bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Selection of compression test images using variance-based statistical method
Authors: Allaoui Chems El Houda , Bassou Abdesselam , Benyahia Ismahane , Khelifi Mustapha
Published: March 2020

In this research paper, we used a variance-based statistical method to select 20 test images, according to these latter types (natural, satellite and medical) among a sample of 300 images (100 natural, 100 satellite and 100 medical). The images selection has been done using parameters of image quality, namely PSNR, MSSIM and VIF, which were applied on three compression algorithms (DWT+SPIHT, JPEG, and JPEG2000).
Optimization of RF signal detection and alert system for restricted area
Authors: Aimi Mohd Nordin Ili Najaa , Aiman Nazari Najla , Muhammad Razif Muhammad Rusydi , Khamis Nurulaqilla , Zulkarnain Noraishikin , Muchtar Farkhana , Aira Zambri Nor
Published: March 2020

This paper presents study on optimizing RF signal detection and alert system for restricted area. Nowadays, mobile phone utilization is very common among youngsters. Despite of being very useful for educational purpose, it turns into a noteworthy issue while being smuggled into restricted area, such as examination hall and used as a cheating tool. To overcome this problem, an advancement on the detection and alert system of active mobile phone was proposed by implementing RF signal detection system optimization using multi-band dipole antenna and alert system utilizing LED and camera. The system demonstrated higher sensitivity to 3G signal followed by GSM and Wi-Fi with the decrease in voltage value across the LED when distinguishing 3G, GSM and Wi-Fi signal with the estimation of 2.316 V, 1.162 V and 1.054 V respectively. The alert system was improved by activating LED and camera instead of buzzer in displaying the region of the active mobile phone. The camera was able to effectively capture the conceivable cheating area when active mobile phone is present. The images of the potential cheating region can be recovered from the computer. This framework can assist the invigilators with being cautioned to the potential regions of cheating using mobile phone.
Multi-objective attendance and management information system using computer application in industry strip
Authors: Alhilali Ahmed Hazim , Ali Nabeel Salih , Kadhim Mohammed Falih , Al-Sadawi Basheer , Alsharqi Haider
Published: March 2020

Information technology has played a vital factor in a competitive advantage for various business firms recently. Hence, catching up Investment of IT in most of the traditional industries for competitiveness purposes due to the relationship between organizational performance and IT use. In this study, attendance
and management information system (AMIS) was presented in the industry field based on multi-modules. Modules are management information, time- scheduling and attendance, and employee self- service module. The system used VB.NET environment for programming perspective as well MS SQL server for database storage. The system is secure and robust recordkeeping, keep employee up to date via self- service access, easy to use (simplified) and powerful time and attendance, active work schedules to make an employee happy and keep workers in the loop, as well, review and exporting different reports for staff manager, supervisor, and employee such as absence, vacation, time-off, employee wages, and etc.
Gamification concept for encouraging lecture attendance
Authors: Kasinathan Vinothini , Mustapha Aida , Kok Fu Chan , Che Abdul Rani Mohamad Firdaus , Manikam Sadesh
Published: March 2020

New generation of students has high dependence on technology and embrace social learning environments that have low barrier to access. This means in-class lectures are not popular anymore, and in fact has become a burden for them to cope. To resolve the issue of low student attendance, this paper proposes a character growth game with the concept of gamification in education that is able to track and reward student attendance called PetAttendToClass. PetAttendToClass is a client-based system developed using C# and unity3D game engine. Although finding from the UAT session revealed that some users believed that attendance is the responsibility of the student, gamification is meant to turn this mundane responsibility into something motivative, interactive and interesting. It is hoped that by gamifying the class attendance, student will be motivated to attend their daily classes.
A review on various methods of collaborative computing
Authors: Bin Zamanhuri Mohd Afiq , Abd Aziz Zalilah , Abd Rauf Rose Hafsah , Johana Johan Elly , Shamsudin Noratikah
Published: March 2020

Currently, mosques in Malaysia distribute their lecture schedules either on paper-based form or by uploading the schedule on their social media platform. This has some disadvantages such as paper schedules are susceptible to damages and information on social media platform is often not updated to current changes. Collaborative Computing is a system that enable individuals to work together remotely by making use of the reach ability of the internet. In order to utilise the Internet’s obvious advantages over paper-based and rapid information distribution and asynchronous communication, a review is conducted to study the available methods of collaborative computing, further analyse current research papers. Result shows that Centralized Computing method is the most suitable method for developing collaborative mobile application for Islamic Lectures schedule.
A descent extension of the Dai - Yuan conjugate gradient technique
Authors: Hassan Basim Abbas , Abdullah Zeyad M. , Jabbar Hawraz N.
Published: March 2020

Based on Dai - Yuan technique, a new extension method was proposed. In contrary to the CG classical method, this proposed method employs a coefficient that has an important role in constructing the new formula with less computational efforts. This proposed method was found to be efficient on the basis of theory analysis and numerical results.
Feedback-feedforward fuzzy logic approach for temperature control in bioethanol vacuum distiller
Authors: Aziz Muslim Muhammad , Sukma Yudha Tegar , Ibrahim B.S.K.K.
Published: March 2020

Energy conservation and diversification are becoming a major research issue. Awareness of the limited sources of energy from fossil fuels encourages research on renewable energy. Bioethanol is a promising fuel substitute for gasoline. Bioethanol processing includes sugar extraction, fermentation, distillation, and absorption. Temperature and pressure controls are essential in bioethanol processing. This paper presents a feedback-feedforward fuzzy logic approach for temperature control in a bioethanol vacuum distiller. In this study, vacuum pressure is employed as feedforward inputs for a fuzzy logic controller. The feedforward input directly modifies the main controller, i.e., fuzzy logic controller, through fuzzy rules. The controller is implemented using Arduino Mega 2560 microcontroller. The results show that the proposed feedback-feedforward fuzzy logic controller could successfully maintain the temperature at the desired setpoint value with small steady-state error (3.85%) and relatively shorter settling time compared to classical PID controller and fuzzy logic controller.
Review on measurement techniques and technologies to propose new rating scale measurement for shariah compliant hotel industry in Malaysia
Authors: Abdul Hasim Hazlin Fardila , Mohd Ariffin NorHapiza , Zaki Zakaria Mohd
Published: March 2020

The tourism industry based on the Islamic approach is increasingly accepted by the tourists.  This paper presents a review of measurement techniques and technologies’ scale measurement for Shariah Compliant Hotel Industry in Malaysia. Since the use of the rating system in Syariah Hotel Industry in Malaysia has yet to be implemented, it is difficult for the industry to determine the status level of a hotel. Furthermore, the consumers are unable to make the right choice based on their own needs. This study aims to propose new Rating Assessment for Scale Measurement system focusing on hotel industry based on Shariah Compliant standard known as Shariah Compliant Hotel Rating Measurement Scale System (SCHRMS). Scale measurement will be used to ensure all the Shariah Compliant Certificates are certified with certain level and follow the same standard. Multiple characteristics and categories must be clarified or considered when processing rating assessment for Shariah Compliance (SC) hotel. To solve the multiple characteristics’ issues, Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process will be used. The process is accurate and suitable for selecting various types of information and can be used as a decision-making tool because it controls uncertain and inaccurate data. The raw data obtained from questionnaires as well as structured and unstructured interview will be analyzed using Rasch Analysis Method. Only this method is will be able to comply to the five main principles of analysis for a more meaningful and accurate conclusion of the research data obtained. Through this system that will developed, the problem related to rating measurement for SC hotel will be solved. The SC hotel rating system will be parallel to the conventional based hotel. The system is accepted for the convenience of Muslims as well as non-Muslims globally.
Outage probability analysis of dual energy harvesting relay network over rayleigh fading channel using SC and MRC technique
Authors: Nguyen Tan N. , Tran Minh , Phan Van-Duc , Trang Tran Thanh
Published: March 2020

In this paper, the system model of dual-energy harvesting relay network over Rayleigh fading channel and the comparison between Selecting Combining (SC) and Maximal Ratio Combining (MRC) technique cases are proposed and investigated. The closed-form expression of the outage probability for the SC case and the integral-form expression of the outage probability for MRC case is derived. Moreover, the influence of the main parameters on the system performance is demonstrated entirely by the Monte Carlo simulation. From the results, we can see that all simulation and analytical results match well with each other.
Land use land cover analysis with pixel-based classification approach
Authors: Hashim Haslina , Latif Zulkiflee Abd , Adnan Nor Aizam
Published: March 2020

Rapid development in certain urban area will affect its natural features. Therefore, it is important to identify and determine the changes occur for further analysis and future development planning. This process will influence several factors such as area development, environmental issues and human social activities. The selection of remote sensing data and method will derive the accurate land use land cover maps. This research study accessed the classification accuracy of different classifier approach for land use land cover classification in urban area. The objective of this paper is to compare the accuracy of the classification for each technique used. The study was conducted in a highly urbanized area in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The dataset used for this study is the multi temporal LANDSAT satellite imageries for the year of 2001,2006,2011 and 2016. The pre-processing and analysis of the dataset has been done using software ENVI 5.3. Five land use classes (Urban/built up area, Forest, Agriculture, Water Body and fallow land) were identify for classification process. The classification approach for this study is the supervised classification with two algorithms namely Maximum Likelihood (ML) and Support Vector Machine (SVM). The overall accuracy and kappa statistic of the classification indicate that support vector machine algorithm was more accurate than maximum likelihood algorithm for five different time intervals.Therefore, this classification approach is acceptable and highly recommended for mapping the changes of land cover.
Evaluation of computer network security using attack undirected geography
Authors: Jittawiriyanukoon Chanintorn
Published: March 2020

To secure a wealth of data traversing the computer network at your fingertips is compulsory. But when attack arises at various parts of the network it is difficult to protect, especially when each incident is investigated separately. Geography is a necessary construct in computer networks. The analytics of geography algorithms and metrics to curate insight from a security problem are a critical method of analysis for computer systems. A geography based representation is employed to highlight aspects (on a local and global level) of a security problem which are Eigenvalue, eccentricity, clustering coefficient and cliques. Network security model based on attack undirected geography (AUG) is familiarized. First, analysis based upon association rules is presented then the attack threshold value is set from AUG. The probability of an individual attack edge and associated network nodes are computed in order to quantify the security threat. The simulation is exploited to validate that results are effective.
Network intrusion detection system by using genetic algorithm
Authors: Suhaimi Hamizan , Suliman Saiful Izwan , Musirin Ismail , Harun Afdallyna Fathiyah , Mohamad Roslina
Published: March 2020

Developing a better intrusion detection systems (IDS) has attracted many researchers in the area of computer network for the past decades. In this paper, Genetic Algorithm (GA) is proposed as a tool that capable to identify harmful type of connections in a computer network. Different features of connection data such as duration and types of connection in network were analyzed to generate a set of classification rule. For this project, standard benchmark dataset known as KDD Cup 99 was investigated and utilized to study the effectiveness of the proposed method on this problem domain. The rules comprise of eight variables that were simulated during the training process to detect any malicious connection that can lead to a network intrusion. With good performance in detecting bad connections, this method can be applied in intrusion detection system to identify attack thus improving the security features of a computer network.
Zebra finches show spatial avoidance of near but not far distance traffic noise
Authors: Liu Quanxiao , Slabbekoorn Hans , Riebel Katharina
Published: March 2020

Traffic noise is on the rise worldwide. Birds have been reported to decrease in number and diversity near highways. This could be indirectly caused by traffic if birds avoid overall poorer habitat quality near highways or directly if birds actively avoid noisy conditions. To test whether traffic noise directly affects birds’ spatial preferences, we designed a preference test where zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) could move freely between noisy and quiet aviaries that only differed in the type of noise playbacks. During playback of high amplitude traffic noise recorded near from highways (5–15 m), birds spent significantly more time in the quieter aviary. Such spatial preferences were not observed during playbacks of moderate amplitude traffic noise recorded further away (200–400 m). Our result provides experimental support for the growing notion that traffic noise itself rather than the presence of vehicles may suffice to deter birds from busy roads.
Pinnularia baetica sp. nov. (Bacillarophyceae): Comparison with other panduriform species in the Mediterranean area

Authors: FERNÁNDEZ MORENO DAVID , LUÍS ANA T. , VIDAKOVIC DANIJELA , LEVKOV ZLATKO , CASTILLO PEDRO M. SÁNCHEZ
Published: March 2020

A new freshwater diatom species Pinnularia baetica sp. nov. is described from two different ponds from the Mediterranean area: Andalucia (South of Spain) and Lake Livadičko, Serbia. The species is described by observations under light (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The most similar taxa to P. baetica are P. atlasii and P. infirma that were studied through material obtained in lagoons of northern Morocco (locus classicus of P. atlasi). Although there are similarities in the morphological characters of the frustule, it was possible to verify both through LM and SEM observations, clear differences between P. baetica and the latter two taxa: Pinnularia baetica has a panduriform shape more pronounced than P. infirma and larger valve size. On the other hand, the absence of spines in P. baetica, the more convergent striation at the poles and a slightly wider valve are the main differences with P. atlasi. This paper documents the distribution areas of P. baetica in calcareous systems of oligotrophic mid-mountain ponds of Spain and Serbia.
Book review: Deepshikha Shahi, Advaita as a Global International Relations Theory
Authors: Tripathi Prof. Sudhanshu
Published: March 2020

Deepshikha Shahi, Advaita as a Global International Relations Theory. Abingdon, Oxon; New York, NY: Routledge, 2019, 170 pp. (Hardbound), £120.
Ultrasonic welding of epoxy- to polyetheretherketone- based composites: Investigation on the material of the energy director and the thickness of the coupling layer
Authors: Tsiangou Eirini , Teixeira de Freitas Sofia , Villegas Irene Fernandez , Benedictus Rinze
Published: March 2020

Ultrasonic welding is a highly promising technique for joining thermoplastic to thermoset composites. A neat thermoplastic coupling layer is co-cured on the surface to be welded to make the thermoset composite ‘weldable’. A reliable bond is attained when miscible thermoplastic and thermoset materials are chosen. For welding carbon fibre/polyetheretherketone (PEEK) to thermoset composite samples, a PEEK film is not preferable due to its immiscibility with epoxy resins. On the other hand, polyetherimide is an excellent candidate, since it is known to be miscible to most epoxy systems at high temperatures and PEEK polymers. This study focusses on two main subjects; firstly, the nature of the material of the energy director, i.e. a flat thermoplastic film used to promote heat generation at the interface. In this case, the energy director can be either polyetherimide, as in the coupling layer or PEEK material, as in the matrix of the thermoplastic composite adherend. It was found that both materials can produce welds with similar mechanical performance. This study focusses secondly on the thickness of the coupling layer. Due to the high melting temperature of the PEEK matrix, a 60-µm-thick coupling layer was seemingly too thin to act as a thermal barrier for the epoxy resin for heating times long enough to produce fully welded joints. Such an issue was found to be overcome by increasing the thickness of the coupling layer to 250 µm, which resulted in high-strength welds.
What Is “Normal” Infant Sleep? Why We Still Do Not Know
Authors: Barry Elaine S.
Published: March 2020

The human need for sleep is universal and unquestioned; however, humans vary in their sleep needs according to age, individual differences, as well as cultural and social norms and practices. Therefore, what is “normal” in infant sleep and the development of sleep architecture in humans is highly dependent on biological and sociocultural variables as well as socially constructed assumptions about what infant sleep “should” look like. This paper uses a multidisciplinary approach to review papers from fields including pediatrics, anthropology, psychology, medicine, and sociology to understand “normal” infant sleep. Because human culture and behavioral practice changes much more quickly than evolved human biology, and because human evolutionary history occurred in the context of breastfeeding and cosleeping, new work in the field of infant sleep architecture development would benefit from a multidisciplinary approach. To come to a consensus about what is “normal” infant sleep, researchers must agree on underlying basic assumptions of infant sleep from which to ask question and interpret findings.
Hotspots of resistance in a bordered reality
Authors: Spathopoulou Aila , Carastathis Anna
Published: March 2020

In this paper, we examine how bordered reality is being imposed and resisted in the context of where we are placed right now, ‘Greece’. Drawing on ethnographic research and discourse analysis, conducted in Lesvos, Samos, and Athens (from March to September 2016), we examine how resistance to a bordered reality took place, as islands in the north Aegean, as well as Greek and European territories, were being remapped according to the logic of the hotspot. We approach this process methodologically from the situated angle of the embodiment of resistance in the concrete experiences of people (including the researchers ourselves), whose narratives reveal the distracted spatial coordinates of the ‘hotspot regime’, which becomes a traveling control device. Rather than approaching the hotspots on the five Greek border islands as geographically fixed entities we introduce the concept of the mobile hotspot to show how the logic of the hotspot suffuses the uneven geographies of a bordered reality. We use the ferry as an illustrative tool with which to critically explore the density, tensions, and conflict-ridden nature of movements within, around, and against the hotspots.
Evaluation of a financial skills training programme for vulnerable young people at risk of homelessness
Authors: Fieldhouse Jon , Greatorex Harry
Published: March 2020

Introduction

A financial skills training programme (Cash Pointers) for young people at risk of homelessness had an unexpectedly positive impact on their wellbeing. A qualitative inquiry examined this phenomenon.

Method

Interviews with six trainees explored their experiences of the programme. A focus group comprising four programme workers added a service provider perspective.

Findings

Cash Pointers addressed trainees’ basic living and health needs. Additionally, trusting relationships with programme workers enabled trainees to feel safe, develop skills, pursue goals, manage health problems, improve relationships and engage in life roles. Trainees said Cash Pointers was accessible and responsive, offering advocacy, inter-agency liaison and hope. Programme workers said they balanced the need for quick results with patient relationship-building, were a well-supported team with a high degree of casework autonomy and felt skilled in the therapeutic use of self.

Conclusion

Cash Pointers created a psychologically informed environment within which trainees stabilised, acquired skills and progressed towards greater life satisfaction and inclusion. Improving financial skills can be profoundly transformative and an acceptable intervention for this population. Aspects of occupational therapy’s knowledge-base (dynamic systems thinking) and skillset (person-centred goal-setting, therapeutic use of self, creating enabling environments) can support this.
“Things Are Coming Out That Are Questionable, We Never Knew About”: DNA and the New Family History
Authors: Stallard Matthew , de Groot Jerome
Published: March 2020

Family history is undertaken by millions around the world seeking to understand their past. This practice is understudied, and we need to work hard to understand how it works. Over the past decade, family history has been transformed through the use of DNA sequencing to enable genetic genealogy. Through analyzing data generated in a number of focus groups with family historians, this article contributes to our understanding of family history as a practice by engaging closely with the community. In particular, the article considers the responses of family historians to the challenge of the new data generated through DNA sequencing. Looking at the ways in which the practice is changing enables a clearer view of how family history works and how scholarship might engage with it.
Effects of tricalcium silicate/sodium alginate/calcium sulfate hemihydrate composite cements on osteogenic performances in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Ji Mizhi , Chen Hong , Yan Yonggang , Ding Zhengwen , Ren Haohao , Zhong Yu
Published: March 2020

In this study, ternary organic–inorganic composite bone cements of tricalcium silicate/sodium alginate/calcium sulfate hemihydrate (C3S/SA/CS) were successfully fabricated for in vitro and in vivo osteogenesis study, mainly including proliferation, attachment and osteogenic differentiation of mouse bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, and bone regeneration in critical-sized rabbit femoral condyle defect model. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells treated with the C3S/SA/CS composite cements exhibited good proliferation, excellent attachment, enhanced alkaline phosphatase activity, increased calcium deposition, and osteogenic-related gene expressions with increasing calcium sulfate component. Depending on optimally combinatorial effect of bioactive calcium and silicon ions in osteogenic differentiation, the C3 composite cement (C3S/SA/CS: 35/35/30 wt%, inorganic content: 65 wt%) with moderate surface wettability and suitable environmental pH possessed more remarkable osteogenic activity as compared with other compositions of composite cements. Furthermore, in vivo results of micro-CT analysis and histological evaluation confirmed that the C3 composite cement with enhanced cell attachment and osteogenic differentiation could induce much more bone formation and better osseointegration in comparison with the C0 composite cement (C3S/SA/CS: 50/50/0 wt%). Therefore, the C3 composite cement with significantly improved osteogenesis capacity might have certain potential as bioactive implantable materials for bone regeneration.
A facile strategy for fabricating composite patch scaffold by using porcine acellular dermal matrix and gelatin for the reconstruction of abdominal wall defects
Authors: Liu Suihong , Zhang Haiguang , Hu Qingxi , Zhang Chuck , Li Shuai , Wang Ben
Published: March 2020

Defects of the abdominal wall continue to be a significant issue in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. Porcine acellular dermal matrix (P-ADM) and gelatin have been widely used for fabricating engineered abdominal wall due to their good biocompatibility and integration with host tissues. In this study, we demonstrate a novel and reproducible approach of using gelatin and P-ADM powder to fabricate composite patch scaffolds by combining solvent casting and enzymatic cross-linking for the abdominal wall regeneration in rats. Different concentration ratios of gelatin and P-ADM and different shapes of engineered scaffolds are studied for various abdominal wall defects. Skeletal muscle cells and human umbilical vein endothelial cells can successfully attach to the surface of the scaffolds and maintain high viability after culturing for five days. In vivo experiments demonstrate that there are no signs of infection, intra-abdominal adhesion, and severe inflammation after two weeks, which indicate good repairability of the scaffolds. In conclusion, we propose a novel method that holds great potential for building engineered scaffolds to meet the different requirements of abdominal wall regeneration.
Fatigue crack propagation experiment and numerical simulation of 42CrMo steel
Authors: Dong Jianwei , Pei Weichi , Ji Hongchao , Long Haiyang , Fu Xiaobin , Duan Hailong
Published: March 2020

42CrMo steel is widely used in ultrahigh-strength structures such as low-speed heavy-duty gears. Mastering the fatigue crack propagation law has important significance for predicting structural fatigue life. Firstly, the fatigue crack propagation experiment is used to obtain the upper and lower thresholds value of type I fatigue crack propagation of 42CrMo steel compact tensile specimen under the alternating load of stress ratio R = 0.1. The Paris formula describing the relationship between the fatigue crack propagation rate and the crack tip stress intensity factor between the upper and lower thresholds value is obtained. Scanning electron microscopy was used to observe the microscopic features of different stages of fatigue fracture. The results show that the twin boundary can provide a place for crack initiation; the defects in the material can promote the initiation and extension of fatigue cracks. The fatigue crack propagation of 42CrMo steel compact tensile specimens was numerically simulated by the finite element method. The relationship between the crack tip stress intensity factor and the crack length was obtained. The analysis results show that the crack tip stress intensity factor calculated by the plane finite element method differs slightly from the experimental results during the stable extension stage. After correction, the correlation coefficient between the numerical simulation correction value and the crack tip stress intensity factor value obtained by the experiment is 0.9926. Finally, the fatigue crack propagation rate corresponding to the crack tip stress intensity factor in the finite element results is calculated by the Paris formula and briefly analyzed. Compared with the experimental results, it shows that the numerical simulation is consistent with it, indicating the accuracy of the numerical simulation method, which can effectively predict the initiation and propagation of fatigue cracks in 42CrMo steel compact tensile specimens.
Lightweight unmanned aerial vehicle for emergency medical service – Synthesis of the layout
Authors: Goetzendorf-Grabowski Tomasz , Tarnowski Andrzej , Figat Marcin , Mieloszyk Jacek , Hernik Bogdan
Published: March 2020

The article presents the innovative unmanned aerial vehicle project for emergency medical services. Designed unmanned aerial vehicle combines vertical takeoff and landing characteristics with fast forward flight capability that are vital to perform such an emergency medical mission. The main purpose of the designed unmanned aerial vehicle is to deliver the necessary medical package to the place where access is difficult, and estimated arrival time of conventional ambulance is too long. The cost of the support of such unmanned aerial vehicle could be significantly lower than in case of medical helicopter, which is not necessary in some cases. Designed unmanned aerial vehicle can also be used for fast delivery of essential medical substances (e.g. blood). The selection of configuration was the first and crucial step of the design. After analysis of many different copter configurations, together with selected crash reports analysis, the coaxial quadcopter configuration crossed with conventional airplane was selected. All power units for VTOL capability are electric, and they are doubled for redundancy purposes, with maximum T/W ratio about 2.0. Such configuration allows to sustain a stable flight (vertical phases) in case of one motor failure. Two versions of the vehicle are designed: fully electric (power units for the forward flight and vertical takeoff and landing are electric) and mixed where forward flight unit is a small piston engine. The final layout was the result of conceptual investigation and preliminary research, MDO and trade-off analysis, where as many aspects as possible were considered. The main problem was to meet the vertical takeoff and landing capabilities, relatively long range and endurance, expected payload (3 kg) and the requirement not to exceed 25 kg of maximum take-off weight. Paper presents the design process from initial requirement to the final configuration accepted to be manufactured.
Holistic research of diffusely reflected light in cellulosic materials
Authors: Tsuchikawa Satoru
Published: March 2020

This paper introduces some applications of time-of-flight or time-resolved spectroscopy to cellulosic materials like wood. Time-of-flight or time-resolved spectroscopy uses short pulses of light illumination where a portion of the light is scattered but most of the light propagates through the sample. By using such technique, we could know that the light scattering contribution to near infrared spectra in wood is significant because it is a complex and highly scattering medium due to its cellulosic structure.
Conventional brain magnetic resonance imaging in the longitudinal evaluation of newly diagnosed systemic lupus erythematosus patients: a retrospective analysis from a single-centre cohort
Authors: Silvagni E , Bortoluzzi A , Borrelli M , Padovan M , Furini F , Govoni M
Published: March 2020

Introduction

Neuropsychiatric (NP) manifestations occur mostly in the early phases of the systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) course. Nonspecific alterations are evident in conventional brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), regardless of clinically overt NP symptoms. The main aims of this study were to assess the prevalence of MRI abnormalities in newly diagnosed SLE, and to evaluate the impact of MRI changes during follow-up (FU) and the clinical course of NP symptoms.

Materials and methods

Newly diagnosed SLE patients with a baseline brain MRI and with available repeated MRI during FU were retrospectively evaluated. White-matter lesions and atrophy were recorded, comparing NPSLE and non-NPSLE patients. Cox proportional hazard models were used to compare NP events during FU with MRI data.

Results

Forty-four patients were included, 22 with NP events attributed to SLE. The baseline MRI scan was abnormal in 21 patients (47.73%). New NP events occurred in 17 patients, and worsening was found in repeated MRIs in 12 (27.27%). A worsening of MRI was associated with higher occurrence of new NP events during FU (adjusted hazard ratio 3.946 (1.175–13.253)).

Conclusion

Baseline MRI is useful in patients with an early diagnosis of SLE, allowing comparison with subsequent scans. In our study, radiological worsening of repeated brain MRI was associated with new NP events.
The Unified Patent Court and the frustrated promise of IP protection: Investors’ claims in (post-)Brexit Britain
Authors: Vecellio Segate Riccardo
Published: March 2020

Tensions between the EU’s legal order and the international investment law regime are not exclusive to the Brexit era, but they certainly gained momentum in the aftermath of this referendum. By incautiously declaring that the UK will remain a party to the Unified Patent System regardless of Brexit, the British government arguably shaped (il)legitimate expectations on the part of investors who aimed at exploiting their intellectual property rights in the UK while benefitting from the judicial protection of the forthcoming Unified Patent Court as much as of the European institutions (and market) as a whole. Indeed, not only the System itself will undergo a process of major rebalancing after London’s departure from the EU, but more importantly, the UK will most probably be unable to retain its membership in the System after the actual delivery of Brexit. These complications trigger a wide spectrum of fundamental dilemmas investing the definition and scope of concepts such as unilateral declaration, indirect expropriation, reasonable expectation, estoppel, and public policy exception, under both EU law and international investment law. It is therefore essential to explore these intersections as to anticipate possible scenarios in the event of both domestic court and international arbitral claims lodged by patent investors pre- and post-Brexit, having due regard for competition concerns on the side of the EU, yet referring to recent Canadian case law which opened the gate to investor-State claims in the field of intellectual property.
Racializing Captain America: How Racial Attitudes Affect Perceptions of Affirmative Action and Diversity Initiatives in Media
Authors: Gubitz S. R. , Avant Denzel
Published: March 2020

Is announcing a commitment to diversity enough to activate attitudes toward diversity initiatives? And what are the spillover effects of these programs? To address these questions, we conduct an experiment imbedded in a nationally representative survey of non-Hispanic White Americans ( n = 1,519). We inform respondents that the White actor who plays Captain America will be replaced, while varying whether there is a reference to a diversity initiative and whether the replacement is White or Black. We find that reference to diversity initiatives on its own has no effect but the action of displaying diversity affects marketplace preferences and attitudes toward diversity initiatives.
Intraoperative fundus inspection during surgery
Authors: Wong John , Sella Sara , Assia Ehud I
Published: March 2020

Introduction:

We describe a technique of intraoperative fundus visualization during anterior segment surgery using an anterior chamber air bubble.

Methods:

An air bubble that occupies one-half to two-thirds of the anterior chamber is injected via existing corneal incisions at any time during surgery. By focusing downwards and looking through the air bubble, an upright image of the posterior pole of the fundus is seen. The technique is demonstrated in a series of cases in the form of photos and supplementary video files.

Results:

Visualization of the fundus can be safely and effectively performed regardless of the lens status (phakic/pseudophakic/aphakic) of the eye. This technique allows the posterior pole and up to mid-peripheral fundus to be quickly inspected at any stage of surgery.

Conclusion:

This technique may help surgeons to briefly inspect the fundus in cases of unusual light reflex or following complicated surgery without any additional instrumentation.
Chinese compound word inference through context and word-internal cues
Authors: Xu Yi , Zhang Jie
Published: March 2020

Lexical inference through reading is considered an important method for vocabulary building; however, empirical research has not consistently offered strong evidence of the application of lexical inference in second language vocabulary learning. A recently burgeoning line of research focuses on second language (L2) lexical inference of compounds in Chinese, a language that is both orthographically and typologically distant from English. In this study, we asked intermediate level Chinese L2 learners to think aloud while performing inferencing activities. We discuss the benefit of supportive context to inferencing and learning, and learners’ coordinate and interactive use of context and word-internal cues. Further, we proposed a model that captures such interactivity and highlights the composite of Chinese L2 learners’ intraword awareness. This suggests that interactive use of various cue sources and a simultaneous focus on form and on meaning can lead to encouraging outcomes for lexical inferencing and retention.
Narrative, persona and performance: The case of Theresa May 2016–2017
Authors: Atkins Judi , Gaffney John
Published: March 2020

A narrative and performance analysis of the period between the 2016 EU referendum and the 2017 general election makes an empirical and theoretical contribution to understanding personalised politics at the present time. This article contends that Theresa May’s initial success proceeded from her rhetorical construction and performance of a persona founded on the archetypal healer, together with a narrative based on the myth of One Nation. However, her decision as Prime Minister to align herself with the pro-Brexit constituency and her neglect of the ‘just about managing’ called both her persona and narrative into question. The highly personalised general election campaign ensured the focus stayed on May, while the manifesto offered her a new ‘flawed’ narrative that resulted in the collapse of her early leadership image. By the time of the election, May was performing neither the narrative nor the persona; she was effectively absent from her own campaign.
Towards an affective understanding of processes of racialization
Authors: Vila Pablo , Avery-Natale Edward
Published: March 2020

In this article, we apply developments from the affective turn—in particular, the concept of assemblages—to understand the relationship between race, affect, and emotions. We use the example of a Black CEO unsuccessfully hailing a taxi to show how race materializes with different intensities in specific settings, and how this operates in assemblage theory. We show that the emotion of “fear” plays a particularly important role in conditioning the way that race materializes with precise capacities in this specific encounter. In this way, race emerges as a particular version of race through the relational processes at work among the other elements of the assemblage, and the affects that emerge in the encounter—one of them, eventually, being fear. With regard to the affective turn, only some of those other elements are linked to a representational economy, while others work outside processes of cognition through their bare materiality, or their nonconscious habituation. We also highlight the productive power of discourse and hegemony in determining the outcome of assemblages. Because of America’s history, the CEO’s skin color is an especially pertinent component of the assemblage that limits his ability to act upon other components of the scene, most obviously his ability to achieve a desired action: hailing a cab.
Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development – A Promising Approach for Human Security in Fragile States?
Authors: Zeigermann Ulrike
Published: March 2020

This article explores Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development (PCSD) as an operational tool to promote a sustainable future for human security. Both scientific studies and policy documents were analysed to identify theoretical and practical challenges of human security from a PCSD perspective. Comparing those findings with information from expert interviews and literature on PCSD, I argue that the added value of the concept consists in its ability to deal with contradictory political interests at different stages of political decision making. The PCSD concept allows addressing synergies and nonintended effects of policies, which is particularly important in the sensitive context of violence and political transformation. Based on the analysis, my paper develops a new framework for analysing interlinked security and development challenges in fragile regions to overcome persistent shortcomings of both the human security and the PCSD concept.
The putative reader in mass media persuasion – stance, argumentation and ideology
Authors: White Peter R.R.
Published: March 2020

This article explores a framework for analyses of what has variously been termed the ‘implied’, ‘imagined’, ‘virtual’ or ‘putative’ reader/addressee – the effect by which ostensibly ‘monologic’ texts, such as news media commentary, political pronouncements and academic essays project particular attitudes, beliefs and expectations on to the reader/addressee. The framework is demonstrated in being applied to an examination of the construal of putative addressee positioning in a selection of mass media texts concerned with the Israeli military’s invasion of Gaza in 2014. The framework is novel in the way in which it mobilises the account of the options for dialogistic positioning offered by the appraisal-framework literature, combined with some insights from Toulmin’s notion of the argumentative ‘warrant’. Conclusions are offered as to how such analyses of the readers being ‘written into the text’ can extend insights into the rhetorical workings of such texts and their ideological functionality in naturalising particular value positions.
Exploring Managers’ Opinions on Planning and Designing Adult Day Care Centers
Authors: Su Sheng-Wen , Lee Shwn-Jen , Tsai Mei-Wun , Luo Hong-Ji
Published: March 2020

Objective:

To explore managers’ opinions on planning and design of location, building type, spatial layout, and interior design of adult day care centers (ADCCs).

Background:

The planning and design of new ADCCs affect subsequent service users and workflows. Studies explore the factors affecting such planning and design using qualitative methods and from the perspective of users. Quantitative methods are rarely employed to explore factors affecting planning and opinions on the design of ADCCs from administrators’ perspective.

Methods:

Stratified sampling was used to collect data from managers of ADCCs in Taiwan. A mixed-method approach with an analytic hierarchy process was used to quantify the relative importance of factors affecting location and building type selections. Participants responded to open-ended interview questions followed by focus group interviews to examine the key points for spatial layout and interior design.

Results:

The managers deemed support and attitudes from local residents (group weight = .208) and authorities (group weight = .187) as their first two critical location selection criteria. Regarding their opinions on the conditions of building type, those that prioritized the products and technologies of facility design were deemed the most critical (group weight = .193), followed by those that valued daylight quality (group weight = .161). Six key points of spatial layout and interior design were obtained from the focus group interviews.

Conclusions:

This study provides a reference for the effective planning of operations, including geographical location, building type, spatial layout, and interior refurbishment and design.
Telemonitor care helps CPAP compliance in patients with obstructive sleep apnea: a systemic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Chen Chongxiang , Wang Jiaojiao , Pang Lanlan , Wang Yanyan , Ma Gang , Liao Wei
Published: March 2020

Background:

This was a meta-analysis of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) compliance. We compared telemonitor (TM) care with usual care and supervised PAP titration (SPT) in the sleep unit with home auto-adjusting pressure titration (HAPT) in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Methods:

We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Medline for appropriate randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared TM care with usual care for patients with OSA. Review Manager 5.3 was used for all comparisons and analyses.

Results:

Our meta-analysis included 19 studies involving a total of 2464 patients with OSA; CPAP compliance was significantly higher in the TM care group [mean difference (MD) 0.68 h, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.48–0.89 h, I2 = 49%] compared with the usual care group. When we compared SPT and HAPT, two groups did not exhibit significantly different levels of CPAP compliance (MD −0.34 h, 95% CI −0.72–0.05 h, I2 = 91%). Subgroup analysis comparing the SPT with HAPT in CPAP compliance was grouped by follow-up time (⩾3 months or <3 months). Once again, there were no between-group differences in either long-term (MD = 0.56 h, 95% CI = 1.39–0.26 h, I2 = 91%), or short-term (MD = 0.34 h, 95% CI = 0.26–0.27 h, I2 = 14%) follow up.

Conclusions:

TM care was associated with significantly greater CPAP compliance compared with usual care. Also, HAPT was not inferior to SPT for CPAP compliance.