bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Broad color tuning of Bi3+/Eu3+-doped (Ba,Sr)3Sc4O9 solid solution compounds via crystal field modulation and energy transfer
Authors: Dang Peipei , Liang Sisi , Li Guogang , Lian Hongzhou , Shang Mengmeng , Lin Jun
Published: August 2018

Color tuning of blue-to-green and green-to-orange was achieved based on the crystal field regulation of Ba2+/Sr2+ substitution and designing Bi3+ → Eu3+ energy transfer.
Ameliorative effects of quercetin against bisphenol A-caused oxidative stress in human erythrocytes: anin vitroandin silico study
Authors: Sangai Neha P. , Patel Chirag N. , Pandya Himanshu A.
Published: August 2018

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an endocrine disruptor of xenobiotic type, mainly used for the production of polycarbonate plastic, epoxy resins and non-polymer additives.
Surface functional groups affect CdTe QDs behavior at mitochondrial level
Authors: Xiang Xun , Gao Tao , Zhang Bo-Rui , Jiang Feng-Lei , Liu Yi
Published: August 2018

CdTe QDs functionalized with different groups showed different effects on mitochondrial membrane fluidity.
MiRNA-206 suppresses PGE2-induced colorectal cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion by targetting TM4SF1
Authors: Park Young Ran , Seo Seung Young , Kim Se Lim , Zhu Shi Mao , Chun Sungkun , Oh Jung-Mi , Lee Min Ro , Kim Seong Hun , Kim In Hee , Lee Seung Ok , Lee Soo Teik , Kim Sang Wook
Published: August 2018

MiRNA (miR)-206 plays a tumor suppressor role in various cancer types. Here, we investigated whether miR-206 is involved in prostaglandin E2 (PGE2)-induced epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) in colorectal cancer (CRC) cells through the targetting of transmembrane 4 L six family member 1 (TM4SF1).

The effect of PGE2 on growth and apoptosis of CRC cells was evaluated using the MTT assay and flow cytometry analysis, respectively. TM4SF1 and miR-206 expression levels were determined with quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) in CRC tissues and cell lines. The concentration of PGE2 in the serum of CRC patients and healthy controls was measured with an ELISA kit. A miR-206 or TM4SF1 construct was transfected into cells with PGE2. Transwell migration and invasion assays were used to examine cell migration and invasion properties. Additionally, a luciferase assay was performed to determine whether TM4SF1 was directly targetted by miR-206.

We found that miR-206 was down-regulated and TM4SF1 was up-regulated in human CRC tissues and cell lines. Moreover, miR-206 was negatively correlated with TM4SF1 expression. Bioinformatics analysis and a luciferase reporter assay revealed that miR-206 directly targetted the 3′-untranslated region (UTR) of TM4SF1, and TM4SF1 expression was reduced by miR-206 overexpression at both the mRNA and protein levels. Additionally, PGE2 significantly suppressed the expression of miR-206 and increased the expression of TM4SF1 in CRC cells. PGE2 induction led to enhanced CRC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Moreover, the overexpression of miR-206 decreased CRC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion compared with control group in PGE2-induced cells, and these effects could be recovered by the overexpression of TM4SF1. Overexpression of miR-206 also suppressed the expression of β-catenin, VEGF, MMP-9, Snail, and Vimentin and enhanced E-cadherin expression in PGE2-induced cells. These results could be reversed by the overexpression of TM4SF1. At last, up-regulation of miR-206 suppressed expression of p-AKT and p-ERK by targetting TM4SF1 in PGE2-induced cells.

Our results provide further evidence that miR-206 has a protective effect on PGE2-induced colon carcinogenesis.
miR-134 inhibits chondrogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells by targetting SMAD6
Authors: Xu Shaogang , Wu Xuejian
Published: August 2018

Various miRNAs have been reported to regulate the chondrogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs); however, whether miR-134 plays a role in this biological process remains undetermined. In the present study, we first evaluated the chondrogenic differentiation of BMSCs by Alcian blue staining, and examined the miR-134 expression by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) during this process. And miR-134 inhibitor was used to investigate the functions of miR-134 in chondrogenic differentiation of BMSCs by Alcian blue staining, qRT-PCR, and Western blot. Subsequently, the correlation between miR-134 and SMAD6 was assessed via bioinformatics analysis and dual-luciferase reporter assay. Finally, the role of SMAD6 in chondrogenic differentiation of BMSCs was also determined through Alcian blue staining, qRT-PCR, and Western blot. As results showed that miR-134 expression was significantly down-regulated during chondrogenic differentiation, and inhibition of miR-134 obviously promoted chondrogenic differentiation. Dual-luciferase reporter assay indicated that miR-134 could directly target the 3′-UTRs of SMAD6, inhibit miR-134 expression in BMSCs, and up-regulate SMAD6 expression. Moreover, we found that overexpression of SMAD6 significantly promoted chondrogenic differentiation, and that SMAD6-induced promotion of chondrogenic differentiation could be reversed by miR-134 mimics. In conclusion, our findings suggest that miR-134 may act as a negative regulator during chondrogenic differentiation of BMSCs by interacting with SMAD6.
Association of IL-6 -174G>C (rs1800795) polymorphism with cervical cancer susceptibility
Authors: Duan Hai-Xia , Chen You-Yi , Shi Juan-Zi , Ren Nan-Nan , Li Xiao-Juan
Published: August 2018

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a multifunctional cytokine that has been implicated in the etiology of cancer. Several case–control studies have been conducted to assess the association of IL-6 -174G>C (rs1800795) polymorphism with the risk of cervical cancer, yet with conflicting conclusions. To derive a more precise estimation of the relationship, we performed this meta-analysis updated to June 2018. A total of seven original publications were identified covering IL-6 -174G>C (rs1800795) polymorphism. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the relationship strengths. Statistically significant relationship was observed between IL-6 -174G>C polymorphism and cervical cancer risk (OR = 0.61, 95% CI: 0.40–0.94 for GG vs. CC, and OR = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.64–0.93 for G vs. C). Moreover, the significant association was found among Asians (OR = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.29–0.75 for GG vs. CC, and OR = 0.70, 95% CI: 0.57–0.89 for G vs. C); hospital-based subgroup (OR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.38–0.72 for GG vs. CC, and OR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.61–0.87 for G vs. C); and Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium ≤0.05 (OR = 0.56, 95% CI: 0.37–0.86 for GG vs. GC, and OR = 0.66, 95% CI: 0.47–0.93 for G vs. C). This meta-analysis showed the evidence that the IL-6 -174G>C polymorphism was a low-penetrance susceptibility variant for cervical cancer. Further large-scale case–control studies are needed to confirm these results.
Combinatorial use of disulfide bridges and native sulfur-SAD phasing for rapid structure determination of coiled-coils
Authors: Kraatz Sebastian H.W. , Bianchi Sarah , Steinmetz Michel O.
Published: August 2018

Coiled-coils are ubiquitous protein–protein interaction motifs found in many eukaryotic proteins. The elongated, flexible and often irregular nature of coiled-coils together with their tendency to form fibrous arrangements in crystals imposes challenges on solving the phase problem by molecular replacement. Here, we report the successful combinatorial use of native and rational engineered disulfide bridges together with sulfur-SAD phasing as a powerful tool to stabilize and solve the structure of coiled-coil domains in a straightforward manner. Our study is a key example of how modern sulfur SAD combined with mutagenesis can help to advance and simplify the structural study of challenging coiled-coil domains by X-ray crystallography.
Protein disulfide isomerase does not act as an unfoldase in the disassembly of cholera toxin
Authors: Cherubin Patrick , Guyette Jessica , Taylor Michael , O’Donnell Morgan , Herndon Laura , Burress Helen , Riad Aladdin , Tatulian Suren A. , Teter Ken
Published: August 2018

Cholera toxin (CT) is composed of a disulfide-linked A1/A2 heterodimer and a ring-like, cell-binding B homopentamer. The catalytic A1 subunit must dissociate from CTA2/CTB5 to manifest its cellular activity. Reduction of the A1/A2 disulfide bond is required for holotoxin disassembly, but reduced CTA1 does not spontaneously separate from CTA2/CTB5: protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) is responsible for displacing CTA1 from its non-covalent assembly in the CT holotoxin. Contact with PDI shifts CTA1 from a protease-resistant conformation to a protease-sensitive conformation, which is thought to represent the PDI-mediated unfolding of CTA1. Based solely on this finding, PDI is widely viewed as an ‘unfoldase’ that triggers toxin disassembly by unfolding the holotoxin-associated A1 subunit. In contrast with this unfoldase model of PDI function, we report the ability of PDI to render CTA1 protease-sensitive is unrelated to its role in toxin disassembly. Multiple conditions that promoted PDI-induced protease sensitivity in CTA1 did not support PDI-mediated disassembly of the CT holotoxin. Moreover, preventing the PDI-induced shift in CTA1 protease sensitivity did not affect PDI-mediated disassembly of the CT holotoxin. Denatured PDI could still convert CTA1 into a protease-sensitive state, and equal or excess molar fractions of PDI were required for both efficient conversion of CTA1 into a protease-sensitive state and efficient disassembly of the CT holotoxin. These observations indicate the ‘unfoldase’ property of PDI does not play a functional role in CT disassembly and does not represent an enzymatic activity.
BronchoX: bronchoscopy exploration software for biopsy intervention planning
Authors: Ramírez Esmitt , Sánchez Carles , Borràs Agnés , Diez‐Ferrer Marta , Rosell Antoni , Gil Debora
Published: August 2018

Virtual bronchoscopy (VB) is a non‐invasive exploration tool for intervention planning and navigation of possible pulmonary lesions (PLs). A VB software involves the location of a PL and the calculation of a route, starting from the trachea, to reach it. The selection of a VB software might be a complex process, and there is no consensus in the community of medical software developers in which is the best‐suited system to use or framework to choose. The authors present Bronchoscopy Exploration (BronchoX), a VB software to plan biopsy interventions that generate physician‐readable instructions to reach the PLs. The authors’ solution is open source, multiplatform, and extensible for future functionalities, designed by their multidisciplinary research and development group. BronchoX is a compound of different algorithms for segmentation, visualisation, and navigation of the respiratory tract. Performed results are a focus on the test the effectiveness of their proposal as an exploration software, also to measure its accuracy as a guiding system to reach PLs. Then, 40 different virtual planning paths were created to guide physicians until distal bronchioles. These results provide a functional software for BronchoX and demonstrate how following simple instructions is possible to reach distal lesions from the trachea.
Performance analysis of a novel uplink cooperative NOMA system with full‐duplex relaying
Authors: Zhang Yingying , Yang Zhen , Feng Youhong , Yan Shihao
Published: August 2018

In this study, the authors examine the performance of an uplink non‐orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) system with cooperative full‐duplex relaying (CFR‐NOMA), where the user closer to the base station (BS) is considered as a full‐duplex relay to aid the transmission from the other user to the BS. The closer user first decodes the signals transmitted from the far user and then forwards them using superposition coding to the BS on top of transmitting its own information signals to the BS. First, they analyse the performance of the CFR‐NOMA system in terms of the outage probability and average sum rate. Then, they analytically obtain the optimal power allocation coefficients that minimise the outage probability. They also study the optimal power allocation to maximise the average sum rate under specified constraints. Their examination demonstrates that the CFR‐NOMA system can significantly outperform the uplink conventional orthogonal multiple access and uplink NOMA with half‐duplex relaying system in terms of achieving a lower outage probability or a higher average sum rate.
Flexible‐regulation resources planning for distribution networks with a high penetration of renewable energy
Authors: Huanna Niu , Lu Yang , Jingxiang Zhao , Yuzhu Wang , Weizhou Wang , Fuchao Liu
Published: August 2018

Aimed at the status of distribution networks with a high penetration of renewable energy starved of flexible‐regulation resources for improving their ability to absorb renewable‐energy sources, this study puts forward flexibility‐supply and flexibility‐demand indexes for distribution networks and establishes a bi‐level programming model for the distribution of flexible‐regulation resources within the system‐flexibility‐balance constraints. The lower‐level planning model seeks the lowest annual operating cost, lowest annual network loss, and lowest annual abandonment of wind and solar sources; in addition to the traditional power balances and constraints of various control variables and state variables, the requirement to balance constraints involving the flexibility of the system's supply and demand is even more crucial. The upper‐level model aims to minimise the annual investment and operational costs. Combining the models, a double‐layer iterative optimisation algorithm for flexible‐regulation‐resource allocation is proposed. Simulation results for an actual distribution network show that the proposed bi‐level programming model can increase the capacity to absorb renewable energy and reduce system losses with the lowest investment and operational cost.
Power‐quality disturbance recognition based on time‐frequency analysis and decision tree
Authors: Zhong Tie , Zhang Shuo , Cai Guowei , Huang Nantian
Published: August 2018

The quality of electric power has become an important issue for electric utility companies and their customers. With the extensive application of micro‐grid technologies, power quality (PQ) disturbances are more likely to affect users; thus, research on the recognition of PQ disturbances has attracted increased attention. This study presents a novel PQ disturbance‐recognition algorithm, based on time‐frequency (TF) analysis and a decision tree (DT) classifier. The proposed method requires fewer feature statistics compared to the S‐transform‐based approach for PQ disturbance identification. In this study, feature statistics extracted using TF analysis are trained by a DT classifier to perform the automatic classification of PQ disturbances. As the proposed methodology can efficiently identify PQ disturbances, the performance of the DT classifier can be ensured. In addition, the influence of noise is investigated, and 12 types of noisy disturbance, with signal‐to‐noise ratios of 30–50 dB, are considered for the classification problem. Finally, the proposed method is compared with other popular proposed disturbance‐recognition algorithms in terms of detection accuracy. The experimental results reveal that the proposed method can effectively detect and classify different PQ disturbances.
Implementation of the power transistor‐assisted Sen transformer in steady‐state load flow analysis
Authors: Gasim Mohamed Salah Eldeen , Jasni Jasronita , Radzi Mohd Amran Mohd , Hizam Hashim
Published: August 2018

The wide use of power flow controllers (PFCs) in transmission and distribution grids is becoming imperative. Power transistor‐assisted Sen transformer (TAST) is a very recently introduced novel PFC that bridges the gap between most versatile flexible AC transmission systems controllers. It proved to possess closely comparable technical characteristics to that of the unified power flow controller (UPFC) at an installation cost that is less than the half. It is thus an attractive substitute of the UPFC for many utility applications. Nonetheless, since the TAST is a newly introduced PFC, it is of great importance to develop its steady‐state model for its implementation in modern power systems analysis. The main contribution of this study is presenting two accurate steady‐state models of the TAST: a simplified Simulink model (SSM) and a comprehensive Newton–Raphson model (CNRM) for its representation in the load flow analysis. The presented SSM and CNRM of the TAST are novel. A standard five‐bus system and a modified IEEE‐30 bus power system are used for demonstration of the effectiveness and validation of the SSM and the CNRM. Very closely comparable results are obtained when a TAST or more is used to increase and decrease the power flow in transmission lines.
Tool for automatic tuning of binarisation techniques
Authors: Kefali Abderrahmane , Sari Toufik
Published: August 2018

Most of the proposed binarisation methods include parameters that must be set correctly before use. The determination of the values of these parameters is made most of the time manually after several tests. However, the optimum parameter values differ from an image to another and therefore the parameterisation shall be carried out for each image separately. In fact, as this task is very difficult, even impossible for large collections of images, the tuning is usually done once for the entire image collection. In this study, the authors propose a tool for automatic and adaptive parameterisation of binarisation techniques for each image separately. The adopted methodology is based on the use of an artificial neural network (ANN) to learn the optimal parameter values of a binarisation method for a set of images (training set), based on their features, and to use the trained ANN to determine the optimal parameter values for other images not learned. Several experiments have been conducted on images of degraded documents and the obtained results are encouraging.
Structural features, labor conditions and family succession in dairy production systems in Paraná State, Brazil
Authors: Bánkuti Ferenc Istvan , Damasceno Júlio César , Schiavi Sandra Mara , Kuwaraha Kellen Cristina , Prizon Rodrigo César
Published: August 2018

Brazil is the fourth largest milk producer in the world. Besides its economic relevance, milk production has an important social function in Brazil. Dairy activity employs a large amount of people and contributes to regional development. But some drawbacks remain, such as poor labor conditions and problems for family succession. Labor conditions may be critical for successors to decide whether to remain in dairy activity. Paraná is the second largest milk producer in Brazil, mainly with smallholder family dairy systems. This paper aims to discuss labor conditions, family succession and structural features in Paraná’s dairy activity. Our hypothesis is that family-based farms present poorer structure, poorer labor conditions and are less prone to family succession. The method comprised face-to-face interviews with 153 dairy farmers, in two groups: 117 family-based farms (Group 1) and 36 hired-labor farms (Group 2). Common factor analysis led to identify three factors: “structure”, “labor conditions” and “individual conditions to family succession”. Dairy farms in Group 1 present poorer structural and labor conditions, although being more prone to family succession, partially supporting our above hypothesis. Thus, structural features and labor conditions seem not to be the driving factors for the intent to family succession, which suggests the existence of other incentives. Results also indicate the need to improve labor conditions, especially for Group 1, since poor labor conditions may threaten family succession in the very long run. Efforts to improve family labor conditions are necessary to ensure long-term sustainability of dairy farming in Paraná State. Further studies could investigate social, market, technology and political features directing decision-making in family succession. Expanding the variables for labor conditions and structure, as well as including other social and behavioral factors, could put more light on the differences between dairy farms using and not using hired labor. Finally, a deeper investigation on reasons why family-based farmers do not promote better labor conditions is critical for the future of Paraná’s dairy sector.
Efficiency of wine grape growers at farm level: a case study
Authors: Santos Micael , Marta-Costa Ana , Santos Cátia , Galindro Aníbal
Published: August 2018

To determine the key variables of the vineyard efficiency is imperative to account the combined effects of the inputs interactions since they have implications on the overall final production. This paper estimates the productive efficiency of a wine-farm sample from the Douro Demarcated Region (DDR) while identifies economic, social and environmental indicators that characterizes the DDR grape production system. The data was collected by face-to-face surveys performed at farm level to build a pilot study. The majority of the sampled twenty farms are dedicated to mountain viticulture and mainly feature the cordon (simple and double) training system. Through the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method, the productive efficiency of the sampled was performed and the results clinched different efficiency scores. The main explanation is related to the heterogeneity of the adopted production system. In addition, they revealed how grape producers could improve their productive efficiency by adopting particular practices and identifying the key factors of their system.
Variability of climate, water and nitrogen status and its influence on vine phenology and grape composition inside a small winegrowing estate
Authors: de Rességuier Laure , Le Roux Renan , Petitjean Théo , Mary Séverine , Quénol Hervé , van Leeuwen Cornelis
Published: August 2018

Climate is a major terroir factor in viticulture. In winegrowing regions, climate is studied at an increasingly refined scale. Results from the Life ADVICLIM project show substantial spatial variability of temperatures inside the region of Saint-Emilion, Pomerol and surrounding appellations (Bordeaux, France). In this study we investigated climatic variability at an even more refined scale, inside an 11 ha estate located in Saint-Emilion with significant topographic variability, planted with Merlot and Cabernet franc. Elevation ranges from 34 to 81 meters. 31 temperature sensors were set-up in 2013 inside the canopy, taking into account all parameters linked to the topography. Spatial temperature variability and its influence on vine phenology and grape composition were investigated. Vine water and nitrogen status were also taken into account through δ13C and N-tester measurements. Over the growing season (April 1 through September 30), spatial temperature variability was greater on minimum temperatures (1.6°C) compared to maximum temperatures (1.3°C). Spatial variability in minimum temperature was driven by elevation and slope. Further investigation is required for spatial variability in maximum temperature, which could not be explained by environmental co-variables. Temperature variability among vintages was driven by maximum temperature, while minimum temperature showed little variation from one year to another. The average Winkler Index measured in the canopy ranged from 1774 degree.days to 1978 degree.days. This spatial variability of 204 degree.days can induces potentially 20 days difference in maturity dates. The timing of flowering varied from one vintage to another but inside a given vintage spatial variability was small, and so was variability induced by the cultivar. Veraison dates were highly variable among vintages. Inside a given vintage, spatial variability and cultivar effect were significant. Berry weight was driven by vine water and nitrogen status. Berry malic acid content was impacted by temperature. Vine water and nitrogen status also influenced berry malic acid content. Berry sugar content depended mainly on vine nitrogen status. The grapevine variety influenced berry sugar and malic acid content, as well as berry mass.
Nueva metodología para evaluar las características enológicas de las unidades de un terroir. Vinificación de mistela.
Authors: Franco Ernesto , Lorente Miguel
Published: August 2018

To To characterize terroir units that express the interaction between the vine and the geographical environment it is necessary to study the oenological parameters of each terroir. Nevertheless, this study presents many difficulties if the number of areas to study it is huge as it was the case of the zoning of DOP Campo de Borja. Grape analyses during harvest are expensive and give limited information. At the same time, fermentations in small-volume containers are difficult to control and introduce factors that are not directly related to the geographical environment. These small-scale fermentations can distort the link between the wine and the soil giving inaccurate results. In the project for the zoning of the DOP Campo de Borja has been used a new simple method which consists in vinification mistela. This new method consisted on producing a wine spirit directly from the grapes but without alcoholic fermentation. Therefore, with this new methodology of making mistelas, an wine produced without fermentation, was possible to obtain the contribution of the terroir of the DOP Campo de Borja to the composition of the grape and, consequently to the wines
Climate change impacts on thermal growing conditions of Portuguese grapevine varieties
Authors: Santos João A. , Costa Ricardo , Fraga Helder
Published: August 2018

Heat accumulation conditions of a collection of 44 grapevine cultivars currently grown in Portugal are assessed at very high spatial resolution (~1 km) and for 1981–2015. A Growing Degree Hours – GDH (February–October) index is used for this purpose. Three clusters of grapevine cultivars are identified, assembling varieties with close heat accumulation requirements (early, intermediate and late ripening). These clusters provide more physiologically consistent information when compared to previous studies, as non-linear plant-temperature relationships are herein taken into account. For the future climates in Portugal, ensemble mean projections under two anthropogenic-driven scenarios (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, 2041–2070), from four EURO-CORDEX simulations, reveal a widespread increase of GDH, but with spatial heterogeneities. The spatial variability throughout Portugal is projected to decrease in GDH, with strongest increases in the coolest regions of the northeast. The typical heat accumulation conditions of each cluster are projected to gradually shift north-eastwards and to higher-elevation areas. An unprecedented level of detail for a large collection of grapevine varieties in Portugal is provided, which may promote a better planning of climate change adaptation measures in Portuguese viticulture.
Row Orientation and Defoliation Effects on Grape Composition ofVitis viniferaL. Agiorgitiko in Nemea (Greece)
Authors: Chorti Evangelia , Theocharis Serafeim , Boulokostas Konstantinos , Kallithraka Stamatina , Kotseridis Yorgos , Koundouras Stefanos
Published: August 2018

Vineyard row orientation and canopy side exert a significant role in determining grape microclimate. The latter can be further manipulated by selective defoliation in the bunch zone. The aim of this study was to investigate the combined effects of row orientation and basal leaf removal on grape ripening of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Agiorgitiko in Nemea, Southern Greece. The experiment was conducted in 2017, on two adjacent vineyard blocks planted in 1990 on a flat site with two row orientations, North-South and East-West. Both blocks were grafted onto 41B rootstock and trained on a double cordon vertical trellis with uniform vineyard operations. Defoliation treatments included full leaf removal in the bunch zone performed at berry set and a non defoliated control, replicated three times in both blocks. Grapes were sampled at three time points from veraison to harvest from all canopy sides (i.e. E and W on North-South oriented rows and N and S on East-West oriented rows) and defoliation treatments and were analyzed for yield components and berry chemical composition. In addition, approximately 5 kg of grapes were collected from all plots and processed according to a standard winemaking protocol. Total yield and berry mass were lowest in the W-exposed and in the defoliated grapes. Must sugar and acid content, as well as wine alcohol and acidity did not depend on either factor. Skin anthocyanins and phenolics generally increased with defoliation. Skin anthocyanins and total berry phenolics were highest for north-south oriented rows, in the grapes of the cooler canopy side (E). Wines made from grapes of the E and W canopy sides showed the highest wine color, phenolic richness and the lowest pH. No interaction between row orientation and defoliation was detected for any of the measured parameters. According to the results, the E-facing grapes on the north-south oriented rows showed generally a superior grape and wine composition for Agiorgitiko variety, under the semiarid conditions of the Nemea area.
Productive response of Macabeo varietie in two locations of Spain
Authors: Montoro Amelia , Torija Irene , Mancha Luis A. , Moreno Daniel , Uriarte David
Published: August 2018

The work was carried out on Vitis vinifera, L. (cv. Macabeo) grafted onto 110 Ritcher rootstock and cultivated in two locations of the southern half of Spain: La Albuera (Badajoz) and Villarrobledo (Albacete), during 2016 and 2017. The soil of La Albuera is clay-loam texture, 1 m deep and 160 mm/m available water capacity (AWC); respect to climate is warm, cool nights and very dry according to the classification of [1]. The Villarrobledo soil is 0.75 m deep, silty-clay-loam texture and 135 mm/m AWC; the climate is very warm, cool nights and moderately dry climate. The study consisted in maintaining during two consecutive years and in both locations, the same hydric state of grapevine, which was evaluated by measurements of midday stem water potential, and comparing productive results obtained in the two places. Results derived from the analysis of yield components, as well as those derived of grape composition (total acidity, tartaric acid, malic acid, pH, potassium and soluble solids) show little variation between locations, instead great interannual variation among the parameters studied, so the "year-variety" effect seems to influence much more to the final result than the "locality-variety", for the case under study.
Efecto combinado de cepa de levadura y Terroir en vinos Malbec de Mendoza
Authors: Pérez Dolores , Capaldi Carolina , Mercado Laura , Malizia Adriana , Santiago Sari y
Published: August 2018

Las cepas de levaduras producen atributos distintivos en los vinos, como así también, la uva proveniente de diferentes zonas puede modificar el flavour del vino. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue evaluar el efecto producido por levaduras comerciales (EC1118, Tango Malbec, Flavia e Ionys) e indígenas sobre vinos Malbec provenientes de Ugarteche, El Cepillo y Gualtallary (Mendoza, Argentina). Se determinaron perfiles fermentativos, controles de implantación, parámetros físico-químicos y cromáticos generales y análisis sensorial de los vinos. Se aplicó ANAVA de dos vías con test LSD Fisher sobre los parámetros y se graficó un ACP. Las levaduras comerciales se implantaron en un 100%, mientras que los perfiles genéticos de las fermentaciones espontáneas fueron diferentes entre sí. El factor región, evidenció un importante efecto, destacándose los vinos de Ugarteche con altos niveles de pH y bajos valores de alcohol, intensidad colorante, IPT y antoncianos totales. El factor levadura reveló efectos significativos respecto a la levadura Ionys, la cual en las tres regiones, finalizó su fermentación dos días después que el resto de las levaduras y en sus vinos se destacó la nota a fruta fresca y la baja intensidad de astringencia y amargo. Sumado a esto, produjo 0.5 % menos grados de alcohol, 0.2 menos de pH.
Spatial and temporal limnological changes of an aquaculture area in a neotropical reservoir
Authors: Lewandowski Vanessa , Bridi Vinícius Ricardo Calcagno , Bittencourt Fábio , Signor Altevir , Boscolo Wilson Rogério , Feiden Aldi
Published: August 2018

This study evaluated the spatial and temporal limnological characteristics of an aquaculture area in the Itaipu reservoir, Brazil. During a one-year period, water quality parameters were evaluated in seven collection sites using a fish culture system as the reference point. A regression analysis was performed on water transparency versus chlorophyll a and total phosphorus versus chlorophyll a. The trophic state index (TSI) was calculated using data from water transparency, chlorophyll a, and total phosphorus. In addition, a study of the carrying capacity was conducted in situations of high and low flow and rainfall based on 725 m3 s−1 and 298 mm and 34.5 m3 s−1 and 11 mm, respectively. No difference was observed in the parameters of water quality and the TSI in relation to the collection sites; these parameters only varied significantly throughout the seasons. The regression analysis showed that increased total phosphorus in the environment leads to increase in chlorophyll a concentrations and consequently decreased water transparency. Evaluation of the carrying capacity demonstrated that under conditions of high precipitation and flow it is possible to produce 623.7 tons of fish per year, which is above the total cultivated in fish farms at the study site.
Combined effects of oxytetracycline concentration and algal food level on the life-table demography of Brachionus calyciflorus (Rotifera)
Authors: Jiang Shan , Xi Yi-Long , Zhu Han , Zhang Bing-Xing , Yu Jin-Hang
Published: August 2018

Oxytetracycline (OTC) is commonly used for aquaculture and livestock, and its environmental concentration has increased to a considerable level and displays potential environmental risk. In the present study, the life-table demography of Brachionus calyciflorus exposed to sublethal concentrations (30.0, 60.0, 90.0, 120.0, 150.0 and 180.0 mg L−1) of OTC was investigated at 1.0 × 106, 2.0 × 106 and 4.0 × 106 cells mL−1 of Scenedesmus obliquus. The results showed that at each algal density, OTC concentration affected significantly life expectancy at hatching, net reproductive rate, generation time and intrinsic rate of population increase (P < 0.01), but did not affect proportion of mictic offspring of the rotifers (P > 0.05). Compared to the controls, and at 2.0 × 106 cells mL−1 of S. obliquus, treatments with OTC at 30.0–150.0 and 60.0–120.0 mg L−1 significantly prolonged life expectancy at hatching and generation time, treatments with OTC at 30.0–120.0 and 30.0–90.0 mg L−1 increased net reproduction rate and intrinsic rate of population increase, respectively, but the reverse was also true for those with OTC at 180.0 mg L−1. Higher and lower algal densities decreased the magnitude of stimulatory effects of lower concentrations of OTC but enhanced that of inhibitory effects of high concentration of OTC on the survival, asexual reproduction and population growth of the rotifers. At the three algal densities, net reproduction rate was more sensitive to OTC than the other endpoints, and significant concentration- effect relationship existed between OTC concentration and each of all the life-table demographic parameters except the proportion of mictic offspring.
Proposed concrete compaction method using an electrical internal vibrator: a review of compaction standard for concrete in laboratory according to SNI 2493:2011
Authors: Maryoto Agus
Published: August 2018

SNI 2493:2011 is the Indonesian National Standard containing the procedures for the manufacture and maintenance of concrete specimens in the laboratory. This standard regulates the way that compaction of compressive specimens is performed using internal vibrators in addition to manual compaction. Unfortunately, the amount and duration of vibrator compaction using an internal vibrator are not specified in the standard. This study examines the effect of vibrator duration when using an internal vibrator to compact concrete compressive strength specimens. The specimens used are of cylinders with diameter 15 cm and height 30 cm. 30 specimens were formed by each of the three concrete compaction methods used. The first type is where concrete is compacted manually by a tamping rod, 25 times each layer. The tamping rod is of 16 mm diameter and 62 cm height. The second type is compaction is by using internal vibrator, with 3 compactions per layer, each for 2 seconds. The third type also uses the internal vibrator, except the duration of each compaction is for 5 seconds. The results of compressive strength tests show that the compressive strength of the concrete compacted with the internal vibrator is about 10% higher than when manually compacting the concrete using a tamping rod. This proposed compaction of concrete by using an internal vibrator can be used as an alternative to manual compaction in the manufacture of concrete compressive strength specimens.
Modulus elasticity of the graded concrete, a preliminary research
Authors: Pratama M. Mirza Abdillah , Umniati B. Sri , Arumsari Mutiara Wulandari Bunga , Han Ay Lie , Sthenly Gan Buntara , Zhabrinna Zhabrinna
Published: August 2018

The elastic modulus of materials plays a role in determining the stiffness of a structural element and its level of serviceability. Previous research indicates that the concrete modulus of elasticity could be improved by combining 2 (two) concrete mixes using a gradual compacting method. In this study, the effect of different concrete strength combinations to the resulting modulus of elasticity is examined. Three types of concrete mixes with a strength of 30 MPa, 40 MPa and 50 MPa are prepared. The graded concrete is moulded in cylindrical concrete casts (150 mm x 300 mm) with the following casting configurations: 30-40 MPa, 30-50 MPa, and 40-50 MPa. The static modulus of elasticity test is performed at an age of 28 days using compressometers in accordance with ASTM C469. The test results show that the modulus of elasticity of the graded concrete is proportionally influenced by the stiffness of the higher and the lower concrete material. Additionally, the resulting compressive strength of the graded concrete is determined by the lower concrete strength.
The effect of additional aluminium to the strength of geopolymer paste
Authors: Rahman Aulia , Jaya Ekaputri Januarti
Published: August 2018

Alternative cementitious materials have been widely used because of the environmental issue of greenhouse gasses produced by portland cement production. A possible solution is the green concrete made from fly ash based-geopolymer paste. The natural differences of Indonesian coal ash lead to various chemical contents of fly ash. The chemical composition of alkali activated paste is also varied causing differences in the strength of the paste. Silica to alumina ratio is indicated as the greatest influencing factor to geopolymer strength. The bond among silica-alumina preserves a compact microstructure resulting in the strength. This paper proposes a Si-Al ratio between 1.5 and 2.0 by adding a synthetic aluminium substance from some sources. Using a natural aluminium substance from other fly ashes which contain excessive amounts of Al2O3was one of that efforts. The result indicated that the addition of a small amount of aluminium powder showed insignificant differences in geopolymer strength. The powder addition of up to 4% of fly ash decreased the strength by up to 60% of the original one. The methods of mixing are indicated as the trigger of lower strength because
Microstructure and mechanical properties of FA/GGBS-based geopolymer
Authors: Saludung Apriany , Ogawa Yuko , Kawai Kenji
Published: August 2018

This study presents the microstructure and mechanical properties of geopolymer paste made from low-calcium fly ash (FA) and ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS) through alkalination. The use of GGBS and FA is not only for sustainable construction but also for reducing the emission of CO2 due to the use of Portland cement. Different replacement ratios of GGBS to FA were used to determine the effect of GGBS presented to the compressive strength of geopolymer specimens. The alkaline activator solution used is a combination of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) 14 M and sodium silicate (Na2SiO3). A compressive strength test on cylindrical specimens (50 mm x 100 mm) at the ages of 7, 14, and 28 days was carried out. The results showed that the compressive strength increased with the increase of GGBS in the mixes (up to 100 MPa). Moreover, SEM-EDS, XRD, and TG-DTA characterization methods were conducted to investigate the microstructure, phase composition, and thermal stability of the geopolymer specimens respectively.
Effect of added the polycarboxylate ether on slump retention and compressive strength of the high-performance concrete
Authors: Jonbi Jonbi , Arini Resti Nur , Anwar Basori , Ali Fulazzaky Mohamad
Published: August 2018

It is well known that workability of high performance concrete (HPC) is dependent on slump value of concrete mixture. Moreover, slump retention is the most sensitive compared to a well-known slump value because it represents the durability of concrete mixture for its applications in the field of civil engineering. This research used the polycarboxylate ether (PCE) to increase slump value of concrete mixture and then verified the effect of PCE on the slump retention and compressive strength of different high-performance concretes. 0%, 0.5%, 1%, 2% of PCE were added into concrete mixture to yield a minimum compressive strength of f’c 50 MPa. The slump retention tests were performed at 0, 15, 30, 45, 60 and 75 minutes while the compressive strength tests were carried out at 3, 7, 14 and 28 days for every concrete sample. The result findings showed that the optimal concrete performance can be achieved by adding 2% of PCE to reach at a slump retention value of 45 minutes and a compressive strength of 53.84 MPa. Effect of PCE on the slump retention and compressive strength has been verified to contribute an insight into the application of a proper designed workability of HPC.
The influence of OPC and PPC on compressive strength of ALWA concrete
Authors: Diajeng Aryani Fedya , Tavio  , Gusti Putu Raka I , Puryanto
Published: August 2018

Lightweight concrete is one of the options used in construction in lieu of the traditional normal-weight concrete. Due to its lightweight, it provides lighter structural members and thus, it reduces the total weight of the structures. The reduction in weight resulting in the reduction of the seismic forces since its density is less than 1840 kg/m3. Among all of the concrete constituents, coarse aggregate takes the highest portion of the concrete composition. To produce the lightweight characteristics, it requires innovation on the coarse aggregate to come up with low density of concrete. One possible way is to introduce the use of the artificial lightweight aggregate (ALWA). This study proposes the use of polystyrene as the main ingredient to form the ALWA. The ALWA concrete in the study also used two types of Portland cements, i.e. OPC and PPC. The ALWA introduced in the concrete comprises various percentages, namely 0%, 15%, 50%, and 100% replacement to the coarse aggregate by volume. From the results of the study, it can be found that the compressive strength and the modulus of elasticity of concrete decreased with the increase of the percentage of the ALWA used to replace the natural coarse aggregate.
The effect of addition of banana tree bark for compressive strength and crack tensile strength of rice husk ash concrete
Authors: Rizqi Muhammad , Suyoso Hernu , Annisa Hayu Gati
Published: August 2018

The use of concrete as the main material in the construction does not mean it has no weaknesses. The brittle, low-density concrete properties make it collapse unexpectedly. In this work, a concrete innovation was performed to increase the compressive strength by the addition of rice husk ash as cement substitution that contains 92.31% of SiO2 and by the addition of banana tree bark. The proportion of rice husk ash used was obtained from preliminary tests to determine the proportion of rice husk ash by 5%, 7%, 10%, 12% and 15% of the cement’s weight. The result of the proportion which yielded the optimum concrete compressive strength by 24.4 MPa in the proportion of rice husk ash by 7%, then was made with the same ash content with banana tree bark fiber variation 0%; 1.5%; 2% and 3%. The Result of the test concluded that the addition of banana tree bark fiber can decrease the compressive strength and tensile strength of concrete because it is caused by the fibers that make hard concrete become solid. However, for all proportions of fiber, it still qualifies as the minimum tensile strength to be achieved i.e. 8% of the compressive strength of the plan.
Numerical analysis on stress and displacement of tapered cantilever castellated steel beam with circular openings
Authors: Ilham Maulana Taufiq , Prayuda Hakas , Soebandono Bagus , Dwi Cahyati Martyana , Hanifatu Zahra Eva
Published: August 2018

Castellated steel beams are made from normal steel beams cut into half with certain pattern and re-jointed to increase its height. This action results in many shapes of openings in its web, one of them being circular. Circular openings of castellated beams can also be implemented with single fix supported structures, but if uniform shape is used, it will reduce its effectiveness. In this paper, adoption of tapered shape on castellated beams with circular openings as cantilever structures will be discussed. This study uses 150x75x5x7 and 200x100x5.5x8 IWF sections with variations of opening diameters, opening spaces, and span lengths. The steel has a yield strength of 400 MPa and the analysis runs with solid element 10-node tetrahedron using the finite element method, by observing Von Mises stress and displacement. Free-licenced software such as LISAFEA 8.0 and FreeCAD are utilized for analysing and drawing solid elements. The result shows that the optimum height of IWF section for 150x75x5x7 is 230 mm and for 200x100x5.5x8 is 318 mm between span lengths of 2 m to 3.5 m. It can be concluded that each of the span lengths has various optimum diameters and opening spaces to acquire the smallest stress and displacement.
Analytical study on creep shear failures of RC slender beams without web reinforcement
Authors: Alfisa Saifullah Halwan , Nakarai Kenichiro , Chijiwa Nobuhiro , Maekawa Koichi
Published: August 2018

Sustained load problems, which can cause excessive deformation and severe damage to concrete structures, have been considered in current worldwide design codes by applying reduction factors on the compressive and tensile strength of concrete. A reduction factor in the shear design may also be required due to the decrease of shear-transfer action corresponding to the increases of the shear cracks opening. However, only a few studies are examining the effect of creep on shear performance of concrete structures, and the results are still inconclusive. As a complement to the previous experimental works, this study aims to investigate the effect of loading rate on the shear capacity of RC slender beams by non-linear finite element (FE) analysis. A spaceaveraged constitutive model with fixed multi-directional cracks was employed in the simulation of diagonal shear failure. The present study analytically examines the time-dependent effects on the beams under different loading rates until the delayed failure and compares the results with the previous experimental ones.