bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Keamanan Sms Gateway Nilai SMK Negeri Tugumulyo Menggunakan Algoritma RSA
Authors: Susanto Susanto
Published: March 2019

Sms Gateway merupakan perangkat lunak yang menggunakan komputer dengan memanfaatkan teknologi seluler yang diintegrasikan untuk mendistribusikan pesan-pesan yang digenerate lewat sistem informasi melalui media sms dengan perantara jaringan seluler. Nilai yang dikirimkan melalui sms gateway ini merupakan nilai persemester yang dapat diakses oleh siswa dan orang tua. Untuk menjaga keamanan dan kerahasiaannya pesan nilai yang dikirimkan melalui sms dari penyadapan ataupun penggantian nilai oleh oknum yang tidak bertanggung jawab, digunakanlah sebuah algoritma kriptografi asimetris Rives Shamir Adleman (RSA), algoritma ini berfungsi untuk mengenkripsi pesan sms nilai yang dikirimkan melalui sms dan mendekripsikan kembali pesan sms nilai yang diterima. Algoritma kriptografi asimetris Rives Shamir Adleman (RSA) merupakan algoritma kriptografi modern yang bekerja dengan cara memfaktorkan dua buah bilangan prima. Duah buah bilangan prima tersebut dijadikan sebagai kunci publik dan kunci privat, kunci publik dan kunci privat dari algoritma ini dimasukkan ke dalam sistem. Sistem informasi nilai dibangun dengan menggunakan bahasa pemrograman PHP dengan menggunakan database MySql dan sms gateway dibangun menggunakan aplikasi gammu.Â  Berdasarkan hasil, pesan sms nilai yang dikirimkan melalui sms gateway dienkripsi menggunakan algoritma Rives Shamir Adleman (RSA) dan didekripsi kembali pada saat sms nilai diterima sehingga lebih terjamin keamanan dan kerasahasiaannya dari penyadapan ataupun penggantian nilai oleh oknum yang tidak bertanggung jawab.
Sistem Pendukung Keputusan Penilaian Kualitas Kinerja Karyawan Menggunakan Profile Matching (Studi Kasus: Apartemen Senayan Jakarta)
Authors: Sunarti Sunarti
Published: March 2019

Â Kurang transparasi dalam proses menentukan kualitas kinerja karyawan dan banyaknya kriteria yang mempengaruhinya menjadi kendala dalam menentukan kualitas kinerja karyawan pada Apartemen Senayan, banyaknya kriteria yang menjadi pengukuran yaitu pengetahuan pekerjaan, kualitas pekerjaan, produktivitas, kemampuan, komunikasi, prestasi/manajemen waktu, logika, kepatuhan, kesadaran terhadap biaya, kerjasama tim, tempramen, tanggung jawab, etika kerja, fleksibilitas, inovasi, orientasi pelayanan dan dedikasi terhadap pekerjaan. Metode yang digunakan dalam pengambil keputusan untuk menentukan kualitas kinerja karyawan adalah Profile Matching yang dapat memberikan hasil yang maksimal, waktu yang efisien dan data yang valid. Pada metode Profile Matching adalah sistem penilaianÂ  denganÂ  membandingkan antara kompetensi individu kedalam kompetensi jabatan sehingga bisa diketahui perbedaan kompetensinya.Â
Sistem Identifikasi Keaslian Uang Kertas Rupiah Menggunakan Metode K-Means Clustering
Authors: Umar Rusydi , Riadi Imam , Miladiah Miladiah
Published: March 2019

Keberadaan uang palsu kerap kali beredar di masyarakat. Meskipun peningkatannya tidak secara signifikan namun tetap masyarakat harus berhati â€“ hati dengan oknum yang mampu mengelabui mata awam masyarakat. Solusi yang diberikan oleh pemerintah untuk berhati â€“ hati terhadap uang palsu adalah dengan mengandalkan 3D (dilihat, diraba dan diterawang) namun langkah tersebut belum secara sempurna dapat membedakan uang asli dan palsu. Sehingga perlu adanya sebuah sistemÂ  deteksi olah citra digital. Penelitian ini merancang sebuah sistem pendeteksi keaslian uang kertas rupiah. Metode ektraksi ciri dengan Local Binary Pattern, melalui tahapan pengenalan fitur â€“ fitur pada citra seperti texture permukaanÂ  pada uang kertas dan metode klasifikasi menggunakan K-Means Cluster dengan menghitung centroid dari data yang ada di masing â€“ masing cluster dengan menggunakan rumus persamaan euclidean distance. Pecahan uang yang diteliti adalah pecahan 50.000 dan 100.000 rupiah yang masing berjumlah 30 set dataÂ  untuk uang asli dan 20 set data uang palsu yang diperoleh melalui fotocopy warna pecahan uang tadi. Berdasarkan simulasi yang telah dilakukan, untuk deteksi keaslian uang asli dan palsu mampu mencapai akurasi sebesar 96,67% bervariasi tergantung dari jumlah data pelatihan yang dilakukan. Ini menunjukkan bahwa sistem yang dirancang dapat membedakan keaslian uang kertas rupiah.
Analisis dan Desain SiBIOS: Deteksi Dini Kondisi Jantung dan Peningkatan Kualitas Hidup Manusia
Authors: Tias Rahmawati Febrifyaning , Hidayat Muhammad Mahaputra
Published: March 2019

One indicator of the quality of human life is the heart condition. So it is very important for every individual to know whether his heart is in good condition or not. One way to use is to analyze heart rate. Through Self Integrated Bio-Informatics System - SiBIOS, each individual will be able to detect early presence or absence of cardiovascular disorders. SiBIOS is a mobile app associated with smartwatch tools to measure heart rate. In order for SiBIOS to be properly and purposefully developed, the analysis and design stages are one of the most important stages in the development of SiBIOS. Through this stage we get a picture of SiBIOS that will be developed. In addition to providing primary outcomes in the form of early detection of heart conditions, SiBIOS also provides additional outcomes in the form of calorie burning charts, activity chart and individual sleep quality chart. SiBIOS also provides recommendations of activities that can be done by individuals to keep their heart condition in order to remain prime
Implementasi Routing Inter-VLAN pada Sistem Jaringan Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang
Authors: Fata Haris Diyaul , Kusuma Wahyu Andhyka
Published: March 2019

Pada era perkembangan teknologi seperti saat ini, kebutuhan internet sangat penting untuk mendukung segala aktifitas kita. Terlebih pada lingkungan kampus yang memiliki aktifitas yang sarat dengan internet, mulai dari aktifitas belajar mengajar, krs online, mencari materi kuliah dan lain sebagainya. Mengingat pentingnya internet maka dibutuhkan sebuah sistem jaringan yang dapat menyokong segala aktifitas tersebut. Akan tetapi sistem jaringan tersebut haruslah mudah dalam perawatannya dan memiliki efisiensi yang bagus, sehingga mengurangi cost yang harus dikeluarkan kampus. Inter-VLAN routing adalah salah satu metode yang dapat digunakan untuk mengatasi permasalahan tersebut. Hal ini dikarenakan konsep inter-VLAN routing yang terpusat pada satu router dimana semua jaringan dimanage melalui router tersebut. Hasil penelitian inter-VLAN routing ini menjadikan sistem jaringan universitas muhammadiyah malang menjadi lebih efisien.
Analisis Serangan Deface Menggunakan Backdoor Shell Pada Website
Authors: Hasibuan Muhammad Siddik , Gultom Lipantri Mashur
Published: March 2019

Indonesia sempat heboh dengan di retasnya situs operator seluler terkemuka, aksi peretasan ini seperti silih berganti dengan diretasnya situs operator seluler lainnya. Serangan pada website adalah hal yang sering terjadi di dunia maya, jenis serangannya pun berbeda-beda. Salah satunya deface, serangan deface membuktikan kerentanan dalam suatu website. Banyak pengembang website kurang memperhatikan hal tersebut. Seharusnya agar pengembang menerapkan sistem keamanan yang optimal dari berbagai serangan baik serangan tradisional maupun yang terbaru. Salah satunya, Backdoor Shell adalah tipe serangan yang baru dalam aktifitas deface, merupakan sebuah code-code yang disusun menjadi script rahasia digunakan untuk mengendalikan sebuah website/server. Serangan ini salah satu upaya untuk melakukan deface pada sebuah website. Penelitian ini menganalisi celah keamanan dari web pemerintah dan BUMN yang menggunakan domain *.go.id. Dari penelitian ini menghasilkan suatu model penanganan dari serangan deface maupun sejenisnya. Dari penelitian ini dapat menganalisis serangan deface agar menjadi alat untuk pencegahan dari hal tersebut. Model penelitian ini dilakukan dengan 2 tahapan yaitu tahapan Dorking dan Exploit.
Teacher of Christian Religion Education, Quality of Education and The Future of The Morality of The Nation of The First
Authors: Karo Karo Desire , Sukri Urbanus , Sulistyo Simeon , Puspito Indro , Christina Theresia
Published: March 2019

This paper aims to provide an understanding that Christian Education teachers have a significant role in improving the quality of education and the future of national morality. The development of globalization and modernization makes teachers must be ready and contribute in preparing the nation's young generation in entering the era of globalization and modernization. At least there are two roles that must be possessed by the Christian Religious Education teacher, namely participating in realizing quality education and maintaining the nation's morality. With this writing, it is expected that every Christian Education teacher will become more aware and more enthusiastic in carrying out his duties and vocation as a teacher of Christian Religious Education.
Rinse Smart: Nutmeg Mouthwash
Authors: Shetty Gaurav , Dabak Samhita , Mitra Dipika K. , Shah Rohit , Rodrigues Silvia , Prithyani Saurabh
Published: March 2019

Brief Background
This study was undertaken to assess the anti-plaque efficacy of Nutmeg mouthwash. The antibacterial properties of nutmeg mouthwash against Prevotella intermedia (Pi), Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg), and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (Aa) in vitro were also assessed.

Materials and Methods
In vitro testing of Nutmeg mouthwash against Pi, Pg, and Aa was carried out. Thirty periodontally healthy subjects between the age group of 21- 23 years (mean age 22 years) were enrolled in the cross sectional 4-day plaque re-growth study and were divided into two groups and assigned one mouthwash for each group. Mouthwashes were labelled as A and B. Mouthwash A was a Nutmeg mouthwash; Mouthwash B was commercially available 0.2% Chlorhexidine mouthwash. Subjects were advised to refrain from any kind of mechanical oral hygiene techniques. Plaque index (PI) was checked on day 1 and 5. After a washout period of two weeks, the mouthwashes were switched and cross-over clinical trial was again carried out and plaque scores were taken on day 1 and 5.

Results
Pi significantly increased from day 1 to day 5 (P < 0.01) in Groups A and B during all the trails. In inter-group comparison, Nutmeg mouthwash was almost comparable to Chlorhexidine mouthwash. However, chlorhexidine showed superior anti-plaque activity. In vitro test, showed Nutmeg mouthwash (0.01%) was effective against Pi, Pg, and Aa.
Conclusion: Nutmeg mouthwash was found to be potent plaque inhibitor although less efficacous than Chlorhexidine mouthwash. It can serve as a good alternative for the patients who prefer natural products.

Key words
Anti-plaque, mouthwash, Nutmeg
Significant Factors of the Successful Lean Six-Sigma Implementation
Authors: Papic Ljubisa , Mladjenovic Mihailo , Garcia Andres Carrion , Aggrawal Deepti
Published: March 2019

Based on an extensive literature review we have selected factors critical for Lean Six Sigma implementation success. Four variables were selected to be used as output variables measuring this project success: project on time completion, achievement of financial goals, sigma level achieved (that was measured using Defects per Million Opportunities, DPMO), and overall project success. Using empirical data from 256 Lean Six Sigma Projects, we present the model developed and identify significant factors for Lean Six Sigma implementation success. Empirical results, which were collected during Lean Six Sigma implementation in 39 business units of an Automotive Sector Company in North America and Europe, were analysed using Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) and General Linear Model (GLM). Two main factors were found as positively linked with the different aspects of project success: the competency of the Black Belts team and the management support to the project.
Performance Evaluation of Design AD System Biogas Purification Filter
Authors: Orhorhoro Ejiroghene Kelly , Orhorhoro Oghenero Wilson , Atumah Eruero Victor
Published: March 2019

Biogas purification which is the removal of impurities so as to improve the efficiency of gas produced, ensure the safety of end users and prolong the life of the equipment cannot be neglected. This paper is focused on the design and performance evaluation of AD system biogas purification filter. Three different conceptual designs were generated from possible design consideration, feasibility study and preliminary test and with the help of decision matrix; the best conceptual design was selected from which the purification filter was fabricated. The selected concept for detail design was a transparent polyethene cylindrical purification filter fitted with local iron sponge containing activated charcoal and local potash. The reagents were arranged in this order; local potash for the removal of water vapour and carbon dioxide followed by activated charcoal which serves as a purifying agent for hydrogen sulphide. The results obtained showed reduction in percentage composition of hydrogen sulphide (H2S), carbon dioxide, and water vapour. On the other hand, there was an increase in percentage composition of methane (CH4) which is an indication of improvement in methane production after purification. The outcomes of the results obtained were satisfactory and the combination of local potash and activated charcoal was adequate for biogas purification.
Optimal Control for Transmission of Water Pollutants
Authors: Shah Nita H. , Patel Shreya N. , Satia Moksha H. , Thakkar Foram A.
Published: March 2019

Pollutants are formed when oil, gas, chemical plants, etc. discharge their harmful waste materials into stream or other water bodies. In this paper, a mathematical model for water pollutants which are soluble and insoluble has been formulated as a system of non-linear ordinary differential equations. Control is applied on insoluble water pollutants to process them into soluble water pollutants. Numerical simulation has been carried out which suggest that soluble water pollutants are increasing as compared to insoluble water pollutants.
Temporal Changes in Air Quality during a Festival Season in Kannur, India
Authors: CT Resmi , T Nishanth , MK Satheesh Kumar , M Balachandramohan , KT Valsaraj
Published: March 2019

This study looked at the variation in air quality during the periods of fireworks as assessed from the change in ambient concentrations of air pollutants like particulate matter (PM10), O3, and NO2 for pre-, post-, and Vishu days for four consecutive years in 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 in Kannur, India. Enhanced levels of O3, NO2, NO, and PM10 were observed during the intense usage of fireworks. The concentration of metals in PM10 increased and the percent increase was found to be different for metal traces. A pronounced increase in the aerosol optical depth (AOD) in the lower wavelength region of solar radiation reveals the abundance of fine mode particles. The concentrations of O3 and NO2 were observed to increase by more than 100% on Vishu day than the control days for the observational period. Simulation using the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Master Mechanism photochemical box model indicates a more than 100% enhancement in NO2 photolysis rates during the fireworks episode, which leads to a 100% increase in the surface ozone production. Observations as well as model simulations indicate that the enhanced photochemical ozone production from NO2 photolysis is possibly the main driver of ozone production during the Vishu at this site. The air quality index (AQI) revealed the deterioration of air quality at the observational site during the period of Vishu.
The Small Molecule Ephrin Receptor Inhibitor, GLPG1790, Reduces Renewal Capabilities of Cancer Stem Cells, Showing Anti-Tumour Efficacy on Preclinical Glioblastoma Models
Authors: Gravina Giovanni , Mancini Andrea , Colapietro Alessandro , Delle Monache Simona , Sferra Roberta , Vitale Flora , Cristiano Loredana , Martellucci Stefano , Marampon Francesco , Mattei Vincenzo , Beirinckx Filip , Pujuguet Philippe , Saniere Laurent , Lorenzon Giocondo , van der Aar Ellen , Festuccia Claudio
Published: March 2019

Therapies against glioblastoma (GBM) show a high percentage of failure associated with the survival of glioma stem cells (GSCs) that repopulate treated tumours. Forced differentiation of GSCs is a promising new approach in cancer treatment. Erythropoietin-producing hepatocellular (Eph) receptors drive tumourigenicity and stemness in GBM. We tested GLPG1790, a first small molecule with inhibition activity versus inhibitor of various Eph receptor kinases, in preclinical GBM models using in vitro and in vivo assays. GLPG1790 rapidly and persistently inhibited Ephrin-A1-mediated phosphorylation of Tyr588 and Ser897, completely blocking EphA2 receptor signalling. Similarly, this compound blocks the ephrin B2-mediated EphA3 and EphB4 tyrosine phosphorylation. This resulted in anti-glioma effects. GLPG1790 down-modulated the expression of mesenchymal markers CD44, Sox2, nestin, octamer-binding transcription factor 3/4 (Oct3/4), Nanog, CD90, and CD105, and up-regulated that of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and pro-neural/neuronal markers, βIII tubulin, and neurofilaments. GLPG1790 reduced tumour growth in vivo. These effects were larger compared to radiation therapy (RT; U251 and T98G xenografts) and smaller than those of temozolomide (TMZ; U251 and U87MG cell models). By contrast, GLPG1790 showed effects that were higher than Radiotherapy (RT) and similar to Temozolomide (TMZ) in orthotopic U87MG and CSCs-5 models in terms of disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). Further experiments were necessary to study possible interactions with radio- and chemotherapy. GLPG1790 demonstrated anti-tumor effects regulating both the differentiative status of Glioma Initiating Cells (GICs) and the quality of tumor microenvironment, translating into efficacy in aggressive GBM mouse models. Significant common molecular targets to radio and chemo therapy supported the combination use of GLPG1790 in ameliorative antiglioma therapy.
Examination of Independent Prognostic Power of Gene Expressions and Histopathological Imaging Features in Cancer
Authors: Zhong Tingyan , Wu Mengyun , Ma Shuangge
Published: March 2019

Cancer prognosis is of essential interest, and extensive research has been conducted searching for biomarkers with prognostic power. Recent studies have shown that both omics profiles and histopathological imaging features have prognostic power. There are also studies exploring integrating the two types of measurements for prognosis modeling. However, there is a lack of study rigorously examining whether omics measurements have independent prognostic power conditional on histopathological imaging features, and vice versa. In this article, we adopt a rigorous statistical testing framework and test whether an individual gene expression measurement can improve prognosis modeling conditional on high-dimensional imaging features, and a parallel analysis is conducted reversing the roles of gene expressions and imaging features. In the analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) lung adenocarcinoma and liver hepatocellular carcinoma data, it is found that multiple individual genes, conditional on imaging features, can lead to significant improvement in prognosis modeling; however, individual imaging features, conditional on gene expressions, only offer limited prognostic power. Being among the first to examine the independent prognostic power, this study may assist better understanding the “connectedness” between omics profiles and histopathological imaging features and provide important insights for data integration in cancer modeling.
Radio-, Thermo- and Photoluminescence Properties of Lu2O3:Eu and Lu2O3:Tb Nanopowder and Film Scintillators
Authors: Popielarski P. , Zeler J. , Bolek P. , Zorenko T. , Paprocki K. , Zych E. , Zorenko Yu.
Published: March 2019

This work is dedicated to the preparation and characterization of the radio-, thermo-, and photoluminescent properties of Lu2O3:Eu and Lu2O3:Tb nanopowder (NPs) scintillators, prepared by means of hydrothermal processing, and their film analogues made of these NPs by the spin coating method. The luminescent properties of NPs and films were characterized by cathodoluminescence (CL), photoluminescence (PL), X-ray excited radioluminescence (RL), and thermoluminescence (TL) at low and high temperatures. In Lu2O3:Eu NPs and films, mostly the luminescence of Eu3+ ions occupying the C2 site of the host, with the most intensive peaks at 611.6 nm and a decay time of 1.5 ms, was observed. On the contrary, two types of Tb3+ centers in the C2 and C3i sites with the main emission lines at 542.4 and 544.0 nm and the corresponding 4f→5d excitation bands at 270 and 305 nm and decay times of t1/e = 2.17 and 3.96 ms were observed in the case of Lu2O3:Tb NPs and films. Indications were noted that Tb3+ in the C3i symmetry position was most active in the CL spectra of Lu2O3:Tb NPs and a respective film. Thermoluminescent peaks at 110 °C and 170 °C for Lu2O3:Eu NPs and at 75 °C and 120 °C in Lu2O3:Tb NPs were observed corresponding to the hole and electron traps, respectively. Significantly different onsets of temperature quenching of Eu3+ and Tb3+ luminescence in Lu2O3:Eu and Lu2O3:Tb NPs were found at ~90 °C and ~320 °C, respectively.
Changes in Spruce Growth and Biomass Allocation Following Thinning and Guying Treatments
Authors: Nicoll Bruce C. , Connolly Thomas , Gardiner Barry A.
Published: March 2019

When forest stands are thinned, the retained trees are exposed to increased light and greater mechanical strain from the wind. The consequent greater availability of photosynthate and localised mechanical strain in stems and roots are both known to increase cambial growth in conifers, but their relative importance has not previously been quantified. Light availability and wind movement were manipulated in a 10-year-old stand of Sitka spruce trees on an exposed upland site. Treatments were “Control”—no change in spacing or wind loading; “Thinned”—light availability and wind loading increased by removing neighbouring trees; “Thinned and guyed”—light increased and wind loading reduced by removing neighbouring trees and guying stems with wires. Twelve trees per treatment were maintained and monitored for four years before harvesting and removal of cross-sectional stem samples from four heights for measurement of radial growth response. Root systems were excavated from each treatment for observations of associated root growth responses. The “Thinned” treatment and “Thinned and guyed” treatment showed no significant stem growth response in the first year after treatment, but very large increases in the second and subsequent years. There were much larger growth responses in the “Thinned” treatment than in the “Thinned and guyed” treatment, especially in the lower stem. Similar growth responses were observed in the structural roots, close to the stem base. These increases in stem and root growth in response to wind movement corresponded with a reduction of branch growth. Such changes in allocation have implications for the hydraulic and biomechanical requirements of trees, and should be incorporated into tree growth and stability models.
Evaluation of the Enzyme Inhibitory and Antioxidant Activities of Entada spiralis Stem Bark and Isolation of the Active Constituents
Authors: Roheem Fatimah Opeyemi , Mat Soad Siti Zaiton , Ahmed Qamar Uddin , Ali Shah Syed Adnan , Latip Jalifah , Zakaria Zainul Amiruddin
Published: March 2019

Digestive enzymes and free radical inhibitors are used to prevent complications resulting from diabetes. Entada spiralis (family Leguminosae), which is a well-known medicinal plant in herbal medicine due to its various traditional and medicinal applications, was studied. Crude extracts were successively obtained from the stem bark using petroleum ether, chloroform and methanol as extracting solvents. The antioxidant activity of all the extracts, fractions and isolated compounds were estimated using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), β-carotene and 2,2′-azinobis(-3-ethylbenzothiazine-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) assays, while digestive enzymes inhibitory activity was assessed using α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory methods. Structure elucidation of pure compounds was achieved through different spectroscopic analysis methods. Fractionation and purification of the most active methanol extract resulted in the isolation of a ferulic ester namely; (e)-hexyl 3-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl) acrylate (FEQ-2) together with five known phenolic constituents, identified as kaempferol (FEQ-3), 5,4′-dihydroxy-3,7,3′-trimethoxyflavone (FEQ-2), gallic acid (FEQ-5), (+)-catechin (FEQ-7) and (−)-epicatechin (FEQ-8). FEQ-5 exhibited the strongest antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory activities followed by FEQ-3 and FEQ-4. FEQ-2 also displayed potent free radical scavenging activity with IC50 values of 13.79 ± 2.13 (DPPH) and 4.69 ± 1.25 (ABTS) µg/mL, respectively. All other compounds were found active either against free radicals or digestive enzymes.
Enantiomeric Recognition and Separation by Chiral Nanoparticles
Authors: Gogoi Ankur , Mazumder Nirmal , Konwer Surajit , Ranawat Harsh , Chen Nai-Tzu , Zhuo Guan-Yu
Published: March 2019

Chiral molecules are stereoselective with regard to specific biological functions. Enantiomers differ considerably in their physiological reactions with the human body. Safeguarding the quality and safety of drugs requires an efficient analytical platform by which to selectively probe chiral compounds to ensure the extraction of single enantiomers. Asymmetric synthesis is a mature approach to the production of single enantiomers; however, it is poorly suited to mass production and allows for only specific enantioselective reactions. Furthermore, it is too expensive and time-consuming for the evaluation of therapeutic drugs in the early stages of development. These limitations have prompted the development of surface-modified nanoparticles using amino acids, chiral organic ligands, or functional groups as chiral selectors applicable to a racemic mixture of chiral molecules. The fact that these combinations can be optimized in terms of sensitivity, specificity, and enantioselectivity makes them ideal for enantiomeric recognition and separation. In chiral resolution, molecules bond selectively to particle surfaces according to homochiral interactions, whereupon an enantiopure compound is extracted from the solution through a simple filtration process. In this review article, we discuss the fabrication of chiral nanoparticles and look at the ways their distinctive surface properties have been adopted in enantiomeric recognition and separation.
Bacterial Cellulose: A Versatile Chiral Host for Circularly Polarized Luminescence
Authors: Zou Chen , Qu Dan , Jiang Haijing , Lu Di , Ma Xiaoting , Zhao Ziyi , Xu Yan
Published: March 2019

Materials capable of circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) have attracted considerable attention for their promising potential applications. Bacterial cellulose (BC) was characterized as having a stable right-handed twist, which makes it a potential chiral host to endow luminophores with CPL. Then, the CPL-active BC composite film was constructed by simply impregnating bacterial cellulose pellicles with dilute aqueous solutions of luminophores (rhodamine B, carbon dots, polymer dots) and drying under ambient conditions. Simple encapsulation of luminophores renders BC with circularly polarized luminescence with a dissymmetry factor of up to 0.03. The multiple chiral centers of bacterial cellulose provide a primary asymmetric environment that can be further modulated by supramolecular chemistry, which is responsible for its circular polarization ability. We further demonstrate that commercial grade paper may endow luminophores with CPL activity, which reifies the universality of the method.
Association between Soft Drink Consumption and Asthma among Qatari Adults
Authors: Ibrahim Amna Al , Qamar Bushra , Fituri Sundus , Akbar Zoha Ali , Al-Abdi Tamara , Shi Zumin
Published: March 2019

We aimed to examine the association between soft drink consumption and asthma and lung function among Qatari adults. In the cross-sectional study, we used data from 986 Qatari participants aged 20 years and above attending the Qatar Biobank Study. Usual consumption of soft drink was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire. Lung function was measured by spirometry and asthma was based on self-report. The associations between soft drink consumption and asthma and lung function were assessed using multivariable logistic and linear regression, respectively. In total, 65 participants out of 986 (6.6%) reported having asthma. A clear dose-response relationship between soft drink consumption and asthma was found. High soft drink consumers (≥7 times/week) were 2.60 (95% CI 1.20–5.63) times more likely to have asthma as compared to non-consumers. The association was partly mediated by BMI and inflammation. Diet soft drink consumption was positively associated with asthma (OR 1.12 (95% CI 1.02–1.23)) but not with lung function. Regular soft drink consumption was inversely associated with FEV1, but not with FVC. In conclusion, soft drink consumption is positively associated with asthma in Qatari adults. The association is partly mediated by obesity and inflammation. Limiting soft drink consumption should be taken into consideration for asthma prevention.
‘Central’ Actions of Corticosteroid Signaling Suggested by Constitutive Knockout of Corticosteroid Receptors in Small Fish
Authors: Sakamoto Tatsuya , Sakamoto Hirotaka
Published: March 2019

This review highlights recent studies of the functional implications of corticosteroids in some important behaviors of model fish, which are also relevant to human nutrition homeostasis. The primary actions of corticosteroids are mediated by glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and mineralocorticoid receptor (MR), which are transcription factors. Zebrafish and medaka models of GR- and MR-knockout are the first constitutive corticosteroid receptor-knockout animals that are viable in adulthood. Similar receptor knockouts in mice are lethal. In this review, we describe the physiological and behavioral changes following disruption of the corticosteroid receptors in these models. The GR null model has peripheral changes in nutrition metabolism that do not occur in a mutant harboring a point mutation in the GR DNA-binding domain. This suggests that these are not “intrinsic” activities of GR. On the other hand, we propose that integration of visual responses and brain behavior by corticosteroid receptors is a possible “intrinsic”/principal function potentially conserved in vertebrates.
Dietary Nutrients Involved in One-Carbon Metabolism and Colonic Mucosa-Associated Gut Microbiome in Individuals with an Endoscopically Normal Colon
Authors: Gurwara Shawn , Ajami Nadim J. , Jang Albert , Hessel Frances C. , Chen Liang , Plew Sarah , Wang Zhensheng , Graham David Y. , Hair Clark , White Donna L. , Kramer Jennifer , Kourkoumpetis Themistoklis , Hoffman Kristi , Cole Rhonda , Hou Jason , Husain Nisreen , Jarbrink-Sehgal Maria , Hernaez Ruben , Kanwal Fasiha , Ketwaroo Gyanprakash , Shah Rajesh , Velez Maria , Natarajan Yamini , El-Serag Hashem B. , Petrosino Joseph F. , Jiao Li
Published: March 2019

One carbon (1C) metabolism nutrients influence epigenetic regulation and they are supplied by diet and synthesized by gut microbiota. We examined the association between dietary consumption of methyl donors (methionine, betaine and choline) and B vitamins (folate, B2, B6, and B12) and the community composition and structure of the colonic mucosa-associated gut microbiota determined by 16S rRNA gene sequencing in 97 colonic biopsies of 35 men. We used the food frequency questionnaire to assess daily consumption of nutrients, and the UPARSE and SILVA databases for operational taxonomic unit classification. The difference in bacterial diversity and taxonomic relative abundance were compared between low versus high consumption of these nutrients. False discover rate (FDR) adjusted p value < 0.05 indicated statistical significance. The bacterial richness and composition differed significantly by the consumption of folate and B vitamins (p < 0.001). Compared with higher consumption, a lower consumption of these nutrients was associated with a lower abundance of Akkermansia (folate), Roseburia (vitamin B2), and Faecalibacterium (vitamins B2, B6, and B12) but a higher abundance of Erysipelatoclostridium (vitamin B2) (FDR p values < 0.05). The community composition and structure of the colonic bacteria differed significantly by dietary consumption of folate and B vitamins.
Analysis of the Effects of Dietary Pattern on the Oral Microbiome of Elite Endurance Athletes
Authors: Murtaza Nida , Burke Louise M. , Vlahovich Nicole , Charlesson Bronwen , O’Neill Hayley M. , Ross Megan L. , Campbell Katrina L. , Krause Lutz , Morrison Mark
Published: March 2019

Although the oral microbiota is known to play a crucial role in human health, there are few studies of diet x oral microbiota interactions, and none in elite athletes who may manipulate their intakes of macronutrients to achieve different metabolic adaptations in pursuit of optimal endurance performance. The aim of this study was to investigate the shifts in the oral microbiome of elite male endurance race walkers from Europe, Asia, the Americas and Australia, in response to one of three dietary patterns often used by athletes during a period of intensified training: a High Carbohydrate (HCHO; n = 9; with 60% energy intake from carbohydrates; ~8.5 g kg−1 day−1 carbohydrate, ~2.1 g kg−1 day−1 protein, 1.2 g kg−1 day−1 fat) diet, a Periodised Carbohydrate (PCHO; n = 10; same macronutrient composition as HCHO, but the intake of carbohydrates is different across the day and throughout the week to support training sessions with high or low carbohydrate availability) diet or a ketogenic Low Carbohydrate High Fat (LCHF; n = 10; 0.5 g kg−1 day−1 carbohydrate; 78% energy as fat; 2.1 g kg−1 day−1 protein) diet. Saliva samples were collected both before (Baseline; BL) and after the three-week period (Post treatment; PT) and the oral microbiota profiles for each athlete were produced by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Principal coordinates analysis of the oral microbiota profiles based on the weighted UniFrac distance measure did not reveal any specific clustering with respect to diet or athlete ethnic origin, either at baseline (BL) or following the diet-training period. However, discriminant analyses of the oral microbiota profiles by Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) Effect Size (LEfSe) and sparse Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (sPLS-DA) did reveal changes in the relative abundance of specific bacterial taxa, and, particularly, when comparing the microbiota profiles following consumption of the carbohydrate-based diets with the LCHF diet. These analyses showed that following consumption of the LCHF diet the relative abundances of Haemophilus, Neisseria and Prevotella spp. were decreased, and the relative abundance of Streptococcus spp. was increased. Such findings suggest that diet, and, in particular, the LCHF diet can induce changes in the oral microbiota of elite endurance walkers.
Epilepsy Disease and Nose-to-Brain Delivery of Polymeric Nanoparticles: An Overview
Authors: Musumeci Teresa , Bonaccorso Angela , Puglisi Giovanni
Published: March 2019

Epilepsy is the fourth most common global neurological problem, which can be considered a spectrum disorder because of its various causes, seizure types, its ability to vary in severity and the impact from person to person, as well as its range of co-existing conditions. The approaches to drug therapy of epilepsy are directed at the control of symptoms by chronic administration of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). These AEDs are administered orally or intravenously but alternative routes of administration are needed to overcome some important limits. Intranasal (IN) administration represents an attractive route because it is possible to reach the brain bypassing the blood brain barrier while the drug avoids first-pass metabolism. It is possible to obtain an increase in patient compliance for the easy and non-invasive route of administration. This route, however, has some drawbacks such as mucociliary clearance and the small volume that can be administered, in fact, only drugs that are efficacious at low doses can be considered. The drug also needs excellent aqueous solubility or must be able to be formulated using solubilizing agents. The use of nanomedicine formulations able to encapsulate active molecules represents a good strategy to overcome several limitations of this route and of conventional drugs. The aim of this review is to discuss the innovative application of nanomedicine for epilepsy treatment using nose-to-brain delivery with particular attention focused on polymeric nanoparticles to load drugs.
Registration of Terrestrial Laser Scanning Surveys Using Terrain-Invariant Regions for Measuring Exploitative Volumes over Open-Pit Mines
Authors: Xu Zhihua , Xu Ershuai , Wu Lixin , Liu Shanjun , Mao Yachun
Published: March 2019

Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) techniques have been widely used in open-pit mine applications. It is a crucial task to measure the exploitative volume of open-pit mines, within a specific time interval. One major challenge is posed, however, when conducting accurate registrations for temporal TLS surveys in continuously changing areas, created by excavation activities. In this paper, we propose a coarse-to-fine registration method, based on terrain-invariant regions (TIR), for temporal TLS surveys. More specifically, an approximate four-point congruent set (4PCS) of temporal TLS surveys is first identified, based on affine invariant rules. Second, a set of correspondences among temporal TLS surveys were collected by matching multi-scale sparse features of the 3D neighbors, centered at the approximate 4PCS. Third, the correspondences were used to estimate a rigid motion between the overlapping TLS surveys for the coarse registration, according to which the initial TIR from temporal TLS surveys were identified. Finally, the rigid motion between temporal TLS was iteratively optimized, based on the point clouds, only from the TIR. Based on the fine-level registered TLS surveys, Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) can be generated to calculate the exploitative volume, through a DEM differential. We applied the proposed method to two open-pit mines in China, and also compared our method with five state-of-the-art methods for registering temporal TLS surveys. Experimental results indicated that the proposed method achieved a higher registration accuracy than the state-of-the-art methods. Based on the registered result, our method achieved a 98.03% overall accuracy for measuring the exploitative volume, compared to in-situ measurement.
Remote Sensing Image Stripe Detecting and Destriping Using the Joint Sparsity Constraint with Iterative Support Detection
Authors: Sun Yun-Jia , Huang Ting-Zhu , Ma Tian-Hui , Chen Yong
Published: March 2019

Remote sensing images have been applied to a wide range of fields, but they are often degraded by various types of stripes, which affect the image visual quality and limit the subsequent processing tasks. Most existing destriping methods fail to exploit the stripe properties adequately, leading to suboptimal performance. Based on a full consideration of the stripe properties, we propose a new destriping model to achieve stripe detection and stripe removal simultaneously. In this model, we adopt the unidirectional total variation regularization to depict the directional property of stripes and the weighted ℓ 2 , 1 -norm regularization to depict the joint sparsity of stripes. Then, we combine the alternating direction method of multipliers and iterative support detection to solve the proposed model effectively. Comparison results on simulated and real data suggest that the proposed method can remove and detect stripes effectively while preserving image edges and details.
Enhancement of Component Images of Multispectral Data by Denoising with Reference
Authors: Abramov Sergey , Uss Mikhail , Lukin Vladimir , Vozel Benoit , Chehdi Kacem , Egiazarian Karen
Published: March 2019

Multispectral remote sensing data may contain component images that are heavily corrupted by noise and the pre-filtering (denoising) procedure is often applied to enhance these component images. To do this, one can use reference images—component images having relatively high quality and that are similar to the image subject to pre-filtering. Here, we study the following problems: how to select component images that can be used as references (e.g., for the Sentinel multispectral remote sensing data) and how to perform the actual denoising. We demonstrate that component images of the same resolution as well as component images of a better resolution can be used as references. To provide high efficiency of denoising, reference images have to be transformed using linear or nonlinear transformations. This paper proposes a practical approach to doing this. Examples of denoising tests and real-life images demonstrate high efficiency of the proposed approach.
Using Very High Resolution Thermal Infrared Imagery for More Accurate Determination of the Impact of Land Cover Differences on Evapotranspiration in an Irrigated Agricultural Area
Authors: Cheng Jie , Kustas William P.
Published: March 2019

Land cover has a strong effect on the evapotranspiration (ET) and the hydrologic cycle. Urbanization alters the land cover affecting the surface energy balance and ET by, for example, urban encroachment in agricultural areas. This study investigates the potential utility of high resolution ET in determining more accurately the impact of land cover on water use for an agricultural area. The approach was to apply the physically based two-source energy balance (TSEB) model to very high resolution (~8 m) aircraft thermal data and compare the ET pattern and distribution to TSEB output using the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) data acquired on 2 August 2012. Modeled flux components were validated using measurements collected from a network of 16 eddy covariance (EC) towers at the study site. The modeled ET using the aircraft data agreed satisfactorily with the flux tower measurements and had better performance than the TSEB model applied to the ASTER data. The percent errors between ET closed by the Bowen ratio (BR) and residual (RE) approaches were 3 and 1%, respectively. It is shown that the high resolution aircraft ET can more accurately determine the change in ET magnitude by having pure pixels of the main land cover types, namely urban, agriculture, and natural vegetation. As a result, the ET histogram exhibits a significant bi-modal distribution which can be used to accurately distinguish the impact on ET from urban versus agricultural land cover areas and potentially monitor the effect on ET over a landscape due to small changes in land cover. At the coarser 90 m resolution of ASTER, the TSEB ET estimates are more often a combination of urban and agricultural land cover ET near the urban-agriculture land cover boundaries. As a result, the bi-modal distribution in ET is almost nonexistent. This study demonstrates the potential utility of high resolution ET mapping for more accurately determining the magnitude of the ET differences between cropland and urban land cover. It also suggests that, with high resolution thermal imagery, TSEB is a potential tool for monitoring the impact on ET due to relatively small changes in land cover as a result of urban expansion. Such a tool would be useful for watershed management.
Comparison of Machine Learning Algorithms for Retrieval of Water Quality Indicators in Case-II Waters: A Case Study of Hong Kong
Authors: Hafeez Sidrah , Wong Man Sing , Ho Hung Chak , Nazeer Majid , Nichol Janet , Abbas Sawaid , Tang Danling , Lee Kwon Ho , Pun Lilian
Published: March 2019

Anthropogenic activities in coastal regions are endangering marine ecosystems. Coastal waters classified as case-II waters are especially complex due to the presence of different constituents. Recent advances in remote sensing technology have enabled to capture the spatiotemporal variability of the constituents in coastal waters. The present study evaluates the potential of remote sensing using machine learning techniques, for improving water quality estimation over the coastal waters of Hong Kong. Concentrations of suspended solids (SS), chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), and turbidity were estimated with several machine learning techniques including Artificial Neural Network (ANN), Random Forest (RF), Cubist regression (CB), and Support Vector Regression (SVR). Landsat (5,7,8) reflectance data were compared with in situ reflectance data to evaluate the performance of machine learning models. The highest accuracies of the water quality indicators were achieved by ANN for both, in situ reflectance data (89%-Chl-a, 93%-SS, and 82%-turbidity) and satellite data (91%-Chl-a, 92%-SS, and 85%-turbidity. The water quality parameters retrieved by the ANN model was further compared to those retrieved by “standard Case-2 Regional/Coast Colour” (C2RCC) processing chain model C2RCC-Nets. The root mean square errors (RMSEs) for estimating SS and Chl-a were 3.3 mg/L and 2.7 µg/L, respectively, using ANN, whereas RMSEs were 12.7 mg/L and 12.9 µg/L for suspended particulate matter (SPM) and Chl-a concentrations, respectively, when C2RCC was applied on Landsat-8 data. Relative variable importance was also conducted to investigate the consistency between in situ reflectance data and satellite data, and results show that both datasets are similar. The red band (wavelength ≈ 0.665 µm) and the product of red and green band (wavelength ≈ 0.560 µm) were influential inputs in both reflectance data sets for estimating SS and turbidity, and the ratio between red and blue band (wavelength ≈ 0.490 µm) as well as the ratio between infrared (wavelength ≈ 0.865 µm) and blue band and green band proved to be more useful for the estimation of Chl-a concentration, due to their sensitivity to high turbidity in the coastal waters. The results indicate that the NN based machine learning approaches perform better and, thus, can be used for improved water quality monitoring with satellite data in optically complex coastal waters.
Water Sink Model for Robot Motion Planning
Authors: Jeon Gi-Yoon , Jung Jin-Woo
Published: March 2019

There are various motion planning techniques for robots or agents, such as bug algorithm, visibility graph, Voronoi diagram, cell decomposition, potential field, and other probabilistic algorithms. Each technique has its own advantages and drawbacks, depending on the number and shape of obstacles and performance criteria. Especially, a potential field has vector values for movement guidance to the goal, and the method can be used to make an instantaneous and smooth robot movement path without an additional controller. However, there may be some positions with zero force value, called local minima, where the robot or agent stops and cannot move any further. There are some solutions for local minima, such as random walk or backtracking, but these are not yet good enough to solve the local minima problem. In this paper, we propose a novel movement guidance method that is based on the water sink model to overcome the previous local minima problem of potential field methods. The concept of the water sink model is to mimic the water flow, where there is a sink or bathtub with a plughole and floating piece on the water. The plughole represents the goal position and the floating piece represents robot. In this model, when the plug is removed, water starts to drain out via the plughole and the robot can always reach the goal by the water flow. The water sink model simulator is implemented and a comparison of experimental results is done between the water sink model and potential field.