bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of Ultra Injection Pressure with Dynamic Injection Timing on CRDI Engine Performance Using Simarouba Biodiesel Blends
Authors: Pai Srinath , Sharief Abdul , Kumar Shiva
Published: September 2020

A single cylinder diesel engine upgraded to operate Common Rail Direct Injection (CRDI) system and employed in this investigation. Tests were conducted on this engine using High-Speed diesel (HSD) and Simarouba biodiesel (SOME) blends to determine the influence of Injection Pressure (IP) and Injection Timing (IT) on the performance and emissions. Four unique IP of 400 bar to 1000 bar, in steps of 200 bar and four differing ITs of 10°, 13°, 15° and 18° before Top Dead Center (bTDC) combinations were attempted for the 25% to full load. Compression Ratio (CR) of 16.5 and Engine speed of 1500 RPM was kept constant during all trails. Critical performance parameter like Brake Thermal Efficiency (BTE) and Brake Specific Fuel Consumption (BSFC) were analyzed, primary emission parameters of the diesel engine The NOx and Smoke opacity were recorded. Finally, the outcomes of each combination were discussed.
One-Dimensional Simulation Using Port Water Injection for a Spark Ignition Engine
Authors: Ling C. H. , Abas M. A.
Published: September 2020

Water injection is a promising solution to reduce fuel consumption while improving the performance of a turbocharged gasoline engine. One-dimensional (1D) engine simulation software, AVL BOOST is rarely used to model water injection. Therefore, this study is aimed to demonstrate the detailed port water injection modelling via AVL BOOST. A four-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine was developed in AVL BOOST based on the specification of the engine test rig and verified to be used as the baseline model. The port water injection modelling was then added to the baseline model. Water to fuel mass ratios of 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, 0.2 and 0.25 were chosen as the variables to investigate the effect of water injection on the engine performance. The results showed that maximum engine torque and IMEP increased by 10.80% and 8.65%, respectively at 3000 rpm. The water injection also reduced the in-cylinder pressure at the end of the compression stroke, reducing the compression work and improving efficiency. The reduction of combustion temperature also indicates potential for NOx reduction. The lower exhaust temperature can reduce the use of fuel enrichment which consequently reduces the fuel consumption. Conclusively, the water injection model can predict the engine performance parameters accurately.
Crash Performance of Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch (OPEFB) Fibre Reinforced Epoxy Composite Bumper Beam using Finite Element Analysis
Authors: Hassan C. S. , Pei Q. , Sapuan S. M. , Abdul Aziz N. , Mohamed Yusoff M. Z.
Published: September 2020

Malaysia is categorised as one of the countries with a high number of road crashes involving deaths. This indicated the necessity of improving the safety system of a vehicle including the passive system which comprises of the bumper as one of the systems. In the frontal impact, the bumper system is the first vehicle part that receives the impact. Therefore, a crashworthy bumper that can protect the occupant is essential.  In this research, the crash performance of OPEFB fibre/epoxy composite bumper beam has been investigated using finite element analysis. Low-velocity impact of 4 km/h between impact block and the bumper beam was simulated using LS-DYNA in accordance to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) 581 regulation. The composite was found exhibited comparable specific energy absorption with the aluminum bumper beam. Mass reduction of around 56% was observed. The peak force required for damage initiation for the composite bumper beam reduced by about 90% with impact time lengthen by around 89%. The velocity-history curves revealed a lower level of deceleration could be obtained through the utilisation of the composite bumper beam.
Fuzzy Versus Neuro-fuzzy Identification of Active Front Steering of a Vehicle on Slippery Roads
Authors: Aalizadeh B. , Asnafi A.
Published: September 2020

Due to the high rate changes in the handling of cars, the use of an auxiliary identification process to design efficient controllers is of importance. Many identification algorithms have been proposed in the literature, which generally performs well under normal situations, but does not show acceptable performance in uncertain conditions. In this article, due to the nature of the neuro-fuzzy networks in identifying and predicting uncertain conditions, an adaptive neuro-fuzzy identification algorithm is proposed to steer vehicles at the uncertain slippery condition of roads. A set of data for three well-known manoeuvres of vehicle dynamics at conventional conditions was collected to train the algorithm using adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system of MATLAB. Using back propagation of error as the learning algorithm, the parameters of the algorithm were modified regarding uncertain conditions. Making an analogy, the performance of the proposed identification scheme was compared to the untrained fuzzy one. In regular situations, the results were almost identical, but in uncertain ones such as slippery roads, the performance of the proposed neuro-fuzzy algorithm was much better.
Finite Element Simulation of Equal Channel Angular Pressing: Effect of Die Angle and Number of Passes
Authors: Awang Sh'ri D.N. , Abu Hassan M.A.H. , Zahari Z.S. , Wan Harun W.S.
Published: September 2020

Equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) is one of the popular severe plastic deformation processes used to produce bulk nanostructured materials. The degree of homogeneity of nanostructured is affected by various die parameters. In this paper, the effect of internal die angle (ϕ) and number of passes (N) on the strain behaviour of Aluminium Alloy 6061 (AA6061) during ECAP was investigated by using three-dimensional finite element analysis. The effect of number of passes and die angle on the homogeneity within the workpiece was analysed in terms of contours, radial view contour and inhomogeneity index. The analysis is done by comparing workpiece extruded up to 8 passes at die angle of 120° and 126°. It is observed that the resulting strain is higher at 120° die. However, the inhomogeneity index is decreasing in a similar pattern in both dies. The simulation results shed some lights on the optimum design of ECAP die for homogeneous microstructure.
Frequency Based Substructuring for Structure with Double Bolted Joints: A Case Study
Authors: Wan Iskandar Mirza W. I. I , Abdul Rani M.N , Yunus M. A , Ayub M. A , M. Sani M. S , Mohd Zin M.S
Published: September 2020

Adopting dynamic substructuring schemes is a common practice in the field of structural dynamics, where the dynamic behaviour of a structure is predicted by combining the multiple subsystems that are analysed individually. This paper investigated the dynamic behaviour of a structure with doubled bolted joints using the frequency based substructuring (FBS) method. In the attempt, the substructures were combined with the frequency domain that can be numerically derived or experimentally measured. However, the applicability of this method suffered from several issues where most of them were related to the frequency response function (FRF) of the rotational degree of freedom (DOF) at the subsystem’s interface. In some cases, the system’s interface vibrated in the rotary motion of certain modes, for instance, a car side rear view mirror. Therefore, excluding the rotational FRF during the coupling process could lead to a completely different result. This paper presents the use of the FBS method for a structure with double bolted joints by using the equivalent multipoint constraint (EMPC) method through which rotational DOFs can be completely neglected. The actual tested structure for this study was an assembled structure consisting of two substructures: a simple beam and an irregular plate steel structure. The FRFs of both substructures were derived from using the FRF synthesis from finite element models and combined together via the FBS method. This study reveals that the use of the FBS method with the EMPC method for a structure double bolted joints has led to very promising results.
Flow Characteristics of Multiphase Glass Beads-Water Slurry through Horizontal Pipeline using Computational Fluid Dynamics
Authors: Ahmed Shofique Uddin , Arora Rajesh , Parkash Om
Published: September 2020

Over the decades conveying solid particles through pipelines is a prevalent usage for many industries like food industries, pharmaceutical, oil and gas-solid handling, power generations etc. In the present study, slurry flow through 54.9 mm diameter and 4 m long horizontal pipe with solid particle diameter 0.125 mm and specific gravity 2.47 has been numerically analysed using a granular version of Eulerian two-phase model and RNG K-  model. The solid particles are considered as mono-dispersed in the Eulerian model. These models are available in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) fluent software package. Non-uniform structured three-dimensional mesh with a refinement near wall boundary region has been selected for discretising the flow domain, and governing equations are solved using control volume finite difference method. Simulations are conducted at velocity varying from 1 m/s to 5 m/s and efflux concentration varying from 0.1 to 0.5 by volume. Different slurry flow parameters such as solid concentration distribution, velocity distribution, pressure drop etc. have been analysed from the simulated results. The simulated results of pressure drop are correlated with the experimental data available in previous literature and are found to be in excellent compliance with the experimental data.
Lift Generation of an Elliptical Airfoil at a Reynolds Number of 1000
Authors: Tobing S.
Published: September 2020

Bumblebees cannot fly! That conclusion is likely to be drawn by scientists who analysed the insect using aerodynamics of stationary wings such as that of a passenger aircraft. Looking at the insect again using a newfound understanding of unsteady aerodynamics; it is clear why bumblebees can fly. Bumblebees utilise mechanisms behind unsteady aerodynamics such as leading-edge vortices (LEVs) formation, wake capture, and rapid end-of-stroke rotation to generate forces that enable the insect to fly. This study focuses on two-dimensional (2D) elliptical airfoil. Earlier works found the aerodynamic characteristics of an elliptical airfoil to differ greatly from a conventional airfoil, and that this airfoil shape could generate the counter-rotating vortices used by insects to generate lift. Therefore, this research aims to study the lift generation of a bumblebee-inspired elliptical airfoil in a normal hovering flight. This study focuses on hovering flight with the insect flies in a nearly stationary position, which explains the importance of lift generation to stay aloft. The motion of the elliptical airfoil is inspired by the flapping kinematics of bumblebees at a typical Reynolds number range of . It is found that the current two-dimensional model is capable of capturing the counter-rotating vortices and correlates the formation of these structures to a high production of lift. These results show that bumblebees utilise these counter-rotating vortices to generate lift enough to fly in hovering flight. This results also indicate that flapping 2D elliptical airfoils can be used to investigate their 3D wing counterparts, which translate to a reduced time and computing costs.
Unsteady Computational Study of Novel Biologically Inspired Offshore Vertical Axis Wind Turbine at Different Tip Speed Ratios: A Two-Dimensional Study
Authors: Ashwindran S. N. , Aziz Azizuddin Abd , Oumer A. N.
Published: September 2020

The aim of this paper presents an unsteady numerical investigation of a novel biologically inspired vertical axis wind turbine. The simulation was conducted in 2D using the sliding mesh technique with non-conformal mesh spatial discretisation via FLUENT. Grid sensitivity study on mesh density and turbulent transport model indicated that fine mesh and medium converged well with trivial difference. SST and k-ω model presented stable behaviour and indicated good agreement. SST were chosen for the rest of the simulation. The proposed wind turbine was simulated at five different moderate tip speed ratios under the influence of freestream velocity U∞=8m/s. The highest moment coefficient is generated at tip speed ratio λ=1.3, which is Cm=0.1886 with a stable positive moment coefficient after 480°. The proposed turbine responded well at λ=1.3 and λ=1.7 with power coefficient result of Cp=0.245 and Cp=0.262 respectively. The effect of wake and voracity on the turbine at subjected tip speed ratios is studied. Wake regions induced by the leading edge of the aerofoil impacted the performance of the following blade. Furthermore, due to the less wake effect trailed by the leading edge at λ=1.3, it generates higher moment than λ=1.7. Since the proposed blade has a fixed 4° angle of attack, it was sensible for the turbine to experience such wake and vorticity effect.
Numerical Simulation of Air Flow in Multiple Beds Intensive Care Unit of Hospital
Authors: Sahu A. K. , Verma T. N. , Sinha S. L.
Published: September 2020

Indoor air quality ventilation diminishes airborne respiratory and other transmission in hospitals. Airflow in associate medical care Unit (ICU) may be provided through natural mean and additionally by the assistance of mechanical ventilation. Natural ventilation might not be enough to satisfy the requirement of ventilation for associate degree ICU. In the present study, numerical simulation of the airflow pattern and contaminant movement using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) has been carried out for multiple bed hospital ICU with different inlet angles to examine path of contaminant transfer in the hospital. The measurement of air velocity is used as an input and standard k-ɛ turbulence model used in simulation work. Grid Independence Test (GIT) of hospital ICU has been carried out using high-quality tetrahedral unstructured mesh. In order to predict CFD simulations accurately, flow pattern has been validated using model of ICU with four bed and patient occupied with light source. Results shows that increasing rate of air flow change decreases the mean age of air. Importance of outlet position is high for transfer of contaminant particle from ICU.
Evaluation of Human Discomfort from Combined Noise and Whole-Body Vibration in Passenger Vehicle
Authors: Aladdin M. F. , A. Jalil N. A. , Guan N. Y. , Rezali K. A. M. , Adam S. A.
Published: September 2020

Exposure to noise and whole-body vibration (WBV) has been a key element in determining comfort levels in transportation systems. In the automotive industry, researchers and engineers continuously work on reducing noise and vibration levels to minimize discomfort. Noise annoyance in vehicles results from structure-borne as well as air-borne noise from vehicle powertrain, tires and aeroacoustics. Whole-body vibration affects vehicle passenger comfort at the seat pan, back rest and feet. The objective of this research is to evaluate the comfort level of seated passengers in a vehicle from noise and whole-body vibration by considering both separate and combined modality. The noise and vibration data were recorded and analysed in two vehicles on the same highway road with four different speeds. The vibration exposure in vehicle were evaluated based on ISO2631-1:1997. Noise exposure was based on A-weighted sound pressure level. The combined discomfort on noise and vibration were quantified. The vibration results identified clear dominant of z-axis vertical vibration on seat pan, backrest and feet in both vehicles. The discomfort of combined noise and vibration showed that vehicle B caused a higher discomfort level at the high vehicle speed of 90 km/h and 110 km/h. The Relative Discomfort Indicator (RDI) were introduced to compare levels of discomfort from noise and vibration in different vehicles with varying speeds. The result suggests that the RDI value for vehicle A relative to vehicle B is negative at higher vehicle speed which further indicates that at higher speed, vehicle B have a higher discomfort level compared to vehicle A. The RDI value is expected to be useful for automotive Noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) improvement.
Nanofluid-based Minimum Quantity Lubrication (MQL) Face Milling of Inconel 625
Authors: Singh P. , Dureja J. S. , Singh H. , S. Bhatti M.
Published: September 2020

Machining with minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) has gained widespread attention to boost machining performance of difficult to machine materials such as Ni-Cr alloys, especially to reduce the negative impact of conventional flooded machining on environment and machine operator health. The present study is aimed to evaluate MQL face milling performance of Inconel 625 using nano cutting fluid based on vegetable oil mixed with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT). Experiments were designed with 2-level factorial design methodology. ANOVA test and desirability optimisation method were employed to arrive at optimised milling parameters to achieve minimum tool wear and machined surface quality. Experiments were performed under nanoparticles based minimum quantity lubrication (NMQL) conditions using different weight concentrations of MWCNT in base oil: 0.50, 0.75, 1, 1.25 and 1.5 wt. %; and pure MQL environment (without nanoparticles). The optimal MQL milling parameters found are cutting speed: 47 m/min, table feed rate: 0.05 mm/tooth and depth of cut: 0.20 mm. The results revealed improvement in the surface finish (Ra) by 17.33% and reduction in tool flank wear (VB) by 11.48 % under NMQL face milling of Inconel 625 with 1% weight concentration of MWCNT in base oil compared to pure MQL machining conditions.
Comparative Experimental Studies on Four Stroke Four Cylinder Diesel fuelled Base Line Engine and Low Heat Rejection Engine
Authors: Reghu V. R. , Shankar V. , Ramaswamy P.
Published: September 2020

The depletion of conventional fuel source at a fast rate and increasing of environment pollution motivated extensive research in energy efficient engine design. In the present work, experimental investigations were carried out on a four-stroke four-cylinder dieselfuelled Base Line Engine (BLE) by conducting a normal load test and measuring the required Brake Thermal Efficiency (BThE) and Specific Fuel Consumption (SFC) in a 100 HP dyno facility. A six-gas Analyser was used for the measurement of Unburnt

Hydrocarbons (UBHC), Carbon monoxide (CO), Carbon dioxide (CO2), free Oxygen (O2), Nitrogen oxides (NOx), Sulphur oxides (SOx) and a smoke meter was used to measure smoke opacity. Low Heat Rejection (LHR) engine was realized by coating the crown of the aluminium alloy piston with the most popular Thermal Barrier Coating (TBC) material, namely 8%Yttria Partially Stabilized Zirconia (8YPSZ), after coating qualification on research pistons, specifically fabricated to retain the piston material specification, and the geometry of the crown contour. A normal load test was conducted on LHR engine to evaluate the performance as well as to determine the concentration of pollutants. A ~30% improvement in BThE and ~35% improvement in SFC was exhibited by the LHR engine at all loads studied (7 to 64%). While UBHC level showed an increase, the CO, CO2 and O2 contents as revealed in the emission test showed a mixed response (high and low) for an LHR engine. Compared with BLE, NOx and smoke level in LHR engine emission showed an increasing trend with the load. On comparing BLE and LHR engine test results, value addition to the BLE in terms of reduced fuel consumption and pollutants was observed.
Comparison of Vehicle Aged SCR Catalyst on a Particulate Filter (SCRF) with Oven Aged Equivalent
Authors: Mehsein K. , Delahay G. , Villain N. , Moral N.
Published: September 2020

To meet forthcoming Euro 6 Diesel engines NOx emissions legislation; highly efficient after-treatment systems are required. The use of urea or ammonia SCR is a well-established solution for high NOx abatement for diesel engines. The combination of a Cu-Zeolite SCR catalyst and a diesel particulate filter has been widely investigated in recent years to respond to the European NOx emissions regulations especially for those on light-duty vehicles. The after-treatment systems are preferred to be durable during the entirety of vehicle use. Indeed, the SCRF system must withstand the temperature resulting from the active regeneration of the particulate filter continuously. A 160,000 km vehicle aged SCRF catalyst which has endured more than 91 hours at temperatures superior to 600°C during the regeneration of the particulate filter was compared to an SCRF catalyst aged in the laboratory oven for 16 hours at 800°C with 10% H2O. The vehicle aged SCR has not only been exposed to the hydrothermal ageing generated by the diesel particulate regeneration but also has seen chemical elements from urea decomposition, soot accumulation, engine oil and fuel residues. In this paper, deeper comprehension of the behaviour the SCRF catalyst during vehicle ageing was exposed. It is evident that the loss of NOx activity is not only due to the regeneration of the particulate filter but also to the possible contamination from the urea injection and the elements present in the diesel fuel and engine oil. XRF results demonstrate that the concentrations of poisoning elements coming from the engine oil or fuel are concentrated mainly at the outlet of vehicle aged SCRF catalyst. Also, results reveal that the poisoning elements have affected the SCR activity of the vehicle aged SCRF catalyst. Finally, it was possible to establish a correlation between a 160,000 km vehicle aged SCRF catalyst and an equivalent SCRF aged for 16 hours at 800°C.
Performance estimation of computed torque control for surgical robot application
Authors: Verma Varnita , Gupta A. , Gupta M. K. , Chauhan P.
Published: September 2020

In the current paradigm, the development in robotic technology has a huge impact to revolutionize the medical domain. Surgical robots have greater advantages over surgeon such as reduced operating time, reduced tremor, less blood loss, and high dexterity. To perform different operations during surgery a base robot is required with the task-specific end effector. In this paper, the selective compliant assembly robot arm (SCARA) has been considered as the base robot and the complete mathematical modeling of the robot is illustrated. The equation of Kinematics is derived from the D-H notation. SCARA dynamic model is derived from Euler Lagrange. In order to achieve trajectory tracking the Computed Toque Control technique (CTC) applied to the SCARA manipulator. The performance of the CTC technique for trajectory tracking of each joint of the SCARA robot has evaluated in contrast with tuned PD and PID controller. The simulation results were discussed and verified using MATLAB simulation software.
Analysis of the vertical moving table type broaching machine
Authors: Adiyanto Okka , In Soo Park , Senoaji Hermanto Angga , Won Sik Choi
Published: September 2020

Broaching is a type of machining that uses a toothed tool similar to a saw. There are several types of broaching machines includes linear broaching machines and hydraulic machines.  Early linear broaching machines were driven mechanically by screws. However, hydraulic machines are faster, smoother in operation, and allow for high-speed steel broaches to be used. The purpose of this study is to an analysis of the vertical moving table type in the broaching machine. In this study, finite element analysis was carried out to examine the structural characteristics of broaching machine design. A model was created in CATIA software and analyzed with ANSYS to find the structural characteristics. The friction characteristic of PBT-40 material was also investigated. This material is recommended for guide rail surface lamination to reduce the friction coefficient and ram body wear. The simulation results provide information for the next step of development before physical prototype will be made. The maximum deformation of the workpiece table was 0.0517 mm on the positive Z-axis, and the maximum deformation on the pulling head device was 0.0598 mm on the negative Z-axis. The friction coefficients were between 0.013 and 0.047 in the sliding speed range of 0.06 to 0.34 m/s. The PBT-40 material has a wear coefficient of 1.604x10-13 m3/Nm according to the test. From the ANSYS friction simulation, it can be concluded that the PBT-40 material would not easily wear out during operation of the machine. It can be seen that small frictional stress occurred on the surface ranging from 8.273x10-5 to 8.381x10-5 MPa.
Do Good Corporate Governance and Financing Risk Management Matter for Islamic Banks’ Performance in Indonesia?
Authors: Maulidar Agustina , Majid M. Shabri Abd.
Published: September 2020

The purpose of this study is to examine and analyze the influence of the implementation of Good Corporate Governance principles and financing risk management on the Islamic banks' performance in Indonesia over the 2010-2019 period. 11 full-pledge Islamic Banks (BUS) was selected as the study sample using the purposive sampling technique and analyzed using the panel multiple regression techniques. The study found that Good Corporate Governance (GCG) and Financing to Deposit Ratio (FDR) positively influence the Islamic banks' performance. In contrast, Non-Performing Financing (NPF) has a negative influence on Islamic banks' performance. These findings imply that to promote the performance further, the Islamic banks should enhance the implementation of GCG principles and minimize NPF by improving financing risk management and enhance their financing by allocating their existing funds to the bankable and productive economic sectors.JEL Classification: G21, G34How to Cite:Maulidar, A., & Majid, M. S. A. (2020). Do Good Corporate Governance and Financing Risk Management Matter for Islamic Banks’ Performance in Indonesia?. Etikonomi: Jurnal Ekonomi, 19(2), xx – xx. https://doi.org/10.15408/etk.v19i2.15080.
La situación demográfica en Costa Rica
Authors: Rosero-Bixby Luis
Published: September 2020

El presente documento estudia la población de Costa Rica en tanto que conjunto de individuos sujetos a evolución, ciyos componentes fundamentales son la mortalidad y la fecundidad. El estudio centra su atención en el cambio ocurrido en estas dos variables, ocupándose especialmente de la evolición de causas de muerte y, en el caso de la evolución de las causa de muerte y , en el caso de la fecundidad, de la etapas de la formación de la familia, de la nupcialidad y de la práctica anticonceptiva. También se enumeran algunas de las consecuencias que han tenido los cambios en la mortalidad y en la fecundidad, discutiéndose además el posible comportamiento futuro de estas variables, con el riesgo que implica el hacer conjeturas de este tipo.
Agroquímicos y sufrimiento ambiental: reflexiones desde las ciencias sociales
Authors: Mora Solano Sindy
Published: September 2020

En este artículo se exponen los principales temas discutidos en el marco de las Jornadas de Reflexión de Ciencias Sociales, en donde fueron discutidos algunos resultados de una investigación en torno al movimiento de los trabajadores bananeros afectados por el nemagón (DBCP), investigación que se realiza desde el Instituto de Investigaciones Sociales (IIS). Cuáles pueden ser los aportes de las ciencias sociales en temas relacionados con el uso y exposición a los agroquímicos es el objeto discutido en este artículo.
PROYECTO EDNA. LOGROS Y DESAFÍOS DE UNA AGENDA PERMANENTE
Authors: Gutiérrez Rojas Marisol
Published: September 2020

El presente artículo sistematiza la experiencia del proyecto Estado de los derechos de la niñez y la adolescencia (EDNA): sus orígenes, modelo de gestión, alianzas, aportes y desafíos en una agenda comprometida con la protección y promoción de los derechos de esta población. El documento hace hincapié en el periodo 2007-2012; en la elaboración y contenidos de siete informes que evidencian el devenir histórico y las inflexiones en materia de derechos de la población menor de edad; y en el papel de la academia para analizar, liderar, conjuntar y propiciar esfuerzos intersectoriales, interinstitucionales e interdisciplinarios en beneficio de este grupo poblacional.
VIVIENDO LA RELIGIÓN DESDE LA MIGRACIÓN, TRANSNACIONALIZACIÓN DE LA SANTERÍA CUBANA EN LIMA, PERÚ; LA PAZ, BOLIVIA Y SANTIAGO, CHILE (1980-2013)
Authors: Saldívar Arellano Juan Manuel
Published: September 2020

Las religiones afroamericanas en la actualidad están experimentando diversas formas de ser y pertenecer, pues los nuevos contextos de anclaje se encuentran diseminados a partir de los establecimientos de comunidades migrantes, de la difusión de sus prácticas culturales y la legitimación/institucionalización de las mismas entre locales. La santería en sus procesos de transnacionalización religiosa está manifestándose como una ola mística contra geográfica que propone una serie de particularidades desde el interior de sus prácticas rituales, sobre todo entre mentores/participantes es decir, padrinos/ahijados quienes se involucran de manera creciente permitiéndoles extender sus redes religiosas. En lo que concierne al contexto sudamericano, la singularización de la santería se erige como un fenómeno religioso que se ha vinculado estrechamente con procesos históricos, culturales y políticos propios de lugares como Lima, Perú, La Paz, Bolivia y Santiago, Chile a partir de la llegada de los emigrados cubanos y el auge de sus tradiciones culturales.
Staphylococcus aureus and enterotoxin A relative gene expression in beef meat after lactic acid treatment and storage at different temperatures
Authors: A. A. Abdelghany H. , M. B. A. Zaki H. , S. Tolba K. , A. Yassin N.
Published: September 2020

The Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin A (sea) is the toxin mostly involved in Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) food poisoning. In this study, the effect of different lactic acid (LA) concentrations (LA 1% and 2%) and temperatures (4 oC, 25 oC, and 37 oC) on S. aureus growth and relative sea expression in fresh meat cuts were studied. Real-Time RT-PCR used to determine the relative sea expression. Fresh meat cuts were inoculated with 105 CFU/g of S. aureus producing enterotoxin A. S. aureus growth and relative sea expression were regularly tested for 48 hours. The growth of S. aureus was decreased by one log CFU/g than control sample using 1% LA and 2% LA 2% (5.32 ± 3.76 log CFU/g, 4.38 ± 3.00 log CFU/g and 4.54 ± 3.18 log CFU/g respectively) at zero time. Relative expression of the sea gene in both LA concentrations was lower than control. Moreover, both lactic acid concentrations had effect on relative sea gene expression at all examined hours, especially at 4 oC compared to control samples. The higher the lactic acid concentration, the lower the S. aureus enterotoxin A relative expression was.
Phytoremediation technology, plant response to environmental contaminants and the need for soil augmentation
Authors: OSENI Ojo M. , DADA Omotola E. , OKUNLOLA Gideon O. , OLOWOLAJU Ezekiel D. , AKINROPO Michael S. , AFOLABI Akinjide M. , AKINLABI Adebisi A.
Published: September 2020

Contaminants in the environment occur naturally and/or through anthropogenic activities. These contaminants become a threat to all living organisms because of their increased in the environment and non-biodegradable nature. In order to protect the environment from these contamination, various techniques have been developed, and among them is phytoremediation. Phytoremediation is a technology that employed plant species for reclaiming contaminated soil, air, and water. This technology has been widely accepted in recent times, because of its low cost and environmentally friendly. In addition, augmentation of the contaminated soil, either chemo augmentation or bioaugmentation, have been used for the effective absorption of some of these contaminants. When the plants are grown in the contaminated sites, the contaminant in the soil maybe removed, immobilized, degraded or volatized. These phytoremediation technologies are: phytoextraction, phytovolatilization, rhizofiltration, phyto-stimulation, phyto-stabilization and phytodegradation. Based on the phytoremediation potentials of plants, pollutants are being removed from the environment thereby keeping the environment safe.
The effect of crop rotation on performance and qualitative characteristics of sugar beet
Authors: ORAZIZADEH Mohammad R. , HOSSEINPOUR Mostafa , FASAHAT Parviz
Published: September 2020

Sugar beet and sugarcane are two major crops for sugar extraction throughout the world. However, the sugar beet importance is not just about sugar production but it also plays an important role in crop rotation and increased productivity in various industries as well as livestock feed. In this study the long-term (2009-16) field trial effect of alfalfa (4 years)-winter wheat (1 year)–fallow (1year)-sugar beet rotation on yield and quality parameters of sugar beet were evaluated for two consecutive rotations. The field trials were carried out at single location in Karaj, Iran, using randomized complete block design with four replications. Analysis of variance showed that the seasonal factors influenced different traits. In the first and second rotations, the root yield ranged from about 56.5 to 83.2 and 61.4 to 77.8 t ha-1, respectively with significant difference among cultivars in the first rotation. However, no significant difference was observed among both rotations in terms of root yield. Same results were obtained for sugar yield in both rotations which illustrates the stability of the above-mentioned traits. Except for sugar content, significant difference was observed among other traits in both rotations. We show for the first time the effect of completing two rotation sequences on sugar beet performance and quality for decision making into a continual expansion/development of crop cultivation.
Comparative aeropalynology of two communities in Lagos State, southwestern Nigeria
Authors: IBIGBAMI Temidayo , ADEONIPEKUN Olugbenga
Published: September 2020

Pollen allergy is an abnormal response of the immune system to certain pollen grains and these reactions are gradually on the increase all around the world. The need for consistent and accurate data on aero-pollen density as well as the meteorological conditions under which they are prevalent is imperative for appropriate management of allergic conditions in hypersensitive persons. Therefore, to identify the ‘culprit’ pollen related to allergy cases in Lagos, two locations, Ipaja and Ikeja were sampled. Aero-samplers were harvested weekly from February 2016 to July 2016. Acetolysis was done on the samples collected and meteorological data from Nigerian Meteorological Agency and clinical data from Adefemi Medical Center, Ipaja were assessed against pollen counts. The total pollen count of 2,048 was recorded for Ipaja while Ikeja had 820 with main taxa of Amaranthaceae, Poaceae and Euphorbiaceae. Weekly pollen counts were highest in weeks 8 and 10(April) at Ipaja and Ikeja respectively and lowest in weeks 22 and 24(June) at Ipaja and Ikeja respectively. The pollen counts at Ipaja correlated positively with temperature and from the medical records, there was a positive correlation (p<0.05, r=0.166 and r=0.44) between pollen density at both locations with cold and catarrh. Fungal allergens could have caused the spike in pollinosis in the wetter weeks (12 -19). The quality of the clinical data could also be a suspect which reinforces the need for more accurate and standard recording of clinical conditions across hospitals in Nigeria. This is the first record of weekly aerobiological data in Nigeria.
Computational study of environmental stress-related transcription factor binding sites in the promoter regions of maize auxin response factor (ARF) gene family
Authors: SAIDI Abbas , HAJIBARAT Zohreh
Published: September 2020

Auxin response factors (ARF) gene family plays key roles in plant development and act as transcription factors (TFs) in the regulation of gene expression. An extensive bioinformatics analysis including analysis of conserved motifs, chromosomal map, phylogenetic relationships, and expression profiles were performed for the maize ARF gene family. In this study, a set of publicly available 38 ARF maize (Zea mays) nucleotide sequences were downloaded. Using microarray data, a bioinformatics search for identification of TFBs in ARF genes using plant promoter analysis (PlantPAN) was carried out. The 38 maize ARF genes were categorized into three groups (Class I, II, and III).  ARF genes have been studied by molecular methods in several different plant species however to better understand the mechanisms of these genes more studies are needed. Gene cluster analysis showed that the same set of genes on the chromosomes were positively correlated with the same number of gene clusters.  Several TFBs including AP2/ERF, ERF, WRKY, bZIP, bHLH, GATA, and NAC were identified in the promoter regions. These TFBs are responsible for modulation of several biotic stress-responsive genes.  The main aims of the present study were to obtain genomic information for the ZmARF gene family and their expression under abiotic and biotic stresses.
Fighting Covid-19 through fast delivery of a modular quarantine camp with smart construction
Authors: Zhang Zhiqian , Pan Wei , Zheng Zhenjie
Published: September 2020

Lei Yue Mun quarantine camp was the first Covid-19 isolation facility built in Hong Kong. The camp’s two sites provide 352 rooms built using innovative modular integrated construction. Smart construction technologies were also adopted to deliver the project in the shortest time possible, including real-time module logistics monitoring and automatic module detection. This addressed critical challenges encountered by the project team in terms of limited time and resources, resulting in greater construction efficiency and less environmental pollution. The project is an exemplar of adopting modular construction and smart technologies for delivering emergency facilities.
The use of waste glass as an activator in alkali-activated slag mortars
Authors: Gok Saadet Gokce , Sengul Ozkan
Published: September 2020

Alkali-activated mixtures are advantageous materials, being more sustainable and environmentally friendly as they do not contain cement. In this study, ground granulated blast-furnace slag was activated with sodium hydroxide solution and liquid sodium silicate. The use of ground waste glass as a source of silicate instead of sodium silicate was investigated. For this purpose, mortar specimens with sodium hydroxide content in different molarities were produced by replacing sodium silicate with ground waste glass. The mechanical and durability properties of the mixtures were examined under three different curing conditions: moist curing, air curing and air curing after 24 h at 60°C. The compressive and flexural strengths of the specimens were determined at the ages of 3, 7, 28 and 90 days. Capillary suction, water absorption, rapid chloride penetration, electrical resistivity, freeze–thaw and sulfate resistance tests were also performed. In consequence, it was found that waste glass can be used as an alternative silicate source in alkali-activated mortars.
An Experimental Method for Estimating Combined Friction Torque in Vane Type Pneumatic Semi Rotary Actuators
Authors: DAĞDELEN Mustafa , SARIGEÇİLİ Mehmet
Published: September 2020

In this paper, an experimental method is proposed for estimation of friction torque in vane type pneumatic semi rotary actuators. The friction is modelled in the form of fully combined Stribeck model since this combined friction model provides good solutions for precise control applications. The study aims estimating static friction torque, Coulomb friction torque, Stribeck speed and viscous friction&damping coefficient which is included in fully combined Stribeck model for both counterclockwise and clockwise directions of the rotary actuator since these unknown parameters show differences when direction of motion is altered. For that purpose, an experimental setup is designed which includes pressure sensors for measuring the chamber pressures of actuator, analogue potentiometer for reading angular position as well as speed of vane and Arduino microcontroller card for data acquisition. A proper MATLAB Simulink block diagram is prepared for the simultaneous estimation of processed data from experimental data. Nonlinear curve fitting operation is applied and the unknown friction parameters are estimated on the fitted curve easily.
A Sentiment Analysis Model for Terrorist Attacks Reviews on Twitter
Authors: FADEL Ibrahim , ÖZ Cemil
Published: September 2020

Twitter is considered as one of the famous microblogs that attract politicians and individuals to express their views on political, economic and social issues. The phenomenon of terrorist operations is one of the largest security and economic problem facing the world in recent years. Twitter users' comments on terrorism issues are important to understand users' sentiment about terrorist events. Sentiment analysis is a field of research for understanding and extracting users’ views. In this paper, we propose a model for automatically classifying users’ reviews on Twitter after occurrence of a terrorist attack, the model is built using lexicon and machine learning approaches. Lexicon approach is used to create labelled training dataset while machine learning approach was used to build the model. Scores of some domain related words were neutralized to avoid their negative effect. Features were selected based on PoS. Majority voting between NB, SVM and LR machine learning classification algorithms was applied. The performance of classification algorithms was measured using accuracy and F1 scores. The results obtained are compared to identify the best classification algorithm for features selection. Result show that our model achieved 94.8% accuracy with 95.9% F1 score.
Classical and digital approaches in public administration: New trends in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors:   Russian State University for the Humanities, Irhin Iouri V.
Published: September 2020

Introduction: under modern conditions the digital orientation of the economy, planning and management in general, as well as social orientation and responsibility of the latter, is raising its importance. Digital technologies have a significant role to play in the formation of modern society, its management, the unfolding industrial and technological revolution, and the removal of critical limits of social inequality in the social genesis. It is becoming increasingly clear that the economic leaders of the future are digital and technological leaders. It is important to understand that digital technologies in general and digital platforms in particular can be used in different ways, with different economic and social efficiency, in various management models and government policies. Objectives: to analyze the potential and transformations of classical and digital approaches in public administration in the context of the current global pandemic and structural crisis. Methods: comparative analysis of the main classical and digital models in public administration; neoinstitutional, network, communicative, cultural and value approaches in the study of state-management paradigms; modeling. Results: the study analyzed and showed new trends in the transformation of classical and digital approaches in public administration in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Almost all traditional approaches in public administration bring forward the widespread use of digital technologies. It is shown that the targeted use of modern digital technologies by the Russian state (portals Gosuslugi.ru, Mos.ru and others), its policy of targeted support for industry and relevant social groups and strata, significantly contributed to countering the negative consequences of the pandemic crisis. Conclusions: digital technologies and platforms, when used efficiently, make it possible to optimize management processes in practice. The most effective way to deal with the consequences of the current global pandemic and structural crisis is to use digital technologies in the paradigm of post-Keynesian approaches which involve and increasing regulatory role of the state, its constant and, in fact, instant feedback with other subjects and objects of management and an appropriate social policy. The experience of a number of countries which experienced insufficient state support for the economy, as well as social disunity shows that the fast overcoming of the negative economic consequences of the pandemic economic and structural crisis did not succeed.
The Russian Federation state policy in combating climate change
Authors:   Lomonosov Moscow State University, Koshkina Nataliia R.
Published: September 2020

Introduction: climate change is an urgent problem of the 21st century affecting the Russian Federation. The possible consequences of climate change in the country create the need to implement an effective state policy in the field of combating climate change. Objectives: to identify the features of the state policy of the Russian Federation in the field of combating climate change. Methods: document analysis. Results: the Russian Federation regulatory and legal framework in the field of combating climate change was considered, the features of the state climate policy were analyzed, and its effectiveness was evaluated. Conclusions: it is shown that climate change regulation in Russian Federation is fragmented; measures aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions are prevailed. The state climate policy is based primarily on the voluntary participation of large companies, isn’t effective and creates additional challenges for the Russian economy in the medium term. It is required to create an integral regulatory and legal framework that significantly expands the climate policy toolkit taking into account the global environmental agenda.
Experimental Determination of Sound Transmission Loss of Some Wood Species
Authors: ÇAVUŞ Vedat , KARA Murat
Published: September 2020

Aim of study: To determine the sound transmission losses of 16 different wood species with the different density in the range of 100-1000 Hz frequencies, and the relationship between density and transmission loss was.
Material and methods: In this study sound transmission loss values of Ash (Fraxinus excelsior), Acacia (Robinia pseudoacacia L.), Beech (Betula pendula), Black pine (Pinus nigra), Black poplar (Populus nigra), Canadian poplar (Populus x euramaricana), Chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.), Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens), Oriental beech (Fagus orientalis Lips,) Eucalyptus C. (E, camaldulensis Dehnh), Eucalyptus G. (Eucalyptus grandis), Juniper (Juniperus excelsa), Plane (Platanus orientalis L.), Scotch pine (Pinus sylvetris L), Turkish Red pine (Pinus brutia Ten) and White Oak (Quercus alba) wood specimens were determined by using the impedance tube kit.
Main results: Sound transmission loss is observed in lower density wood material species with the increasing frequency. However, a clear relationship has not been established between the mean sound transmission loss and density.
Highlights: It is important to determine the frequency-related acoustic performance parameters of the wood material and to its relationship with density.