bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Der Effekt der Dramagrammatik im Anfängerunterricht: Eine Pilotstudie für Tschechisch als Fremdsprache
Authors: Bučková Aneta
Published: July 2019

Der Artikel widmet sich der Anwendung von Dramapädagogik im Fremdsprachenunterricht. Im Fokus steht der Grammatikunterricht in Tschechisch als Fremdsprache. Der Text stellt eine Pilotstudie vor, die sich auf den Unterricht des Präteritums in einem Kurs für Universitätsstudierende in Deutschland konzentriert. Im Rahmen dieser Studie wurde die Dramagrammatik in einer modifizierten Form angewendet. Dieser Ansatz kombiniert bewusstes Auseinandersetzen mit Grammatik und das Handeln in Kommunikationssituationen mittels dramatischer Kunstformen. Es wird angenommen, dass die anhand der Dramagrammatik unterrichteten Studienteilnehmenden bessere Ergebnisse im Bereich der Grammatik erzielen. Weiterhin wird erwartet, dass die Anwendung von Dramagrammatik die Motivation fördert, am Unterricht aktiv teilzunehmen und sich mit der tschechischen Sprache auseinanderzusetzen.
Das Performative – eine literaturwissenschaftlich-philosophische Perspektive
Authors: Hofmann Gert
Published: July 2019

Scenario: Guten Tag, Herr Prof. Hofmann. Leser und Leserinnen dieser Zeitschrift sind sehr an Aspekten performativen Lehrens, Lernens und Forschens interessiert. Als Literaturwissenschaftler setzen Sie sich schon lange mit Aspekten des Performativen auseinander, z.B. in Ihrer Veröffentlichung Presence of the Body (2015). Wo, wann und wie ist denn dieses Interesse entstanden? Welche Impulse waren wichtig für Sie? GH: Im akademischen Sinne reicht dieses Interesse zurück in meine Zeit als Lecturer in Seoul (1991-1995). Damals lernte ich meine Frau Snježana kennen, die als Anthropologin schamanische und buddhistische Rituale in Korea erforschte. Während ich an der Hankuk Universität deutsche Literatur und Sprache unterrichtete, hatte ich nebenher noch genügend Gelegenheit, Snježana bei ihren Feldforschungen zu begleiten und dadurch eine Menge zu lernen. Damals wurde mir die spirituelle Dimension des Performativen erstmals klar. Und es wurde mir deutlich, wie wichtig die performative Dimension der Literatur ist, nicht nur in der gemeinsamen Kunst des Theaters, sondern als Akt des Schreibens und Lesens, z. B. in Phänomenen der Trance, Ekstase und Besessenheit, also der Auflösung, Verlagerung und Überschreitung persönlicher und sozialer Identitäten. Scenario: Nach Ihrer Zeit in Korea (1991-1995), in der Sie sich intensiv mit kulturspezifischen Aspekten des Performativen befasst haben, folgte eine Phase als wissenschaftlicher ...
The nursing history of Ngala since 1890: an early parenting organisation in Western Australia
Authors: Bennett Elaine , Alliex Selma , Bulsara Caroline
Published: July 2019

Background: This study was the first phase of a larger study which explored the past, present and future of nursing in early parenting services in Australia.
Aim: The aim of this paper is to describe the history of nursing within an early parenting service in Western Australia (WA).
Methods: Triangulation of multiple data sources was used to summarise the nursing role over 120 years. The history was discovered through a document analysis of archives, including oral histories, organisational documents, focus groups, nurses’ diaries and interviews with nurses.
Findings: The nursing role and context is described over three time periods: 1890–1960; 1960–1990 and 1990–2010. Nursing during the 20th century was influenced by societal and policy changes, but the essence of nursing remained the same with a focus on providing support and education to parents during pregnancy and caring for their babies and young children. Nursing within early parenting up to the 1980s was reasonably static until the move from hospital-based training to the university sector, which was the turning point of change to a new era of professionalisation and ultimately working within an interdisciplinary team.
Conclusion: This description of nursing history within one early parenting service has provided insight into this specialist area of nursing.
Association of Bipolaris and Drechslera Species with Bipolaris Leaf Blight (BPLB) Infected Wheat Leaves
Authors: Momtaz Mst Selina , Shamsi Shamim , Dey Tapan Kumar
Published: July 2019

Five species of Bipolaris and two species of Drechslera associated with leaf blight disease of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) have been described. The associated fungi were Bipolaris cynodontis (Marig.) Shoemaker, B. oryzae (Breda De Haan) Shoemaker, B. sorokiniana (Sacc.) Shoemaker, B. tetramera (Mckinney) Shoemaker, B. victoriae (Meehan & Murphy) Shoemaker, Drechslera dematioidea (Bub. & Wrob.) Subram. & Jain and D. hawaiiensis (Bugnicourt) ex M.B. Ellis; Subram. & Jain.

Journal of Bangladesh Academy of Sciences, Vol. 43, No. 1, 11-16, 2019
Stability Analysis and Numerical Solutions of a Competition Model with the Effects of Distribution Parameters
Authors: Md Kamrujjaman - , Lima Sadia Akter , Akter Sonia , Eva Tanzila
Published: July 2019

A system of two nonlinear differential equations in mathematical biology is considered. These models are originally stimulated by population models in biology when solutions are required to be non-negative, but the ordinary differential equations can be understood outside of this conventional scope of population models. The focus of this paper is on the use of linearization techniques, and Hartman Grobman theory to analyze nonlinear differential equations. We provide stability analysis and numerical solutions for these models that describe behaviors of solutions based only on the parameters used in the formulation of the systems.

Journal of Bangladesh Academy of Sciences, Vol. 43, No. 1, 95-106, 2019
Sistem Auto Backup Elektronik Mail Pada Mail Server Menggunakan Cron Job
Authors: Muarif Muhammad Imam , Irwan Dadan
Published: July 2019

ABSTRACT

 

Electronic mail or commonly called e-mail is a mailing service that uses computer network for sending and receiving mail. On the other hand, e-mail mostly used as one of the supporting media for any communication activities. Therefore the purpose of this research is applying auto backup email system on mail server at Unisma Bekasi software laboratory.  Mail server used is Zimbra open source with Ubuntu Linux 14.04 operating system. To support the necessary elements, the bind9 system is used for naming the domain name that provides addressing on the server system. By having cronjob feature on Webmin, it makes a solution automatically command for auto backup which is combined with scrip. User account capacity and mailbox on mail server Zimbra can accommodate bigger mail compared to other servers such as qmail or postfix.  

 

Key words: mail server, open source, zimbra, cron job, auto backup.   

 

 

ABSTRAK

 

Surat elektronik atau biasa disebut e-mail adalah suatu layanan surat menyurat yang menggunakan media jaringan komputer dalam mengirim dan menerima surat. Penggunaan e-mail sendiri lebih banyak dipakai sebagai salah satu media pendukung dari setiap kegiatan komunikasi. Tujuan dari penelitian  ini adalah menerapkan sistem auto backup email pada mail server pada laboratorium software Universitas Islam 45. Mail server yang digunakan adalah zimbra open source dengan sistem operasi Linux Ubuntu 14.04. Untuk mendukung unsur-unsur yang diperlukan, penamaan nama domain menggunakan sistem bind9 yang menyediakan pengalamatan pada sistem server. Dengan adanya fitur cron job pada webmin, menjadikan solusi untuk melakukan sebuah perintah otomatis dalam melakukan auto backup yang dikombinasikan dengan script. Kapasitas user account dan mail box pada mail server zimbra dapat menampung lebih banyak dibandingkan mail server lainnya, seperti qmail atau postfix.

 

Kata kunci: mail server, open source, zimbra, cron job, auto backup.
Transposing the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Africa: The Role of Disabled Peoples’ Organisations
Authors: Mahomed Faraaz , Lord Janet E. , Stein Michael Ashley
Published: July 2019

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) was adopted and ratified with unprecedented support from states, including those on the African continent. In large measure this was precipitated by the remarkable work of disabled peoples’ organisations (DPOs). However, CRPD ratification is only the first step in a long process which African states parties must undertake to manifest the treaty's provisions in the lived experiences of persons with disabilities. This article examines opportune avenues for advocacy by African DPOs to engage with constitutional and statutory reform processes, disability-specific policies and their implementation, strategic litigation and national-level development planning. In doing so, we draw on the rich experiences and best practices already evidenced by many of these civil society organisations in domesticating provisions of the CRPD into legal, social, political, economic and institutional frameworks across Africa. We also examine the CRPD's intended role for DPOs and consider the manner in which their further empowerment would advance the treaty's objectives. Finally, we consider the relationship between DPOs and national human rights institutions, and articulate areas for collaboration. We conclude that the experiences of African DPOs in translating the CRPD into meaningful social change can be replicated, thereby more effectively actualising the rights of persons with disabilities on the continent.
The Role of the East African Court of Justice in the Advancement of Human Rights: Reflections on the Creation and Practice of the Court
Authors: Taye Mihreteab Tsighe
Published: July 2019

International courts (ICs) like any other institution evolve over time. They constantly evolve responding to socio-political dynamics. The East African Court of Justice (EACJ) has evolved to deal with the rule of law and human rights-related cases. Although the jurisprudence of the EACJ has been studied, the creation of the court and the origin of the provisions in which the court relies to decide human rights-related matters has largely been unexplored.

This article presents the first empirical analysis of the creation of the EACJ and the processes by which the provisions of the rule of law and human rights entered the Treaty for the establishment of the East African Community (EAC). The article also examines the practice of the EACJ to show its evolution over time.
The Legal Regime of Compliance with Regional Norms in Africa: Reframing the Paradigms of Engagement
Authors: Fagbayibo Babatunde
Published: July 2019

A presumption of compliance with transnational norms underlies the conception of regional integration processes and measures. The African integration progress has over the years experienced an acute degree of non-compliance by member states at both sub-regional and continental levels. This situation has stymied the integration process and also raised the importance of approaching the issue of non-compliance from a contextual, pragmatic angle. This article discusses this issue by raising some of the critical challenges obfuscating compliance with regional integration standards in Africa. The article explores some structural measures that can better enhance compliance with regional integration and standards in Africa.
IMPLEMENTASI PENDEKATAN SAINTIFIK BERBASIS LESSON STUDY TERHADAP PENGEMBANGAN BERPIKIR KRITIS MAHASISWA CALON GURU SEKOLAH DASAR
Authors: Sundari1 Fitri Siti , Handayani Rukmini , Mulyawati Yuli
Published: July 2019

Abstrak: Pendekatan saintifik meliputi kegiatan pengamatan, penalaran, inferensi, validasi, dan penjelasan kebenaran. Pembelajaran yang menarik, efektif, dan menyenangkan juga bisa dilakukan melalui penerapan pendekatan saintifik. Siswa diharapkan dapat mengembangkan pemikiran kritis mereka dan guru berperan sebagai fasilitator. Oleh karena itu, kemampuan berfikir kritis perlu dikembangkan sebagai salah satu kompetensi siswa dalam kehidupan akademik mereka. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui bagaimana pendekatan pembelajaran saintifik berbasis lesson study terhadap pengembangan kemampuan berpikir kritis mahasiswa PGSD. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah metode deskriptif dengan mengumpulkan data dari hasil observasi, observasi teman sebaya, lembar kerja dan hasil evaluasi siswa semester dua PGSD Berdasarkan hasil penelitian, pendekatan pembelajaran saintifik berbasis lesson study dapat mengembangkan kemampuan berpikir kritis mahasiswa PGSD.Kata Kunci: Berpikir Kritis, Pendekatan Saintifik, Lesson Study
PENERAPAN MODEL PEMBELAJARAN PROBLEM BASED LEARNING DAN BRAINSTORMING UNTUK MENINGKATKAN KEMAMPUAN MEMECAHKAN MASALAH KESEHATAN LINGKUNGAN
Authors: Istiana Rita , Taufik Awaludin Muhammad
Published: July 2019

Abstrak: Kualitas lingkungan hidup yang semakin menurun telah mengancam kelangsungan perikehidupan manusia dan makhluk hidup lainnya, serta pemanasan global yang semakin meningkat yang mengakibatkan perubahan iklim dan hal ini akan memperparah penurunan kualitas lingkungan hidup. Pendidikan tinggi berperan dalam peningkatan pemahaman dan perubahan perilaku yang lebih bertanggung jawab di kalangan mahasiswa terhadap lingkungan hidup. Diperlukan suatu strategi dan pendekatan yang dituangkan ke dalam model pembelajaran yang dirasa efektif dalam rangka memecahkan masalah mahasiswa dalam kepekaannya terhadap lingkungan. Model pembelajaran Problem Based Learning dan Brainstorming diharapkan dapat meningkatkan kompetensi dan keterampilan mahasiswa dengan cara menghimpun berbagai gagasan, pendapat, informasi, pengetahuan, dan pengalaman, serta membuat mahasiswa mahir dan memiliki kecakapan dalam memecahkan masalah lingkungan. Penelitian ini merupakan Classroom Action Research yang bertujuan untuk menemukan cara belajar yang lebih kreatif dan inovatif, meningkatkan motivasi belajar, mencari pemecahan masalah kesehatan lingkungan dan mengaitkannya dengan kehidupan sehari-hari. Penelitian dilakukan di Program Studi Pendidikan Biologi di salah satu LPTK Swasta Kota Bogor. Hasil penelitian menunjukan adanya peningkatan antusiasme pada siklus I sebesar 73 % menjadi 84% pada siklus II. Kemampuan memecahkan masalah kesehatan lingkungan pada siklus I dengan nilai rata-rata 77,63 dan prosentase ketuntasan 63,33% bertambah pada siklus II dengan nilai rata-rata 84,85 dan prosentase ketuntasan 86,67%.Kata Kunci: Problem Based Learning, Brainstorming, Kemampuan Memecahkan Masalah
Stormwater Ponds in the Southeastern U.S. Coastal Plain: Hydrogeology, Contaminant Fate, and the Need for a Social-Ecological Framework
Authors: Beckingham Barbara , Callahan Timothy , Vulava Vijay
Published: July 2019

In lowland coastal regions of the southeastern United States, stormwater ponds are being built as the “green infrastructure” best management practice of choice for addressing the hydrologic changes associated with rapid urban and suburban development. In addition to dampening storm flows, stormwater ponds may provide pollution control and other ecosystem services. However, ponds are not native to this landscape. This review summarizes what is known about the effectiveness of these engineered ponds, which take many shapes and forms, in the context of hydrology, contaminant fate, and management. Research needs are identified and include evaluating pond performance and redesign options more comprehensively and applying a social-ecological framework for the future of stormwater pond management.
What Bacteria Do When They Get Sick
Authors: Weissman JL , Yiu Hao H. , Johnson Philip L. F.
Published: July 2019

Bacteria are really small, so small you cannot even see them. Did you know that bacteria can still get sick, just like us? In fact, most viruses in the world infect bacteria, not people. What happens when a bacterium gets infected by a virus? Well, just like us, many bacteria have their own immune systems that help defend against infections. Recently, scientists have discovered some new bacterial immune systems. We have been able to re-purpose these systems for entirely new uses. One such immune system, called CRISPR, can potentially allow us to rewrite DNA any way we want, in any living thing. Now scientists are using bacterial immune systems as powerful tools to precisely edit the DNA of all sorts of living things.
Comparative Examination of Antioxidant Capacity and Fingerprinting of Unfractionated Extracts from Different Plant Parts of Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) Grown under Greenhouse Conditions
Authors: Buitrago Dayana , Buitrago-Villanueva Ivon , Barbosa-Cornelio Ricardo , Coy-Barrera Ericsson
Published: July 2019

Integrated surveys of metabolic profiles and antioxidant capacity from Chenopodium quinoa have been limited and have particularly focused on an examination of seeds and leaves. According to this, the main aim of the present study was to address an evaluation of the antioxidant activity of crude ethanolic extracts from different plant parts (leaves, stems, roots, flowers, and seeds) harvested at different times during growth and processed by two distinct drying methods: Air-drying and freeze-drying. In order to characterize the resulting extracts, the total content of phenolics (TPC) and flavonoids (TFC) was then measured through the Folin–Ciocalteu method, while antioxidant capacity was determined using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH•) free radical scavenging and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) methods. Parallel to this evaluation, extracts were profiled by LC-DAD-ESI-MS. Data analysis was supported by statistics. Most of the extracts obtained from freeze-dried samples showed higher TPC values ranging from 6.02 to 43.47 milligram of gallic acid equivalents per gram of plant material and a TFC between 1.30 and 12.26 milligram of quercetin equivalents per gram of plant material. After statistical analysis, a low correlation between TPC and TFC values was observed regarding antioxidant capacity from DPPH and FRAP measurements of both drying methods. A multivariate analysis showed that antioxidant components and antioxidant capacity in C. quinoa changed during growth and between plant parts and drying methods. These changes need to be taken into consideration when comparing the production/accumulation of beneficial bioactive compounds in this pseudocereal.
Phlorotannins with Potential Anti-Tyrosinase and Antioxidant Activity Isolated from the Marine Seaweed Ecklonia stolonifera
Authors: Manandhar Bandana , Wagle Aditi , Seong Su Hui , Paudel Pradeep , Kim Hyeung-Rak , Jung Hyun Ah , Choi Jae Sue
Published: July 2019

Compounds were isolated from Ecklonia stolonifera Okamura, a marine brown alga widely consumed as food. Among the isolated compounds, 974-A was demonstrated for the first time to be a potent competitive inhibitor of mushroom tyrosinase activity towards l-tyrosine and l-DOPA (IC50 values = 1.57 ± 0.08 and 3.56 ± 0.22 µM, respectively). Molecular docking simulations clarified that the hydroxyl residues of the isolated compounds formed hydrogen bonds with residues at the catalytic and allosteric sites of tyrosinase, while other residues participated in hydrophobic interactions. Moreover, 974-A, phlorofucofuroeckol-A and eckol reduced the cellular melanin content and tyrosinase activity, and downregulated the expression of melanogenesis enzymes including tyrosinase, tyrosinase-related protein (TRP)-1, and TRP-2 in B16F10 melanoma cells. These compounds also effectively scavenged radicals at the cellular level. Thus, our results revealed that compounds isolated from E. stolonifera are potent tyrosinase inhibitors with potential applications in the cosmetic industry for treatment of hyperpigmentation and for the anti-browning effect in the agricultural field.
A Method Validation for Simultaneous Determination of Phthalates and Bisphenol A Released from Plastic Water Containers
Authors: Notardonato Ivan , Protano Carmela , Vitali Matteo , Bhattacharya Badal , Avino Pasquale
Published: July 2019

Phthalates (or phthalate esters, PAEs) and bisphenol A (BPA) are widely used in various industries, particularly in the fields of cosmetics and packaging, and they increase the malleability and workability of materials. As a result of their use, some international health organizations have begun to study them. In this study, the authors developed a methodology for the simultaneous determination of dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP); dibutyl phthalate (DBP), bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP); di-n-octyl-phthalate (DnOP) and bisphenol A (BPA) from drinking and non-potable waters. The extraction of PAEs and BPA was performed using a solvent-based dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (SB-DLLME) method. The analytical determination was performed using a gas chromatography–ion trap mass spectrometry (GC-IT/MS) analysis. The entire procedure was validated as recoveries were studied according to the volume and the extraction solvent used, pH, and ionic strength. Dynamic linearity ranges and linear equations of all the compounds were experimentally determined as well as the limit of detection (LOD) (1–8 ng mL−1) and the limit of quantification (LOQ) (5–14 ng mL−1), reproducibility, and sensitivity. The method was applied to 15 water samples (mineral water and tap water) for determining PAEs and BPA released from the plastic container. After the release simulation, four PAEs (i.e., DiBP, DBP, DHEP, and DnOP) were determined at very low concentrations (below 1.2 ng mL−1) in two water samples from (sport) bottles.
Acquisition and Repeatability of High-Frequency Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions Using Two Different Calibration Methods in Newborns
Authors: Dreisbach Hawe Laura , Portugal Nicholas , Aguilar Eliza , Hansen William , Kite Daniela , McIntyre Sky , Minasian Celine
Published: July 2019

Distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) elicited with high-frequency (HF; up to 16 kHz) stimuli are measurable and repeatable in normal-hearing adults and children, adult patients, and are sensitive to ototoxic insults in adults. However, objective tests for monitoring basal cochlear function in those too young to respond subjectively need to be developed. DPOAE levels recorded at frequencies <10 kHz are well characterized, but DPOAE levels measured up to 16 kHz do not exist for newborns. The goal of the current study is to determine if HF DPOAEs are measurable and repeatable in newborns. DPOAEs were measured from 2–16 kHz (f2/f1 of 1.22; L1/L2 = 65/55 dB SPL) using two different calibration methods (forward pressure level—FPL and in-the-ear—SPL) in 26 newborns. To assess repeatability, the probe was removed then re-inserted for a second round of testing. Results indicate that HF DPOAEs can be evoked and are repeatable in newborns and the use of FPL calibration shows promise for measuring HF responses and maximizing repeatability. To be implemented in monitoring programs where the highest frequencies with responses are continuously tested, stimulus parameters used to evoke newborn HF DPOAEs and calibration methods need further exploration.
Encapsulation of Fatty Oils into Electrospun Nanofibers for Cosmetic Products with Antioxidant Activity
Authors: Miletić Aleksandra , Pavlić Branimir , Ristić Ivan , Zeković Zoran , Pilić Branka
Published: July 2019

Active compounds derived from pomegranate and sea-buckthorn were encapsulated into polylactide (PLA-based fibers) and poly(vinyl-pirrolidone) (PVP-based fibers) nanofibers using electrospinning technique. The focus was on the antioxidant activity of prepared nonwovens. Morphology, thermal, and mechanical properties were also examined. Due to the different physical and chemical properties of the basic polymers, the obtained results indicate that PLA-based fibers have better antioxidant activity than PVP-based ones. All prepared samples were formed from bead-less continuous fibers networks, but in the case of PLA-based samples some small irregularities in the structure occurred. Mechanical properties were improved with the addition of active compounds in most of the cases, while thermal properties were slightly affected. Preserved antioxidant activity of active compounds by encapsulation and good material properties significant for manipulation, make these functional materials promising candidates for application in cosmetics.
Superpixel-Based Feature Tracking for Structure from Motion
Authors: Cao Mingwei , Jia Wei , Lv Zhihan , Zheng Liping , Liu Xiaoping
Published: July 2019

Feature tracking in image collections significantly affects the efficiency and accuracy of Structure from Motion (SFM). Insufficient correspondences may result in disconnected structures and incomplete components, while the redundant correspondences containing incorrect ones may yield to folded and superimposed structures. In this paper, we present a Superpixel-based feature tracking method for structure from motion. In the proposed method, we first propose to use a joint approach to detect local keypoints and compute descriptors. Second, the superpixel-based approach is used to generate labels for the input image. Third, we combine the Speed Up Robust Feature and binary test in the generated label regions to produce a set of combined descriptors for the detected keypoints. Fourth, the locality-sensitive hash (LSH)-based k nearest neighboring matching (KNN) is utilized to produce feature correspondences, and then the ratio test approach is used to remove outliers from the previous matching collection. Finally, we conduct comprehensive experiments on several challenging benchmarking datasets including highly ambiguous and duplicated scenes. Experimental results show that the proposed method gets better performances with respect to the state of the art methods.
Use of Texture Feature Maps for the Refinement of Information Derived from Digital Intraoral Radiographs of Lytic and Sclerotic Lesions
Authors: Obuchowicz Rafał , Nurzynska Karolina , Obuchowicz Barbara , Urbanik Andrzej , Piórkowski Adam
Published: July 2019

The aim of this study was to examine whether additional digital intraoral radiography (DIR) image preprocessing based on textural description methods improves the recognition and differentiation of periapical lesions. (1) DIR image analysis protocols incorporating clustering with the k-means approach (CLU), texture features derived from co-occurrence matrices, first-order features (FOF), gray-tone difference matrices, run-length matrices (RLM), and local binary patterns, were used to transform DIR images derived from 161 input images into textural feature maps. These maps were used to determine the capacity of the DIR representation technique to yield information about the shape of a structure, its pattern, and adequate tissue contrast. The effectiveness of the textural feature maps with regard to detection of lesions was revealed by two radiologists independently with consecutive interrater agreement. (2) High sensitivity and specificity in the recognition of radiological features of lytic lesions, i.e., radiodensity, border definition, and tissue contrast, was accomplished by CLU, FOF energy, and RLM. Detection of sclerotic lesions was refined with the use of RLM. FOF texture contributed substantially to the high sensitivity of diagnosis of sclerotic lesions. (3) Specific DIR texture-based methods markedly increased the sensitivity of the DIR technique. Therefore, application of textural feature mapping constitutes a promising diagnostic tool for improving recognition of dimension and possibly internal structure of the periapical lesions.
Quantitative Analysis of Benign and Malignant Tumors in Histopathology: Predicting Prostate Cancer Grading Using SVM
Authors: Bhattacharjee Subrata , Park Hyeon-Gyun , Kim Cho-Hee , Prakash Deekshitha , Madusanka Nuwan , So Jae-Hong , Cho Nam-Hoon , Choi Heung-Kook
Published: July 2019

An adenocarcinoma is a type of malignant cancerous tissue that forms from a glandular structure in epithelial tissue. Analyzed stained microscopic biopsy images were used to perform image manipulation and extract significant features for support vector machine (SVM) classification, to predict the Gleason grading of prostate cancer (PCa) based on the morphological features of the cell nucleus and lumen. Histopathology biopsy tissue images were used and categorized into four Gleason grade groups, namely Grade 3, Grade 4, Grade 5, and benign. The first three grades are considered malignant. K-means and watershed algorithms were used for color-based segmentation and separation of overlapping cell nuclei, respectively. In total, 400 images, divided equally among the four groups, were collected for SVM classification. To classify the proposed morphological features, SVM classification based on binary learning was performed using linear and Gaussian classifiers. The prediction model yielded an accuracy of 88.7% for malignant vs. benign, 85.0% for Grade 3 vs. Grade 4, 5, and 92.5% for Grade 4 vs. Grade 5. The SVM, based on biopsy-derived image features, consistently and accurately classified the Gleason grading of prostate cancer. All results are comparatively better than those reported in the literature.
On Fixed Point Results for Modified JS-Contractions with Applications
Authors: Parvaneh Vahid , Hussain Nawab , Mukheimer Aiman , Aydi Hassen
Published: July 2019

In [Fixed Point Theory Appl., 2015 (2015):185], the authors introduced a new concept of modified contractive mappings, generalizing Ćirić, Chatterjea, Kannan, and Reich type contractions. They applied the condition ( θ 4 ) (see page 3, Section 2 of the above paper). Later, in [Fixed Point Theory Appl., 2016 (2016):62], Jiang et al. claimed that the results in [Fixed Point Theory Appl., 2015 (2015):185] are not real generalizations. In this paper, by restricting the conditions of the control functions, we obtain a real generalization of the Banach contraction principle (BCP). At the end, we introduce a weakly JS-contractive condition generalizing the JS-contractive condition.
Technology-Enhanced Learning and Teaching Methodologies through Audiovisual Media
Authors: Nicolaou Constantinos , Matsiola Maria , Kalliris George
Published: July 2019

Contemporary rapid advancements in science and technology have brought about and continue to convey change in all sectors of everyday life. Education as one of the institutions of utmost importance is directly and indirectly affected by these changes and needs to redefine its role to keep pace. Nowadays, information and communications technologies (ICTs), in which audiovisual media technologies are encompassed, are omnipresent in all educational levels and disciplines, including media studies. New approaches in traditional teaching methodologies, which demand many skills and abilities by the educators, are reformulated through utilization of audiovisual media technologies, aiming at administering enriched outcomes that support the objectives that are set, especially in the field of media studies, where audiovisual media technologies are an integral part and even inherent in many of the courses (journalism, radio, television, social media, public relations, communication). The purpose of this paper is to summarize, through a theory and bibliographic review, the various implementations of audiovisual media as the educational techniques and tools that will provide technology-enhanced learning. As this paper is an investigation of the effects of audiovisual media in technology-enhanced learning and teaching methodologies, the contribution to the discipline of media studies is straightforward.
Indirect Convective Solar Drying Process of Pineapples as Part of Circular Economy Strategy
Authors: Azouma Yaovi Ouézou , Drigalski Lynn , Jegla Zdeněk , Reppich Marcus , Turek Vojtěch , Weiß Maximilian
Published: July 2019

This study investigates the industrial-scale application of a simple convective solar drying process of pineapples as part of a circular economy strategy for developing countries. A renewable energy concept is presented, which follows the circular economy aims by effectively employing a simple system for biogas production and a two-stage drying system. Both these systems meet the requirements for implementation in the specific conditions of developing countries, of which Togo, where pineapple is a major crop, is taken as an example. With respect to earlier findings available in the literature, the paper focuses on the solar drying process, which is critical to the proposed strategy. A portable solar dryer working in indirect heating mode was built and later also modified to enhance its performance. Three main factors influencing the convective drying process, namely, drying time (270 min, 480 min), solar radiation intensity (650 W/m2, 1100 W/m2), and slice thickness (6–8 mm, 12–14 mm), were considered. The statistical Design of Experiments (DOE) method was applied to reduce the number and scope of experiments. In the best case, the moisture content was reduced from 87.3 wt % in fresh samples to 29.4 wt % in dried samples, which did not meet the quality requirements for dried fruit. An additional conventional post-solar drying procedure would, therefore, still be necessary. Nonetheless, the results show that in the case of pineapple drying the consumption of fossil fuels can be decreased significantly if convective solar pre-drying is employed.
An Automatic Classification Method of Well Testing Plot Based on Convolutional Neural Network (CNN)
Authors: Chu Hongyang , Liao Xinwei , Dong Peng , Chen Zhiming , Zhao Xiaoliang , Zou Jiandong
Published: July 2019

The precondition of well testing interpretation is to determine the appropriate well testing model. In numerous attempts in the past, automatic classification and identification of well testing plots have been limited to fully connected neural networks (FCNN). Compared with FCNN, the convolutional neural network (CNN) has a better performance in the domain of image recognition. Utilizing the newly proposed CNN, we develop a new automatic identification approach to evaluate the type of well testing curves. The field data in tight reservoirs such as the Ordos Basin exhibit various well test models. With those models, the corresponding well test curves are chosen as training samples. One-hot encoding, Xavier normal initialization, regularization technique, and Adam algorithm are combined to optimize the established model. The evaluation results show that the CNN has a better result when the ReLU function is used. For the learning rate and dropout rate, the optimized values respectively are 0.005 and 0.4. Meanwhile, when the number of training samples was greater than 2000, the performance of the established CNN tended to be stable. Compared with the FCNN of similar structure, the CNN is more suitable for classification of well testing plots. What is more, the practical application shows that the CNN can successfully classify 21 of the 25 cases.
An Air Pollutant Emission Analysis of Brazilian Electricity Production Projections and Other Countries
Authors: de Souza Henriques Rafaella , Rezende Saldanha Rodney , Goulart Coelho Lineker Max
Published: July 2019

In the face of the population’s growing awareness about environmental degradation, air pollutant emissions from electricity production become a very relevant issue. Therefore, the present work aims to evaluate the greenhouse gases (GHG), NOx and SO2 emissions in the Brazilian electricity production, using the expected capacity expansion from Ten-Year Energy Expansion Plan-2027, the current installed capacity of power generation and the electrical load factor. This study was based on data provided by official institutions that are responsible for the electricity sector as well as academic studies of the area. In order to obtain a better analysis of the most likely air pollutant emission values bounds, a Monte Carlo simulation was performed. In addition, the 2017 energy production emissions from Brazil, France, China, and the USA were evaluated and compared. The results indicate that non-renewable sources of energy have a negative environmental impact. In general, the emissions of CO2-eq and NOx per MWh are increasing according to Brazilian energy generation projections, but when compared with global indicator Brazil has an affordable electricity mix in terms of air pollutant emissions.
Geological Structure Interpretation of Coalbed Methane Enrichment Area based on VMDC and Curvature Attributes
Authors: Huang Yaping , Bao Hanyong , Qi Xuemei
Published: July 2019

Geological structures play a leading role in the occurrence characteristics of coalbed methane (CBM), and curvature attributes are an important geometric seismic attribute that can be used to identify a geological structure. In view of the characteristics of curvature attributes which are easily affected by noise, this paper proposes a method based on variational mode decomposition and correlation coefficients (VMDC) for denoising, and then extracts curvature attributes for geological structure interpretation. The geological models with anticline, syncline and normal fault structure characteristics are constructed, and curvature attributes of geological models without noise and with different percentages of random noise are calculated respectively. According to the time window test results, the 5 × 5 time window is more suitable in the case of no noise, while 9 × 9 time window is more suitable when there is noise. The results also show that both the median filtering and VMDC can suppress random noise, but VMDC can suppress noise better and improve the accuracy of curvature attributes. Mean curvature attributes can effectively identify geological structures such as anticlines, synclines and faults. Gauss curvature is not ideal for identifying geological structures. Both the maximum positive curvature and the minimum negative curvature have obvious responses to some geological structures. The method has been applied to a CBM enrichment area prediction in Qinshui Basin, China, and the geological structure characteristics of this area have been preliminarily interpreted. The known CBM content information verifies the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method.
Produce Low Aromatic Contents with Enhanced Cold Properties of Hydrotreated Renewable Diesel Using Pt/Alumina-Beta-Zeolite: Reaction Path Studied via Monoaromatic Model Compound
Authors: Palanisamy Shanmugam , Gevert Börje Sten , Sankaran Pranav , Kandasamy Kannan
Published: July 2019

In this present work, Hydro-dearomatisation of toluene and hydro-isomerisation of n-hexadecane (n-C16) in ultralow sulphur diesel (ULSD) using Pt-Cl/H-Beta and Pt/H-Beta catalyst was investigated in a continuous down-flow trickle-bed reactor (DFTBR), and the physicochemical properties of products were studied. The catalytic effect on 40:60 wt% of H-beta-zeolite (H-β) and binder–aluminahydrochlorite extruded was characterized in scanning electron microscopy, nitrogen adsorption and coke testing. The study showed that 80 to 95 wt% of middle distillates recovered in ULSD on elevated temperature between 230 and 270 °C at 5 MPa. With a higher residence time of feed, the middle distillate recovered with 2.2 v/v% of aromatics and −32 °C of cloud point. In the model compound investigation of toluene and n-C16, it was observed that absorption of aromatic ring inhibits the rate of isomerisation; particularly it reduces the yield of branching and rearrangement of n-C16. Also, Cl-incorporated H-β extrudate enhanced the ring saturation and suppressed the reaction path in oligomerisation and cyclisation of paraffin. This methodology achieved asingle-stage upgrading technique involved in the delivery of commercial diesel in the market with low cloud point and aromatic content.
Influence Mechanism of Geometric Characteristics of Water Conveyance System on Extreme Water Hammer during Load Rejection in Pumped Storage Plants
Authors: Chen Sheng , Zhang Jian , Li Gaohui , Yu Xiaodong
Published: July 2019

Pumped storage plants (PSPs) have achieved rapid development and deployment worldwide since the penetration of intermittent renewable energy sources (RES). Hydraulic transient analysis in the PSP, to obtain the control parameters such as extreme water hammer pressure, is vital to the safe design of water conveyance system. Empirically, simultaneous load rejection (SLR) is commonly accepted as the control condition for extreme water hammer, while it is not completely true for the PSP. Employing theoretical analysis and numerical simulation, this study systematically investigates the effects of geometric characteristics on the extreme water hammer, and reveals the mechanism leading to the maximum spiral case pressure (SCP) during a two-stage load rejection (TLR) process. The results indicate that the extreme water hammer pressure is closely related to geometric characteristics of the water conveyance system, performing the allocation of the water inertia time constant of the main and branch pipelines. When the water inertia time constant in the branch pipe is dominant (η1 > 0.24 for example), the maximum SCP will occur in TLR conditions rather than SLR. Moreover, the maximum SCP is almost the same, providing the water inertia time constants of both the main and branch pipelines are kept constant.
Protecting Stone Heritage in the Painted Desert: Employing the Rock Art Stability Index in the Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona
Authors: Groom Kaelin M. , Villa Cerveny Niccole , Allen Casey D. , Dorn Ronald I. , Theuer Jason
Published: July 2019

Located in northeastern Arizona (USA), Petrified Forest National Park (PEFO) presents a unique story of both geologic and human history. Though perhaps most well-known for its abundant petrified wood and being part of the Painted Desert, visitors are often surprised when they discover PEFO hosts many ancient petroglyph sites. Over the years, many attempts have been made to record the petroglyph sites, but nothing has been done to assess their geomorphic stability. To address this shortcoming, we employed the Rock Art Stability Index (RASI) to assess geologic stability and (potential) deterioration of rock art sites in PEFO. Used for more than a decade as a triage for researchers assessing which rock art panels/sites are in the most danger of eroding, RASI uses a rank-based system to assess over three-dozen rock decay parameters, resulting in an overall condition analysis of a rock art panel. The findings can then be grouped together by site location to gain a clearer understanding of overall decay processes responsible for (potential) erosion. This study highlights RASI, its use as a low-cost, non-invasive, rapid field assessment technique, and assesses the geomorphic stability of five major petroglyph sites in the Petrified Forest National Park.
Grazing and Cultivated Grasslands Cause Different Spatial Redistributions of Soil Particles
Authors: Li Jinsheng , Shang Jianying , Huang Ding , Tang Shiming , Zhao Tianci , Yang Xiaomeng , Zhang Qian , Liu Kesi , Shao Xinqing
Published: July 2019

The distribution of soil particle sizes is closely related to soil health condition. In this study, grasslands under different grazing intensities and different cultivation ages grasslands were selected to evaluate the dynamics of soil particle size redistribution in different soil layers. When the grazing intensity increased, the percentage of 2000~150-μm soil particles in the 0–10-cm soil layer decreased; 150~53-μm soil particles remained relatively stable among the grazing intensities—approximately 28.52%~35.39%. However, the percentage of less than 53-μm soil particles increased. In cultivated grasslands, the larger sizes (>53 μm) of soil particles increased and the smaller sizes (<53 μm) decreased significantly (p < 0.05) in the 0–10 cm-soil layer with increasing cultivation ages. The increase in small soil particles (<53 μm) in topsoil associated with grazing intensity increased the potential risk of further degradation by wind erosion. The increase in big soil particles (>53 μm) in topsoil associated with cultivation ages decreased the soil capacity of holding water and nutrient. Therefore, to maintain the sustainability of grassland uses, grazing grasslands need to avoid heavy grazing, and cultivated grasslands need to change current cultivation practices.
All Insecure, All Good? Job Insecurity Profiles in Relation to Career Correlates
Authors: De Cuyper Nele , Van Hootegem Anahí , Smet Kelly , Houben Ellen , De Witte Hans
Published: July 2019

Felt job insecurity is commonly seen as a stressor that is tied to a specific segment of employees and which implies overall negative outcomes. We challenge this view based on the new career rhetoric that assumes that felt job insecurity is widespread, although not necessarily problematic; rather, on the contrary, that felt job insecurity may promote career growth and development. Accordingly, our first aim concerns the distribution of felt quantitative and qualitative job insecurity, and our second aims concerns the connection between profiles and career correlates (i.e., perceived employability, individual and organizational career management). We used two samples of Belgian employees (N1 = 2355; N2 = 3703) in view of constructive replication. We used Latent Profile Analysis to compile profiles of felt quantitative and qualitative job insecurity and linked those profiles to career outcomes. Our results are similar across samples: five profiles were found, from relatively secure to relatively insecure (aim 1). The more secure profiles reported more favorable career outcomes than the less secure profiles (aim 2). This provided overall support for the common view. We connect these findings to what we see as the main risk, namely the potentially growing divide based on felt job insecurity and the relatively large group of employees in insecure profiles.
Measuring the Destination Accessibility of Cycling Transfer Trips in Metro Station Areas: A Big Data Approach
Authors: Wu Xueying , Lu Yi , Lin Yaoyu , Yang Yiyang
Published: July 2019

Cycling is a green, sustainable, and healthy choice for transportation that has been widely advocated worldwide in recent years. It can also encourage the use of public transit by solving the “last-mile” issue, because transit passengers can cycle to and from transit stations to achieve a combination of speed and flexibility. Cycling as a transfer mode has been shown to be affected by various built environment characteristics, such as the urban density, land-use mix, and destination accessibility, that is, the ease with which cyclists can reach their destinations. However, cycling destination accessibility is loosely defined in the literature and the methods of assessing cycling accessibility is often assumed to be equivalent to walking accessibility using the same decay curves, such as the negative exponential function, which ignores the competitive relationship between cycling and walking within a short distance range around transit stations. In this study, we aim to fill the above gap by measuring the cycling destination accessibility of metro station areas using data from more than three million bicycle-metro transfer trips from a dockless bicycle-sharing program in Shenzhen, China. We found that the frequency of bicycle-metro trips has a positive association with a trip distance of 500 m or less and a negative association with a trip distance beyond 500 m. A new cycling accessibility metric with a lognormal distribution decay curve was developed by considering the distance decay characteristics and cycling’s competition with walking. The new accessibility model outperformed the traditional model with an exponential decay function, or that without a distance decay function, in predicting the frequency of bicycle-metro trips. Hence, to promote bicycle-metro integration, urban planners and government agencies should carefully consider the destination accessibility of metro station areas.