bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
SAĞLIK HİZMETLERİ MESLEK YÜKSEKOKULU ÖĞRENCİLERİNİN BESLENME ALIŞKANLIKLARININ BELİRLENMESİ
Authors: GÜRBÜZ Perihan , YETİŞ Gülsüm
Published: May 2019

Yeterli ve dengeli beslenme sağlıklı yaşamın varlığı ve devamlılığı açısından çok önemli bir faktördür. Sağlık alanında öğrenim gören öğrencilerin beslenme alışkanlıklarını belirlemek amacı ile tanımlayıcı türde yapılan bu araştırmanın evrenini, İnönü Üniversitesi Sağlık Hizmetleri Meslek Yüksekokulu’nda 2017-2018 eğitim-öğretim yılında derslere devam eden 700 öğrenci oluşturdu. Ulaşılabilen ve araştırmaya katılmayı kabul eden 541 öğrenci ile  çalışma tamamlandı. Verilerin toplanmasında, araştırmacılar tarafından literatür bilgilerinden faydalanılarak hazırlanan, öğrencilerin sosyo-demografik özelliklerine ve beslenme alışkanlıklarına ilişkin sorulardan oluşan anket formu kullanıldı. Elde edilen veriler SPSS 24.0 programı kullanılarak; frekans, yüzdelik, bağımsız gruplarda t testi ve ki kare analizleri ile değerlendirildi.
PENGARUH KECERDASAN EMOSIONAL, KOMITMEN ORGANISASIONAL DAN REWARD TERHADAP KINERJA MUTHAWWIF (Studi kasus pada Biro Perjalanan Haji dan Umrah XYZ)
Authors: Novri Ferdy , Rivai Harif Amali
Published: May 2019

This study shows a research about employee performance. This study was designed to observe the correlation between of emotional inteligence, organizational commitment and reward toward employee (muthawwif) performance in al Azhar Islamic Tour in West Sumatra and Riau province. Population of this study was all employees in those regions. There were 65 employees. The data was design as a questionnaire based and analyzed by using SPSS 17.0. The result of the study was the emotional inteligence had significant positive correlation, the organizational commitment had not significant negative correlation and the reward had not significant positive correlation. The implication toward the company needs to give attention their employees (muthawwif) because if we see it from the emotional inteligence side, they have been good due to their Islamic education background. But, there were some problems in organisational commitment and reward which is generally came from the company management system. It will provide affects to the performance.
Pengaruh Pendidikan Kesehatan Personal Hygiene terhadap Tingkat Pengetahuan dan Sikap Masyarakat
Authors: PH Livana , Yulianto Eko , Hermanto Hermanto
Published: May 2019

ABSTRAKPendahuluan: PersonalÂ  hygieneÂ  (kebersihan diri)Â  adalahÂ  upaya seseorang dalam memelihara kebersihan dirinya untuk memperolehÂ  kesejahteraanÂ  fisikÂ  dan psikologis. Peningkatan pemberian informasi kepada masyarakat mengenai personal hygiene sangat diperlukan untuk mencegah terjadinya berbagai macam penyakit. Salah satu cara untuk mencegah terjadinya penularan penyakit yang disebabkan personal hygiene, yaitu dengan pemberian pendidikan kesehatan. Metode:Penelitian bertujuan untuk mengetahui â€œPengaruh Pendidikan Kesehatan Personal Hygiene terhadap Tingkat Pengetahuan dan Sikap Masyarakatâ€, penelitian ini menggunakan one group pretest-postest design. Sampel berjumlah 34 responden. Hasil uji statistik menggunakan uji paired sample test. Hasil: hasil penelitian menunjukkan adanya pengaruh pendidikan kesehatan Personal Hygiene terhadap tingkat pengetahuan, didapatkan nilai p sebesar 0,001 (p value< 0,05) dan sikap didapatkan hasil nilai p 0,038 (p value< 0,05) menunjukkan ada pengaruh pendidikan kesehatan Personal Hygiene terhadap tingkat pengetahuan dan sikap masyarakat sebelum dan sesudah dilakukan intervensi. Diskusi: Hasil penelitian ini direkomendasikan kepada masyarakat untuk lebih memperhatikan personal hygiene (kebersihan diri) agar terhindar dari berbagai macam penyakit.Â ABSTRACTIntroduction: Personal hygiene (personal hygiene) is the effort of a person in maintaining his hygiene to obtain physical and psychological well-being. Increased provision of information to the public about personal hygiene is needed to prevent the occurrence of various diseases. One way to prevent the occurrence of disease transmission caused by personal hygiene is by providing health education. The aim of this research is to know the Influence of Personal Hygiene Health Education to Knowledge and Attitude of Mangunharjo. Method: research using one group pretest-postest design. The sample was 34 respondents. Statistical test results using paired sample test test. Result: result of research about knowledge got p value equal to 0,001 (p value <0,05) and attitude got result p value 0,038 (p value <0,05) show there is influence of health education of Personal Hygiene to Knowledge Level and Community Attitudes before And after intervention. Discussion: The results of this study recommended to the public to pay more attention to personal hygiene (hygiene) aagar protected from various diseases
Skrining Perilaku Remaja Di Lembaga Pembinaan Khusus Anak (LPKA) Kelas II Bandung
Authors: Agustine Eska Madya , Sutini Titin , Mardhiyah Ai
Published: May 2019

AbstrakRemaja yang menjalani kehidupan di Lembaga Pembinaan Khusus Anak (LPKA) akan berbeda dengan kehidupan teman-teman seusianya, mereka tidak merasakan kebebasan seperti kehidupan di luar LPKA, dengan kondisi seperti ini akan terjadi beberapa masalah perilaku pada remaja tersebut. Tujuan penelitian ini untuk mengetahui gambaran perilaku remaja di Lembaga Pembinaan Khusus Anak (LPKA) Kelas II Bandung. Metode penelitian yang digunakan yaitu deskriptif kuantitatif dengan teknik total sampling. Responden dalam penelitian ini sebanyak 56 orang dengan menggunakan analisis distribusi frekuensi. Instrumen yang digunakan menggunakan Strenght and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), sebanyak 25 item pernyataan. Nilai validitas 0,012 dan nilai reliabilitas 0,773. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan 38 responden (67,9%) memiliki perilaku normal, 10 responden (17,9%) memiliki perilaku borderline dan 8 responden (14,2%) memiliki perilaku abnormal. Perilaku abnormal ini ditunjukkan dengan gejala sebagian besar responden mengalami kecemasan, kekhawatiran dan kegelisahan. Sebagian kecil responden berada pada kategori perilaku abnormal dan borderline. Oleh karena itu, perlu diperhatikan kembali aspek perilaku remaja di LPKA melalui kegiatan-kegiatan pembinaan agar tidak terdapatnya masalah perilaku dalam remaja tersebut.Â AbstractThe adolescents who live in the Youth Detention Center (Indonesia: LPKA) will have a different living from their peers, they do not feel the freedom like living outside of LPKA, with this condition there will be some behavioral problems in these adolescents. The purpose of this study was determining the description of adolescentsâ€™ behavior in the LPKA Class II Bandung. The research method was using descriptive quantitative by total sampling technique. Respondents in this study were 56 people using distribution frequency analysis. Instruments was adopting Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), as many as 25 items statement. The validity value was 0.012 and the reliability value was 0.773. The results of this study showed 38 respondents (67.9%) had normal behavior, 10 respondents (17.9%) had borderline behavior, and 8 respondents (14.2%) had abnormal behavior. This abnormal behavior was indicated by symptoms of the most respondents who experienced anxiety, worry, and restlessness. A small percentage of respondents were in the category of abnormal and borderline behavior. Therefore, it is necessary to re-take a concern about the adolescentsâ€™ behavior aspects in LPKA through coaching activities so that there will be no behavioral problems in those adolescents.
HUBUNGAN GAYA HIDUP DENGAN KEJADIAN TB PARU PADA REMAJA: KAJIAN LITERATUR SISTEMATIS
Authors: Setiawan Guling , Juniarti Neti , Yani Desy Indra
Published: May 2019

Pendahuluan; TB Paru merupakan penyakit menular yang disebabkan oleh kuman tuberculosis (Mycobacterium tuberculosa) (Alsagaff, 2006). Diperkirakan sepertiga dari populasi dunia sudah tertular TB Paru, yang mana sebagian besar penderita TB Paru adalah usia produktif (15-50 tahun). Penyakit TB paru dapat menyebar ke organ tubuh yang lain seperti lapisan otak, ginjal, tulang, serta nodus limfe (Crofton, 2005). Penyakit TB paru masih merupakan masalah kesehatan di dunia terutama pada negara-negara berkembang. Oleh karena itu kajian literatur diperlukan untuk menggali gaya hidup remaja dengan kejadian TB paru. Tujuan penulisan ini untuk mengidentifikasi hubungan gaya hidup remaja dengan kejadian TB paru. Metode Penelitian ini digunakan dalam membuat artikel ini adalah cirtical review. Proquest (tahun 2005-2016) dan Google Scoolar (tahun 2005-2016) merupakan database yang digunakan dalam review ini. Key word yang digunakan adalah gaya hidup, kejadian TB paru, dan remaja. Didapatkan 5 artikel penelitian yang sesuai dengan tujuan dan kriteria review. Dari 5 artikel ini, didapatkan hasil mengenai gaya hidup dengan kejadian TB paru pada remaja yang meliputi pengetahuan, pendidikan kesehatan, merokok, minuman keras (alkohol), dan keluar dimalam hari. Semua jurnal ini terbukti menunjukkan kearah gaya hidup yang mengakibatkan kejadian TB paru pada remaja. Review ini menyimpulkan bahwa gaya hidup dapat mempengaruhi kejadian TB paru pada ramaja. Merokok dan keluar dimalam hari merupakan factor yang dominan yang mengakibatkan kejadian TB paru pada ramaja
KEYAKINAN KESEHATAN DAN PERMASALAHAN PADA PASIEN DIABETES MELITUS DI KOTA BANDUNG
Authors: Sari Citra Windani Mambang , Yamin Ahmad
Published: May 2019

Diabetes mellitus adalah salah satu peningkatan jumlah penyakit kronis di dunia. Provinsi Jawa Barat juga memiliki prevalensi peningkatan 1,4% di tahun 2007 menjadi 2% pada tahun 2013 dan memiliki jumlah penderita paling banyak yang merasakan gejala diabetes melitus, namun belum pernah diteliti yaitu sekitar 225 ribu orang (Riskesdas, 2013). Pasien Diabetes Mellitus berisiko mengalami komplikasi makrovaskular dan mikrovaskuler yang dapat menurunkan kualitas hidup. Upaya pencegahan dari komplikasi dapat dilihat dari kebutuhan perawatan yang diharapkan pasien Diabetes Mellitus dengan mengidentifikasi keyakinan kesehatan dan permasalahan dari sisi pasien. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengidentifikasi keyakinan kesehatan dan permasalahan pasien Diabetes Mellitus di kota Bandung. Responden penelitian adalah 121 pasien Diabetes Melitus di kota Bandung yang diambil dengan cara purposive dari 10 Prolanis tertinggi di kota Bandung. Metode penelitian yang digunakan adalah metode kuantitatif dengan menggunakan 4 kuesioner yaitu karakteristik kesehatan, pengetahuan tentang Diabetes Mellitus, keyakinan kesehatan, permasalahan kesehatan pada pasien Diabetes Melitus. Kuesioner yang digunakan berdasarkan penelitian dan dianalisis dengan statistic deskriptif. Hasil penelitian adalah pengetahuan (M = 14,65, SD = 13,35), keyakinan kesehatan tentang Diabetes Mellitus (M = 71,79, SD = 10, 14), permasalahan pada Diabetes (M = 43,54, SD = 13, 35). Temuan dari penilaian kebutuhan ini mengarah pada perencanaan dan penyampaian program komprehensif dan terintegrasi bagi pasien dengan Diabetes.
A Soft Master-Slave Robot Mimicking Octopus Arm Structure Using Thin Artificial Muscles and Wire Encoders
Authors: Furukawa Shota , Wakimoto Shuichi , Kanda Takefumi , Hagihara Hiroki
Published: May 2019

An octopus arm with a flexible structure and no rigid skeleton shows a high degree of freedom and flexibility. These excellent features are suitable for working in an environment having fragile and unknown-shaped objects. Therefore, a soft robot arm resembling an octopus arm can be useful as a harvesting machine without damaging crops in the agricultural field, as a rehabilitation apparatus in the welfare field, as a safe surgery tool in the medical field, and so on. Unlike industrial robots, to consider the applications of the soft robot arm, the instructions for it relating to a task cannot in many cases be given as a numerical value, and the motion according to an operator’s sense and intent is useful. This paper describes the design and feedback control of a soft master-slave robot system. The system is configured with two soft rubber machines; one is a slave machine that is the soft robot arm mimicking the muscle arrangement of the octopus arm by pneumatic artificial muscles, and the other is a master machine that gives the target motion to the slave machine. Both are configured with soft materials. The slave machine has an actuating part and a sensing part, it can perform bending and torsional motions, and these motions are estimated by the sensing part with threads that connect to wire encoders. The master machine is almost the same configuration, but it has no actuating part. The slave machine is driven according to the deformation of the master machine. We confirmed experimentally that the slave machine followed the master machine that was deformed by an operator.
Land Use Scenarios and Their Effect on Potential Crop Production: The Case of Gambella Region, Ethiopia
Authors: Degife Azeb W. , Zabel Florian , Mauser Wolfram
Published: May 2019

Agricultural intensification and cropland expansion are the key policies to increase food production in Ethiopia. Gambella is one of the regions in Ethiopia which is highly suitable for agriculture; however, the local people still face food shortages. We therefore investigated the potential for intensification and cropland expansion. In this study, we developed land use scenarios of agricultural intensification and expansion and analysed their effect on potential crop production in the region and estimated the population that could be nourished as a result. We distinguished between different degrees of intensification, ranging from low input rainfed to high input irrigated agriculture and different degrees of expansion, considering the best 30% or 50% of land to be utilized for expansion. While the results reveal that irrigation had almost no effect on potential yields, they also show that the potential calorie production in all scenarios far exceeds the current and possible future caloric requirements of Gambella’s population. For example, for the top 50% expansion scenario, calorie production increased by +428% for the low input and by +1092% for the high input scenarios. Thus, Gambella could nourish up to 21 million people and serve as a bread basket for the entire country, which could improve national food security.
Physiological and Behavioural Responses of Cattle to High and Low Space, Feed and Water Allowances During Long Distance Transport in the South of Chile
Authors: Navarro Grisel , Bravo Viviana , Gallo Carmen , Phillips Clive J. C.
Published: May 2019

Long distance transport of livestock from Patagonia to central Chile involves both road and sea transport and has a potential impact on the welfare of animals. Fifty Bos taurus cattle of approximate age six months were exposed to a journey of four days, with both the sea and road components undertaken in a truck (roll-off roll-on system) with two pens of different dimensions. Thirty-two and eighteen cattle were randomly allocated to two treatment groups: Low and High welfare standards, which were provided 0.66 m2/head and 0.86 m2/head, respectively, and a fixed amount of feed and water daily to each pen, 1.25 kg hay/head and 3.1 L water/head in the Low welfare treatment and 2.22 kg/head and 5.6 L/head in the High welfare treatment, respectively. Low welfare animals had increased plasma total protein and albumin, which is suggested to be due to limited water availability, and also haptoglobin, suggesting inflammatory responses. Cattle in the High welfare treatment spent more time eating and ruminating than those in the Low space allowance, but they had increased cortisol at the end of the journey, perhaps reflecting increased fighting with more space. Cattle welfare in both treatments was adversely affected by the limited feed and water supplies, with increased beta-hydroxybutyrate at the end of the voyage; total protein was increased in just the low welfare standard group where low space allowance and less food and water was provided. Creatine phosphokinase also increased after the journey, compared with before, indicating bruising. Limiting feed and water availability to cattle in the low welfare treatment resulted in physiological evidence of undernutrition and low hydration status, but it also reduced the stress response, probably because there was less fighting.
Days-in-Milk and Parity Affected Serum Biochemical Parameters and Hormone Profiles in Mid-Lactation Holstein Cows
Authors: Wu Xuehui , Sun Hui-Zeng , Xue Mingyuan , Wang Diming , Guan Leluo , Liu Jianxin
Published: May 2019

It is well known that serum biochemical parameters and hormones contribute greatly to the physiological and metabolic status of dairy cows. However, few studies have focused on the variation of these serum parameters in multiparous mid-lactation cows without the interference of diet and management. A total of 287 Holstein dairy cows fed the same diet and maintained under the same management regime were selected from a commercial dairy farm to evaluate the effects of days-in-milk (DIM) and parity on serum biochemical parameters and hormone profiles. Milk yield and milk protein content were affected by DIM and parity (p < 0.05). Milk protein yield showed a numerically decreasing trend with parity, and it was relatively constant in cows with parities between 2 and 4 but lower in cows with parity 6 (p = 0.020). Ten and five serum biochemical parameters related to protein status, energy metabolism, liver and kidney function, and oxidative stress were affected by DIM and parity, respectively (p < 0.05). Glucagon, insulin-like growth factor 1 concentration, and the revised quantitative insulin sensitivity check index were significantly different (p < 0.05) among cows with different DIM. Parity had no effect on hormone concentrations. An interaction between DIM and parity effect was only detected for glucagon concentration (p = 0.015), which showed a significantly increasing trend with DIM and overall decreasing trend with parity. In summary, DIM and parity played an important role in affecting the serum biochemical parameters and/or hormones of dairy cows, with serum parameters affected more by DIM than parity.
The Effects of Partially or Completely Substituted Dietary Zinc Sulfate by Lower Levels of Zinc Methionine on Growth Performance, Apparent Total Tract Digestibility, Immune Function, and Visceral Indices in Weaned Piglets
Authors: Xie Yuhuai , Zhang Qing , Wang Lixue , Wang Yuxi , Cheng Zhenfeng , Yang Zaibin , Yang Weiren
Published: May 2019

The study aimed to evaluate the effects of replacing zinc sulfate (ZnSO4) with a lower level of zinc methionine (ZnMet) on the growth performance, apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of nutrients, serum metabolites and immune functions of weaned piglets. Thirty-five weaned Duroc × Landrace × Large White male piglets (10.69 ± 0.26 kg) were randomly allotted to five diets. The control diet was supplemented with 100 mg/kg of Zn from ZnSO4, and experimental diets included 75 + 12.5, 50 + 25, 25 + 37.5, and 0 + 50 mg/kg of Zn from ZnSO4 and ZnMet, respectively. The results showed that no differences were observed in growth performance, ATTD of nutrients and serum metabolites among treatments, while serum white blood cell count, lymphocyte count, IgM contents and spleen index were higher (p < 0.01) in piglets fed with 50 + 25 mg/kg of Zn. Zinc digestibility (p < 0.05), IgA content (p < 0.001) and thymus index (p < 0.05) were increased when at least 50% of ZnSO4 was replaced by ZnMet. All the results indicated that using a lower level of ZnMet in weaned piglet’s diet instead of ZnSO4 had no adverse impacts on ATTD of nutrients and serum metabolites; and a 50 + 25 mg/kg of Zn (from ZnSO4 and ZnMet, respectively) diet showed the best advantages for parameters relating to immune functions.
Solution-Mediated Modulation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilm Formation by a Cationic Synthetic Polymer
Authors: Foster Leanna L. , Yusa Shin-ichi , Kuroda Kenichi
Published: May 2019

Bacterial biofilms and their associated infections are a continuing problem in the healthcare community. Previous approaches utilizing anti-biofilm coatings suffer from short lifetimes, and their applications are limited to surfaces. In this research, we explored a new approach to biofilm prevention based on the hypothesis that changing planktonic bacteria behavior to result in sub-optimal biofilm formation. The behavior of planktonic Pseudomonas aeruginosa exposed to a cationic polymer was characterized for changes in growth behavior and aggregation behavior, and linked to resulting P. aeruginosa biofilm formation, biomass, viability, and metabolic activity. The incubation of P. aeruginosa planktonic bacteria with a cationic polymer resulted in the aggregation of planktonic bacteria, and a reduction in biofilm development. We propose that cationic polymers may sequester planktonic bacteria away from surfaces, thereby preventing their attachment and suppressing biofilm formation.
H2O2 Metabolism in Normal Thyroid Cells and in Thyroid Tumorigenesis: Focus on NADPH Oxidases
Authors: Szanto Ildiko , Pusztaszeri Marc , Mavromati Maria
Published: May 2019

Thyroid hormone synthesis requires adequate hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production that is utilized as an oxidative agent during the synthesis of thyroxin (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). Thyroid H2O2 is generated by a member of the family of NADPH oxidase enzymes (NOX-es), termed dual oxidase 2 (DUOX2). NOX/DUOX enzymes produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) as their unique enzymatic activity in a timely and spatially regulated manner and therefore, are important regulators of diverse physiological processes. By contrast, dysfunctional NOX/DUOX-derived ROS production is associated with pathological conditions. Inappropriate DUOX2-generated H2O2 production results in thyroid hypofunction in rodent models. Recent studies also indicate that ROS improperly released by NOX4, another member of the NOX family, are involved in thyroid carcinogenesis. This review focuses on the current knowledge concerning the redox regulation of thyroid hormonogenesis and cancer development with a specific emphasis on the NOX and DUOX enzymes in these processes.
Development of Pant-Type Harness with Fabric Air-Pocket for Pain Relief
Authors: Nam Dongwoo , Kwon Miyeon , Kim Juhea , Ahn Bummo
Published: May 2019

Harnesses can be used in various applications, such as entertainment, rescue operations, and medical applications. Because users are supported on the harness for a long time, they should feel comfortable wearing the harnesses. However, existing commercial harnesses are uncomfortable to wear and cause continuous serious pain. Therefore, in this study, a new pant-type harness with a fabric air pocket to reduce the applied pressure on the body, especially in the groin, is proposed. Keeping this in mind, we have designed and developed the pant-type harness. In addition, we performed pressure and contact area measurement experiments using the harness developed, pressure sensor, and a human mannequin. Peak and mean pressures and contact areas near the groin and waist were measured in the experiments. From the results, when air is injected in the air pockets, the peak pressure and contact area near the waist increased, and the peak pressure near the groin decreased. This means that the pressure applied on the human mannequin near the groin reduces because of the increased contact area near the waist, which is achieved by multi-layered air pockets. In this study, we proposed the optimal design of a novel pant-type harness that can address the limitations of existing harnesses. The proposed harness can be used for a prolonged time in applications, such as virtual reality entertainment, rescue operations, and rehabilitation.
Optimal Robust PID Control for First- and Second-Order Plus Dead-Time Processes
Authors: Sato Takao , Hayashi Itaru , Horibe Yohei , Vilanova Ramon , Konishi Yasuo
Published: May 2019

The present study proposes a new design method for a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control system for first-order plus dead-time (FOPDT) and over-damped second-order plus dead-time (SOPDT) systems. What is presented is an optimal PID tuning constrained to robust stability. The optimal tuning is defined for each one of the two operation modes the control system may operate in: servo (reference tracking) and regulation (disturbance rejection). The optimization problem is stated for a normalized second-order plant that unifies FOPDT and SOPDT process models. Different robustness levels are considered and for each one of them, the set of optimal controller parameters is obtained. In a second step, suitable formulas are found that provide continuous values for the controller parameters. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method is confirmed through numerical examples.
A Study on the Properties of Recycled Aggregate Concrete and Its Production Facilities
Authors: Kim Jung-Ho , Sung Jong-Hyun , Jeon Chan-Soo , Lee Sae-Hyun , Kim Han-Soo
Published: May 2019

In recent years, the amount of construction waste and recycled aggregate has been increasing every year in Korea. However, as the recycled aggregate is poor quality, it is not used for concrete, and the Korean government has strengthened the quality standards for recycled aggregate for concrete. In this study, research was conducted on the mechanical and durability characteristics of concrete using recycled aggregate, after developing equipment to improve the quality of recycled aggregate to increase the use of recycled aggregate for environmental improvements. The results illustrated improvements in the air volume, slump, compressive strength, freezing and thawing resistance, and drying shrinkage. Furthermore, this study is expected to contribute to the increased use of recycled aggregate in the future.
Reliability of Field Experiments, Analytical Methods and Pedestrian’s Perception Scales for the Vibration Serviceability Assessment of an In-Service Glass Walkway
Authors: Bedon Chiara , Fasan Marco
Published: May 2019

The vibration performance of pedestrian structures attracts the attention of several studies, especially with respect to unfavorable operational conditions or possible damage scenarios. Given a pedestrian system, specific vibration comfort levels must be satisfied in addition to basic safety requirements, depending on the class of use, the structural typology and the materials. To this aim, guideline documents of the literature offer simplified single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) approaches to estimate the maximum expected vibrations and to verify the required comfort limits. Most of these documents, however, are specifically calibrated for specific scenarios/structural typologies. Dedicated methods of design and analysis, in this regard, may be required for structural glass pedestrian systems, due to their intrinsic features (small thickness-to-size ratios, high flexibility, type and number of supports, live-to-dead load ratios, use of materials that are susceptible to mechanical degradation with time/temperature/humidity, etc.). Careful consideration could be then needed not only at the design stage, but also during the service life of a given glass walkway. In this paper, the dynamic performance of an in-service glass walkway is taken into account and explored via field vibration experiments. A set of walking configurations of technical interest is considered, involving 20 volunteers and several movement features. The vibration comfort of the structure is then assessed based on experimental estimates and existing guideline documents. The intrinsic uncertainties and limits of simplified approaches of literature are discussed, with respect to the performance of the examined glass walkway. In conclusion, the test predictions are also used to derive “perception index” data and scales that could support a reliable vibration comfort assessment of in-service pedestrian glass structures.
Two-Level Attentions and Grouping Attention Convolutional Network for Fine-Grained Image Classification
Authors: Yang Yadong , Wang Xiaofeng , Zhao Quan , Sui Tingting
Published: May 2019

The focus of fine-grained image classification tasks is to ignore interference information and grasp local features. This challenge is what the visual attention mechanism excels at. Firstly, we have constructed a two-level attention convolutional network, which characterizes the object-level attention and the pixel-level attention. Then, we combine the two kinds of attention through a second-order response transform algorithm. Furthermore, we propose a clustering-based grouping attention model, which implies the part-level attention. The grouping attention method is to stretch all the semantic features, in a deeper convolution layer of the network, into vectors. These vectors are clustered by a vector dot product, and each category represents a special semantic. The grouping attention algorithm implements the functions of group convolution and feature clustering, which can greatly reduce the network parameters and improve the recognition rate and interpretability of the network. Finally, the low-level visual features and high-level semantic information are merged by a multi-level feature fusion method to accurately classify fine-grained images. We have achieved good results without using pre-training networks and fine-tuning techniques.
Adaptive Compensation of Bandwidth Narrowing Effect for Coherent In-Phase Quadrature Transponder through Finite Impulse Response Filter
Authors: Wang Qiang , Yue Yang , Yao Jian , Anderson Jon
Published: May 2019

Coherent in-phase quadrature (IQ) transponders are ubiquitous in the long-haul and the metro optical networks. During the transmission, the coherent signal experiences a bandwidth narrowing effect after passing through multiple reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexers (ROADMs). The coherent signal also experiences a bandwidth narrowing effect when electrical or optical components of the coherent IQ transponder experience aging. A dynamic method to compensate the bandwidth narrowing effect is thus required. In the coherent optical receiver, signal bandwidth is estimated from the raw analog-to-digital converter (ADC) outputs. By adaptively adjusting the tap coefficients of the finite impulse response (FIR) filter, simple post-ADC FIR filters can increase the resiliency of the coherent signal to the bandwidth narrowing effect. The influence of chromatic dispersion, polarization mode dispersion, and polarization dependent loss are studied comprehensively. Furthermore, the bandwidth information of the transmitted analog signal is fed back to the coherent optical transmitter for signal optimization, and the transmitter-side FIR filter thus changes accordingly.
A Modified Leakage Localization Method Using Multilayer Perceptron Neural Networks in a Pressurized Gas Pipe
Authors: Wu Qi , Lee Chang-Myung
Published: May 2019

Leak detection and location in a gas distribution network are significant issues. The acoustic emission (AE) technique can be used to locate a pipeline leak. The time delay between two sensor signals can be determined by the cross-correlation function (CCF), which is a measure of the similarity of two signals as a function of the time delay between them. Due to the energy attenuation, dispersion effect and reverberation of the leakage-induced signals in the pipelines, the CCF location method performs poorly. To improve the leakage location accuracy, this paper proposes a modified leakage location method based on the AE signal, and combines the modified generalized cross-correlation location method and the attenuation-based location method using multilayer perceptron neural networks (MLPNN). In addition, the wave speed was estimated more accurately by the peak frequency of the leakage-induced AE signal in combination with the group speed dispersive curve of the fundamental flexural mode. To verify the reliability of the proposed location method, many tests were performed over a range of leak-sensor distances. The location results show that compared to using the CCF location method, the MLPNN locator reduces the average of the relative location errors by 14%, therefore, this proposed method is better than the CCF method for locating a gas pipe leak.
Heated Metal Mark Attribute Recognition Based on Compressed CNNs Model
Authors: Yin He , Mao Keming , Zhao Jianzhe , Chang Huidong , E Dazhi , Tan Zhenhua
Published: May 2019

This study considered heated metal mark attribute recognition based on compressed convolutional neural networks (CNNs) models. Based on our previous works, the heated metal mark image benchmark dataset was further expanded. State-of-the-art lightweight CNNs models were selected. Technologies of pruning, compressing, weight quantization were introduced and analyzed. Then, a multi-label model training method was devised. Moreover, the proposed models were deployed on Android devices. Finally, comprehensive experiments were evaluated. The results show that, with the fine-tuned compressed CNNs model, the recognition rate of attributes meta type, heating mode, heating temperature, heating duration, cooling mode, placing duration and relative humidity were 0.803, 0.837, 0.825, 0.812, 0.883, 0.817 and 0.894, respectively. The best model obtained an overall performance of 0.823. Comparing with traditional CNNs, the adopted compressed multi-label model greatly improved the training efficiency and reduced the space occupation, with a relatively small decrease in recognition accuracy. The running time on Android devices was acceptable. It is shown that the proposed model is applicable for real time application and is convenient to implement on mobile or embedded devices scenarios.
Decolorization of Orange-G Aqueous Solutions over C60/MCM-41 Photocatalysts
Authors: Kyriakopoulos John , Kordouli Eleana , Bourikas Kyriakos , Kordulis Christos , Lycourghiotis Alexis
Published: May 2019

The majority of the photocatalysts studied for azo-dye degradation are based on semiconductor materials. Studies reported on non-semiconducting materials are very scarce. In the present work, we studied the fullerene (C60) ability to accelerate photodegradation of the dye’s azo bond in the presence of ascorbic acid. A series of C60 supported on ordered mesoporous silica (MCM-41) catalysts, containing 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 wt % of fullerene C60, was studied using Orange G (OG) as representative azo-dye. This study showed that partial decolorization is achieved in the dark by simple adsorption of the dye on the bare surface of the carrier. The extent of decolorization increases with the irradiation of the suspension due to photocatalytic degradation of the azo-bond. This is maximized over the sample containing 3 wt % of C60 and it has been attributed to the best combination of the extent of the dye adsorption with the high intrinsic photocatalytic activity of small C60 clusters predominated in this sample. This catalyst proved to be quite stable upon five subsequent photocatalytic cycles, losing less than 5% of its initial activity. No degradation of OG takes place in the absence of ascorbic acid.
GIS-Based Solar Radiation Mapping, Site Evaluation, and Potential Assessment: A Review
Authors: Choi Yosoon , Suh Jangwon , Kim Sung-Min
Published: May 2019

In this study, geographic information system (GIS)-based methods and their applications in solar power system planning and design were reviewed. Three types of GIS-based studies, including those on solar radiation mapping, site evaluation, and potential assessment, were considered to elucidate the role of GISs as problem-solving tools in relation to photovoltaic and concentrated solar power systems for the conversion of solar energy into electricity. The review was performed by classifying previous GIS-based studies into several subtopics according to the complexity of the employed GIS-based methods, the type of solar power conversion technology, or the scale of the study area. Because GISs are appropriate for handling geospatial data related to solar resource and site suitability conditions on various scales, the applications of GIS-based methods in solar power system planning and design could be expanded further.
Impact of Subharmonic and Aperiodic Laryngeal Dynamics on the Phonatory Process Analyzed in Ex Vivo Rabbit Models
Authors: Thornton Fabian , Döllinger Michael , Kniesburges Stefan , Berry David , Alexiou Christoph , Schützenberger Anne
Published: May 2019

Normal voice is characterized by periodic oscillations of the vocal folds. On the other hand, disordered voice dynamics (e.g., subharmonic and aperiodic oscillations) are often associated with voice pathologies and dysphonia. Unfortunately, not all investigations may be conducted on human subjects; hence animal laryngeal studies have been performed for many years to better understand human phonation. The rabbit larynx has been shown to be a potential model of the human larynx. Despite this fact, only a few studies regarding the phonatory parameters of rabbit larynges have been performed. Further, to the best of our knowledge, no ex vivo study has systematically investigated phonatory parameters from high-speed, audio and subglottal pressure data with irregular oscillations. To remedy this, the present study analyzes experiments with sustained phonation in 11 ex vivo rabbit larynges for 51 conditions of disordered vocal fold dynamics. (1) The results of this study support previous findings on non-disordered data, that the stronger the glottal closure insufficiency is during phonation, the worse the phonatory characteristics are; (2) aperiodic oscillations showed worse phonatory results than subharmonic oscillations; (3) in the presence of both types of irregular vibrations, the voice quality (i.e., cepstral peak prominence) of the audio and subglottal signal greatly deteriorated compared to normal/periodic vibrations. In summary, our results suggest that the presence of both types of irregular vibration have a major impact on voice quality and should be considered along with glottal closure measures in medical diagnosis and treatment.
Ammonia Emissions Measured Using Two Different GasFinder Open-Path Lasers
Authors: Baldé Hambaliou , VanderZaag Andrew , Smith Ward , Desjardins Raymond L.
Published: May 2019

The challenges of accurately measuring in situ ammonia (NH3) losses from agricultural systems are well known. Using an open path laser coupled with a backward Lagrangian stochastic dispersion model is a promising approach for quantifying both point- and area-sources; however, this approach requires the open path laser to detect low NH3 concentrations and small concentration differences. In this study, we compared the new GasFinder3 open path laser (Boreal laser Inc., Edmonton, Canada) with the GasFinder2 sensor, the previous version. The study took place at two locations: an outdoor open-air manure compost site, and a field of wheat stubble which was fertilized with urea ammonium nitrate. Results showed the two lasers reported similar concentrations during three days of measurements at the compost site, but differed at the field site, where concentrations were close to the minimum detection limit. The GasFinder3 had a lower standard deviation under all conditions, especially with low wind speed and high relative humidity.
The Impact of Biometeorological Conditions on the Perception of Landscape
Authors: Półrolniczak Marek , Potocka Ilona , Kolendowicz Leszek , Rogowski Mateusz , Kupiński Szymon , Bykowski Adam , Młynarczyk Zygmunt
Published: May 2019

A landscape is part of our daily lives and our perception of its features may significantly impact our quality of life. This article presents the results of research aimed at determining the influence of biometeorological conditions on the way in which we perceive the landscape. An eye tracker was used throughout each season of the year to determine how 52 respondents observed the landscape while taking into consideration whether the landscape had a favorable or unfavorable impact on those same respondents. Additionally, each test was preceded by the completion of a questionnaire intended to assess the mental and physical state of each respondent. The calculated eye movement indexes demonstrated the impact of the biometeorological conditions on their perception of the landscape. Statistically significant differences in their perception of the landscape were ascertained depending on the type of weather and the respondents’ general feeling irrespective of their sex.
The Impact of Global Warming on Wind Energy Resources and Ramp Events in Japan
Authors: Ohba Masamichi
Published: May 2019

This study investigated the impact of global warming on Japanese wind energy resources and their short-term variations using the large ensemble d4PDF dataset, which consists of dynamically downscaled historical and +4K future climate projections. The capacity factor under the future and present climate was estimated from an idealized power curve based on hourly near-surface wind speeds. The +4K warming future climate projections showed significant changes in wind energy resources that varied both regionally and seasonally. The wind energy potential was projected to slightly increase (decrease) from winter to spring over northern (southern) Japan and decrease from summer to autumn over most of Japan. The projected annual production decreased by about ~5% over Japan in response to climate change. The frequency of wind ramp events also decreased in the latter seasons. The relationship to synoptic weather was investigated using self-organizing maps, whereby weather patterns (WPs) over the region in the present and future +4K climate were classified for a two-dimensional lattice. Future probabilistic projections of WPs under the global warming scenario showed both increases and decreases in the frequency of different WPs, with corresponding advantages and disadvantages for wind power generation with regard to future changes in capacity factors in Japan. The importance of these frequency changes on the total change was further assessed by separating the dynamical and thermodynamic contributions.
Joint Anomalies of High-Frequency Geoacoustic Emission and Atmospheric Electric Field by the Ground–Atmosphere Boundary in a Seismically Active Region (Kamchatka)
Authors: Marapulets Yury , Rulenko Oleg
Published: May 2019

The authors generalize and analyze the investigation results of joint anomalies of high-frequency geoacoustic emission and atmospheric electric field by the ground–atmosphere boundary which were detected by them in Kamchatka. These anomalies are observed as geoacoustic emission increases in kilohertz frequency range and bay-like decreases of atmospheric electric field with the sign change which occur close in time during calm weather conditions. It is the authors’ opinion that the common nature of these anomalies is short-time stretching of the near-surface sedimentary rocks at an observation site during unstable tectono-seismic process. A scheme of the detected anomalies formation has been suggested.
Evapotranspiration Estimation Using Surface Energy Balance System Model: A Case Study in the Nagqu River Basin
Authors: Zhong Lei , Xu Kepiao , Ma Yaoming , Huang Ziyu , Wang Xian , Ge Nan
Published: May 2019

Calculation of actual evapotranspiration (AET) is of vital importance for the study of climate change, ecosystem carbon cycling, flooding, drought, and agricultural water demand. It is one of the more important components in the hydrological cycle and surface energy balance (SEB). How to accurately estimate AET especially for the Tibetan Plateau (TP) with complex terrain remains a challenge for the scientific community. Using multi-sensor remote sensing data, meteorological forcing data, and field observations, AET was derived for the Nagqu river basin of the Northern Tibetan Plateau from a surface energy balance system (SEBS) model. As inputs for SEBS, improved algorithms and datasets for land surface albedo and a cloud-free normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) were also constructed. The model-estimated AET were compared with results by using the combinatory method (CM). The validation indicated that the model estimates of AET agreed well with the correlation coefficient, the root mean square error, and the mean percentage error of 0.972, 0.052 mm/h, and −10.4%, respectively. The comparison between SEBS estimation and CM results also proved the feasibility of parameterization schemes for land surface parameters and AET.
Occurrence of Ochratoxin A in Coffee: Threads and Solutions—A Mini-Review
Authors: Leitão Ana Lúcia
Published: May 2019

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a widespread bioactive extrolite from secondary metabolism of fungi which presence in foods like coffee is of public health concern, particularly for heavy drinkers. Coffee is one of the most consumed and appreciated non-alcoholic beverage in the world. Its production from the plantation to the coffee cup involves several steps that would determine the final concentration of OTA in the beverage. This review gives an overview of OTA contamination in roasted coffee beans in different countries and mitigation strategies for OTA reduction.
Elastin-Dependent Aortic Heart Valve Leaflet Curvature Changes During Cyclic Flexure
Authors: Tesfamariam Melake D. , Mirza Asad M. , Chaparro Daniel , Ali Ahmed Z. , Montalvan Rachel , Saytashev Ilyas , Gonzalez Brittany A. , Barreto Amanda , Ramella-Roman Jessica , Hutcheson Joshua D. , Ramaswamy Sharan
Published: May 2019

The progression of calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD) is characterized by extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling, leading to structural abnormalities and improper valve function. The focus of the present study was to relate aortic valve leaflet axial curvature changes as a function of elastin degradation, which has been associated with CAVD. Circumferential rectangular strips (L × W = 10 × 2.5 mm) of normal and elastin-degraded (via enzymatic digestion) porcine AV leaflets were subjected to cyclic flexure (1 Hz). A significant increase in mean curvature (p < 0.05) was found in elastin-degraded leaflet specimens in comparison to un-degraded controls at both the semi-constrained (50% of maximum flexed state during specimen bending and straightening events) and fully-constrained (maximally-flexed) states. This significance did not occur in all three flexed configurations when measurements were performed using either minimum or maximum curvature. Moreover, the mean curvature increase in the elastin-degraded leaflets was most pronounced at the instance of maximum flexure, compared to un-degraded controls. We conclude that the mean axial curvature metric can detect distinct spatial changes in aortic valve ECM arising from the loss in bulk content and/or structure of elastin, particularly when there is a high degree of tissue bending. Therefore, the instance of maximum leaflet flexure during the cardiac cycle could be targeted for mean curvature measurements and serve as a potential biomarker for elastin degradation in early CAVD remodeling.
CoQ10 and Aging
Authors: Barcelos Isabella Peixoto de , Haas Richard H.
Published: May 2019

The aging process includes impairment in mitochondrial function, a reduction in anti-oxidant activity, and an increase in oxidative stress, marked by an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Oxidative damage to macromolecules including DNA and electron transport proteins likely increases ROS production resulting in further damage. This oxidative theory of cell aging is supported by the fact that diseases associated with the aging process are marked by increased oxidative stress. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) levels fall with aging in the human but this is not seen in all species or all tissues. It is unknown whether lower CoQ10 levels have a part to play in aging and disease or whether it is an inconsequential cellular response to aging. Despite the current lay public interest in supplementing with CoQ10, there is currently not enough evidence to recommend CoQ10 supplementation as an anti-aging anti-oxidant therapy.