bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Peningkatan Keterampilan Menulis Para Graf Melalui Penerapan Kegiatan Menulis Jurnal dan Pemanfaatanya untuk Penilaian Autentik pada Siswa Kelas VIII SMP Negeri 5 Simpang Empat Kabupaten Banjar
Authors: Faridah Siti
Published: February 2019

Pendekatan yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah pendekatan kualitatif, sedangkan rancangan penelitian yang digunakan adalah penelitian tindakan kelas. Rancangan penelitian tindakan kelas tersebut dilakukan dalam tiga siklus penelitian. Subjek penelitiannya adalah siswa kelas VIII SMP Negeri 5 Simpang Empat kabupaten Banjar. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa kegiatan tersebut dapat meningkatkan keterampilan menulis paragraf siswa, baik dari segi kuantitas maupun kualitas paragraf yang dihasilkan. Kegiatan menulis jurnal juga membuat kegiaan menulis menjadi lebih menarik dan bermakna bagi siswa. Peningkatan tersebut tidak terlepas dari upaya guru memberi respon, mengembangkan dialog, memodelkan cara menulis paragraf yang benar, mencermati kesalahan yang kerap dilakukan siswa, membiasakan secara tetap, serta memberikan berbagai arahan untuk membangkitan kreativitas siswa dalam menulis paragraf. Bimbingan dan arahan guru itu tetap diberikan, meskipun menulis jurnal adalah kegiatan menulis yang bersifat informal
Interferensi Kosakata Bahasa Banjar dalam Penggunaan Bahasa Indonesia Mahasiswa STKIP PGRI Banjarmasin
Authors: Komalasari Ida , Aswadi Dana
Published: February 2019

Bahasa digunakan sebagai sarana komunikasi. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian yang baru dengan menggunakan teori-teori yang digunakan untuk mengungkapkan pemakaian bahasa secara bilingualisme. Ada saling menginterferensi dalam penggunaan bahasa pemakainya apabila pemakai bahasa itu memiliki lebih dari satu bahasa, antara bahasa pertama dengan bahasa kedua. Bahasa pertama mayoritas mahasiswa STKIP PGRI Banjarmasin adalah bahasa Banjar, karena sebagian mahasiswanya adalah suku Banjar yang menggunakan bahasa Banjar dalam kehidupan sehari-hari.

Para mahasiswa juga perlu mengetahui mengenai interferensi ini, sehingga mereka bisa menjadikan pelajaran dan perbaikan selanjutnya. Hal ini dilakukan agar para mahasiswa mengetahui dengan baik mengenai interferensi tersebut, sehingga mereka bisa memperbaiki dan merekapun menjadi mahasiswa yang fasih dalam menggunakan bahasa Indonesia yang baik dan benar. Metode yang digunakan adalah metode deskriptif, yaitu peneliti menggambarkan apa saja yang didapatkan dari rekaman kemudian mendeskripsikannya
Analisis Semiotik dalam Kumpulan Cerpen Air Mata Ibuku dalam Semangkuk Sup Ayam
Authors: Agustina Lili
Published: February 2019

Karya sastra dalam kajian semiotika menitikberatkan pada sistem tanda-tanda atau kumpulan tanda-tanda.  Sebuah karya sastra dapat menyajikan tanda-tanda yang dapat dilihat  dari pemakaian bahasa yang digunakan. Tanda-tanda yang ada pada karya sastra harus diungkap untuk mengetahui pesan yang ingin disampaikan oleh pengarang. Dengan semiotik, pembaca dapat menangkap pesan atau maksud dari cerpen yang berjudul “Air Mata Ibuku dalam Semangkuk Sup Ayam” yang tidak ditampilkan pengarang secara jelas. Pada saat membaca, seseorang akan menginterpretasikan dengan cara yang berbeda berdasarkan pemahaman pembaca tersebut. Namun, semua itu dapat dibatasi oleh adanya pemahaman dalam konvensi bahasa, sastra, dan budaya.

Pendekatan yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah pendekatan semiotik, yaitu membahas tanda-tanda dalam cerpen yang berjudul “Air Mata Ibuku dalam Semangkuk Sup Ayam”. Metode penelitian yang digunakan kualitatif deskriptif. Data yang terkumpul diklasifikasikan atau dikelompok-kelompokan menurut jenis, sifat, atau kondisinya, setelah datanya lengkap, kemudian dibuat kesimpulan.

Sebuah karya sastra dapat menyajikan tanda-tanda yang dapat dilihat  dari pemakaian bahasa yang digunakan.Bertolak dari pandangan bahwa semua yang terdapat dalam karya sastra merupakan lambang-lambang atau kode-kode yang mempunyai arti/makna tertentu. Arti/makna tertentu di sini berkaitan erat dengan sistem masyarakat. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian, ditemukan dalam cerpen ini terdapat beberapa kode, yaitu kode teka-teki, simbolis, aksian, dan budaya untuk membantu menginterpretasikan cerpen yang berjudul “Air Mata Ibuku dalam Semangkuk Sup Ayam”
Tindak Tutur Guru dan Murid di SMA Negeri 1 Kelua Kabupaten Tabalong
Authors: Komalasari Ida , Ramadhani Akhmad
Published: February 2019

Sekolah merupakan salah tempat terjadinya peristiwa tutur antara guru dan murid. Peristiwa tutur tersebut akan menunjukan suatu tindak tutur. Oleh karena itu, peneliti melakukan penelitian tentang tindak tutur guru dan murid di SMA Negeri 1 Kelua dengan tujuan mendeskripsikan bentuk guru dan murid di SMA Negeri 1 Kelua. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian adalah metode deskriptif yang berusaha menggambarkan sesuatu yang terjadi dengan apa adanya, dan bertujuan untuk memperoleh informasi mengenai keadaan dan melihat kaitannya dengan variabel-variabel yang telah ditentukan. Sumber data yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah percakapan yang berwujud wacana tutur yang berlangsung antara guru dan murid di SMA Negeri 1 Kelua dalam bentuk wujud pemakaian bahasa lisan. Teknik pengumpulan data yang digunakan adalah teknik observasi, teknik rekam, dan teknik transkrip.Teknik analisis data menggunakan metode deskriptif yaitu mengumpulkan, menyusun, menganalisis, dan mengiterpretasikan data. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa bentuk tindak tutur dalam proses pembelajaran maupun di luar proses pembelajaran sangan bervariasi tergantung dari tujuan yang akan dicapai, sehingga berbagai peristiwa tutur tidak hanya ditentukan oleh unsur-unsur kebahasaan secara struktural melainkan juga harus sesuai dengan prinsip-prinsip pemakaian bahasa serta bentuk tindak tutur yang digunakan juga harus tepat, karena mempengaruhi tingkat pemahaman peserta tutur terhadap makna yang dimaksud. Bentuk tindak tutur seperti lokusi, ilokusi, dan perlokusi
Penggunaan Model Pembelajaran Examples Non Examples Berbantuan Media Gambar untuk Meningkatkan Kemampuan Bahasa Kedua dan Hasil Belajar Pada Siswa Kelas I MIN Rumpiang
Authors: Agustina Rahidatul Laila , Winda Novia
Published: February 2019

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui penggunaan model pembelajaran examples non examples berbantuan media gambar dalam meningkatkan kemampuan bahasa kedua dan hasil belajar Bahasa Indonesia siswa kelas I MIN Rumpiang Kecamatan Beruntung Baru Kabupaten Banjar.

Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah penelitian tindakan kelas yang dilaksanakan dalam dua siklus penelitian, setiap siklus terdiri dari 2 kali pertemuan. Subyek penelitian ini adalah siswa kelas I MIN Rumpiang pada semester ganjil tahun ajaran 2015/2016, dengan jumlah siswa 17orang. Pengumpulan data  dalam penelitian ini diperoleh melalui teknik observasi dan tes tertulis, sedangkan teknik analisis data yang digunakan adalah rata-rata dan persentase.

Hasil penelitian ini diperoleh: (1) Penggunaan model pembelajaran examples non examples berbantuan media gambar dapat meningkatkan pencapaian hasil belajar siswa, pada siklus I dengan nilai rata-rata 69,70 dan ketuntasan klasikal 50 % mengalami peningkatan pada siklus II dengan nilai rata-rata 76,76 dengan ketuntasan klasikal 82,35 %. (2) Aktivitas guru dan siswa terhadap pembelajaran bahasa dengan penggunaan model pembelajaran examples non examples berbantuan media gambar juga menunjukkan peningkatan. Hal ini dapat diihat dari perolehan nilai aktivitas belajar siswa, pada siklus I dengan rata-rata 58,75 dalam kategori kurang aktif mengalami peningkatan pada siklus II dengan rata-rata 82,5 dalam kategori aktif. Begitupun dengan aktivitas guru yang dilihat dari hasil observasi pada siklus I dengan persentase 56,6 % dalam kategori cukup meningkat pada siklus II dengan persentase 76,6% dalam kategori baik. (3) Hasil respon siswa terhadap pembelajaran yang disajikan guru dari hasil angket yang dijawab siswa menunjukkan bahwa siswa menyenangi dan sangat termotivasi terhadap model pembelajaran examples non examples berbantuan media gambardalam pembelajaran bahasa
Konflik Batin Tokoh Utama dalam Novel Aku Lupa Bahwa Aku Perempuan Karya Ihsan Abdul Quddus Tinjauan Kritik Sastra Feminisme
Authors: Ratnawati Indah Ika
Published: February 2019

Analisis psikologi sastra tidak bisa terlepas dari kebutuhan-kebutuhan masyarakat.Karya sastra memberikan pemahaman terhadap masyarakat secara tidak langsung.Karena dengan melalui pemahaman terhadap tokoh-tokohnya, masyarakat dapat memahami perubahan, kontradiksi, dan penyimpangan-penyimpangan lain yang terjadi dalam masyarakat, khususnya segala masalah yang terkait dengan psike.konflik batin yaitu suatu pertarungan individual melawan dirinya sendiri. Dalam konflik ini timbul kekuatan-kekuatan yang saling bertentangan dalam batin seseorang, keberanian melawan ketakutan, kejujuran melawan kecurangan, kekikiran melawan kedermawanan, dan sebagainya.Tujuan dalam penelitian untuk mengetahui kepribadian yang dimiliki Tokoh Utama dalam novel Aku Lupa Bahwa Aku Perempuan karya Ihsan Abdul Quddus.

Dalam penelitian ini digunakan metode penelitian kualiatif deskriptif. Metode penelitian kualitatif merupakan prosedur  penelitian yang menghasilkan data deskriptif berupa kata-kata tertulis atau lisan tentang sifat suatu individu, keadaan, atau gejala dari kelompok tertentu yang dapat diamati.

            Dari analisis konflik batin tokoh utama mengalami pertarungan individu melawan dirinya sendiri. Di mana tokoh Suad lebih perpengangan teguh untuk mempertahankan Egonya di banding Id yang sebenarnya di dalam hati kecilnya Suad sangat membutuhkan Idnya terpenuhi.Karena Suad inggin menjadi seorang pemimpin perempuan yang di kenal di public. Sehingga Ego Suad lebih kuat dan mengalahkan Idnya kebutuhan pribadinya bahkan Ego Suad mengenyampingkan Superego di mana Superego tersebut yang ada kaitanya   dengan sikap moral dan sosial kepada orang lain
Peran Sastra dalam Pengembangan Kepribadian Anak
Authors: Luthfiyanti Lita , Nisa Fithratun
Published: February 2019

Sastra memiliki peran sangat  fundamental dalam pengembangan kepribadian  anak. Hal ini disebabkan karya sastra pada dasarnya membicarakan berbagai nilai hidup dan kehidupan yang berkaitan langsung dengan pembentukkan karakter manusia. Sastra dalam pendidikan  anak berperan mengembangkan bahasa, mengembangkan kognitif, afektif, psikomotorik,  mengembangkan kepribadian, dan mengembangkan pribadi sosial.

Karya sastra merupakan refleksi dari kehidupan nyata sebagai hasil  renungan dari realita kehidupan yang dilihat. Sastra juga menawarkan berbagai bentuk kisah yang merangsang pembaca untuk berbuat sesuatu. Apalagi pembacanya adalah anak-anak yang fantasinya baru berkembang dan menerima segala macam cerita terlepas dari cerita itu masuk akal atau tidak. Sebagai karya sastra tentulah berusaha menyampaikan nilai-nilai kemanusiaan, mempertahankan, serta menyebarluaskan (kepada anak-anak). Sesuai dengan  sasaran pembacanya, sastra anak dikemas dalam bentuk yang berbeda dari sastra orang dewasa agar isinya dapat diterima dan difahami oleh anak-anak dengan baik. Sasta anak harus dapat membantu perkembangan kepribadian anak. Perkembangan anak akan berjalan wajar dan sesuai dengan periodenya bila disuguhi bahan bacaan yang sesuai pula. Artinya sastra anak yang memang layak dikonsumsi bagi anak-anak. Sastra yang akan dikonsumsikan bagi anak harus mengandung tema yang mendidik, alurnya lurus dan tidak berbelit-belit, menggunakan setting yang ada di sekitar mereka atau ada di dunia mereka, tokoh dan penokohan mengandung peneladanan yang baik, gaya bahasanya sederhana dan mudah dipahami tapi mampu mengembangkan kreasi, sudut pandang yang tepat, dan imajinasi masih dalam jangkauan anak
Comparative Transcriptome Analysis between Ornamental Apple Species Provides Insights into Mechanism of Double Flowering
Authors: Gul Hera , Tong Zhaoguo , Han Xiaolei , Nawaz Iqra , Wahocho Safdar Ali , Khan Shumaila , Zhang Caixia , Tian Yi , Cong Peihua , Zhang Liyi
Published: February 2019

Double-flower ornamental crabapples display eye-catching morphologies in comparison to single flower, but the genetic basis of double-flower development is not yet well known in apples. In order to comprehensively understand the differential expression of genes (DEGs) between single and double flower, the transcriptome of double flower crabapples Malus Kelsey, Malus micromalus, Malus Royalty, and a single flower cultivar Malus Dolgo were compared by RNA-sequencing. The results showed that there were 1854 genes in overlapped DEGs among all sample comparisons in apple single and double flower varieties. A large number of development and hormone related DEGs were also recognized on the basis of GO and KEGG annotations, and most of the genes were found to be down-regulated in double flowers. Particularly, an AGL24-MADS-box gene (MD08G1196900) and an auxin responsive gene (MD13G1137000) were putatively key candidate genes in the development of double flower by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). The study provides insights into the complex molecular mechanism underlying the development of the double flower in apple.
Fossil Shell Flour in Livestock Production: A Review
Authors: Ikusika Olusegun O. , Mpendulo Conference T. , Zindove Titus J. , Okoh Anthony I.
Published: February 2019

Fossil shell flour (FSF), also known as Diatomaceous earth, or diatomite, consists of amorphous silicates with important physical and chemical characteristics, including porosity and permeability, low density and thermal conductivity, tiny particle size, high surface area, solubility, hydrophobia, and absorption capabilities, which are molecular filter actors, substituting their integral cations without physical changes. The substance is nontoxic, cheap, and readily available in large quantity in many countries. Recently, FSF has been modified as additives for several uses. Recent studies have supported its use as animal growth promoter, vaccine adjuvant in livestock, water purifier, mycotoxin binder, inert dust applications in stored-pest management, pesticide, animal feed additive, as a natural source of silicon in livestock and as natural anthelmintic. Numerous advantages of FSF include its low-cost and availability, its nontoxic characteristics, and the fact that food grade diatomaceous earth is safe for human consumption. In this paper, we review the main uses of FSF in the livestock industry, with reference to similar works earlier published that elucidate their important roles.
A Form Stable Composite Phase Change Material for Thermal Energy Storage Applications over 700 °C
Authors: Jiang Zhu , Jiang Feng , Li Chuan , Leng Guanghui , Zhao Xuemin , Li Yunren , Zhang Tongtong , Xu Guizhi , Jin Yi , Yang Cenyu , Ding Yulong
Published: February 2019

Thermal energy storage (TES) is a highly effective approach for mitigating the intermittency and fluctuation of renewable energy sources and reducing industrial waste heat. We report here recent research on the use of composite phase change materials (PCM) for applications over 700 °C. For such a category of material, chemical incompatibility and low thermal conductivity are often among the main challenges. Our aims are to address these challenges through the formulation of form-stable composite PCMs and to understand their thermophysical properties. The eutectic K2CO3-Na2CO3 salt was used as a PCM with MgO as a form stabilizer. We found that such a formulation could maintain shape stability with up to 60 wt.% PCM. With a melting point of ~710.1 °C and an energy density as high as 431.2 J/g over a temperature range between 550 °C and 750 °C, the composite PCM was shown to be thermally stable up to 885 °C. An addition of 10 wt.% SiC enhanced the overall thermal conductivity from 1.94 W·m−1 K−1 to 2.28 W·m−1 K−1, giving an enhancement of 17.53%. Analyses of thermal cycling data also showed a high extent of chemical compatibility among the ingredients of the composite PCM.
Biomechanical Evaluation of a New Fixation Type in 3D-Printed Periacetabular Implants using a Finite Element Simulation
Authors: Park Dae Woo , Lim Aekyeong , Park Jong Woong , Lim Kwon Mook , Kang Hyun Guy
Published: February 2019

Pelvic implants require complex geometrical shapes to reconstruct unusual areas of bone defects, as well as a high mechanical strength in order to endure high compressive loads. The electron beam melting (EBM) method is capable of directly fabricating complex metallic structures and shapes based on digital models. Fixation design is important during the 3D printing of pelvic implants, given that the fixation secures the pelvic implants to the remaining bones, while also bearing large amounts of the loads placed on the bone. In this study, a horseshoe-shaped plate fixation with a bridge component between two straight plates is designed to enhance the mechanical stability of pelvic implants. The aim of this study is to investigate the biomechanics of the horseshoe-shaped plate fixation in a 3D-printed pelvic implant using a finite element (FE) simulation. First, computed tomography (CT) scans were acquired from a patient with periacetabular bone tumors. Second, 3D FE implant models were created using the patient’s Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) data. Third, a FE simulation was conducted and the stress distribution between a conventional straight-type plate model, and the horseshoe-shaped plate model was compared. In both of the models, high-stress regions were observed at the iliac fixation area. In contrast, minimal stress regions were located at the pubic ramus and ischium fixation area. The key finding of this study was that the maximal stress of the horseshoe-shaped plate model (38.6 MPa) was 21% lower than that of the straight-type plate model (48.9 MPa) in the iliac fixation area. The clinical potential for the application of the horseshoe-shaped plate fixation model to the pelvic implant has been demonstrated, although this is a pilot study.
Mucoadhesive Hydrogel Nanoparticles as Smart Biomedical Drug Delivery System
Authors: Hanafy Nemany A.N. , Leporatti Stefano , El-Kemary Maged A.
Published: February 2019

Hydrogels are widely used materials which have many medical applications. Their ability to absorb aqueous solutions and biological fluids gives them innovative characterizations resulting in increased compatibility with biological activity. In this sense, they are used extensively for encapsulation of several targets such as biomolecules, viruses, bacteria, and mammalian cells. Indeed, many methods have been published which are used in hydrogel formulation and biomedical encapsulations involving several cross-linkers. This system is still rich with the potential of undiscovered features. The physicochemical properties of polymers, distinguished by their interactions with biological systems into mucoadhesive, gastro-adhesive, and stimuli responsive polymers. Hydrogel systems may be assembled as tablets, patches, gels, ointments, and films. Their potential to be co-formulated as nanoparticles extends the limits of their assembly and application. In this review, mucoadhesive nanoparticles and their importance for biomedical applications are highlighted with a focus on mechanisms of overcoming mucosal resistance.
Designing Safe General LED Lighting that Provides the UVB Benefits of Sunlight
Authors: Oh Seung-Taek , Park Dae-Hwan , Lim Jae-Hyun
Published: February 2019

The ultraviolet (UV) rays emitted from sunlight greatly influence human health. Excessive exposure to UV rays can be harmful to eyes and skin; however, limited UVB exposure is essential for the synthesis of vitamin D. Nowadays, owing to insufficient exposure to natural light, there is increasing concerns about low vitamin D amongst individuals. To address this issue, many lighting devices that provide UVB doses have been released; however, such devices are only used for treatments or for special purposes. This study proposes a general indoor lighting system with a UVB LED light source to provide safe UVB doses to users who spend large amounts of time indoors. The optical characteristics of two UVB LEDs with output of 20 and 100 mW were analyzed based on their distances and applied currents. The light source combination of UVB LEDS that meets the UV hazard standard of IEC-62471 was derived; this is a photobiological safety evaluation standard of LED lighting devices. We then produced a lighting module in which the UVB LED light source was applied to general LED lighting and measured and analyzed the spectral irradiance of the proposed lighting according to the measurement standard for the general lighting of IEC 62471. The actinic UV hazard (AUV) and near-UV hazard (NUV) were calculated to be 0.001 and 10 W/m2, respectively. Thus, the provision of UVB dose did not pose any risks. In addition, the total EUV (Erythemal weighted UV) dose when the proposed lighting was implemented for 16 h was 187.66 J/m2, confirming that this dose did not cause erythema for the general skin types (Skin Types 1–6). Further, the design plan of general indoor lighting with a UVB LED light source is presented.
Coevolution Pigeon-Inspired Optimization with Cooperation-Competition Mechanism for Multi-UAV Cooperative Region Search
Authors: Luo Delin , Shao Jiang , Xu Yang , You Yancheng , Duan Haibin
Published: February 2019

In this paper, a dynamic two-stage closed search (DTSCS) scheme for the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) cooperative region search is designed, which satisfies the range constraint (RC) and orientation constraint (OC). The closed trajectory is composed of two coupling stages, the search stage and the return stage. The position and orientation at the end of the search stage are the starting cell and orientation of the return stage. In the first stage, a coevolution pigeon-inspired optimization (CPIO) algorithm based on the cooperation-competition mechanism is proposed for multi-UAV cooperative search. In the return stage, inspired by region searching and trajectory tracking, a search tracking (ST) approach is presented to obtain the lowest-cost path under OC. The simulation results show that: (i) N p = 5 is the best prediction time step. (ii) CPIO algorithm performs better than the compared intelligent algorithms in region searching. (iii) ST has high tracking performance than other algorithms. (iv) The DTSCS scheme enables every UAV to make the best use of its fuel to cover more region and return to the airport within the RC, and the average range utilization of UAVs is 97% under the 3OC.
A Stochastic Bulk Damage Model Based on Mohr-Coulomb Failure Criterion for Dynamic Rock Fracture
Authors: Bahmani Bahador , Abedi Reza , Clarke Philip
Published: February 2019

We present a stochastic bulk damage model for rock fracture. The decomposition of strain or stress tensor to its negative and positive parts is often used to drive damage and evaluate the effective stress tensor. However, they typically fail to correctly model rock fracture in compression. We propose a damage force model based on the Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion and an effective stress relation that remedy this problem. An evolution equation specifies the rate at which damage tends to its quasi-static limit. The relaxation time of the model introduces an intrinsic length scale for dynamic fracture and addresses the mesh sensitivity problem of earlier damage models. The ordinary differential form of the damage equation makes this remedy quite simple and enables capturing the loading rate sensitivity of strain-stress response. The asynchronous Spacetime Discontinuous Galerkin (aSDG) method is used for macroscopic simulations. To study the effect of rock inhomogeneity, the Karhunen-Loeve method is used to realize random fields for rock cohesion. It is shown that inhomogeneity greatly differentiates fracture patterns from those of a homogeneous rock, including the location of zones with maximum damage. Moreover, as the correlation length of the random field decreases, fracture patterns resemble angled-cracks observed in compressive rock fracture.
A State-Space Analysis of a Single Zone Building Considering Solar Radiation, Internal Radiation, and PCM Effects
Authors: Fateh Amirreza , Borelli Davide , Spoladore Alessandro , Devia Francesco
Published: February 2019

This paper deals with the dynamic modeling of a typical single-zone building. It describes the development of a dynamic model for thermal transient analysis and its application to a simplified test case considering solar irradiation and internal radiation. The dynamic behavior of the indoor air temperature has been investigated by means of a lumped approach using a state-space representation developed in MATLAB/Simulink. A set of daily temperature profiles, which are representative of the Mediterranean climatic condition, on a few different winter days, has been used as boundary conditions for the dynamic simulations. In addition, the model has been validated using two different sets of experimental data available in the literature, both statically and dynamically. Finally, a layer of insulation with a phase change material (PCM) is applied to the single zone building to quantify its effect on the building’s behavior. The results showed that the rate and amount of energy consumption in the building with PCM are moderately lower than the building without PCM. In addition, the variation of inlet air temperature, solar effects, and energy consumption have been evaluated for a case study example, as well as comfort in transient simulation to achieve a complete evaluation of the test building investigated. A satisfactory agreement was obtained between the experimental and the simulation results and shows that the model can be used for a wide range of materials, dimensions, thermal resistances, and boundary conditions.
An Integrated Flood Risk Assessment Model for Cities Located in the Transitional Zone between Taihang Mountains and North China Plain: A Case Study in Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
Authors: Liu Qiang , Yang Hongmao , Liu Min , Sun Rui , Zhang Junhai
Published: February 2019

Cities located in the transitional zone between Taihang Mountains and North China plain run high flood risk in recent years, especially urban waterlogging risk. In this paper, we take Shijiazhuang, which is located in this transitional zone, as the study area and proposed a new flood risk assessment model for this specific geographical environment. Flood risk assessment indicator factors are established by using the digital elevation model (DEM), along with land cover, economic, population, and precipitation data. A min-max normalization method is used to normalize the indices. An analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method is used to determine the weight of each normalized index and the geographic information system (GIS) spatial analysis tool is adopted for calculating the risk map of flood disaster in Shijiazhuang. This risk map is consistent with the reports released by Hebei Provincial Water Conservancy Bureau and can provide reference for flood risk management.
Differentiation of Patients with Balance Insufficiency (Vestibular Hypofunction) versus Normal Subjects Using a Low-Cost Small Wireless Wearable Gait Sensor
Authors: Nguyen Tam Q. , Young Jonathan H. , Rodriguez Amanda , Zupancic Steven , Lie Donald Y.C.
Published: February 2019

Balance disorders present a significant healthcare burden due to the potential for hospitalization or complications for the patient, especially among the elderly population when considering intangible losses such as quality of life, morbidities, and mortalities. This work is a continuation of our earlier works where we now examine feature extraction methodology on Dynamic Gait Index (DGI) tests and machine learning classifiers to differentiate patients with balance problems versus normal subjects on an expanded cohort of 60 patients. All data was obtained using our custom designed low-cost wireless gait analysis sensor (WGAS) containing a basic inertial measurement unit (IMU) worn by each subject during the DGI tests. The raw gait data is wirelessly transmitted from the WGAS for real-time gait data collection and analysis. Here we demonstrate predictive classifiers that achieve high accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity in distinguishing abnormal from normal gaits. These results show that gait data collected from our very low-cost wearable wireless gait sensor can effectively differentiate patients with balance disorders from normal subjects in real-time using various classifiers. Our ultimate goal is to be able to use a remote sensor such as the WGAS to accurately stratify an individual’s risk for falls.
Dielectrophoresis Manipulation: Versatile Lateral and Vertical Mechanisms
Authors: Buyong Muhamad Ramdzan , Kayani Aminuddin Ahmad , Hamzah Azrul Azlan , Yeop Majlis Burhanuddin
Published: February 2019

Discussing the topic of the capability of dielectrophoresis (DEP) devices in terms of the selective detection and rapid manipulation of particles based on the DEP force (FDEP) via contactless methods is challenging in medical research, drug discovery and delivery. Nonetheless, the process of the selective detection and rapid manipulation of particles via contactless DEP based on dielectric particles and the surrounding medium can reduce the effects of major issues, including physical contact with the particles and medium contamination to overcome operational difficulties. In this review, DEP microelectromechanical system (MEMS) microelectrodes with a tapered profile for the selective detection and rapid manipulation of particles were studied and compared with those of conventional designs with a straight-cut profile. The main objective of this manuscript is to review the versatile mechanism of tapered DEP MEMS microelectrodes for the purpose of selective detection and rapid manipulation. Thus, this review provides a versatile filtration mechanism with the potential for a glomerular-based membrane in an artificial kidneys’ development solution for implementing engineered particles and cells by lateral attraction as well as vertical repulsion in the development of lab-on-a-chip applications. For tapered DEP MEMS microelectrodes, the scope of this study methodology involved the characterisation of DEP, modelling of the polarisation factor and the dynamic dielectric changes between the particles and medium. Comprehensive discussions are presented on the capability of tapered DEP microelectrodes to drive the selected particles and the simulation, fabrication and testing of the tapered profile. This study revealed an outstanding performance with the capability of producing two regions of high electric field intensity at the bottom and top edges of the side wall of tapered microelectrodes. Observations on particle separation mainly by the lateral attraction force of particles with positive DEP on the y-axis and vertical repulsion force of particles with negative DEP on the z-axis proved an efficient and uniform FDEP produced by tapered electrodes. In conclusion, this study confirmed the reliability and efficiency of the tapered DEP microelectrodes in the process of selective detection and rapid manipulation at a higher efficiency rate than straight-cut microelectrodes, which is significant in DEP technology applications.
Numerical Simulation of the Semi-Rigid Behaviour of Integrally Attached Timber Folded Surface Structures
Authors: Stitic Andrea , Nguyen Anh , Rezaei Rad Aryan , Weinand Yves
Published: February 2019

Timber folded surface structures assembled using semi-rigid multiple tab and slot joints (MTSJ) have been shown to form feasible structural systems with high load bearing potential. However, for their further development and use on large building scales, a pertinent model for prediction of their structural behaviour has yet to be developed. This paper focuses on simplified numerical methods for accurately modelling the semi-rigid structural behaviour of bidirectional timber folded surface structures with multiple tab and slot connections. Within this scope, the structure behaviour is considered to be in the elastic stage. Three practical methods of analysis for such structural systems are presented. The first two approaches use the Finite Element Method (FEM), where the theory of plates and shells are applied. In the first method, the MTSJs are modeled using strip element models, while, in the second strategy, spring models are used. The third modeling strategy elaborates on the new macroscopic mechanical models, referred to as macro models. Sets of one-dimensional (1D) elements are used to represent the mechanical behaviour of the entire system. Both linear and geometric nonlinear analysis are performed for all three modeling strategies. The numerical results are then validated against the large scale experiments. Comparison of the strip and spring element model results have shown that the strips represent more accurately the experimentally obtained values. Concerning the macro modelling approach, very good agreement with both detailed FE modelling approaches, as well as experimental results, were obtained. The results indicate that both linear and nonlinear analysis can be used for modelling the displacements within the elastic range. However, it is essential to include geometric nonlinearities in the analysis for accurate modelling of occurring strains as well as for displacements when considering higher load levels. Finally, it is demonstrated that including semi-rigidity in the numerical models is of high importance for analysing the behaviour of timber folded surface structures with MTSJ.
A Developmental Perspective on Paragangliar Tumorigenesis
Authors: Lotti Lavinia Vittoria , Vespa Simone , Pantalone Mattia Russel , Perconti Silvia , Esposito Diana Liberata , Visone Rosa , Veronese Angelo , Paties Carlo Terenzio , Sanna Mario , Verginelli Fabio , Nauclér Cecilia Soderberg , Mariani-Costantini Renato
Published: February 2019

In this review, we propose that paraganglioma is a fundamentally organized, albeit aberrant, tissue composed of neoplastic vascular and neural cell types that share a common origin from a multipotent mesenchymal-like stem/progenitor cell. This view is consistent with the pseudohypoxic footprint implicated in the molecular pathogenesis of the disease, is in harmony with the neural crest origin of the paraganglia, and is strongly supported by the physiological model of carotid body hyperplasia. Our immunomorphological and molecular studies of head and neck paragangliomas demonstrate in all cases relationships between the vascular and the neural tumor compartments, that share mesenchymal and immature vasculo-neural markers, conserved in derived cell cultures. This immature, multipotent phenotype is supported by constitutive amplification of NOTCH signaling genes and by loss of the microRNA-200s and -34s, which control NOTCH1, ZEB1, and PDGFRA in head and neck paraganglioma cells. Importantly, the neuroepithelial component is distinguished by extreme mitochondrial alterations, associated with collapse of the ΔΨm. Finally, our xenograft models of head and neck paraganglioma demonstrate that mesenchymal-like cells first give rise to a vasculo-angiogenic network, and then self-organize into neuroepithelial-like clusters, a process inhibited by treatment with imatinib.
Bioprocess Intensification Using Flow Reactors: Stereoselective Oxidation of Achiral 1,3-diols with Immobilized Acetobacter Aceti
Authors: De Vitis Valerio , Dall’Oglio Federica , Tentori Francesca , Contente Martina Letizia , Romano Diego , Brenna Elisabetta , Tamborini Lucia , Molinari Francesco
Published: February 2019

Enantiomerically enriched 2-hydroxymethylalkanoic acids were prepared by oxidative desymmetrisation of achiral 1,3-diols using immobilized cells of Acetobacter aceti in water at 28 °C. The biotransformations were first performed in batch mode with cells immobilized in dry alginate, furnishing the desired products with high molar conversion and reaction times ranging from 2 to 6 h. The biocatalytic process was intensified using a multiphasic flow reactor, where a segmented gas–liquid flow regime was applied for achieving an efficient O2-liquid transfer; the continuous flow systems allowed for high yields and high biocatalyst productivity.
Preparation of Amylose-Carboxymethyl Cellulose Conjugated Supramolecular Networks by Phosphorylase-Catalyzed Enzymatic Polymerization
Authors: Kadokawa Jun-ichi , Shoji Takuya , Yamamoto Kazuya
Published: February 2019

Enzymatic polymerization has been noted as a powerful method to precisely synthesize polymers with complicated structures, such as polysaccharides, which are not commonly prepared by conventional polymerization. Phosphorylase is one of the enzymes which have been used to practically synthesize well-defined polysaccharides. The phosphorylase-catalyzed enzymatic polymerization is conducted using α-d-glucose 1-phosphate as a monomer, and maltooligosaccharide as a primer, respectively, to obtain amylose. Amylose is known to form supramolecules owing to its helical conformation, that is, inclusion complex and double helix, in which the formation is depended on whether a guest molecule is present or not. In this paper, we would like to report the preparation of amylose-carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) conjugated supramolecular networks, by the phosphorylase-catalyzed enzymatic polymerization, using maltoheptaose primer-grafted CMC. When the enzymatic polymerization was carried out using the graft copolymer, either in the presence or in the absence of a guest polymer poly (ε-caprolactone) (PCL), the enzymatically elongated amylose chains from the primers on the CMC main-chain formed double helixes or inclusion complexes, depending on the amounts of PCL, which acted as cross-linking points for the construction of network structures. Accordingly, the reaction mixtures totally turned into hydrogels, regardless of the structures of supramolecular cross-linking points.
Complex Systems Biology Approach in Connecting PI3K-Akt and NF-κB Pathways in Prostate Cancer
Authors: Shankar Eswar , Weis Michael C. , Avva Jayant , Shukla Sanjeev , Shukla Meenakshi , Sreenath Sree N. , Gupta Sanjay
Published: February 2019

Phosphatidylinositol 3′-OH kinase (PI3K)-Akt and transcription factor NF-κB are important molecules involved in the regulation of cell proliferation, apoptosis, and oncogenesis. Both PI3K-Akt and Nuclear Factor-kappaB (NF-κB) are involved in the development and progression of prostate cancer, however, the crosstalk and molecules connecting these pathway remains unclear. A multilevel system representation of the PI3K-Akt and NF-κB pathways was constructed to determine which signaling components contribute to adaptive behavior and coordination. In silico experiments conducted using PI3K-Akt and NF-κB, mathematical models were modularized using biological functionality and were validated using a cell culture system. Our analysis demonstrates that a component representing the IκB kinase (IKK) complex can coordinate these two pathways. It is expected that interruption of this molecule could represent a potential therapeutic target for prostate cancer.
Surface Segregation of Amphiphilic PDMS-Based Films Containing Terpolymers with Siloxane, Fluorinated and Ethoxylated Side Chains
Authors: Martinelli Elisa , Guazzelli Elisa , Glisenti Antonella , Galli Giancarlo
Published: February 2019

(Meth)acrylic terpolymers carrying siloxane (Si), fluoroalkyl (F) and ethoxylated (EG) side chains were synthesized with comparable molar compositions and different lengths of the Si and EG side chains, while the length of the fluorinated side chain was kept constant. Such terpolymers were used as surface-active modifiers of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based films with a loading of 4 wt%. The surface chemical compositions of both the films and the pristine terpolymers were determined by angle-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (AR-XPS) at different photoemission angles. The terpolymer was effectively segregated to the polymer−air interface of the films independent of the length of the constituent side chains. However, the specific details of the film surface modification depended upon the chemical structure of the terpolymer itself. The exceptionally high enrichment in F chains at the surface caused the accumulation of EG chains at the surface as well. The response of the films to the water environment was also proven to strictly depend on the type of terpolymer contained. While terpolymers with shorter EG chains appeared not to be affected by immersion in water for seven days, those containing longer EG chains underwent a massive surface reconstruction.
A Facilitation Cascade Enhances Local Biodiversity in Seagrass Beds
Authors: Zhang Y. Stacy , Silliman Brian R.
Published: February 2019

Invertebrate diversity can be a key driver of ecosystem functioning, yet understanding what factors influence local biodiversity remains uncertain. In many marine and terrestrial systems, facilitation cascades where primary foundation and/or autogenic ecosystem engineering species promote the settlement and survival of a secondary foundation/engineering species have been shown to enhance local biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. We experimentally tested if a facilitation cascade occurs among eelgrass (Zostera marina), pen clams (Atrina rigida), and community diversity in temperate seagrass beds in North Carolina, U.S.A., and if this sequence of direct positive interactions created feedbacks that affected various metrics of seagrass ecosystem function and structure. Using a combination of surveys and transplant experiments, we found that pen clam density and survivorship was significantly greater in seagrass beds, indicating that eelgrass facilitates pen clams. Pen clams in turn enhanced local diversity and increased both the abundance and species richness of organisms (specifically, macroalgae and fouling invertebrate fauna)—the effect of which scaled with increasing clam density. However, we failed to detect an impact of pen clams on other seagrass functions and hypothesize that functioning may more likely be enhanced in scenarios where secondary foundation species specifically increase the diversity of key functional groups such as epiphyte grazers and/or when bivalves are infaunal rather than epifaunal. Our findings add to the growing amount of literature that demonstrates that secondary foundation species are important drivers of local biodiversity in marine ecosystems. Further experimentation is needed that directly examines (i) the role of functional versus overall diversity on seagrass functions and (ii) the relative importance of life-history strategy in determining when and where engineering bivalves increase biodiversity and/or functioning of seagrass beds.
From an Entropic Measure of Time to Laws of Motion
Authors: Martyushev Leonid M. , Shaiapin Evgenii V.
Published: February 2019

A hypothesis proposed in the paper Entropy (Martyushev, L.M. Entropy 2017, 19, 345) on the deductive formulation of a physical theory based on explicitly- and universally-introduced basic concepts is further developed. An entropic measure of time with a number of properties leading to an analog of the Galileo–Einstein relativity principle is considered. Using this measure and a simple model, a kinematic law which relates time to the size and number of particles of a system is obtained. Corollaries of this law are examined. In particular, accelerated growth of the system size is obtained, whereas in systems with constant size, a decrease in the number of particles is observed. An interesting corollary is the emergence of repulsive and attractive forces inversely proportional to the square of the system size for relatively dense systems and constant for systems with sufficiently low density.
Dealing with Lack of Training Data for Convolutional Neural Networks: The Case of Digital Pathology
Authors: Ponzio Francesco , Urgese Gianvito , Ficarra Elisa , Di Cataldo Santa
Published: February 2019

Thanks to their capability to learn generalizable descriptors directly from images, deep Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) seem the ideal solution to most pattern recognition problems. On the other hand, to learn the image representation, CNNs need huge sets of annotated samples that are unfeasible in many every-day scenarios. This is the case, for example, of Computer-Aided Diagnosis (CAD) systems for digital pathology, where additional challenges are posed by the high variability of the cancerous tissue characteristics. In our experiments, state-of-the-art CNNs trained from scratch on histological images were less accurate and less robust to variability than a traditional machine learning framework, highlighting all the issues of fully training deep networks with limited data from real patients. To solve this problem, we designed and compared three transfer learning frameworks, leveraging CNNs pre-trained on non-medical images. This approach obtained very high accuracy, requiring much less computational resource for the training. Our findings demonstrate that transfer learning is a solution to the automated classification of histological samples and solves the problem of designing accurate and computationally-efficient CAD systems with limited training data.
GPU Accelerated PIC and SIC for OFDM-NOMA
Authors: Manglayev Talgat , Kizilirmak Refik Caglar , Hamid Nor Asilah Wati Abdul
Published: February 2019

Non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) is a candidate multiple access scheme for the fifth-generation (5G) cellular networks. In NOMA systems, all users operate at the same frequency and time, which poses a challenge in the decoding process at the receiver side. In this work, the two most popular receiver structures, successive interference cancellation (SIC) and parallel interference cancellation (PIC) receivers, for NOMA reverse channel are implemented on a graphics processing unit (GPU) and compared. Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) is considered. The high computational complexity of interference cancellation receivers undermines the potential deployment of NOMA systems. GPU acceleration, however, challenges this weakness, and our numerical results show speedups of about from 75–220-times as compared to a multi-thread implementation on a central processing unit (CPU). SIC and PIC multi-thread execution time on different platforms reveals the potential of GPU in wireless communications. Furthermore, the successful decoding rates of the SIC and PIC are evaluated and compared in terms of bit error rate.
GANA-VDC: Application-Aware with Bandwidth Guarantee in Cloud Datacenters
Authors: Wang Shuo , Karmoshi Saleem , Saleh Fekri , Alhusaini Naji , Li Jing , Zhu Ming , Hawbani Ammar
Published: February 2019

Allocating bandwidth guarantees to applications in the cloud has become increasingly demanding and essential as applications compete to share cloud network resources. However, cloud-computing providers offer no network bandwidth guarantees in a cloud environment, predictably preventing tenants from running their applications. Existing schemes offer tenants practical cluster abstraction solutions emulating underlying physical network resources, proving impractical; however, providing virtual network abstractions has remained an essential step in the right direction. In this paper, we consider the requirements for enabling the application-aware network with bandwidth guarantees in a Virtual Data Center (VDC). We design GANA-VDC, a network virtualization framework supporting VDC application-aware networking with bandwidth guarantees in a cloud datacenter. GANA-VDC achieves scalability using an interceptor to translate OpenFlow features to prompt fine-grained Quality of Service (QoS). Facilitating the expression of diverse network resource demands, we also propose a new Virtual Network (VN) to Physical Network (PN) mapping approach, Graph Abstraction Network Architecture (GANA), which we innovatively introduce in this paper, allowing tenants to provide applications with cloud networking environment, thereby increasing the preservation performance. Our results show GANA-VDC can provide bandwidth guarantee and achieve low time complexity, yielding higher network utility.