bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Surface and light
Authors: Wilmink Melanie
Published: July 2019

Utilising case studies from my curatorial practice, this paper discusses the balance between research and creation, and elaborates on exhibition projects that centre the spectator within an embodied experience of the moving image. While some of my curatorial practice includes installation art that literalises the space of the image, including Urbanity on Film (2009), and The Situated Cinema Project; in camera (2015), other programs have achieved this same effect within a single-channel screening format, including Radiant Bodies (2015) and Dirt City Rock Fantasy: The Short Films of Trevor Anderson (2016). By treating the moving image as an experience that incorporates the space and time of the viewer’s body, these curatorial projects explore the idea of artwork as a phenomenological tool, creating exciting environments while simultaneously advancing knowledge through the process of being with the artwork.
Cinematography and filmmaking research
Authors: Nevill Alexander
Published: July 2019

This paper offers an overview of a recent practice-led doctoral enquiry which examined lighting techniques used by cinematographers and more widely amongst practitioners working with moving imagery. This research was completed in the Digital Cultures Research Centre at UWE Bristol and funded by the AHRC 3d3 Centre for Doctoral Training. The paper specifically reflects on three strands of enquiry which existed in dialogue with one another, showing how the mutual interaction and reinforcement between scholarly activity, collaborative film production and independent creative experimentation were fundamental to the approach and direction of the research. Amongst a wider contribution, this doctoral research can be seen as methodologically innovative, providing a more detailed first-hand investigation into lighting processes than is currently available by using autoethnographic methods to capture practical knowledge that is deployed in situ during moving image production. The paper discusses this novel use of autoethnography within practice-research and also explains how the resulting evidence was incorporated in the thesis through a layered approach to writing.
Shah Wali Ulla’h and Disciplines of Mysticism
Authors: Ahmad Dr. Hussain
Published: July 2019

Shah Wali Ulla’h of Delhi (1703-1762) was an outstanding Scholar of Islamic science Qur’an and Sunna’h. His multi-dimensional work placed him among the high rank of intellectual mystic philosophers of Islam in south Asia in the eighteenth century. His work is volumnous, widely acknowledged among the Muslims globally. He made a deep analysis of the varrious components of Islam and presented the whole Islamic teachings in their true shape. As a reformer, he portrayed a true picture of Mysticism. He believed that Islam was a dominant and divinely designed religion envisaging both political and intellectual domains. The scientific interpretation of Islam no doubt rests with the Muslim scholars who harmonize it with the demands of the time through research and deep study of the tenets of this belief keeping in view the challenges faced by humanity. Islam has two vital aspects-the exoteric side which concerns the outward action and the esoteric aspect involving the purification of heart through good deeds (Ihsan). Shah Wali Ulla’h concentrated on the later aspect and explained how the inner side of a human being can be purified? According to him the temperament of a person varies with gender, age, the food eaten and the region of the earth where he lives, so there is nothing like absolute balance of temperament that might exist, but it is possible that a perfect or balanced example might be observed in the lives of the holy prophets who have been declared as pefect examples of good temperament and urged upon the Muslims to copy them. We find that Shah Wali Ulla’h has based his spiritual philosophy on the message contained in his major LATHAIFS (books). It is worth noting here that Nisbath i.e. devotion to Alla'h occupies a vital position in his mysthetic philosophy. His book named “Ham,Ét” meaning a few drop of wisdom- encompasses the whole content of his message. This article probes the essance of Nisba’h in Shah Wali Ulla’h’s view.
An Analytical Study of Mysticism and its Terminologies
Authors: Ahmad Khan Dr. Hafiz Munir
Published: July 2019

Mysticism is an area of knowledge, which purifies bodies, ethics and soul. Mysticism is based on soul. Man is composed of body and soul thus the importance of soul is static. To purify the soul it is essential to have knowledge of the Qura’n and ×adith. A person knows well the Qura’n and ×adith is called a mystic or a scholar of mysticism . Knowledge and mysticism are the best source to get closer to Alla'h Almighty. Through this experience a person can reach the highest degree of spirtuality. All the secrets of universe are disclosed to him with this sort of knowledge, so the Mysticism is the soul of Islam and a fact of religion. It teaches love with human beings and religions as well as ethics, peace, brotherhood, unity and patriotism. The purpose of this article is to highlight the role of mysticism and mystics in imparting Islamic education in our society for the revival of Islam and it culture.
An Analytical Study of Universe and its Reflections in the Light of Qur'an, Sunnah and Science
Authors: Aziz Dr. Khadija
Published: July 2019

To determine the base line of the real facts, strenghthening of knowledge becomes commanding. The Qur’an prvides guidance to follow the path set by Allah for human beings. Faith and relince in Allah intensify research insight and religion surge scientific hallucination. Examining universal eventuation results in unveiling the philosophy tailored by Allah, ensuring further in disclosure of the total immensity of Allah Almighty. Present day scientific researh and advancement in the light of Qur’an proves Allah’s significance thus opening the windows of human intellect results in strengthening of faith of Muslim. A human being with knowledge, progression and wisdom is indeed the guided one and is worthy of deserving the “ Key to Success”. In This paper the Universe and its Reflections in the Light of Qur'an, Sunna’h & Science have been analyzed and the subjec has been covered with an aim to increase the faith of a Muslim and develop islamic Image.
Self-Control in Islam and its Psychological Aspect
Authors: Rehman Dr. Farhat Naz
Published: July 2019

The idea of self control is getting captivated more and more by Psychologists but for quite a long time, psychology was inclined more towards the issues and ideas such as, self-esteem, intelligence, happiness etc. No doubt these ideas are important and have value in human life but the missing aspect from all these factors is will power or self-control. The basic teachings of Islam centered on the concept of self-control or in other word self-restraint. This study focuses on the essentials and the benefits of self-control in the light of Qur’an and Sunnah while discussing the psychological aspect of human life in this regard. At a time when the fallout from uncontrolled expenditure and uninhibited consumption is fueling a national malaise, the need of Islamic teachings arises to deliver a comprehensive investigation of the fundamental problem of our time: how to save ourselves from what we want or desire. This strike a chord that while more calories, sex, and intoxicants are easily accessible than ever before, critical social constraints have eroded, constructing a world that deeply tests the confines of human willpower. This study draws a vibrant image of the many-sided problem of desire and conveys a blueprint for how one can sensibly stay away from a battle of self-destruction by referring to history, literature, psychology and philosophy of Islam.
Instrumentación empleada en túneles de viento subsónicos para evaluar perfiles aerodinámicos
Authors: Topa Chuquitarco Cristian Paúl , Vásquez Carrera Paco Jovanni , Hidalgo Osorio William Armando , Villarroel Herrera Nelson Jhonatan
Published: July 2019

Los túneles de viento son equipos indispensables en el desarrollo de experimentos aerodinámicos donde se requieren obtener condiciones de borde controladas para garantizar la repetitividad en cada ensayo. Los datos obtenidos en las pruebas realizadas en túneles de viento deben ser extraídos de manera efectiva para que sean interpretados por el analista, por tal motivo existen variedad de instrumentos especializados con los cuales se logra una alta sensibilidad en las mediciones y permiten extraer información indispensable ya sea para el desarrollo de nuevos productos y equipos o mejorar el entendimiento de fenómenos naturales. El objetivo se direccionó a   identificar los diferentes tipos de instrumentación empleados para la recolección de datos en túneles de viento subsónicos. El método aplicado para la elaboración de este artículo fue la revisión bibliográfica de varios autores, el mismo que se compone de   varias etapas como: definición de los objetivos, selección de bibliografía, análisis de la literatura y redacción. Posterior a la revisión bibliográfica se identificó que existen variedad de instrumentos de medición. Entre los cuales los más comúnmente empleados son: transductores de fuerza para determinar fuerzas de sustentación, arrastre y momento, sensores para la toma de presión estática, tomas de presión total, sondas de velocidad de hilo caliente y sondas de cinco agujeros.  Por tal motivo, este artículo tendrá como propósito establecer referencias para conocer los diferentes tipos de instrumentación y sus aplicaciones primordiales en el proceso de extracción de datos al analizar elementos en un túnel de viento.
Impacto en la Usabilidad de un Sistema Web Académico desarrollado con Tecnología PHP y Framework Symfony2
Authors: García Camacho Galuth Irene , Aguilar Moncayo Linda Noralma , Moyano Jácome María Gabriela
Published: July 2019

En la presente investigación se realizó el análisis del uso del sistema académico web desarrollado para la "Academia Militar Tiwintsa" en la provincia Morona Santiago, el cual fue implementado utilizando la tecnología PHP con el framework Symfony2, con la finalidad de identificar el impacto del uso de estas tecnologías en la interfaz final del usuario. Para lo cual el sistema académico fue sometido a pruebas de calidad aplicando la norma ISO/IEC 9241-11, obteniendo como resultado en la métrica de efectividad un valor porcentual de 93,64 %; en la métrica de eficiencia un valor porcentual de 92,50%; y en la métrica de satisfacción un valor porcentual de 94,40%; resultados con los que se determinó que el uso de la tecnología PHP con el framework Symfony2 permite el desarrollo de un sistema intuitivo y amigable, motivando el uso diario del mismo para los diferentes procesos académicos y administrativos de la institución, pues ayuda a mejorar los tiempos de respuesta y en consecuencia la calidad de atención al cliente
El balanced scorecard como herramienta de gestión para mejorar la productividad de la industria camaronera: Caso camaronera Biocultivos del Mar (Biomar) Cía. Ltda.
Authors: Jiménez Cueva Bayron Manuel , Erazo Álvarez Juan Carlos , Narváez Zurita Cecilia Ivonne , Quevedo Vázquez Jorge Oswaldo
Published: July 2019

El Balanced Scorecard (BSC) resulta una herramienta muy importante que contribuye a que todas las empresas puedan llegar a la dialéctica de convertir sus estrategias en objetivos factibles de realizar, relacionándolos para facilitar el actuar del recurso humano y las inversiones se optimicen para lograr su máxima funcionalidad y productividad; actualmente en las organizaciones se ha convertido en una herramienta fundamental para gestionar de manera eficiente sus recursos. Bajo estos conceptos y con el interés de medir, controlar y mejorar las fases productivas en los centros de operación es como Biocultivos del mar Biomar Cía. Ltda., se ve en la necesidad de implementar un cuadro de mando integral CMI o Balanced Scorecard BSC que garantice un adecuado y correcto manejo de sus recursos y que refleje la rentabilidad sobre la inversión en cuanto a su producción de camarón; razón por la cual se pretende que con la aplicación del BSC y con los indicadores propuestos se logre maximizar la optimización de las inversiones y así lograr una mejor rentabilidad en la camaronera.
UPAYA MENINGKATKAN KOMPETENSI PEDAGOGIK GURU DALAM MENERAPKAN PROSES PEMBELAJARAN BERBASIS PENDEKATAN SAINTIFIK MELALUI SUPERVISI KUNJUNGAN KELAS DI SMPN 18 DUMAI
Authors: Ahmad Edy
Published: July 2019

This research is motivated by the 2013 curriculum that requires learning that is able to improve student competence in aspects of knowledge, skills and attitudes. The purpose of this study is to increase the pedagogical competence of teachers in applying scientific approach based learning through supervision of class visits. This research was conducted at 18 Dumai Public Middle School starting February 11 to March 30, 2019. The subjects of this study were 8 science teachers in the field of science and mathematics. Research data in the form of documents, observation sheets, and interviews. Data were analyzed through 3 steps, namely: data reduction, data exposure, and conclusions. The results of this study conclude that the supervision of class visits can improve the pedagogical competence of teachers in applying the learning process based on the scientific approach at Dumai 18 Public Middle School. The percentage of teacher pedagogic competence in the first cycle was 55%, which included the less category increased in the second cycle to 79% in the good category.
POLARISASI TAHAPAN KEPEMIMPINAN TRANSFORMATIF PENDIDIKAN ISLAM
Authors: Syadzili Muhamad Fatih Rusydi
Published: July 2019

The purpose of writing this article is to find out the polarization of the stages of leadership that are appropriate to be applied in educational institutions. The current problem of Indonesian education is that the quality is not optimal and evenly distributed. The method and type of data collection in this study is library research by collecting books, journals and the results of previous studies that support the research theme, including literature on leadership which includes transformational, Islamic Education and objective leadership models. The results of this study show that the leadership variables are the most important and urgent variables in an effort to create / realize quality education.
Macroinvertebrates of the Tributaries of Upper Baleh River, Sarawak
Authors: Muli Anita , Yee Ling Teck- , Sim Siong-Fong , Grinang Jongkar
Published: July 2019

Studies on Baleh River with respect to aquatic fauna currently remains limited. Hence, this paper presents thespecies richness and composition of macroinvertebrates14 tributaries of Upper Baleh River in Kapit Division,Sarawak. A total of 1,154 individuals from 10 orders, 43 families and 66 genera of macroinvertebrates werecollected. The highest number of macroinvertebrate was taken from Naah River (201 individuals) and the leastfrom Ukit River (15 individuals). The order Ephemeroptera was the most abundant, with 45% of the totalindividuals caught, followed by Trichoptera (23%), Hemiptera (10%), and Coleoptera (9%). Three biologicalindices were used to measure the diversity of macroinvertebrate of which the values of the indices were low:Shannon diversity index (1.54–2.54), Shannon evenness index (0.33–0.89) and Margalef richness index (1.67–4.90). The composition of functional feeding groups varies between first and fourth order streams, which ispossibly an indication of ecological effects of siltation due to logging activities in the area.
Micronutrient Concentrations in Soil and Wheat Decline by Long-Term Tillage and Winter Wheat–Pea Rotation
Authors: Shiwakoti Santosh , Zheljazkov Valtcho D. , Gollany Hero T. , Xing Baoshan , Kleber Markus
Published: July 2019

Tillage plays a major role in nutrient dynamics under dryland cropping systems, but there remains uncertainty regarding the long-term impacts of tillage on nutrient availability. The objective of this study was to examine the influence of tillage intensity and timing on micronutrient concentration of soils and winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under dryland winter wheat–pea (Pisum sativum L.) or WW-P rotation. The treatments included moldboard tillage in fall (FT) and spring (ST), disk/chisel tillage (DT), and no-tillage (NT). The concentrations of Mehlich III extractable boron, manganese, zinc, copper, and iron in soil were unaffected by the tillage methods; however, a significant decline in extractable zinc in the top 10 cm soil was observed compared to an adjacent undisturbed grass pasture (GP) (NT: 2.3 mg kg−1 vs. GP: 6.0 mg kg−1). In the upper 10 cm soil surface, NT (123 mg kg−1) maintained the extractable manganese concentration with GP (175 mg kg−1) whereas FT (97 mg kg−1), ST (92 mg kg−1), and DT (113 mg kg−1) had lower manganese than GP. Soil pH declined in the upper 10 cm under NT more than in the rest of the WW-P treatments. The results suggest NT can play a vital role in sustaining micronutrient availability due to decreased soil pH and the greater amount of organic matter within the surface soil of NT compared to other tillage methods.
Estimating Road Segments Using Kernelized Averaging of GPS Trajectories
Authors: Marteau Pierre-François
Published: July 2019

A method called iTEKA, which stands for iterative time elastic kernel averaging, was successfully used for averaging time series. In this paper, we adapt it to GPS trajectories. The key contribution is a denoising procedure that includes an over-sampling scheme, the detection and removal of outlier trajectories, a kernelized time elastic averaging method, and a down-sampling as post-processing. The experiment carried out on benchmark datasets showed that the proposed procedure is effective and outperforms straightforward methods based on medoid or Euclidean averaging approaches.
The Impact of Node Location Imperfections on the Reliability of Single-Layer Steel Domes
Authors: Zabojszcza Paweł , Radoń Urszula
Published: July 2019

This study is an attempt to assess the effect of node location imperfections on the reliability dome. The analysis concerns a single-layer steel lattice dome that is very sensitive to node snap-through. The load-displacement path of the structure was determined using the program, Finite Element Method-Krata. To determine the failure probability, reliability index, and elasticity index, the first-order reliability method approximation method was employed. The reliability analysis was conducted with Numpress Explore software, developed at the Institute of Fundamental Technological Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw. In this paper, it is shown how large differences in the assessment of the safety of a structure can appear when we incorrectly estimate the standard deviation of the random variable responsible for the imperfections of node locations.
A PEC Thrice Subtraction Method for Obtaining Permeability Invariance Feature in Conductivity Measurement of Ferromagnetic Samples
Authors: Wen Dongdong , Fan Mengbao , Cao Binghua , Xue Zhian , Wang Ping
Published: July 2019

Conductivity, as an important index of structural health monitoring, can be used to evaluate heat treatment condition, and sort different materials or measure the stress of mechanical parts. However, the permeability of a measured sample has significant impact on the detected signal in pulsed eddy current (PEC) testing, which is prone to measurement errors due to the effect of permeability change. In this paper, a thrice subtraction method is investigated and utilized to obtain a permeability invariance (PI) feature for reducing permeability effect in conductivity measurement of ferromagnetic samples. The thrice subtraction method is based on the PEC signals of sample and air, the difference signal between the difference PEC signal and its normalization signal, and the difference signal between the difference normalization signal and its standard deviation. In the thrice subtraction signals, the behavior of the obtained PI feature is analyzed by experiments and simulations. The results demonstrate that the thrice subtraction method is a practicable program and the PI feature is potential to measure the conductivity of ferromagnetic samples. The work reported in this paper provides an effective approach to obtain a PI feature for estimating the conductivity of ferromagnetic samples without a permeability effect.
The Effects of Differences in Individual Characteristics and Regional Living Environments on the Motivation to Immigrate to Hometowns: A Decision Tree Analysis
Authors: Sekiguchi Tatsuya , Hayashi Naoki , Sugino Hiroaki , Terada Yuuki
Published: July 2019

Population decline and rural–urban population disparities are serious problems in Japan. This study aims to investigate the relationship between people’s motivations to migrate to their hometowns (“U-turn migration”) and their evaluations of the living environments of both their hometowns and current places of residence. An online questionnaire survey was conducted for people living in multiple places in Japan. By using the data of respondents’ U-turn motivations and their evaluations of living environments, we conducted a decision tree analysis to quantitatively describe the multilayered relationship between the environments and people’s motivations, and we focused on patterns that can ameliorate the population disparities. These are the major findings: first, living environments in both the hometown and at the current place of residence affected the U-turn motivations. Second, respondents were divided into several groups based on similar U-turn motivation structures, and with different demographic characters among the groups. Additionally, the evaluations of some living environments tend to depend on the city size or geographic locations. Although some groups’ U-turn migrations may improve population disparities, the improvement and maintenance of living environments are necessary. The results can help local governments in identifying the living environments that need development, and in estimating the feasibility of U-turn migrations.
Efficient Transmit Delay Calculation in Ultrasound Coherent Plane-Wave Compound Imaging for Curved Array Transducers
Authors: Go Dooyoung , Kang Jinbum , Song Ilseob , Yoo Yangmo
Published: July 2019

The recently introduced plane-wave compounding method based on multiple plane-wave excitation has enabled several new applications due to its high frame rate (>1000 Hz). In this paper, a new efficient transmit delay calculation method in plane-wave compound imaging for a curved array transducer is presented. In the proposed method, the transmit delay is only calculated for a steering angle of 0° and is shifted along the element of the transducer to obtain other transmit delays for different steering angles. To evaluate the performance of the proposed method, the computational complexity was measured for various transmission conditions. For the number of elements and plane-wave excitations of 128 and 65, respectively, the number of operations was substantially decreased in the proposed method compared with the conventional method (256 vs. 8320). The benefits of the proposed method were demonstrated with phantom and in vivo experiments, where coherent plane-wave compounding with 65 excitations provided larger CR and CNR values compared to nine excitations (−22.5 dB and 2.7 vs. −11.3 dB and 1.9, respectively). These results indicate the proposed method can effectively reduce the computational complexity for plane-wave compound imaging in curved array transducers.
Deep Learning Application to Ensemble Learning—The Simple, but Effective, Approach to Sentiment Classifying
Authors: Khai Tran Thien , Thi Phan Tuoi
Published: July 2019

Sentiment analysis is an active research area in natural language processing. The task aims at identifying, extracting, and classifying sentiments from user texts in post blogs, product reviews, or social networks. In this paper, the ensemble learning model of sentiment classification is presented, also known as CEM (classifier ensemble model). The model contains various data feature types, including language features, sentiment shifting, and statistical techniques. A deep learning model is adopted with word embedding representation to address explicit, implicit, and abstract sentiment factors in textual data. The experiments conducted based on different real datasets found that our sentiment classification system is better than traditional machine learning techniques, such as Support Vector Machines and other ensemble learning systems, as well as the deep learning model, Long Short-Term Memory network, which has shown state-of-the-art results for sentiment analysis in almost corpuses. Our model’s distinguishing point consists in its effective application to different languages and different domains.
Stable Isotopes in Greenhouse Gases from Soil: A Review of Theory and Application
Authors: Zhu Xiao-cong , Di Dong-rui , Ma Ming-guo , Shi Wei-yu
Published: July 2019

Greenhouse gases emitted from soil play a crucial role in the atmospheric environment and global climate change. The theory and technique of detecting stable isotopes in the atmosphere has been widely used to an investigate greenhouse gases from soil. In this paper, we review the current literature on greenhouse gases emitted from soil, including carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O). We attempt to synthesize recent advances in the theory and application of stable isotopes in greenhouse gases from soil and discuss future research needs and directions.
Using Convective Available Potential Energy (CAPE) and Dew-Point Temperature to Characterize Rainfall-Extreme Events in the South-Central Andes
Authors: Ramezani Ziarani Maryam , Bookhagen Bodo , Schmidt Torsten , Wickert Jens , de la Torre Alejandro , Hierro Rodrigo
Published: July 2019

The interactions between atmosphere and steep topography in the eastern south–central Andes result in complex relations with inhomogenous rainfall distributions. The atmospheric conditions leading to deep convection and extreme rainfall and their spatial patterns—both at the valley and mountain-belt scales—are not well understood. In this study, we aim to identify the dominant atmospheric conditions and their spatial variability by analyzing the convective available potential energy (CAPE) and dew-point temperature ( T d ). We explain the crucial effect of temperature on extreme rainfall generation along the steep climatic and topographic gradients in the NW Argentine Andes stretching from the low-elevation eastern foreland to the high-elevation central Andean Plateau in the west. Our analysis relies on version 2.0 of the ECMWF’s (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts) Re-Analysis (ERA-interim) data and TRMM (Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission) data. We make the following key observations: First, we observe distinctive gradients along and across strike of the Andes in dew-point temperature and CAPE that both control rainfall distributions. Second, we identify a nonlinear correlation between rainfall and a combination of dew-point temperature and CAPE through a multivariable regression analysis. The correlation changes in space along the climatic and topographic gradients and helps to explain controlling factors for extreme-rainfall generation. Third, we observe more contribution (or higher importance) of T d in the tropical low-elevation foreland and intermediate-elevation areas as compared to the high-elevation central Andean Plateau for 90th percentile rainfall. In contrast, we observe a higher contribution of CAPE in the intermediate-elevation area between low and high elevation, especially in the transition zone between the tropical and subtropical areas for the 90th percentile rainfall. Fourth, we find that the parameters of the multivariable regression using CAPE and T d can explain rainfall with higher statistical significance for the 90th percentile compared to lower rainfall percentiles. Based on our results, the spatial pattern of rainfall-extreme events during the past ∼16 years can be described by a combination of dew-point temperature and CAPE in the south–central Andes.
An Item–Item Collaborative Filtering Recommender System Using Trust and Genre to Address the Cold-Start Problem
Authors: Hasan Mahamudul , Roy Falguni
Published: July 2019

Item-based collaborative filtering is one of the most popular techniques in the recommender system to retrieve useful items for the users by finding the correlation among the items. Traditional item-based collaborative filtering works well when there exists sufficient rating data but cannot calculate similarity for new items, known as a cold-start problem. Usually, for the lack of rating data, the identification of the similarity among the cold-start items is difficult. As a result, existing techniques fail to predict accurate recommendations for cold-start items which also affects the recommender system’s performance. In this paper, two item-based similarity measures have been designed to overcome this problem by incorporating items’ genre data. An item might be uniform to other items as they might belong to more than one common genre. Thus, one of the similarity measures is defined by determining the degree of direct asymmetric correlation between items by considering their association of common genres. However, the similarity is determined between a couple of items where one of the items could be cold-start and another could be any highly rated item. Thus, the proposed similarity measure is accounted for as asymmetric by taking consideration of the item’s rating data. Another similarity measure is defined as the relative interconnection between items based on transitive inference. In addition, an enhanced prediction algorithm has been proposed so that it can calculate a better prediction for the recommendation. The proposed approach has experimented with two popular datasets that is Movielens and MovieTweets. In addition, it is found that the proposed technique performs better in comparison with the traditional techniques in a collaborative filtering recommender system. The proposed approach improved prediction accuracy for Movielens and MovieTweets approximately in terms of 3.42% & 8.58% mean absolute error, 7.25% & 3.29% precision, 7.20% & 7.55% recall, 8.76% & 5.15% f-measure and 49.3% and 16.49% mean reciprocal rank, respectively.
Safe Artificial General Intelligence via Distributed Ledger Technology
Authors: Carlson Kristen W.
Published: July 2019

Artificial general intelligence (AGI) progression metrics indicate AGI will occur within decades. No proof exists that AGI will benefit humans and not harm or eliminate humans. A set of logically distinct conceptual components is proposed that are necessary and sufficient to (1) ensure various AGI scenarios will not harm humanity, and (2) robustly align AGI and human values and goals. By systematically addressing pathways to malevolent AI we can induce the methods/axioms required to redress them. Distributed ledger technology (DLT, “blockchain”) is integral to this proposal, e.g., “smart contracts” are necessary to address the evolution of AI that will be too fast for human monitoring and intervention. The proposed axioms: (1) Access to technology by market license. (2) Transparent ethics embodied in DLT. (3) Morality encrypted via DLT. (4) Behavior control structure with values at roots. (5) Individual bar-code identification of critical components. (6) Configuration Item (from business continuity/disaster recovery planning). (7) Identity verification secured via DLT. (8) “Smart” automated contracts based on DLT. (9) Decentralized applications—AI software modules encrypted via DLT. (10) Audit trail of component usage stored via DLT. (11) Social ostracism (denial of resources) augmented by DLT petitions. (12) Game theory and mechanism design.
Architecture of the Bacterial Flagellar Distal Rod and Hook of Salmonella
Authors: Saijo-Hamano Yumiko , Matsunami Hideyuki , Namba Keiichi , Imada Katsumi
Published: July 2019

The bacterial flagellum is a large molecular complex composed of thousands of protein subunits for motility. The filamentous part of the flagellum, which is called the axial structure, consists of the filament, the hook, and the rods, with other minor components—the cap protein and the hook associated proteins. They share a common basic architecture of subunit arrangement, but each part shows quite distinct mechanical properties to achieve its specific function. The distal rod and the hook are helical assemblies of a single protein, FlgG and FlgE, respectively. They show a significant sequence similarity but have distinct mechanical characteristics. The rod is a rigid, straight cylinder, whereas the hook is a curved tube with high bending flexibility. Here, we report a structural model of the rod constructed by using the crystal structure of a core fragment of FlgG with a density map obtained previously by electron cryomicroscopy. Our structural model suggests that a segment called L-stretch plays a key role in achieving the distinct mechanical properties of the rod using a structurally similar component protein to that of the hook.
Roles of Zinc Finger Protein 423 in Proliferation and Invasion of Cholangiocarcinoma through Oxidative Stress
Authors: Chaiprasert Timpika , Armartmuntree Napat , Techasen Anchalee , Sakonsinsiri Chadamas , Pinlaor Somchai , Ungarreevittaya Piti , Khuntikeo Narong , Namwat Nisana , Thanan Raynoo
Published: July 2019

Zinc finger protein 423 (ZNF423) is a transcriptional factor involved in the development and progression of cancers but has not yet been examined in cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), an oxidative stress-driven cancer of biliary epithelium. In this study, we hypothesized that oxidative stress mediated ZNF423 expression regulates its downstream genes resulting in CCA genesis. ZNF423 protein expression patterns and 8-oxodG (an oxidative stress marker) formation in CCA tissues were investigated using immunohistochemical analysis. The results showed that ZNF423 was overexpressed in CCA cells compared to normal bile duct cells adjacent of the tumor. Notably, ZNF423 expression was positively correlated with 8-oxodG formation. Moreover, ZNF423 expression in an immortalized cholangiocyte cell line (MMNK1) was increased by hydrogen peroxide-treatment, suggesting that oxidative stress induces ZNF423 expression. To investigate the roles of ZNF423 in CCA progression, ZNF423 mRNA was silenced using specific siRNA in CCA cell lines, KKU-100 and KKU-213. Silencing of ZNF423 significantly inhibits cell proliferation and invasion of both CCA cell lines. Taking all these results together, the present study denoted that ZNF423 is an oxidative stress-responsive gene with an oncogenic property contributing to the regulation of CCA genesis.
Effects of Ionic Liquid Alkyl Chain Length on Denaturation of Myoglobin by Anionic, Cationic, and Zwitterionic Detergents
Authors: Lee Joshua Y. , Selfridge Katherine M. , Kohn Eric M. , Vaden Timothy D. , Caputo Gregory A.
Published: July 2019

The unique electrochemical properties of ionic liquids (ILs) have motivated their use as solvents for organic synthesis and green energy applications. More recently, their potential in pharmaceutical chemistry has prompted investigation into their effects on biomolecules. There is evidence that some ILs can destabilize proteins via a detergent-like manner; however, the mechanism still remains unknown. Our hypothesis is that if ILs are denaturing proteins via a detergent-like mechanism, detergent-mediated protein unfolding should be enhanced in the presence of ILs. The properties of myoglobin was examined in the presence of a zwitterionic (N,N-dimethyl-N-dodecylglycine betaine (Empigen BB®, EBB)), cationic (tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide (TTAB)), and anionic (sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)) detergent as well as ILs based on alkylated imidazolium chlorides. Protein structure was measured through a combination of absorbance, fluorescence, and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy: absorbance and CD were used to monitor heme complexation to myoglobin, and tryptophan fluorescence quenching was used as an indicator for heme dissociation. Notably, the detergents tested did not fully denature the protein but instead resulted in loss of the heme group. At low IL concentrations, heme dissociation remained a traditional, cooperative process; at high concentrations, ILs with increased detergent-like character exhibited a more complex pattern, which is most likely attributable to micellization of the ionic liquids or direct denaturation or heme dissociation induced by the ILs. These trends were consistent across all species of detergents. 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH) fluorescence was further used to characterize micelle formation in aqueous solutions containing detergent and ionic liquid. The dissociation thermodynamics show that EBB- and TTAB-induced dissociation of heme is not significantly impacted by room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs), whereas SDS-induced dissociation is more dramatically impacted by all RTILs examined. Together, these results indicate a complex interaction of detergents, likely based on headgroup charge, and the active component of RTILs to influence heme dissociation and potentially protein denaturation.
Disseminated Coccidioidomycosis to the Spine—Case Series and Review of Literature
Authors: Ramanathan Dinesh , Sahasrabudhe Nikhil , Kim Esther
Published: July 2019

Coccidioidomycosis is a fungal infectious disease caused by the Coccidioides species endemic to Southwestern United States. Symptomatic patients typically present as community-acquired pneumonia. Uncommonly, in about 1% of infections, hematogenous extra pulmonary systemic dissemination involving skin, musculoskeletal system, and meninges occur. Disseminated spinal infection is treated with antifungal drugs and/or surgical treatment. A retrospective review of medical records at our institution was done between January 2009 to December 2018 and we present three cases of spinal coccidioidomycosis and review the current literature. Disseminated coccidioidomycosis can lead to spondylitis that can present as discitis or a localized spinal or paraspinal abscess. Spinal coccidioidomycosis is typically managed with antifungal treatments but can include surgical treatment in the setting poor response to medical therapy, intractable pain, presence of neurological deficits due to compression, or structural spinal instability.
Social Skills in Children at Home and in Preschool
Authors: Maleki Maryam , Mardani Abbas , Mitra Chehrzad Minoo , Dianatinasab Mostafa , Vaismoradi Mojtaba
Published: July 2019

Preschool age is a crucial period for social development. Social skills acquired during this period are the basis for future life’s success. This study aimed to investigate the level of social skills in preschool children at home and in preschool and to examine the association between children’s social skills and environmental and cultural backgrounds. A cross-sectional study using a multistage cluster sampling method was conducted on 546 children studying in the preschool centers of an urban area of Iran. Data were collected through demographic and social skill questionnaires from parents and teachers. Our findings showed that the social skills of girls were more than those of boys at home. Further, the majority of children had a moderate level of social skills from the parents’ and teachers’ perspectives. There was a modest parent–teacher agreement in most domains of social skills. Moreover, a statistically significant association was reported between children’s social skill domains and the child’s birth rank, father’s age, father’s job, teacher’s age, teacher’s education, teacher’s experience, and preschool classroom in terms of the numbers of children and the type of classroom. Accordingly, the risk of problems with social skills was reported to be relatively low. Therefore, more attention should be given to the family status and the teacher’s and preschool center’s characteristics to improve social skills in children.
Swedish House Owners’ Intentions Towards Renovations: Is there a Market for One-Stop-Shop?
Authors: Pardalis Georgios , Mahapatra Krushna , Bravo Giangiacomo , Mainali Brijesh
Published: July 2019

In this paper, we examine factors affecting owners’ intention for renovation of their detached houses. Furthermore, we analyze their interest in choosing a one-stop-shop (OSS) service for the renovation, even though such a concept is not yet established in Sweden, but emerging in other parts of Europe. Our study is based on responses to an online questionnaire survey of 971 house owners residing in Kronoberg Region in Sweden. About 76% of the respondents intend to renovate in the near future, with approximately 71% of them preferring to renovate individual components of their dwelling and 5% to renovate their whole house in steps. House owners of younger age, higher income, higher education, and those with an interest for environmental issues, were the ones most interested in physical renovations, which improves energy efficiency of the building. For those house owners, one-stop-shop can facilitate the decision-making process, and help them to choose those measures that will improve their quality of life. Approximately 20% of the respondents had a positive view towards an one-stop-shop, which is an indicator that market for such a service exists. Parameters such as quality of work, cost and energy savings and specification of measures to be adopted are the key for the promotion of one-stop-shop. Additionally, house owners want to have a certain level of involvement in the selection of actors performing the renovation. Moreover, financial incentives, e.g., loans, do not play a significant role for the selection of one-stop-shop, but act as complementary motive for house owners.
Impact of Baseline ALBI Grade on the Outcomes of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients Treated with Lenvatinib: A Multicenter Study
Authors: Ueshima Kazuomi , Nishida Naoshi , Hagiwara Satoru , Aoki Tomoko , Minami Tomohiro , Chishina Hirokazu , Takita Masahiro , Minami Yasunori , Ida Hiroshi , Takenaka Mamoru , Sakurai Toshiharu , Watanabe Tomohiro , Morita Masahiro , Ogawa Chikara , Hiraoka Atsushi , Johnson Philip , Kudo Masatoshi
Published: July 2019

Background: This study investigated the impact of baseline liver function according to the Child–Pugh score and ALBI (albumin-bilirubin) grade on the outcomes of patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma treated with lenvatinib. Methods: A total of 82 lenvatinib treated patients were included. The correlations of baseline liver function according to the Child–Pugh score and ALBI grade with treatment outcomes, including objective response rate per mRECIST (modified Response Evaluation Criteria in the Solid Tumor), time to treatment failure, treatment duration, and likelihood of treatment discontinuation due to adverse events, were assessed in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma treated with lenvatinib. Patients were divided into four groups: (1) Child–Pugh score 5 and ALBI grade 1 (group 1), (2) Child–Pugh score 5 and ALBI grade 2 (group 2), (3) Child–Pugh score 6 (group 3), and (4) Child–Pugh score ≥7 (group 4). Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify the factors contributing to the objective response rate and likelihood of discontinuation due to adverse events. Results: Among the 82 patients analyzed, group 1 had the highest objective response rate (57.1%) and the lowest likelihood of treatment discontinuation because of adverse events (11.1%) among the four groups (p < 0.05 and p < 0.05). Multivariate analysis identified ALBI grade 1 and baseline AFP level <200 ng/mL as the significant predictors of a high objective response rate (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01), and confirmed that patients with ALBI grade 1 had the lowest probability of treatment discontinuation due to adverse events (p < 0.01). Conclusions: Patients with Child–Pugh score of 5 and ALBI grade 1 predicted a higher response rate and lower treatment discontinuation due to adverse events by lenvatinib treatment.
Prostate Cancer Development Is Not Affected by Statin Use in Patients with Elevated PSA Levels
Authors: Meijer Dennie , van Moorselaar R. Jeroen A. , Vis André N. , Bijnsdorp Irene V.
Published: July 2019

Background: The role of statins in prostate cancer (PCa) remains unclear. Conflicting evidence has been found concerning risk reduction with the use of statins on biochemical recurrence (BCR). In this study, we evaluated whether statin use decreases the incidence of advanced PCa in males with elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA; ≥4.0 ng/mL) levels and determined whether statin use reduces the risk of BCR after radical prostatectomy (RP). Methods: Patients visiting the outpatient urology clinic of the VU Medical Center between 2006 and 2018 with elevated PSA were retrospectively analyzed. Biochemical recurrence after RP was defined as a PSA level of ≥0.2 ng/mL (measured twice). Results: A total of 1566 patients were included, of which 1122 (72%) were diagnosed with PCa. At the time of diagnosis, 252 patients (23%) used statins compared to 83 patients (19%) in the non-malignancy group (p = 0.10). No differences were found in the use of statins between the different risk groups. No correlation was found between the risk of BCR after RP and the use of statins in the total (p = 0.20), the intermediate-risk group (p = 0.63) or the high-risk group (p = 0.14). Conclusion: The use of statins does not affect PCa development/progression in patients with elevated PSA levels, nor the development of BCR after RP.
Molecular Mode of Action of TRAIL Receptor Agonists—Common Principles and Their Translational Exploitation
Authors: Wajant Harald
Published: July 2019

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) and its death receptors TRAILR1/death receptor 4 (DR4) and TRAILR2/DR5 trigger cell death in many cancer cells but rarely exert cytotoxic activity on non-transformed cells. Against this background, a variety of recombinant TRAIL variants and anti-TRAIL death receptor antibodies have been developed and tested in preclinical and clinical studies. Despite promising results from mice tumor models, TRAIL death receptor targeting has failed so far in clinical studies to show satisfying anti-tumor efficacy. These disappointing results can largely be explained by two issues: First, tumor cells can acquire TRAIL resistance by several mechanisms defining a need for combination therapies with appropriate sensitizing drugs. Second, there is now growing preclinical evidence that soluble TRAIL variants but also bivalent anti-TRAIL death receptor antibodies typically require oligomerization or plasma membrane anchoring to achieve maximum activity. This review discusses the need for oligomerization and plasma membrane attachment for the activity of TRAIL death receptor agonists in view of what is known about the molecular mechanisms of how TRAIL death receptors trigger intracellular cell death signaling. In particular, it will be highlighted which consequences this has for the development of next generation TRAIL death receptor agonists and their potential clinical application.
Metabolic Regulation of Redox Balance in Cancer
Authors: Purohit Vinee , Simeone Diane M. , Lyssiotis Costas A.
Published: July 2019

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are chemically active free radicals produced by partial reduction of oxygen that can activate discrete signaling pathways or disrupt redox homeostasis depending on their concentration. ROS interacts with biomolecules, including DNA, and can cause mutations that can transform normal cells into cancer cells. Furthermore, certain cancer-causing mutations trigger alterations in cellular metabolism that can increase ROS production, resulting in genomic instability, additional DNA mutations, and tumor evolution. To prevent excess ROS-mediated toxicity, cancer-causing mutations concurrently activate pathways that manage this oxidative burden. Hence, an understanding of the metabolic pathways that regulate ROS levels is imperative for devising therapies that target tumor cells. In this review, we summarize the dual role of metabolism as a generator and inhibitor of ROS in cancer and discuss current strategies to target the ROS axis.