bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Perception of Tourists Towards Challenges Heritage Building Conservation
Authors: Hazarudin Nurhanisah , Ismail Radzi , Osman Wan Nadzri , Aswad Ibrahim Fazdliel
Published: April 2019

Building conservation is the key challenges to the heritage building. The main attractive element for tourist to visit heritage building is condition of building. This paper attempt to identifying the challenges in heritage building conservation. Quantitative method was used in this study which involved tourist as respondents. This study was conducted in Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia. Total numbers of returned questionnaires are 127. Descriptive analysis was used in this study to know the level of challenges in heritage building conservation. The results found that there are four challenges aspects; consist of building aspect, technicality aspect, social aspect and environment aspect. The first ranked of challenges in heritage building conservation scope is social aspect. Based on tourist perception, they believed social aspect become the main challenge in building conservation. Followed by building aspect, environment aspect and technical aspect. In social aspect, the results show that low involvement of young people with the heritage and conservation activity, public participation are still low with the heritage, program and lack of public awareness on heritage building conservation. These challenges resolve by increase the awareness and involvement the public people. Further research need to emphasis on how to increase public awareness in heritage building conservation.
Peacebuilding Model of Third-Party Mediation in the Philippines: Comparing Malaysia and the OIC
Authors: Taya Shamsuddin , Omar Rusdi , Aziz Yaacob Che Mohd , Lantong Abdul
Published: April 2019

Many nation-states have increasingly found themselves in a situation where they are unable to sort out their domestic conflicts without third party mediation. This is particularly true for a country like the Government of the Philippines (GPH) who has been fighting violent protracted internal conflicts for many decades against Bangsamoro revolutionary groups. Therefore, with respect to the above, the purpose of this article is to compare peacebuilding models of third party mediation to the Bangsamoro conflicts with particular focus between Malaysia and the Organization of Islamic Conference, presently Cooperation (OIC). Its approach is primarily an eclectic, by concentrating on the strengths and weaknesses of the peacebuilding models of the third party mediation as employed by both Malaysia and OIC. The article is divided into two major parts. The first part discussed both Malaysia and OIC’s diplomatic approaches in dealing with the Bangsamoro conflict, while the second part explained inclusivity versus exclusivity of both Malaysia and the OIC respectively. The study found that Malaysia’s model is more durable and successful when compared to OIC’s. In fact, Malaysia’s quiet diplomacy and less confrontational approach with greater inclusivity were more effective compared to elitist and confrontational approach of the OIC’s mediation to the Bangsamoro conflicts. Indeed, the Government of the Philippines and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (GPH-MILF) peace process is one of the most inclusive peace processes in the world. It may have some who were left out in the peace process, but they were all consulted by both Manila and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) as opposed to OIC mediated Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Moro National Liberation Front (GRP-MNLF) peace negotiations. Therefore, it is pertinent to conclude that there is nothing that resembles the inclusivity of the GPH-MILF peace process that characterized the exclusivity of the GRP-MNLF peace process.
Experiential Learning: The Effective Application of Virtual Reality in Teaching and Learning
Authors: Abdullah Raja Nazim , Azhari Azman Mohamed Nor , Mustaffa Kamal Mohd Firdaus , Jing Riu Tang , Iskandar Raja Yaacob Raja Ahmad
Published: April 2019

Virtual reality education is a computer interface with specific characteristics transforming an immersive and interactive experience in to an education evolution. The purpose of this paper is to look into different approaches to study on emergence of the application of virtual reality in teaching and learning in classroom. Academic literatures indicate artificial intelligence is an evolution of the technology that taking the education to new ways. The pilot questionnaire was administered to a group of 45 subjects. A group was primed to complete the questionnaire before engagement of virtual reality and completed the questionnaire for post-test after experienced the virtual reality. Analysis from empirical evidence proves that virtual reality presents an opportunity of learning with a real situation, but artificially created enabling the visualization and the interaction sense with the study. This paper contributes to the theory on the implications of emerging technologies on the way students learn and how institutions teach and evolve. The paper draws intention to the implication of better appropriation of the concepts and a bigger facility in the activities performance specifically in modern education.
Effect of 4-Weeks Traditional Archery Intervention on Hand-Eye Coordination and Upper Limb Reaction Time Among Sedentary Youth
Authors: Anuar Zolkafi Mohd Azrul , Juliana Nordin Norsham , Abdul Rahman Hayati , Mon Sarip Noor Aien , Teng Abdullah Nur Islami , Azmani Sahar Mohd
Published: April 2019

This studyaims to determine the effect of a 4-weeks traditional archery intervention on hand-eye coordination and upper limb reaction time in sedentary youth. Methods: Thirty sedentary youth with leisure time activities of less than 150 minutes/week (mean age = 21.03 ± 1.61 years old) were randomly assigned into an intervention and a control group. A specific regimen of traditional archery training was given to the intervention group for 4 weeks, the control group on the other hand was requested to maintaintheir lifestyle. Result: There was significant intervention effect on hand-eye coordination of the intervention group (p< 0.05). The reaction time of intervention group showed higher improvement compared to the control group, however, the intervention effect was not statistically significant (p>0.05). Conclusion: Archery trainingsignificantly improved the hand-eye coordination within 4 weeks.
Revised steady-state model for chlorine dioxide brightening that considers extraction washer carryover effects
Authors: Brogdon Brian
Published: April 2019

In an earlier investigation, a generalized model was developed to simulate the first chlorine dioxide (ClO2) brightening stage (D1). That stoichiometric model accurately predicts pulp brightness values for given bleach charges and vice versa for laboratory softwood pulps. The equation parameters are dependent on the kappa number and brightness of the extracted pulp. In this study, the earlier model was refined to include the negative effects of extraction carryover to simulate more realistically a mill’s D1 stage. Extracted pulps that contain washer carryover were found to brighten as if the pulp had a kappa number equal to the sum of the extracted kappa and the kappa value of extraction dissolved solids. If this higher kappa (i.e., apparent or wet kappa) is used in place of the extracted kappa with the D1 model, the equations suitably predicted the bleached brightness for a given bleach charge. The modified expressions were used to quantify the amount of carryover and to calculate carryover bleach consumption for a softwood D0(EOP)D1 fiber line. The mill’s washed pulps were found to have carryover levels of 1.4 kappa units, which was consuming 48% of the total D1 bleach charge. Additional analyses revealed that extraction carryover consumes 2.5-4.6 kg ClO2/ton pulp per kappa unit of carryover when bleaching a pulp to 78% to 84% ISO.
Student's Reading Interest in University of Bangka Belitung
Authors: Hayati Laila , Bahtera Novyandra Ilham
Published: April 2019

Indonesia is one of countries that has high quantity of people but low in quality. It is shown from the low rating in human development index. Thus, the quality improvement i.e. educational improvement should be implemented effectively. Reading is one of the most crucial element in the field of education. The low rating of reading interest among Indonesian people becomes a tremendous issue which needs to be solved. To tackle, government implements the reading movement as contained in Act of the Republic of Indonesia number 20 of 2003 and ruled by Ministry of Culture and Education (Permendikbud) number 23 of 2015 about 15 minutes of literacy activities prior to the beginning of the study session. The study aims to identify the university students’ reading interest in University of Bangka Belitung as well as to examine the determinant and the obstacle of the university students’ reading interest. Structured questionnaire and online data collection methods were employed to obtain the primary data from 182 university students in University of Bangka Belitung, Indonesia. The study showed that the reading interest of university students in University of Bangka Belitung were at low score. About one-third of the respondents visited library once a week, one-fourth visited library twice a week and only 8.3 % of the respondents visited library 4 – 5 times a week. Almost one-fourth of respondents had 1 – 4 reading materials. Around half of respondents read less than an hour a day. As the determinant of book reading and library attendance, 61.3 % of the respondents were due to do assignment while only 16 % of respondents were due to habit and need to read. Whereas, as the obstacle to reading, almost half of respondents preferred using gadget, around one-fourth of respondents spent their times with friends and 39.2 % of respondents were too busy with their extracurricular activities on campus
The Concept of Dilthey’s Hermeneutics as Reflected in Juliasih’s Potensi Perempuan Amerika (Tinjauan Feminisme)
Authors: Afifulloh M
Published: April 2019

This paper aims at the description of Dilthey’s hermeneutics concept in the book entitled “Potensi Perempuan Amerika (tinjauan feminisme)”. This research is qualitative descriptive research. The data were analyzed by Dilthey’s hermeneutic approach. The result showed that in understanding and interpreting meaning, there are 3 formulas that can be used as interpretive methods according to Dilthey, namely Erlebnis (living experience), Ausdruck (expression), and Verstehen (understanding). The experience referred to here is the life history of the author, everything that was experienced by the director during his lifetime. The expressions are works written by the author through the language used to voice their desires, opinions, and actions. Understanding is the process of bringing together all the data generated from the process of experience and expression so that it can draw conclusions. In the book of Juliasih Kusharyanto, the three main aspects of the hermeneutics have been carried out well so that at the end of the research, Juliasih was able to provide a complete meaning from the historical side as well as language expressions that exist in the storyline of each novel studied.
Women’s traumatic childbirth experiences: Reflections and implications for practice
Authors: Yvonne Fontein-Kuipers
Published: April 2019

Objective: This study aims to explore women’s traumatic childbirth experiences in order to make maternity care professionals more aware of women’s intrapartum care needs to prevent traumatic experiences.

Methods: A qualitative exploratory study with a constant comparison/ grounded theory design was performed. Thirty-six interviews were conducted with women who had given birth in a Dutch birth setting.

Findings: Four themes, playing a profound role in the occurrence of traumatic birth experiences, emerged:

1 Midwife-LED care – Maternity care professionals’ unilateral decision making during intrapartum care.

2. Alienation – Women’s experiences of feeling distant and estranged from the childbirth event and the experience.

3. Situatedness – The difference of the impact of interventions in situations when complications or emergencies are present in contrast to when interventions are performed without an emergency reason.

4. Discrepancies - Paradoxes between expectations (ought self) and reality (actual self) - on an interpersonal (woman) and intrapersonal (woman-midwife) level.

Implications for practice: Intrapartum care needs to include informed-consent and shared-decision making. Practitioners need to continuously evaluate if the woman is consistently part of her own childbearing process. Practitioners need to provide personalised care, make an effort to explain (emergency) situations, be conscious of their non-verbal communication and maintain an ongoing dialogue with the woman.

Conclusion: Intrapartum care can be adapted, adopting a woman-centred approach, in order to prevent women’s traumatic childbirth experiences. This study can serve as a valuable assistance for maternity services, midwifery practice, research and for developing guidance in the field of midwifery practitioners’ education.

Keywords: Traumatic birth experience, Maternity care, Intrapartum care, Informed-consent, Shared-decision making, Woman-centred care, Qualitative research.
Uwarunkowania rozwoju agroturystyki w Polsce
Authors: Ciepiela Grażyna Anna
Published: April 2019

The paper discusses the factors that contribute to or limit the development of agritourism in Poland. Among the key drivers of the development are nature, landscape and cultural values of the Polish countryside, low income, in particular in case of small and medium agricultural farms, housing capacities and free labour resources in the countryside, state tourism development programmes as part of the initiatives aimed at promoting sustainable and multifunctional development of rural areas, local government policy, quality and competitiveness of agritourism product as well as urbanization and level of city dwellers' income. The factors that hinder growth of agritourism include low educational level, lack of qualifications and entrepreneurial mindset of farmers, resistance to change and innovation, lack of cooperation between the agriculture-supporting institutions and farmers, high costs related to the improvement of accommodation standard, poor quality of services and dificulties in obtaining credit. The article touches also upon the importance of agritourism in the development of rural areas. As a form of non-agricultural activity, agritourism entails significant benefits. It constitutes an additional source of income for agricultural farms and ensures a social ladder for the farmers. In addition, it promotes culture and heritage conservation and provides an opportunity for the farmers to gain new experience and qualifications.
Między romansem a orientalizmem. Tysiąc i jedna opowieść o miłości
Authors: Górak-Sosnowska  Katarzyna
Published: April 2019

The paper describes the phenomenon of romance tourism through the narratives taken from the German Internet portal 1001-Geschichte.de. Romance tourism is a term used to characterize women who during holidays in the countries of global south engage in a personal relationship with a local man. As that relationship is emotional in character it cannot be limited to simple sex tourism. The German portal connects women whose feeling were abused by local man. The stories they share are consistent with narrative structures used for describing romantic love in the Western culture. However, due to the specific context, exotic environment and different cultural background of the lover, those stories are all examples of Saidian orientalism. Those dimensions form the subject of the present paper.
PELAKSANAAN KONSOLIDASI TANAH PERKOTAAN UNTUK PEMBANGUNAN JALAN BY PASS DI KOTA BUKITTINGGI
Authors: Ramadhona Ana
Published: April 2019

The increasing price of urban land causes the government difficulty in providing land for development. The status of land tenure will be more legal with the certificate as proof of ownership and ownership of land rights. Presidential Regulation no. 65 year 2006 stated that the procurement of land for the implementation of development for public interest by the government carried out by way of disposal or surrender of land rights. Article 18 of the UUPA explains that the revocation of a person's right to the land owned by the government shall only be exercised if the land is used for the common good including the interests of the nation and the state and the common interest of the people, the rights of the land may be revoked, compensating feasible as regulated by law. This study aims to find out how the implementation of land consolidation for the construction of By Pass in Bukittinggi City. To find out the obstacles faced by the local government of Bukittinggi city in the settlement. This research uses sociological juridical method, primary data in research is interview to informant and second data is library materials. The results show that the implementation of land consolidation of By Pass of Bukittinggi city has not been implemented maximally because the community has not fully understand the purpose and objectives of the implementation of land consolidation so that the people do not wholeheartedly implement it. Constraints faced in the completion of land consolidation for by-pass included the lack of public knowledge about land consolidation, the objections of some communities in handing over their consolidated land to the government and Most of the consolidated lands are customary soils together so it is a bit difficult in decision maker.
MBCT (Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy): Origen, Alcance y Eficacia
Authors: Fernández Estrella
Published: April 2019

El programa Mindfulness-Based cognitive therapy (MBCT) nace de la integración de Mindfulness y la Terapia Cognitivo-Conductual para la depresión. Inicialmente concebido para prevenir recaídas en pacientes con depresiones recurrentes, su ámbito de aplicación ha evolucionado para impartirse a un rango mucho más amplio de personas y entornos. El primer objetivo de este artículo es proporcionar una comprensión del contexto en que se desarrolla el programa –el modelo cognitivo de la depresión– y sus premisas teóricas de funcionamiento. El segundo objetivo es revisar su eficacia empírica y los mecanismos de acción y cambio. Finalmente, se exploran los distintos ámbitos de aplicación del programa en los que ha mostrado ser efectivo, más allá de los trastornos del estado de ánimo. La investigación muestra consistentemente cómo la intervención con MBCT mejora el bienestar en población clínica y un creciente número de estudios revelan los mismos efectos positivos en adultos sanos. En línea con las predicciones teóricas, los mecanismos que median el cambio tras una intervención con MBCT son los incrementos en habilidades de Mindfulness, en metaconsciencia y autocompasión y la reducción de preocupaciones y rumiaciones.
Cambios Terapéuticos de Estilo de Vida (CTEV) y Mindfulness en el Ámbito Psicoterapéutico
Authors: Alvear Morón David
Published: April 2019

Se define el estilo de vida (EV) y se propone una posible relación directa con el cambio terapéutico en psicoterapia. Posteriormente, se analizan las intervenciones basadas en los Cambios Terapéuticos de Estilo de Vida (CEVT), su potencial en el contexto de la psicoterapia y se subraya la importancia de la práctica de mindfulness en la mayoría de las intervenciones basadas en CEVT. Más adelante, se describen cinco ámbitos de aprendizaje de habilidades mindfulness en el proceso psicoterapéutico y se acaba con varias conclusiones extraídas al respecto.
Programa de Entrenamiento en Mindfulness Basado en Prácticas Breves Integradas (M-PBI)
Authors: Arredondo Marcial , Hurtado Pilar , Sabaté Montserrat , Uriarte Chávarri Carla , Botella Luis
Published: April 2019

El programa de entrenamiento en Mindfulness basado en Prácticas Breves Integradas (M-PBI) es una propuesta que nace con el objetivo de hacer lo más accesible posible la práctica de mindfulness tanto a la población general como a personas que puedan estar en tratamiento psicológico sin tener un trastorno grave o en estar en fase aguda. Se ha diseñado un protocolo que conserva la estructura de los programas de entrenamiento en mindfulness y compasión de 8 semanas que han probado su eficacia y han sido validados. En este programa se han reducido los tiempos de prácticas habituales y se ha promovido el poder realizar las prácticas “allí donde sea posible”, al tiempo que se ha mantenido la eficacia del cambio demostrada en los programas validados. Para facilitar el proceso de aprendizaje, se ha diseñado una App (Mindfulness Focus Now) que incluye las prácticas formales del entrenamiento. El programa cuenta también con recursos en la web www.mindfulnessypsicologiabcn.com y se han incorporado varias Apps que facilitan la accesibilidad, mensurabilidad y guía de diferentes tipos de prácticas, incluyendo una medida de variabilidad de la frecuencia cardíaca (heart rate variability, HRV).
Aplicación de la Reformulación Alemana del Método del Tema Central de Conflicto Relacional (CCRT-LU) para la Evaluación del Cambio en un Caso de Duelo por Pérdida de la Pareja
Authors: García Mantilla Moraima Guadalupe , Ávila Espada Alejandro
Published: April 2019

Se aplicó el Método del Tema Central de Conflicto Relacional (CCRT) en su reformulación alemana denominada CCRT-LU, utilizando la versión del método en castellano CCRT-LU-S, a un caso único de duelo por pérdida de la pareja. El objetivo fue evaluar clínica y sistemáticamente el cambio en el proceso psicoterapéutico de inicio y fin de la terapia. El método se mostró sensible para identificar el cambio de patrón relacional núcleo de conflicto en el contenido verbal de las sesiones psicoterapéuticas del sujeto, en donde se investigaron los patrones centrales de relación identificables, con el fin de detectar si existe un patrón, guión o esquema típico del duelo. Se trabajó con un modelo de psicoterapia de tiempo limitado y focal desarrollado en 14 sesiones y un seguimiento al mes. El foco de trabajo elegido fue la elaboración del duelo por muerte de la pareja.
Efectividad del MBCT Para el Trastorno Bipolar: Una Revisión Sistemática
Authors: López Soto Robmarie , Marqués-Reyes Domingo
Published: April 2019

Las personas con el trastorno bipolar (TB) presentan déficits neurocognitivos que dificultan el manejo de síntomas afectivos, las relaciones interpersonales y la auto-regulación. La práctica de atención plena o mindfulness se encuentra asociada a mejorías en la regulación afectiva y en el funcionamiento neurocognitivo general, por lo cual se hipotetizó que un acercamiento basado en atención plena mejoraría la auto-regulación en pacientes con TB. La terapia cognitiva basada en atención plena (MBCT, por sus siglas en inglés), inicialmente creada para el tratamiento de la Depresión Mayor (Segal, Williams & Teasdale, 2002), fue posteriormente adaptada para TB, por lo cual se realizó una revisión de literatura (n=10) para evaluar las particularidades de su efectividad. Se realizó una búsqueda en las bases de datos PubMed, PsychINFO, PsychArticles y CINAHL utilizando los términos “MBCT and Bipolar Disorder”, “MBCT y Trastorno Bipolar” y “MBCT y Bipolaridad”. Revisiones de literatura, artículos no disponibles en inglés o español y estudios enfocados en el uso de MBCT para otras condiciones, fueron excluidos. Los resultados sugieren que el MBCT se encuentra asociado a mayor estabilidad emocional, adherencia al tratamiento y mejoría en el funcionamiento neurocognitivo de los pacientes con TB, particularmente aquellos que han experimentado más de 12 episodios afectivos en el transcurso de su vida.
Prediction of Aircraft Waiting Time at Airport During Immediate Response to Disaster
Authors: Choi Sunkyung , Hanaoka Shinya
Published: April 2019

Air transportation is especially critical to the immediate response that must be provided after a natural disaster strikes a region. Airport operations are hindered by fluctuating waiting times across different operation types because of bottlenecks caused by unexpected amounts of aid goods, aircraft, and emergency workers. To address this problem, this study proposes a model for estimating the waiting time of an aircraft at an airport during the immediate response phase after a disaster. The proposed framework was developed by applying an open Jackson network with first-come first-served, priority, and mixed-queuing disciplines. These disciplines are compared through a numerical example based on data acquired from the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011. The results indicate that the mixed-queuing discipline reduces the waiting time for higher-priority operators, with permissible waiting times for lower-priority operators. The results of this study reveal that various disaster response operations should be prioritized ahead of a natural disaster occurring, such that the waiting times for those operators involved in life-saving activities can be reduced.
Citizens’ and Farmers’ Framing of ‘Positive Animal Welfare’ and the Implications for Framing Positive Welfare in Communication
Authors: Vigors Belinda
Published: April 2019

Human perception can depend on how an individual frames information in thought and how information is framed in communication. For example, framing something positively, instead of negatively, can change an individual’s response. This is of relevance to ‘positive animal welfare’, which places greater emphasis on farm animals being provided with opportunities for positive experiences. However, little is known about how this framing of animal welfare may influence the perception of key animal welfare stakeholders. Through a qualitative interview study with farmers and citizens, undertaken in Scotland, UK, this paper explores what positive animal welfare evokes to these key welfare stakeholders and highlights the implications of such internal frames for effectively communicating positive welfare in society. Results indicate that citizens make sense of positive welfare by contrasting positive and negative aspects of welfare, and thus frame it as animals having ‘positive experiences’ or being ‘free from negative experiences’. Farmers draw from their existing frames of animal welfare to frame positive welfare as ‘good husbandry’, ‘proactive welfare improvement’ or the ‘animal’s point of view’. Implications of such internal frames (e.g., the triggering of ‘negative welfare’ associations by the word ‘positive’) for the effective communication of positive welfare are also presented.
Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activity of Rosemary, Pomegranate and Olive Extracts in Fish Patties
Authors: Martínez Lorena , Castillo Julián , Ros Gaspar , Nieto Gema
Published: April 2019

Natural extracts (rich in bioactive compounds) that can be obtained from the leaves, peels and seeds, such as the studied extracts of Pomegranate (P), Rosemary (RA, Nutrox OS (NOS) and Nutrox OVS (NOVS)), and olive (Olea europaea) extracts rich in hydroxytyrosol (HYT-F from olive fruit and HYT-L from olive leaf) can act as antioxidant and antimicrobial agents in food products to replace synthetic additives. The total phenolic compounds, antioxidant capacity (measured by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2-Azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazolin) -6-sulphonic acid (ABTS), Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP), and Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORACH)) and their antimicrobial power (using the diffusion disk method with the Escherichia Coli, Lysteria monocytogenes, and Staphilococcus Aureus strains) were measured. The results showed that all the extracts were good antioxidant and antimicrobial compounds in vitro. On the other hand, their antioxidant and antimicrobial capacity was also measured in fish products acting as preservative agents. For that, volatile fatty acid compounds were analysed by GS-MS at day 0 and 11 from elaboration, together with total vial count (TVC), total coliform count (TCC), E. Coli, and L. monocytogenes content at day 0, 4, 7 and 11 under refrigerated storage. The fish patties suffered rapid lipid oxidation and odour and flavour spoilage associated with slight rancidity. Natural extracts from pomegranate, rosemary, and hydroxytyrosol delayed the lipid oxidation, measured as volatile compounds, and the microbiological spoilage in fish patties. Addition of natural extracts to fish products contributed to extend the shelf life of fish under retail display conditions.
Effects of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Apples Enriched-Dark Chocolate on Endothelial Progenitor Cells in Patients with Cardiovascular Risk Factors: A Randomized Cross-Over Trial
Authors: Felice Francesca , Francini Alessandra , Domenici Valentina , Cifelli Mario , Belardinelli Ester , Sebastiani Luca , Cantini Claudio , Di Stefano Rossella
Published: April 2019

Background: Endothelial dysfunction has been associated to cardiovascular outcomes in patients with cardiovascular risk factors. Circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) play an important physiological role for their reparative potential of vascular integrity, but are numerically reduced and functionally impaired in patients with cardiovascular risks. This study assesses the effects of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) and apple-enriched dark chocolate intake on the blood levels of EPCs. Methods: Thirty volunteers with cardiovascular risk factors, enrolled in a randomised, crossover, four-weeks trial, received a solid dark chocolate bar (40 g/day) containing 10% EVOO or 2.5% dry apples. Urine samples were analyzed for endogenous metabolites. Circulating EPCs levels, clinical data and anthropometric examinations were collected. Results: 26 volunteers (M/F:14/12, 51 ± 9 years of age) completed the study. Comparison of pre-post intervention revealed a significant increase in EPCs levels associated with EVOO-dark chocolate consumption. Most biochemical parameters were not significantly modified by both chocolates. Conclusions: This study shows that a daily consumption of a non fattening dose of dark chocolate enriched with EVOO improves blood levels of EPCs, a well known surrogate biologic marker for endothelial function.
Multi-Agent Systems
Authors: Julian Vicente , Botti Vicente
Published: April 2019

With the current advance of technology, agent-based applications are becoming a standard in a great variety of domains such as e-commerce, logistics, supply chain management, telecommunications, healthcare, and manufacturing. Another reason for the widespread interest in multi-agent systems is that these systems are seen as a technology and a tool that helps in the analysis and development of new models and theories in large-scale distributed systems or in human-centered systems. This last aspect is currently of great interest due to the need for democratization in the use of technology that allows people without technical preparation to interact with the devices in a simple and coherent way. In this Special Issue, different interesting approaches that advance this research discipline have been selected and presented.
A Novel Hydraulic Mode to Promote Gas Extraction: Pressure Relief Technologies for Tectonic Regions and Fracturing Technologies for Nontectonic Regions
Authors: Zuo Shaojie , Ge Zhaolong , Zhou Zhe , Wang Li , Zhao Hanyun
Published: April 2019

Extraction of gas (coalbed methane) produces clean energy and can ensure that coal mines maintain high-efficiency production. The currently available coal seam permeability enhancing technologies and modes have certain application restrictions. Therefore, a novel mode is proposed to promote gas extraction. This mode divides complex coal seams into tectonic regions and nontectonic regions based on geological structures. Then, the characteristics of different regions are matched with the advantages of different hydraulic technologies; thus, pressure relief technologies are proposed for tectonic regions, and fracturing technologies are proposed for nontectonic regions. The permeability of coal seams will be sharply increased without leaving unfractured areas. This mode will promote the effectiveness of gas extraction, shorten the extraction time, and ensure safe and efficient production in coal mines. A field application shows that this mode has a better effect than slotted directional hydraulic fracturing technology (SDHFT). The gas concentration and pure gas flow were increased by 47.1% (up to 24.94%) and 44.6% (up to 6.13 m3/min), respectively, compared to SDHFT over 9 months. The extraction time was reduced by 4 months. This mode reduced the number of times that gas concentration exceeded government standards during coal roadway excavation, and the coal roadway excavation speed was increased by 16% (up to 158 m/month).
Tin Whisker Growth Inhibition in RE-Doped Sn-Zn Soldered Joints
Authors: Xue Peng , Liang Weiliang , He Peng , Suganuma Katsuaki , Zhang Hao
Published: April 2019

The tin whisker inhibition in RE-doped Sn-Zn soldered joints was investigated. The results indicated that after aging treatment at 150 °C, with the proper addition ratio of Ga and Nd, no obvious NdSn3 phase nor tin whisker growth was observed in the soldered joints. By replacing the Sn-Nd phase with a Ga-Nd phase, the risk of tin whisker growth caused by the oxidation of RE-phase was significantly inhibited even in soldered joints with additional excessive contents of Nd. The IMC layer in soldered joints with optimal addition showed a relatively regular shape after aging treatment, making the soldered joint maintain preferable mechanical performance. The results would be available for guiding the study of tin whisker growth inhibition method.
Buckling and Free Vibrations of Nanoplates—Comparison of Nonlocal Strain and Stress Approaches
Authors: Chwał Małgorzata , Muc Aleksander
Published: April 2019

The buckling and free vibrations of rectangular nanoplates are considered in the present paper. The refined continuum transverse shear deformation theory (third and first order) is introduced to formulate the fundamental equations of the nanoplate. Besides, the analysis involve the nonlocal strain and stress theories of elasticity to take into account the small-scale effects encountered in nanostructures/nanocomposites. Hamilton’s principle is used to establish the governing equations of the nanoplate. The Rayleigh-Ritz method is proposed to solve eigenvalue problems dealing with the buckling and free vibration analysis of the nanoplates considered. Some examples are presented to investigate and illustrate the effects of various formulations.
High-Performance White Organic Light-Emitting Diodes Using Distributed Bragg Reflector by Atomic Layer Deposition
Authors: Wu Yonghua , Yang Jiali , Wang Shuanglong , Ling Zhitian , Zhang Hao , Wei Bin
Published: April 2019

White organic light-emitting diodes (WOLEDs) with higher performance, which have enjoyed application in high-quality lighting sources, are here demonstrated with improved optical and electrical properties. The integration of a novel transparent distributed Bragg reflector (DBR), which consists of periodically alternating layers of atomic layer deposition-fabricated ZrO2/Zircone films and sputtered tin-doped indium oxide into OLEDs microcavities were studied to obtain four-peak electroluminescence (EL) spectra. Three types of OLEDs with two-peak, three-peak, and four-peak EL spectra have been developed. The results of the two-peak spectra show that the DBR structures have an outstanding effect on carrier capture; as a result, the device exhibits a stronger stability in color at various applied voltages. The Commission Internationale de L’Eclairage (CIE) coordinates of the two-peak device at 5–13 V shows few displacements and a negligible slight variation of (±0.01, ±0.01). In addition, the four-peak WOLED also yields a high color purity white emission as the luminance changes from 100 cd m−2 to 10,000 cd m−2.
Impact of Structural Parameters on the Auditory Perception of Musical Sounds in Closed Spaces: An Experimental Study
Authors: Wang Lei , Ma Xiyue , Li Rong , Zeng Xiangyang
Published: April 2019

This study attempts to investigate the impact of structural parameters (volume, shape, and the wall absorption coefficient) in closed space on the auditory perception of three different musical sound types. With binaural audibility technology and room impulse response measurement (RIR), this paper first verifies the reliability of using ODEON software in simulating simplified closed-space auditory scenes. Then, 96 music binaural signals produced in eight simulated closed spaces with different structural parameters are synthesized. Finally, auditory perception experiment is conducted on the synthesized binaural signals by using pair comparison method, and variance analysis is also made on the experimental results. It is concluded that (1) a hemispherical cabin with a small volume and large wall sound absorption coefficient is most suitable for playing a single instrument, such as the flute or violin, and (2) a cabin with large volume is suitable for playing multiple instruments music such as symphony, but the walls should not be totally reflective. The experimental scheme and results of current study provide guidance for designing the inner structure of the concert hall to achieve preferable auditory perception in practice.
3D Strain Mapping of Opaque Materials Using an Improved Digital Volumetric Speckle Photography Technique with X-Ray Microtomography
Authors: Mao Lingtao , Liu Haizhou , Zhu Ying , Zhu Ziyan , Guo Rui , Chiang Fu-pen
Published: April 2019

Digital volumetric speckle photography (DVSP) method has been used to strain investigation in opaque materials. In this paper, an improved DVSP algorithm is introduced, in which a multi-scale coarse–fine subset calculation process and a subvoxel shifting technique are applied to increase accuracy. We refer to the new algorithm as Multi-scale and Subvoxel shifting Digital Volumetric Speckle Photography (MS-DVSP). The displacement and strain fields of a red sandstone cylinder exposed to uniaxial compression and a woven composite beam under three-point bending are mapped in detail. The characteristics of the interior deformation of the specimens are clearly depicted, thus elucidating the failure mechanism of the materials.
Centrosymmetric Optical Vortex
Authors: Zhang Hao , Li Xinzhong , Ma Haixiang , Tang Miaomiao , Li Hehe , Cai Yangjian
Published: April 2019

We report on a novel optical vortex, named as centrosymmetric optical vortex (CSOV), which is constructed via four conventional optical vortices (OVs) with different topological charges (TCs). The orbital angular momentum (OAM) density satisfies centrosymmetric distribution. Meanwhile, it is confined within a single ring whose radius is determined by the cone angle of an axicon. Furthermore, its magnitude and distribution are modulated by a parameter determined via the TCs of the four OVs, named as phase reconstruction factor. Our work provides a novel detached asymmetric light field, which possesses the potential application in macro-particle manipulation, especially separating cells.
Creating Truth Data to Quantify the Accuracy of Cloud Forecasts from Numerical Weather Prediction and Climate Models
Authors: Hutchison Keith D. , Iisager Barbara D.
Published: April 2019

Clouds are critical in mechanisms that impact climate sensitivity studies, air quality and solar energy forecasts, and a host of aerodrome flight and safety operations. However, cloud forecast accuracies are seldom described in performance statistics provided with most numerical weather prediction (NWP) and climate models. A possible explanation for this apparent omission involves the difficulty in developing cloud ground truth databases for the verification of large-scale numerical simulations. Therefore, the process of developing highly accurate cloud cover fraction truth data from manually generated cloud/no-cloud analyses of multispectral satellite imagery is the focus of this article. The procedures exploit the phenomenology to maximize cloud signatures in a variety of remotely sensed satellite spectral bands in order to create accurate binary cloud/no-cloud analyses. These manual analyses become cloud cover fraction truth after being mapped to the grids of the target datasets. The process is demonstrated by examining all clouds in a NAM dataset along with a 24 h WRF cloud forecast field generated from them. Quantitative comparisons with the cloud truth data for the case study show that clouds in the NAM data are under-specified while the WRF model greatly over-predicts them. It is concluded that highly accurate cloud cover truth data are valuable for assessing cloud model input and output datasets and their creation requires the collection of satellite imagery in a minimum set of spectral bands. It is advocated that these remote sensing requirements be considered for inclusion into the designs of future environmental satellite systems.
Indoor Air Quality and Health in Newly Constructed Apartments in Developing Countries: A Case Study of Surabaya, Indonesia
Authors: Hildebrandt Sophia , Kubota Tetsu , Sani Hanief Ariefman , Surahman Usep
Published: April 2019

In times of rapid urbanization, increasing usage of chemicals in buildings, and energy saving measures, the topic of indoor air quality (IAQ) demands reinforced attention. Nevertheless, especially in developing countries with urgent building construction needs, IAQ has hardly been examined. This study investigates the condition of IAQ and health of occupants in newly constructed high-rise apartments in contrast to traditional detached houses (Kampongs) in Surabaya, Indonesia. Information on building attributes, cleaning and ventilation behavior, interior sources, personal characteristics and health, especially multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), was collected through 471 questionnaires. In addition, 76 measurements of TVOCs, formaldehyde and 30 measurements of mold risk were carried out. The results showed that the share of people in apartments with a very suggestive risk of MCS was twice as high as that in Kampongs (17.6% vs. 6.7%). Correlation analysis suggested that for both residential types, health problems, negative smell or perception of IAQ, and higher levels of stress determined higher degrees of MCS. For IAQ, high concentrations of formaldehyde and TVOCs were measured in apartments and corresponded to higher MCS risk, whereas severe mold issues were predicted in Kampongs. This study suggests major shortcomings in the indoor environment in newly constructed apartments for the physical and the mental health of occupants.
A Graph Theoretic Approach to Construct Desired Cryptographic Boolean Functions
Authors: Ghorbani Modjtaba , Dehmer Matthias , Taghvayi-Yazdelli Vahid , Emmert-Streib Frank
Published: April 2019

In this paper, we present four product operations to construct cryptographic boolean functions from smaller ones with predictable Walsh spectrum. A lot of cryptographic properties of boolean functions can be presented by their Walsh spectrum. In our method, we use the product of Cayley graphs to present new boolean functions with desired Walsh spectrum and investigate their non-linearity, algebraic and correlation immunity.
Terroir Tourism: Experiences in Organic Vineyards
Authors: Marlowe Byron , Bauman Matthew J.
Published: April 2019

This article considers key determinants of terroir tourism in the context of organic vineyards in Oregon, US. Emerging from anthropology, climatology, ecology, geography and wine tourism, terroir tourism has been recently recognized to have potential for developing tourism in Oregon. However, research has sought to determine terroir tourism and its characteristics, differentiating it from wine tourism. This case of Oregon will investigate a wine territory through the examination of organic vineyards. The relative importance of terroir within the organic vineyard destinations of Oregon is examined. Determining the characteristics of terroir tourism from a review on terroir and the experience economy 4E framework on wine tourism develops the case into organic vineyards with terroir tourism characteristics. Ultimately, an attempt to further develop wine tourism destinations based on their unique terroir esthetic experiences, and the potential for terroir tourism within the experience economy, is developed.
Evidence of Destabilization of the Human Thymidylate Synthase (hTS) Dimeric Structure Induced by the Interface Mutation Q62R
Authors: Pozzi Cecilia , Lopresti Ludovica , Santucci Matteo , Costi Maria Paola , Mangani Stefano
Published: April 2019

In human cells, thymidylate synthase (TS) provides the only source of 2′-deoxythymidyne-5′-monophosphate (dTMP), which is required for DNA biosynthesis. Because of its pivotal role, human TS (hTS) represents a validated target for anticancer chemotherapy. Nonetheless, the efficacy of drugs blocking the hTS active site has limitations due to the onset of resistance in cancer cells, requiring the identification of new strategies to effectively inhibit this enzyme. Human TS works as an obligate homodimer, making the inter-subunit interface an attractive targetable area. Here, we report the design and investigation of a new hTS variant, in which Gln62, located at the dimer interface, has been replaced by arginine in order to destabilize the enzyme quaternary assembly. The hTS Q62R variant has been characterized though kinetic assay, thermal denaturation analysis and X-ray crystallography. Our results provide evidence that hTS Q62R has a reduced melting temperature. The effective destabilization of the TS quaternary structure is also confirmed by structural analysis, showing that the introduced mutation induces a slight aperture of the hTS dimer. The generation of hTS variants having a more accessible interface area can facilitate the screening of interface-targeting molecules, providing key information for the rational design of innovative hTS interface inhibitors.
CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Knock-Out of dUTPase in Mice Leads to Early Embryonic Lethality
Authors: Pálinkás Hajnalka Laura , Rácz Gergely Attila , Gál Zoltán , Hoffmann Orsolya Ivett , Tihanyi Gergely , Róna Gergely , Gócza Elen , Hiripi László , Vértessy Beáta G.
Published: April 2019

Sanitization of nucleotide pools is essential for genome maintenance. Deoxyuridine 5′-triphosphate nucleotidohydrolase (dUTPase) is a key enzyme in this pathway since it catalyzes the cleavage of 2′-deoxyuridine 5′-triphosphate (dUTP) into 2′-deoxyuridine 5′-monophosphate (dUMP) and inorganic pyrophosphate. Through its action dUTPase efficiently prevents uracil misincorporation into DNA and at the same time provides dUMP, the substrate for de novo thymidylate biosynthesis. Despite its physiological significance, knock-out models of dUTPase have not yet been investigated in mammals, but only in unicellular organisms, such as bacteria and yeast. Here we generate CRISPR/Cas9-mediated dUTPase knock-out in mice. We find that heterozygous dut +/– animals are viable while having decreased dUTPase levels. Importantly, we show that dUTPase is essential for embryonic development since early dut −/− embryos reach the blastocyst stage, however, they die shortly after implantation. Analysis of pre-implantation embryos indicates perturbed growth of both inner cell mass (ICM) and trophectoderm (TE). We conclude that dUTPase is indispensable for post-implantation development in mice.
Bioinspired Metal–Polyphenol Materials: Self-Healing and Beyond
Authors: Andersen Amanda , Chen Yaqing , Birkedal Henrik
Published: April 2019

The blue mussel incorporates the polyphenolic amino acid l-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) to achieve self-healing, pH-responsiveness, and impressive underwater adhesion in the byssus threads that ensure the survival of the animal. This is achieved by a pH-dependent and versatile reaction chemistry of polyphenols, including both physical interactions as well as reversible and irreversible chemical bonding. With a short introduction to the biological background, we here review the latest advances in the development of smart materials based on the metal-chelating capabilities of polyphenols. We focus on new ways of utilizing the polyphenolic properties, including studies on the modifications of the nearby chemical environment (on and near the polyphenolic moiety) and on the incorporation of polyphenols into untraditional materials.