bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
TEORI H SEBAGAI ILMU WAHYU DAN TURATS DALAM ISLAM
Authors: Aziz Roikhan Mochamad
Published: March 2017

Konsep konvensional ditemukan dalam bentuk teori H yang hampir mampu menyatukan dimensi ruang dan waktu, tetapi masih menyisakan struktur dan sistematika yang belum jelas. Ajaran Islam sebagaimana tertera dalam Al Qur’an Surah al-Hijr [15]:87 telah menafsirkan dimensi ruang dan waktu dengan makna berjenjang signifikansi 7 dan Al Qur’an. Teori H sebagai rumus bisa lebih baik dan lebih tepat, karena dapat melakukan sinkronisasi dengan simbol akar kata dari Islam. The Hahslm persamaan H = Ah (SLM) dapat diperoleh dengan teori tunggal yang juga didasarkan pada nilai-nilai Islam dan berasal dari al-Qur’an yang merupakan firman Allah SWT. Firman Allah SWT ini akan menjadi jawaban bagi pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan konvensional yang berdasarkan nilai-nilai empiris bersama-sama dengan ilmu pengetahuan Islam yang berdasarkan nilai ibadah atau nilai intangible. Pada akhirnya, peradaban manusia mampu menerobos kebuntuan bersatunya ilmu yang mandeg di urutan dimensi yang berbeda. Dan Islam akan diakui sebagai formula tunggal dalam pemikiran manusia
METODE TAHFIDZ AL-QUR’AN DI PONDOK PESANTREN KABUPATEN KAMPAR
Authors: Akbar Ali , Hidayatullah Hidayatullah
Published: March 2017

This paper discusses the Method of Tahfidz Al-Quran at the Boarding Schools in the Regency of Kampar. The method used in fostering students at the Boarding Schools of this Regency was the focus of this study. It was a qualitative approach which was conducted at the Boarding School of Daarun Nahdhah, Al-Badr, the Ansar al-Sunnah, Daar al-Salafi, Sabil al-Salam and al-Taufik. Interview, documentation and observation were the instrumentations used in this study. It was found that the boarding schools in the regency of Kampar used various methods in nurturing students to employ activities of tahfizd al-Qur’an, by means of reading carefully and repeatedly to memorize verse-by-verse without neglecting the Mushaf (annadzar), memorizing verse-by-verse over and over and finally the students could learn by heart (al-Wahdah), depositing or listening what the students had newly been memorized to a teacher (talaqqi), memorizing piecemeal of the Qur’anic verses and read the verses repeatedly (takrir) and listening the memorized verses to others, i.g. both to friends and other congregation (tasmi’)
THE LEGALITY OF DIVORCE IN THE PERSPECTIVE OF HADITH
Authors: Hasbi Ridwan , Hasbi Syafaruddin
Published: March 2017

Cerai talak (formula for divorce) and Cerai gugat (sue for divorce) are two terms of termination of marriage bond in Indonesia. The formula of divorce is a term that coincides with a divorce coming from the will of a husband and sue for divorce is the desire of a wife to separate from her husband. Islamic Law legalizes the right of wives in cases of divorce redeem (khulu‘) and fasakh because of syiqaq. On the other side, there are signs setting the rights up, so that the given reasons to use the rights must be legal in syar‘i. The reasons for the legality of divorce is a common-cause factor, so that the banning with threatening hadiths as well as those of the hadiths that say wives must obey their husbands, the wives should not hurt their husband and the wives are prisoners of husbands are all categorized into general. At another angle, there also the hadiths concerning with the status a couple husband and wife is heaven and hell for them in a household. Contextualization of hadiths that ban a wife asking for divorce without any legal cause from Syar‘i, and also those of the hadiths legalize khulu‘ are the realization of the conjugal lives with regards to the mandate of Allah and religious values. The facts of a wife sue for divorce to her husband are the conditions related to a confusion occurred in a household which are influenced by a variety of factors, i.g. economy, adultery, polygamy, social strata and others. A sue for divorce which is Syar’i based condition is a disagreement prolonged strife after peace held between the two sides and act endangers a wife
PANDANGAN MUHAMMADIYAH TERHADAP HADIS-HADIS RU’YAT AL-HILAL
Authors: ‘Azima M Fauzhan
Published: March 2017

Al-Kutub Al-Sittah merekam beragam redaksi hadis Nabi tentang ru’yat al-hilal. Hadis-hadis tersebut sepakat menginformasikan bahwa ru’yat al-hilal merupakan metode penentuan awal bulan qamariyah yang dipraktikkan oleh Nabi SAW. beserta para sahabatnya. Para ulama kemudian berbeda dalam memahami hadis-hadis yang berbicara tentang ru’yat alhilal tersebut. Sebagian besar ulama memahami bahwa penentuan awal bulan qamariyah dilakukan dengan melaksanakan ru’yat al-hilal dan tidak boleh menggunakan hisab. Sementara itu, ulama yang lain memandang bolehnya penggunaan hisab dalam penentuan awal bulan qamariyah. Muhammadiyah termasuk kelompok ulama yang menggunakan hisab dalam menentukan awal bulan qamariyah. Metode pemahaman yang digunakan Muhammadiyah dalam memahami hadis-hadis ru’yat al-hilal adalah kontekstualisasi pemahaman (kontekstualisasi makna) dengan menerapkan metode/analisis kausasi (ta’lili), menerapkan kaidah perubahan hukum, serta berusaha menangkap tujuan dari pesan Nabi yang terdapat dalam hadis ru’yat al-hilal yang berlaku tetap dan membedakannya dengan sarana yang dapat berubah-ubah
Production and Characterization of Amorphous Aluminum-Copper Alloy for Aerospace Applications
Authors: Adetunji Olayide R. , Olukuade Muyiwa L. , Simka Wojciech , Sowa Maciej , Adesusi Olanrewaju Moses , Okediran Iliyas K.
Published: March 2017

The main objective of this research is to produce and characterize amorphous Aluminium copper (Cu) alloy for high strength applications. High grade of both Aluminium and copper ingots were charged to a ceramic mould and put in an electric furnace in the ratio of 13:1 of Al and Cu respectively. The furnace temperature was set at 1300oC and after melting, ingot casting was done using plastic mould with sprayed water to achieve rapid cooling. An amorphous metal or glassy structure was produced from the ingot by super cooling through preheating the cast rod to 600oC and rapid cooled by water quenching. The glassy alloy rods and Al control sample were prepared for Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), tensile and impact toughness characterizations. The results showed SEM images of the Al-Cu alloy and pure Al samples. The ultimate tensile strengths for Al-Cu and Al samples were 399 and 330 kg/m2 respectively. Similarly, the impact strengths obtained were 27.3 and 26.4 J. It can be concluded that glassy phase Al-Cu alloy was produced with high ultimate tensile strength and impact toughness. The amorphous alloy produced is a good structural material for aerospace applications.
PEMANFAATAN SARANG SEMUT (Myrmecodia pendens) ASAL KALIMANTAN SELATAN SEBAGAI ANTIBAKTERI
Authors: Crisnaningtyas Farida
Published: March 2017

The use of ant nests (Myrmecodia pendens) native of Borneo as an antibacterial. The aim of this research is to make the crude drug  from the ant nest, simply extracting, condensing and test the ability of anti-bacterial properties of ant nests. This study covers the development of these extracts, proximate analysis, and test the antibacterial activity of plant-ant nest. Parameters measured were the growth of antibacterial activity against Salmonella sp., E. coli and Bacillus sp. showed by inhibition (clear zone). The results showed that plant-ant nests have antibacterial power. Ethanol extract of the ant nests provide a better inhibition compared with water extraction ant nests. Antibacterial activity of the ant nest extracts can be applied both in gram- positive and gram-negative bacteria. Key wood : ant nest, antibacterial,  inhibition capability
SIFAT KIMIA TIGA JENIS KAYU RAKYAT
Authors: Yuniarti Yuniarti
Published: March 2017

The objective of this study was to determine the chemical components of three kinds of social forestry timber of Jengkol, Madang, and Bangkinang, where wood samples was procured from Loksado South Kalimantan. The analysis was conducted according to TAPPI Standard with three replications for each sample. Result shows that Jengkol wood contained 44.73% of cellulose, 79.19% of holocellulose, 32.14% of lignin, 4.08% of extractive and 3.42% of ash. Madang wood contained 45.02% of cellulose, 80.05% of holocellulose, 31.60% of lignin, 4.06% of extractive and 4.59% of ash. Bangkinang wood contained 45.76% of cellulose, 72.84% of holocellulose, 20.90% of  lignin, 2.89% of extractive and 3.9% of ash. This research indicated that among three social forestry timber investigated, the Bangkinang wood is better than two others as sources of raw material for pulp and paper due to the highest cellulose content and lowest lignin and extractives contents.Keywords: chemical properties, Jengkol, Madang, Bangkinang
SIFAT PAPAN PARTIKEL DARI SERAT TANDAN KOSONG SAWIT DAN SERBUK KAYU DENGAN PEREKAT UREA FORMALDEHIDA (The Properties of Particle Board from Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunches Fiber Sawdust with Urea Formaldehyde Resin)
Authors: Purwanto Djoko
Published: March 2017

A palm oil mill with a capacity of hundred thousand tons of fresh fruit bunches per year will produce palm fiber waste about 12,000 tons. Recently, the use of palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB) fiber is as fuel for electricity generation in the industry. Palm fiber waste contains lignocellulose materials as a feedstock to particle board manufacture. The aim of this research is to evaluate the properties of particle board from a mixture of OPEFB fiber and sawdust. The ratio of OPEFB fiber and sawdust are 100% : 0%; 75% : 25%; 50% : 50%; 25% : 75% and 0% : 100%, plus urea formaldehyde adhesive in a concentration of 11%. The boards were pressed using a clamp pressure of 16 kg/cm2 for 15 minutes at a temperature of 110 – 120 0C. The testing methods and standards of physical properties (moisture contents, thickness swelling, density) and mechanical (modulus of elasticity/MOE, modulus of rupture/MOR, screw withdrawal and internal bond strengths) refers to the SNI. 03 – 2105 - 2006. The results showed that the particle board made from 100% OPEFB fiber produces modulus of elasticity/MOE 1594.88 kg/cm2; modulus of rupture/MOR 18.08 kg/cm2; screw withdrawal 31.34 kg/cm2 and internal bond strength 0.86 kg/cm2. The addition of sawdust for 50% can improve modulus of elasticity/MOE, modulus of rupture/MOR and internal bond strength.
Ludwik Fleck's 'active' and 'passive' elements of knowledge revisited
Authors: Biney Nicholas Roy
Published: March 2017

A curious feature of medical literature on the evaluation of diagnostic accuracy is the frequent deployment of circular arguments. Using a case study from the medical literature on the diagnosis of child abuse, I argue that this occurs because researchers fail to distinguish what Ludwik Fleck called the ‘active’ and ‘passive’ elements of knowledge. I review the scholarly literature on this aspect of Fleck’s epistemology to try to understand why it has not been put to more use in the medical literature. Scholars have admitted that Fleck’s account of the active and passive elements of knowledge has confused them, and it has been read in at least three different ways: as an extreme form of relativism, as a form of realism, and as a more ‘middle way’ in-between these poles. I argue that he ‘middle way’ view is both more congenial with the bulk of Fleck’s work, and more palatable to medical practitioners.
HABILIDAD DEL CUIDADOR FAMILIAR Y SU RELACIÓN CON EL TIEMPO DE CUIDADO AL ADULTO MAYOR CON ENFERMEDAD CRÓNICA, SINCELEJO, COLOMBIA.
Authors: Meza Yesica Gómez , Amarís Gloria Villareal , Meza Karen Patricia Baldovino , Gómez Iris Patricia Madrid , Méndez Lisober Iveth Ordoñez
Published: March 2017

Objetivo: Determinar el nivel de habilidad de cuidado delcuidador informal y su relación con el tiempo de cuidado apersonas mayores de 65 años hipertensos y diabéticos,crónicos, usuarios del programa del adulto mayor en laIPS 20 de Enero y la Campiña de la ciudad de Sincelejo.Método: Estudio descriptivo, correlacional de cortecuantitativo en una muestra de 54 cuidadores de adultosmayores de 65 años, asistentes a los programas deladulto mayor. Se utilizó el Inventario de habilidad decuidado (CAI) desarrollado por NgoziNkongho, paramedir la habilidad de cuidado a partir de sus componentes:conocimientos, valor y paciencia. El análisis se realizóen forma global y por componente para determinar el nivelde habilidad y la asociación se hizo a través de unaprueba de chi cuadrado. Resultados: Los cuidadores deladulto mayor poseen un bajo grado de habilidad decuidado (70.4%), así mismo en sus componentes conocimiento(59.3%), valor (94.4%) y paciencia (100%). Seencontró asociación, entre la habilidad de cuidado y eltiempo de cuidado (p=0,048) y, entre la dimensión valory el tiempo de cuidado (p= 0,004). Conclusión: Losresultados evidencian que los cuidadores no tienen lahabilidad suficiente para enfrentar las distintas situacionesreferentes a la enfermedad, interpretar y resolver lasnecesidades que requiere el adulto mayor a pesar deltiempo dedicado a este cuidado. Se evidencia que amayor tiempo de cuidado en los cuidadores se disminuyeel componente valor.
Heschel, Hiddenness, and the God of Israel
Authors: Blanchard Joshua
Published: March 2017

Drawing on the writings of the Jewish thinker, Abraham Joshua Heschel, I defend a partial response to the problem of divine hiddenness. A Jewish approach to divine love includes the thought that God desires meaningful relationship not only with individual persons, but also with communities of persons. In combination with John Schellenberg’s account of divine love, the admission of God’s desire for such relationships makes possible that a person may fail to believe that God exists not because of any individual failing, but because the individual is a member of a larger community that itself is culpable.
Accuracy of point-of-care lung ultrasonography for the diagnosis of cardiogenic pulmonary edema in dogs and cats with acute dyspnea
Authors: Ward Jessica L. , Lisciandro Gregory R. , Keene Bruce W. , Tou Sandra P. , DeFrancesco Teresa C.
Published: March 2017

OBJECTIVE To determine the accuracy of a point-of-care lung ultrasonography (LUS) protocol designed to diagnose cardiogenic pulmonary edema (CPE) in dyspneic dogs and cats.

DESIGN Diagnostic test evaluation.

ANIMALS 76 dogs and 24 cats evaluated for dyspnea.

PROCEDURES Dogs and cats were evaluated by LUS; B lines were counted at 4 anatomic sites on each hemithorax. A site was scored as positive when > 3 B lines were identified. Animals with ≥ 2 positive sites identified on each hemithorax were considered positive for CPE. Medical records were evaluated to obtain a final diagnosis (reference standard) for calculation of the sensitivity and specificity of LUS and thoracic radiography for the diagnosis of CPE.

RESULTS Dogs and cats with a final diagnosis of CPE had a higher number of positive LUS sites than did those with noncardiac causes of dyspnea. Overall sensitivity and specificity of LUS for the diagnosis of CPE were 84% and 74%, respectively, and these values were similar to those of thoracic radiography (85% and 87%, respectively). Use of LUS generally led to the misdiagnosis of CPE (ie, a false-positive result) in animals with diffuse interstitial or alveolar disease. Interobserver agreement on LUS results was high (κ > 0.85).

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE LUS was useful for predicting CPE as the cause of dyspnea in dogs and cats, although this technique could not be used to differentiate CPE from other causes of diffuse interstitial or alveolar disease. Point-of-care LUS has promise as a diagnostic tool for dyspneic dogs and cats.
A Technology-Organization-Environment Perspective on Eco-effectiveness: A Meta-analysis
Authors: Chong Josephine LL , Olesen Karin
Published: March 2017

In this research, we perform a meta-analysis to explain how organizations are deploying technologies to enforce organizational sustainability by meeting the goal of eco-effectiveness. Prior studies have studied the influences on the adoption of technologies using the Technology-Organisation-Environment (TOE) model that incorporate some aspects of technological, organizational or environmental factors. We collected prior research to test the factors of the TOE model to ascertain their relative impact and strength. Our meta-analysis found eight additional technological and organizational factors. We found strong support for IT infrastructure, perceived direct benefits, top management support, and competitive pressure. Moderate support for compatibility, technological readiness, perceived indirect benefits, knowledge (human resources), organizational size, attitudes towards innovation, learning culture, pressure from trade partners (industry characteristics) and regulatory support. Lastly, weak support was found for relative advantage, complexity, perceived risks and information learning culture. Only two dimensions, financial resources and environmental uncertainty failed to reach statistical significance.
Characteristics of modified martensitic stainless steel surfaces under tribocorrosion conditions
Authors: Rozing Goran , Marušić Vlatko , Alar Vesna
Published: March 2017

Stainless steel samples were tested in the laboratory and under real conditions of tribocorrosion wear. Electrochemical tests were also carried out to verify the corrosion resistance of modified steel surfaces. Metallographic analysis and hardness testing were conducted on stainless steel samples X20Cr13 and X17CrNi16 2. The possibilities of applications of modified surfaces of the selected steels were investigated by testing the samples under real wear conditions. The results have shown that the induction hardened and subsequently nitrided martensitic steels achieved an average wear resistance of up to three orders of magnitude higher as compared to the delivered condition.
Mullins Effect under Compression Mode and its Reversibility of Thermoplastic Vulcanizate Based on Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate Copolymer/Styrene-Butadiene Rubber Blend
Authors: Wang C. C. , Zhang Y.-F. , Liu Q. Q. , Wang Z. B.
Published: March 2017

The Mullins effect during uniaxial compression tests, together with its reversibility of the styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR)/carbon black (CB) vulcanizate and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA)/SBR/CB thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV) were investigated systematically. The experimental results indicated that the Mullins effect could be observed during the cyclic uniaxial compression tests and accompanied with stress softening, residual deformation accumulation and hysteresis. The reversibility of the Mullins effect showed a temperature-dependence feature and was enhanced with increasing temperature. The morphology study showed that the SBR particles with average diameter of 10–20 μm were dispersed evenly in the etched surface of EVA/SBR/CB TPV.
The Influence of Different Melt Temperatures on the Mechanical Properties of Injection Molded PA-12 and the Post Process Detection by Thermal Analysis
Authors: Meyer T. , Harland A. , Haworth B. , Holmes C. , Lucas T. , Sherratt P.
Published: March 2017

Polyamide 12 (PA-12) test plates were injection molded using different melt temperatures and the influence on mechanical properties was investigated using quasi-static tensile and instrumented impact behavior in two conditioned states: dried, and following accelerated moisture intake. Energy absorption in tension is strongly dependent on process temperature (variations up to 99%) and additional variation (around 18%) was evident when testing at different conditioning states. Under high-velocity loading, the total impact energy varied by up to 8.70% and 9.05%, when systematic changes were made to process melt temperature and at moisture content, respectively, with all samples failing ductile. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) was used to characterise the unique endothermic melting behavior of molded PA-12 samples, by linking different process histories to the respective mechanical properties. With focus on the first heating curve progression, significant changes within the endothermic melting region were pointed out and quantified by using MatLab (software), proving DSC as a reliable testing tool for post-production analysis with increased practical implications regarding quality control as well as failure analysis. Findings for the initial heating curve progression were explained by studying the re-crystallisation peak values during cooling phase and obtained data for the second heating.
Mitigation of Alkali–Silica Reaction by Hydrated Alumina
Authors: Szeles Tiffany , Wright Jared , Rajabipour Farshad , Stoffels Shelley
Published: March 2017

Recent trends and forecasts on the availability of fly ash, slag, and lithium admixtures for use in concrete suggest a need to seek reliable alternatives for the mitigation of alkali–silica reaction (ASR). One such option may be aluminum-based admixtures. Past studies have shown that supplementary cementitious materials that contain alumina (Al2O3) are more effective at mitigating ASR than are supplementary cementitious materials purely rich in silica (SiO2). To establish the effectiveness and mechanisms of ASR mitigation by alumina, this research used pure hydrated alumina, Al(OH)3, as a cement replacement. The objectives of the study were to determine if Al(OH)3 can successfully mitigate ASR and to investigate five hypothesized mechanisms by which Al(OH)3 may mitigate ASR. The hypothesized mechanisms are ( a) reducing pH and alkalis in concrete pore solution, ( b) consuming and reducing portlandite and dissolved calcium in the pore solution, ( c) reducing silica dissolution and damage to aggregates at high pH, ( d) altering the composition of ASR gel and creating innocuous gels, and ( e) reducing water and ion transport by reducing the porosity and pore size of cement paste. The results show that Al(OH)3 can effectively mitigate ASR through mechanisms ( a), ( b), and primarily ( c).
An assessment of the most reliable method to estimate the sagittal alignment of the cervical spine: analysis of a prospective cohort of 138 cases
Authors: Donk Roland D. , Fehlings Michael G. , Verhagen Wim I. M. , Arnts Hisse , Groenewoud Hans , Verbeek André L. M. , Bartels Ronald H. M. A.
Published: March 2017

OBJECTIVE

Although there is increasing recognition of the importance of cervical spinal sagittal balance, there is a lack of consensus as to the optimal method to accurately assess the cervical sagittal alignment. Cervical alignment is important for surgical decision making. Sagittal balance of the cervical spine is generally assessed using one of two methods; namely, measuring the angle between C-2 and C-7, and drawing a line between C-2 and C-7. Here, the best method to assess sagittal alignment of the cervical spine is investigated.

METHODS

Data from 138 patients enrolled in a randomized controlled trial (Procon) were analyzed. Two investigators independently measured the angle between C-2 and C-7 by using Harrison's posterior tangent method, and also estimated the shape of the sagittal curve by using a modified Toyama method. The mean angles of each quantitative assessment of the sagittal alignment were calculated and the results were compared. The interrater reliability for both methods was estimated using Cronbach's alpha.

RESULTS

For both methods the interrater reliability was high: for the posterior tangent method it was 0.907 and for the modified Toyama technique it was 0.984. For a lordotic cervical spine, defined by the modified Toyama method, the mean angle (defined by Harrison's posterior tangent method) was 23.4° ± 9.9° (range 0.4°–52.4°), for a kyphotic cervical spine it was −2.2° ± 9.2° (range −16.1° to 16.9°), and for a straight cervical spine it was 10.5° ± 8.2° (range −11° to 36°).

CONCLUSIONS

An absolute measurement of the angle between C-2 and C-7 does not unequivocally define the sagittal cervical alignment. As can be seen from the minimum and maximum values, even a positive angle between C-2 and C-7 could be present in a kyphotic spine. For this purpose, the modified Toyama method (drawing a line from the posterior inferior part of the vertebral body of C-2 to the posterior upper part of the vertebral body of C-7 without any measurements) is a better tool for a global assessment of cervical sagittal alignment.

Clinical trial registration no.: ISRCTN41681847 (https://www.isrctn.com)
Inceptions of Biomathematics from Lotka to Thom
Authors: Van Den Berg Hugo A.
Published: March 2017

Mathematical biology occupies a special place at the interface between the physical, mathematical and life sciences. Is this interface merely a meeting point for dabblers venturing out of their own proper domains to work on problems of mutual interest? Or is it an incipient science in its own right, with its own particular character, principles, and practices? The past century has seen vast advances in the application of mathematical and physical ideas and techniques to biological problems, in the process transforming many of them almost beyond recognition. Nonetheless, the question of a biomathematics as a new kind of science remains open, despite several fascinating, if sometimes problematic, attempts.
Neuroprotective effect of Ziziphus spina-christi on brain injury induced by transient global cerebral ischemia and reperfusion in rat
Authors: Setorki Mahbubeh , Hooshmandi Zahra
Published: March 2017

This study evaluated the protective effect of Ziziphus spina-christi on the cerebral oxidative stress and damage induced by ischemia. Male Wistar rats were divided randomly into six groups (seven in each group): Control group did not undergo surgery and received distilled water; shame group underwent surgery without ischemia; ischemic group underwent ischemia without any medication; extract-treated groups underwent ischemia and orally received 50, 100, 200 mg/kg/day doses Z. spina-christi extract. After behavioral tests, anti-oxidant capacity and malondialdehyde level of brain and serum were determined. Treatment of ischemic rats with extract significantly increased the frequency of passes through the hidden platform. Z. spina-christi improved motor coordination and balance. Administration of the extract into the ischemic rats prolonged the shortened step-through latency. Z. spina-christi extract significantly reduced the malondialdehyde level of brain and serum and improved serum and brain anti-oxidant capacity.  
Phytochemical characterization, anti-cancer and antimicrobial activity of isolated fractions of Alysicarpus vaginalis
Authors: Tapadiya Ganesh , Kale Mayura A. , Saboo Shweta
Published: March 2017

The methanolic extract of Alysicarpus vaginalis was selected for fractionation due to its known reported biological activity. The four fractions were separated and subjected for in vitro antimitotic and anti-proliferative assays along with anti-cancer activity on two human cancers cell lines (SK-MEL-2 and Hep-G2). The antimicrobial potential of fractions had been evaluated against bacteria and fungi. From all fractions, acetone and n-butanol fractions were effective against the cell lines. They show strong inhibitory action with mitotic index 6.2 and 8.4 mg/mL and IC50 values of anti-proliferative assay in between 19.7 to 14.2 mg/mL respectively, which was found to be comparable to the standard methothrexate 5.9 mg/mL and 13.2 mg/mL respectively. In antimicrobial activity, the zone of inhibition had been observed in the range of 12-27 mm and MIC value was found in the range of 0.2-0.1 mg/mL. The acetone fraction was found to be most active against fungi, and E. coli whereas chloroform and n-butanol fractions were more effective against S. aureus and B. subtilis. The phytochemical characterization by HPLC analysis indicated the presence of important polyphenolic and steroidal compounds.
30 years of the Vega mission: Comparison of some properties of the 1P/Halley and 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko comets
Authors: Ksanfomality L V
Published: March 2017

On March 6 and 9, 1986, for the first time in the history of science, the Russian spacecraft Vega-1 and Vega-2 approached and closely passed by the nucleus of Halley’s comet (1P/Halley). A few days later, on March 14, 1986, the same was done by the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Giotto spacecraft. These missions, together with the Japanese Suisei (JAXA), marked a successful start to spacecraft exploration of cometary nuclei. Subsequent missions to other comets have been aimed at directly studying cometary bodies carrying signs of the formation of the Solar System. The Rosetta spacecraft, inserted into a low orbit around the nucleus of the 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko comet, performed its complex measurements from 2014 to September 2016. In this review, some of the data from these missions are compared. The review draws on the proceedings of the Vega 30th anniversary conference held at the Space Research Institute (IKI) of the Russian Academy of Sciences in March 2016 and is not meant to be exhaustive in describing mission results and problems in the physics of comets.
Dislocation kinetics in nonmagnetic crystals: a look through a magnetic window
Authors: Alshits V I , Darinskaya E V , Koldaeva M V , Kotowski R K , Petrzhik E A , Tronczyk P
Published: March 2017

We discuss new kinematic magnetoplasticity features established experimentally and by simulations. We examine the motion of a dislocation through randomly distributed point defects under the influence of a magnetic field that reduces the impurity pinning forces. In addition to the measurable characteristics of motion, hidden motion parameters amenable only to simulation studies are investigated for the first time. It is shown that the distribution of stoppers on a dislocation is independent of the impurity concentration C, whereas the average number of stoppers and the critical force for the dislocation breakaway are proportional to . A model is proposed that for the first time explains the observed concentration dependence of the average dislocation speed in a magnetic field, . The model suggests that there is hidden room for an orders-of-magnitude increase in v, something which was already realized in NaCl crystals additionally subjected to a weak electric field.
A Dynamic Economic Dispatch Model for Uncertain Power Demands in an Interconnected Microgrid
Authors: Jang Young-Sik , Kim Mun-Kyeom
Published: March 2017

In this paper, we propose a dynamic economic dispatch (DED) model with sharing of responsibility for supply–demand balance under uncertain demands in a microgrid (MG). For developing the proposed model, an energy band operation scheme, including a tie-line flow (TLF) contraction between the main grid and the microgrid (MG), is constructed for preventing considerable changes in the TLFs caused by DED optimization. The proposed scheme generalizes the relationship between TLF contractions and MG operational costs. Moreover, a chance-constrained approach is applied to prevent short- and over-supply risks caused by unpredictable demands in the MG. Based on this approach, it is possible to determine the reasonable ramping capability versus operational cost under uncertain power demands in the MG.
A Novel Parametric Modeling Method and Optimal Design for Savonius Wind Turbines
Authors: Zhang Baoshou , Song Baowei , Mao Zhaoyong , Tian Wenlong , Li Boyang , Li Bo
Published: March 2017

Under the inspiration of polar coordinates, a novel parametric modeling and optimization method for Savonius wind turbines was proposed to obtain the highest power output, in which a quadratic polynomial curve was bent to describe a blade. Only two design parameters are needed for the shape-complicated blade. Therefore, this novel method reduces sampling scale. A series of transient simulations was run to get the optimal performance coefficient (power coefficient C p) for different modified turbines based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method. Then, a global response surface model and a more precise local response surface model were created according to Kriging Method. These models defined the relationship between optimization objective Cp and design parameters. Particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm was applied to find the optimal design based on these response surface models. Finally, the optimal Savonius blade shaped like a “hook” was obtained. Cm (torque coefficient), Cp and flow structure were compared for the optimal design and the classical design. The results demonstrate that the optimal Savonius turbine has excellent comprehensive performance. The power coefficient Cp is significantly increased from 0.247 to 0.262 (6% higher). The weight of the optimal blade is reduced by 17.9%.
Cancer Chemoprevention by Phytochemicals: Nature’s Healing Touch
Authors: Zubair Haseeb , Azim Shafquat , Ahmad Aamir , Khan Mohammad , Patel Girijesh , Singh Seema , Singh Ajay
Published: March 2017

Phytochemicals are an important part of traditional medicine and have been investigated in detail for possible inclusion in modern medicine as well. These compounds often serve as the backbone for the synthesis of novel therapeutic agents. For many years, phytochemicals have demonstrated encouraging activity against various human cancer models in pre-clinical assays. Here, we discuss select phytochemicals—curcumin, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), resveratrol, plumbagin and honokiol—in the context of their reported effects on the processes of inflammation and oxidative stress, which play a key role in tumorigenesis. We also discuss the emerging evidence on modulation of tumor microenvironment by these phytochemicals which can possibly define their cancer-specific action. Finally, we provide recent updates on how low bioavailability, a major concern with phytochemicals, is being circumvented and the general efficacy being improved, by synthesis of novel chemical analogs and nanoformulations.
ISAR Imaging of Ship Targets Based on an Integrated Cubic Phase Bilinear Autocorrelation Function
Authors: Zheng Jibin , Liu Hongwei , Liu Zheng , Liu Qing
Published: March 2017

For inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) imaging of a ship target moving with ocean waves, the image constructed with the standard range-Doppler (RD) technique is blurred and the range-instantaneous-Doppler (RID) technique has to be used to improve the image quality. In this paper, azimuth echoes in a range cell of the ship target are modeled as noisy multicomponent cubic phase signals (CPSs) after the motion compensation and a RID ISAR imaging algorithm is proposed based on the integrated cubic phase bilinear autocorrelation function (ICPBAF). The ICPBAF is bilinear and based on the two-dimensionally coherent energy accumulation. Compared to five other estimation algorithms, the ICPBAF can acquire higher cross term suppression and anti-noise performance with a reasonable computational cost. Through simulations and analyses with the synthetic model and real radar data, we verify the effectiveness of the ICPBAF and corresponding RID ISAR imaging algorithm.
Development of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle-Borne Crop-Growth Monitoring System
Authors: Ni Jun , Yao Lili , Zhang Jingchao , Cao Weixing , Zhu Yan , Tai Xiuxiang
Published: March 2017

In view of the demand for a low-cost, high-throughput method for the continuous acquisition of crop growth information, this study describes a crop-growth monitoring system which uses an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) as an operating platform. The system is capable of real-time online acquisition of various major indexes, e.g., the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) of the crop canopy, ratio vegetation index (RVI), leaf nitrogen accumulation (LNA), leaf area index (LAI), and leaf dry weight (LDW). By carrying out three-dimensional numerical simulations based on computational fluid dynamics, spatial distributions were obtained for the UAV down-wash flow fields on the surface of the crop canopy. Based on the flow-field characteristics and geometrical dimensions, a UAV-borne crop-growth sensor was designed. Our field experiments show that the monitoring system has good dynamic stability and measurement accuracy over the range of operating altitudes of the sensor. The linear fitting determination coefficients (R2) for the output RVI value with respect to LNA, LAI, and LDW are 0.63, 0.69, and 0.66, respectively, and the Root-mean-square errors (RMSEs) are 1.42, 1.02 and 3.09, respectively. The equivalent figures for the output NDVI value are 0.60, 0.65, and 0.62 (LNA, LAI, and LDW, respectively) and the RMSEs are 1.44, 1.01 and 3.01, respectively.
Domain 4 (D4) of Perfringolysin O to Visualize Cholesterol in Cellular Membranes—The Update
Authors: Maekawa Masashi
Published: March 2017

The cellular membrane of eukaryotes consists of phospholipids, sphingolipids, cholesterol and membrane proteins. Among them, cholesterol is crucial for various cellular events (e.g., signaling, viral/bacterial infection, and membrane trafficking) in addition to its essential role as an ingredient of steroid hormones, vitamin D, and bile acids. From a micro-perspective, at the plasma membrane, recent emerging evidence strongly suggests the existence of lipid nanodomains formed with cholesterol and phospholipids (e.g., sphingomyelin, phosphatidylserine). Thus, it is important to elucidate how cholesterol behaves in membranes and how the behavior of cholesterol is regulated at the molecular level. To elucidate the complexed characteristics of cholesterol in cellular membranes, a couple of useful biosensors that enable us to visualize cholesterol in cellular membranes have been recently developed by utilizing domain 4 (D4) of Perfringolysin O (PFO, theta toxin), a cholesterol-binding toxin. This review highlights the current progress on development of novel cholesterol biosensors that uncover new insights of cholesterol in cellular membranes.
A Unified Model for BDS Wide Area and Local Area Augmentation Positioning Based on Raw Observations
Authors: Tu Rui , Zhang Rui , Lu Cuixian , Zhang Pengfei , Liu Jinhai , Lu Xiaochun
Published: March 2017

In this study, a unified model for BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) wide area and local area augmentation positioning based on raw observations has been proposed. Applying this model, both the Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) and Precise Point Positioning (PPP) service can be realized by performing different corrections at the user end. This algorithm was assessed and validated with the BDS data collected at four regional stations from Day of Year (DOY) 080 to 083 of 2016. When the users are located within the local reference network, the fast and high precision RTK service can be achieved using the regional observation corrections, revealing a convergence time of about several seconds and a precision of about 2–3 cm. For the users out of the regional reference network, the global broadcast State-Space Represented (SSR) corrections can be utilized to realize the global PPP service which shows a convergence time of about 25 min for achieving an accuracy of 10 cm. With this unified model, it can not only integrate the Network RTK (NRTK) and PPP into a seamless positioning service, but also recover the ionosphere Vertical Total Electronic Content (VTEC) and Differential Code Bias (DCB) values that are useful for the ionosphere monitoring and modeling.
Investigation into the Effect of Atmospheric Particulate Matter (PM2.5 and PM10) Concentrations on GPS Signals
Authors: Lau Lawrence , He Jun
Published: March 2017

The Global Positioning System (GPS) has been widely used in navigation, surveying, geophysical and geodynamic studies, machine guidance, etc. High-precision GPS applications such as geodetic surveying need millimeter and centimeter level accuracy. Since GPS signals are affected by atmospheric effects, methods of correcting or eliminating ionospheric and tropospheric bias are needed in GPS data processing. Relative positioning can be used to mitigate the atmospheric effect, but its efficiency depends on the baseline lengths. Air pollution is a serious problem globally, especially in developing countries that causes health problems to humans and damage to the ecosystem. Respirable suspended particles are coarse particles with a diameter of 10 micrometers or less, also known as PM10. Moreover, fine particles with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less are known as PM2.5. GPS signals travel through the atmosphere before arriving at receivers on the Earth’s surface, and the research question posed in this paper is: are GPS signals affected by the increased concentration of the PM2.5/PM10 particles? There is no standard model of the effect of PM2.5/PM10 particles on GPS signals in GPS data processing, although an approximate generic model of non-gaseous atmospheric constituents (<1 mm) can be found in the literature. This paper investigates the effect of the concentration of PM2.5/PM10 particles on GPS signals and validates the aforementioned approximate model with a carrier-to-noise ratio (CNR)-based empirical method. Both the approximate model and the empirical results show that the atmospheric PM2.5/PM10 particles and their concentrations have a negligible effect on GPS signals and the effect is comparable with the noise level of GPS measurements.
Reconstruction of Undersampled Big Dynamic MRI Data Using Non-Convex Low-Rank and Sparsity Constraints
Authors: Liu Ryan , Shi Lin , Yu Simon , Xiong Naixue , Wang Defeng
Published: March 2017

Dynamic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been extensively utilized for enhancing medical living environment visualization, however, in clinical practice it often suffers from long data acquisition times. Dynamic imaging essentially reconstructs the visual image from raw (k,t)-space measurements, commonly referred to as big data. The purpose of this work is to accelerate big medical data acquisition in dynamic MRI by developing a non-convex minimization framework. In particular, to overcome the inherent speed limitation, both non-convex low-rank and sparsity constraints were combined to accelerate the dynamic imaging. However, the non-convex constraints make the dynamic reconstruction problem difficult to directly solve through the commonly-used numerical methods. To guarantee solution efficiency and stability, a numerical algorithm based on Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers (ADMM) is proposed to solve the resulting non-convex optimization problem. ADMM decomposes the original complex optimization problem into several simple sub-problems. Each sub-problem has a closed-form solution or could be efficiently solved using existing numerical methods. It has been proven that the quality of images reconstructed from fewer measurements can be significantly improved using non-convex minimization. Numerous experiments have been conducted on two in vivo cardiac datasets to compare the proposed method with several state-of-the-art imaging methods. Experimental results illustrated that the proposed method could guarantee the superior imaging performance in terms of quantitative and visual image quality assessments.
Features of sound classification scheme designated to label buildings in Lithuania
Authors: JAGNIATINSKIS Aleksandras , FIKS Boris , MICKAITIS Marius , ŠUKYS Ritoldas
Published: March 2017

In Lithuania’s case, the legal requirements for the building acoustic quality since the year 2004 has been ex­pressed through the sound classification scheme (SCS). The relationship of the subjective indoor acoustic comfort with the value of objective sound insulation was considered as a core for the classification scheme. SCS was designed to pro­vide at least one sound class as a request for the newly erected building, other lower classes for reconstructed buildings and higher classes for premises with enhanced acoustic comfort. The adopted scheme contains five sound classes with various steps between them and is based on rating by two different sound insulation descriptors both having the same limit value. A request to protect against noise for newly erected and reconstructed buildings was enforced via the man­datory pre-completion acoustical testing. The database collected during testing allowed for the analysis of about 2000 in situ measurements of sound insulation properties of building partitions. It showed that the possibility of selecting either of the two airborne sound insulation descriptors Dn,T,w or R’w ensures better conformity with subjective comfort percep­tion. This paper also addresses the particularities and advantages of simultaneous application of two different descriptors for regulation of sound insulation performance of dwellings.
URBAN BUS FLEET ROUTING IN TRANSPORTATION NETWORK EQUIPPED WITH PARK-AND-RIDE: A CASE STUDY OF BABOL, IRAN
Authors: Khakbaz Amir , Nookabadi Ali Shahandeh , Shetab Boushehri Seyyed Nader
Published: March 2017

Recently, most cities have tried to connect park-and-ride facilities with public transit vehicles. The present study aims to design urban bus routes in the transportation network equipped with park-and-ride. Seven important factors which affect the design of urban bus network are identified through the literature review. These factors include demand coverage, route directness, passengers’ satisfaction, minimum length of bus route, budget, use of existing bus routes and number of lines. In this article, by use of the mentioned factors, a new model is developed to determine the urban bus routes. The new model figures the routes with park-and-ride as origin and Central Business District (CBD) as destination, in such a manner that the covered demand is maximized. Our novel method is more effective than other options currently available. In fact, it uses the most important factors in designing urban bus routes. Furthermore, an efficient Genetic Algorithm (GA) based approach is represented to solve large-scale problems. Numerical results show the effectiveness of this approach. At last, the developed model is applied to design the urban bus routes in the transportation network of Babol (Iran).
ASSESSMENT OF THIRD-PARTY LOGISTICS PROVIDERS USING A CRITIC–WASPAS APPROACH WITH INTERVAL TYPE-2 FUZZY SETS
Authors: Ghorabaee Mehdi Keshavarz , Amiri Maghsoud , Zavadskas Edmundas Kazimieras , Antuchevičienė Jurgita
Published: March 2017

The assessment of Third-Party Logistics (3PL) provider becomes an important issue for enterprises trying to achieve operational efficiency and customer service improvement as well as capital expenditure and logistics costs reduction. It can be said that evaluation and selection of an appropriate 3PL provider is a kind of Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) problem. Uncertainty is an unavoidable part of information in the decision-making process. Interval Type-2 Fuzzy Sets (IT2FSs) are very flexible to model the uncertainty of the MCDM problems. In this study, a new integrated approach based on the criteria Importance Through Inter-criteria Correlation (CRITIC) and Weighted Aggregated Sum Product assessment (WASPAS) methods is proposed to evaluate 3PL providers with IT2FSs. In the proposed approach, objective weights resulted from the CRITIC method are combined with subjective weights expressed by decision-makers (dms) to determine more realistic weights for criteria. A computational study is performed to illustrate the proposed approach and the applicability of it. In addition, a sensitivity analysis is carried out using different sets of criteria weights to demonstrate the stability of the proposed approach. The results show the stability of ranking results and prove the efficiency of the proposed approach to handle MCDM problems with IT2FSs.