bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Boron Addition on the Precipitation Behavior of S31254
Authors: Bai Jingang , Cui Yishi , Wang Jian , Dong Nan , Saqlain Qurashi Muhammad , Wei Hairui , Yang Yongchao , Han Peide
Published: June 2018

To reduce the precipitation of σ phases and to improve the hot workability of S31254 steels, boron has been added into the composition of S31254 to a concentration of 40 ppm. The precipitation behavior was investigated before and after the addition of boron in different S31254 alloys during the compression deformation, and the nose temperature at 950 °C and the phase dissolution temperature at 1074 °C were selected as the measurement temperature. The result showed that more σ phases were precipitated at the grain boundary of S31254 alloys, compared to the boron-added alloy. Meanwhile, the addition of 40 ppm boron into the alloys has obviously prevented the σ phases from the austenitic matrix, and it takes longer time for the precipitation of σ phase at 950 °C. The specific influence factors of boron on the precipitation of σ phases were also further discussed.
Engineering of Removing Sacrificial Materials in 3D-Printed Microfluidics
Authors: Yin Pengju , Hu Bo , Yi Langlang , Xiao Chun , Cao Xu , Zhao Lei , Shi Hongyan
Published: June 2018

Three-dimensional (3D) printing will create a revolution in the field of microfluidics due to fabricating truly three-dimensional channels in a single step. During the 3D-printing process, sacrificial materials are usually needed to fulfill channels inside and support the printed chip outside. Removing sacrificial materials after printing is obviously crucial for applying these 3D printed chips to microfluidics. However, there are few standard methods to address this issue. In this paper, engineering techniques of removing outer and inner sacrificial materials were studied. Meanwhile, quantification methods of removal efficiency for outer and inner sacrificial materials were proposed, respectively. For outer sacrificial materials, a hot bath in vegetable oil can remove 89.9% ± 0.1% of sacrificial materials, which is better than mechanics removal, hot oven heating, and an ethanol bath. For inner sacrificial materials, injecting 70 °C vegetable oil for 720 min is an optimized approach because of the uniformly high transmittance (93.8% ± 6.8%) and no obvious deformation. For the industrialization of microfluidics, the cost-effective removing time is around 10 min, which considers the balance between time cost and chip transmittance. The optimized approach and quantification methods presented in this paper show general engineering sacrificial materials removal techniques, which promote removing sacrificial materials from 3D-printed microfluidics chips and take 3D printing a step further in microfluidic applications.
Influence of Diet and Gender on Plasma DPP4 Activity and GLP-1 in Patients with Metabolic Syndrome: An Experimental Pilot Study
Authors: Pérez-Durillo Francisco Tomás , Segarra Ana Belén , Villarejo Ana Belén , Ramírez-Sánchez Manuel , Prieto Isabel
Published: June 2018

Background: Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) is hydrolyzed by Dipeptidyl-Peptidase 4 (DPP4), and several studies suggest that both GLP-1 and DPP4 inhibitors have potentially beneficial effects on cardiovascular risks. The objective of this study was to analyze the differences between plasma GLP-1 and DPP4 activity in male and female patients with metabolic syndrome, and its relationship with physiological and metabolic parameters. The study included 25 apparently healthy Controls (C) and 21 Metabolic Syndrome patients (MS). Anthropometric indices, cardiovascular risk-score, and Mediterranean Diet Adherence (AMeDit) were evaluated. Fasting glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and insulin were measured. Insulin, GLP-1, and plasma DPP4 were determined within the first 30-min postprandial period. Body-Mass-Index was significantly higher, and AMeDit was significantly lower, but only in MS women. However, fasting glucose, HbA1c, and postprandial insulin were significantly higher in MS men, but not in MS women. Postprandial GLP-1 levels were lower in C men than in C women. Interestingly, in comparison with controls, we found significant lower levels of plasma DPP4 in MS-women only. Moreover, negative lineal regressions were established between DPP4 activity with waist-to-hip ratio and cardiovascular risk-score, and positive lineal regression with AMeDit. These results indicate gender differences in the behavior of GLP-1 and DPP4 activity in MS, which could be relevant for its treatment with GLP-1 analogues and DPP4 inhibitors.
In Vitro and In Vivo Anti-Breast Cancer Activities of Some Synthesized Pyrazolinyl-estran-17-one Candidates
Authors: Amr Abd El-Galil E. , El-Naggar Mohamed , Al-Omar Mohamed A. , Elsayed Elsayed Ahmed , Abdalla Mohamed M.
Published: June 2018

A series of estrone derivatives, 2–4, were synthesized from the corresponding arylidine estrone, 2a,b, as starting materials, which were prepared by condensation of estrone (3-hydroxy-estran-17-one, 1) with 4-bromobenzaldehyde and thiophene-2-aldehyde. Treating of 2a,b with hydrazine derivatives in acetic acid or propionic acid afforded pyrazoline derivatives, 3a–f and 4a–f, respectively. Furthermore, results proved the superiority of thienyl derivatives over 4-bromophenol derivatives in terms of cytotoxic effects on MCF-7 cancer cells. In vivo xenograft breast cancer animal model experiments revealed that the synthesized derivatives can be used for decreasing tumor volume, while the most potent derivative (4f) decreased the development of tumor volume by about 87.0% after 12 days.
Simultaneous Determination and Pharmacokinetics of Peimine and Peiminine in Beagle Dog Plasma by UPLC-MS/MS after the Oral Administration of Fritillariae ussuriensis Maxim and Fritillariae thunbergii Miq Powder
Authors: Wang Zhibin , Cao Feng , Chen Yajun , Tang Zhenqiu , Wang Zhenyue
Published: June 2018

A simple and high sensitive ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of peimine and peiminine in beagle dog plasma after the oral administration of Fritillariae ussuriensis Maxim and Fritillariae thunbergii Miq powder. Chromatographic separation was achieved on an ACQUIT UPLC® BEH C18 column (1.7 μm, 2.1 × 100 mm) in a gradient elution way with a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile and water containing 0.1% formic acid at a flow rate of 0.4 mL/min. The plasma samples were prepared by a liquid–liquid extraction (LLE) method with ethyl acetate. The analytes were detected with a triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (MS) in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode and a positive ion electrospray ionization (ESI) of the transitions at m/z 432.4→414.4 for peimine and m/z 430.3→412.3 for peiminine. The method was linear for two analytes over the investigated range with all determined correlation coefficients exceeding 0.9900. The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) was 0.988 ng/mL for peimine and 0.980 ng/mL for peiminine. The mean extraction recoveries of peimine and peiminine at three quality control samples (QC) levels were ranged from 82.56 to 88.71%, and matrix effects ranged from 92.06 to 101.2%. The intra-day and inter-day precision and accuracy were within the acceptable limits at LLOQ and QC levels. The method was effectively and successfully applied to the pharmacokinetics of peimine and peiminine after oral administration of powder to beagle dogs. The obtained results may be help to guide the clinical application of Fritillaria ussuriensis Maxim and Fritillaria thunbergii Miq.
Genome Editing Weds CRISPR: What Is in It for Phytoremediation?
Authors: Basharat Zarrin , Novo Luís A. B. , Yasmin Azra
Published: June 2018

The arrival of sequence-specific endonucleases that allow genome editing has shaken the pillars of basic and applied plant biology. Clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats (CRISPR) is a revolutionary genome-engineering tool that enables the enhancement of targeted traits in plants. Numerous plants, including energy crops, known for their potential to tolerate, immobilize, and stabilize inorganic and organic pollutants, have already been edited using different CRISPR systems. Moreover, a large array of genes responsible for increased metal tolerance, metal uptake and hyperaccumulation have already been identified. Thus, the CRISPR-mediated genome reprogramming of plants, including its use in gene expression regulation through transcriptional repression or activation (CRISPRi and CRISPRa), could be of paramount importance for phytoremediation. The simplicity, inexpensiveness, and capabilities of this gene editing technique could soon be used to enhance plants and bacteria involved in phytotechnologies, such as phystabilization, phytoextraction, phytomining, phytovolatilization, and bio-energy generation. In this brief viewpoint piece, we posit some of the potential benefits of CRISPR for phytoremediation.
The Combined ASTER and MODIS Emissivity over Land (CAMEL) Global Broadband Infrared Emissivity Product
Authors: Feltz Michelle , Borbas Eva , Knuteson Robert , Hulley Glynn , Hook Simon
Published: June 2018

Infrared surface emissivity is needed for the calculation of net longwave radiation, a critical parameter in weather and climate models and Earth’s radiation budget. Due to a prior lack of spatially and temporally variant global broadband emissivity (BBE) measurements of the surface, it is common practice in land surface and climate models to set BBE to a single constant over the globe. This can lead to systematic biases in the estimated net and longwave radiation for any particular location and time of year. Under the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Making Earth System Data Records for Use in Research Environments (MEaSUREs) project, a new global, high spectral resolution land surface emissivity dataset has recently been made available at monthly at 0.05 degree resolution since 2000. Called the Combined ASTER MODIS Emissivity over Land (CAMEL), this dataset is created by the merging of the MODIS baseline-fit emissivity database developed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the ASTER Global Emissivity Dataset (GED) produced at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. CAMEL has 13 hinge points between 3.6–14.3 µm which are expanded to cover 417 infrared spectral channels within the same wavelength region using a principal component regression approach. This work presents the method for calculating BBE using the new CAMEL dataset. BBE is computed via numerical integration over the CAMEL High Spectral Resolution product for two different wavelength ranges—3.6–14.3 µm which takes advantage of the full, available CAMEL spectra and 8.0–13.5 µm which has been determined to be an optimal range for computing the most representative all wavelength, longwave net radiation. CAMEL BBE uncertainty estimates are computed, and comparisons are made to BBE computed from lab validation data for selected case sites. Variations of BBE over time and land cover classification schemes are investigated and converted into flux to demonstrate the equivalent error in longwave radiation which would be made by the use of a single, constant BBE value. Misrepresentations in BBE by 0.05 at 310 K corresponds to potential errors in longwave radiation of over 25 W/m2.
The Influence of Corporate Social Responsibility on Organizational Commitment: The Sequential Mediating Effect of Meaningfulness of Work and Perceived Organizational Support
Authors: Kim Byung-Jik , Nurunnabi Mohammad , Kim Tae-Hyun , Jung Se-Youn
Published: June 2018

Although many scholars have investigated the influence of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in an organization, there has been relatively minimal research regarding the CSR’s impacts on employees as well as the underlying mechanisms of it. Considering the research gaps, in the present research, we examine how CSR practices influence attitudes of employees. In particular, we hypothesize that perceived CSR would enhance organizational commitment (OC) of employees through the sequential mediation of meaningfulness of work (MOW) and perceived organizational support (POS). In order to empirically test this, we utilized two-wave time-lagged survey data from 378 employees who work for companies in South Korea. The results show that MOW and POS sequentially mediate the relationship between perceived CSR and OC. The findings suggest that CSR practices could be an active investment which enhances important attitudes of employees, instead of merely being a cost or obligation for firms.
Does Firm Performance Influence Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting of Chinese Listed Companies?
Authors: Sial Muhammad Safdar , Zheng Chunmei , Khuong Nguyen Vinh , Khan Tehmina , Usman Muhammad
Published: June 2018

This study aims to investigate whether firm performance influences corporate social responsibility reporting of Chinese listed companies. We have used the sample of all A-share listed firms on Shenzhen and Shanghai stock exchanges for the period 2008 to 2015. The authors used pooled ordinary least squares (OLS) regression as a baseline methodology. To control the possible problem of endogeneity we use one year lagged and two-stage least squares regression. We find that firm performance has a statistically significant impact on CSR reporting. Moreover, we see that firms with high performance are more likely to report CSR activities than low-performance firms. Additionally, five of the control variables (board size, CEO power, SOE, firm size, and Big4) have some influence on CSR reporting. These findings hold for a set of robustness tests. Our results have implications for the development of CSR reporting in developing countries like China. Our research suggests that, in China, companies with better financial performance undertake more CSR reporting. The paper contributes to the existing literature by investigating the effect of firm performance on CSR reporting of Chinese listed companies. Additionally, this paper enriches the current literature on CSR reporting and highlights the importance of a firm’s financial performance for better environmental performance and reporting.
Legislative Study on China’s Compensation for Nuclear Damage Liability
Authors: Liu Jiu , Liu Bingyu , Chen Dantao
Published: June 2018

The civil nuclear industry plays an important role in improving environmental quality and safeguarding energy security in China. Nevertheless, the industry is facing a huge risk of nuclear accident damage. The legal system of nuclear damage compensation is of vital importance for the industry to address potential risks. The Nuclear Safety Law, which has recently been published in China, stipulates two articles about nuclear damage compensation in principle. However, in general, the current nuclear damage compensation legal system in China has not yet been made systematic and there are still problems, such as a lack of maneuverability and details. This paper adopts qualitative and quantitative methodologies to summarize and analyze the current legislation and regulation pertaining to civil nuclear damage compensation liability in China and analyzes the shortages and deficiencies of these rules in detail by using legal analysis methods. Suggestions to establish and perfect China’s legal system of nuclear damage compensation are proposed to safeguard the healthy development of the civil nuclear industry and remedy damages brought about by nuclear accidents. Such a legal system should contain the elements of clear legislative goals and objectives, a specific definition and scope of nuclear damage, strict and sole responsibility principles for operators, an appropriate liability amount, a stable financial guarantee for operators, and national supplementary liability.
Quantitative Assessment of Regional Debris-Flow Risk: A Case Study in Southwest China
Authors: Liu Guangxu , Dai Erfu , Xu Xinchuang , Wu Wenxiang , Xiang Aicun
Published: June 2018

This paper uses a comprehensive risk assessment method to investigate the population risk of debris flows in Southwest China. The methodology integrates models from hazard, vulnerability literature and some empirical equations. The main steps include debris-flow disaster-hazard zoning, estimation of the frequency of the disaster, factor identification of population vulnerability, and calculation of the fragility rate. The results demonstrate that the most hazardous regions in Southwest China are primarily observed in the mountains around the Sichuan Basin, the border area between Sichuan and Yunnan Provinces, the eastern and southern regions of Yunnan Province, and the eastern area of Guizhou Province. The extremely high vulnerability zones are characterized by a fragility rate of 3.89 persons per 10,000 people. The comprehensive risk gradually increases from the southeast of the study area to the central region, reaching its highest value (more than 100 persons/year) on the Jiangyou–Zhaotong–Baoshan Line and decreasing thereafter to its lowest in the northwestern region. Extremely large-scale disasters are the major factor of casualties. Appropriate risk management and mitigation solutions should be comprehensively determined based on the combination of debris-hazard levels and fragility rates in the hazardous regions.
Millets for Food Security in the Context of Climate Change: A Review
Authors: Saxena Rachit , Vanga Sai Kranthi , Wang Jin , Orsat Valérie , Raghavan Vijaya
Published: June 2018

A growing population means an ever-increasing demand for food. This global concern has led to antagonism over resources such as water and soil. Climate change can directly influence the quality and availability of these resources, thereby adversely affecting our food systems and crop productivity, especially of major cereals such as rice, wheat and maize. In this review, we have looked at the availability of resources such as water and soil based on several modeling scenarios in different regions of the world. Most of these models predict that there will be a reduction in production rates of various cereal crops. Furthermore, all the major cereal crops are known to have a higher contribution to global warming than alternative crops such as millets which should be considered in mitigating global food insecurity. In this study, we have used the data to predict which regions of the world are most adversely affected by climate change and how the cultivation of millets and other crops could aid in the reduction of stress on environmental resources.
A Forecasting Model Based on Multi-Valued Neutrosophic Sets and Two-Factor, Third-Order Fuzzy Fluctuation Logical Relationships
Authors: Guan Hongjun , He Jie , Zhao Aiwu , Dai Zongli , Guan Shuang
Published: June 2018

Making predictions according to historical values has long been regarded as common practice by many researchers. However, forecasting solely based on historical values could lead to inevitable over-complexity and uncertainty due to the uncertainties inside, and the random influence outside, of the data. Consequently, finding the inherent rules and patterns of a time series by eliminating disturbances without losing important details has long been a research hotspot. In this paper, we propose a novel forecasting model based on multi-valued neutrosophic sets to find fluctuation rules and patterns of a time series. The contributions of the proposed model are: (1) using a multi-valued neutrosophic set (MVNS) to describe the fluctuation patterns of a time series, the model could represent the fluctuation trend of up, equal, and down with degrees of truth, indeterminacy, and falsity which significantly preserve details of the historical values; (2) measuring the similarities of different fluctuation patterns by the Hamming distance could avoid the confusion caused by incomplete information from limited samples; and (3) introducing another related time series as a secondary factor to avoid warp and deviation in inferring inherent rules of historical values, which could lead to more comprehensive rules for further forecasting. To evaluate the performance of the model, we explored the Taiwan Stock Exchange Capitalization Weighted Stock Index (TAIEX) as the major factor we forecast, and the Dow Jones Index as the secondary factor to facilitate the predicting of the TAIEX. To show the universality of the model, we applied the proposed model to forecast the Shanghai Stock Exchange Composite Index (SHSECI) as well.
Molecular Aspects of Varicella-Zoster Virus Latency
Authors: Depledge Daniel P. , Sadaoka Tomohiko , Ouwendijk Werner J. D.
Published: June 2018

Primary varicella-zoster virus (VZV) infection causes varicella (chickenpox) and the establishment of a lifelong latent infection in ganglionic neurons. VZV reactivates in about one-third of infected individuals to cause herpes zoster, often accompanied by neurological complications. The restricted host range of VZV and, until recently, a lack of suitable in vitro models have seriously hampered molecular studies of VZV latency. Nevertheless, recent technological advances facilitated a series of exciting studies that resulted in the discovery of a VZV latency-associated transcript (VLT) and provide novel insights into our understanding of VZV latency and factors that may initiate reactivation. Deducing the function(s) of VLT and the molecular mechanisms involved should now be considered a priority to improve our understanding of factors that govern VZV latency and reactivation. In this review, we summarize the implications of recent discoveries in the VZV latency field from both a virus and host perspective and provide a roadmap for future studies.
Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus: A Structural View
Authors: Pulkkinen Lauri I. A. , Butcher Sarah J. , Anastasina Maria
Published: June 2018

Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is a growing health concern. It causes a severe disease that can lead to permanent neurological complications or death and the incidence of TBEV infections is constantly rising. Our understanding of TBEV’s structure lags behind that of other flaviviruses, but has advanced recently with the publication of a high-resolution structure of the TBEV virion. The gaps in our knowledge include: aspects of receptor binding, replication and virus assembly. Furthermore, TBEV has mostly been studied in mammalian systems, even though the virus’ interaction with its tick hosts is a central part of its life cycle. Elucidating these aspects of TBEV biology are crucial for the development of TBEV antivirals, as well as the improvement of diagnostics. In this review, we summarise the current structural knowledge on TBEV, bringing attention to the current gaps in our understanding, and propose further research that is needed to truly understand the structural-functional relationship of the virus and its hosts.
Research on Optimal Water Allocation Based on Water Rights Trade under the Principle of Water Demand Management: A Case Study in Bayannur City, China
Authors: Wang Lizhen , Huang Yuefei , Zhao Yong , Li Haihong , He Fan , Zhai Jiaqi , Zhu Yongnan , Wang Qingming , Jiang Shan
Published: June 2018

In water shortage regions, water rights trading would be much useful for increasing water use inefficiency through changing users’ water demand. In this study, a water optimal allocation modelling system is proposed by considering water rights trading and other governmental policies such as water prices, water savings and industrial policies. An agent-based model was developed to describe the behaviors and goals of individual agents using complex adaptive system theory, information transfers, and functional mechanisms between agents. The developed model was applied to Bayannur City, which suffers from severe water shortages. The water prices for different industries, the water rights transaction price, and the behaviors of various agents in 2020 were forecasted. The results reveal that the water resources optimal allocation model applied in this study can help realize the reasonable allocation of regional water resources under limited water supply. It is also valuable to guide the government in making water resources allocation policies and provide a practical reference for the formulation and adjustment of a water market transaction price.
Dimensioning and Optimization of Hybrid Li-Ion Battery Systems for EVs
Authors: Becker Jan , Nemeth Thomas , Wegmann Raphael , Sauer Dirk
Published: June 2018

Commercial electric vehicles nowadays are powered by a battery system containing one kind of lithium-ion battery cell. Due to the fixed ratio of the cells’ maximum power to nominal energy, the possibilities for designing power and energy of the battery pack independently are limited. The battery system’s energy and maximum power can only be scaled by adapting the number of cells and modules, and the parameters furthermore depend on the characteristics of the cells used. Additional power electronics in the form of one or more dc/dc converters can be used to form a hybrid battery system comprised of more than one pack and different cell technologies. This allows for individually designing each battery pack and thus optimizing the overall battery system specification. This work presents a battery dimensioning and optimization approach for single pack and hybrid battery systems. It is based on an evolutionary optimization algorithm and a detailed, modular Matlab-Simulink vehicle model. Studies on the advantages of hybrid batteries for different vehicle classes were carried out. Results indicate that optimized hybrid battery systems can lead to weight and volume savings and further advantages in total cost of ownership, for example, by enhanced battery life time or reduced investment costs. On the other hand, they require more complex control logic, which is also discussed in this paper.
Inhomogeneities in Battery Packs
Authors: Neupert Steven , Kowal Julia
Published: June 2018

The market of accumulator based technologies is changing very fast, especially the electro mobility market due to different decisions made to reduce the impact on climate change. In most markets battery packs are used, which means accumulators are connected to form a battery system consisting of, from a few accumulators up to thousands. Research of battery technologies often focuses on single cells, however considering the applications it is important to know the behaviour of different cells in a system. This paper deals with the inhomogeneities which influence the electrical behaviour of the system in simulation and measurement with a special focus on parallel connected cells.
AN ANALYSIS OF WILDFIRE RISK AND HISTORICAL OCCURRENCE FOR A MEDITERRANEAN BIOSPHERE RESERVE, CENTRAL CHILE
Authors: Bańales-Seguel Camila , De La Barrera Francisco , Salazar Alejandro
Published: June 2018

Wildfires are one of the main processes that currently shape Mediterranean ecosystems. The analysis of wildfire risk combined with historical records allows for a greater understanding of trends and their relation to territorial variables that are favourable to future events. Using GIS analysis, we assess wildfire risk in La Campana – Peñuelas Biosphere Reserve, in Central Chile. Additionally, with official historical records and LANDSAT satellite images from 1985–2015 and GIS we determine historical occurrence in the Reserve. We found that the areas with very high risk of wildfire occurrence have a strong combination of ignition factors such as presence of human settlements and road connectivity, and variables that would be negatively impacted by the occurrence of wildfires, such as degraded soils and vulnerable vegetation. These findings highlight the need to destine resources to fire prevention in these areas and develop adaptation strategies for risk management at different scales.
1I/2017 ’Oumuamua-like Interstellar Asteroids as Possible Messengers from Dead Stars
Authors: Rafikov Roman R.
Published: June 2018

Discovery of the first interstellar asteroid (ISA)—1I/2017 ’Oumuamua—raised natural questions regarding its origin, some related to its lack of cometary activity, suggesting refractory composition. Here we explore the possibility that ’Oumuamua-like ISAs are produced in tidal disruption events (TDEs) of refractory planetoids (asteroids, terrestrial planets, etc.) by white dwarfs (WDs). This idea is supported by spectroscopic observations of metal-polluted WDs, indicating the predominantly volatile-poor composition of the accreted material. We show that such TDEs sourced by realistic planetary systems (including a population of ≳103 km planetoids and massive perturbers—Neptune-to-Saturn mass planets) can eject up to 30% of planetary mass involved in TDEs to interstellar space. Collisional fragmentation, caused by vertical collapse of the disrupted planetoid’s debris inside the WD Roche sphere, channels most of its mass into 0.1–1 km fragments, similar to ’Oumuamua. Such a size spectrum of ISAs (very different from the top-heavy distributions expected in other scenarios) implies that planetary TDEs can account for a significant fraction (up to ∼30%) of ISAs. This figure is based on existing observations of WD metal pollution, which are de-biased using realistic models of circum-WD planetary systems. Such ISAs should exhibit kinematic characteristics of old, dynamically hot Galactic populations. ISA ejection in individual planetary TDEs is highly anisotropic, resulting in large fluctuations of their space density. We also show that other ISA production channels involving stellar remnants—direct ejection by massive planets around the WDs and supernova explosions—have difficulty explaining ’Oumuamua-like ISAs.
Possible Association of Two Stellar Bowshocks with Unidentified Fermi Sources
Authors: Sánchez-Ayaso E. , del Valle María V. , Martí J. , Romero G. E. , Luque-Escamilla P. L.
Published: June 2018

The bowshocks of runaway stars had been theoretically proposed as gamma-ray sources. However, this hypothesis has not been confirmed by observations to date. In this paper, we present two runaway stars (λ Cep and LS 2355) whose bowshocks are coincident with the unidentified Fermi gamma-ray sources 3FLG J2210.1+5925 and 3FGL J1128.7–6232, respectively. After performing a cross-correlation between different catalogs at distinct wavelengths, we found that these bowshocks are the most peculiar objects in the Fermi position ellipses. Then we computed the inverse Compton emission and fitted the Fermi data in order to test the viability of both runaway stars as potential counterparts of the two high-energy sources. We obtained very reasonable values for the fitted parameters of both stars. We also evaluated the possibility for the source 3FGL J1128.7–6232, which is positionally coincident with a H ii region, to be the result of background cosmic-ray protons interacting with the matter of the cloud, as well as the probability of a pure chance association. We conclude that the gamma rays from these Fermi sources might be produced in the bowshocks of the considered runaway stars. In such a case, these would be the first sources of this class ever detected at gamma rays.
Compact Dusty Clouds and Efficient H2 Formation in Diffuse Interstellar Medium
Authors: Ivlev A. V. , Burkert A. , Vasyunin A. , Caselli P.
Published: June 2018

The formation of compact dusty clouds in diffuse interstellar medium (ISM) has been recently proposed and studied by Tsytovich et al. In the present paper, the effect of the clouds on the rate of H → H2 transition in the ISM is examined. We discuss the mechanisms leading to the formation of the clouds and the creation of gaseous clumps around them, analyze the main processes determining the efficiency of the recombination of atomic hydrogen on dust grains, and estimate the expected enhancement of the global H2 formation due to the presence of the clouds. In conclusion, we argue that the compact dusty clouds provide optimum conditions for the atomic recombination in diffuse ISM, and point out some astrophysical implications of the resulting H2 formation enhancement.
The medicinal plants of Myanmar
Authors: DeFilipps Robert A. , Krupnick Gary A.
Published: June 2018

A comprehensive compilation is provided of the medicinal plants of the Southeast Asian country of Myanmar (formerly Burma). This contribution, containing 123 families, 367 genera, and 472 species, was compiled from earlier treatments, monographs, books, and pamphlets, with some medicinal uses and preparations translated from Burmese to English. The entry for each species includes the Latin binomial, author(s), common Myanmar and English names, range, medicinal uses and preparations, and additional notes. Of the 472 species, 63 or 13% of them have been assessed for conservation status and are listed in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN 2017). Two species are listed as Extinct in the Wild, four as Threatened (two Endangered, two Vulnerable), two as Near Threatened, 48 Least Concerned, and seven Data Deficient. Botanic gardens worldwide hold 444 species (94%) within their living collections, while 28 species (6%) are not found any botanic garden. Preserving the traditional knowledge of Myanmar healers contributes to Target 13 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation.
La montée en puissance des protestants évangéliques dans la politique étrangère américaine
Authors: Boussois Sébastien
Published: June 2018

Aux États-Unis, les courants évangéliques sont devenus en quelques décennies de puissants leviers et sources de pouvoir. En reconnaissant Jérusalem comme la capitale d’Israël en décembre 2017, Donald Trump satisfait son électorat, mais se réinscrit aussi au cœur du combat mondial contre le Mal. Ce n’est donc pas de la présupposée folie de sa part, mais une construction de l’esprit très ancrée et empreinte de références théologiques. L’on assiste ainsi à l’avènement d’un évangélisme politique. L’actualité récente à Jérusalem stimule l’intérêt d’une analyse concernant l’influence des protestants évangéliques sur la politique étrangère américaine.
Perception and Text Comprehension. It’s a Matter of Perception!
Authors: Tourimpampa Aglaia , Drigas Athanasios , Economou Alexandra , Roussos Petros
Published: June 2018

This study is a comprehensive attempt to assess the impact of the cognitive skill of perception in the ability to comprehend a text. More specifically, it investigates the function of perception as a primary structure of the human brain to contact the world and examines the certain cognitive processes of perception that affect text comprehension. It is also presented the relation between cognitive perception and the linguistic approach of pragmatics in order the subject to comprehend the text. Perception is the organization, identification and interpretation of sensory information in order to represent and understand the environment. Pragmatics is the linguistic field that studies how people comprehend and produce speech or a text as a communicative act. Furthermore, it features the current scientific achievements on the ICTs processes and tools, which exploit the assessment of perception in text comprehension.
Self-organizing Community Learning Based on P2P Network in a University Computer Foundation Course
Authors: Liu Zumin , Zhang Shiying
Published: June 2018

In order to solve the problem of lack of targeted guidance for learners in the community learning process, an improved algorithm for constructing com-munities was proposed. The algorithm used P2P architecture. Through the improved learning rules, the links between learners with similar interests were continuously strengthened. The community structure was automatically adjusted. In the end, learners with similar interests were grouped together. Taking university computer basic courses as an example, a self-organizing community learning system based on p2p network-based university comput-er basic courses was constructed. The results showed that compared with the traditional P2P architecture learning algorithm, this algorithm achieved better community construction quality and higher community construction speed. Therefore, this method can improve the learning effect of the university computer basic curriculum community.
New Scheduling Algorithm for Mobile Teaching Cloud Resource Push
Authors: Wan Qing , Yang Xueping , Chen Guanghai
Published: June 2018

In order to solve the drawbacks of the traditional message push mechanism in terms of diversity, power consumption, traffic consumption, and message real-time performance, an adaptive scheduling algorithm was designed. Based on the algorithm, an adaptive message push strategy that can dynami-cally allocate message push mode for the terminal was proposed. The exper-imental results showed that this strategy could reduce the power consumption of mobile terminals and save network traffic while adapting to the diversity of terminals. Therefore, it can ensure the real-time performance of messages.
Personalized Distance Education System Based on Data Mining
Authors: Qi Zhimin
Published: June 2018

To improve the poor intelligence and personalized service of the learning system in current distance education and training, a personalized learning system model based on data mining technology was proposed. Then, the method of applying the decision tree and BP neural network algorithm to de-sign the system was described in detail. Finally, the core module of the per-sonalized distance education system combined with Web was designed. The personalized function module introduced how the user operates the intelli-gent Web reasoning in the module according to the user input learning in-formation and gave the most matching learning materials. Finally, the appli-cation results showed that the system greatly improved the personalized ser-vice module.
Product Category vs Demographics
Authors: Kalia Prateek
Published: June 2018

To remain profitable, managers and researchers want to gain insights about products bought by e-shoppers in past and their future shopping interests. They also want to know, “what factors are creating difference in shopping behavior of these buyers.” This article addresses above situation by presenting product category-wise demographic comparison of past and future e-purchase intentions of e-shoppers. Results revealed significant differences in past e-purchases within gender, marital status, age, city of residence and occupational categories with respect to different product categories, surprisingly no such differences were observed in educational and family income categories. For future e-purchases intentions, significant differences were found within gender, city of residence, marital status, age and education categories. Here differences within occupational and family income groups were not observed. Maximum demographic differences were observed in product categories like clothing, books and auto parts.
The Portret of a Contemporary Child and Youngster in the Global Education Space
Authors: Rubene Zanda
Published: June 2018

The world of transformations changes radically the education process. Theoreticians and practitioners of pedagogy recognize that methods and strategies consolidated over centuries very often have become ineffective in modern education practice. Therefore, the researchers' interest in childhood studies nowadays is natural. They define children's and youngster`s culture as different, unknown and incomprehensible. The researchers initiate a number of questions that need to be answered in order to cooperate with children and youngsters in school and in the family. How can teachers work efficiently in the modern school? How should adults implement modern pedagogical goals and which pedagogical methods to use to attain them? How do they perceive this world, what do they want to achieve in life? Which are the specific features of the representatives of this generation and how do they wish to cooperate with other generations? This article will be an attempt to provide some possible answers to those questions.
Ontological Analysis of An ERP Implementation Success and Education
Authors: Offor Patrick , Cleveland Simon
Published: June 2018

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementations are plagued by high failure rates. Extant literature has proposed a myriad of critical success factors that contribute to successful ERP implementations, but there is still a gap in understanding the interaction of the complex internal subsystems that play a role in such successes. This study presents an ontological analysis of several subsystems and their interaction at the GCSS-Army ERP implementation. It leverages the system thinking theory and a novel analogous example to explain the interactions and properties of these subsystems.
Obtaining Support for Eradication Programs Using a Common Ethical Language
Authors: Brewer Cameron David
Published: June 2018

When determining whether or not to move forward with an eradication program, the question of possible success must be raised. Successful campaigns often need support from the public and governmental institutions, but different stakeholders may highlight different concerns when an eradication program is proposed. In what follows, the author argues that using a common ethical language when discussing particularly divisive programs with the public can help garner support for those programs. More specifically, utilizing utilitarian theory can play a valuable role in obtaining public support for eradication programs involving appealing animals.
Eventuality of an Apartheid State of Things
Authors: Sholla Sahil , Mir Roohie Naaz , Chishti Mohammad Ahsan
Published: June 2018

Notwithstanding the potential of IoT to revolutionise our personal and social lives, the absence of a solid framework of ethics may lead to situations where smart devices are used in ways uncongenial to the moral fabric of a society. In this work, the authors seek to provide a conceptual framework toward incorporating ethics in IoT. They employ the concept of object for each smart device in order to represent ethics relevant to its context. Moreover, the authors propose dedicating a separate ethics layer in the protocol stack of smart devices to account for socio-cultural ethical aspects of a society. The ethics layer enables us to account for ethical responsibilities of smart devices vis-a-vis society so that inadvertent physical, emotional or psychological harm to human beings is avoided. Such mechanism ensures that devices operate ethically not only at individual level but also at D2D level to give rise to high order ethical structures e.g. ethical home, ethical office, ethical university, ethical city, etc.
The Impact of Perceived Value on Satisfaction of Adventure Tourists: With Special Reference to Sri Lankan Domestic Tourists
Authors: Hettiarachchi W. N. , Lakmal H. M. A
Published: June 2018

This paper aims to investigate the drivers of customer value and their respective influence on satisfaction in the particularly under-researched area of adventure tourism with reference to the Sri Lankan domestic context. The multidimensional perceived value framework (PERVAL) was used and the study adopted a quantitative, explanatory and single cross-sectional research design. Convenient sampling method was used and 267 responses were evaluated through a structured questionnaire which was employed targeting domestic tourists who have participated in any kind of adventure activity in Sri Lanka. Results of regression analyses concluded that there is a direct and positive influence of perceived value on satisfaction in an adventure tourism setting. Furthermore, Sri Lankan domestic tourists attached more importance to novelty value and emotional value. The foremost implication of this study is that adventure tour operators should account for differences in value perception especially novelty highs like thrill, fear, curiosity and authenticity for domestic tourists when planning tour operations and itineraries.
The impact of SME access to finance and performance on exporting behaviour at firm level: A case of furniture manufacturing SMEs in Zimbabwe
Authors: Sibanda Kin , Hove-Sibanda Progress , Shava Herring
Published: June 2018

Orientation: Globally, the majority of Small and Medium-sized entities (SMEs) are resource constrained. As a result, not all SMEs are able to fully exploit the benefits associated with international trade as they face challenges when exporting their produce.Research purpose: This article presents an investigation into the impact of access to finance on firm performance and exporting behaviour of SMEs in Harare, Zimbabwe.Motivation for the study: The article stems from the observation that although there is a growing importance and contribution of SMEs worldwide, research has shown that only a few of these SMEs are involved in international trade.Research design, approach and method: A cross-sectional study was employed with quantitative methods being utilised. The collected data were analysed using a structural equation modelling technique, which employed the Smart partial least squares software (version 2.0).Main findings: The key findings reveal that a significant positive relationship between access to finance and SMEs exporting behaviour does exist. Furthermore, the study’s findings challenge the notion that firm performance has a significant impact on exporting behaviour and show a negative impact of access to finance on SME firm performance.Practical/managerial implications: There is a need to put systems in place in Zimbabwe that that will (1) prioritise the need to have clear routes to market and increase awareness among SME owners, and (2) help SMEs overcome high costs associated with participating in export of goods and services.Contribution/value-add: The article provides a unique empirical analysis of the relationship that exists between access to finance, firm performance and export behaviour of SME firms in Zimbabwe, and thereby makes a valid contribution to SME literature.
Tribalism: Thorny issue towards reconciliation in South Africa – A practical theological appraisal
Authors: Baloyi Elijah M.
Published: June 2018

The apartheid regime used various strategies to ensure that South Africans formed a divided nation. It was through the differences between ethnic groups and tribes, among other things, that the government of the time managed to manipulate and entrench hatred and a lack of trust among most black South Africans. Tribalism, which existed even before apartheid, became instrumental in inflicting those divisions as perpetuated by the formation of homelands. The various ethnic groups had been turned against one other, and it had become a norm. Nepotism, which is part and parcel of the South African government, is just an extension of tribalism. It is the objective of this article to uncover how tribalism is still rearing its ugly head. From a practical theological perspective, it is important to deal with tribalism as a tool that plays a part in delaying tribal reconciliation, which was orchestrated by apartheid policies in South Africa.
Financial innovation, firm performance and the speeds of adjustment: New evidence from Kenya’s banking sector
Authors: Muthinja Moses M. , Chipeta Chimwemwe
Published: June 2018

This article examines the speed of adjustment of firm performance to financial innovations usage and the speed of adjustment of financial innovation to financial innovation drivers for banks in Kenya. We used the Koyck distributed lag model, which is estimated using dynamic panel estimation with System Generalised Method of Moments. We find that it takes on average 1.179 years for bank financial performance to adjust to the four financial innovations studied. Secondly, it takes less than a year (0.368 years) to accomplish 50% of the total change in firm performance following a unit-sustained change in the financial innovations. Moreover, mobile banking has the shortest mean lag (2.849), while Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) have the longest mean lag (4.926). Notably, it takes approximately three years for mobile banking to adjust to financial innovation drivers at firm level and on average five years for ATMs to adjust to the financial innovation drivers.
Sederoman sorg vir ’n donker, boeiende leeservaring
Authors: Van den Heever Alettie
Published: June 2018

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