bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Plan Estratégico de Marketing para la Empresa Litargmode del Cantón Gualaceo provincia del Azuay – Ecuador
Authors: Luna Altamirano Kléber Antonio , Rodas Orellana Johanna Estefanía , Córdova Rodas Viviana Mercedes , Uzhca Lata Milton Xavier
Published: January 2020

El presente artículo consiste en desarrollar un Plan Estratégico de Marketing para el posicionamiento e incremento de participación en el mercado de la empresa LITARGMODE, ubicada en la Ciudad de Gualaceo, Provincia del Azuay, considerado como un cantón turístico y en especial artesanal en la fabricación de calzado. Debido a la creciente demanda de fabricantes de calzado de cuero, el problema de la presente investigación radica en que la empresa ha disminuido notablemente sus ventas dentro de la plaza local y regional debido a la entrada de los productos extranjeros que entra sin aranceles y a un costo inferior, considerando que se hace necesario la aplicación de una herramienta de mercadeo para posicionar e incrementar la participación de mercado de la empresa en los diferentes sectores del país. El objetivo del estudio es diseñar un Plan Estratégico de Marketing con el propósito de tratar de mejorar las ventas a nivel local y regional. La metodología de la presente investigación es de tipo descriptivo con enfoque cuantitativo en donde se aplicará el método deductivo utilizando la técnica de la encuesta dirigido a los funcionarios de la Empresa, proveedores, ciudadanía y clientes potenciales. Los resultados indican que existe una alta competencia en el mercado, la publicidad para venta es demasiado baja y no promocionan el producto. Con este estudio y a través del Plan Estratégico de Marketing los directivos tomaran las mejores decisiones para mejorar este grave problema que hace daño a la empresa y así ser una marca competitiva en el mercado.
Claves para la transformación digital de las pymes
Authors: Muñoz Moreira Marcos Junior , Vaca Ortega María Cristina , Mina Palacios Elvin Brandon , Torres Panezo Mario Santiago
Published: January 2020

La transformación digital de una pyme en la actualidad es uno de los procesos que más interés despierta en la mayoría de sectores empresariales. Según un estudio de market research para el BBVA, publicado en 2017, el 60% de las empresas españolas consideran imprescindible la digitalización para obtener mayores beneficios y más éxito en sus negocios.

Sin embargo, muchas veces se confunde el término de transformación digital y los empresarios creen que implica poco más que usar las redes sociales o tener una página web. Lo que está claro es que hay que adaptarse a la nueva forma de consumo y llegar allí donde se encuentra nuestro cliente. Si no estamos en su mismo nivel, será difícil destacar y hacerse un hueco entre la competencia, cada vez más está más preparada y que se actualiza constantemente.

Lo primero que debes saber es qué es exactamente la transformación digital, es decir, cuando hablamos de un proceso que implica no sólo a los directivos de la organización sino a cada uno de los departamentos y empleados, que debes involucrarse al máximo. En términos generales, consiste en aprovechar las nuevas tecnologías para aumentar la eficiencia y productividad de nuestro negocio y encontrar nuevas oportunidades encaminadas al éxito empresarial.
Análisis de la política fiscal descrita en la constitución vigente del Ecuador
Authors: Morales Noriega Adriana Margarita , Chamba Bastidas Lenín Agustín , Vásconez Vásconez Henry David , Cabrera Bravo Daniel Antonio
Published: January 2020

La Economía de Ecuador depende en gran medida de la Política Fiscal, ya que la ejecución de la Política Monetaria es muy limitada por el proceso de dolarización que optó el Ecuador a partir del año 2000 tras una muy pronunciada y fuerte crisis financiera; la cual fue la responsable del incremento de los niveles de pobreza y limitados niveles de crecimiento – desarrollo. Por otro lado, el país mantiene un déficit fiscal cercano a 3.300 millones de dólares, problema que no es el único, ya que, en aras de contrarrestar dicha brecha, en el Ecuador sigue creciendo el endeudamiento, lo cual no es saludable mientras no se gestione la deuda pública, el gasto estatal y los sistemas de recaudación tributaria para impulsar el crecimiento y desarrollo económico. No es tarea fácil para las autoridades ecuatorianas el cumplimiento de los objetivos de la Política Fiscal ordenados en la Constitución vigente, ya que han resultado no ser suficientes para dar solución al problema estructural de producción y competitividad que tiene el Ecuador. Es necesario describir la Política Fiscal instaurada en el país, con la finalidad de valorar si el gobierno está administrando adecuadamente los bienes y servicios estatales, ya que su accionar se basa en la generación de condiciones favorables para el desarrollo de toda la población.
Structure and environmental drivers of phytoplanktonic resting stage assemblages in the central Mediterranean Sea
Authors: Casabianca S , Capellacci S , Ricci F , Andreoni F , Russo T , Scardi M , Penna A
Published: January 2020

Phytoplankton species can produce resting stages that persist in the sediment over long periods and accomplish important ecological functions. With the aim of investigating the phytoplankton assemblage structure in relation to environmental drivers and human pressures, we analyzed resting stages of diatoms and dinoflagellates, including harmful algal bloom taxa, in the surface sediments of 3 Mediterranean regional areas. Abundance of resting stages was determined by molecular quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay. Multivariate data analysis confirmed that the abundance of resting-stage assemblages seemed related to depth. Regional differences in the composition of the resting-stage assemblages were evident and environmental drivers were correlated with those regional differences. Three main groups of samples were defined according to SST and depth thresholds. Samples from the northern and central Adriatic Sea (average SST < 18°C) formed the richest assemblages, both in terms of abundance and species richness, while deep samples from all other basins (depth > 368 m) were poorer and less diverse than those from shallower sites (depth ≤ 368 m). Resting-stage taxa contributed differently to the 3 groups. Diatom spores and dinoflagellate cysts were the most abundant taxa, but Alexandrium minutum cysts and Ditylum brightwellii spores also accounted for a large share of the overall inter-group compositional distance. The structure of resting-stage assemblages can be regarded as a time- and space-integrated response of a subset of phytoplankton species to environmental conditions, including the physical oceanographic dynamics that favor or prevent sedimentation of resting stages.
Human without Image: Deleuzian Critique beyond the Neighbourhood Effect
Authors: Phillips Chas.
Published: January 2020

In this article, I draw resources from Deleuze's Difference and Repetition to develop an explanation and critique of invasive policing techniques on certain populations in the United States. First, I analyse recent studies revealing the neighbourhood effects of aggressive policing on those who never directly encounter officers. Second, I use Deleuze's concepts of the virtual, potentiality, the Idea and problems to illuminate the limitations to studying these effects that are inherent in a social scientific approach. I then use Deleuze's discussion of the Image of Thought to theorise (and then problematise) a racialised Image of the Human that justifies the aggressive policing policies in certain neighbourhoods. I argue instead for an open, unsettled, in-process category of the human that continues to creatively actualise. Finally, I offer two normative claims that again derive from Deleuze's philosophy: the first is a preliminary strategy for mitigating the non-localisable and virtual effects of policing policy by ‘conjugating’ oneself in a complex set of neighbourhood relations, particularly in response to inequitably distributed spaces of oppression; the second is an attempt to avoid reducing humanity to calculability by ‘fully explicating’ the other. In combination, the goal is to undermine the dogmatic Images of Thought and the Human that ground oppressive policing practices, and to foster an intensive potentiality for newness that might take these Images' place.
Teaching Western Political Thought Through Western Literature
Authors: West Douglas
Published: January 2020

In this presentation I will begin by situating and accounting for my pedagogical decision to teach the Fall 2019 section of Modern Political Thought, through the lens of Western-European literature. This course focuses on the use of the novel in Western-European culture as a commentary on contemporary political experiences. For example, the novels that will be covered in this course aim to convey to the reader the power of political will, utopia and dystopia, ideological bias, gender politics, religion and civic engagement, among other political themes. Throughout the course we will read these books as they speak to their time and to our own, encouraging an historical perspective on the development of Western – European political ideas. The texts under consideration include; Utopia. Thomas More, Frankenstein. Mary Shelley, Darkness at Noon. Arthur Koestler, Continental Drift. Russell Banks, Linden Hills. Gloria Naylor
Learning-by-doing: Teaching Qualitative Methods in DC
Authors: Duncan Natasha , Brown Nadia
Published: January 2020

Learning-by-doing presents an opportunity for political science departments to instruct undergraduate students in social science research methods. Conducting these trainings as short-term, high impact programs have the potential to make research and research methods accessible and appealing to students. Building these opportunities around major political events transforms these opportunities for learning further still. Rooted in these considerations, we designed and implemented the Qualitative Methods and the 2017 Presidential Inauguration Research Program at Purdue University. The program was a condensed qualitative research methods training experience that incorporated field work, conducted in spring 2017. This article offers lessons for innovating on undergraduate methods training.
Descrição do padrão de venação foliar em Aristolochia esperanzae Kuntze (Aristolochiaceae)
Authors: Filho Antonio Carlos Pereira de Menezes
Published: January 2020

As espécies do gênero Aristolochia são frequentemente utilizadas pela população como plantas medicinais para cura ou alívio de doenças, no entanto pouco se sabe as características que diferem as inúmeras espécies da família Aristolochiaceae. Neste trabalho objetivou-se determinar o padrão de venação foliar de Aristolochia esperanzae através da diafanização em diferentes corantes. Para o estudo, foram utilizadas folhas adultas, sem marcas por herbivoria ou ataques por insetos ou fitopatógenos. O material botânico foi coletado em duas áreas localizadas no município de Rio Verde, GO. O material foliar foi diafanizado utilizando os corantes, safranina e azul de toluidina. Os resultados obtidos foram satisfatórios para o corante safranina e em especial para o corante de azul de toluidina que se evidenciaram com maior qualidade e nitidez as estruturas do padrão de venação foliar de Aristolochia esperanzae. Neste estudo observou-se a presença de 7 nervuras primárias, entre 37 a 40 nervuras secundárias, inúmeras nervuras terciárias, quartenárias e quintenárias. Tipo de venação imersa na face adaxial e saliente na face abaxial, as auréolas com padrão fundidas pelas nervuras secundárias e terciárias, e bem desenvolvidas. Presença de vênulas simples e ramificadas apresentando bifurcações, vênulas intersecundárias e pontoações apenas na face abaxial, bem como tricomas glandulares na margem da lâmina. Na margem foliar as vênulas possuem padrão secundário e terciário externo sem a presença de vênulas ramificadas ou bifurcadas. O estudo do padrão de venação de Aristolochia esperanzae apresenta grande contribuição para melhor conhecimento desta espécie, possibilitando avaliar as características foliares na descrição da espécie e sua diferenciação entre os demais táxons.
In Vitro Antifungal Activity of Chitosan-Polyphenol Conjugates against Phytophthora cinnamomi
Authors: Matei Petruta Mihaela , Buzón-Durán Laura , Pérez-Lebeña Eduardo , Martín-Gil Jesús , Iacomi Beatrice Michaela , Ramos-Sánchez M. Carmen , Martín-Ramos Pablo
Published: January 2020

Phytophthora cinnamomi is responsible for radical rot in a wide range of hosts, resulting in large economic and ecological losses worldwide. In Spain, it is responsible for diseases such as the oak decline or the chestnut blight. In this study, different polyphenol-stevioside inclusion compounds dispersed in a hydroalcoholic solution of chitosan oligomers have been investigated, with a view to their application as natural bioactive complexes to replace conventional systemic fungicides against this fungus. The polyphenols tested in vitro were curcumin, ferulic acid, gallic acid and silymarin. Three concentrations (125, 250 and 500 µg·mL−1) were assayed, with and without silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), and notable differences were found in the inhibition of mycelium growth, with EC50 and EC90 values ranging from 171 to 373.6 µg·mL−1, and from 446.2 to 963.7 µg·mL−1, respectively. The results obtained showed that the addition of AgNPs, despite their antimicrobial activity, did not always lead to synergies. In the case of P. cinnamomi, an unexpected antagonistic behavior was found for two of the polyphenols (curcumin and silymarin), while an additive behavior for ferulic acid and a synergistic behavior for gallic acid were attained. In view of their inhibitory power, the preparations based on ferulic acid with AgNPs and on silymarin without AgNPs are proposed for applications in crop and forests protection against P. cinnamomi.
Comparison of Agronomic Performance between Japonica/Indica Hybrid and Japonica Cultivars of Rice Based on Different Nitrogen Rates
Authors: Sun Tao , Yang Xin , Tan Xiaoli , Han Kefeng , Tang Sheng , Tong Weiming , Zhu Siyi , Hu Zhaoping , Wu Lianghuan
Published: January 2020

Previous studies have revealed that the japonica/indica hybrid rice has a higher yield potential, biomass production, and nitrogen (N) accumulation than japonica rice in China, however, at a single N application rate. It remains unclear whether it also occurs at a higher or lower N application rate under the same field condition. To investigate the effects of nitrogen application rates on grain yield, N uptake, dry matter accumulation, and agronomic N use efficiency, field experiments were conducted in Jinhua City, Zhejiang Province during three consecutive growth seasons in 2016, 2017, and 2018. Two japonica/indica hybrid varieties (Yongyou 12 and Yongyou 538) and two japonica varieties (Xiushui 134 and Jia 58) were exposed to five N application rates (0, 150, 225, 300, and 375 kg ha−1). The results showed that grain yields of all the varieties increased with increasing nitrogen application rates, except for Jia 58 whose optimum nitrogen level was 225 kg ha−1, because no significant difference was observed between N225 and N300. Across the four rice varieties, N uptake increased significantly with increased N-fertilizer rates at all the growth stages (p < 0.05). Across the three planting years, the average grain yield of japonica/indica hybrid rice was higher than that of japonica rice by 75.6% at N0, 57.2% at N150, 41.1% at N225, 38.3% at N300, and 45.8% at N375. We also found that as compared with japonica rice, the japonica/indica hybrid rice had more grain yield, higher dry matter, and higher N uptake at all growth stages, regardless of the N application rate.
Influence of Pre-Harvest Factors on Postharvest Quality of Fresh-Cut and Baby Leafy Vegetables
Authors: Koukounaras Athanasios , Bantis Filippos , Karatolos Nikolaos , Melissas Christos , Vezyroglou Antonios
Published: January 2020

Shelf life of horticultural commodities is dependent on postharvest handling but also on a wide range of pre-harvest factors, which include genetic and environmental parameters. This study was conducted to explore the influence of cultivar, leaf position, and piece position on the leaf on visual quality of fresh-cut butterhead lettuce as well as the effect of a wide range of cultivation seasons on the postharvest quality and shelf life of baby leaves (spinach and ‘wild’ rocket). Six butterhead lettuce cultivars were used (cultivated soilless in an unheated plastic greenhouse) while the effect of leaf position on the plant (outer and inner leaves) and the piece position on the leaf (piece one close to the leaf base and piece four close to the top) were also evaluated. Baby leaves were cultivated under an unheated plastic greenhouse for winter production and under a nethouse for the rest of the growing season, with a total of five and seven sampling dates for spinach and ‘wild’ rocket respectively. The cultivar of butterhead lettuce had a significant effect on postharvest quality of fresh-cut product but more important was the piece position on the leaf. When this was closer to the base of the leaf, there was more browning on cut edges and limited shelf life for the fresh-cut lettuce. The result was associated in one tested cultivar with PAL activity, which was higher by 106% for piece one compared to piece four as an average for the whole storage period. The growing season of baby leaves had a great impact on their shelf life, with the season of mild environmental conditions achieving the highest marketability.
Nitrate Transport Rate in the Xylem of Tomato Plants Grafted onto a Vigorous Rootstock
Authors: Albornoz Francisco , Pérez-Donoso Alonso G. , Leigh Urbina Jorge , Monasterio Matías , Gómez Miguel , Steinfort Úrsula
Published: January 2020

Vigorous interspecific rootstocks increase nitrogen (N) uptake in tomato plants but limited information is available on xylem transport rate. Non-grafted and self-grafted tomato plants cv. Attiya and plants grafted onto an interspecific hybrid, Kaiser, were grown under growth chamber conditions and subjected to two light levels, 400 or 800 µmol PAR m−2 s−1. Plant water uptake, xylem sap NO3− content, and stem hydraulic conductance (ks) were measured after two weeks of growth. Xylem vessel number and diameter were evaluated in cross-sectional stem cuts and the theoretical xylem hydraulic conductance (kh) was calculated. Only the light level modified the xylem NO3− content. Grafting reduced ks by 84% in comparison to non-grafted plants. The water uptake rate and xylem sap NO3− content were 4.02 ± 0.66 g H2O kg−1 DW h−1 and 12.78 ± 1.16 mM, respectively, across all grafting treatments. The rootstock has a higher kh because the vessel diameter is 79.3 ± 14.4 µm while in non-grafted plants it is 62.0 ± 10.1 µm. Nitrate concentration and transport rate changes accordingly to the plant’s growth rate. The vigorous rootstock relies on larger vessels to supply the required amounts of N.
Effects of Dietary Vibroactivated Clinoptilolite Supplementation on the Intramammary Microbiological Findings in Dairy Cows
Authors: Đuričić Dražen , Sukalić Tomislav , Marković Franjo , Kočila Predrag , Žura Žaja Ivona , Menčik Sven , Dobranić Tomislav , Benić Miroslav , Samardžija Marko
Published: January 2020

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of dietary vibroactivated clinoptilolite supplementation on the intramammary microbiological findings in dairy cows, causative agents of potential intramammary infection, and their sensitivity to antibiotics. Cows (n = 78) were randomly divided into two groups: CPL-treated group that received clinoptilolite (CPL) in-feed (n = 38), i.e., 50 g natural powdered zeolite CPL, twice daily from the seventh month of pregnancy to 75 days after calving, and the control group (CON) of untreated cows (n = 40). Milk samples were taken from each cow on days 7, 25, 45, and 75 postpartum. The following causative pathogens were isolated in 86 udder quarters: Staphylococcus aureus in 5.81% of positive samples, Staphylococcus spp. 9.32%, coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CNS) 22.09%, Streptococcus uberis 13.95%, Streptococcus agalactiae 1.16%, Streptococcus sp. 3.49%, Escherichia coli 8.13%, Enterococcus spp. 6.98%, Corynebacterium spp. 11.63%, Pasteurella sp. 10.47%, Serratia spp. 2.33%, and Arcanobacterium pyogenes, Citrobacter sp., Prototheca sp., and yeasts each in 1.16% of samples. Additionally, 3.87% of environmental microflora samples (n = 47) and 89.06% of udder samples (n = 1083) were bacteriologically negative. The most effective antibiotics were cefoperazone and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, while cloxacillin and tetracycline were the least effective antibiotics in both groups. In the clinoptilolite supplemented (CPL) group (n = 38) of 14 cows, nine causative agents of mastitis were isolated in 27 quarters, while in the control (CON) group (n = 40) of 24 cows, 13 causative agents of mastitis were isolated in 59 quarters. Cows from the CON group had a 1.96 times higher risk of intramammary infection than cows from the CPL group during the observation period (odds ratio = 1.96, p = 0.0031; 95% CI = 1.2570–3.0770).
Effects of Fennel Seed Powder Supplementation on Growth Performance, Carcass Characteristics, Meat Quality, and Economic Efficiency of Broilers under Thermoneutral and Chronic Heat Stress Conditions
Authors: AL-Sagan Ahmed A. , Khalil Shady , Hussein Elsayed O. S. , Attia Youssef A.
Published: January 2020

Nowadays, phytogenic products have received great attention as a growth promoter due to their safety and environmentally friendly effect as a replacement for classical growth promoters such as antibiotics in animal nutrition. Thus, this research seeks the possibility of using fennel seed powder (FSP) as a dietary additive from 19 to 41 days of age on productive performance, carcass traits, meat quality, and production efficiency of broiler chickens raised under thermoneutral and chronic heat stress conditions. Thus, 216 one-day-old Ross-308 broiler chicks were divided into two equal groups. The first group was placed in an independent temperature-controlled room at 23 ± 2 °C. The broiler chicks from the second group were placed in a heat-stressed room and exposed to chronic heat stress conditions (32 ± 2 °C) for seven hours per day from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The experimental design was 2 × 3 factorial including two environmental temperatures (thermoneutral vs chronic heat stress) and three experimental diets that contained 0, 1.6, and 3.2% FSP. The chickens were randomly assigned to 18-floor pens per room temperature, representing six replicates per treatment and six birds per replicate. The results showed that dietary fennel seed powder during days 19–41 of age enhanced the growth rate of broiler chickens and improved breast meat redness and reduced temperature under chronic heat stress. In conclusion, 3.2% of fennel seed powder could be used as an agent for enhancing the broiler’s tolerance during chronic heat stress condition from 19 to 41 days of age. Moreover, it is necessary to study in further detail the nitrite and nitrate contents in FSP and their impacts on muscle redness (a*) as well as muscle temperature.
In-Person Caretaker Visits Disrupt Ongoing Discomfort Behavior in Hospitalized Equine Orthopedic Surgical Patients
Authors: Torcivia Catherine , McDonnell Sue
Published: January 2020

Horses have evolved to show little indication of discomfort or disability when in the presence of potential predators, including humans. This natural characteristic complicates the recognition of pain in equine patients. It has been our clinical impression that, whenever a person is present, horses tend to “perk up” and ongoing discomfort behavior (DB) more or less ceases. The objective of this study was to quantitatively evaluate and describe this effect. For each of 20 orthopedic surgical patients, continuous 24-h video was reviewed to record all occurrences of DB during a caretaker visit (3.23 to 7.75 min), for comparison to the hour preceding as well as the hour following when undisturbed. The mean ± S.E. DB observed per minute during the preceding and following hours, respectively, were 1.65 ± 0.17 and 1.49 ± 0.22. The difference was not significant (p > 0.05). In contrast, mean DB per minute during the visit was 0.40 ± 0.11. This was significantly lower than during both the preceding and following hours (p < 0.0001). All 20 patients expressed fewer observable DB per minute during the visit, with a mean reduction of 77.4% ± 0.17%. For 30% of these patients, ongoing DB ceased altogether during the visit. These findings confirm our clinical impression that caretaker visits interrupt DB, resulting in under-appreciation of discomfort.
In vitro Antibiotic and Modulatory Activity of Mesosphaerum suaveolens (L.) Kuntze against Candida strains
Authors: Rodrigues Costa Adrielle , Bezerra José Weverton Almeida , Pereira da Cruz Rafael , de Freitas Maria Audilene , da Silva Viviane Bezerra , Neto João Cruz , dos Santos Antonia Thassya Lucas , Bezerra Morais Braga Maria Flaviana , da Silva Leomara Andrade , Ivaneide Rocha Maria , Kamdem Jean Paul , Iriti Marcello , Vitalini Sara , Duarte Antonia Eliene , Barros Luiz Marivando
Published: January 2020

The emergence of fungal resistance to commercial drugs has been a major problem for the WHO. In this context, research with natural products is promising in the discovery of new active substances. Thus, this work evaluated the antifungal effect of a medicinal plant (i.e., Mesosphaerum suaveolens) against strains of the genus Candida, tested the combined effect with the drug fluconazole, and, finally, determined the phenolic constituents present in the species. Initially, aqueous extracts of leaves (AELMs) and aerial parts (AEAPMs) of the species were prepared. For microbiological assays, the minimum fungicidal concentration was determined by broth microdilution, and the combined effect of fluconazole extracts were verified by sub-inhibitory microdilution concentrations (CFM/8) followed by spectrophotometric readings which were used to determine the IC50. HPLC detected the presence of flavonoids and phenolic acids, detecting eight compounds present in the samples of which caffeic acid and quercetin were major components. The AELMs modulated fluconazole activity since it decreased fluconazole’s IC50 from 7.8 µg/mL to an IC50 of 4.7 µg/mL (CA LM 77) and from 28.8 µg/mL to 18.26 µg/mL (CA INCQS 40006) for the C. albicans strains. The AEAPMs were able to potentiate the effect of fluconazole more effectively than the AELMs. Such an effect was significant for the 16 µg/mL concentration for CA LM 77 and 32 µg/mL for CA INCQS 40006. The AEAPMs as well as the AELMs presented clinically relevant activities for C. tropicalis strains. For the C. tropicalis LM 23 strain, the AEPMs obtained an IC50 of 25 µg/mL and the AELMs an IC50 of 359.9 µg/mL.
Antioxidants in Poultry Nutrition and Reproduction: An Update
Authors: Surai Peter F.
Published: January 2020

For the last three decades poultry production worldwide has made tremendous progress in terms of quantity and quality of meat and egg production, including improvement of growth rate and feed conversion rate [...]
Aerobic Training Down-Regulates Pentraxin 3 and Pentraxin 3/Toll-Like Receptor 4 Ratio, Irrespective of Oxidative Stress Response, in Elderly Subjects
Authors: Estébanez Brisamar , Rodriguez Alexandra L. , Visavadiya Nishant P. , Whitehurst Michael , Cuevas María J. , González-Gallego Javier , Huang Chun-Jung
Published: January 2020

Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species-mediated cellular aging has been linked to diseases such as atherothrombosis and cancer. Although pentraxin 3 (PTX3) is associated with aging-related diseases via TLR4-dependent anti-inflammatory effects, its relationship with oxidative stress in aging remains to be elucidated. Exercise is proposed as the key intervention for health maintenance in the elderly. This study aimed to examine the association of PTX3 levels with changes in oxidative stress in both plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), following aerobic training in elderly adults. Nine trained and five controls participated in an eight-week aerobic training protocol. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blot analyses were used to determine PTX3, toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), and levels of oxidative stress biomarkers [3-nitrotyrosine (3NT), 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE), glutathione (GSH), protein carbonyl (PC), reactive oxygen/ nitrogen species (ROS/RNS), and trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC)] in plasma and/or PBMCs. Results showed a down-regulation of PTX3 expression in PBMCs following aerobic training, along with decreased PTX3/TLR4 ratios. Oxidative stress responses in PBMCs remained unchanged with the exercise protocol. Comparable levels of plasma PTX3 and oxidative stress biomarkers were observed in trained vs. control groups. No correlation was found between PTX3 and any oxidative stress biomarkers following training. These findings demonstrated the down-regulation of PTX3 and PTX3/TLR4 ratio, irrespective of oxidative stress response, in elderly adults following eight weeks of aerobic training.
Regularization-Based Dual Adaptive Kalman Filter for Identification of Sudden Structural Damage Using Sparse Measurements
Authors: Lee Se-Hyeok , Song Junho
Published: January 2020

This paper proposes a dual adaptive Kalman filter to identify parameters of a dynamic system that may experience sudden damage by a dynamic excitation such as earthquake ground motion. While various filter techniques have been utilized to estimate system’s states, parameters, input (force), or their combinations, the filter proposed in this paper focuses on tracking parameters that may change suddenly using sparse measurements. First, an advanced state-space model of parameter estimation employing a regularization technique is developed to overcome the lack of information in sparse measurements. To avoid inaccurate or biased estimation by conventional filters that use covariance matrices representing time-invariant artificial noises, this paper proposes a dual adaptive filtering, whose slave filter corrects the covariance of the artificial measurement noises in the master filter at every time-step. Since it is generally impossible to tune the proposed dual filter due to sensitivity with respect to parameters selected to describe artificial noises, particle swarm optimization (PSO) is adopted to facilitate optimal performance. Numerical investigations confirm the validity of the proposed method through comparison with other filters and emphasize the need for a thorough tuning process.
A New Face Recognition Method for Intelligent Security
Authors: Wang Zhenzhou , Zhang Xu , Yu Pingping , Duan Wenjie , Zhu Dongjie , Cao Ning
Published: January 2020

With the advent of the era of artificial intelligence and big data, intelligent security robots not only improve the efficiency of the traditional intelligent security industry but also propose higher requirements for intelligent security. Aiming to solve the problem of long recognition time and high equipment cost of intelligent security robots, we propose a new face recognition method for intelligent security in this paper. We use the Goldstein branching method for phase unwrapping, which can improve the three-dimensional (3D) face reconstruction effect. Subsequently, by using the three-dimensional face recognition method based on face radial curve elastic matching, different weights are assigned to different curve recognition similarity for weighted fusion as the total similarity for recognition. Experiments show that the method has a higher face recognition rate and is robust to attitude, illumination, and noise.
Smart Environmental Data Infrastructures: Bridging the Gap between Earth Sciences and Citizens
Authors: Viqueira José R. R. , Villarroya Sebastián , Mera David , Taboada José A.
Published: January 2020

The monitoring and forecasting of environmental conditions is a task to which much effort and resources are devoted by the scientific community and relevant authorities. Representative examples arise in meteorology, oceanography, and environmental engineering. As a consequence, high volumes of data are generated, which include data generated by earth observation systems and different kinds of models. Specific data models, formats, vocabularies and data access infrastructures have been developed and are currently being used by the scientific community. Due to this, discovering, accessing and analyzing environmental datasets requires very specific skills, which is an important barrier for their reuse in many other application domains. This paper reviews earth science data representation and access standards and technologies, and identifies the main challenges to overcome in order to enable their integration in semantic open data infrastructures. This would allow non-scientific information technology practitioners to devise new end-user solutions for citizen problems in new application domains.
Geochemical Implications of Rare Earth Elements in Terra Rossa in Tropical Karst Area: A Case Study in Northern Vietnam
Authors: Liankai Zhang , Hongbing Ji , Shijie Wang , Gang Luo , Xiuming Liu , Xiao Wei , QuocDinh Nguyen , DaiTrung Nguyen
Published: January 2020

Research on weathered crusts on carbonate rock is essential for paleoenvironmental studies in karst areas. Terra rossa, widely distributed in tropical karst areas, has not been studied in terms of its material sources and geochemistry. Two typical terra rossa profiles on dolomite (SC profile located at Sang Cai, Hoa Binh province) and limestone (TG profile located at Tong Gia, Lao Cai province) in Northern Vietnam were selected to examine the geochemical characteristics and the evolutionary processes of rare earth elements (REEs). Chondrite and bedrock normalized patterns indicated that these two profiles are in situ weathering crusts, meaning they are the residual material remaining after chemical weathering of the lower carbonate rocks. The average value of total REE in the SC profile is 381.19 ppm, which is 30 times higher than the bedrock. In the TG profile, the value is 386.26 ppm, 13 times higher than the bedrock. Compared with the profiles in nearby subtropical areas in Southeast China, the REE enrichment coefficients of terra rossa in Northern Vietnam are much higher. The REE depletion was also different between the SC and TG profiles. The light and heavy REE fractionations in the SC profile are higher than in the TG profile. Paleoclimate inversion analysis shows that the SC profile experienced a stable oxidation condition, whereas the TG profile was subjected to several reducing environments since a weathering crust formed.
Behavioral Dynamics of Pedestrians Crossing between Two Moving Vehicles
Authors: Kim Soon Ho , Kim Jong Won , Chung Hyun-Chae , Choi Gyoo-Jae , Choi MooYoung
Published: January 2020

This study examines the human behavioral dynamics of pedestrians crossing a street with vehicular traffic. To this end, an experiment was constructed in which human participants cross a road between two moving vehicles in a virtual reality setting. A mathematical model is developed in which the position is given by a simple function. The model is used to extract information on each crossing by performing root-mean-square deviation (RMSD) minimization of the function from the data. By isolating the parameter adjusted to gap features, we find that the subjects primarily changed the timing of the acceleration to adjust to changing gap conditions, rather than walking speed or duration of acceleration. Moreover, this parameter was also adjusted to the vehicle speed and vehicle type, even when the gap size and timing were not changed. The model is found to provide a description of gap affordance via a simple inequality of the fitting parameters. In addition, the model turns out to predict a constant bearing angle with the crossing point, which is also observed in the data. We thus conclude that our model provides a mathematical tool useful for modeling crossing behaviors and probing existing models. It may also provide insight into the source of traffic accidents.
Comparative Study of Structural Reliability Assessment Methods for Offshore Wind Turbine Jacket Support Structures
Authors: Shittu Abdulhakim Adeoye , Mehmanparast Ali , Wang Lin , Salonitis Konstantinos , Kolios Athanasios
Published: January 2020

Offshore wind turbines (OWTs) are deployed in harsh environments often characterized by highly stochastic loads and resistance properties, thus necessitating the need for structural reliability assessment (SRA) to account for such uncertainties systematically. In this work, the SRA of an OWT jacket-type support structure is conducted, applying two stochastic methods to predict the safety level of the structure considering various design constraints. The first method refers to a commercial finite element analysis (FEA) package (DesignXplorer© from ANSYS) which employs direct simulations and the six sigma analysis function applying Latin hypercube sampling (LHS) to predict the probability of failure. The second method develops a non-intrusive formulation which maps the response of the structure through a finite number of simulations to develop a response surface, and then employs first-order reliability methods (FORM) to evaluate the reliability index and, subsequently, the probability of failure. In this analysis, five design constraints were considered: stress, fatigue, deformation, buckling, and vibration. The two methods were applied to a baseline 10-MW OWT jacket-type support structure to identify critical components. The results revealed that, for the inherent stochastic conditions, the structural components can safely withstand such conditions, as the reliability index values were found acceptable when compared with allowable values from design standards. The reliability assessment results revealed that the fatigue performance is the design-driving criterion for structural components of OWT support structures. While there was good agreement in the safety index values predicted by both methods, a limitation of the direct simulation method is in its requirement for a prohibitively large number of simulations to estimate the very low probabilities of failure in the deformation and buckling constraint cases. This limitation can be overcome through the non-intrusive formulation presented in this work.
A Combination of Feature Selection and Random Forest Techniques to Solve a Problem Related to Blast-Induced Ground Vibration
Authors: Zhang Hong , Zhou Jian , Jahed Armaghani Danial , Tahir M. M. , Pham Binh Thai , Huynh Van Van
Published: January 2020

In mining and civil engineering applications, a reliable and proper analysis of ground vibration due to quarry blasting is an extremely important task. While advances in machine learning led to numerous powerful regression models, the usefulness of these models for modeling the peak particle velocity (PPV) remains largely unexplored. Using an extensive database comprising quarry site datasets enriched with vibration variables, this article compares the predictive performance of five selected machine learning classifiers, including classification and regression trees (CART), chi-squared automatic interaction detection (CHAID), random forest (RF), artificial neural network (ANN), and support vector machine (SVM) for PPV analysis. Before conducting these model developments, feature selection was applied in order to select the most important input parameters for PPV. The results of this study show that RF performed substantially better than any of the other investigated regression models, including the frequently used SVM and ANN models. The results and process analysis of this study can be utilized by other researchers/designers in similar fields.
Monitoring of Huntington’s Disease Based on Wireless Sensing Technology
Authors: Zhu Qiyu , Guan Lei , Khan Muhammad Bilal , Yang Xiaodong
Published: January 2020

Huntington’s disease (HD) is a rare genetic disorder that cannot be cured by current medical techniques. With the development of the disease, the life of patients will become more and more difficult. It is necessary to timely and effectively evaluate the development of the patient’s condition based on the patient’s clinical symptoms to help doctors to formulate a reasonable and effective treatment plan, alleviate the condition, and improve the quality of life, which reflects humane care. Currently, wearable devices or video surveillance are generally used to monitor the patients, and these schemes have some disadvantages. This paper presents a new method to monitor patients with HD using wireless sensing technology. Firstly, experimental data were collected by the self-developed microwave sensing platform (MSP), and then the data were preprocessed. Finally, support vector machine (SVM) and random forest (RF) algorithms were used to train the model. The MSP system continuously monitors patients in a non-contact way, which will not bring inconvenience to patients’ lives, and will not involve privacy issues. The experimental results show that the prediction accuracy of SVM can be as high as 98.0% and that of RF can be as high as 96.7%, which proves the feasibility of the technical scheme described in this paper.
Synthesis and Characterization of Highly Crystalline Vertically Aligned WSe2 Nanosheets
Authors: Sierra-Castillo Ayrton , Haye Emile , Acosta Selene , Bittencourt Carla , Colomer J.-F.
Published: January 2020

Here, we report on the synthesis of tungsten diselenide (WSe2) nanosheets using an atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition technique via the rapid selenization of thin tungsten films. The morphology and the structure, as well as the optical properties, of the so-produced material have been studied using electron microscopies, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, photoluminescence, UV–visible and Raman spectroscopies, and X-ray diffraction. These studies confirmed the high crystallinity, quality, purity, and orientation of the WSe2 nanosheets, in addition to the unexpected presence of mixed phases, instead of only the most thermodynamically stable 2H phase. The synthesized material might be useful for applications such as gas sensing or for hydrogen evolution reaction catalysis.
Quantifying Extreme Precipitation Forecasting Skill in High-Resolution Models Using Spatial Patterns: A Case Study of the 2016 and 2018 Ellicott City Floods
Authors: Zick Stephanie E.
Published: January 2020

Recent historic floods in Ellicott City, MD, on 30 July 2016 and 27 May 2018 provide stark examples of the types of floods that are expected to become more frequent due to urbanization and climate change. Given the profound impacts associated with flood disasters, it is crucial to evaluate the capability of state-of-the-art weather models in predicting these hydrometeorological events. This study utilizes an object-based approach to evaluate short range (<12 h) hourly forecast precipitation from the High-Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) versus observations from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Stage IV precipitation analysis. For both datasets, a binary precipitation field is delineated using thresholds that span trace to extreme precipitation rates. Next, spatial metrics of area, perimeter, solidity, elongation, and fragmentation, as well as centroid positions for the forecast and observed fields are calculated. A Mann–Whitney U-test reveals biases (using a confidence level of 90%) related to the spatial attributes and locations of model forecast precipitation. Results indicate that traditional pixel-based precipitation verification metrics are limited in their ability to quantify and characterize model skill. In contrast, an object-based methodology offers encouraging results in that the HRRR can skillfully predict the extreme precipitation rates that are anticipated with anthropogenic climate change. Yet, there is still room for improvement, since model forecasts of extreme convective rainfall tend to be slightly too numerous and fragmented compared with observations. Lastly, results are sensitive to the HRRR model’s representation of synoptic-scale and mesoscale processes. Therefore, detailed surface analyses and an “ingredients-based” approach should remain central to the process of forecasting excessive rainfall.
Prediction of Aerosol Deposition in the Human Respiratory Tract via Computational Models: A Review with Recent Updates
Authors: Bui Vu Khac Hoang , Moon Ju-Young , Chae Minhe , Park Duckshin , Lee Young-Chul
Published: January 2020

The measurement of deposited aerosol particles in the respiratory tract via in vivo and in vitro approaches is difficult due to those approaches’ many limitations. In order to overcome these obstacles, different computational models have been developed to predict the deposition of aerosol particles inside the lung. Recently, some remarkable models have been developed based on conventional semi-empirical models, one-dimensional whole-lung models, three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics models, and artificial neural networks for the prediction of aerosol-particle deposition with a high accuracy relative to experimental data. However, these models still have some disadvantages that should be overcome shortly. In this paper, we take a closer look at the current research trends as well as the future directions of this research area.
Cytokinin Sensing in Bacteria
Authors: Kabbara Samar , Bidon Baptiste , Kilani Jaafar , Osman Marwan , Hamze Monzer , Stock Ann M. , Papon Nicolas
Published: January 2020

Although it has long been known that bacteria detect and react to plant chemicals to establish an interaction, the cellular signaling mechanisms involved in these perception processes have hitherto remained obscure. Some exciting recent advances in the field have described, for the first time, how some phytopathogenic bacteria sense the host plant hormones, cytokinins. These discoveries not only advance the understanding of cell signaling circuitries engaged in cytokinin sensing in non-plant organisms, but also increase our knowledge of the broad role of these ancient molecules in regulating intra- and interspecific communications.
Circular RNA Expression Profiles in Plasma from Patients with Heart Failure Related to Platelet Activity
Authors: Sun Yeying , Jiang Xiaoli , Lv Yan , Liang Xinyue , Zhao Bingrui , Bian Weihua , Zhang Daolai , Jiang Jing , Zhang Chunxiang
Published: January 2020

Heart failure (HF) is a deadly disease that is difficult to accurately diagnose. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a novel class of noncoding RNAs that might play important roles in many cardiovascular diseases. However, their role in HF remains unclear. CircRNA microarrays were performed on plasma samples obtained from three patients with HF and three healthy controls. The profiling results were validated by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The diagnostic value of circRNAs for HF was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. The expression profiles indicated that 477 circRNAs were upregulated and 219 were downregulated in the plasma of patients with HF compared with healthy controls. Among the dysregulated circRNAs, hsa_circ_0112085 (p = 0.0032), hsa_circ_0062960 (p = 0.0006), hsa_circ_0053919 (p = 0.0074) and hsa_circ_0014010 (p = 0.025) showed significantly higher expression in patients with HF compared with healthy controls. The area under the ROC curve for hsa_circ_0062960 for HF diagnosis was 0.838 (p < 0.0001). Correlation analysis showed that the expression of hsa_circ_0062960 was highly correlated with B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) serum levels. Some differential circRNAs were found to be related to platelet activity by Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses. The landscape of circRNA expression profiles may play a role in HF pathogenesis and improve our understanding of platelet function in HF. Moreover, hsa_circ_0062960 has potential as a novel diagnostic biomarker for HF.