that allowed to extract and match image features and hence improve the process of image retrieval. The proposed algorithms have been implemented on the CPU and also adapted to fully exploit the power of GPUs. Our platform is presented with a responsive web solution that offers for users the possibility to exploit, test and evaluate image retrieval methods. The platform offers to users a simple-to-use access for different algorithms such as SIFT, SURF descriptors without the need to setup the environment or install anything while spending minimal efforts on preprocessing and configuring. On the other hand, our cloud-based CPU and GPU implementations are scalable, which means that they can be used even with large database of multimedia documents. The obtained results showed: 1. Precision improvement in terms of recall and precision; 2. Performance improvement in terms of computation time as a result of exploiting GPUs in parallel; 3. Reduction of energy consumption.
Morphology Investigation on Cyclopentane Hydrate Formation/Dissociation in a Sub-Millimeter-Sized Capillary
Authors: Sun Qiang , Du Mei , Li Xingxun , Guo Xuqiang , Yang Lanying
Published: June 2019

The formation, dissociation, and reformation of cyclopentane (CP) hydrate in a sub-millimeter-sized capillary were conducted in this work, and the morphology of CP hydrate was obtained during above processes, respectively. The influences of the supercooling degree, i.e., the hydrate formation driving force, on CP hydrate crystals’ aspect and growth rate were also investigated. The results demonstrate that CP forms hydrate with the water melting from ice at the interface between the CP and melting water at a temperature slightly above 273.15 K. With the action of hydrate memory effect, the CP hydrate in the capillary starts forming at the CP-water interface or CP–water–capillary three-phase junction and grows around the CP–water interface. The appearance and growth rate of CP hydrate are greatly influenced by the supercooling degree. It indicates that CP hydrate has a high aggregation degree and good regularity at a high supercooling degree (or a low formation temperature). The growth rate of CP hydrate crystals greatly increases with the supercooling degree. Consequently, the temperature has a significant influence on the formation of CP hydrate in the capillary. That means the features of CP hydrate crystals in a quiescent system could be determined and controlled by the temperature setting.
Design of Ionic Liquid Crystals Forming Normal-Type Bicontinuous Cubic Phases with a 3D Continuous Ion Conductive Pathway
Authors: Ichikawa Takahiro , Sasaki Yui , Kobayashi Tsubasa , Oshiro Hikaru , Ono Ayaka , Ohno Hiroyuki
Published: June 2019

We have prepared a series of pyridinium-based gemini amphiphiles. They exhibit thermotropic liquid–crystalline behavior depending on their alkyl chain lengths and anion species. By adjusting the alkyl chain lengths and selecting suitable anions, we have obtained an ionic amphiphile that exhibits a normal-type bicontinuous cubic phase from 38 °C to 12 °C on cooling from an isotropic phase. In the bicontinuous cubic liquid–crystalline assembly, the pyridinium-based ionic parts align along a gyroid minimal surface forming a 3D continuous ionic domain while their ionophobic alkyl chains form 3D branched nanochannel networks. This ionic compound can form homogeneous mixtures with a lithium salt and the resultant mixtures keep the ability to form normal-type bicontinuous cubic phases. Ion conduction measurements have been performed for the mixtures on cooling. It has been revealed that the formation of the 3D branched ionophobic nanochannels does not disturb the ion conduction behavior in the ionic domain while it results in the conversion of the state of the mixtures from fluidic liquids to quasi-solids, namely highly viscous liquid crystals. Although the ionic conductivity of the mixtures is in the order of 10–7 S cm–1 at 40 °C, which is far lower than the values for practical use, the present material design has a potential to pave the way for developing advanced solid electrolytes consisting of two task-specific nanosegregated domains: One is an ionic liquid nano-domain with a 3D continuity for high ionic conductivity and the other is ionophobic nanochannel network domains for high mechanical strength.
Special Issue on the Curative Power of Medical Data
Authors: Gîfu Daniela , Trandabăț Diana , Cohen Kevin , Xia Jingbo
Published: June 2019

With the massive amounts of medical data made available online, language technologies have proven to be indispensable in processing biomedical and molecular biology literature, health data or patient records. With huge amount of reports, evaluating their impact has long ceased to be a trivial task. Linking the contents of these documents to each other, as well as to specialized ontologies, could enable access to and the discovery of structured clinical information and could foster a major leap in natural language processing and in health research. The aim of this Special Issue, “Curative Power of Medical Data” in Data, is to gather innovative approaches for the exploitation of biomedical data using semantic web technologies and linked data by developing a community involvement in biomedical research. This Special Issue contains four surveys, which include a wide range of topics, from the analysis of biomedical articles writing style, to automatically generating tests from medical references, constructing a Gold standard biomedical corpus or the visualization of biomedical data.
Majorization and Dynamics of Continuous Distributions
Authors: Gomez Ignacio S. , da Costa Bruno G. , dos Santos Maike A. F.
Published: June 2019

In this work we show how the concept of majorization in continuous distributions can be employed to characterize mixing, diffusive, and quantum dynamics along with the H-Boltzmann theorem. The key point lies in that the definition of majorization allows choosing a wide range of convex functions ϕ for studying a given dynamics. By choosing appropriate convex functions, mixing dynamics, generalized Fokker–Planck equations, and quantum evolutions are characterized as majorized ordered chains along the time evolution, being the stationary states the infimum elements. Moreover, assuming a dynamics satisfying continuous majorization, the H-Boltzmann theorem is obtained as a special case for ϕ ( x ) = x ln x .
Quality Mapping of Offset Lithographic Printed Antenna Substrates and Electrodes by Millimeter-Wave Imaging
Authors: Zhang Jiao , Tang Jianhua , Sun Wenfeng , Zhang Yan , Wang Xinke , Yang Bin
Published: June 2019

Offset lithographic printed flexible antenna substrate boards and electrodes have attracted much attention recently due to the boost of flexible electronics. Unmanned quality inspection of these printed substrate boards and electrodes demands high-speed, large-scale and nondestructive methods, which is highly desired for manufacturing industries. The work here demonstrates two kinds of millimeter (mm)-wave imaging technologies for the quality (surface uniformity and functionality parameters) inspection of printed silver substrates and electrodes on paper and thin polyethylene film, respectively. One technology is a mm-wave line scanner system and the other is a terahertz-time domain spectroscopy-based charge-coupled device (CCD) imaging system. The former shows the ability of detecting transmitted mm-wave amplitude signals only; its detection is fast in a second time scale and the system shows great potential for the inspection of large-area printed surface uniformity. The latter technology achieves high spatial resolution images of up to hundreds of micrometers at the cost of increased inspection time, in a time scale of tens of seconds. With the exception of absorption rate information, the latter technology offers additional phase information, which can be used to work out 2D permittivity distribution. Moreover, its uniformity is vital for the antenna performance. Additionally, the results demonstrate that compression rolling treatment significantly improves the uniformity of printed silver surfaces and enhances the substrate’s permittivity values.
Improvements on the Carrier-Based Control Method for a Three-Level T-Type, Quasi-Impedance-Source Inverter
Authors: Barrero-González Fermín , Roncero-Clemente Carlos , Milanés-Montero María Isabel , González-Romera Eva , Romero-Cadaval Enrique , Husev Oleksandr , Pires V. Fernão
Published: June 2019

The boost feature that characterizes Z-source and quasi-Z-source converters is usually achieved by means of a proper insertion of short-circuit states in the full DC-link. In this work, a novel pulse width modulation carrier-based strategy for a three-phase, three-level T-type, quasi-Z-source inverter is introduced, based on the addition of alternate short-circuits in the two halves of the DC-link bus. This technique achieves better performance, less electromagnetic interference, and lower harmonic distortion of the output line-to-line voltage compared to the traditional methods based on the full DC-link shoot-through. At the same time, generating the switching states is to easy implement. The proposed strategy permits the use of electronic devices with lower blocking voltage capability, thus improving converter reliability, size, and cost. The new method may be implemented in another multilevel inverter with an impedance-source network as well. A comprehensive simulation study is performed in order to validate the adopted method, with different inverter input voltages, which is taken as representative of a photovoltaic array. Comparisons are conducted with conventional strategy insertions using the same topology in order to show the improvements achieved.
Enhanced Photoresponsivity of All-Inorganic (CsPbBr3) Perovskite Nanosheets Photodetector with Carbon Nanodots (CDs)
Authors: Algadi Hassan , Mahata Chandreswar , Woo Janghoon , Lee Minkyu , Kim Minsu , Lee Taeyoon
Published: June 2019

A hybrid composite photodetector based on cesium lead bromine perovskite (CsPbBr3) nanosheets and carbon nanodots (CDs) was fabricated on a quartz substrate by a one-step method of spin-coating and hot-plate annealing. The responsivity of the CsPbBr3/CD hybrid composite photodetector was 608 mAW−1 (under a 520-nm laser diode source applied at 0.2 mWcm−2), almost three times higher than that of a CsPbBr3-based photodetector (221 mAW−1). The enhanced performance of the CsPbBr3/CD photodetector is attributable to the high band alignment of the CDs and CsPbBr3, which significantly improves the charge extraction at the CsPbBr3/CD interface. Moreover, the hybrid CsPbBr3/CD photodetector exhibited a fast response time with a rise and decay time of 1.55 and 1.77 ms, which was faster than that of a pure CsPbBr3 based photodetector, indicating that the CDs accelerate the extraction of electrons and holes trapped in the CsPbBr3 film.
Proposal of a Predictive Mixed Experimental- Numerical Approach for Assessing the Performance of Farm Tractor Engines Fuelled with Diesel- Biodiesel-Bioethanol Blends
Authors: Bietresato Marco , Caligiuri Carlo , Bolla Anna , Renzi Massimiliano , Mazzetto Fabrizio
Published: June 2019

The effect of biofuel blends on the engine performance and emissions of agricultural machines can be extremely complex to predict even if the properties and the effects of the pure substances in the blends can be sourced from the literature. Indeed, on the one hand, internal combustion engines (ICEs) have a high intrinsic operational complexity; on the other hand, biofuels show antithetic effects on engine performance and present positive or negative interactions that are difficult to determine a priori. This study applies the Response Surface Methodology (RSM), a numerical method typically applied in other disciplines (e.g., industrial engineering) and for other purposes (e.g., set-up of production machines), to analyse a large set of experimental data regarding the mechanical and environmental performances of an ICE used to power a farm tractor. The aim is twofold: i) to demonstrate the effectiveness of RSM in quantitatively assessing the effects of biofuels on a complex system like an ICE; ii) to supply easy-to-use correlations for the users to predict the effect of biofuel blends on performance and emissions of tractor engines. The methodology showed good prediction capabilities and yielded interesting outcomes. The effects of biofuel blends and physical fuel parameters were adopted to study the engine performance. Among all possible parameters depending on the fuel mixture, the viscosity of a fuel blend demonstrated a high statistical significance on some system responses directly related to the engine mechanical performances. This parameter can constitute an interesting indirect estimator of the mechanical performances of an engine fuelled with such blend, while it showed poor accuracy in predicting the emissions of the ICE (NOx, CO concentration and opacity of the exhaust gases) due to a higher influence of the chemical composition of the fuel blend on these parameters; rather, the blend composition showed a much higher accuracy in the assessment of the mechanical performance of the ICE.
A Brief History of Whakapapa: Māori Approaches to Genealogy
Authors: Mahuika Nēpia
Published: June 2019

Whakapapa is the Māori term for genealogy. It has been described by some as the skeletal structure of Māori epistemology because all things have their own genealogies. In research, whakapapa has been presented in tribal histories, Māori Land Court records, and consistently as a framework for mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) and Māori research methodologies. This essay offers a brief overview of the ways in which whakapapa has been understood and negotiated in research particularly after the arrival of Europeans. Some early ethnographers, for instance, applied their own genealogical methods of dating to whakapapa, which influenced various Māori approaches from the twentieth century. With the advent of literacy and print, Māori experimented with new ways to record genealogy, and yet the underlying oral, ethical, and cultural practices that are crucial to whakapapa have remained integral to how it still lives and operates in Māori communities today.
The Choir Books of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice: Results of in Depth Non-Invasive Analyses
Authors: Ricciardi Paola , Mazzinghi Anna , Legnaioli Stefano , Ruberto Chiara , Castelli Lisa
Published: June 2019

This paper discusses a cross-disciplinary, international collaboration aimed at researching a series of 15th century choir books at the abbey of San Giorgio Maggiore on the homonymous island in Venice. Produced for the abbey itself, the books have never left the island during their 500-year history, thereby allowing a unique opportunity to analyse historic artefacts, which have undergone little modification over time. Prompted by ongoing cataloguing work on the manuscripts, a week-long analytical campaign using a combination of non-invasive analytical methods used in portable configuration allowed the comprehensive characterisation of ten volumes. The manuscripts’ palette and painting techniques were analysed using near-infrared imaging, reflectance spectroscopy in the UV-vis-NIR range, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence mapping and digital microscopy. The paper will discuss the challenges linked to the fragility and the large dimensions of the volumes as well as the most interesting results of the investigation. These include the detection of unusual painting materials such as bismuth ink, as well as the discovery of a less homogeneous palette than originally expected, which prompted a partial revision of the attribution of the decoration in one of the volumes to a single artist.
Non-Motor Symptoms after One Week of High Cadence Cycling in Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Harper Sara A. , Dowdell Bryan T. , Kim Jin Hyun , Pollock Brandon S. , Ridgel Angela L.
Published: June 2019

The objective was to investigate if high cadence cycling altered non-motor cognition and depression symptoms in individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and whether exercise responses were influenced by brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met polymorphism. Individuals with idiopathic PD who were ≥50 years old and free of surgical procedures for PD were recruited. Participants were assigned to either a cycling (n = 20) or control (n = 15) group. The cycling group completed three sessions of high cadence cycling on a custom motorized stationary ergometer. The primary outcome was cognition (attention, executive function, and emotion recognition were assessed via WebNeuro® and global cognition via Montreal Cognitive Assessment). Depression symptoms were assessed via Beck Depression Inventory-II. There was a main effect of time for emotional recognition (p = 0.048), but there were no other changes in cognition or depression symptoms. Regardless of intervention or Val66Met polymorphism, high cadence cycling does not alter cognition or depression symptoms after three sessions in one week.
Evidence-Based Integrated Analysis of Environmental Hazards in Southern Bolivia
Authors: Cantini Francesco , Castelli Giulio , Foderi Cristiano , Salazar Garcia Adalid , López de Armentia Teresa , Bresci Elena , Salbitano Fabio
Published: June 2019

The “Valles Cruceños” rural region plays a fundamental role for securing food and other resources for the neighboring, and fast sprawling, city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra (Bolivia). Due to the increasing pressure on its natural resources, the region is affected by progressive and severe environmental degradation, as many other rural regions in South and Central America. In this situation, sound policies and governance for sustainable land management are weak and not supported by data and scientific research outputs. With the present study, we aim at developing a novel and practical integrated hazard analysis methodology, supporting the evidence-based understanding of hazard patterns and informing risk assessment processes in the urban-rural continuum. Firstly, the main environmental hazards affecting the area were identified via questionnaire campaigns, held by the staff of local municipalities. Focusing on the hazards mostly perceived by the inhabitants of the region, including deforestation, water pollution and precipitation changes, hazard maps were created by using multiple environmental hazards indicators. An integrated hazard map was then built in a GIS environment, after a pair-wise comparison process. The maps represent a first baseline for the analysis of the present status of natural resources in “Valles Cruceños” area, and the proposed approach can be scaled up for integrated environmental hazards analysis in similar areas of Latin America.