bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prognóstico Sazonal de Precipitação Regionalizada na Amazônia Oriental (Seasonal prognostic of regionalized precipitation in Eastern Amazon)
Authors: De Azevedo Franklin Thiago Mota , De Souza Everaldo Barreiros , Franco Vania Dos Santos , Souza Paulo Fernando De Souza
Published: November 2017

O foco deste trabalho é na variabilidade espacial e temporal da precipitação na região da Amazônia oriental (estados do Pará, Maranhão e Tocantins) no período de 1982 a 2015. A aplicação da análise de agrupamento permitiu a identificação de quatro regiões homogêneas de precipitação sobre a região, sendo que o período mais chuvoso (CHU+) e menos chuvoso (CHU-) ocorrem de forma diferenciada ao longo dos meses do ano, caracterizando a variabilidade pronunciada sobre a região. As áreas-chave dos padrões de temperatura da superfície do mar (TSM) sobre os Oceanos Pacífico e Atlântico foram selecionadas através de correlações significantes, com a finalidade de montar os modelos de regressão simples e múltipla para a geração das previsões sazonais de precipitação nas regiões homogêneas durante os regimes CHU+ e CHU-. Os resultados dos modelos indicaram que as previsões com lag0 (preditores de TSM no mesmo período de ocorrência dos regimes CHU+ e CHU-) são melhores do que as previsões defasadas (preditores de TSM no mês, bimestre e trimestre anterior ao regime CHU+ e CHU-), independente do modelo ser de regressão simples (apenas uma área de TSM) ou múltipla (duas, três ou quatro áreas de TSM).   A B S T R A C TThe focus of the present work is on time and spatial variability of precipitation in eastern Amazon (Pará, Maranhão and Tocantins states) during 1982 to 2015 period. The application of the cluster analysis allowed the identification of four homogeneous regions of precipitation over region, with the rainy (CHU+) and dry (CHU-) periods occuring in different ways throughout the months of the year, featuring the pronounced climate variability of the region. The key-areas of the patterns of sea surface temperature (SST) over Pacific and Atlantic Oceans were selected through significant correlations, in order to build simple and multiple regression models to generate seasonal forecasts of precipitation in regions homogeneous during the CHU + and CHU- regimes. The results of the models indicated that the lag0 predictions (SST predictors in the same period of occurrence of CHU + and CHU-) are better than the lagged forecasts (SST predictors of the month, two-months and three-months preceding the CHU + and CHU-), regardless of the model is simple (only one TSM area) or multiple (two, three or four areas of SST).Keywords: precipitation regionalization, Pacific and Atlantic SST, linear regression models.
Percepção dos moradores sobre a implantação de um sistema de coleta seletiva no município de Iomerê, Santa Catarina, Brasil (Perception of the residents about the implementation of a selective collection system in the municipality of Iomerê, Santa ...)
Authors: Ferreira de Campos Roger Francisco , Borga Tiago , Sartorel Adilson
Published: November 2017

Os resíduos sólidos urbanos são um dos principais problemas na atualidade, e a sua falta de gerenciamento está associada com uma administração municipal precária, como também pela falta de cobrança e incentivo da população com a busca da implantação de um sistema de coleta seletiva. Portanto, o presente trabalho teve como objetivo analisar a percepção ambiental dos moradores da cidade de Iomerê de Santa Catarina, quanto à possibilidade da implantação de um sistema de coleta seletiva no município. Para a realização deste trabalho, foi aplicado um questionário com 10 perguntas sobre a implantação do sistema de coleta seletiva, como também sobre os processos de gestão dos resíduos sólidos urbanos em 79 residências do município, cobrindo 20% da economia de Iomerê. O estudo mostrou que os moradores são favoráveis a implantação do sistema de coleta seletiva no município de Iomerê/SC, porém é necessária a aplicação de campanhas de educação ambiental voltada para o processo de gestão dos resíduos, devido à falta de conhecimento dos moradores sobre o processo de gerenciamento dos resíduos.   A B S T R A C TUrban solid waste is one of the main problems today, and its lack of management is associated with a precarious municipal administration, as well as the lack of collection and incentive of the population with the search of the implantation of a system of selective collection. Therefore, the present work aimed to analyze the environmental perception of the residents of the city of Iomerê de Santa Catarina, regarding the possibility of implementing a selective collection system in the municipality. For the accomplishment of this work, a questionnaire with 10 questions about the implementation of the selective collection system was applied, as well as the processes of solid urban waste management in 79 residences of the municipality, covering 20% of the Iomerê economy. The study showed that the residents are favors to the implementation of the selective collection system in the city of Iomerê/SC, but it is necessary to apply environmental education campaigns focused on the waste management process, due to the lack of knowledge of the residents about the Process of waste management.Keywords: environmental education. environmental perception. selective collection system.
Meio Ambiente e Políticas Públicas de Turismo: reflexões conceituais e questões contemporâneas (Environment and Public Policies of Tourism: conceptual reflections and contemporary issues)
Authors: Silva Elton Pereira da , Castilho Claudio Jorge Moura de
Published: November 2017

O meio ambiente não é só palco, mas, ao mesmo tempo, reflexo da (in) ação humana ao logo do tempo, compreendido, portanto, a partir da dialética das questões de ordem físico-natural, sociocultural, econômica e político-institucional, sob uma perspectiva transescalar e transdisciplinar. O papel das políticas públicas de turismo deveria ser o de propiciar o desenvolvimento, garantindo a distribuição equitativa dos benefícios gerados com o turismo para todos os atores socioambientais presentes na destinação turística. Acontece, porém, que, na maioria das vezes, tem-se uma visão reducionista sobre os elementos e relações que o compõem, não se tendo muita clareza sobre o que é efetivamente uma política pública de turismo, inclusive dentro dos próprios órgãos governamentais responsáveis pelo planejamento e gestão do turismo. O objetivo deste trabalho consiste na apresentação de conceitos desenvolvidos na nossa pesquisa, buscando elucidar algumas questões relevantes referentes ao tema ora identificado no contexto da pós-modernidade e propondo um novo conceito de meio ambiente e de política pública de turismo. Para a realização deste objetivo foram feitas leituras convergentes dos principais autores que tratam da temática e chegou-se à conclusão de que o meio ambiente e políticas públicas de turismo exigem um tratamento complexo, ultrapassando as visões fragmentadas e limitadas. A B S T R A C TEnvironment is not just a stage, but at the same time a reflection of the human (in) action during the time, understood based on the dialectic of physical-natural, socio-cultural, economic and political-institutional issues, under a trans-transverse and transdisciplinary perspective. The role of tourism’s public policies should promote development, ensuring the equitable distribution of the benefits generated by tourism among all socio-environmental actors in the tourist destinations. However, it occurs, frequently, a reductionist view of the environment as well as there is not a holistic view of tourism’s public policy, including the government agencies responsible for the management of tourism. The objective of this work is to point out some concepts of development, seeking to elucidate some relevant issues related to the subject in the context of postmodernity and propose a new concept of environment and tourism’s public policy. Searching for carrying out this objective, we consulted the main authors who dealt with the theme, and we concluded that the environment and tourism’s public policies require a complex treatment, going beyond fragmented and limited point of view.Keywords: Environment; Tourism; Public Policy
Características Hidrogeológicas e Vulnerabilidade à Contaminação das Unidades Aquíferas da Bacia Hidrográfica dos Córregos Amaral e Brilhante - Jaciara (MT) (Hydrogeological features and vulnerability to contamination of aquifer units in ...)
Authors: Santos Vanderley Severino , Lorandi Reinaldo
Published: November 2017

O aumento na demanda por água e o aumento da poluição compromete a qualidade natural das águas subterrâneas. O conhecimento da dinâmica hidrogeológica em aquíferos é importante para analisar o grau de vulnerabilidade desse sistema, bem como identificar e monitorar as fontes potenciais de poluição. Com base nesta preocupação os objetivos desse trabalho foram identificar, caracterizar e mapear as unidades aquíferas da bacia hidrográfica dos Córregos Amaral e Brilhante (Jaciara, Mato Grosso, Brasil), bem como, determinar a vulnerabilidade à contaminação das unidades aquíferas utilizando o método de G.O.D (Groundwater occurrence, Overall lithology of the unsaturated zone, Depth to the water table). Os mapas foram produzidos na escala 1:50.000. Os resultados mostram que nos 339,56 km2 da bacia ocorrem os aquíferos Cachoeirinha, Furnas e Ponta Grossa e a atividade agrícola predominante é o cultivo da cana-de-açúcar. Foi verificado também que o aquífero Cachoeirinha é do tipo poroso livre e apresenta extrema vulnerabilidade e ocupa 74,01% da área. O aquífero Furnas também é do tipo poroso livre apresenta média vulnerabilidade e ocupa 25,73% da área. O aquífero Ponta Grossa é do tipo misto apresenta baixa vulnerabilidade e ocupa somente 0,26% da área total da bacia.  A B S T R A C TThe increase in the demand for water and the increase of pollution compromise the natural quality of groundwater. The knowledge of the hydrogeological dynamics in aquifers it is basic importance to analyze the degree of vulnerability of this system, as well as identifying the potential sources of pollution. For this reason, this work aims to identify, characterize and map the aquifer units of the Amaral and Brilhante (Jaciara, Mato Grosso, Brazil) river basin, as well as assess the vulnerability to pollution of these aquifer units using G.O.D method (Groundwater occurrence, Overall lithology of the unsaturated zone, Depth to the water table). The studied basin has an area of 339.56 km²; the maps ave been created in a 1: 50.000 scale. The results show the occurrence of Cachoeirinha, Furnas and Ponta Grossa aquifers. It has been found out that sugarcane crops are predominant in the area, that the Cachoeirinha aquifer can be classified as belonging to the free porous type, that it is extremely vulnerable and occupies 74.01% of the region; the Furnas aquifer is also a free porous type aquifer, presents an average vulnerability and occupies 25.73% of the region. Finally, the Ponta Grossa aquifer belongs to the the mixed type and presents low vulnerability, occupying only 0.26% of the region. Keywords: Groundwater, mapping, risk of pollution.
Li-Fi: Velocidad de Internet sorprendente bajo la Luz Visible
Authors: Espinosa Moises , Vivanco Marco
Published: November 2017

La presente investigación presenta una revisión sobre la trasmisión de datos a través de la tecnología LI-FI, conocido también como el Internet de las cosas (IoT). Para ello se remontará a sus inicios, en los años noventa, donde se inició con el uso de las comunicaciones inalámbricas; dejando de lado las comunicaciones a través de cables para posteriormente buscar la trasmisión de datos a grandes velocidades de manera inalámbrica. De esto se deriva la nueva tecnología que utiliza la luz como medio de trasmisión LI-FI, la misma que a través de LED utiliza los haces de luz para trasmitir grandes cantidades de datos a grandes velocidades que podrían alcanzar los 10 G/s. Esto vendría a remplazar el uso de lo que hasta el momento se ha venido utilizando como medio de trasmisión inalámbrico, el Wifi. LIFI dará solución a las saturaciones y la baja tasa de transferencia de datos en lugares con grandes cantidades de usuarios y dispositivos que pretenden conectarse al acceso a la red a través de WIFI. LIFI viene a remplazar esta tecnología dando solución a los problemas detectados conel uso de WIFI; esta nueva tecnología se ha estudiado desde los años 2010 en la Universidad de Edimburgo, Escocia por el Profesor Ph.D. Harald Haas, y ha sido comercializada en el año 2011. En la actualidad ya muchos países han implementado en sus redes este tipo de tecnología. Sin embargo, esta tecnología se ve dificultada por algunos problemas. En este artículo vamos a repasar brevemente esta tecnología y discutir algunos de estos problemas y sus posibles soluciones.
Evaluación de iluminancia en canchas públicas localizadas en el área urbana de la ciudad de Cuenca
Authors: Pulla Santiago , Aguilar Rene , Caldas Pedro , Franco Esteban , Ortega Felipe , Matute Cesar , Salto Angel
Published: November 2017

En la ciudad de Cuenca del Ecuador, en su área urbana existen canchas deportivas públicas, de libre acceso para la ciudadanía y para un nivel de juego de carácter recreativo. Estos escenarios son utilizados en algunos días de la semana en horas de la noche con horario restringido, para lo cual están provistas de un sistema de iluminación, cuya prestación lumínica es motivo de esta investigación. En el presente trabajo se describen inicialmente las responsabilidades jurídicas de la prestación del servicio de alumbrado público en canchas deportivas públicas que en estos casos recae sobre el Municipio de Cuenca, denominado legalmente “Gobierno Autónomo Descentralizado del Cantón Cuenca”, luego de lo cual se describe la arquitectura de estos espacios públicos así como sus sistemas de iluminación, y posteriormente indica la metodología empleada para la obtención de la iluminancia horizontal media sobre las superficies de los escenariosanalizados, posteriormente analiza los niveles de iluminación comparando con valores de iluminancia media recomendados en el “Reglamento Técnico de Iluminación y Alumbrado Público – RETILAP”, para este tipo de escenarios deportivos y finalmente presenta conclusiones y recomendaciones.
Metodología Ágil para la Gestión de Riesgos Informáticos
Authors: Arévalo Moscoso Franklin Mauricio , Cedillo Orellana Irene Priscila , Moscoso Bernal Santiago Arturo
Published: November 2017

El presente artículo presenta una metodología integral para la gestión de riesgos informáticos basándose en los estándares mundialmente aceptados como son ISO 31000 e ISO/IEC 27005, los mismos que indican los requerimientos para una gestión adecuada de riesgos; sin embargo no indican, al menos de manera clara, como se puede realizar dicha gestión. Por ello se incluyen recomendaciones y buenas prácticas de otros estándares y guías internacionales para el manejo de riesgos. Con la aplicación de la metodología planteada en una empresa industrial de alimentos, se comprueba su validez; además, el equipo de trabajo que aplicó la metodología tuvo a su disposición herramientas sugeridas que ayudaron a valorar técnicamente los riesgos según su probabilidad de ocurrencia, sus consecuencias y dimensiones de seguridad afectadas.
Incidencia Económica de las Salvaguardias en el Ecuador en el Sector de la Alimentación Período 2014 - 2016
Authors: Barreno-Benavides Luis
Published: November 2017

El objetivo del presente artículo es indicar la incidencia económica en el sector alimenticio por efecto de las salvaguardias aplicadas a las importaciones de alimentos en el Gobierno ecuatoriano durante el período 2014 - 2016. Se han analizado temas relacionados como comercio exterior, aranceles, salvaguardias, por ser el sector de la alimentación el afectado se abordó la seguridad alimentaria, los tipos de productos alimenticios que forman parte de la oferta alimentaria de un país, así como el entorno y aplicación de medidas políticas y su impacto económico. Los resultados obtenidos permitieron demostrar que en el sector de alimentos, las  importaciones en las partidas afectadas por las salvaguardias ascendió a 564.6 millones de dólares, de los cuales la incidencia directa en la economía de la sociedad ecuatoriana fue un incremento en el pago de 142,4 millones de dólares por efecto de la aplicación de las salvaguardias en los productos alimenticios importados, lo que afectó directamente a la economía de los ecuatorianos y a la disminución del nivel de vida por la reducción de la oferta alimentaria del país.
Evaluación de las Competencias Conductuales Emprendedoras en Jóvenes Estudiantes de la Facultad de Ciencias Administrativas de la UTE-Quito
Authors: Benalcázar-Atiencia Iván
Published: November 2017

Para realizar la evaluación de las competencias conductuales (CCE) en los estudiantes de la Facultad de Ciencias Administrativas de la UTE, se aplicó el test de comportamiento conductual desarrollado bajo la teoría motivacional de David McClelland. El test de autoevaluación de las CCE, es un cuestionario de 55 preguntas en escala de Likert (1-5), dónde se evalúa diez características denominadas competencias conductuales. Los resultados de la investigación arrojan que las competencias que obtuvieron el mejor puntaje o más desarrolladas en los jóvenes estudiantes son: fijarse metas  y exigir eficiencia y calidad; siendo las competencias con menos puntaje o menos desarrolladas, ser persuasivo y construir redes, correr riesgos calculados y planificar sistemáticamente; concluyendo que los estudiantes se han fijado una meta común que es culminar su carrera, lo hacen con eficiencia y calidad, sin embargo se observa que no están convencidos de lo que quieren, no les interesa construir redes de apoyo, no corren ningún riesgo y tampoco planifican,  características propias de un emprendedor las mismas que hay que desarrollar en los estudiantes,  a través de  construir una cultura de emprendimiento.
Beyond the Temple and the Cave: William James, E.J. Pratt, and Christian-Spiritualist Syncretisms
Authors: Jensen Graham
Published: November 2017

Although the Canadian poet E.J. Pratt had lifelong attachments to the Methodist and then United Church, critics have struggled to reconcile the various aspects of Pratt's religious vision as they materialize in his writing. Focusing on one largely ignored aspect of that vision, this article examines Pratt's mystical and spiritualist poetry of the 1920s and 1930s. More precisely, it considers Pratt's blending of spiritualist and Christian thought in relation to the syncretistic, non-dogmatic, anti-institutional notion of “personal religion” advanced in William James's The Varieties of Religious Experience, thus illuminating at once both Pratt's religious commitments and a seldom-discussed point of contact between James's philosophy and modernist literature. Ultimately, this article argues that, as a result of his exposure to James and to spiritualism in the crucible of Toronto's liberal Protestant milieu, Pratt – like many other writers of his time – began to move beyond the polarities of personal and institutional religion.
Traffic and Transit Travel Time Reliability Indexes and Confidence Intervals
Authors: Glick Travis B. , Figliozzi Miguel A.
Published: November 2017

As congestion worsens, the importance of rigorous methodologies to estimate travel time reliability increases. Exploiting fine-granularity transit GPS data, this research proposes a novel method to estimate travel time percentiles and confidence intervals. Novel transit reliability measures based on travel time percentiles are proposed to identify and rank low-performance hot spots; the proposed reliability measures can be utilized to distinguish peak-hour low performance from whole-day low performance. As a case study, the methodology is applied to a bus transit corridor in Portland, Oregon. Time–space speed profiles, heat maps, and visualizations are employed to highlight sections and intersections with high travel time variability and low transit performance. Segment and intersection travel time reliability are contrasted against analytical delay formulas at intersections—with positive results. If bus stop delays are removed, this methodology can also be applied to estimate regular traffic travel time variability.
Enabling Bus Transit Service Quality Co-Monitoring Through Smartphone-Based Platform
Authors: Li Corinna , Zegras P. Christopher , Zhao Fang , Qin Zhengquan , Shahid Ayesha , Ben-Akiva Moshe , Pereira Francisco , Zhao Jinhua
Published: November 2017

The growing ubiquity of smartphones offers public transit agencies an opportunity to transform ways to measure, monitor, and manage service performance. The potential of a new tool is demonstrated for engaging customers in measuring satisfaction and co-monitoring [Editor’s note: This is the authors’ word, meaning “agencies using public feedback to supplement official monitoring and regulation.”] bus service quality. The pilot project adapted a smartphone-based travel survey system, Future Mobility Sensing, to collect real-time customer feedback and objective operational measurements on specific bus trips. The system used a combination of GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and accelerometer data to track transit trips while soliciting users’ feedback on trip experience. Though not necessarily intended to replace traditional monitoring channels and processes, these data can complement official performance monitoring through a more real-time, customer-centric perspective. The pilot project operated publicly for 3 months on the Silver Line bus rapid transit in Boston, Massachusetts. Seventy-six participants completed the entrance survey; half of them actively participated and completed more than 500 questionnaires while on board either at the end of a trip, at the end of a day, or both. Participation was biased toward frequent Silver Line users, the majority of whom were white and of higher income. Indicative models of user-reported satisfaction reveal some interesting relationships, but the models can be improved by fusing the app-collected data with actual performance characteristics. Broader and more sustained user engagement remains a critical future challenge.
Network Design Strategies to Increase Efficiency and Usefulness of Urban Transit Ferry Systems
Authors: Sandell Robin
Published: November 2017

As urban transit ferry systems expand, it is important for operators and transport agencies to take a more sophisticated approach to network design and scheduling to make services more useful for riders and to reduce costs. A new schedule was developed for a passenger ferry network in Sydney, Australia, on the basis of principles of integrated regular-interval scheduling. The existing network followed a conventional radial pattern, with 36 landings and terminals on nine lines, which converged on Circular Quay in Sydney’s central business district. The reconfigured network established timed transfers between all lines at Circular Quay and at other network nodes. The reconfiguration increased the number of origin–destination pairs with all-day convenient connections from 96 to 419. Service hours increased by 11%, but without a change in requirements for peak operating vessels. The modified network simplified operations and was likely to reduce the operating cost per service hour because of labor efficiency gains. Safer ferry operations were also predicted. Critical to successful implementation was an improvement in the passenger exchange process to reduce systemic causes of service delays. The results show that the usefulness of a complex urban transit ferry network can be enhanced by improved connectivity without necessarily increasing the number of terminals or government subsidy levels. The results also suggest the need for detailed network planning to precede plans for fleet acquisition and terminal infrastructure design. This planning is likely to target infrastructure investment better.
Travel Behavior Reactions to Transit Service Disruptions
Authors: Zhu Shanjiang , Masud Hamza , Xiong Chenfeng , Yang Zhuo , Pan Yixuan , Zhang Lei
Published: November 2017

Major transit infrastructure disruptions have become more frequent because of increasing maintenance needs for aging infrastructure, system failures, and disasters. Understanding travel behavior reactions to service disruptions on the basis of empirical observations is a fundamental step toward planning and operating an efficient and reliable transportation system. Few studies in the literature have investigated the behavioral and system impact of transit service disruptions. To bridge this gap in the literature, this research investigated travel behavioral reactions to transit service disruptions during the Metro SafeTrack projects in Washington, D.C., with the use of a unique panel survey. This study offers new insights on multimodal, multidimensional travel behavioral responses to major transit network disruptions, a critically theoretical prerequisite for developing and implementing effective strategies (e.g., how to deploy the reserve bus fleet optimally) that minimize system impact and improve transit system reliability and resilience.
Getting People Around After the Trains Stop Running
Authors: Dentel-Post Colin , Cooper Drew , Huang Yeying , Crosley Steve , Tolleson Millie , Carraher Michael
Published: November 2017

Late-night transit service provides an important connection to jobs, entertainment venues, and other destinations in San Francisco, California, and other major cities. In 2016, the San Francisco County Transportation Authority led a comprehensive reexamination of the region’s late-night bus network, which provided service between about midnight and 5:00 a.m., while the region’s rail services were closed for maintenance. Previous literature established the general characteristics of late-night transit users and trip generators but did not develop and validate the use of a specific tool to plan service. Other researchers also developed transit propensity indexes (TPIs) with the use of demographic data for transit service in general but not specifically for the late-night period. A new approach was used to assess transit demand for late-night work trips by using Census Transportation Planning Package data to identify late-night work trips and combining those trip volumes with additional demographic factors associated with reliance on public transit to develop a late-night TPI. The hypothesis was that high TPI scores were an indicator of areas where late-night transit would attract strong ridership. The research team compared the index results with ridership on existing routes by using a stop-level regression analysis to validate that the TPI is predictive of ridership at a statistically significant level. It was concluded that the TPI together with productivity analysis of existing routes supported identification of potential late-night transit network changes to improve coverage in areas where riders would most need and use the service.
Regulatory Schemes on Public Transport
Authors: Huerta Vicente , Galilea Patricia
Published: November 2017

Regulatory schemes have remained an open question about the implementation of an urban bus system. Because of the introduction of a higher private initiative within these systems, the expectation of increased patronage has not been met. Hence, studying the effect of regulation on innovation becomes the first objective of this research because innovative solutions may help to attract users. To fulfill that objective, an analysis of innovative capabilities was carried out. The aim was to understand the gap between potential and practical innovation on the authorities and operators. The second objective was to use theoretical modeling to find the effect of payment schemes on frequency and bus size. Both analyses used as a case study the experience of Transantiago in Santiago, Chile. Innovation proved to be dependent on the regulatory scheme in which an operation was framed. Both authorities and operators showed the existence of innovative capabilities dependent on the perceived incentives. Trusting cooperation was an aspect that might have encouraged some types of innovation, such as route design. Analytical solutions showed that as in the experience of Transantiago, supply-based payments provided higher frequency and smaller bus size than fixed payments. Finally, an optimal tariff gave incentives to the operators to provide socially optimal levels of frequency and bus size for a certain demand level.
Solar Drying: A Means of Improving the Quality of Peanuts in Ghana
Authors: Akoto Esther Y. , Klu Yaa A. K. , Lamptey Maxwell , Asibuo James Y. , Heflin Mark , Phillips Robert , Jordan David , Rhoads Jamie , Hoisington David , Chen Jinru
Published: November 2017

An indirect, passive, wooden dryer, with a galvanized steel panel (4.5 m2) and four wire mesh shelves (2.62 m2 each), was constructed in Kumasi, Ghana. The dryer was evaluated for its capacity in drying of freshly-harvested in-shell peanuts on a single layer (8.5 Kg), and then up-scaled to four layers (4x18 Kg). Equal amounts of peanuts, dried simultaneously on a concrete floor under the open sun, served as comparisons. The moisture content of solar dried peanuts decreased from 35.85-5.25% and 32.00 %-4.25% in the single-layer and four-layer drying, respectively, in 4 days. Faster drying rates were observed when peanuts had relatively higher moisture contents with R2 values ranging from 0.72-0.95. The average daily solar radiation ranged from 360-592.99 W/m2 and daily energies generated were from 42.24-69.16 MJ. The drying efficiency ranged from 1.50-6.47% in the single-layer drying and 23.07-24.93% in the four-layer drying whereas the thermal efficiency was 3.15-21.60% in the single-layer drying and 3.08-24.93% in the four-layer drying. Peanuts from the solar dryer had lower free fatty acid and peroxide values but higher germination percentage compared to open sundried peanuts. The study suggests that solar drying can be used effectively for improving peanut safety and preserving peanut quality in Ghana.
Risk of ovarian function recovery should be considered when switching from treatment with adjuvant tamoxifen to aromatase inhibitor therapy in women with chemotherapy‐induced amenorrhea
Authors: Chung Clement
Published: November 2017

Key Points

In this study, the risk of a return to menses and/or premenopausal estradiol/follicle‐stimulating hormone levels by 30 months after a switch from adjuvant tamoxifen to aromatase inhibitor therapy in women with postmenopausal estradiol levels at the time of the switch was 15.2% (38 of 250 patients) for women who had chemotherapy‐induced amenorrhea and were aged younger than 50 years at the time of breast cancer diagnosis.

The risk was 1.2% (1 in 79 women) for women who were aged 50 to 54 years but still were premenopausal at the time of breast cancer diagnosis.
Elastic Stability of Perforated Plates Strengthened with FRP under Uniaxial Compression
Authors: Tao Xin , Cao Shuangyin , Zhang Long
Published: November 2017

Openings are frequently introduced in plates for the purpose of inspection, maintenance, service, etc. The presence of openings reduces the buckling and ultimate capacity significantly, and pasting fiber-reinforced polymers (FRP) is an ideal technique for postponing the buckling and increasing the ultimate capacity of the plates. In this paper, the finite element (FE) method has been employed to study the buckling stress of the perforated plates strengthened with FRP under uniaxial compression, and several parameters are considered: material’s geometrical and mechanical properties, boundary conditions, plate aspect ratio, hole sizes, and hole position. Then a method of calculating the buckling stress is proposed and modified based on the theory of composite plate and the numerical results. The study shows that, the stiffness modified factor αD, which considers the orthotropic properties of FRP are a function of the reinforcement index ω and hole size d/b for Boundary conditions (BCs) of 4S and 3S1F. And it is recommended to place the big hole close to the middle area of the plate in x-axis. It also shows that for a small hole size, there is little effect of the hole position ey/b on buckling coefficient Ku regardless of the BCs, and that effect becomes more pronounced as d/b increases, so it is recommended to put the holes near the middle of the plate for 4S and the simple support edge for 3S1F in y-axis.
Research on the Rational Yield Ratio of Isolation System and Its Application to the Design of Seismically Isolated Reinforced Concrete Frame-Core Tube Tall Buildings
Authors: Li Aiqun , Yang Cantian , Xie Linlin , Liu Lide , Zeng Demin
Published: November 2017

Resilience-based seismic design of reinforced concrete (RC) tall buildings has become an important trend in earthquake engineering. Seismic isolation technology is an effective and important method to improve the resiliency of RC frame-core tube tall buildings located in high seismic regions. However, the traditional design method for this type of building does not focus on the key design parameter, namely, the yield ratio of the isolation system and has therefore been proved to be highly inefficient. To address these issues, the rational yield ratio of isolation system for such buildings is investigated based on 28 carefully designed cases, considering the influences of total heights, yield ratios and seismically isolated schemes. The rational range of the yield ratio is recommended to be 2-3%. Based on this, a high-efficiency design method is proposed for seismically isolated RC frame-core tube tall buildings. Subsequently, a seismically isolated RC frame-core tube tall building with a height of 84.1 m is designed using the proposed design method. The rationality, reliability and efficiency of the proposed method are validated. The research outcome can serve as a reference for further development of the seismic design method for seismically isolated RC frame-core tube tall buildings.
Laboratory and On-Site Tests for Rapid Runway Repair
Authors: Leonelli Federico , Di Mascio Paola , Germinario Antonello , Picarella Francesco , Moretti Laura , Cassata Mauro , De Rubeis Alberto
Published: November 2017

The attention to rapid pavement repair has grown fast in recent decades: this topic is strategic for the airport management process for civil purposes and peacekeeping missions. This work presents the results of laboratory and on-site tests for rapid runway repair, in order to analyse and compare technical and mechanical performances of 12 different materials currently used in airport. The study focuses on site repairs, a technique adopted most frequently than repairs with modular elements. After describing mechanical and physical properties of the examined materials (2 bituminous emulsions, 5 cement mortars, 4 cold bituminous mixtures and 1 expanding resin), the study presents the results of carried out mechanical tests. The results demonstrate that the best performing material is a one-component fast setting and hardening cement mortar with graded aggregates. This material allows the runway reopening 6 h after the work. A cold bituminous mixture (bicomponent premixed cold asphalt with water as catalyst) and the ordinary cement concrete allow the reopening to traffic after 18 h, but both ensure a lower service life (1000 coverages) than the cement mortar (10,000 coverages). The obtained results include important information both laboratory level and field, and they could be used by airport management bodies and road agencies when scheduling and evaluating pavement repairs.
Evaluation of the MODIS C6 Aerosol Optical Depth Products over Chongqing, China
Authors: Shi Guangming , Liu Ruiling , Wang Ding , Yang Fumo
Published: November 2017

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Collection 6 (C6) aerosol optical depth (AOD) products from the 10/3 km Dark Target (DT) and Deep Blue (DB) algorithms are firstly evaluated using ground observed AODs by the sun photometer in Chongqing, a mountainous mega-city in southwest China. The validation results show that MODIS AODs from 10/3 km DT algorithm are comparable with those of the sun photometer, although there are slight overestimations. However, the DB algorithm substantially underestimates MODIS AODs when comparing with those of the sun photometer. Error analyses imply that the bias of surface reflectance estimation is the main error source for both algorithms. The cloud screening scheme of the DT algorithm is more effective than the DB algorithm. The cloud vicinity effect should be considered in the quality control processes for both of the algorithms. A sensitivity test suggests that in complex terrain area, like Chongqing, the collocation method in the validation of satellite products should be carefully selected according to local circumstances. When comparing the monthly mean AODs of MODIS products with sun photometer observations, it shows that the Terra MODIS AOD products are valid to represent the mean statuses in summer and autumn, but the monthly mean of Aqua MODIS AODs are limited in Chongqing.
Evaluation of Posaconazole Pharmacokinetics in Adult Patients with Invasive Fungal Infection
Authors: Allegra Sarah , Fatiguso Giovanna , De Francia Silvia , Favata Fabio , Pirro Elisa , Carcieri Chiara , De Nicolò Amedeo , Cusato Jessica , Di Perri Giovanni , D’Avolio Antonio
Published: November 2017

Mortality and morbidity due to invasive fungal infections have increased over the years. Posaconazole is a second-generation triazole agent with an extended spectrum of activity, which shows a high interindividual variability in its plasma levels, rendering dosing in many patients inconsistent or inadequate. Hence, posaconazole therapeutic drug monitoring, which is easily available in clinical practice, may improve treatment success and safety. The aim of the study was to describe posaconazole pharmacokinetics, and to evaluate the utility of therapeutic drug monitoring for therapy and prophylaxis in a cohort of adult patients. A fully validated chromatographic method was used to quantify posaconazole concentration in plasma collected from adult patients at the end of the dosing interval. Associations between variables were tested using the Pearson test. The Mann-Whitney test was used to probe the influence of categorical variables on continuous ones. A high inter-individual variability was shown. Of the 172 enrolled patients, among those receiving the drug by the oral route (N = 170), gender significantly influenced drug exposure: males showed greater posaconazole concentration than females (p = 0.028). This study highlights the importance of therapeutic drug monitoring in those with invasive fungal infections and its significant clinical implications; moreover we propose, for the first time, the possible influence of gender on posaconazole exposure.
Systematic Review of Epigenetic Effects of Pharmacological Agents for Bipolar Disorders
Authors: Lockwood Laura , Youssef Nagy
Published: November 2017

Epigenetic effects of medications are an evolving field of medicine, and can change the landscape of drug development. The aim of this paper is to systematically review the literature of the relationship between common medications used for treatment of bipolar disorders and epigenetic modifications. MedLine/PubMed searches were performed based on pre-specified inclusion criteria from inception to November 2017. Six animal and human studies met the inclusion criteria. These studies examined the epigenetic changes in the main classes of medications that are used in bipolar disorders, namely mood stabilizers and antipsychotics. Although these initial studies have small to moderate sample size, they generally suggest an evolving and accumulating evidence of epigenetic changes that are associated with several of the medications that are used in bipolar I and II disorders. In this manuscript, we describe the specific epigenetic changes that are associated with the medications studied. Of the studies reviewed, five of the six studies revealed epigenetic changes associated with the use of mood stabilizers or antipsychotic medications. This review contributes to future research directions. Further understanding of the complexities of the epigenome and the untangling of the effects and contributions of disease states versus medications is crucial for the future of drug design and the development of new therapeutics. Epigenetic therapeutics hold great promise for complex disease treatment and personalized interventions, including psychiatric diseases.
Efficient Air Desulfurization Catalysts Derived from Pig Manure Liquefaction Char
Authors: Wallace Rajiv , Suresh Sundaramurthy , Fini Elham , Bandosz Teresa
Published: November 2017

Biochar from the liquefaction of pig manure was used as a precursor of H2S desulfurization adsorbents. In its inorganic matter, it contains marked quantities of calcium, magnesium and iron, which are known as hydrogen sulfide oxidation catalysts. The char was used either as-received or mixed with 10% nanographite. The latter was added to increase both the content of the carbon phase and conductivity. ZnCl2 in two different ratios of char to an activation agent (1:1 and 1:2) was used to create the porosity in the carbon phase. The content of the later was between 18–45%. The activated samples adsorbed 144 mg/g H2S. Sulfur was the predominant product of reactive adsorption. Its deposition in the pore system and blockage of the most active pores ceased the materials’ activity. The presence of the catalytic phase was necessary but not sufficient to guarantee good performance. The developed porosity, which can store oxidation products in the resulting composite, is essential for the good performance of the desulfurization process. The surface of the composite with nanographite showed the highest catalytic activity, similar to that of the commercial Midas® carbon catalyst. The results obtained indicate that a high quality reactive adsorbent/catalyst for H2S removal can be obtained from pig manure liquefaction wastes.
Dehydrogenation of Formic Acid over a Homogeneous Ru-TPPTS Catalyst: Unwanted CO Production and Its Successful Removal by PROX
Authors: Henricks Vera , Yuranov Igor , Autissier Nordahl , Laurenczy Gábor
Published: November 2017

Formic acid (FA) is considered as a potential durable energy carrier. It contains ~4.4 wt % of hydrogen (or 53 g/L) which can be catalytically released and converted to electricity using a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell. Although various catalysts have been reported to be very selective towards FA dehydrogenation (resulting in H2 and CO2), a side-production of CO and H2O (FA dehydration) should also be considered, because most PEM hydrogen fuel cells are poisoned by CO. In this research, a highly active aqueous catalytic system containing Ru(III) chloride and meta-trisulfonated triphenylphosphine (mTPPTS) as a ligand was applied for FA dehydrogenation in a continuous mode. CO concentration (8–70 ppm) in the resulting H2 + CO2 gas stream was measured using a wide range of reactor operating conditions. The CO concentration was found to be independent on the reactor temperature but increased with increasing FA feed. It was concluded that unwanted CO concentration in the H2 + CO2 gas stream was dependent on the current FA concentration in the reactor which was in turn dependent on the reaction design. Next, preferential oxidation (PROX) on a Pt/Al2O3 catalyst was applied to remove CO traces from the H2 + CO2 stream. It was demonstrated that CO concentration in the stream could be reduced to a level tolerable for PEM fuel cells (~3 ppm).
Corrosion and Thermal Fatigue Behaviors of TiC/Ni Composite Coating by Self-Propagating High-Temperature Synthesis in Molten Aluminum Alloy
Authors: Pan Chenggang , Liu Dudu , Zhao Chuanxiang , Chang Qingming , He Peng
Published: November 2017

TiC/Ni composite coatings on H13 steel plates were fabricated in situ by self-propagating high-temperature synthesis and combined with a pseudo-heat isostatic press. The microstructure of the coating was characterized by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The microhardness, corrosion, and thermal fatigue behaviors of the coating were investigated by a microhardness test, immersion test, and thermal fatigue test, respectively. The results showed that the in situ coating consisted of TiC and Ni binder phases. Spheroidal TiC particles were enveloped by a nearly continuous Ni binder phase. Coating showed good metallurgical bonding in the interface. The corrosive mechanism of the coating surface in molten aluminum alloy involves the Ni binder phase being etched by aluminum to form AlNi3 and the oxidization of the TiC-reinforced phase. The corrosive mechanism that occurred at the front of the corrosion involves the Ni binder phase of the coating being etched by aluminum to form AlNi3, while the TiC skeleton still maintains the original organizational structure. Hot fatigue cracks began at the defective tips of the coating and propagated in the TiC-reinforced phase. The crack is a trans-granular fracture, which is the result of brittle rupture.
Simultaneous Guidance of Surface Acoustic and Surface Optical Waves in Phoxonic Crystal Slabs
Authors: Ma Tian-Xue , Wang Yue-Sheng , Zhang Chuanzeng
Published: November 2017

Phoxonic crystals, which exhibit simultaneous phononic and photonic bandgaps, are promising artificial materials for optomechanical and acousto-optical devices. In this paper, simultaneous guidance of surface acoustic and surface optical waves in truncated phoxonic crystal slabs with veins is investigated using the finite element method. The phoxonic crystal slabs with veins can show dual large bandgaps of phononic and photonic even/odd modes. Based on the phononic and photonic bandgaps, simultaneous surface acoustic and optical modes can be realized by changing the surface geometrical configurations. Both acoustic and optical energies can be highly confined in the surface region. The effect of the surface structures on the dispersion relations of surface modes is discussed; by adjusting the surface geometrical parameters, dual single guided modes and/or slow acoustic and optical waves with small group velocity dispersions can be achieved. The group velocities are about 40 and 10 times smaller than the transverse velocity of the elastic waves in silicon and the speed of light in vacuum, respectively.
Taxonomic and Metabolite Diversity of Actinomycetes Associated with Three Australian Ascidians
Authors: Buedenbender Larissa , Carroll Anthony , Ekins Merrick , Kurtböke D.
Published: November 2017

Actinomycetes are known to be the most prolific producers of biologically active metabolites. Here, we investigated the host species-specificity and the related secondary metabolites of actinomycetes that are associated with three different Australian ascidians, namely Symplegma rubra, Aplidium solidum, and Polyclinum vasculosum. Results indicated that while isolates from the genera Streptomyces and Micromonospora were highly diverse in the ascidian samples, only two culturable actinomycete Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) overlapped between all of the ascidians, pointing to some degree of host species-specificity of the isolates and selective acquisition of microbial associates by the host from the surrounding environment. LC-MS/MS profiling of extracts obtained from the ascidians and their actinomycete associates revealed many overlapping ions between hosts and actinomycetes, indicating that these compounds were likely to be synthesised by the microbial associates. Laboratory cultures of the actinomycetes displayed even more diverse metabolomes than those of their ascidian hosts; thus, making ascidian-associated actinomycetes an excellent target for natural product drug discovery and biotechnology.