bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
İstanbul'daki Akıllı Otel Uygulamalarının Değerlendirilmesi
Authors: ATAY Lütfi , YALÇINKAYA Pınar , BAHAR Filiz
Published: February 2019

Son yıllarda bilgi ve iletişim teknolojilerindeki
gelişmeler turizmde yeni yaklaşımların ve yenilikçi işletme modellerinin ortaya
çıkmasına neden olmaktadır. Bu gelişmelere uyum sağlayabilmek amacıyla
özellikle konaklama sektöründe akıllı uygulamalara yer verilmekte ve
turistlerin tatil boyunca yapmaları gereken işlemler bu uygulamalarla
kolaylaştırılmaktadır. Bu çalışmanın amacı, teknolojik gelişmeler ile birlikte
konaklama süresince turistlere sunulan hizmetlerin akıllı otel uygulamaları
temelinde değerlendirilmesidir. Çalışmada nitel araştırma yöntemi kullanılmış
olup; çalışmanın geçerliliği ve güvenilirliğini arttırmaj amacıyla içi
üçgenleme (triangulasyon) metoduna başvurulmuştur. Çalışmaya dâhil edilen
oteller amaçlı örneklem kapsamında seçilmiştir. İstanbul’da akıllı otel
uygulaması olduğu belirlenen 4 ve 5 yıldızlı otellerin; kurumsal internet
siteleri ve medyadaki güncel yayınlardan yararlanılarak araştırma kapsamında
dört otelin değerlendirmeye alınabileceği belirlenmiştir.  Söz konusu otellerin ön bürö müdürleriyle
görüşülmüştür. Görüşme sonrasında otellerin akıllı uygulamaları kapsayan
bölümlerinde fiziksel gözlem yapılmıştır. Çalışmada akıllı otel konseptinin,
mobil uygulamalar ve kişiselleştirilmiş servisler olarak iki tema kapsamında
uygulandığı sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Mobil uygulamalar kapsamında ‘one touch
application’, online check-in ve online check-out hizmetlerinin kullanıldığı,
kişiselleştirilmiş servisler kapsamında ise ‘kullanıcı profil notu’,
kişiselleştirilmiş oda hizmeti uygulamalarının kullanıldığı belirlenmiştir.
Araştırmada elde edilen bulgular doğrultusunda, akıllı otel uygulamaları için
sağlanması gereken otomasyon altyapı maliyetinin yüksek olduğu ve bu durumun
bir sonucu olarak akıllı otel kriterlerinin oldukça sınırlı bir kısmının
araştırma kapsamındaki otellerde gerçekleştirilebildiği sonucuna ulaşılmıştır.
Öğrenciler ve Sosyal Bilgiler Öğretmenlerinin Programdaki Becerilere İlişkin Beceri Hiyerarşileri, Gerekçeleri ve Önerileri
Authors: ÇELİKKAYA Tekin , YILDIRIM Tercan , KÜRÜMLÜOĞLU Mutlu
Published: February 2019

Her öğrencinin ve öğretmenin önemsediği farklı beceriler vardır. Bu araştırmada diğer çalışmalardan farklı olarak 8.sınıf öğrencileri ile sosyal bilgiler öğretmenlerinin sosyal bilgiler programında var olan 27 beceri içinden ilk 5 beceri tercihini sıralamaları, bu becerileri niçin seçtikleri istenmiş olup bu becerilerin öğretim yöntemine ilişkin önerilerde bulunmalarını istenmiştir. Bu noktada öğretmenlerin ve öğrencilerin sahip oldukları beceri dünyasının profilini çıkarabilmek için onların beceri hiyerarşilerini bilmemiz önem arz etmektedir. Bu araştırmada nitel araştırma yöntemlerinden durum çalışması kullanılmıştır. Çalışma grubunu, 2017-2018 eğitim-öğretim yılında uygun örnekleme yöntemi ile belirlenen ve gönüllük esasına dayalı olarak Sivas ilinde görev yapan Sosyal Bilgiler Öğretmenlerinden 39 kişi ve ortaokul 8. Sınıf öğrencilerinden 131 kişi örneklemi oluşturmaktadır. Araştırmada kullanılan yapılandırılmış görüşme formu açık uçlu 3 sorudan oluşmaktadır. Araştırma kapsamında elde edilen verilerin çözümlenmesinde içerik analizi türlerinden tümevarımcı analiz kullanılmıştır.Sonuç olarak; toplamda ilk beş sıralamada en çok yer alan becerilere bakıldığında öğrenciler ile öğretmenlerin ilk beşte sıraladıkları becerilerin üçü olan iletişim, empati ve problem çözme becerileri aynıdır. Çocukların Sosyal bilgiler programında var olan becerileri kimden kazanmaları gerektiği konusunda hem çocuklar hem de öğretmen ilk beş beceri için de aileden ve öğretmenden kazanılması gerektiği yönündeki fikirlerine ek olarak öğrenciler çevre, arkadaş ve Atatürk’ten öğretmenler ise eğitim uzmanından kazanılması gerektiğini ifade etmişlerdir
Sağlık Çalışanlarında Örgütsel Vatandaşlık Davranışı ile Etiksel İfşa Arasındaki İlişkinin İncelenmesi
Authors: ZEYBEK YILMAZ Ece , BAYRAM Ayhan
Published: February 2019

İşletmelerde emir vermeksizin örgüte fayda sağlayıcı davranışlarda bulunulmasını sağlayan, şikâyet etme eğilimini azaltan, yenilikçilik, gönüllülük gibi kişisel özellikleri kapsayan biçimsel olmayan davranışlar örgütsel vatandaşlık davranışı olarak kabul edilmektedir. Etiksel ifşa, ise bir kuruma mensup eski ya da hala görev yapmakta olan çalışanın, işverenin kontrolü altında ahlaksız, kanun dışı, bireylere ya da kurumlara etkisi olabilecek uygulamaları açığa çıkarmasıdır.   Bu çalışmada sağlık çalışanlarında örgütsel vatandaşlık davranışı ile etiksel ifşa arasındaki ilişkinin belirlenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Araştırmada yüz yüze anket ve kolayda örnekleme metodu kullanılarak 115 sağlık çalışanı ile görüşülmüştür. Sağlık çalışanlarına örgütsel vatandaşlık davranışı ve etiksel ifşa ölçekleri uygulanarak, elde edilen veriler ışığında sonuçlar değerlendirilmiştir. Örgütsel vatandaşlık davranışı ve etiksel ifşanın alt boyutlarının demografik değişkenlere göre farklılık gösterdiği ve alt boyutları arasında anlamlı bir ilişkinin olduğu görülmüştür.
Duygusal Zeka ile Örgütsel Vatandaşlık Davranışı İlişkisi
Authors: KURUŞCU Mehmet , YENİLMEZ Özlem
Published: February 2019

Duygusal zekanın, bireyin kendi ve diğer insanların duygu, amaç ve beklentilerini daha iyi anlamasına katkı yapması nedeniyle çalışan davranışlarının şekillenmesiyle ilgili olduğu değerlendirilmektedir. Bu kapsamda, yöneticinin duygusal zekasının çalışanların daha fazla örgütsel vatandaşlık davranışı göstermesi için katkı sağlayacağı beklenmektedir. Bu çalışma ile yöneticinin duygusal zekası ile çalışanların örgütsel vatandaşlık davranışı ilişkisinin açıklanması amaçlanmıştır. Çalışmada nicel araştırma yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Araştırmanın evrenini bir özel okulda çalışan öğretmeler oluşturmaktadır. Değerlendirmeye alınan anket sayısı 295’tir. Araştırmada elde edilen bulgular kapsamında; duygusal zeka ile örgütsel vatandaşlık davranışı arasında zayıf düzeyde (r=,429) anlamlı ve pozitif ilişki olduğu ve duygusal zekanın örgütsel vatandaşlık davranışının boyutları ile ilişkisi kapsamında ise; diğerkamlık boyutu ile çok zayıf düzeyde (r=,173), vicdanlılık boyutu ile çok zayıf düzeyde (r=,235), nezaket boyutu ile zayıf düzeyde (r=,359), centilmenlik boyutu ile zayıf düzeyde (r=,414) ve sivil erdem boyutu ile zayıf düzeyde (r=,287) ilişki olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Bu çalışmada yöneticinin duygusal zekası ve çalışanların örgütsel vatandaşlık davranışı ilişkisinin özel eğitim sektöründe test edilmesi ile literatüre katkı sağlanmaktadır.
Pilgrimage Circuit of Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove and Shrine, Osun State, Nigeria
Authors: Okonkwo Emeka , Eyisi Afamefuna
Published: February 2019

One religious tourism destination site of note in Southwestern Nigeria is the Osun Osogbo sacred grove and shrine located along the banks of the Osun River within the city of Oshogbo, Osun State, Nigeria. The sacred grove and shrine were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2005. This paper examines the routes and trails people take to get to Osun Osogbo sacred grove and shrine to ascertain the mode of transportation to the destination site as well as the factors mitigating against the sacred grove. The study uses ethnographic methods to elicit information from respondents and data collected were analyzed descriptively. The paper argues that Osun Osogbo sacred grove and shrine can improve the living standard of the host community and create job opportunities if its access routes and trails are improved upon by the government.
Study of ramped temperature influence on MHD convective chemically reactive and absorbing fluid past an exponentially accelerated vertical porous plate
Authors: Raju M C , Reddy S Harinath , Reddy Dr. E. Keshava
Published: February 2019

A systematic study has been performed on MHD convective chemically reactive and absorbing fluid along an exponentially accelerated vertical plate with the impact of Hall current by considering ramped temperature. Laplace transform technique is applied to obtain exact solutions of the non-dimensional governing equations for fluid velocity, temperature and concentration. Based on these solutions, the expressions for skin friction coefficient, Nusselt number and Sherwood number are also derived. The consequences of diverse physical parameters on flow quantities are examined thoroughly with graphical representations. The numerical values for skin friction coefficient, rate of heat transfer and rate of mass transfer are recorded and analyzed.
TRACE CONCENTRATIONS OF ORGANOCHLORINE COMPOUNDS IN BIOLOGICAL LIQUIDS OF THE RUSSIAN FAR EAST RESIDENTS
Authors: Tsygankov V Yu , Yarygina M V , Lukyanova O N , Boyarova M D , Erofeeva N I , Gamova S V , Gumovskiy A N , Kiku P F
Published: February 2019

The aim. The problem of accumulation of organochlorine compounds (OCPs) in the human body is relevant, because these substances have potential teratogenic, carcinogenic, hormonal, neurological and immunological properties. Thus, the purpose of the work is to identify trace organochlorine compounds (a-, ß-, y-hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane, dichlorodiphenyldichlorethylene (DDE)) in the blood and urine of the residents of the south of the Russian Far East. Methods. The urine and blood of residents of the south of the Russian Far Eastern region were examined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to study the content of OCPs trace concentrations. Results: a- and y-isomers of hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), dichlorodiphenyldichlorethylene (DDE) were detected in the urine. Only ß-HCH in the blood was detected. Conclusions. The spectrum of basic OCPs in the urine indicates the possibility of its excretion by the body; however, the detection in the blood of only ß-HCH indicates a longer retention of the latter as the most stable isomer. A comparative evaluation of the obtained results with the data of other authors showed that the detected concentrations of cholesterol in the blood of residents of the Far East were lower than in typical agricultural countries and were found in no more than 30 % of the sample.
INCREASING STUDENTS’ READING COMPREHENSION THROUGH COGNITIVE STRATEGIES OF SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL OF SIDENRENG RAPPANG REGENCY
Authors: Elihami Elihami , Ismail Ismail
Published: February 2019

This research is a quasi-experimental research at the objective of finding the increasing student’s reading comprehension achievement through the cognitive strategies (rehearsal, organization, and elaboration) and to what extent these cognitive strategies influences the student’s reading comprehension achievement. The subject of the research was Senior High School of Sidenreng Rappang regency consisting of 50 respondents into two classes from 11 schools of Sidenreng Rappang; each class consisted of 25 respondents, one class a control and another class as the tentative one. The data were collected through the reading comprehension test in pretest and posttest and the observation checklist during the teaching and learning process. The test consisted 0f 45 items of test from three kinds (news item, descriptive, and narrative text). The observation checklist consisted of four statements for rehearsal strategies, three statements for organization strategies, and one statement for elaboration strategy. The research findings showed that the students’ reading comprehension increased for both groups from pretest to posttest. The experimental group was higher than the control one (60.6 > 50.1) and the t-test was greater than the P-Value (0.05 > 0.007) which means that there was a significant difference after giving treatment to the experimental group. The application of cognitive strategies also influenced positively to the increasing students’ reading comprehension achievement. So, it was concluded that the use of cognitive strategies (rehearsal, organization, and elaboration) is useful to increase students’ reading comprehension in teaching and learning words.
PENERAPAN PEMBELAJARAN PENDIDIKAN AGAMA ISLAM DALAM MEMBENTUK KARAKTER PRIBADI YANG ISLAMI
Authors: Elihami Elihami , Syahid Abdullah
Published: February 2019

Penelitian ini membahas tentang penerapan pendidikan agama Islam pada sebagai upaya pembentukan kepribadian muslim peserta didik yang islami. Jenis penelitian yang digunakan adalah penelitian kualitatif. Pendekatan penelitian menggunakan interdisipliner, antara lain: pendekatan manajeman, pedagogis, sosiologis, dan  psikologis. Sumber data primer dari penelitian ini adalah guru Pendidikan Agama Islam. Sumber data sekunder dalam penelitian ini berupa data profil sekolah, teori tentang konsep strategi pembelajaran, teori pendidikan agama Islam, dan teori pembentukan kepribadian muslim. Teknik pengumpulan data menggunakan observasi, wawancara, dan dokumentasi. Teknik analisis data menggunakan tahapan reduksi data, penyajian data, dan penarikan kesimpulan. Hasil penelitian ditemukan bahwa strategi pembelajaran Pendidikan Agama Islam dalam pembentukan kepribadian muslim peserta didik menggunakan dua strategi pembelajaran, yaitu pembelajaran langsung dan pembelajaran tidak langsung.
Penerapan Teknik Regulasi Diri (self-regulation) untuk Meningkatkan Kemandirian Belajar Mahasiswa Program Studi Bimbingan Konseling STKIP Muhammadiyah Enrekang
Authors: Yasdar M , Muliyadi Muliyadi
Published: February 2019

Penelitian Eksperimen ini dilakukan di Program Studi Bimbingan Konseling dengan subjek penelitian adalah Mahasiswa semester 3 dengan jumlah 10 orang. Masalah dalam penelitian ini adalah Mahasiswa semester 3 mengalami kemandirian belajar yang rendah. Rumusan masalah penelitian ini adalah (1) Bagaimana gambaran kemandirian belajar mahasiswa sebelum penerapan Teknik Regulasi diri di Program Studi Bimbingan Konseling. (2) Bagaimana gambaran pelaksanaan teknik regulasi diri untuk meningkatkan kemandirian belajar Mahasiswa di Program Studi Bimbingan Konseling (3) Bagaimana pengaruh Penerapan Teknik Regulasi diri terhadap  kemandirian belajar Mahasiswa di Program Studi Bimbingan Konseling. Pendekatan dalam penelitian ini adalah Penelitian kuantitatif dengan jenis penelitian Pre-Experimental Designs. Teknik pengumpulan data menggunakan wawancara, observasi dan angket. Analisis data menggunakan analisis kuantitatif. Hasil pengujian hipotesis menunjukkan bahwa Teknik Self-Regulation dapat untuk meningkatkan kemandirian belajar. Dengan demikian hasil penelitian ini (1) kemandirian belajar Mahasiswa meningkat setelah diberikan perlakuan berupa latihan regulasi diri meningkat. (2) Penerapan Teknik Self-Regulation memberi pengaruh positif terhadap kemandirian belajar Mahasiswa di Program Studi Bimbingan konseling.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FINANCIAL RESOURCES AND HOME ENVIRONMENT AND STUDENTS' LEARNING RELATED ATTITUDES, BELIEFS AND BEHAVIORS
Authors: ATROSZKO PAWEŁ
Published: February 2019

Economic growth depends more and more on the potential of the society and economy to build and use knowledge. Fast and effectively learning people are needed. Two main problems were identified with the optimal usage of human capital as far as education is concerned: students who devote minimum effort and time to learning and acquiring qualifications, and students who learn compulsively, driven by dysfunctional perfectionism. This study tests relationship between financial resources and home environment and students' learning related attitudes, beliefs and behaviors. Results demonstrate that having more financial resources and better home environment is related to positive learning-related attitudes, beliefs and behaviors.
The Nonhuman Demand
Authors: James Ian
Published: February 2019

This article seeks to address the question of humanity and animality through an elaboration of what will be called here the ‘nonhuman demand’. It aims to problematize the category of the ‘posthuman’ through a critical reading of Rosi Braidotti's 2013 book which bears that name. It is argued that the question of humanity and animality can only be adequately addressed in the context of a nonhuman demand that is made upon thought and to which thought must respond. Rather than an idealizing and all too philosophical conception of the ‘posthuman’, the article concludes with reference to both Jean-Luc Nancy and François Laruelle that it is possible to think the ‘nonhuman’ as instance immanent to all and every kind of existence, human and inhuman alike. This ‘nonhuman’ instance can be taken as the basis of a consistently egalitarian thinking of humanity in its relation to animality.
The Many Worlds of Jean-Luc Nancy
Authors: Crowley Martin
Published: February 2019

This article explores what the work of Jean-Luc Nancy might offer to an ecological and ontological pluralism, by considering Nancy's treatment of the relation between the worlds inhabited by beings of all sorts. Situating Nancy's work in this area in relation to its key reference point, namely Heidegger's assertion a of pre-eminently human access to ‘world’ in The Fundamental Concepts of Metaphysics, and through this, to the work of Jakob von Uexküll, the article traces both Nancy's rejection of Heidegger's persistent anthropocentrism and his own attachment to human language as a privileged site for the exposure of the nontotalizable plurality of singular beings. It concludes by suggesting that the human exceptionalism evoked by this attachment might, if translated into a minimal anthropocentrism, add a useful edge to ecological notions of pluralist coexistence by recalling that the incommensurability of the many worlds of beings of all sorts may at times shade into antagonistic incompatibility.
Characterizing Emissions from Agricultural Diesel Pumps in the Terai Region of Nepal
Authors: Adhikari Sagar , Mahapatra Parth Sarathi , Sapkota Vikrant , Puppala Siva Praveen
Published: February 2019

Diesel irrigation pumps are a source of air pollution in the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP). The environmental implications of these pumps are often overlooked and very rarely addressed in the IGP. Few studies in the past have estimated the amount of diesel consumed by irrigation pumps in the IGP or other proxy variables to estimate the amount of emissions. A considerable amount of uncertainty remains in calculating emission factors (EF) using real-time measurements. We measured pollutants from nine diesel irrigation pumps in the southern ‘Terai’ belt of Nepal. Fuel-based EF were then estimated using the carbon mass balance method. The average EF for fine particulate matter (PM2.5), CO2, CO and black carbon (BC) were found to be 22.11 ± 3.71, 2218.10 ± 26.8, 275 ± 17.18 and 2.54 ± 0.71 g/L, respectively. Depending upon the pump characteristics (age, design, make, hours used, etc.) and fuel mixtures, the EF of PM2.5, BC and CO had larger inter-variability. This study provides estimates for an under-represented source of ambient air pollution which will assist in the development of better emission inventories and informed policy making.
VOCs Measurements in Residential Buildings: Quantification via Thermal Desorption and Assessment of Indoor Concentrations in a Case-Study
Authors: Rovelli Sabrina , Cattaneo Andrea , Fazio Arianna , Spinazzè Andrea , Borghi Francesca , Campagnolo Davide , Dossi Carlo , Cavallo Domenico M.
Published: February 2019

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) represent one of the most important categories of pollutants, influencing the air quality and human health and well-being in indoor environments. In the present study, 12 selected VOCs were sampled using Tenax TA tubes and analyzed by thermal desorption combined with gas chromatography and a flame ionization detector (TD-GC-FID). The TD-GC-FID method was optimized to obtain the separation of all the analytical peaks (including m- and p-xylene) and a satisfactory sensitivity, with low detection (between 0.14 and 0.31 ng) and quantification (between 0.47 and 1.02 ng) limits. The whole procedure was firstly assessed with the analysis of four co-located tubes exposed at an outdoor monitoring site, with results that revealed a very low inter-tubes variability (relative standard deviations of parallel measurements <5%). Then, the measurement protocol was used to quantify the indoor concentrations of the target VOCs in nine different homes during the dishwasher washing cycle. The most abundant detected VOC in all dwellings was d-limonene (mean: 231 µg/m3; maximum: 611 µg/m3). All the other compounds were monitored at concentration levels one or two orders of magnitude lower than d-limonene, and were generally comparable with those found in the scientific literature. In terms of health concerns, the measured concentrations were always well below the safe levels established for the protection of the general population in living environments.
On the Effects of Lateral Openings on Courtyard Ventilation and Pollution—A Large-Eddy Simulation Study
Authors: Gronemeier Tobias , Sühring Matthias
Published: February 2019

Courtyards are an omnipresent feature within the urban environment. Residents often use courtyards as recreation areas, which makes them crucial for the physical and psychological comfort of the urban population. However, considering that courtyards represent enclosed cavities, they are often poorly ventilated spaces and pollutants from neighboring traffic, once entrained, can pose a serious threat to human health. Here, we studied the effects of lateral openings on courtyard pollution and ventilation. Therefore, we performed a set of large-eddy simulations for idealized urban environments with different courtyard configurations. While pollutant concentration and ventilation are barely modified by lateral openings for wide courtyards, lateral openings have a significant effect on the mean concentration, the number of high-concentration events and the ventilation within narrower and deeper courtyards. The impacts of lateral openings on air quality within courtyards strongly depend on their orientation with respect to the flow direction, as well as on the upstream flow conditions and upstream building configuration. We show that lateral openings, in most cases, have a negative impact on air quality; nevertheless, we also present configurations where lateral openings positively impact the air quality within courtyards. These outcomes may certainly contribute to improve future urban planning in terms of health protection.
Study of High Power Ultrasound for Oak Wood Barrel Regeneration: Impact on Wood Properties and Sanitation Effect
Authors: Breniaux Marion , Renault Philippe , Meunier Fabrice , Ghidossi Rémy
Published: February 2019

This study aims to investigate the ability of high power ultrasound (HPU) to ensure oak barrel sterilization and wood structure preservation. Optimization was performed in terms of temperature and time and the impact of the HPU process on the porous material was also characterized. In this research, several wood characteristics were considered, such as the specific surface area, hydrophobicity, oxygen desorption and spoilage microorganisms after treatment. The study showed that the microbial stabilization could be obtained with HPU 60 °C/6 min. The results obtained show that microorganisms are impacted up to a depth of 9 mm, with a Brettanomyces bruxellensis population < 1 log CFU/g. The operating parameters used during the HPU treatment can also impact on wood exchange surface and oxygen desorption kinetics indicating that tartrate is removed. Indeed, the total oxygen desorption rate was recovered after HPU treatment, close to a new oak barrel, and thus may indicate that there is no impact on the ultrastructure (vessel, pore size or rays). Finally, wood wettability can also be impacted, depending on the temperature and the duration of exposure.
Immunomagnetic-Enriched Subpopulations of Melanoma Circulating Tumour Cells (CTCs) Exhibit Distinct Transcriptome Profiles
Authors: Aya-Bonilla Carlos , Gray Elin , Manikandan Jayapal , Freeman James , Zaenker Pauline , Reid Anna , Khattak Muhammad , Frank Markus , Millward Michael , Ziman Mel
Published: February 2019

Cutaneous melanoma circulating tumour cells (CTCs) are phenotypically and molecularly heterogeneous. We profiled the gene expression of CTC subpopulations immunomagnetic-captured by targeting either the melanoma-associated marker, MCSP, or the melanoma-initiating marker, ABCB5. Firstly, the expression of a subset of melanoma genes was investigated by RT-PCR in MCSP-enriched and ABCB5-enriched CTCs isolated from a total of 59 blood draws from 39 melanoma cases. Of these, 6 MCSP- and 6 ABCB5-enriched CTC fractions were further analysed using a genome-wide gene expression microarray. The transcriptional programs of both CTC subtypes included cell survival maintenance, cell proliferation, and migration pathways. ABCB5-enriched CTCs were specifically characterised by up-regulation of genes involved in epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), suggesting an invasive phenotype. These findings underscore the presence of at least two distinct melanoma CTC subpopulations with distinct transcriptional programs, which may have distinct roles in disease progression and response to therapy.
The History of Armand Trousseau and Cancer-Associated Thrombosis
Authors: Metharom Pat , Falasca Marco , Berndt Michael C
Published: February 2019

“Je suis perdu; une phlegmatia qui vient de se déclarer cette nuit, ne me laisse aucun doute sur nature de mon mal [...]
Mastectomy or Breast-Conserving Therapy for Early Breast Cancer in Real-Life Clinical Practice: Outcome Comparison of 7565 Cases
Authors: Corradini Stefanie , Reitz Daniel , Pazos Montserrat , Schönecker Stephan , Braun Michael , Harbeck Nadia , Matuschek Christiane , Bölke Edwin , Ganswindt Ute , Alongi Filippo , Niyazi Maximilian , Belka Claus
Published: February 2019

Although the organ preservation strategy by breast-conserving surgery (BCS) followed by radiation therapy (BCT) has revolutionized the treatment approach of early stage breast cancer (BC), the choice between treatment options in this setting can still vary according to patient preferences. The aim of the present study was to compare the oncological outcome of mastectomy versus breast-conserving therapy in patients treated in a modern clinical setting outside of clinical trials. 7565 women diagnosed with early invasive BC (pT1/2pN0/1) between 1998 and 2014 were included in this study (median follow-up: 95.2 months). In order to reduce selection bias and confounding, a subgroup analysis of a matched 1:1 case-control cohort consisting of 1802 patients was performed (median follow-up 109.4 months). After adjusting for age, tumor characteristics and therapies, multivariable analysis for local recurrence-free survival identified BCT as an independent predictor for improved local control (hazard ratio [HR]:1.517; 95%confidence interval:1.092–2.108, p = 0.013) as compared to mastectomy alone in the matched cohort. Ten-year cumulative incidence (CI) of lymph node recurrences was 2.0% following BCT, compared to 5.8% in patients receiving mastectomy (p < 0.001). Similarly, 10-year distant-metastasis-free survival (89.4% vs. 85.5%, p = 0.013) was impaired in patients undergoing mastectomy alone. This translated into improved survival in patients treated with BCT (10-year overall survival (OS) estimates 85.3% vs. 79.3%, p < 0.001), which was also significant on multivariable analysis (p = 0.011). In conclusion, the present study showed that patients treated with BCS followed by radiotherapy had an improved outcome compared to radical mastectomy alone. Specifically, local control, distant control, and overall survival were significantly better using the conservative approach. Thus, as a result of the present study, physicians should encourage patients to receive BCS with radiotherapy rather than mastectomy, whenever it is medically feasible and appropriate.
Lung Tumorigenesis Alters the Expression of Slit2-exon15 Splicing Variants in Tumor Microenvironment
Authors: Wu Ming-Fang , Chuang Cheng-Yen , Lin Pinpin , Chen Wei-Ting , Su Shang-Er , Liao Chen-Yi , Jan Ming-Shiou , Chang Jinghua Tsai
Published: February 2019

Slit2 expression is downregulated in various cancers, including lung cancer. We identified two Slit2 splicing variants at exon15—Slit2-WT and Slit2-ΔE15. In the RT-PCR analyses, the Slit2-WT isoform was predominantly expressed in all the lung cancer specimens and in their normal lung counterparts, whereas Slit2-ΔE15 was equivalently or predominantly expressed in 41% of the pneumothorax specimens. A kRasG12D transgenic mice system was used to study the effects of tumorigenesis on the expressions of the Slit2-exon15 isoforms. The results revealed that a kRasG12D-induced lung tumor increased the Slit2-WT/Slit2-ΔE15 ratio and total Slit2 expression level. However, the lung tumors generated via a tail vein injection of lung cancer cells decreased the Slit2-WT/Slit2-ΔE15 ratio and total Slit2 expression level. Interestingly, the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced lung inflammation also decreased the Slit2-WT/Slit2-ΔE15 ratio. Since Slit2 functions as an anti-inflammatory factor, the expression of Slit2 increases in kRasG12D lungs, which indicates that Slit2 suppresses immunity during tumorigenesis. However, an injection of lung cancer cells via the tail vein and the LPS-induced lung inflammation both decreased the Slit2 expression. The increased Slit2 in the tumor microenvironment was mostly Slit2-WT, which lacks growth inhibitory activity. Thus, the results of our study suggested that the upregulation of Slit2-WT, but not Slit2-ΔE15, in a cancer microenvironment is an important factor in suppressing immunity while not interfering with cancer growth.
An Optimal Resonant Frequency Band Feature Extraction Method Based on Empirical Wavelet Transform
Authors: Feng Zezhong , Ma Jun , Wang Xiaodong , Wu Jiande , Zhou Chengjiang
Published: February 2019

The Empirical Wavelet Transform (EWT), which has a reliable mathematical derivation process and can adaptively decompose signals, has been widely used in mechanical applications, EEG, seismic detection and other fields. However, the EWT still faces the problem of how to optimally divide the Fourier spectrum during the application process. When there is noise interference in the analyzed signal, the parameterless scale-space histogram method will divide the spectrum into a variety of narrow bands, which will weaken or even fail to extract the fault modulation information. To accurately determine the optimal resonant demodulation frequency band, this paper proposes a method for applying Adaptive Average Spectral Negentropy (AASN) to EWT analysis (AEWT): Firstly, the spectrum is segmented by the parameterless clustering scale-space histogram method to obtain the corresponding empirical mode. Then, by comprehensively considering the Average Spectral Negentropy (ASN) index and correlation coefficient index on each mode, the correlation coefficient is used to adjust the ASN value of each mode, and the IMF with the highest value is used as the center frequency band of the fault information. Finally, a new resonant frequency band is reconstructed for the envelope demodulation analysis. The experimental results of different background noise intensities show that the proposed method can effectively detect the repetitive transients in the signal.
Feature Selection Algorithms for Wind Turbine Failure Prediction
Authors: Marti-Puig Pere , Blanco-M Alejandro , Cárdenas Juan José , Cusidó Jordi , Solé-Casals Jordi
Published: February 2019

It is well known that each year the wind sector has profit losses due to wind turbine failures and operation and maintenance costs. Therefore, operations related to these actions are crucial for wind farm operators and linked companies. One of the key points for failure prediction on wind turbine using SCADA data is to select the optimal or near optimal set of inputs that can feed the failure prediction (prognosis) algorithm. Due to a high number of possible predictors (from tens to hundreds), the optimal set of inputs obtained by exhaustive-search algorithms is not viable in the majority of cases. In order to tackle this issue, show the viability of prognosis and select the best set of variables from more than 200 analogous variables recorded at intervals of 5 or 10 min by the wind farm’s SCADA, in this paper a thorough study of automatic input selection algorithms for wind turbine failure prediction is presented and an exhaustive-search-based quasi-optimal (QO) algorithm, which has been used as a reference, is proposed. In order to evaluate the performance, a k-NN classification algorithm is used. Results showed that the best automatic feature selection method in our case-study is the conditional mutual information (CMI), while the worst one is the mutual information feature selection (MIFS). Furthermore, the effect of the number of neighbours (k) is tested. Experiments demonstrate that k = 1 is the best option if the number of features is higher than 3. The experiments carried out in this work have been extracted from measures taken along an entire year and corresponding to gearbox and transmission systems of Fuhrländer wind turbines.
Interannual Variation in Night-Time Light Radiance Predicts Changes in National Electricity Consumption Conditional on Income-Level and Region
Authors: Falchetta Giacomo , Noussan Michel
Published: February 2019

Using remotely-sensed Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (NPP)-VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imagery Radiometer Suite) night-time light (NTL) imagery between 2012 and 2016 and electricity consumption data from the IEA World Energy Balance database, we assemble a five-year panel dataset to evaluate if and to what extent NTL data are able to capture interannual changes in electricity consumption within different countries worldwide. We analyze the strength of the relationship both across World Bank income categories and between regional clusters, and we evaluate the heterogeneity of the link for different sectors of consumption. Our results show that interannual variation in nighttime light radiance is an effective proxy for predicting within-country changes in power consumption across all sectors, but only in lower-middle income countries. The result is robust to different econometric specifications. We discuss the key reasons behind this finding. The regions of Sub-Saharan Africa, Middle-East and North Africa, Latin America and the Caribbeans, and East Asia and the Pacific render a significant outcome, while changes in Europe, North America and South Asia are not successfully predicted by NTL. The designed methodological steps to process the raw data and the findings of the analysis improve the design and application of predictive models for electricity consumption based on NTL at different spatio-temporal scales.
Experimental Studies of Effect of Land Width in PEM Fuel Cells with Serpentine Flow Field and Carbon Cloth
Authors: Zhang Xuyang , Higier Andrew , Zhang Xu , Liu Hongtan
Published: February 2019

Flow field plays an important role in the performance of proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells, such as transporting reactants and removing water products. Therefore, the performance of a PEM fuel cell can be improved by optimizing the flow field dimensions and designs. In this work, single serpentine flow fields with four different land widths are used in PEM fuel cells to study the effects of the land width. The gas diffusion layers are made of carbon cloth. Since different land widths may be most suitable for different reactant flow rates, three different inlet flow rates are studied for all the flow fields with four different land widths. The effects of land width and inlet flow rate on fuel cell performance are studied based on the polarization curves and power densities. Without considering the pumping power, the cell performance always increases with the decrease in the land width and the increase in the inlet flow rates. However, when taking into consideration the pumping power, the net power density reaches the maximum at different combinations of land widths and reactant flow rates at different cell potentials.
Feasibility Analysis of Bio-Methane Production in a Biogas Plant: A Case Study
Authors: Baccioli Andrea , Ferrari Lorenzo , Guiller Romain , Yousfi Oumayma , Vizza Francesco , Desideri Umberto
Published: February 2019

A feasibility analysis, to assess the suitability of converting the biogas produced in an existing anaerobic digestion plant to bio-methane, was carried out. The case study plant was equipped with a micro-gas turbine co-generator. Several upgrading systems of different sizes were considered, to determine the most suitable configuration from a thermodynamic and economic point of view. For this purpose, a model of the whole plant that included digesters, a micro-gas turbine, a sludge line, heat transfer loops, and heat exchangers was developed. A steady-state simulation was performed by using the daily average conditions for the one-year long operation of the plant. The results highlighted that the feasibility depended on the amount of bio-methane produced, as this affected the performance of the cogeneration system and the balance between the costs and revenues. When large amounts of biogas are upgraded to bio-methane, the heat provided by the micro-gas turbine during the winter season is not sufficient to keep the digesters at the desired temperature and, therefore, natural gas integration is necessary. In addition, by increasing the upgrading unit size, the amount of electric energy purchased by the grid increases accordingly. An economic analysis showed that the optimal upgrading system size was strongly dependent on the bio-methane selling price.
Comparison of Transcritical CO2 and Conventional Refrigerant Heat Pump Water Heaters for Domestic Applications
Authors: López Paniagua Ignacio , Jiménez Álvaro Ángel , Rodríguez Martín Javier , González Fernández Celina , Nieto Carlier Rafael
Published: February 2019

Although CO 2 as refrigerant is well known for having the lowest global warming potential (GWP), and commercial domestic heat pump water heater systems exist, its long expected wide spread use has not fully unfolded. Indeed, CO 2 poses some technological difficulties with respect to conventional refrigerants, but currently, these difficulties have been largely overcome. Numerous studies show that CO 2 heat pump water heaters can improve the coefficient of performance (COP) of conventional ones in the given conditions. In this study, the performances of transcritical CO 2 and R410A heat pump water heaters were compared for an integrated nearly zero-energy building (NZEB) application. The thermodynamic cycle of two commercial systems were modelled integrating experimental data, and these models were then used to analyse both heat pumps receiving and producing hot water at equal temperatures, operating at the same ambient temperature. Within the range of operation of the system, it is unclear which would achieve the better COP, as it depends critically on the conditions of operation, which in turn depend on the ambient conditions and especially on the actual use of the water. Technology changes on each side of the line of equal performance conditions of operation (EPOC), a useful design tool developed in the study. The transcritical CO 2 is more sensitive to operating conditions, and thus offers greater flexibility to the designer, as it allows improving performance by optimising the global system design.
Identification of Genes Involved in Low Temperature-Induced Senescence of Panicle Leaf in Litchi chinensis
Authors: Wang Congcong , Liu Hao , Yu Sheng , Chen Houbin , Hu Fuchu , Zhan Huiling , Pan Xifen , Lao Yuhua , Zhong Silin , Zhou Biyan
Published: February 2019

Warm winters and hot springs may promote panicle leaf growing and repress floral development. To identify genes potentially involved in litchi panicle leaf senescence, eight RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) libraries of the senescing panicle leaves under low temperature (LT) conditions and the developing panicle leaves under high temperature (HT) conditions were constructed. For each library, 4.78–8.99 × 106 clean reads were generated. Digital expression of the genes was compared between the senescing and developing panicle leaves. A total of 6477 upregulated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (from developing leaves to senescing leaves), and 6318 downregulated DEGs were identified, 158 abscisic acid (ABA)-, 68 ethylene-, 107 indole-3-acetic acid (IAA)-, 27 gibberellic acid (GA)-, 68 cytokinin (CTK)-, 37 salicylic acid (SA)-, and 23 brassinolide (BR)-related DEGs. Confirmation of the RNA-Seq data by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis suggested that expression trends of the 10 candidate genes using qRT-PCR were similar to those revealed by RNA-Seq, and a significantly positive correlation between the obtained data from qRT-PCR and RNA-Seq were found, indicating the reliability of our RNA-Seq data. The present studies provided potential genes for the future molecular breeding of new cultivars that can induce panicle leaf senescence and reduce floral abortion under warm climates.
Seasonal Characteristics and Particle-size Distributions of Particulate Air Pollutants in Urumqi
Authors: Meng Xianyong , Wu Yiping , Pan Zhihua , Wang Hao , Yin Gang , Zhao Honggang
Published: February 2019

Urban particulate air pollution is a known cause of adverse human health effects worldwide. Urumqi is a large oasis city in which rapid urbanization has caused a series of eco-environmental problems including serious air pollution, water shortage, dense population, excess energy consumption, and the creation of an urban heat island, among others. Coal is the most important source of energy and air pollutants that are poorly dispersed into the natural surroundings are the main reasons for serious pollution in the Urumqi urban area. Using differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS), aerosol levels were determined using the double optical path method. We found that aerosol concentrations in Urumqi increased rapidly in winter, and that the concentration of fine particles was much higher than that of coarse particles. The background aerosol concentration was highest in winter in the research area, and the air-flow speed had a significant impact on this because high speed surface winds that correspond to high air flows can transport the aerosol to other places. Some of the observed day-to-night differences may be caused by differing wind directions that transport air masses from different emission sources during the day and the night. Daily and seasonal differences in PM1.0 concentrations of different grades of polluted air were statistically analyzed using average daily concentration data for particles smaller than 10, 2.5 and 1.0 microns (PM10, PM2.5 and PM1.0), and meteorological observations for Urumqi, Tianshan District in 2010.
Social Determinants of Stigma and Discrimination in Vietnamese Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B
Authors: Le Thieu Van , Vu Thuc Thi Minh , Mai Hue Thi , Nguyen Long Hoang , Truong Nu Thi , Hoang Chi Linh , Nguyen Son Hoang , Nguyen Cuong Tat , Nguyen Binh Cong , Tran Tung Hoang , Tran Bach Xuan , Latkin Carl A. , Ho Cyrus S.H. , Ho Roger C.M.
Published: February 2019

Vietnam is among the countries with the highest prevalence of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and individuals who suffer from CHB oftentimes perceive high levels of stigma and discrimination. Our study aimed to provide evidence on the prevalence of stigma against hepatitis B virus (HBV), HBV infection, and social determinants of stigma and discrimination in patients. A cross-sectional study was conducted at Viet-Tiep Hospital, Hai Phong, Vietnam. Stigma and discrimination against CHB in the last month were measured via four dimensions: (1) Blame/Judgment; (2) Shame; (3) Discrimination in different settings; (4) Disclosure of CHB status. Multivariate Logistic and Tobit regressions were used to identify factors associated with CHB-related stigma and discrimination. Among 298 enrolled patients, 4.8% experienced blame/judgement, 10.2% perceived shame, 48.5% felt discriminated in healthcare facilities, and 90.6% disclosed their health status with spouses/partners. Factors associated with lower odds of CHB-related stigma/discrimination included living with spouses/partners, old age, being employed, and the existence of comorbidities was linked with higher odds of stigma. Anti-stigma programs should target those who are younger and have comorbidities. This could be done by community-based interventions which focus on inaccurate beliefs about viral hepatitis. Furthermore, families, healthcare providers, and society should play a crucial role in supporting CHB patients.
Official Websites of Local Health Centers in Taiwan: A Nationwide Study
Authors: Hsu Ya-Chuan , Chen Tzeng-Ji , Chu Feng-Yuan , Liu Hao-Yen , Chou Li-Fang , Hwang Shinn-Jang
Published: February 2019

Local health centers (LHCs) play a key role in public health. Because it has now become popular to seek health information on the Internet, an effective website is indispensable to an LHC. Our study aimed to survey the official websites of LHCs in Taiwan with an evaluation framework. All 369 LHCs in Taiwan were surveyed in March 2018. The evaluation indicators included health information, online interactive services, technical features, institutional information, links to external resources, website management, the last updated time, and number of visitors. The indicators were stratified by the urbanization levels of the LHCs. In total, 98.0% (n = 360) of the LHCs had official websites. The majority (n = 241) of the websites were updated within the past 30 days, and most of the websites (n = 353) provided health information. However, the information provided varied considerably. Few LHCs (n = 31) provided online interactive services in terms of an online appointment function. In terms of providing online consultation services, rural LHCs outperformed suburban and urban LHCs (16.4% versus 14.5% and 6.0%, respectively). Most LHCs in Taiwan do not seem to take full advantage of the Internet, with their websites typically serving as static bulletin boards instead of new channels of communication. Further studies could focus on the effectiveness of these websites.
Pesticide Use Practices in Root, Tuber, and Banana Crops by Smallholder Farmers in Rwanda and Burundi
Authors: Okonya Joshua Sikhu , Petsakos Athanasios , Suarez Victor , Nduwayezu Anastase , Kantungeko Déo , Blomme Guy , Legg James Peter , Kroschel Jürgen
Published: February 2019

Misuse and poor handling of chemical pesticides in agriculture is hazardous to the health of farmers, consumers, and to the environment. We studied the pest and disease management practices and the type of pesticides used in four root, tuber, and banana (RTB) crops in Rwanda and Burundi through in-depth interviews with a total of 811 smallholder farmers. No chemical pesticides were used in banana in either Rwanda and Burundi, whereas the use of insecticides and fungicides in potato was quite frequent. Nearly all insecticides and about one third of the fungicides used are moderately hazardous. Personal protective equipment was used by less than a half of the interviewed farmers in both countries. Reported cases of death due to self- or accidental-poisoning among humans and domestic animals in the previous 12 months were substantial in both countries. Training of farmers and agrochemical retailers in safe use of pesticide and handling and, use of integrated pest management approaches to reduce pest and disease damage is recommended.