bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Experimental Comparison of Two Ceiling Hanging Mobile Robots Through Real Prototypes Development
Authors: Fukui Rui ,   Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan, Morishita Hiroshi , Sato Tomomasa ,   HMI Corp., 35-2 Oyama, Matsudo-Shi, Chiba 271-0093, Japan,   The University of Tokyo Future Center Initiative, 227-6 Wakashiba, Kashiwa-shi, Chiba 277-0871, Japan
Published: April 2016

The purpose of this paper is to develop a ceiling hanging mobile robot for factories, offices and living spaces where human and robots can share spaces cooperatively. Based on an analysis of related work, we select two promising candidates of ceiling attachment method; a permanent magnet method and a mechanical constraint method. We combine these two ceiling attachment methods with practical locomotion methods, and realize two ceiling hanging mobile robots. Two different robots are designed and implemented based on our selected approaches. We evaluated the basic performances of those two robots in experiments. Difficulties in their design and implementation processes of the two robots are described, and technical insights are summarized based on the comparison of difficulties, safety, performance and cost. Discussions reveal that the two robots have quite different characteristics. In conclusion, two different application areas are proposed for the two robots with different ceiling attachment methods. Although there are large numbers of reports on wall climbing or ceiling hanging mobile robots, this paper is the first work, to our knowledge, to compare qualitatively and quantitatively the performances of multiple robots through development of real prototypes.
Autonomous Navigation of a Mobile Robot Based on GNSS/DR Integration in Outdoor Environments
Authors: Suzuki Taro ,   Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, 2-1-6 Etchujima, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-8533, Japan, Kitamura Mitsunori , Amano Yoshiharu , Kubo Nobuaki ,   Waseda University, 17 Kikuicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-0044, Japan
Published: April 2016

This paper describes the development of a mobile robot system and an outdoor navigationmethod based on global navigation satellite system (GNSS) in an autonomous mobile robot navigation challenge, called the Tsukuba Challenge, held in Tsukuba, Japan, in 2011 and 2012. The Tsukuba Challenge promotes practical technologies for autonomous mobile robots working in ordinary pedestrian environments. Many teams taking part in the Tsukuba Challenge used laser scanners to determine robot positions. GNSS was not used in localization because its positioning has multipath errors and problems in availability. We propose a technique for realizing multipath mitigation that uses an omnidirectional IR camera to exclude “invisible” satellites, i.e., those entirely obstructed by a building and whose direct waves therefore are not received. We applied GPS / dead reckoning (DR) integrated based on observation data from visible satellites determined by the IR camera. Positioning was evaluated during Tsukuba Challenge 2011 and 2012. Our robot ran the 1.4 km course autonomously and evaluation results confirmed the effectiveness of our proposed technique and the feasibility of its highly accurate positioning.
Special Issue on Vision and Motion Control
Authors: Fujita Toyomi , Tanaka Takayuki , Takahashi Satoru , Takauji Hidenori , Kaneko Shun’ichi
Published: April 2016

Robot vision is an important robotics and mechatronics technology for realizing intelligent robot systems that work in the real world. Recent improvements in computer processing are enabling environment to be recognized and robot to be controlled based on dynamic high-speed, highly accurate image information. In industrial application, target objects are detected much more robustly and reliably through high-speed processing. In intelligent systems applications, security systems that detect human beings have recently been applied positively in computer vision. Another attractive application is recognizing actions and gestures by detecting human – an application that would enable human beings and robots to interact and cooperate more smoothly when robots observe and assist human partners. This key technology could be used for aiding the elderly and handicapped in practical environments such as hospital, home, and so on. This special issue covers topics on robot vision and motion control including dynamic image processing. These articles are certain to be both informative and interesting to robotics and mechatronics researchers. We thank the authors for submitting their work and for assisting during the review process. We also thank the reviewers for their dedicated time and effort.
Uso do indicador de eficácia global de equipamentos como ferramenta para melhoria contínua: estudo de caso aplicado à produção farmacêutica
Authors: Silva Beatriz Maria Simões Ramos da , Medina Fernando , Rocha Helvécio Vinícius Antunes , De Oliveira André Ribeiro
Published: April 2016

A indústria farmacêutica encontra-se inserida em um cenário de acirrada competição, enfrenta custos crescentes de pesquisa e desenvolvimento e está submetida a maiores exigências regulatórias. É importante, pois, que as empresas farmacêuticas busquem projetar, mensurar e melhorar o desempenho de suas operações e equipamentos. O indicador de desempenho denominado Eficácia Global de Equipamentos (Overall Equipment Effectiveness, OEE) é frequentemente adotado para avaliar desempenho de máquinas e linhas produtivas. O objetivo deste estudo é avaliar o uso do OEE como ferramenta para avaliação de desempenho, identificação de perdas e base para o desenvolvimento de ações de melhoria contínua em um laboratório público farmacêutico nacional.  Os resultados indicaram que, embora o OEE tenha sido empregado para medir o desempenho individual de um equipamento, o mesmo possibilitou a identificação de desperdícios que impactavam o processo produtivo como um todo. O OEE permitiu aos gestores priorizar ações direcionadas à eliminação dos principais desperdícios identificados, sendo utilizado como ferramenta de suporte à gestão da produção.
A Carta de Serviços ao Cidadão e seus Reflexos na Prestação do Serviço Público
Authors: Souza Flávio Sérgio Rezende Nunes de , Schmitt Valentina Gomes Haensel , Parreira Thiago José
Published: April 2016

A administração voltada para o cidadão é um dos principais pressupostos do modelo de administração pública gerencial, que se desenvolveu no Brasil na década de 90. Uma de suas ferramentas é a Carta de Serviços ao Cidadão, que tem a finalidade de informar o cidadão dos serviços prestados por determinadas organizações públicas, inclusive quanto às suas formas de acesso e aos padrões de qualidade do atendimento oferecido. O objetivo deste trabalho é verificar como a Carta pode contribuir para a melhoria do serviço prestado pelas organizações públicas. Para tal, foram analisadas três organizações da Marinha, instituição na qual a adoção desse instrumento vem sendo fomentada pelo Programa Netuno, que é a customização do Programa Nacional de Gestão Pública e Desburocratização (Gespública), criado em 2005. Os resultados da pesquisa demonstram que a utilização da Carta fortalece diversos fundamentos da excelência em gestão, pilares do Gespública e do Programa Netuno. Em especial, a Carta propicia maior transparência e esclarecimento aos cidadãos, existindo condições para aumentar a interação entre esses e as organizações. Além disso, há a possibilidade de melhoria da gestão das próprias organizações.
New Product Marketing Blurs the Line Between Nicotine Replacement Therapy and Smokeless Tobacco Products
Authors: Kostygina Ganna , England Lucinda , Ling Pamela
Published: April 2016

Tobacco companies have begun to acquire pharmaceutical subsidiaries and recently started to market nicotine replacement therapies, such as Zonnic nicotine gum, in convenience stores.

Conversely, tobacco companies are producing tobacco products such as tobacco chewing gum and lozenges that resemble pharmaceutical nicotine replacement products, including a nicotine pouch product that resembles snus pouches.

This convergence of nicotine and tobacco product marketing has implications for regulation and tobacco cessation.
Social Support, Sexual Violence, and Transactional Sex Among Female Transnational Migrants to South Africa
Authors: Giorgio Margaret , Townsend Loraine , Zembe Yanga , Guttmacher Sally , Kapadia Farzana , Cheyip Mireille , Mathews Catherine
Published: April 2016

Objectives. To examine the relationship between sexual violence and transactional sex and assess the impact of social support on this relationship among female transnational migrants in Cape Town, South Africa.

Methods. In 2012 we administered a behavioral risk factor survey using respondent-driven sampling to transnational migrant women aged between 16 and 39 years, born outside South Africa, living in Cape Town, and speaking English, Shona, Swahili, Lingala, Kirundi, Kinyarwanda, French, or Somali.

Results. Controlling for study covariates, travel-phase sexual violence was positively associated with engagement in transactional sex (adjusted prevalence ratio [APR] = 1.38; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.07, 1.77), and social support was shown to be a protective factor (APR = 0.84; 95% CI = 0.75, 0.95). The interaction of experienced sexual violence during migration and social support score was APR = 0.85 (95% CI = 0.66, 1.10). In the stratified analysis, we found an increased risk of transactional sex among the low social support group (APR = 1.56; 95% CI = 1.22, 2.00). This relationship was not statistically significant among the moderate or high social support group (APR = 1.04; 95% CI = 0.58, 1.87).

Conclusions. Programs designed to strengthen social support may reduce transactional sex among migrant women after they have settled in their receiving communities.
Minimally Invasive Screw Fixation of Inferior Pubic Ramus Stress Fracture Nonunion in a Runner
Authors: Okike Kanu , Moritz Burt E.
Published: April 2016

Case:

A fifty-one-year-old female runner developed a stress fracture of the inferior pubic ramus. Nonoperative treatment was initiated, but the symptoms persisted and she was diagnosed with a nonunion. After eleven months of symptoms and ten months of nonoperative treatment, including four months of complete avoidance of running, percutaneous screw fixation was performed, with radiographic and clinical healing of the fracture.

Conclusion:

While inferior pubic ramus stress fractures are usually successfully treated nonoperatively, instances of nonunion and delayed union have been described. In the present report, we describe the case of a patient in whom an inferior pubic ramus stress fracture nonunion was successfully treated with minimally invasive screw fixation.
Teaching English as A Foreign Language at Madrasah Ibtidaiyyah: Facts and Challenges
Authors: Nashruddin Wakhid
Published: April 2016

The mastery of English as a tool of communication among nations, cultures, and people around the globe is an undeniable fact. This is just like an unstoppable virus spreading worldwide. It is rather difficult to emerge new languages to stop or even just to slow down the wide use of English. Islam world also needs to follow this by equipping its people with English as a communication tool. As Arabic is used for the communication inside Islam, English is needed to communicate Islam to other people around the earth both to Muslims or Non-Muslims. Teaching English has become an increasingly significant element in Islamic education. For this, the issue of teaching English at madrasah is an important concern for practitioners in the area of TEFL in Islamic institutions. This paper will explore the writer’s ten-year experience in teaching English at a madrasah ibtidaiyyah in Cirebon, West Java-Indonesia. The conditions that will be pictured are the culture, the students, the teaching and learning process, and the outcome of the current practices in madrasah ibtidaiyyah, mainly in the area of TEFL. Then, all these conditions will be contrasted to up to date research findings and theories so that the facts and the challenges can be clearly seen. This will also be seen from the perspective of current curriculum in Indonesia, namely curriculum 2013, which bears contradictions with the presence of it. In fact, the curriculum 2013 eliminates English as a subject learned at primary school level. What madrasah ibtidaiyyah will do in the next coming years can direct the expected outcome of the teaching of English at this level. Kinds of program that can be designed to empower the state of English mastery are an essential case to discuss. This all facts and challenges can provide insights so that people working in and with madrasah ibtidaiyyah understand and are ready to face the global communication era.
Evolution of underground aqueducts in the Hellenic world
Authors: Voudouris K. S. , Tsatsanifos C. , Yannopoulos S. , Marinos V. , Angelakis A. N.
Published: April 2016

Historical and archaeological evidence shows that ancient Hellenes had developed underground aqueducts since the prehistoric times. However, innovative methods of underground aqueducts were developed in Hellas mainly during the Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic, and Roman periods. Since the well-known tunnel at the island of Samos, Hellas, was designed and begun its construction (ca. 550 bc) by Eupalinos of Megara (the first civil engineer in history), several underground tunnels (with and without well-like vertical shafts) were implemented in the country. The goal of Eupalinos tunnel was to transfer water into the town from a spring. This tunnel, representing the peak of ancient hydraulic technology, was dug through limestone by two separate teams advancing in a straight line from both sides of the mountain. Delivering fresh water to growing populations has been an ongoing problem since ancient times. Several underground aqueduct paradigms (e.g. Peisistration in Athens, Polyrrhenia in Crete), some of which are in use even today, are presented and discussed. After late Roman times and the Adrianic aqueduct a gap of about 1,700 years in construction of such hydraulic works is noted. However, a remarkable development of tunneling in Hellas appeared during the last 50 years due to the ‘cosmogony’ of the construction of infrastructure projects using modern technology, e.g. Evinos-Mornos aqueduct with 15 tunnels of 71 km total length and the diversion tunnels in Sykia to the Thessaly plain and Messochora of the Acheloos River of 17.5 and 7.5 km length, respectively. Also, very recently three small conventional tunnels and one tunnel boring machine (TBM) were constructed in Aposelemis aqueducts used for water supply of Iraklion and Agios Nikolaos cities in Crete. As a consequence, significant design and construction experiences were gained. Overall, it seems that underground aqueducts of modern societies are not very different in principle from those during antiquity.
Solubility of Bioactive Substances in Ethyl Lactate + Water Mixtures: Ferulic Acid and Caffeine
Authors: Villanueva-Bermejo David , Reglero Guillermo , Stateva Roumiana P. , Fornari Tiziana
Published: April 2016

The solubility of ferulic acid in ethyl lactate + water mixtures was measured at ambient temperature and pressure, and reported for the first time in this work. It was demonstrated that the acid solubility in the respective mixed solvents was considerably higher than in either pure ethyl lactate or water. Similar behavior pattern was recently reported by the authors for the solubility of caffeine in ethyl lactate + water mixtures.

UNIQUAC and modified UNIFAC (Dortmund) were applied to represent the solubility of ferulic acid and caffeine in the mixed solvents and their capabilities to describe adequately the cosolvent effect observed was tested and compared. The results obtained demonstrated that the UNIQUAC model provided excellent correlation of the experimental data for both systems. The UNIFAC model, on the other hand, was applied in a completely predictive manner and produced very good results for ferulic acid solubility and just qualitative predictions for caffeine.
HIV Prevention: The Key to Ending AIDS by 2030
Authors: Poku Nana K.
Published: April 2016

There is no viable substitute for re-energizing, funding and supporting culturally attuned, locally staffed HIV advocacy and prevention programmes, especially in resource poor settings. The evidence that such interventions are effective remains compelling; and although the cost implications are not negligible, the medium to long-term outcomes must be regarded not as complementary, but as integral, to biomedical interventions. The success of the anti-retroviral drugs upscale has enabled a noticeable improvement in AIDS related morbidity and mortality in the recent years; yet the underlying dynamics of the epidemic remains undetermined by the rate at which new infections are taking place in relation to the number of AIDS deaths. While the rate of new HIV infections is stabilising in some of the hardest hit countries, it remains far too high and the future cost of maintaining an ever-expanding pool of people reliant on daily drugs for survival is unsustainable. Countries must exercise caution in continuing to focus on treatment as a ‘quick fix’ to end AIDS as a public health concern. HIV is a socially culturally induced crisis and, as such, a variety of measures are needed simultaneously to appeal to different people, groups and circumstances.
Retraction: Population genetic structure analysis of Sclerotina sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary from different host plant species in northern Iran. Hossein B, Seyed AD, Seyed AR. Arch Biol Sci. 2013;65(1)171-81. DOI:10.2298/ABS1301171B
Authors: Editorial E
Published: April 2016

The article: Population genetic structure analysis of Sclerotina sclerotiorum
(Lib.) de Bary from different host plant species in northern Iran. Hossein
B, Seyed AD, Seyed AR. Arch Biol Sci. 2013;65(1) 171-81.
DOI:10.2298/ABS1301171B, repeats data already published in: Genetic and
morphological diversities in Sclerotinia sclerotiorum isolates in northern
parts of Iran. Barari H, Alavi V, Badalyan SM. World App Sci J.
2010;8(3)326-33, and published in: Study of genetic variations based on the
morphological characteristics, within the population of Sclerotinia
sclerotiorum from the major oilseed planting areas in Iran. Barari H, Alavi
V. Int J Biol. 2011;3(2)61-6, without any referencing.

 Link to the retracted article 10.2298/ABS1301171B
Development of a novel antimicrobial peptide AWRK6
Authors: Kim Dusik  , Wang Zheng  , Jin Lili  , Li Hanpin  , Hwang Junwei  , Hanrahan John  W. , Wang Qiuyu
Published: April 2016

We have previously identified an antimicrobial peptide called dybowskin2-CDYa (Dy2) in the cutaneous secretion from the Chinese frog Rana dybowskii. In this study, we used Dy2 as a template to prepare some novel peptides with improved stability and hydrophobicity. The antimicrobial activities exerted by these peptides against Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria were evaluated by MIC and CFU assays under physiological conditions. One peptide, AWRK6, was 2-4 fold more potent than Dy2, and was toxic to most of the bacterial strains tested, exhibiting a faster killing rate.  AWRK6 was most potent in alkaline environments, and this was related to the more highly organized secondary structure of the peptide, as revealed by circular dichroism spectroscopy. Furthermore, AWRK6 was more resistant than Dy2 to degradation by trypsin. The improved properties of AWRK6 suggested that the peptide could potentially be further developed into an antibiotic.

 
Photography Reframed
Authors: Dahlgren Anna
Published: April 2016

This article discusses the benefits of analysing photography as mediated, reproduced and entangled in media systems, and consequently as part of a larger media culture. Moreover it combines technological considerations drawn from media archaeology with art historical analysis focusing on visual aesthetics. It considers two mediating devices for photography in the nineteenth century, the photo album and the illustrated press. As displayed, a media historical perspective airs new interpretations and understandings of processes and practices in relation to photography in the period. Thus what from a photo historical point of view might appear as an important, paradigmatic invention or a critical technical delimitation might from a media historical perspective seem to have been merely a small adjustment in a chain of gradual improvements and experiments in the dissemination and consumption of images. Thus photographic media specificity delimited by technical procedures and certain materials outputs, which was so strongly emphasized in the twentieth century, was evidently not fixed to materiality and rather opened and negotiated in the nineteenth century. Accordingly, responsiveness to the literal and figurative framing of photography as mediated, discloses other photo histories.
Relationship between ISO 230-2/-6 Test Results and Positioning Accuracy of Machine Tools Using LaserTRACER
Authors: Lee Hau-Wei , Chen Jr-Rung , Pan Shan-Peng , Liou Hua-Chung , Hsu Po-Er
Published: April 2016

To test the positioning accuracy and repeatability of the linear axes of machine tools, ISO (International Standards Organization) 230-2 and ISO 230-6 are usually adopted. Auto-tracking laser interferometers (ATLI) can perform the testing for the positioning accuracy and the repeatability including x-, y- and z-axes according to ISO 230-2 as well as xy, xz, yz, and xyz diagonal lines following ISO 230-6. LaserTRACER is a kind of ATLI. One of the steps of the ISO 230-2 and -6 tests using LaserTRACER is to determine the coordinate of the LaserTRACER with respect to the home point of the machine tool. Positioning accuracy of the machine tool causes the coordinate determined error, which might influence the test result. To check on this error, this study performs three experiments. The experiment results show that the positioning error appears on the testing results.
Evaluation of Fermentation Products of Palm Wine Yeasts and Role of Sacoglottis gabonensis Supplement on Products Abundance
Authors: Nwaiwu Ogueri , Ibekwe Vincent , Amadi Ekperechi , Udebuani Angela , Nwanebu Ferdinand , Oguoma Okechukwu , Nnokwe Justin
Published: April 2016

A preliminary evaluation of yeast fermented palm wine sourced from Imo State in Nigeria was carried out to establish compounds that contribute to the distinct flavor of the beverage and to determine if the product abundance is affected when the drink is supplemented with Sacoglottis gabonensis. Palm wine samples from two different trees Elaeis sp. and Raphia sp. (pH less than 5) that contain Saccharomyces cerevisiae and other yeast species identified by sequencing the D1/D2 domain of the 26S rRNA genes were used. Evaluation was carried out using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-mass spectrometry (APCI-MS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Samples contained 5.9–11.6, 2.2–7.1, 4.2–43.0, and 4.4–43.7 g/L of acetic acid, lactic acid, ethanol and glucose, respectively. Ethyl acetate, acetic acid and ethanol had the most aroma intensity and an assessment on the yeast metabolome database showed that 23 out of the 31 products detected were present in the database. Addition of Sacoglottis gabonensis supplement to a Raphia sp. palm wine sample showed lower abundance of acetoin, acetic acid, methylpropyl lactate, ethyl octanoate and propyl acetate. We conclude that Sacoglottis gabonensis supplementation could suppress specific compounds during palm wine fermentation. This knowledge could be applied in new product development for the beverage.
Diverse Drought Spatiotemporal Trends, Diverse Etic-Emic Perceptions and Knowledge: Implications for Adaptive Capacity and Resource Management for Indigenous Maasai-Pastoralism in the Rangelands of Kenya
Authors: Mwangi Margaret
Published: April 2016

The study examined the spatiotemporal distribution of drought in the Maasai rangelands of Kenya. The implications of this distribution, in concert with the documented existing and/or projected social and biophysical factors, on critical rangeland resources in Maasai-pastoralism are discussed using an integrated approach. Participatory interviews with the Maasai, retrieval from archives, and acquisition from instrument measurements provided data for the study. Empirical evidence of the current study reveals that drought occurrences in this rangeland have been recurrent, widespread, cyclic, sometimes temporally clustered, and have manifested with varying intensities across spatial, temporal, and, occasionally, social scales; and they have more intensity in lower than higher agroecological areas. An estimated 86% of drought occurrences in this rangeland, over the last three decades alone, were of major drought category. The 2000s, with four major drought events including two extreme droughts, are an important drought period. A strong consensus exists among the Maasai regarding observed drought events. In Maasai-pastoralism, the phenomenon called drought, pastoralist drought, is simultaneously multivariate and multiscalar: its perception comprises the simultaneous manifestation of cross-scale meteorological, socioeconomic, and environmental factors and processes, and their various combinations. The inherent simultaneous multivariate and scalar nature of the pastoralist drought distinguishes it from the conventional drought types, particularly the meteorological drought that predominantly guides drought and resource management in the rangelands of Kenya. In Maasai-pastoralism, the scarcely used (33%) meteorological drought is construed as rainfall delay/failure across spatial and/or temporal scale, and never its reduced amount. Collectively, the current findings reveal that knowledge about drought affects the way the manifestation of this climatic hazard is perceived, communicated, and characterized; hence, ceteris paribus, alongside its spatiotemporal distribution, shapes the nature of the adaptive capacity of and resource management in Maasai-pastoralism. Studies that anticipate enhancing the drought-adaptive capacity of the Maasai should account for cross-scale social and biophysical factors, their processes, and interactions; they must engage the affected inhabitants, and utilize and integrate multiple data sources and approaches. These necessities become more crucial for informing adaptation under the present spatiotemporal distribution of drought as well as in relation to the projected increase in occurrence and intensity of this climatic hazard as the climate continues to change, and as pressures from socioeconomic globalization persistently proliferate into the Maasai’s social and biophysical landscapes.
Pull-Based Modeling and Algorithms for Real-Time Provision of High-Frequency Sensor Data from Sensor Observation Services
Authors: Li Huan , Fan Hong , Li Jia , Chen Nengcheng
Published: April 2016

The widely used pull-based method for high-frequency sensor data acquisition from Sensor Observation Services (SOS) is not efficient in real-time applications; therefore, further attention must be paid to real-time mechanisms in the provision process if sensor webs are to achieve their full potential. To address this problem, we created a data provision problem model, and compare the recursive algorithm Kalman Filter (KF) and our two proposed self-adaptive linear algorithms Harvestor Additive Increase and Multiplicative Decrease (H-AIMD) and Harvestor Multiplicative Increase and Additive Decrease (H-MIAD) with the commonly used Static Policy, which requests data with an unchanged time interval. We also developed a comprehensive performance evaluation method that considers the real-time capacity and resource waste to compare the performance of the four data provision algorithms. Experiments with real sensor data show that the Static Policy needs accurate priori parameters, Kalman Filter is most suitable for the data provision of sensors with long-term stable time intervals, and H-AIMD is the steadiest with better efficiency and less delayed number of data while with a higher resource waste than the others for data streams with much fluctuations in time intervals. The proposed model and algorithms are useful as a basic reference for real-time applications by pull-based stream data acquisition.
TOD District Planning Based on Residents’ Perspectives
Authors: Li Chia-Nung , Lin Chiang , Hsieh Tsu-Kuang
Published: April 2016

This study uses the MRT (mass rapid transit system) Banqiao Station as an example to explore residents’ satisfaction toward transit-oriented development (TOD) living environment characteristics around the Banqiao MRT station. The study uses descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, the factor analysis method and multiple regression analysis to verify the data, and one should expect the study to serve as a reference basis for the government, academia and businesses to formulate urban development and transportation policies. This study shows that residents are mostly satisfied with a 10-minute walk distance to convenience stores. Furthermore, this study uses the factor analysis method and thus brings forth five major TOD factors. With stepwise regression analysis, we discovered that Factors 1 and 2 represent land use and transportation, respectively, while Factor 5 represents high-density development, all of which are significantly related to resident satisfaction. Additionally, gender, age, career, educational background and incomes are individual characteristics that should be forcibly entered into the regression equation. Only Factors 1 and 5 achieve statistical significance. Finally, the study suggests improvements to the surrounding environments of Banqiao Station by focusing on the TOD characteristics of design and density, which can increase TOD residential satisfaction and the public health of residents surrounding the MRT Banqiao Station.
On the Morphology of the Drosophila Heart
Authors: Rotstein Barbara , Paululat Achim
Published: April 2016

The circulatory system of Drosophila melanogaster represents an easily amenable genetic model whose analysis at different levels, i.e., from single molecules up to functional anatomy, has provided new insights into general aspects of cardiogenesis, heart physiology and cardiac aging, to name a few examples. In recent years, the Drosophila heart has also attracted the attention of researchers in the field of biomedicine. This development is mainly due to the fact that several genes causing human heart disease are also present in Drosophila, where they play the same or similar roles in heart development, maintenance or physiology as their respective counterparts in humans. This review will attempt to briefly introduce the anatomy of the Drosophila circulatory system and then focus on the different cell types and non-cellular tissue that constitute the heart.
The “Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology” Journal Club Series: Highlights on Recent Papers in Articular Cartilage Tissue Engineering and Mechanical Stimulation
Authors: Szychlinska Marta , Vadalà Gianluca , Workman Victoria , Ripamonti Ugo , Mendes Alexandrina , Stoddart Martin , Alini Mauro
Published: April 2016

We are pleased to introduce the first of our Journal Club Series with the aim to review and discuss the highlights of recent papers in the field of the musculoskeletal system and associated disorders, the leitmotiv of the Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology. The first edition is focused on some interesting papers published in 2015 and 2016 in the field of Articular Cartilage Tissue Engineering and Mechanical Stimulation, chosen by our Editorial Board members. We hope that this topic might tease your curiosity also in fields possibly different to your own research area, but still intrinsically connected with it. We wish you stimulating and inspiring reading.
Sol-Gel Synthesis of Carbon Xerogel-ZnO Composite for Detection of Catechol
Authors: Li Dawei , Zang Jun , Zhang Jin , Ao Kelong , Wang Qingqing , Dong Quanfeng , Wei Qufu
Published: April 2016

Carbon xerogel-zinc oxide (CXZnO) composites were synthesized by a simple method of sol-gel condensation polymerization of formaldehyde and resorcinol solution containing zinc salt followed by drying and thermal treatment. ZnO nanoparticles were observed to be evenly dispersed on the surfaces of the carbon xerogel microspheres. The as-prepared CXZnO composites were mixed with laccase (Lac) and Nafion to obtain a mixture solution, which was further modified on an electrode surface to construct a novel biosensing platform. Finally, the prepared electrochemical biosensor was employed to detect the environmental pollutant, catechol. The analysis result was satisfactory, the sensor showed excellent electrocatalysis towards catechol with high sensitivity (31.2 µA·mM−1), a low detection limit (2.17 µM), and a wide linear range (6.91–453 µM). Moreover, the biosensor also displayed favorable repeatability, reproducibility, selectivity, and stability besides being successfully used in the trace detection of catechol existing in lake water environments.
Fabrication of High-Aspect-Ratio 3D Hydrogel Microstructures Using Optically Induced Electrokinetics
Authors: Li Yi , Lai Sam , Liu Na , Zhang Guanglie , Liu Lianqing , Lee Gwo-Bin , Li Wen
Published: April 2016

We present a rapid hydrogel polymerization and prototyping microfabrication technique using an optically induced electrokinetics (OEK) chip, which is based on a non-UV hydrogel curing principle. Using this technique, micro-scale high-aspect-ratio three-dimensional polymer features with different geometric sizes can be fabricated within 1–10 min by projecting pre-defined visible light image patterns onto the OEK chip. This method eliminates the need for traditional photolithography masks used for patterning and fabricating polymer microstructures and simplifies the fabrication processes. This technique uses cross-link hydrogels, such as poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-diacrylate (PEGDA), as fabrication materials. We demonstrated that hydrogel micropillar arrays rapidly fabricated using this technique can be used as molds to create micron-scale cavities in PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) substrates. Furthermore, hollow, circular tubes with controllable wall thicknesses and high-aspect ratios can also be fabricated. These results show the potential of this technique to become a rapid prototyping technology for producing microfluidic devices. In addition, we show that rapid prototyping of three-dimensional suspended polymer structures is possible without any sacrificial etching process.
The Application of Vibrational Spectroscopy Techniques in the Qualitative Assessment of Material Traded as Ginseng
Authors: Sandasi Maxleene , Vermaak Ilze , Chen Weiyang , Viljoen Alvaro
Published: April 2016

The name “ginseng” is collectively used to describe several plant species, including Panax ginseng (Asian/Oriental ginseng), P. quinquefolius (American ginseng), P. pseudoginseng (Pseudoginseng) and Eleutherococcus senticosus (Siberian ginseng), each with different applications in traditional medicine practices. The use of a generic name may lead to the interchangeable use or substitution of raw materials which poses quality control challenges. Quality control methods such as vibrational spectroscopy-based techniques are here proposed as fast, non-destructive methods for the distinction of four ginseng species and the identification of raw materials in commercial ginseng products. Certified ginseng reference material and commercial products were analysed using hyperspectral imaging (HSI), mid-infrared (MIR) and near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy. Principal component analysis (PCA) and (orthogonal) partial least squares discriminant analysis models (OPLS-DA) were developed using multivariate analysis software. UHPLC-MS was used to analyse methanol extracts of the reference raw materials and commercial products. The holistic analysis of ginseng raw materials revealed distinct chemical differences using HSI, MIR and NIR. For all methods, Eleutherococcus senticosus displayed the greatest variation from the three Panax species that displayed closer chemical similarity. Good discrimination models with high R2X and Q2 cum vales were developed. These models predicted that the majority of products contained either /P. ginseng or P. quinquefolius. Vibrational spectroscopy and HSI techniques in tandem with multivariate data analysis tools provide useful alternative methods in the authentication of ginseng raw materials and commercial products in a fast, easy, cost-effective and non-destructive manner.
Highly-Efficient Plasmon-Enhanced Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Created by Means of Dry Plasma Reduction
Authors: Dao Van-Duong , Choi Ho-Suk
Published: April 2016

Plasmon-assisted energy conversion is investigated in a comparative study of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) equipped with photo-anodes, which are fabricated by forming gold (Au) and silver (Ag) nanoparticles (NPs) on an fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass surface by means of dry plasma reduction (DPR) and coating TiO2 paste onto the modified FTO glass through a screen printing method. As a result, the FTO/Ag-NPs/TiO2 photo-anode showed an enhancement of its photocurrent, whereas the FTO/Au-NPs/TiO2 photo-anode showed less photocurrent than even a standard photo-anode fabricated by simply coating TiO2 paste onto the modified FTO glass through screen printing. This result stems from the small size and high areal number density of Au-NPs on FTO glass, which prevent the incident light from reaching the TiO2 layer.
A Hyper-Viscoelastic Constitutive Model for Polyurea under Uniaxial Compressive Loading
Authors: Bai Yang , Liu Chunmei , Huang Guangyan , Li Wei , Feng Shunshan
Published: April 2016

A hyper-viscoelastic constitutive model for polyurea by separating hyperelastic and viscoelastic behaviors has been put forward. Hyperelasticity represents the rate-independent responses at low strain rates, described by a three-parameter Mooney-Rivlin model and a third Ogden model. By fitting the quasi-static experimental data, the Ogden model is more appropriate to describe the hyperelastic behaviors for its better agreement at strain over 0.3. Meanwhile, viscoelasticity represents the rate-dependent responses at high strain rates, described by the Standard Linear Solids (SLS) model and the K-BKZ model. By fitting the experimental data of split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB), the SLS model is more appropriate to describe the viscoelastic behaviors at strain rates below 1600 s−1, but the K-BKZ model performs better at strain rates over 2100 s−1 because of the substantial increase of Young’s modulus and the state of polyurea transforming from rubbery to glassy. The K-BKZ model is chosen to describe the viscoelastic behavior, for its low Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) at strain rates below 1600 s−1. From the discussion above, the hyper-viscoelastic constitutive model is chosen to be the combination of the Ogden model and the K-BKZ model.
Measurements of Generated Energy/Electrical Quantities from Locomotion Activities Using Piezoelectric Wearable Sensors for Body Motion Energy Harvesting
Authors: Proto Antonino , Penhaker Marek , Bibbo Daniele , Vala David , Conforto Silvia , Schmid Maurizio
Published: April 2016

In this paper, two different piezoelectric transducers—a ceramic piezoelectric, lead zirconate titanate (PZT), and a polymeric piezoelectric, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)—were compared in terms of energy that could be harvested during locomotion activities. The transducers were placed into a tight suit in proximity of the main body joints. Initial testing was performed by placing the transducers on the neck, shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee and ankle; then, five locomotion activities—walking, walking up and down stairs, jogging and running—were chosen for the tests. The values of the power output measured during the five activities were in the range 6 µW–74 µW using both transducers for each joint.
White Women Wanted? An Analysis of Gender Diversity in Social Justice Magazines
Authors: Wrenn Corey , Lutz Megan
Published: April 2016

The role of media in collective action repertoires has been extensively studied, but media as an agent of socialization in social movement identity is less understood. It could be that social movement media is normalizing a particular activist identity to the exclusion of other demographics. For instance, Harper has identified white-centrism in anti-speciesist media produced by the Nonhuman Animal rights movement and supposes that this lack of diversity stunts movement potential. Using the lesser-studied Nonhuman Animal rights movement as a starting point, this study investigates two prominent Nonhuman Animal rights magazines. We compare those findings with an analysis of comparable leftist movements also known to exhibit diversity strains. A content analysis of Nonhuman Animal rights, women’s rights, and gay rights magazine covers spanning from 2000 to 2012 was undertaken to determine the manifestation of gender, race, body type, and sexualization. We find that the Nonhuman Animal rights media in our sample overwhelmingly portrays white women with a tendency toward thinness, but with low levels of sexualization as comparable to that of the other movements. All three movement samples unevenly depicted gender, overrepresented whites, and underrepresented non-thin body types.
Legal Opportunities for Public Participation in Forest Management in the Republic of Korea
Authors: Park Mi , Lee Hyowon
Published: April 2016

Participation by multiple actors has been emphasized in managing state forests to meet various demands on forests within a global society. Public participation was also suggested as an approach to sustainable forest management. This paper aims to investigate the legal opportunities of public participation in managing state forests in the case of the Republic of Korea (ROK). Relevant legal and policy documents were selected for content analysis and were analyzed with the levels of participation. Litigation regarding state forest conflicts was analyzed. The ROK legal system includes multiple levels of participation in managing state forests: information sharing, consultation, collaborative decision-making, and implementation. The research results indicate that various stakeholders need legal opportunities to participate in the formation and implementation of policies for the management of state forests. Regulatory enforcement is required for guaranteeing environmental rights—access to information, participation in decision-making, and standing in court. Based on research results, this paper provides us with legal insights on promoting public participation in managing state forests.
Rentes, territoire et développement. Que tout change pour que rien ne change ? (Rents, territories and development : permanence and change)
Authors: Magrin Géraud
Published: April 2016

Les rentes constituent une dimension centrale de l’extraversion qui caractérise les systèmes sociopolitiques et économiques africains. Tirées de l’exportation de matières premières brutes vers le marché mondial, elles n’ont jusqu’ici pas été porteuses de développement, faute d’être investies en faveur des activités productives. Depuis 1960, les sources de rente se sont pourtant diversifiées, et leur montant ont cru : les anciennes rentes agricoles et minières ont été augmentées dans les années 1960-70, marquées par des États forts et une demande mondiale favorable. Avec les crises des années 1980, de nouvelles prennent de l’ampleur : rente de l’aide, des transferts migratoires, des flux criminalisés. Ces systèmes rentiers ont certes contribué à la construction des territoires des jeunes États nations. Mais ils s’accompagnent de fragilités économiques et sociopolitiques défavorables au développement. La décennie 2000 est un moment d’incertitude : les concurrences mondiales pour les ressources naturelles africaines risquent de renforcer les travers des systèmes rentiers (corruption, autoritarisme, conflits), alors que de nouvelles régulations internationales essaient de réconcilier rentes et développement. Si les logiques de fragmentation et de déconnexion entre ressources et territoires semblent dominer, le nouveau contexte offre aussi aux systèmes sociopolitiques rentiers des espaces de bifurcation qui méritent d’être mieux connus.
La révolution des T.I.C. : du téléphone à Internet (The ICT revolution : from phones to the Internet)
Authors: Chéneau-Loquay Annie
Published: April 2016

Le véritable bouleversement dans le monde des télécommunications et d’Internet qui a lieu depuis une quinzaine d’années touche toute l’Afrique. Auparavant, les réseaux de la téléphonie fixe sous monopole de l’État, étaient mal répartis, discontinus avec un service de qualité médiocre à des coûts extrêmement élevés. Ensuite, les innovations technologiques, conjuguées à la baisse des coûts et à la concurrence, ont provoqué contre toute attente, une explosion de la téléphonie mobile. De nouveaux réseaux sont déployés pour la connexion externe et interne du continent et un aménagement numérique des territoires pour un Internet à haut débit est en cours. Du point de vue des usages, un modèle africain s’est créé ; une nouvelle économie informelle du détail et de l’occasion, avec la mutualisation des accès, répond aux besoins spécifiques de populations à faibles revenus. Mais l’offensive des opérateurs pour imposer le téléphone mobile au détriment du fixe, en faire le vecteur d’Internet et un outil multi usages risque de se traduire par une réduction des accès publics et des coûts prohibitifs pour les plus pauvres. Désormais, les références de l’ici et de l’ailleurs, du proche et du lointain se brouillent et le rôle de la diaspora se renforce.
L'Inde et la Chine, pays émergents et puissances mondiales ? (India and China : emerging countries and global powers ?)
Authors: Giblin Béatrice
Published: April 2016

Parmi les pays émergents, la Chine et l'Inde apparaissent comme deux puissances militaires de premier plan. Leur montée en puissance est la suite logique de leur essor économique. Chacun des deux pays modernise son armée et lui consacre des budgets en hausse. La Chine et l'Inde ont désormais les moyens militaires d'assurer leur défense et de se contrôler mutuellement. Outre leurs prétentions géopolitiques dans leurs zones d'influence respectives, les deux pays pèsent de plus en plus dans les affaires du monde. Ils se représentent cette évolution comme le fait de fermer la parenthèse historique de la colonisation et de la domination européenne : le temps long de la géohistoire montre deux pays qui retrouvent leur place dans le monde.
Les Philippines : un pays émergent dans la mondialisation ? (The Philippines : an emerging country in globalization ?)
Authors: Boquet Yves
Published: April 2016

The Philippines, favorably located in the center of Pacific Asia, are paradoxically characterized by a relatively low rate of growth in the region, although they were the second richest Asian country after Japan at the end of World War II. Several indicators show that the country was not very successful in its economic takeoff despite his potential. Major explanations may be found in the burdensome heritage of the Catholic Spanish colonization on the socio-political structure of the country, and also on dubious macro-econmic choices. The insertion of the Philippines into globalization processes follows a niche strategy, such as the export of qualified labor and the development of call centers. It results in increasing regional inequalities and a growing gap between Greater Manila and the rest of the country.