bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Fast and Noise Tolerable Binarization Method for Automatic License Plate Recognition in the Open Environment in Taiwan
Authors: Peng Chun-Cheng , Tsai Cheng-Jung , Chang Ting-Yi , Yeh Jen-Yuan , Dai Hsun , Tsai Min-Hsiu
Published: August 2020

License plate recognition is widely used in our daily life. Image binarization, which is a process to convert an image to white and black, is an important step of license plate recognition. Among the proposed binarization methods, Otsu method is the most famous and commonly used one in a license plate recognition system since it is the fastest and can reach a comparable recognition accuracy. The main disadvantage of Otsu method is that it is sensitive to luminance effect and noise, and this property is impractical since most vehicle images are captured in an open environment. In this paper, we propose a system to improve the performance of automatic license plates reorganization in the open environment in Taiwan. Our system uses a binarization method which is inspired by the symmetry principles. Experimental results showed that when our method has a similar time complexity to that of Otsu, our method can improve the recognition rate up to 1.30 times better than Otsu.
Lagrange Multiplier Test for Spatial Autoregressive Model with Latent Variables
Authors: Anekawati Anik , Otok Bambang Widjanarko , Purhadi Purhadi , Sutikno Sutikno
Published: August 2020

The focus of this research is to develop a Lagrange multiplier (LM) test of spatial dependence for the spatial autoregressive model (SAR) with latent variables (LVs). It was arranged by the standard SAR, where the independent variables were replaced by factor scores of the exogenous latent variables from a measurement model (in structural equation modeling) as well as their dependent variables. As a result, an error distribution of the SAR-LVs should have a different distribution from the standard SAR. Therefore, this LM test for the SAR-LVs is based on the new distribution. The estimation of the latent variables used a weighted least squares (WLS) method. The estimation of the SAR-LVs parameter used a two-stage least squares (2SLS) method. The SAR-LVs model was applied to the model with a positive and negative spatial autoregressive coefficient to illustrate how it was interpreted.
The Symmetries in Film and Television Production Areas Based on Virtual Reality and Internet of Things Technology
Authors: Xie Zheng
Published: August 2020

To enrich the form of film and television production, improve the level of film and television production, and satisfy the film-watching experiences of audiences, based on Virtual Reality (VR) and the Internet of Things (IoT) technology, with the help of S3 Studio Max and Photoshop software, a VR film-watching system is built, which realizes the interaction with users on different devices through somatosensory interaction sensors. In addition, by utilizing Twirling720, the panoramic sound recording is achieved. Through this system, a smart IoT platform between users, films, and devices is built. Finally, this platform is utilized to produce the film and television work Van Gogh in Dream, which is evaluated and analyzed through questionnaires. The results show that the technology system of this set of film and television production is complete, and the production level of film and television works have been significantly improved. The audience recognition of film and television production based on this technology is 55%, and the impression evaluation is over 56%. However, knowledge acquisition is only 20%, and historical understanding is above 50%. These dimensions show that compared with traditional film production, artificial intelligence films can bring a better experience to audiences, but knowledge acquisition is less. Therefore, professional knowledge will be improved at the later stage. The above results provide a theoretical basis for the application of artificial intelligence technology in film production and production mode.
Analogous Hawking Effect in Dielectric Media and Solitonic Solutions
Authors: Belgiorno Francesco , Cacciatori Sergio L.
Published: August 2020

We review some aspects of our longstanding research concerning the analogous Hawking effect in dispersive dielectric media. We introduce nonlinear contributions in the polarization field in the relativistically covariant version of the Hopfield model and then, in order to provide a simplified description aimed at avoiding some subtleties in the quantization of the original model, we discuss the so-called ϕψ-model. We show that the nonlinearity allows for introducing in a self-consistent way the otherwise phenomenological dependence of the susceptibility and of the resonance frequency ω0 on the spacetime variables, and this is a consequence of the linearization of the model around solitonic solutions representing propagating perturbations of the refractive index, to be then associated with the Hawking effect.
Then and Now: A Comparative Historical Toponomastics Analysis of Station Names in 2 of Singapore’s Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Lines
Authors: Lim Shaun Tyan Gin , Perono Cacciafoco Francesco
Published: August 2020

Public transport is integral to the development of cities. It promotes economic development, mitigates environmental degradation, and fosters a sense of social cohesion. Notwithstanding, one can understand a place’s culture, geography, history, languages, and sociopolitical structures by studying the naming practices in public transport, such as bus routes and train stations, among others. This article studies the naming conventions in Singapore’s Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system, which serves millions of commuters daily, and alludes to the importance of public transport in urban spaces. The paper analyses MRT station names, which can be regarded as toponyms, of the North South and Downtown lines according to two aspects: firstly, by conducting a linguistic analysis of the languages used in naming these MRT stations and, secondly, by applying toponymic classifications from current research in grouping the MRT stations themselves. Ultimately, the study compares the naming practices of Singapore’s oldest and second newest MRT lines using a sociolinguistic and historical toponomastics mixed methods approach, studying the MRT station names based on social categories as well as using historical sources to account for the linguistic and historical meaning of these toponyms. This work is aimed at providing scholars and a general audience with a better understanding of Singapore’s language, culture, and society through the analysis of the naming practices of the MRT station names, unique toponyms in the urban transport of the Lion City.
Correction: Liu, S. et al. Numerical Investigation of a Hydrosplitting Fracture and Weak Plane Interaction Using Discrete Element Modeling, Water 2020, 12, 535
Authors: Liu Shuaiqi , Ma Fengshan , Zhao Haijun , Guo Jie , Duan Xueliang , Sun Qihao
Published: August 2020

In the published article [...]
Primary care doctors’ views on self-monitoring of blood pressure and self-titration among patients with uncontrolled hypertension in Spain. The ADAMPA trial focus group study.
Authors: Marco-Moreno Irene , Martínez-Ibañez Patricia , Avelino-Hidalgo Eugenia , Bellot-Pujalte Laura , Barreira-Franch Ignacio , Martínez-Ibañez Lucia , Escrig-Veses Marina , Giménez-Loreiro Margarita , Bóveda-García María , Calleja-del-Ser Mercedes , Hurtado Isabel , García-Sempere Aníbal , Rodríguez-Bernal Clara L , Peiró Salvador , Sanfélix-Genovés José , Sanfelix-Gimeno Gabriel ,   the ADAMPA research group
Published: August 2020

Background

Despite the increased use of blood pressure (BP) monitoring devices at home, the hypertension of more than 50% of European patients remains uncontrolled. Nevertheless, the self-management of BP, through the combination of home monitoring of BP with self-titration, could be anaccessible and effective tool for improving hypertension control in the primary care setting. The ADAMPA study is a trial with participants randomised to BP self-management (BPSM) with self-titration of antihypertensive medication or to usual care, in a population of patients with poorly controlled hypertension.

Aim

To explore the views and attitudes of primary care doctors participating in the ADAMPA trial regarding BPSM with self-titration.

Design & setting

A focus group study took place with primary care doctors participating in the ADAMPA trial, which was carried out in one health district of the Valencia Health System in Spain.

Method

Nine primary care doctors participating in the ADAMPA trial were included in the focus group. Three researchers (two using manual methods and one using NVivo software) independently conducted a content analysis, reading the transcripts, identifying, classifying, and coding the contents, and developing a conceptual scheme based on these topics.

Results

Participating doctors clearly support home BP monitoring (HBPM), the setting of individual BP targets, and incorporating patient readings into decision-making. They consider it an investment to educate patients for medication self-adjustment and estimate that an important proportion of their patients are potential candidates for hypertension self-management with medication self-titration. However, they show important divergences regarding the role of nursing in BP control.

Conclusion

Primary care doctors participating in the ADAMPA trial feel comfortable with BPSM with self-titration, and would consider extending its use (or the use of some components, such as BP target setting) to other patients with hypertension outside the trial.
A Fast High Precision Skew Angle Estimation of Digitized Documents
Authors: Chettat Merouane , Gaceb Djamel , Belhadi Soumia
Published: August 2020

In this paper, we treated the problem of automatic skew angle estimation of scanned documents. The skew of document occurs very often, due to incorrect positioning of the documents or a manipulation error during scanning. This has negative consequences on the steps of automatic analysis and recognition of text. It is therefore essential to verify, before proceeding to these steps, the presence of skew on the document to be processed and to correct it. The difficulty of this verification is associated to the presence of graphic zones, sometimes dominant, that have a considerable impact on the accuracy of the text skew angle estimation. We also noted the importance of preprocessing to improve the accuracy and the calculation cost of skew estimation approaches. These two elements have been taken into consideration in our design and development of a new approach of skew angle estimation and correction. Our approach is based on local binarization followed by horizontal smoothing by the Run Length Smoothing Algorithm (RLSA) method, detection of horizontal contours and the Hierarchical Hough Transform (HHT). The algorithms involved in our approach have been chosen to guarantee a skew estimation: accurate, fast and robust, especially to graphic dominance and real time application. The experimental tests show the effectiveness of our approach on a representative database of the Document Image Skew Estimation Contest (DISEC) contest International Conference on Document Analysis and Recognition (ICDAR)
Le corpus des chirographes yprois, témoin essentiel d’un réseau de crédit du XIIIe siècle
Authors: Valeriola Sébastien de
Published: August 2020

Au cours des bombardements de 1914 disparaissaient la grande majorité des archives médiévales d’Ypres, et avec elles l’important fonds de chirographes. Ceux-ci ne sont pour autant pas complètement perdus pour l’historien, puisque certains d’entre eux ont été transcrits ou analysés avant leur destruction. La grande quantité de reconnaissances de dette conservées sous ces deux formes permet entre autres choses d’étudier le réseau de crédit de la ville flamande au XIIIe siècle. Dans cette perspective, nous avons rassemblé toutes les éditions et tous les résumés disponibles aujourd’hui, et avons versé tous les renseignements récoltés à la base de données Diplomata Belgica. Cet article accompagne ce versement, et donne une description du corpus d’actes ainsi constitué.
Lectotypifications and Nomenclatural Notes for Hao’s New Chinese Taxa in Salix (Salicaceae)
Authors: He Li , Applequist Wendy L.
Published: August 2020

This paper deals with 20 names of species and infraspecific taxa of Salix L. that Fang and Skvortsov validated or intended to validate in 1998 following their original publication by Hao in 1936 without Latin diagnoses. The names are listed and issues of typification, attribution, and synonymy are discussed. New lectotypes are designated for eight names whose holotypes have been lost or destroyed or for which a choice between syntypes was necessary: Salix acuminatomicrophylla K. S. Hao ex C. F. Fang & A. K. Skvortsov, S. atopantha C. K. Schneid. var. glabra K. S. Hao ex C. F. Fang & A. K. Skvortsov, S. calyculata Hook. f. ex Andersson var. glabrifolia Hand.-Mazz. [≡ S. crenata K. S. Hao], S. forrestii K. S. Hao ex C. F. Fang & A. K. Skvortsov, S. kansuensis K. S. Hao ex C. F. Fang & A. K. Skvortsov, S. ovatomicrophylla K. S. Hao ex C. F. Fang & A. K. Skvortsov, S. pseudowolohoensis K. S. Hao ex C. F. Fang & A. K. Skvortsov, and S. schneideriana K. S. Hao ex C. F. Fang & A. K. Skvortsov. The type citation of S. shansiensis K. S. Hao ex C. F. Fang & A. K. Skvortsov is corrected.
Coincidence of Sarcoidosis With Ankylosing Spondylitis in a 48-Year-Old Woman; A Therapeutic Challenge
Authors: Alishiri Gholamhossein , Rahmanian Ehsan , Ramezanpour Mahsa
Published: August 2020

Introduction: A case of pulmonary sarcoidosis is reported because of difficulties in diagnosis and treatment, including the co-existence of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and severe corticosteroid dependence. Case Presentation: A 48-year-old nonsmoking woman referred to the hospital because of chronic nonproductive cough and dyspnea with a 10-year history of AS. Bilateral rhonchi was detected in lung auscultation. There was a significant limitation in lumbar activity and range of motion in flexion (positive Schober’s test), extension, and lateral bending. In lumbosacral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), irregularities in the sacroiliac joint and bilateral sacroiliitis were evident. The angiotensin-converting enzyme level was elevated. Biopsy in hilar lymphadenopathy by transbronchial lung biopsy was done, and the histopathological findings showed chronic nonnecrotizing granulomatosis inflammation compatible with sarcoidosis. Anti-tumor necrosis factor drugs was effective on steroiddependent coexisting of sarcoidosis and AS. The symptoms were absent in regular follow up. Conclusion: Pulmonary fibrosis due to sarcoidosis can be prevented by suitable treatment. Clinical trials are needed to confirm the impact of treatments with monoclonal antibodies against tumor necrosis factor (TNF), for curing sarcoidosis.
Education Level and Self-rated Health in the United States: Immigrants’ Diminished Returns
Authors: Assari Shervin , Perez Maryver U. , Johnson Nay’Air , Williams Nikesha R. , Carrillo Esmeralda , Garcia Leslye , Hollis Xiaxiang T.
Published: August 2020

Introduction: Although education is among the major socioeconomic status (SES) resources that influence populations’ and individuals’ health, social marginalization may reduce the health gain that follows access to SES indicators such as education, a pattern called marginalization-related diminished return (MDR). The literature on MDRs, however, has been mainly derived from studies that have defined marginalization based on race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. Thus, more research is needed on MDRs that may follow as a result of immigration. To extend what is known on immigration status related MDRs, this study compared a national sample of immigrants and non-immigrants for the effect of education on the poor self-rated health (SRH) of adults in the United States. Methods: With a cross-sectional design, this study employed data from the 2015 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), a survey that had enrolled 33,654 adults who were either immigrants (n=6225; 18.5%) or non-immigrants (n=27429; 81.5%). The independent variable was education level, treated as a categorical variable. The dependent variable was SRH treated as a dichotomous variable. Race, ethnicity, age, gender, marital status, and region were the confounders. Immigration (nativity) was the moderator. Logistic regression was used for data analysis. Results: Higher education credentials were associated with better SRH in the pooled sample; however, immigration showed a significant statistical interaction with education level (college graduation) on the outcome. This interaction was indicative of a smaller protective effect of college graduation on poor SRH among immigrants than non-immigrant adults. Conclusion: In line with the MDRs framework, the effect of education on SRH is weaker for immigrants than for non-immigrant adults. There is a need to help highly educated immigrants to mobilize their human capital to secure their best health outcomes, similar to non-immigrants. Such strategies may require bold and innovative policy solutions to reduce discrimination against immigrants, so they can more effectively translate their education and human capital into tangible outcomes such as health.
REGISTER OF ULTIMATE BENEFICIARIES AS A LEGAL MECHANISM FOR TRACKING THE REAL OWNER OF THE COMPANY. EXPERIENCE IN RUSSIA AND ABROAD
Authors: Zykova Olga A.
Published: August 2020

In 2015, the European Union adopted the Fourth European Union Directive 2015/849 of the 20th of May, 2015 «on the prevention of the use of the fi nancial system for the purpose of money laundering and terrorist fi nancing», which introduced the most important innovation – the introduction of a public register of benefi cial owners of European companies and other structures. This article examines the reaction of individual countries to the main proposals and comments of the Directive, which is refl ected in the amendments to the current legal system. Special attention is paid to offshore zones, which are trying to fi nd a compromise between the comments of the European Union, promoting business transparency, and the principle of anonymity, which is the main privilege of offshore territories and which attracts a considerable fl ow of entrepreneurs and their investments. In addition, the article deals with the problem of contradiction of the Russian legislation regulating the procedure for maintaining the register of benefi cial owners and providing information contained therein. The article formulates the main conclusion regarding the register of benefi ciaries as a new modern trend of international tax planning, which should be taken into account in the future when creating the structure of foreign companies, as well as when choosing the jurisdiction in which business activities are planned.
THE REGIONS OF THE UPPER VOLGA IN THE CONTEXT OF ALL-UNION TRENDS: CONTRADICTION OF INTERACTION BETWEEN LOCAL ELITES AND THE CENTRE IN THE USSR (SECOND HALF OF THE 1960S TO THE 1980S)
Authors: Kishchenkov Mikhail S. , Nikiforov Yuriy S. , Tumakov Denis V.
Published: August 2020

The article is a continuation of a study on the relationship between regions and the centre during the period of Nikita Khrushchev. Based on materials from the Upper Volga regions, the historical context of the interaction of regional and central authorities in the USSR in the era of Leonid Brezhnev (second half of the 1960s to 1980s). On the basis of archival materials, memoirs, oral history data, historiography, the regional and central authorities and the political situation in the USSR of the era of «developed socialism» are characterised. There is an increase in attention from the leadership of the USSR and regional elites to the issues of supplying the population with consumer goods. The tendency of a slow increase in living standards in the capitals and at the regional level is noted. The reasons for the long stay in power of representatives of the regional
nomenclature are analysed. The article concludes that at the domestic political level, the interaction of the power elites of the Upper Volga regions and the Union-Republican centre in the 1970s-1980s refl ected the all-Union trends in regional policy of Leonid Brezhnev – trust in personnel, compromises and collegiality. It is argued that at the socioeconomic level, there was an increase in negative trends for the non-Chernozemic RSFSR – excessive bureaucratisation, dependence of the province on ill-conceived projects of the centre, impoverishment of human potential, slow implementation of the achievements of the scientifi c and technological revolution
TESTING OF KNITTED FABRICS TO CONFIRM COMPLIANCE
Authors: Stasheva M. A. , Novosad T. N. , Yevseyeva N. V. , Gusev B. N.
Published: August 2020

One of the reasons for the low demand for domestic textile fabrics is the incomplete satisfaction of consumers' requirements with regard to the quality and price of products, as well as the insufficient use of the Russian certification system as a source of reliable information (advertising) of quality as a set of consumer properties and safety of manufactured products. The paper tests cotton knitted fabrics with various
attachments of synthetic fibers and provides recommendations for choosing a rational scheme for their certification in order to use them for the production of various layers of garments.
RESEARCH OF METHODS FOR MANAGING STAKEHOLDERS REQUIREMENTS FOR THE SOFTWARE
Authors: Sergunin A. A. , Kiprina L. Yu.
Published: August 2020

The article is devoted to a comprehensive study of various factors affecting the choice of methods for working with software requirements. These factors include the type of project and the type of stakeholders. To search for the relationship between different types of stakeholders, forms of interaction with them and methods of working with requirements, a description of real IT projects was analysed, including a list of tasks that were performed as part of the analytical work, including methods of working with requirements. Based on the results of the study, recommendations are formulated for choosing methods for working with requirements based on the type of stakeholders, which can improve the efficiency of the software development process.
Utilization of the Three-Dimensional Model to a Construction Production System
Authors: Kanzaki Keizo
Published: August 2020

The quitting a job of the expert worker and the lack of the technical transmission to the young worker with low birthrate, and the deterioration of the infrastructure institution which will increase rapidly in future will be the problem that must put up measures immediately in the construction business. CIM and i-Construction proposed by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism enforce the improvement of the productivity of the construction site and the maintenance and check for the life cycle of the structure using three-dimensional model in order to solve such a problem, and they may be said that it is the big change of the construction production system. In this report, I survey three examples of the tool which I can utilize three-dimensional model for plan, measuring, construction, and maintenance based on a policy of CIM and i-Construction, explain an effective making method of the three-dimensional model suitable for a construction scale and contents and examine the effective utilization method and introduction effect in the construction production system.
Seismic Hazard and Total Risk of Existing Large Dams in the Marmara Basin, Turkey
Authors: Tosun Hasan
Published: August 2020

Safety evaluation is a fundamental stage of existing dams and their appurtenant structures, which have a high-risk potential for downstream life and property. Turkey is a country, which seismically settled at one of the most active regions in the world, and earthquakes with high magnitude frequently occur here. There are some regions, which are severely under threatening of earthquakes. One of them is the Marmara region with twenty-four million people. This region, namely the Marmara basin, has at least forty-five large dams with different types. This study considered nineteen of them to relieve their seismic hazard parameters for all dam sites and total risk for each structure. The study area is lying in a seismically, very active part of Turkey. The southern part of the basin is structurally cut by the North Anatolian Fault, which is a famous structural feature that produces deathful earthquakes, and its offshoots. The analyses have indicated that peak acceleration widely ranges for the nineteen dam sites of this basin. The total risk analyses have concluded that most of the dams in the metropolitan area have high-risk classes and a significant effect for public safety.
Screening for Elder Abuse in the Health-Care Setting – A South Indian Hospital-based Study
Authors: Stanley Ambroise Marie , Jeffrey Ambroise Marie
Published: August 2020

Objective: ‘Elder Abuse’ is a major issue impacting many households. Although several surveys to understand this growing crime against elders has shown varied prevalence worldwide, not much data exists in the state of Puducherry. The main objectives were to screen for abuse, study the demographic patterns of the abused elderly, to estimate their reporting behaviour and awareness of redress mechanisms. Methods: A
cross-sectional analysis on the elderly patients attending the out-patient department of a tertiary care centre in Puducherry for various ailments. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 300 patients after their informed consent, and the results were statistically analysed. Results: About one-fifth of
the elderly reported abuse, the majority belonged to lower socio-economic strata. Disrespect was the most common form of abuse experienced. While the Police Helpline was reported to be the most known redress mechanism, more than one-third of the study population were not aware of any form of redress mechanisms.
Conclusion: The findings highlighted the range and type of abuse experienced. The general perception that the families are the safest place for the elderly in India has been questioned by the findings which emerged from this study. Although the victims were aware of the help and support received through police and other agencies, several obstacles to seeking help and support were identified.
A New View of The Racine Scoring System in The Pentylenetetrazol Epilepsy Model
Authors: AKYÜZ Enes
Published: August 2020

Background: Pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) is the predominantly used chemical in studies to develop antiepileptic drugs and to investigate the mechanism of epilepsy. As PTZ is given systematically, it leads to generalized seizures, first creating myoclonic contractions and following generalized tonic-clonic seizures. According to the kindling model of epilepsy, repeated chemical stimulation to animals causes electrophysiological changes in local tissue. It was aimed to better observe and score the seizures of experimental animals by placing intermediate-phase levels between the phases.Materials and Methods: The study was performed by intraperitoneal administration of PTZ to female (n=7) and male (n=7) Wistar-Albino rats. PTZ agent administered at a dose of 35 mg/kg every two days allowed the model to kindle at a final dose of 50 mg/kg at the end of one month. The seizures were scored according to the Racine scoring method and recorded on video.Results: According to the results, there was a significant difference between phase values of original Racine scoring and those of new suggested Racine scoring for both female and male epilepsy groupsConclusions: The importance of the developed method is to determine a more valid and more useful model by adding intermediate levels to all grades of the animal model proposing to change the degree of scoring in the literature.
Variabilidad del germoplasma de maíz (Zea mays L.) en Argentina: La aptitud forrajera asociada a la producción de bioetanol lignocelulósico
Authors:   , García Stepien Luis Ezequiel
Published: August 2020

El maíz posee un gran potencial para la producción de bioetanol, no sólo a través de la conversión del almidón del grano, sino también a partir de la celulosa y hemicelulosa del resto de la planta, siendo estos recursos altamente renovables. Existe variación genética en los distintos genotipos de maíz, tanto en rendimiento como en calidad de rastrojo, que podría ser aprovechada para la selección de nuevos materiales destinados a la producción de bioetanol lignocelulósico. La mejora genética debería incrementar la digestibilidad de la caña+hojas, reducir la lignina y aumentar la biomasa. Los objetivos de nuestro estudio fueron: a. Estimar componentes fenotípicos, genéticos y ambientales en relación a la calidad nutricional y rendimiento de la fracción vegetativa en los dos estados de madurez de cosecha (silaje y grano). b. Correlacionar las variables de rendimiento y calidad en dos estados de madurez diferentes de la fenología del cultivo para estimar la producción potencial de silaje y de bioetanol lignocelulósico. c. Clasificar el germoplasma a través de variables de rendimiento y calidad nutricional de la fracción vegetativa para identificar grupos con diferenciales aptitudes para la producción potencial de etanol celulósico. d. Evaluar las variaciones cuali-cuantitativas que sufre la fracción vegetativa de maíz al pasar del estado de madurez de cosecha para silaje al de grano, y su aptitud para la producción potencial de bioetanol lignocelulósico. Se evaluaron 144 accesiones + 3 testigos genéticamente divergentes, mediante un diseño de bloques aumentados durante 3 años consecutivos. Se realizó un análisis de componentes principales para clasificar a los genotipos a través de las variables de rendimiento y calidad determinadas en 2 estados de madurez de cosecha: silaje y grano (rastrojo). Se observó que las variables de calidad de la fracción vegetativa están más condicionadas por el efecto genético que por el ambiental. LDA fue la variable con mayor varianza ambiental. DIV y DFDN podrían ser utilizadas como variables clasificatorias en programas de mejoramiento. El uso de índices de suma de rangos permitió la selección de genotipos con elevados rendimientos en grano, etanol teórico potencial y buen comportamiento agronómico. Algunas poblaciones locales, presentaron buena aptitud para la producción de forraje y bioetanol lignocelulósico, pudiendo ser utilizadas en futuros procesos de generación de líneas endocriadas.
Evaluation of Greenhouse Gas Emission from Municipal Solid Waste Leachate by two-stage Sequencing Batch Reactor
Authors: Nuansawan Nararatchporn , Sombatsompop Kwannate , Witthayaphirom Chayanid
Published: August 2020

This work investigated greenhouse gas emission during the treatment of municipal solid waste leachate by two-stage Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR). The SBR was carried out by anaerobic reactor followed by aerobic reactor. The system was operated at hydraulic retention times (HRT) of 4 and 2 days during 130 operating days. At steady state, the organic removal efficiencies were found to be 67.0% and 62.7% for 4 and 2 days of HRT. The organic carbon and nitrogen were mainly removed in aerobic reactor. The surface emission rates of methane in anaerobic reactor were 0.181 and 0.292 g/m2.d under HRT of 4 and 2 days, respectively. The emission factors of CH4 at HRT 4 and 2 days were 0.297 and 0.238 gCH4/gCOD, respectively while those of N2O were 0.25 and 0.19 gN2O/gN for HRT of 4 and 2 days, respectively. The PCR technique confirmed that the microbial group was methonogenic bacteria which corresponded to the emission of greenhouse gas.

Type of Paper: Empirical

Keywords: Greenhouse gas; leachate; methane emission; microbial communities; sequencing batch reactor
High-Throughput of SHA-256 Hash Function with Unfolding Transformation
Authors: Suhaili Shamsiah binti , Watanabe Takahiro
Published: August 2020

Hash Function in cryptography algorithms is used to encrypt the message by giving the appropriate output based on the structure of the hash function itself. This algorithm is important for security applications such as Keyed-Hash Message Authentication Code (HMAC), digital signature, and others. There are different types of hash functions such as MD5, SHA-1, RIPEMD-160, SHA-256, SHA-224, SHA-384, SHA-512, and others. In this paper, the unfolding transformation method was proposed to improve the throughput of the SHA-256 hash function. Three types of SHA-256 hash function were designed namely SHA-256 design, SHA-256 design inner pipelining with unfolding factor 2, and SHA-256 design inner pipelining with unfolding factor 4. The designs were written in Verilog code and the output simulations were verified using ModelSim. The simulation results showed that the proposed SHA-256 inner pipelining unfolding with factor 4 provided the highest throughput which is 4196.30 Mbps, and factor 2 was superior in terms of maximum frequency and was better than the conventional SHA-256 design.

Type of Paper: other.

Keywords: Cryptography algorithm; FPGA; SHA-256 Hash Function; Unfolding transformation, Verilog
A hybrid neural network goal attain optimization for failed sensor(s) radiation pattern in linear array
Authors: Boopalan Navaamsini , Ramasamy Agileswari K. , Nagi Farrukh Hafiz
Published: August 2020

Array sensors are widely used in various fields such as radar, wireless communications, autonomous vehicle applications, medical imaging, and astronomical observations fault diagnosis. Array signal processing is accomplished with a beam pattern which is produced by the signal's amplitude and phase at each element of array. The beam pattern can get rigorously distorted in case of failure of array element and effect its Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) badly. This paper proposes on a Hybrid Neural Network layer weight Goal Attain Optimization (HNNGAO) method to generate a recovery beam pattern which closely resembles the original beam pattern with remaining elements in the array. The proposed HNNGAO method is compared with classic synthesize beam pattern goal attain method and failed beam pattern generated in MATLAB environment. The results obtained proves that the proposed HNNGAO method gives better SNR ratio with remaining working element in linear array compared to classic goal attain method alone.

Keywords: Backpropagation; Feed-forward neural network; Goal attain; Neural networks; Radiation
pattern; Sensor arrays; Sensor failure; Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR)
Adherence to Pulmonary Tuberculosis Treatment In Murang’a County, Kenya
Authors: Gitonga Charles Muthui , Nyamari Jackim , Mugo Judy
Published: August 2020

Non-adherence to Tuberculosis treatment is a major barrier for TB control programs because incomplete treatment may result in prolonged infectiousness, drug resistance, relapse and death. Successful treatment of TB involves taking anti TB drugs for at least six months as per the doctors advise. Currently, Tuberculosis has become a resurgent public Health problem in developing countries and is the leading cause of death from any single infectious agent. The purpose of the study was to identify factors contributing to non-adherence to TB treatment amongst pulmonary TB patients in Maragua Sub-County of Murang’a County. The objectives included were to determine the social-economic related, healthcare-related, patient-related and disease and medicine related factors associated with non-adherence of TB treatment amongst patients in Murang’a County. The study was guided by the Health Belief model as the theoretical framework. A cross-sectional survey study design was used. Census method was used and all 270 people were considered. Data was collected using a mixed method approach of interview guides, questionnaires and Focus Group Discussions. A total of 270 adult Pulmonary TB patients, amongst whom 59 (47%) were adherents and 67(53%) non adherents with TB treatment, who received treatment in 2017 and had completed treatment, Community Health workers, and Health Personnel in the TB clinic participated in the study. Data was entered to EPI INFO version 3.5.3 and analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22. Multiple logistic regressions was used to identify associations and to control potential confounding variables. Chi Square was used to test independence of categorical variables with p value of less than 0.05 at 95% confidence interval being considered significant. Data presentation was done using figures and tables. From the results of the study only the distance taken to collect drugs in the health facility was found to be associated with non-adherence to TB treatment (n=9 ,13%). The study recommends that measures should be undertaken so as to reduce the non-adherence level to TB treatment by ensuring anti-Tb treatment is accessible to patients at the nearest Health facility from their residence. Additionally, the study proposes that the patients should be sensitized on the importance of adherence to TB drug mediction. Interventions with Health promotion initiatives emphasizing the benefits of treatment adherence should be enhanced in the communities by further large scale multicentred studies and that an enabling environment which is conducive for good patient interactions should be created. The study concludes that there are challenges facing adherence of TB treatment which ought to be addressed. The study, suggests that measures to improve drug adherence such as improving health conditions, increasing the availability of drugs and conducting health educations to the patients is essential in minimizing the drug  non-adherence to TB drugs.
Women of Advanced Reproductive Age and Maternal Health Outcomes: A Review of the Literature
Authors: Oguntola-Laguda Olabusoye , Wusu Onipede , Samuel Oluranti
Published: August 2020

Women of advanced reproductive age (ARA) constitute a growing proportion globally, as more women delay entry into motherhood, in a bid to accommodate their educational and career goals. Social, economic and technological realities propel women to postpone childbearing to a later and more convenient age. What are the maternal outcomes of such delays? This paper reviewed studies that have examined the association between advanced reproductive age and maternal health outcomes. It also attempts to develop a conceptual framework regarding relationship between ARA and maternal outcomes. The Google Scholar search engine was used to search for published studies on the subject in the last ten years. A total of 40 studies were sampled, of which the majority were retrospective studies, using secondary data, in particular health institutes reports. Only 17% of the studies was conducted in Nigeria, and none by social scientists. Ninety percent (90%) of the studies reviewed, established that advanced reproductive age predisposes women to adverse reproductive events. Some of the maternal, and per-natal outcomes include; spontaneous abortion, pre-eclampsia, eclampsia, gestational diabetes, antepartum hemorrhage, postpartum hemorrhage, intrauterine growth restriction, obstructed labour, caesarean delivery, placenta abruption and, congenital abnormalities. Others are, – low birth weight, fetal distress, mal-presentation, perinatal lacerations, preterm births, stillbirth, early neonatal death, perinatal and maternal mortality. The study recommends the needs for sociological studies to compliment the discourse on ARA and the maternal health outcomes from the social angle.
Age Disparity in Marriage and Sexually Transmitted infections among Women in Shomolu Lagos State, Nigeria
Authors: Ayoola Fakunmoju , Akeju David
Published: August 2020

This study investigates age disparity in marriage and the incidence of sexually transmitted infections among spouses in Shomolu, Lagos State Nigeria.The study adopted a descriptive and cross-sectional design in which a multi-stage sampling method comprising cluster sampling, simple random sampling and the convenience sampling techniques were used to select 400 married women in Shomolu, Lagos State. A structured, close ended questionnaire was used in a researcher administered survey to elicit responses. Descriptive statistics and the Chi-square test guided data analysis. Data show a high prevalence of older male-younger female marriage (n=365; 93.5%) and older-women-younger-male marriage (n = 14; 3.7%). Some women (n=48; 13.8%) had ever been infected with STIs such as Gonorrhea (n = 31; 64.5%), syphilis (n = 14; 29.2%) and chlamydia (n = 3; 6.3%). There was a statistically significant association between age disparity (χ2 = 4.266; df = 1; p<0.05), polygamy (χ2 =4.308; df = 1; p<0.05) and incidence of STIs among spouses, particularly women in older women-younger male marriage.The corresponding consequences for increased incidence of STIs among women in older women-younger male relationships should underscore social interventions that might reduce the incidence and consequences of STIs among this population.
Agile mobile robotic platform for contactless vital signs monitoring
Authors: Huang Hen-Wei , chai peter , Ehmke Claas , Merewether Gene , Dadabhoy Fara , Feng Annie , Thomas Akhil John , Li Canchen , Silva Marco da , Raibert Marc H. , Boyer Edward W. , Traverso Giovanni
Published: August 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated methods to facilitate contactless evaluation of patients in hospital settings. By minimizing unnecessary in-person contact with individuals who may have COVID-19 disease, healthcare workers (HCW) can prevent disease transmission, and conserve personal protective equipment. Obtaining vital signs is a ubiquitous task that is commonly done in-person. To eliminate the need for in-person contact for vital signs measurement in the hospital setting, we developed Dr. Spot, an agile quadruped robotic system that comprises a set of contactless monitoring systems for measuring vital signs and a tablet computer to enable face-to-face medical interviewing. Dr. Spot is teleoperated by trained clinical staff to facilitate enhanced telemedicine. Specifically, it has the potential to simultaneously measure skin temperature, respiratory rate, heart rate, and blood oxygen saturation simultaneously while maintaining social distancing from the patients. This is important because fluctuations in vital sign parameters are commonly used in algorithmic decisions to admit or discharge individuals with COVID-19 disease. Here, we deployed Dr. Spot in a hospital setting with the ability to measure the vital signs from healthy volunteers from which the measurements of elevated skin temperature screening, respiratory rate, heart rate, and SpO2 were carefully verified with ground-truth sensors.
Plasma Biomarkers Ascertained With Immunomagnetic Reduction Diagnosing Early-Stage Alzheimer's Disease: A Systematic Review
Authors: Tang Pui-Un , Wu I-Hsieh , Lao Ian-Hou , Leong Wai , Hu Chaur-Jong
Published: August 2020

Introduction

Alzheimer's disease (AD) will become a prominent public health issue in the future given its cognitively debilitating nature. As the advent of global ageing society is expected, AD may bring tremendous socioeconomical costs if current diagnosis methods stay put. In this article, we performed a systematic review of a recent (less than 10 years) ultrasensitive technology, the immunomagnetic reduction (IMR), which shows promising potential of early diagnosis of AD.

Methods

We searched the Pubmed and Embase databases for studies that included keywords “early-stage Alzheimer's disease” and “immunomagnetic signal reduction.”

Results

After full-text review, a total of 7 studies were included for final analysis. Most included studies have reported on Aβ40, Aβ42, t-tau, and levels of these biomarkers in the plasma of early AD patients comparing those in the healthy population. The ranges of the mean Aβ40 levels are as follows: 59.2 to 60.9 for control groups and 36.9 to 39.5 pg/mL for AD. Aβ42 and t-tau concentrations are both markedly lower than Aβ40, Aβ42 at 15.5 to 16.1 for control groups and 17.9 to 19 pg/mL for AD; t-tau levels were 13.5 to 14.3 for control groups and 39.4 to 46.7 pg/mL for AD. There is a significant increasing level of plasma Aβ42 by IMR assays in early AD patients across nearly all the included studies. There is a possible relationship between plasma levels of IMR AD biomarkers and (1) degree of hippocampal atrophy using magnetic resonance imaging, and (2) amount of brain amyloid accumulation using positron emission tomography.

Conclusion

IMR assay is an ultrasensitivity technique that is useful for detection of early AD, which can provide benefits on understanding the disease progression of AD and encourage early medical invention for AD patients.
Defi ning of strain non-uniformity during rods
forging on lever-type radial-forging machine
Authors: Nekrasov I.I. , Fedulov A.A. , Parshin V.S.
Published: August 2020

The results of the strain non-uniformity in the forging of rods on the radial-forging machine by using FE modeling
are presented. Comparative analysis of the strain non-uniformity distribution in the fi nal product for the rods
forging on the lever-type radial-forging machine and the swaging machine and for different values of feed rate of
the rod to the lever-type radial-forging machine is carried out.
Integrated diagnostics of technical condition and serviceability evaluation
of metal materials by nondestructive testing methods
Authors: Roberov I.G. , Figurovsky D.K. , Kiselev M.A. , Grama V.S. , Matveev D.B. , Ivanov V.O.
Published: August 2020

The results of the development of integrated diagnostics of the technical condition of materials in
various types of nodes and assemblies are presented. The fundamental possibility of technical assessment of
serviceability prediction of VNS-9Sh steel part during operation using nondestructive testing methods is shown.
“New Normal”: Analisis Penerimaan Menggunakan Balance Score Card
Authors: Maria Florentina Rumba  , Margaretha P.N Rozady  , Theresia W. Mado
Published: August 2020

Abstrak: Kebiasaan manusia berubah karena adanya wabah COVID-19, hal ini berpengaruh ketika manusia masuk ke dalam fase new normal. New normal diartikan sebagai keadaan yang tidak biasa dilakukan sebelumnya, yang kemudian dijadikan sebagai standar atau kebiasaan baru yang mesti dilakukan manusia untuk dirinya sendiri maupun untuk bersosialisasi dengan orang lain. Kebiasaan baru ini pun menimbulkan pro dan kontra seiring dengan dampak yang timbul. Lembaga pendidikan tinggi merupakan salah satu yang merasakan dampak penerapan new normal. Perkuliahan yang selama ini dilakukan secara online/daring, akan kembali dilakukan secara luring/tatap muka, dengan tetap menerapkan protokol COVID-19 seperti mengenakan masker, menjaga jarak, mengenakan sarung tangan, serta tidak melakukan kontak fisik seperti berjabat tangan. Masalah yang muncul bukan hanya kecemasan orang tua terhadap anak – anaknya, tetapi bagaimana lembaga pendidikan tinggi mengatur segala sumber daya yang dimiliki agar memenuhi standar penerapan new normal. penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui penerimaan  terhadap kondisi normal yang baru menggunakan Perspektif balance score card.

Abstract: Human habits change because of the COVID-19 outbreak, this affects when humans enter the new normal phase. New normal is defined as a condition that is not normally done before, which is then used as a standard or new habits that must be done by humans for themselves or to socialize with others. This new habit also raises the pros and cons along with the impact arising with the new normal. Higher education institutions are the ones who feel the impact of implementing new normal. Lectures that have been conducted online / online will be re-done offline / face to face, while still applying the COVID-19 protocol such as wearing a mask, keeping a distance, wearing gloves, and not making physical contact such as shaking hands. The problem that arises is not only parents' anxiety about their children, but how higher education institutions regulate all available resources to meet new normal implementation standards. This study aims to determine acceptance of new normal conditions using the balance score card Perspective.