bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Mechanical and Antibacterial Properties of TiO2/Ag Ceramics and Ti6Al4V-TiO2/Ag Composite Materials Using Combined SLM-SPS Techniques
Authors: Rahmani Ramin , Rosenberg Merilin , Ivask Angela , Kollo Lauri
Published: August 2019

In present work, the combination of spark plasma sintering (SPS) and selective laser melting (SLM) techniques was introduced to produce composite materials where silver-doped titania (TiO2) ceramics were reinforced with ordered lattice structures of titanium alloy Ti6Al4V. The objective was to create bulk materials with an ordered hierarchical design that were expected to exhibit improved mechanical properties along with an antibacterial effect. The prepared composite materials were evaluated for structural integrity and mechanical properties as well as for antibacterial activity towards Escherichia coli. The developed titanium–silver/titania hybrids showed increased damage tolerance and ultimate strength when compared to ceramics without metal reinforcement. However, compared with titania/silver ceramics alone that exhibited significant antibacterial effect, titanium-reinforced ceramics showed significantly reduced antibacterial effect. Thus, to obtain antibacterial materials with increased strength, the composition of metal should either be modified, or covered with antibacterial ceramics. Our results indicated that the used method is a feasible route for adding ceramic reinforcement to 3D printed metal alloys.
The Biochemistry and Evolution of the Dinoflagellate Nucleus
Authors: Gornik Sebastian G. , Hu Ian , Lassadi Imen , Waller Ross F.
Published: August 2019

Dinoflagellates are known to possess a highly aberrant nucleus—the so-called dinokaryon—that exhibits a multitude of exceptional biological features. These include: (1) Permanently condensed chromosomes; (2) DNA in a cholesteric liquid crystalline state, (3) extremely large DNA content (up to 200 pg); and, perhaps most strikingly, (4) a deficit of histones—the canonical building blocks of all eukaryotic chromatin. Dinoflagellates belong to the Alveolata clade (dinoflagellates, apicomplexans, and ciliates) and, therefore, the biological oddities observed in dinoflagellate nuclei are derived character states. Understanding the sequence of changes that led to the dinokaryon has been difficult in the past with poor resolution of dinoflagellate phylogeny. Moreover, lack of knowledge of their molecular composition has constrained our understanding of the molecular properties of these derived nuclei. However, recent advances in the resolution of the phylogeny of dinoflagellates, particularly of the early branching taxa; the realization that divergent histone genes are present; and the discovery of dinoflagellate-specific nuclear proteins that were acquired early in dinoflagellate evolution have all thrown new light nature and evolution of the dinokaryon.
Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Is Associated with Higher Metabolic Expenditure in Overweight and Obese Subjects: A Case-Control Study
Authors: Reddavide Rosa , Cisternino Anna Maria , Inguaggiato Rosa , Rotolo Ornella , Zinzi Iris , Veronese Nicola , Guerra Vito , Fucilli Fabio , Di Giovanni Giuseppe , Leandro Gioacchino , Giannico Sara , Caruso Maria Gabriella
Published: August 2019

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common condition in Western countries. However, their metabolic characteristics are poorly known even though they could be important. Therefore, the objective of this study was to measure resting metabolic parameters in overweight/obese adults with hepatic steatosis compared to controls, matched for age, sex, and obesity level. Hepatic steatosis was diagnosed with liver ultrasound. Energy metabolism was measured with indirect calorimetry: energy expenditure (REE), predicted REE, the ratio between REE and the predicted REE, and the respiratory quotient (RQ) were reported. We measured some anthropometric, body composition, and bio-humoral parameters; 301 participants with NAFLD were matched for age, sex, and obesity level with 301 participants without NAFLD. People with NAFLD showed significantly higher REE (1523 ± 238 vs. 1464 ± 212 kcal, p = 0.005), REE/REE predicted ratio (98.2 ± 9.4 vs. 95.7 ± 8.1, p = 0.002), and RQ (0.88 ± 0.08 vs. 0.85 ± 0.07, p = 0.03). Moreover, the NAFLD group had significantly higher inflammatory and insulin-resistance parameters compared to controls. In conclusion, NAFLD is associated with a significantly higher metabolic expenditure, as measured with indirect calorimetry, compared to a similar cohort of individuals without this condition. Higher inflammatory levels in patients with NAFLD can probably explain our findings, even if other research is needed on this issue.
Hyperglycemia Changes Expression of Key Adipogenesis Markers (C/EBPα and PPARᵞ)and Morphology of Differentiating Human Visceral Adipocytes
Authors: Świderska Ewa , Podolska Marta , Strycharz Justyna , Szwed Marzena , Abramczyk Halina , Brożek-Płuska Beata , Wróblewski Adam , Szemraj Janusz , Majsterek Ireneusz , Drzewoski Józef , Śliwińska Agnieszka
Published: August 2019

Disturbances in adipose tissue significantly contribute to the development of metabolic disorders, which are connected with hyperglycemia (HG) and underlain by epigenetics-based mechanisms. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the effect of hyperglycemia on proliferating, differentiating and maturating human visceral pre/adipocytes (HPA-v). Three stages of cell culture were conducted under constant or variable glycemic conditions. Adipogenesis progress was assessed using BODIPY 505/515 staining. Lipid content typical for normal and hyperglycemic conditions of adipocytes was analyzed using Raman spectroscopy and imaging. Expression of adipogenic markers, PPARγ and C/EBPα, was determined at the mRNA and protein levels. We also examined expression of miRNAs proven to target PPARγ (miR-34a-5p) and C/EBPα (miR-137-3p), employing TaqMan Low-Density Arrays (TLDA) cards. Hyperglycemia altered morphology of differentiating HPA-v in relation to normoglycemia by accelerating the formation of lipid droplets and making their numbers and volume increase. Raman results confirmed that the qualitative and quantitative lipid composition under normal and hyperglycemic conditions were different, and that the number of lipid droplets increased in (HG)-treated cells. Expression profiles of both examined genes markedly changed either during adipogenesis under physiological and hyperglycemic conditions, orat particular stages of adipogenesis upon chronic and/or variable glycemia. Expression levels of PPARγ seemed to correspond to some expression changes of miR-34a-5p. miR-137-3p, whose expression was rather stable throughout the culture, did not seem to affect C/EBPα. Our observations revealed that chronic and intermittent hyperglycemia change the morphology of visceral pre/adipocytes during adipogenesis. Moreover, hyperglycemia may utilize miR-34a-5p to induce some expression changes in PPARγ.
Genome-Wide Identification, Expression Pattern Analysis and Evolution of the Ces/Csl Gene Superfamily in Pineapple (Ananas comosus)
Authors: Cao Shijiang , Cheng Han , Zhang Jiashuo , Aslam Mohammad , Yan Maokai , Hu Anqi , Lin Lili , Ojolo Simon Peter , Zhao Heming , Priyadarshani S.V.G.N. , Yu Yuan , Cao Guangqiu , Qin Yuan
Published: August 2019

The cellulose synthase (Ces) and cellulose synthase-like (Csl) gene families belonging to the cellulose synthase gene superfamily, are responsible for the biosynthesis of cellulose and hemicellulose of the plant cell wall, and play critical roles in plant development, growth and evolution. However, the Ces/Csl gene family remains to be characterized in pineapple, a highly valued and delicious tropical fruit. Here, we carried out genome-wide study and identified a total of seven Ces genes and 25 Csl genes in pineapple. Genomic features and phylogeny analysis of Ces/Csl genes were carried out, including phylogenetic tree, chromosomal locations, gene structures, and conserved motifs identification. In addition, we identified 32 pineapple AcoCes/Csl genes with 31 Arabidopsis AtCes/Csl genes as orthologs by the syntenic and phylogenetic approaches. Furthermore, a RNA-seq investigation exhibited the expression profile of several AcoCes/Csl genes in various tissues and multiple developmental stages. Collectively, we provided comprehensive information of the evolution and function of pineapple Ces/Csl gene superfamily, which would be useful for screening out and characterization of the putative genes responsible for tissue development in pineapple. The present study laid the foundation for future functional characterization of Ces/Csl genes in pineapple.
Enriched Mechanical Strength and Bone Mineralisation of Electrospun Biomimetic Scaffold Laden with Ylang Ylang Oil and Zinc Nitrate for Bone Tissue Engineering
Authors: Mani Mohan , Jaganathan Saravana , Supriyanto Eko
Published: August 2019

Scaffolds supplemented with naturally derived materials seem to be a good choice in bone tissue engineering. This study aims to develop polyurethane (PU) nanofibers added with ylang ylang (YY) and zinc nitrate (ZnNO3) using the electrospinning method. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) images showed that the diameter of the PU nanofibers (869 ± 122 nm) was reduced with the addition of YY and ZnNO3 (PU/YY—467 ± 132 nm and PU/YY/ZnNO3—290 ± 163 nm). Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), a thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and an X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the interactions between PU with YY and ZnNO3. In addition, a thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) study revealed the improved thermal stability for PU/YY and a slight reduction in the thermal stability for PU/YY/ZnNO3. A tensile test indicated that the addition of YY and ZnNO3 (PU/YY—12.32 MPa and PU/YY/ZnNO3—14.90 MPa) improved the mechanical properties of the pristine PU (6.83 MPa). The electrospun PU/YY (524 nm) and PU/YY/ZnNO3 (284 nm) showed a reduced surface roughness when compared with the pristine PU (776 nm) as depicted in the atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis. The addition of YY and ZnNO3 improved the anticoagulant and biocompatibility nature of the pristine PU. Furthermore, the bone mineralization study depicted the improved calcium deposition in the fabricated composites (PU/YY—7.919% and PU/YY/ZnNO3—10.150%) compared to the pristine PU (5.323%). Hence, the developed composites with desirable physico-chemical properties, biocompatibility and calcium deposition can serve as plausible candidates for bone tissue engineering.
Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulation of Gas–Solid Hydrodynamics in a Bubbling Fluidized-Bed Reactor: Effects of Air Distributor, Viscous and Drag Models
Authors: Khezri Ramin , Wan Ab Karim Ghani Wan Azlina , Masoudi Soltani Salman , Awang Biak Dayang Radiah , Yunus Robiah , Silas Kiman , Shahbaz Muhammad , Rezaei Motlagh Shiva
Published: August 2019

In this work, we employed a computational fluid dynamics (CFD)-based model with a Eulerian multiphase approach to simulate the fluidization hydrodynamics in biomass gasification processes. Air was used as the gasifying/fluidizing agent and entered the gasifier at the bottom which subsequently fluidized the solid particles inside the reactor column. The momentum exchange related to the gas-phase was simulated by considering various viscous models (i.e., laminar and turbulence models of the re-normalisation group (RNG), k-ε and k-ω). The pressure drop gradient obtained by employing each viscous model was plotted for different superficial velocities and compared with the experimental data for validation. The turbulent model of RNG k-Ɛ was found to best represent the actual process. We also studied the effect of air distributor plates with different pore diameters (2, 3 and 5 mm) on the momentum of the fluidizing fluid. The plate with 3-mm pores showed larger turbulent viscosities above the surface. The effects of drag models (Syamlal–O’Brien, Gidaspow and energy minimum multi-scale method (EMMS) on the bed’s pressure drop as well as on the volume fractions of the solid particles were investigated. The Syamlal–O’Brien model was found to forecast bed pressure drops most consistently, with the pressure drops recorded throughout the experimental process. The formation of bubbles and their motion along the gasifier height in the presence of the turbulent flow was seen to follow a different pattern from with the laminar flow.
High Pressure Injection of Chemicals in a Gravel Beach
Authors: Geng Xiaolong , Abdollahi-Nasab Ali , An Chunjiang , Chen Zhi , Lee Kenneth , Boufadel Michel C.
Published: August 2019

The remediation of beaches contaminated with oil includes the application of surfactants and/or the application of amendments to enhance oil biodegradation (i.e., bioremediation). This study focused on evaluating the practicability of the high pressure injection (HPI) of dissolved chemicals into the subsurface of a lentic Alaskan beach subjected to a 5 m tidal range. A conservative tracer, lithium, in a lithium bromide (LiBr) solution, was injected into the beach at 1.0 m depth near the mid-tide line. The flow rate was varied between 1.0 and 1.5 L/min, and the resulting injection pressure varied between 3 m and 6 m of water. The concentration of the injected tracer was measured from four surrounding monitoring wells at multiple depths. The HPI associated with a flow rate of 1.5 L/min resulted in a Darcy flux in the cross-shore direction at 1.15 × 10−5 m/s compared to that of 7.5 × 10−6 m/s under normal conditions. The HPI, thus, enhanced the hydraulic conveyance of the beach. The results revealed that the tracer plume dispersed an area of ~12 m2 within 24 h. These results suggest that deep injection of solutions into a gravel beach is a viable approach for remediating beaches.
On the Segmentation of the Cephalonia–Lefkada Transform Fault Zone (Greece) from an InSAR Multi-Mode Dataset of the Lefkada 2015 Sequence
Authors: Svigkas Nikos , Atzori Simone , Kiratzi Anastasia , Tolomei Cristiano , Antonioli Andrea , Papoutsis Ioannis , Salvi Stefano , Kontoes Charalampos (Haris)
Published: August 2019

We use Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) to study the Cephalonia–Lefkada Transform Fault Zone (CTF) in the Ionian Sea. The CTF separates continental subduction to the north from oceanic subduction to the south, along the Hellenic Subduction Zone. We exploit a rich multi-modal radar dataset of the most recent major earthquake in the region, the 17 November 2015 Mw 6.4 event, and present new surface displacement results that offer additional constraints on the fault segmentation of the area. Based on this dataset, and by exploiting available information of earthquake relocation, we propose a new rupture process for the 2015 sequence, complementary to those published already. Our modelling includes an additional southern fault segment, oblique to the segment related with the mainshock, which indicates that the CTF structure is more complex than previously believed.
Improving the Accuracy of Regional Ionospheric Mapping with Double-Difference Carrier Phase Measurement
Authors: Han Deokhwa , Kim Donguk , Song Junesol , Kee Changdon
Published: August 2019

Regional augmentation systems for a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) provide an ionospheric map correction to the user in order to remove the ionospheric delay error. Measurements are collected from multiple reference stations to estimate the ionospheric map. During this process, the pseudorange measurement error of a reference station causes an error in the correction, which is more evident at edge areas and causes a large error for low-elevation satellites. In this study, an ionospheric modeling algorithm was developed that uses the carrier phase with the pseudorange to greatly reduce the error. The integer-resolved double-difference carrier phase can be obtained through ambiguity resolution method, and the measurement is directly utilized in ionospheric modeling. The performance of the developed method was tested in simulations and with real data for validation. The results of users at various locations showed that the method effectively improved the accuracy of the correction.
Validation of Wearable Sensors during Team Sport-Specific Movements in Indoor Environments
Authors: Roell Mareike , Mahler Hubert , Lienhard Johannes , Gehring Dominic , Gollhofer Albert , Roecker Kai
Published: August 2019

The aim of this study was to determine possible influences, including data processing and sport-specific demands, on the validity of acceleration measures by an inertial measurement unit (IMU) in indoor environments. IMU outputs were compared to a three-dimensional (3D) motion analysis (MA) system and processed with two sensor fusion algorithms (Kalman filter, KF; Complementary filter, CF) at temporal resolutions of 100, 10, and 5 Hz. Athletes performed six team sport-specific movements whilst wearing a single IMU. Mean and peak acceleration magnitudes were analyzed. Over all trials (n = 1093), KF data overestimated MA resultant acceleration by 0.42 ± 0.31 m∙s−2 for mean and 4.18 ± 3.68 m∙s−2 for peak values, while CF processing showed errors of up to 0.57 ± 0.41 m∙s−2 and −2.31 ± 2.25 m∙s−2, respectively. Resampling to 5 Hz decreased the absolute error by about 14% for mean and 56% for peak values. Still, higher acceleration magnitudes led to a large increase in error. These results indicate that IMUs can be used for assessing accelerations in indoor team sports with acceptable means. Application of a CF and resampling to 5 Hz is recommended. High-acceleration magnitudes impair validity to a large degree and should be interpreted with caution.
Appropriate Mother Wavelets for Continuous Gait Event Detection Based on Time-Frequency Analysis for Hemiplegic and Healthy Individuals
Authors: Ji Ning , Zhou Hui , Guo Kaifeng , Samuel Oluwarotimi Williams , Huang Zhen , Xu Lisheng , Li Guanglin
Published: August 2019

Gait event detection is a crucial step towards the effective assessment and rehabilitation of motor dysfunctions. Recently, the continuous wavelet transform (CWT) based methods have been increasingly proposed for gait event detection due to their robustness. However, few investigations on determining the appropriate mother wavelet with proper selection criteria have been performed, especially for hemiplegic patients. In this study, the performances of commonly used mother wavelets in detecting gait events were systematically investigated. The acceleration signals from the tibialis anterior muscle of both healthy and hemiplegic subjects were recorded during ground walking and the two core gait events of heel strike (HS) and toe off (TO) were detected from the signal recordings by a CWT algorithm with different mother wavelets. Our results showed that the overall performance of the CWT algorithm in detecting the two gait events was significantly different when using various mother wavelets. By using different wavelet selection criteria, we also found that the accuracy criteria based on time-error minimization and F1-score maximization could provide the appropriate mother wavelet for gait event detection. The findings from this study will provide an insight on the selection of an appropriate mother wavelet for gait event detection and facilitate the development of adequate rehabilitation aids.
Selective Ensemble Based on Extreme Learning Machine for Sensor-Based Human Activity Recognition
Authors: Tian Yiming , Zhang Jie , Chen Lingling , Geng Yanli , Wang Xitai
Published: August 2019

Sensor-based human activity recognition (HAR) has attracted interest both in academic and applied fields, and can be utilized in health-related areas, fitness, sports training, etc. With a view to improving the performance of sensor-based HAR and optimizing the generalizability and diversity of the base classifier of the ensemble system, a novel HAR approach (pairwise diversity measure and glowworm swarm optimization-based selective ensemble learning, DMGSOSEN) that utilizes ensemble learning with differentiated extreme learning machines (ELMs) is proposed in this paper. Firstly, the bootstrap sampling method is utilized to independently train multiple base ELMs which make up the initial base classifier pool. Secondly, the initial pool is pre-pruned by calculating the pairwise diversity measure of each base ELM, which can eliminate similar base ELMs and enhance the performance of HAR system by balancing diversity and accuracy. Then, glowworm swarm optimization (GSO) is utilized to search for the optimal sub-ensemble from the base ELMs after pre-pruning. Finally, majority voting is utilized to combine the results of the selected base ELMs. For the evaluation of our proposed method, we collected a dataset from different locations on the body, including chest, waist, left wrist, left ankle and right arm. The experimental results show that, compared with traditional ensemble algorithms such as Bagging, Adaboost, and other state-of-the-art pruning algorithms, the proposed approach is able to achieve better performance (96.7% accuracy and F1 from wrist) with fewer base classifiers.
Cost-Effective Reduced Envelope of the Stator Current via Synchronous Sampling for the Diagnosis of Rotor Asymmetries in Induction Machines Working at Very Low Slip
Authors: Burriel-Valencia Jordi , Puche-Panadero Ruben , Martinez-Roman Javier , Sapena-Bano Angel , Pineda-Sanchez Manuel
Published: August 2019

Fault diagnosis of rotor asymmetries of induction machines (IMs) using the stator current relies on the detection of the characteristic signatures of the fault harmonics in the current spectrum. In some scenarios, such as large induction machines running at a very low slip, or unloaded machines tested offline, this technique may fail. In these scenarios, the fault harmonics are very close to the frequency of the fundamental component, and have a low amplitude, so that they may remain undetected, buried under the fundamental’s leakage, until the damage is severe. To avoid false positives, a proven approach is to search for the fault harmonics in the current envelope, instead of the current itself, because in this case the spectrum is free from the leakage of the fundamental. Besides, the fault harmonics appear at a very low frequency. Nevertheless, building the current spectrum is costly in terms of computing complexity, as in the case of the Hilbert transform, or hardware resources, as in the need for simultaneously sampling three stator currents in the case of the extended current Park’s vector approach (EPVA). In this work, a novel method is proposed to avoid this problem. It is based on sampling a phase current just twice per current cycle, with a fixed delay with respect to its zero crossings. It is shown that the spectrum of this reduced set of current samples contains the same fault harmonics as the spectrum of the full-length current envelope, despite using a minimal amount of computing resources. The proposed approach is cost-effective, because the computational requirements for building the current envelope are reduced to less than 1 % of those required by other conventional methods, in terms of storage and computing time. In this way, it can be implemented with low-cost embedded devices for on-line fault diagnosis. The proposed approach is introduced theoretically and validated experimentally, using a commercial induction motor with a broken bar under different load and supply conditions. Besides, the proposed approach has been implemented on a low-cost embedded device, which can be accessed on-line for remote fault diagnosis.
Rethinking Tourist Wellbeing through the Concept of Slow Adventure
Authors: Farkić Jelena , Taylor Steve
Published: August 2019

The necessity for humans inhabiting the 21st century to slow down and take time to carry out daily practices frames the discourse of this research note. We suggest reconceptualising tourist wellbeing through the concept of slow adventure, as a response to the cult of speed and as a vehicle for engaging in deep, immersive and more meaningful experiences during journeys in the outdoors. We suggest that slow adventure has the potential to improve people’s general health and wellbeing through mindful enjoyment and consumption of the outdoor experience and thus bring people back to a state of mental and physical equilibrium. In so doing, we argue that extending the concept to include discussions around the psychological and social aspects of slow adventure is needed.
The Impacts of Economic, Demographic, and Weather Factors on the Exit of Beginning Farmers in the United States
Authors: Nadolnyak Denis , Hartarska Valentina , Griffin Bretford
Published: August 2019

The success of efforts to promote sustainability and growth of Beginning Farmers and Ranchers (BFRs) depends on a set of diverse factors whose individual impacts on the BFR survival in or exit from farming need further clarification. This paper evaluates how a variety of economic and demographic factors, together with weather variability, affect BFRs’ exit from farming using farm-level data from the US Census of Agriculture for the period 1992–2012. The analysis uses insights from the literature on firm exit, recent research on young and beginning farmers, and the literature on climate impacts on agriculture since weather remains a key input to farming and its variability is a major source of risk to less experienced BFRs. The main finding is that flow variables such as profitability and off-farm employment do not affect BFR exit, while reliance on government payments increases the exit probability. Consistent with previous work, the size of operations matters, as BFRs with larger asset ownership, higher sales, and those in livestock production have lower probability of exit. Price variability that affects exit is largely attributable to weather variability, a finding which is consistent with that of previous work. The weather impacts on BFR exit are mostly attributable to droughts, but temperature also has a non-linear and highly seasonal impact.
Planning Emergency Shelters for Urban Disasters: A Multi-Level Location–Allocation Modeling Approach
Authors: Shi Yijun , Zhai Guofang , Xu Lihua , Zhu Quan , Deng Jinyang
Published: August 2019

In recent years, cities are threatened by various natural hazards. Planning emergency shelters in advance is an effective approach to reducing the damage caused by disasters and ensuring the safety of residents. Thus, providing the optimal layout of urban emergency shelters is an important stage of disaster management and an act of humanitarian logistics. In order to study the optimal layout of emergency shelters in small mountain cities, this paper constructs multi-level location models for different grades of emergency shelters so as to minimize the travel and construction costs and maximize the coverage rate. Specifically, the actual service of emergency shelters is determined using Geographic Information System (GIS) software and Weighted Voronoi Diagram (WVD) models under the limitation of site capacity, and the space layout is adjusted through combining the actual urban land with the construction position. In this paper, the Jianchuan county seat at Yunnan Province, China, was considered as a case study to illustrate the models of emergency shelters in which the feasibility of the presented models is verified. The proposed research methods and models have provided theoretical basis and a benchmark for the optimal layout of emergency shelters in other small mountain cities.
Integration of LCA in the Planning Phases of Adaptive Buildings
Authors: Schlegl Friederike , Honold Clemens , Leistner Sophia , Albrecht Stefan , Roth Daniel , Haase Walter , Leistner Philip , Binz Hansgeorg , Sobek Werner
Published: August 2019

The high consumption of resources in the building industry requires a significant reduction of material in buildings and consequently a reduction of emissions over all phases of the life cycle. This is the aim of the Collaborative Research Centre 1244 Adaptive Skins and Structures for the Built Environment of Tomorrow, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), which addresses research on the development and integration of adaptive systems in building structures and skins. New approaches in building planning are required for the implementation of adaptive buildings. Therefore, a multidisciplinary team from various fields such as architecture, civil and mechanical engineering, and system dynamics is necessary. The environmental impacts of the whole life cycle have to be considered for an integral planning process for adaptive buildings right from the beginning. For the integration of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), four temporal and content-related interfaces were identified in the planning process. Inputs and outputs of the LCA were defined for the relevant planning stages in order to enable the greatest possible benefit for the planners and to minimize the environmental impacts as far as possible. The result of the research work is a methodology that can be used in the future to reduce life cycle-related environmental impacts in the planning process of adaptive buildings (ReAdapt).
Asymmetry of Quantum Correlations Decay in Nonlinear Bosonic System
Authors: Kowalewska-Kudłaszyk Anna , Chimczak Grzegorz
Published: August 2019

We study the problem of the influence of one-sided different noisy channels to the quantum correlations decay in a symmetric bosonic system. We concentrate on one type of these correlations—the entanglement. The system under consideration is composed of two nonlinear oscillators coupled by two-boson interactions and externally driven by a continuous coherent field. Our low-dimensional system can be treated as 2-qutrit one. Two different noisy channels (the amplitude and the phase-damping reservoirs) are applied to both of the system’s modes. We show that there is a noticeable difference in the quantum entanglement in 2-qubit subspaces of the whole system decrease after swapping the reservoirs between the modes of the considered symmetric system. It appears also that the degree of obtained entanglement depends crucially on the position of the appropriate type of reservoir. The origin of the observed asymmetry is also explained.
Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells Contribute to the Production of IFN-β via TLR7-MyD88-Dependent Pathway and CTL Priming during Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection
Authors: Kim Tae Hoon , Oh Dong Sun , Jung Hi Eun , Chang Jun , Lee Heung Kyu
Published: August 2019

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of respiratory viral infection in infants and children, yet little is known about the antiviral response of plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) to RSV infection. We tracked the cellular source of interferon-β using interferon-β/yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) reporter mice and identified the signaling pathway activated by RSV that induces type I interferon production in pDCs and DCs. Results from in vitro analyses of RSV-stimulated bone marrow cells revealed that RSV induces interferon-β production in both pDCs and DCs. Kinetic analyses of interferon-β-producing cells in RSV-infected lung cells in vivo indicated that pDCs are rapidly recruited to sites of inflammation during infection. These cells produced interferon-β via the TLR7-MyD88-mediated pathway and IFNα1R-mediated pathway rather than the MAVS-mediated pathway. Moreover, pDC-ablated mice exhibited decreased interferon-γ production and the antigen specificity of CD8+ T cells. Collectively, these data indicate that pDCs play pivotal roles in cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses and are one of producers of type I interferon during RSV infection.
Field Evaluation of Deltamethrin and Ivermectin Applications to Cattle on Culicoides Host-Alighting, Blood-Feeding, and Emergence
Authors: Murchie Archie K. , Thompson Geoff M. , Clawson Sam , Brown Andrew , Gordon Alan W. , Jess Stephen
Published: August 2019

The impact of topical applications of deltamethrin and ivermectin to cattle on Culicoides spp. landing and blood-feeding was studied in this work using sticky traps mounted on Friesian heifers’ backs. There was no effect of the insecticides on total numbers of Culicoides trapped or the proportion engorged. Deltamethrin and ivermectin treatment did not prevent blood-feeding on these animals. Deltamethrin did result in significant Culicoides mortality as evidenced by the numbers of dead midges combed from heifers’ upper flanks. The proximity of engorged midges on traps to dead midges in the hair suggests that blood-feeding took place despite midges receiving an ultimately lethal dose of deltamethrin. Ivermectin application resulted in a smaller proportion of nulliparous than parous females caught. There was no significant effect of ivermectin on the numbers of Culicoides that emerged from dung samples (but p was small at 0.095 for the Obsoletus group Culicoides). In cases of suspect animal imports, pour-on or spray applications of deltamethrin could reduce the risk of onward transmission of bluetongue virus.
A Qualitative Study on Gendered Barriers to Livestock Vaccine Uptake in Kenya and Uganda and Their Implications on Rift Valley Fever Control
Authors: Mutua Edna , de Haan Nicoline , Tumusiime Dan , Jost Christine , Bett Bernard
Published: August 2019

Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a zoonotic disease of great public health and economic importance transmitted by mosquitoes. The main method of preventing the disease is vaccination of susceptible livestock before outbreaks occur. Studies on RVF vaccines have focused on the production processes, safety, and efficacy standards but those on uptake and adoption levels are rare. This study sought to understand the barriers faced by men and women farmers in the uptake of livestock vaccines to inform strategies for optimizing the use of vaccines against RVF in East Africa. The cross-sectional qualitative study utilized the pairwise ranking technique in sex disaggregated focus group discussions to identify and rank these barriers. Results indicate that men and women farmers experience barriers to vaccine uptake differentially. The barriers include the direct and indirect cost of vaccines, distances to vaccination points, availability of vaccination crushes, intra-household decision making processes and availability of information on vaccination campaigns. The study concludes that vaccine provision does not guarantee uptake at the community level. Hence, these barriers should be considered while designing vaccination strategies to enhance community uptake because vaccine uptake is a complex process which requires buy-in from men and women farmers, veterinary departments, county/district and national governments, and vaccine producers.
Quantitative Assessment of Impact of the Proposed Poyang Lake Hydraulic Project (China) on the Habitat Suitability of Migratory Birds
Authors: Yao Siyang , Li Xinyu , Liu Chenglin , Yuan Dongyang , Zhu Longhui , Ma Xiangyu , Yu Jie , Wang Gang , Kuang Weiming
Published: August 2019

Poyang Lake is the largest wintering habitat for migratory birds in Asia. In the last decade, the lake has experienced an early-occurring and prolonged dry season that has deteriorated the lake’s ecological status. To tackle this issue, the Chinese government has proposed the construction of the Poyang Lake Hydraulic Project (PLHP) to regulate water flow to the lake. However, its impact on migratory bird habitats is unknown. In this study, we simulated the habitat suitability for migratory birds in Poyang Lake during wet and dry years, with and without the presence/operation of the hydraulic project. A two-dimensional hydrodynamic model was used to simulate the water conditions for each case. Matter-element theory, 3S technology and ecological knowledge were combined to develop a matter-element-based habitat suitability model in a geographic information system (GIS)-based platform. We assessed and compared the habitat suitability in four scenarios: (1) Wet year without the hydraulic project, (2) wet year with the hydraulic project, (3) dry year without the hydraulic project, and (4) dry year with the hydraulic project. The results showed that the operation of the hydraulic project can effectively alleviate the water shortage issue in the wetland and increase the area of habitats suitable for migratory birds in typical dry years. However, it can reduce the area of suitable habitats in the northern provincial nature reserve of the lake. In addition, a reasonable management of the lake’s fishing activities can also increase habitat suitability and promote balanced patterns between human activities and migratory bird habitats.
Prevalence, pattern and management of tonsilitis in students-an online survey
Authors: Sirajudeen Bismi S , Dhanya Dharman  , Deepa Manohar  , Shaiju S Dharan  , Rajalekshmi K  , Dhanya S S
Published: August 2019

Tonsillitis is inflammation of the tonsils, two oval-shaped pads of tissue at the back of the throat-one tonsil on each side. Signs and symptoms of tonsillitis include swollen tonsils, sore throat, difficulty swallowing and tender lymph nodes on the sides of the neck. The objective of the study is to study the prevalence of tonsillitis in adults, to evaluate which triggering factors contributes to tonsillitis and to evaluate the treatment strategy for tonsillitis. A Prospective survey will be carried out in 49 peoples using the information's gathered from students in Pharmacy colleges in Trivandrum. This study provides the prevalence of tonsillitis. Past history, medication usage, diagnosis, treatment and triggering factors was collected and analyzed properly. Also response is recorded. In the current research, a survey on prevalence of tonsillitis in adults was formulated .Approximately, 77% female are affected with tonsillitis than 22.9% of male. Among the responders, 75% have tonsillitis and remaining 25% not. About 13% of patients taken self medication, 47.8% consulting physician and 41% are taken home remedies. From this study, most of the responders were satisfied with OTC medicines and home remedies and recurrent attack of tonsillitis are increasing day by day to abolish Tonsillitis, to reduce the frequency and severity of recurrent throat infections to improve general well-being, behavior, and educational achievement with minimal adverse effects.
A survey on functioning of male and female with migraine
Authors: Rajalekshmi K  , Dhanya Dharman  , Deepa Manohar  , Shaiju S Dharan  , Dhanya S S  , Bismi S
Published: August 2019

Migraines are severe, recurring, and painful headaches. The extreme pain have that migraines cause can last for hours or even days. Migraines can follow an aura of sensory disturbances followed by a severe headache that often appears on one side of the head. Objective of the study include; To find out whether male and female are more prone to develop migraine, To evaluate which triggering factors contributes to migraine and To evaluate the people taking OTC for migraine. A Prospective survey will be carried out in 75 peoples using the information’s gathered from students in Pharmacy colleges in Trivandrum. This study provides the prevalence of migraine headache. Past history, medication usage, diagnosis, treatment, triggering factors, physical and intellectual activities was collected, analysed properly and response is recorded. These collected data will be subjected to statistical analysis. In the current research, a survey on functioning of male and female with migraine was formulated. Among the respondents about 18-35 age group is commonly affected migraine with 98.7%(n=74). Approximately, 63.5%(n=47) female are affected with migraine than 36.5%(n=27) male. About 11.16%(n=8) of patients taken prescription drugs and 52.2%(n=48) are taken over-the-counter medicines. Migraine worsened in 77.20%(n=48) patients with stress, 50%(n=33) bright sunshine, 33.30%(n=22)  loud noise and others have air travel, fatigue, certain smells and perfume. The goal of management is to reduce frequency and severity of episodes in males and females. Also limit the impact of this chronic pain condition.
REMAJA DAN PENGHAYATAN EKARISTI: SUATU HABITUS BARU
Authors: Wilhelmus Ola Rongan
Published: August 2019

Pembaharuan liturgi akan memberi pengaruh yang bertahan lama kepada remaja dalam mengikuti perayaan Ekaristi jikalau para pemimpin Gereja dan petugas pastoral serta umat beriman itu sendiri secara terus menerus membawa remaja kepada Yesus dan InjilNya lewat pembinaan iman dan cara hidup komunitas Ekaristi yang berorientasi kepada Injil dan berakar dalam Yesus. Pembinaan iman dan cara hidup yang berakar pada Yesus dan berorientasi kepada Injil ini dapat melahirkan habitus baru dalam diri remaja yaitu perilaku hidup dimana kehidupan seorang remaja tidak lagi dituntun oleh keinginan atau kemauan sendiri melainkan oleh Yesus dan Injil. Hidup seperti ini pada gilirannya akan melahirkan sikap hidup remaja yang penuh kasih dan kebaikan, dan bukannya menjadi pokok persoalan dan kebencian.
PASTORAL PENGATURAN KEHAMILAN SETURUT AJARAN MORAL GEREJA KATOLIK
Authors: Gaudiawan Antonius Virdei Eresto
Published: August 2019

Magisterium of the Church has established sexual ethics for a long time ago. Church resists artificial birth control that morally are contraceptive and abortive. Church gives guidance for Christian to use natural birth control recognized as a gift of God. Nevertheless, many Christian have used artificial birth control. Some researches affirmed this judgment. Thereof, the Church has to continuously invite Christian couples for using natural birth control throughout their life. Church has to establish such a natural birth control centre for on going education both related to sexual ethics and the convince of the Christian couples effectively practicing natural birth control.
STEVIA PLANT - ALTERNATIVE SWEETNER IN FOOD TECHNOLOGY
Authors: Džoljić Jovana , Đorđević Ljiljana
Published: August 2019

Food and Agricultural Organization as a “sweeteners” consider products used for sweetening derived from sugar crops, cereals, fruits or milk, or that are produced by insects. Sweeteners, as an additive, have important role for technological functions of food, especially in providing texture, bulk and color, and also as preservative agents. Regardless the numerous sweeteners, alternative sweeteners to sucrose are in main focus for implementation in food industry. Nowadays Food and Agricultural Organization and World Health Organization Food standards, Codex Alimentarius Commission (2018) accepted list of 27 food additives that have the functional class “sweetener”. Nowadays, alternative sweeteners and their application in food technology are in main focus of scientist. Stevia plant stands for one of the most important natural intense sweetener, since stevia glycosides are almost 400 times sweeter than sucrose. Extracts of stevia represents a powerful tool for reducing sugars in food and beverages, which can be acceptable substitutes to full sugar versions of this products. Regarding the data of Euromonitor international, new food products containing stevia grew 10% from 2016 to 2017. The biggest increment in stevia use was noticed in categories of snacks, juice drinks, dairy, carbonated soft drinks and confectionery. Barriocanal et al. (2008) highlighted that safety studies reported no negative side effects of stevia use. Can be expected that in recent future use of S. rebaudiana as sweetener would be extended to almost all the world’s countries, regarding all discovered beneficial health effects.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE NATURAL MOVEMENT OF THE POPULATION IN MACEDONIA
Authors: Skenderi Fauzi , Hamiti Resul , Rushiti Mireme
Published: August 2019

The end of the second millennium and the beginning of the third one in the territory of the Republic of Macedonia changes have intensively marked both the social and economic demographic of its population. Within this demographic, special emphasis should be placed on the natural movement of the Macedonian population. In this paper, the following will be about the natural increase of the overall population of Macedonia and the natural increase by ethnicity. Of particular importance in this paper are the spatial and national differences of natural population movement in Macedonia, and mainly to present more clearly these differences, we analyzed the most recent data of 2017 by the Statistical Office of the Republic of Macedonia for the natural increase of the population of the municipalities, which we presented in tabular, graphical and cartographic form. Indices of births in general, births by maternal age, maternal, maternal, mortality, cause of death, etc. are very important not only for the development of the demographic process but also for the development of the country in general. The main purpose of this paper is to identify the aging population phenomenon at national and national level. This paper attaches particular importance to the aforementioned demographic features during the period 1994 to 2017 at the state level.
ADSORPTION OF AMMONIA BY BASE ACTIVATED BENTONITE CLAY KINETIC AND EQUILIBRIUM STUDIES
Authors: Šmelcerović Miodrag , Šmelcerović Miodrag
Published: August 2019

Nitrogen compounds are essential elements for living organisms. The increased concentration of ammonia in ionized (NH4+) and non-ionized form (NH3) in surface waters causes negative effects on aquatic organisms, since it enters into the nitrogen cycle, and thus contributes to the eutrophication of water. The presence of higher concentrations of ammonia in surface waters than natural ones is the result of faecal contamination through the sewage system or runoff from arable areas which were treated with fertilizer. Water contaminated with ammonia can be purified by various methods: biological (nitrification-denitrification method), oxidation with chlorine, chemical precipitation, membrane filtration, etc. One of the alternative methods is removal by adsorption with natural materials such as clay and zeolite. Bentonite clay was marked off as a suitable adsorbent of cationic pollutants due to the permanent negatively charged surface. Тhe textural properties (specific surface, porosity) and structural properties of bentonite clay (the distance between the layers, the type of ions in the space between the layers) and consequently its adsorption capacity for pollutants is changed with the activation by acid or base and intercalation. There is very little literature data on the application of bentonite clay for removal of ammonium ions. Therefore, the aim of this work is activating the raw bentonite clay with a base and its application as an adsorbent for removal of ammonium ions from aqueous solutions. The influence of the adsorption conditions (adsorbent dose, temperature, pH, adsorbate concentration and contact time) on the amount of removed ammonia from the aqueous solution was investigated. Equilibrium data were analyzed by Langmuir, Freundlich and Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherms. The best agreement with experimental data was obtained by Langmuir isotherm (R2 = 0.987). The following kinetic models were applied: the pseudo-first order, pseudo-second order, and the intra-particle diffusion model. The pseudo-second order model is most suitable for describing the adsorption of ammonium ions onto the base activated bentonite from aqueous solutions (R2 = 0.997). Removal of ammonium ions by activated clay is a pH-dependent and endothermic process, the adsorption degree of pollutants is increased with rising temperature. The highest adsorption capacity of the base activated bentonite clay of 26.82 mg/g was obtained in a solution of pH 6 and a temperature of 40 °C, at an adsorbent dose of 2 g/dm3 and аt an adsorbate concentration of 100 mg/dm3. By activating the adsorbent in a 1 M NaOH solution, the adsorption ability of the bentonite clay towards ammonium ions is improved. The results of this study show that the base activated bentonite clay is a potential adsorbent material for ammonia, i.e. ammonium ions.