bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Monsoon Season Quantitative Assessment of Biomass Burning Clear-Sky Aerosol Radiative Effect at Surface by Ground-Based Lidar Observations in Pulau Pinang, Malaysia in 2014
Authors: Lolli Simone , Khor Wei , Matjafri Mohd , Lim Hwee
Published: November 2019

Direct and indirect aerosol effects are still one of the largest uncertainties related to the Earth energy budget, especially in a wild and remote region like South-East Asia, where ground-based measurements are still difficult and scarce, while endemic cloudy skies make difficult active and passive satellite observations. In this preliminary study, we analyzed and quantitatively assessed the differences between monsoon and inter-monsoon seasons, in terms of radiative effects at surface and columnar heating rate, of clear-sky biomass burning aerosols (no clouds) using ground-based lidar observations obtained with a 355 nm elastic lidar instrument, deployed since 2012 at the Physics Department of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). The model-based back-trajectory analysis put in evidence that, during the monsoon seasons (November–March and June–September), the air masses advected towards the observational site transit over active fire hotspot regions, in contrast with the inter-monsoon season. In between the monsoon seasons (April–May, October), the atmosphere over Penang is constituted by local background urban aerosols that originate from road traffic emissions, domestic cooking, and industrial plants emissions. The analysis was carried out using the vertically-resolved profiles of the seasonal averaged aerosol optical properties (monsoon vs. inter-monsoon seasons), e.g., the atmospheric extinction coefficient, to evaluate the seasonal surface aerosol radiative effect and column heating rate differences through the Fu–Liou–Gu (FLG) radiative transfer model. The results put in evidence that the biomass burning advection during the monsoon season (especially during the South West monsoon from June to September) lowers the noon daytime incoming solar shortwave solar radiation reaching the Earth surface with respect to the local background conditions by 91.5 W/m2 (114–69 W/m2). The aerosols also lead to an averaged heating in the first kilometer of the atmosphere of about 4.9 K/day (6.4–3.4 W/m2). The two combined effects, i.e., less absorbed energy by Earth surface and warming of the first kilometer of the boundary layer, increase the low-level stability during monsoon seasons, with a possible reduction in cloud formation and precipitation. The net effect is to exacerbate the haze episodes, as the pollutants rest trapped into the boundary layer. Besides these considerations, the lidar measurements are of great interest in this particular world region and might be used for cal/val of the future space missions, e. g., Earthcare.
Compassion Fatigue and Vicarious Trauma in Everyday Hospital Social Work: A Personal Narrative of Practitioner–Researcher Identity Transition
Authors: Fox Mim
Published: November 2019

The story of my evolution as a practice-based collaborative researcher is a story that comes full circle. Through exploring my own experiences of compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma as a hospital-based social worker, I am able to investigate the phenomenon across the profession and provide a critique of the needs of practitioners working in the complex environment of hospitals and health care. Parallel to this is an investigation into the need for practice research in this complex environment and in the profession overall as seen through the lens of a collaborative research partnership with social work hospital colleagues that transformed my approach to research. I have drawn on personal narrative, autoethnography and reflexive processing to investigate my own impact on and from this research. I conclude with an understanding of the power of storytelling in participatory action research and in the potential in collaborative research methodologies for authentic reciprocity and relationship to traverse the practice–research divide.
The Ideal and the Real Dimensions of the European Migration Crisis. The Polish Perspective
Authors: Cieślińska Barbara , Dziekońska Małgorzata
Published: November 2019

In the article the so-called European migrant crisis of 2015 is presented from the perspective of Polish society. First, we consider criteria for distinguishing refugees from other types of immigrants. Second, we examine the characteristics of the 2015 inflow which contribute to its perception in terms of crisis. The third issue is Polish society’s reactions to the phenomenon of migration. On the one hand, the results of nationwide polls are presented. On the other hand, the perspective of a provincial city is introduced. In the city an active refugee center has been operating for almost three decades and major importance has been attached to the idea of a multicultural society. The analysis of these issues indicates that the inflow related to the migration crisis does not coincide with the current patterns of refugee migration and is not consistent with the celebrated vision of a multicultural society.
Discovering Potential Technology Opportunities for Fuel Cell Vehicle Firms: A Multi-Level Patent Portfolio-Based Approach
Authors: Shi Xuan , Cai Lingfei , Song Hongfang
Published: November 2019

Technology opportunity discovery (TOD) is an important technique to help fuel cell vehicle (FCV) firms keep market advantage and sustainable development. Under fierce competition in the new energy industry, there is an urgent necessity for innovative TOD methods to effectively identify technology opportunities for FCV firms. This study proposes a structured TOD framework with a multi-level identification process. Based on technology portfolio analysis, it fully integrates the firm’s technology level analysis, technology potential analysis and patent novelty analysis. A series of techniques such as LDA (latent Dirichlet allocation), MDS (multidimensional scaling) and LOF (local outlier factor) are also applied in the framework. A total of 14,858 granted patent data of the FCV industry containing 798 patents of the target firm were extracted from the Derwent Innovation Index database as the input data of the empirical study. The result shows that the framework can provide a more profound analysis for identifying technology opportunities, which offer more appropriate insights in both strategic and operational level technological decisions for technology-oriented firms.
Impact of Safety Attitude on the Safety Behavior of Coal Miners in China
Authors: Li Yuanlong , Wu Xiang , Luo Xiaowei , Gao Jingqi , Yin Wenwen
Published: November 2019

Most coal mine accidents are attributed to the unsafe behavior of miners. Adjusting the safety attitude and thus improving miners’ safety behavior is important for accident prevention. However, the relationship between safety attitude and safety behavior in the coal mining industry has not been explored. The coal miners’ safety attitude scale and safety behavior scale were used to analyze the impact of safety attitude on safety behavior and investigate the correlation between four dimensions of safety attitude and two kinds of safety behavior. The impact of demographic characteristics including age, length of service, and education level on safety attitude and safety behavior was also measured. A survey of miners at four coal mines in China resulted in 593 valid responses. The result indicates that safety attitude is not only positively related to safety behavior but also positively related to safety participation and safety compliance. From the four dimensions of safety attitude, the team safety climate directly affects safety participation and safety compliance. Management safety commitment, job stress, and fatalism are not significantly related to safety participation and safety compliance. The results show that age and length of service were slightly related to safety attitude, and the education level was not significantly related to safety attitude. Age, length of service and education level had no impact on safety behavior. The contribution of this study to the current literature is that the safety attitude of coal miners can positively affect safety behavior and can be improved by fostering a good team safety climate. Practical implications emphasize safety training and safety education, especially for young miners. Managers should reinforce safety commitment, provide adequate safety equipment, timely communicate with miners, and encourage miners to actively communicate with colleagues to improve safety behavior and prevent accident in the coal mining industry.
Carbon Mitigation for Industrial Sectors in the Jing-Jin-Ji Urban Agglomeration, China
Authors: Zhang Yali , Wang Yihan , Hou Xiaoshu
Published: November 2019

Industrial companies are responsible for most of the energy consumption and carbon emissions in China’s urban agglomerations. Some scholars have allocated CO2 emissions to China’s industrial sectors in reaching national reduction targets, yet industrial sectors’ burden-sharing problem for carbon mitigation at the provincial level has not been well addressed. Given the goal of realizing China’s national carbon mitigation target by 2030, we applied a nonlinear quota allocation model to obtain the optimal allocation of emission reduction quotas among 37 industrial sectors in the Jing-Jin-Ji urban agglomeration in China (comprising Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei). Compared to Beijing and Tianjin, the secondary industry in Hebei bears the highest reduction responsibilities, given that Hebei will experience the largest carbon emissions, at 0.42 billion tons in 2030, which is 80.04% of the total emissions in the Jing-Jin-Ji urban agglomeration. Energy production and heavy manufacturing sectors serve as the major carbon emitters and have relatively high carbon intensities, which indicates that they have significant potential and major responsibilities for impacting carbon mitigation. Based on differences in urban function and development mode, the same industrial sectors in the three provinces have different obligations for emission reductions. This study is vital to allocate reduction responsibilities among industrial sectors and to discrete key sector categories bearing a higher mitigation burden.
Integrated Coastal Zone Management in Continental Ecuador and Galapagos Islands: Challenges and Opportunities in a Changing Tourism and Economic Context
Authors: Mestanza-Ramón Carlos , Capa Maritza Sanchez , Saavedra Hilter Figueroa , Paredes Juana Rojas
Published: November 2019

The objective of the study is to analyze integrated coastal zone management in mainland Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, and to discuss its challenges and opportunities in the face of constant changes in tourism and economic realities. The methodology used is based on the analysis of ten key elements to analyze national coastal management: policies, regulations, institutions, strategies, instruments, information, education, resources, managers, and participation. The main results indicate that Ecuador received support in terms of training and international financing for ICZM, but this has not been sufficient to guarantee correct management, due to a high discontinuity in economic and administrative political factors. All this has harmed the development of tourism and the dynamization of the economy in coastal areas. It is advisable to apply new policies where gastronomic and cultural aspects are strengthened.
The Relationship between Social Responsibility and Business Performance: An Analysis of the Agri-Food Sector of Southeast Spain
Authors: Martos-Pedrero Antonio , Cortés-García Francisco Joaquín , Jiménez-Castillo David
Published: November 2019

This study aims to contribute to the existing debate on the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) orientation on different measures of business performance through the proposal of a conceptual model. Drawing on stakeholder theory, we conceptualize CSR as a broad and multidimensional construct with seven dimensions: employees, partners, customers, farmers, environment, community, and competition. We also extend the concept of business performance, which includes tangible variables, namely financial performance (FP) and export performance (EXP), as well as intangible variables, namely image and reputation (IR) and the satisfaction of relevant stakeholders (SS). The research context of this study is the agri-food sector in southeastern Spain. This sector has been the focus of attention of numerous researchers due to the relevance that social and environmental aspects have had in its development. To test the proposed model, the partial least-squares technique (PLS-SEM) was applied to data collected by means of a survey from a sample of 107 companies, which represent 81.4% of the turnover of the sector analyzed. The results show that CSR has a positive effect on financial performance, improves the volume and performance of exports, positively affects the corporate image and reputation, and increases the level of satisfaction of relevant stakeholders. Further research should examine the model from the perceptions of other stakeholders (e.g., customers, employees, and suppliers), using a longitudinal research design and exploring other contexts.
Study of a Li-Ion Cell Kinetics in Five Regions to Predict Li Plating Using a Pseudo Two-Dimensional Model
Authors: Momeni Boroujeni Sanaz , Birke Kai Peter
Published: November 2019

Detecting or predicting lithium plating in Li-ion cells and subsequently suppressing or preventing it have been the aim of many researches as it directly contributes to the aging, safety, and life-time of the cell. Although abundant influencing parameters on lithium deposition are already known, more information is still needed in order to predict this phenomenon and prevent it in time. It is observed that balancing in a Li-ion cell can play an important role in controlling lithium plating. In this work, five regions are defined with the intention of covering all the zones participating in the charge transfer from one electrode to the other during cell cycling. We employ a pseudo two-dimensional (P2D) cell model including two irreversible side reactions of solid electrolyte interface (SEI) formation and lithium plating (Li-P) as the anode aging mechanisms. With the help of simulated data and the Nernst–Einstein relation, ionic conductivities of the regions are calculated separately. Calculation results show that by aging the cell, more deviation between ionic conductivities of cathode and anode takes place which leads to the start of Li plating.
Stability Control of a Goaf-Side Roadway under the Mining Disturbance of an Adjacent Coal Working Face in an Underground Mine
Authors: Yang Houqiang , Han Changliang , Zhang Nong , Sun Changlun , Pan Dongjiang , Dong Minghui
Published: November 2019

Goaf-side roadway driving could not only notably reduce the loss of coal resources and improve the coal recovery rates, but also greatly mitigate the imbalance between excavation speed and production needs, which are able to prolong the service life of the mine and are pivotal to sustainable and efficient development of underground coal mines. However, it is difficult to control the stability of the goaf-side roadway, especially under mining disturbance of another adjacent coal working face. In order to control the stability of the goaf-side roadway, Haulageway 1513 in the Xinyi Coal Mine of China, under mining disturbance, theoretical analysis, numerical simulation, and engineering practice were carried out to reveal the mechanism of overburden key strata fracture, stress distribution, and deformation characteristics of the surrounding rock of the goaf-side roadway due to mining disturbance. Results showed that some key strata above Goaf 1512 did not fracture due to the influence of the strata caving angles. However, these key strata would fracture and break into rock blocks when suffering from mining disturbance of the adjacent coal working face, which changed the stress distribution and increased the deformations of the surrounding rock of the goaf-side roadway. The combined techniques of pressure relief and bolt support were proposed and carried out to control the stability of the goaf-side roadway. Engineering practice indicated that the maximum deformations of the roof and sidewall-to-sidewall were 220 mm and 470 mm, respectively. The deformations of the goaf-side roadway under mining disturbance were efficiently controlled.
The Effects of Rainfall Runoff Pollutants on Plant Physiology in a Bioretention System Based on Pilot Experiments
Authors: Gong Yongwei , Hao Yan , Li Junqi , Li Haiyan , Shen Zhenyao , Wang Wenhai , Wang Sisi
Published: November 2019

Bioretention facilities have been widely used in the construction of Sponge City in China, but there have also been doubts about whether road runoff pollutants have adverse effects on plant growth. In response to this problem, this paper explored the effects of bioretention on the removal of pollutants and explored the effects of runoff on plant growth and physiology. The results showed that (1) the average concentration reduction rate and load removal rate of TN and NO3--N were above 70%, the average NH4+-N concentration reduction rate and load removal rate were greater than 90%, and the removal of elemental N was affected by the influent concentration. The removal effect of the four heavy metals was not very great. The average concentration reduction rate and load removal rate of heavy metals were 65.4–95.7% and 85.4–99.4%, respectively. The cumulative load removal rate of various pollutants was above 87.0%. (2) The runoff of high–concentration pollutants had a negative or no significant effects on the net photosynthesis rates (Pn), chlorophyll contents (CC), and electrolyte leakage (EL) of most plants (e.g., Iris tectorum Maxim, Rosa xanthina Lindl, and Ligustrum vicaryi). It had a significantly negative effect on the plant height of shrub plants (e.g., Rosa xanthina Lindl and Ligustrum vicaryi), but had a positive effect on Pn and CC of Iris lactea var. chinensis. (3) The runoff of low–concentration pollutants had a positive or no significant effects on the physiological indexes of herbaceous plants (e.g., Iris tectorum Maxim and Iris lactea var. chinensis), but there were no explicit conclusions regarding the physiological indicators of shrub plants (e.g., Rosa xanthina Lindl and Ligustrum vicaryi). It had no obvious effects on the plant height of these four species of plants.
Which Country Epitomizes the World? A Study from the Perspective of Demographic Composition
Authors: Yoshida Takahiro , Er-rbib Rim , Tsutsumi Morito
Published: November 2019

Demographic indicators are an essential element in considering various problems in the social economy, such as predicting economic fluctuations and establishing policies. Although literature extensively discusses the growth of the world population or issues pertaining to its aging, it has given little to no attention to population structures and transition patterns while considering compositional data problems. This study considers the characteristics of compositional data to examine the transition of the world population structure. The Aitchison distance examines the similarity of the world population structure from 1990 to 2080 and that of countries and regions in 2015, and creates maps to illustrate the results. Accordingly, the results identified the following countries and regions as epitomes of the world’s population structure through different periods: India, Northern Africa and South Africa, in the 1990s, South America in 2015 to 2030, Oceania and Northern America in 2040, Uruguay and Puerto Rico in 2050 to 2060, and Italy and Japan in the distant future.
The Role of Mutual Guarantee Institutions in the Financial Sustainability of New Family-Owned Small Businesses
Authors: de la Fuente-Cabrero Concepción , de Castro-Pardo Mónica , Santero-Sánchez Rosa , Laguna-Sánchez Pilar
Published: November 2019

Small family-owned companies are the most common type of European business structure and are characterised by their orientation to long-term goals. Therefore, they can play an important role in the launching of businesses related to sustainable growth. However, access to finance is difficult for start-ups. Mutual Guarantee Institutions (MGIs) mitigate this problem by facilitating long-term guaranteed loans, but they must assume responsibility for default losses. This paper analyses, as of the end of 2018, the loan default of the portfolio of guarantees formalised by Spanish MGIs with new companies between 2003 and 2012, a period including both economic growth and recession. The objective is to identify the annual evolution and the average global cost of default, as well as the differences in said portfolios according to the purpose of the loan, company size and economic activity. The analysis was developed while considering two scenarios: one determinist, using a ratio method and another stochastic, using an analysis of variance. We found differences in the distribution of defaults for the variables company size and sector of activity. The findings provide relevant information for managers and Public Administrations to improve the distribution of guarantees between Spanish MGIs and public institutions, and their coverage of Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) loan defaults.
Volume Preserving Maps Between p-Balls
Authors: Holhoş Adrian , Roşca Daniela
Published: November 2019

We construct a volume preserving map U p from the p-ball B p ( r ) = x ∈ R 3 , ∥ x ∥ p ≤ r to the regular octahedron B 1 ( r ′ ) , for arbitrary p > 0 . Then we calculate the inverse U p − 1 and we also deduce explicit expressions for U ∞ and U ∞ − 1 . This allows us to construct volume preserving maps between arbitrary balls B p ( r ) and B p ′ ( r ˜ ) , and also to map uniform and refinable grids between them. Finally we list some possible applications of our maps.
Deoxynivalenol Induces Intestinal Damage and Inflammatory Response through the Nuclear Factor-κB Signaling Pathway in Piglets
Authors: Wang Xi-Chun , Zhang Ya-Fei , Cao Li , Zhu Lei , Huang Ying-Ying , Chen Xiao-Fang , Chu Xiao-Yan , Zhu Dian-Feng , Ur Rahman Sajid , Feng Shi-Bin , Li Yu , Wu Jin-Jie
Published: November 2019

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is highly toxic to animals and humans, but pigs are most sensitive to it. The porcine mucosal injury related mechanism of DON is not yet fully clarified. Here, we investigated DON-induced injury in the intestinal tissues of piglet. Thirty weanling piglets [(Duroc × Landrace) × Yorkshire] were randomly divided into three groups according to single factor experimental design (10 piglets each group). Piglets were fed a basal diet in the control group, while low and high dose groups were fed a DON diet (1300 and 2200 μg/kg, respectively) for 60 days. Scanning electron microscopy results indicated that the ultrastructure of intestinal epithelial cells in the DON-treated group was damaged. The distribution and optical density (OD) values of zonula occludens 1 (ZO-1) protein in the intestinal tissues of DON-treated groups were decreased. At higher DON dosage, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α mRNA levels were elevated in the intestinal tissues. The mRNA and protein levels of NF-κB p65, IκB-α, IKKα/β, iNOS, and COX-2 in the small intestinal mucosa were abnormally altered with an increase in DON concentration. These results indicate that DON can persuade intestinal damage and inflammatory responses in piglets via the nuclear factor-κB signaling pathway.
Fusarium Mycotoxins Disrupt the Barrier and Induce IL-6 Release in a Human Placental Epithelium Cell Line
Authors: Seyed Toutounchi Negisa , Hogenkamp Astrid , Varasteh Soheil , van’t Land Belinda , Garssen Johan , Kraneveld Aletta D. , Folkerts Gert , Braber Saskia
Published: November 2019

Deoxynivalenol, T-2 toxin, and zearalenone, major Fusarium mycotoxins, contaminate human food on a global level. Exposure to these mycotoxins during pregnancy can lead to abnormalities in neonatal development. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Fusarium mycotoxins on human placental epithelial cells. As an in vitro model of placental barrier, BeWo cells were exposed to different concentrations of deoxynivalenol, zearalenone or T-2 toxin. Cytotoxicity, effects on barrier integrity, paracellular permeability along with mRNA and protein expression and localization of junctional proteins after exposure were evaluated. Induction of proinflammatory responses was determined by measuring cytokine production. Increasing mycotoxin concentrations affect BeWo cell viability, and T-2 toxin was more toxic compared to other mycotoxins. Deoxynivalenol and T-2 toxin caused significant barrier disruption, altered protein and mRNA expression of junctional proteins, and induced irregular cellular distribution. Although the effects of zearalenone on barrier integrity were less prominent, all tested mycotoxins were able to induce inflammation as measured by IL-6 release. Overall, Fusarium mycotoxins disrupt the barrier of BeWo cells by altering the expression and structure of junctional proteins and trigger proinflammatory responses. These changes in placental barrier may disturb the maternal–fetal interaction and adversely affect fetal development.
PCV2 Regulates Cellular Inflammatory Responses through Dysregulating Cellular miRNA-mRNA Networks
Authors: Li Chang , Sun Yumei , Li Jing , Jiang Changsheng , Zeng Wei , Zhang Hao , Fan Shengxian , He Qigai
Published: November 2019

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is closely linked to postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) and other PCV-associated diseases (PCVADs), which influence the global pig industry. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are evolutionarily conserved classes of endogenous small non-coding RNA that regulate almost every cellular process. According to our previous transcription study, PCV2 infection causes up-regulation of genes related to inflammation. To reveal the function of miRNAs in PCV2 infection and PCV2-encoded miRNAs, next generation sequencing and data analysis was performed to explore miRNA expression in PCV2-infected cells and non-infected cells. Data analysis found some small RNAs matched the PCV2 genome but PCV2 does not express miRNAs in an in vitro infection (PK-15 cells). More than 297 known and 427 novel miRNAs were identified, of which 44 miRNAs were differently expressed (DE). The pathways of inflammation mediated by chemokine and cytokine signaling pathway (P00031), were more perturbed in PCV2-infected cells than in mock controls. DE miRNAs and DE mRNA interaction network clearly revealed that PCV2 regulates the cellular inflammatory response through dysregulating the cellular miRNA-mRNA network. MiRNA overexpression and down-expression results demonstrated that miRNA dysregulation could affect PCV2 infection-induced cellular inflammatory responses. Our study revealed that host miRNA can be dysregulated by PCV2 infection and play an important role in PCV2-modulated inflammation.
Mosquitoes of North-Western Europe as Potential Vectors of Arboviruses: A Review
Authors: Martinet Jean-Philippe , Ferté Hubert , Failloux Anna-Bella , Schaffner Francis , Depaquit Jérôme
Published: November 2019

Background: The intensification of trade and travel is linked to the growing number of imported cases of dengue, chikungunya or Zika viruses into continental Europe and to the expansion of invasive mosquito species such as Aedes albopictus and Aedes japonicus. Local outbreaks have already occurred in several European countries. Very little information exists on the vector competence of native mosquitoes for arboviruses. As such, the vectorial status of the nine mosquito species largely established in North-Western Europe (Aedes cinereus and Aedes geminus, Aedes cantans, Aedes punctor, Aedes rusticus, Anopheles claviger s.s., Anopheles plumbeus, Coquillettidia richiardii, Culex pipiens s.l., and Culiseta annulata) remains mostly unknown. Objectives: To review the vector competence of both invasive and native mosquito populations found in North-Western Europe (i.e., France, Belgium, Germany, United Kingdom, Ireland, The Netherlands, Luxembourg and Switzerland) for dengue, chikungunya, Zika, West Nile and Usutu viruses. Methods: A bibliographical search with research strings addressing mosquito vector competence for considered countries was performed. Results: Out of 6357 results, 119 references were related to the vector competence of mosquitoes in Western Europe. Eight species appear to be competent for at least one virus. Conclusions: Aedes albopictus is responsible for the current outbreaks. The spread of Aedes albopictus and Aedes japonicus increases the risk of the autochthonous transmission of these viruses. Although native species could contribute to their transmission, more studies are still needed to assess that risk.
Parechovirus A Pathogenesis and the Enigma of Genotype A-3
Authors: Sridhar Adithya , Karelehto Eveliina , Brouwer Lieke , Pajkrt Dasja , Wolthers Katja C.
Published: November 2019

Parechovirus A is a species in the Parechovirus genus within the Picornaviridae family that can cause severe disease in children. Relatively little is known on Parechovirus A epidemiology and pathogenesis. This review aims to explore the Parechovirus A literature and highlight the differences between Parechovirus A genotypes from a pathogenesis standpoint. In particular, the curious case of Parechovirus-A3 and the genotype-specific disease association will be discussed. Finally, a brief outlook on Parechovirus A research is provided.
Model Performance Indicator of Aging Pipes in a Domestic Water Supply Distribution Network
Authors: Abd Rahman Norzaura , Muhammad Nur Shazwani , Abdullah Jazuri , Wan Mohtar Wan Hanna Melini
Published: November 2019

Aging pipes in the domestic water distribution network have the potential to decrease the quality and quantity of the treated water supplied to the consumers. Therefore, a calibrated water distribution model is helpful to monitor and understand the behaviour of a real water distribution network. However, a comprehensive performance indicator and an integrated method to assess the efficiency of model performance have not been well established in the literature. This study developed a methodology for a model calibration exercise, with consideration of two uncertainty parameters, i.e., Hazen–Williams roughness coefficient of the pipes and Non-Revenue Water (NRW) in each nodal demand. Following this, a statistical color-coded performance indicator was established, based on the Nash–Sutcliffe Efficiency Coefficient (NSEC), the coefficient of determination (R2), the correlation coefficient (r), and the Mean Absolute Error (MAE). The accuracy of the calibrated model was measured by Discrepancy Ratio (DR) analysis. This study concluded that the model performed well when NRW was added to the nodal demand in zone(s) with suspected water loss activities. The suggested Hazen–Williams roughness coefficient for PVC pipes was between 130 and 140 for pipes aged more than 20 years. The threshold error value to determine the accuracy of the simulated model was proposed to be between –0.05 and 0.05.
Treatment of Pulp and Paper Industrial Effluent Using Physicochemical Process for Recycling
Authors: Mehmood Kashif , Rehman Sardar Kashif Ur , Wang Jin , Farooq Furqan , Mahmood Qaisar , Jadoon Atif Mehmood , Javed Muhammad Faisal , Ahmad Imtiaz
Published: November 2019

Physicochemical treatment, consisting of a combination of primary settling, coagulation–flocculation-aided clarification (alum, lime and magnesium sulfate as coagulants) and activated carbon adsorption, was employed for the treatment of pulp and paper mill wastewater. Treatability studies were undertaken to assess the feasibility of recycling the effluents from a paper mill. The results of laboratory scale investigation showed that the hydraulic retention time (HRT) of four hours for plain settling was effective to reduce 30% of the pollution load from pulp and board mill wastewater (PBMWW). The chemical secondary treatment reduced turbidity (89%), Chemical Oxygen Demand (84%), total suspended solids (90%) and color (89%) at the mass loading of 3400 mg/L of magnesium sulfate (MgSO4), when primary-treated effluent was subsequently treated by the coagulation–flocculation process. The combination of primary settling and lime coagulation (optimum dosage of 1400 mg/L) resulted in a turbidity removal of 94%, a COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) reduction of 86%, a Total Suspended Solids (TSS) removal of 93% and color removal of 91.6% at an initial pH of 11. The combination of this primary settling and coagulation–flocculation treatment trial indicated that the pollutant reduction efficiency of alum was better than the other two coagulants (MgSO4, lime), because the plain settling and coagulation–flocculation process with alum (optimum dosage of 1200 mg/L) resulted in a turbidity removal of 98%, COD reduction of 93%, TSS removal of 98% and color removal of 96% at the pH 6.0 with the sludge volume index of 156 mg/L. This chemically-treated water required further treatment with activated carbon in a batch reactor for up to four hours to meet the paper mill water quality standards. Pollutant reductions at the rate of 99.5%, 99.1%, 99.4% and 99.5% were obtained for turbidity, COD, TSS and color, respectively, with the combination of the sedimentation, coagulation–flocculation process and activated carbon adsorption meeting the production process quality standards. The study revealed that a hybrid end-of-pipe physicochemical treatment was effective in reducing the pollutant load of paper mills effluent and meeting the discharging standards.
PERBEDAAN ZONA HAMBAT PERTUMBUHAN Staphylococcus aureus PADA BERBAGAI KONSENTRASI EKSTRAK ETANOL DAUN BIDURI SECARA IN VITRO
Authors: Mastra Nyoman
Published: November 2019

ABSTRACTBackground Staphylococcus aureus is a pathogenic bacteria that can cause infection. Biduri leaf has antibacterial compound such as tannin, flavonoid, saponin, and polyphenol.Objective This study aimed to know the difference of growth inhibition zone of Staphylococcus aureus at the various concentration of ethanol extract of biduri leaf and to determine an effective concentration.Methods This study was the true experiment with posttest only control design, used Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method with five concentrations (20%, 40%, 60%, 80%,100%), positive control (chloramphenicol 30 µg) and negative control (ethanol 96%).Result The result of this study showed the average of inhibition zone diameter of each concentration consecutively 26,2 mm, 28,3 mm, 29,7 mm, 31 mm and 31,5 mm. One Way Anova statistic analysis showed that the value of p is 0.000 so there is the difference of growth inhibition zone of Staphylococcus aureus at various concentrations of ethanol extract of a biduri leaf.Conclusion The conclusion of this study is there are differences in growth inhibition zone of Staphylococcus aureus at various concentrations of ethanol extract of biduri leaf and an effective concentration that can inhibit of Staphylococcus aureus is concentration 20% with mean inhibition zone is 26,2 mm. Keywords: ethanol extract of biduri leaf; Staphylococcus aureus; inhibition zone
PROFIL GLUKOSA DARAH PUASA BERDASARKAN INDEKS MASSA TUBUH
Authors: Sunita Sunita
Published: November 2019

BeratBadanmerupakansalahsatu parameter yang memberikangambaranmassatubuh. Beratbadan yang normal atau ideal bilatinggibadandanberatbadanseimbang.Batasanberatbadan normal orang dewasaditentukanberdasarkannilaiIndeks Massa Tubuh.Salah satufaktorrisiko DMT2 adalahIndeks Massa Tubuh (IMT).Penelitianinibertujuanuntukmelihatapakahadaperbedaankadarguladarahpuasaberdasarkanindeksmassatubuh.Penelitianinidilakukandenganmetodecross sectional. PopulasipenelitianadalahMahsiswapoltekkeskemenkesbengkuludengantekniksecaraaccidental sampling sebanyak 46 orang, sampel yang digunakanadalahdarahkapiler yang kemudiankadarguladarahpuasanyadiperiksamenggunakanalatglukometer. Penelitianiniterdiridariduavariabel, yaitukadarguladarahpuasasebagaivariabel dependent danindeksmassatubuhsebagaivariabel independent.Dari hasilpenelitiandenganmenggunakanuji t- independent didapatkannilai p value 0,00. Dimananilai p value α (0,000,005) dapat di simpulkan Ada perbedaankadarguladarahpuasaberdasarkan IMT padaMahasiswadipoltekeskemenkesbengkulu.
The Effect of Cryogenic Treatment on the Wear Resistance of Al Alloy-Fly Ash Composites
Authors:   Research Scholar, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Karpagam Academy of Higher Education, Coimbatore - 641021, India, Venkatesh* D. Prasanna , Shanmughasundaram* P. ,   Professor,(2)Department of Automobile Engineering, Karpagam Academy of Higher Education, Coimbatore - 641021, India.
Published: November 2019

The effect of cryogenic treatment on the wear resistance of aluminium alloy LM 25, LM25+5 % fly ash and LM25+10% fly ash composites, which are synthesized by squeeze casting method, was investigated. The impact of the parameters on the wear resistance was studied under two different cryogenic soaking periods [0hrs (untreated), 12hrs and 24 hrs.] and three different load and sliding velocities with the help of pin-on-disc test rig. The wear tests were performed according to Taguchi’s approach. The percentage contribution of the cryogenic soaking period was determined by means of analysis of variance. The load was found to be more significant than cryogenic soaking period and velocity on wear loss of the composites. Regression model was generated to envisage the wear loss.
Different Realism Designs of 2D Virtual Agents and i ts' Arousal Effect on Students’ Emotions in Learning
Authors:   PhD Student in the Faculty of Art, Computing and Creative Industry, Sultan Idris Education University, Malaysia., Muniady Vicneas , Ali Ahmad Zamzuri Mohamad ,   Professor of Multimedia, Faculty of Art, Computing and Creative Industry, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, Malaysia.
Published: November 2019

This research was aimed to analyse students’ emotions caused by the character’s realism design in the dimension of arousal and its’ effect on emotions in learning. Thus, 2D female virtual agents with four different realism appearance namely realistic, semi-realistic, stylized and cartoon-like were designed and developed. Thus, quasi experimental design was used to answer the research questions derived from this study. The data obtained from the experiment was analysed using ANOVA, post hoc and bootstrap mediation analysis. A number of 600 Electrical Engineering students were chosen from seven polytechnics in Malaysia as respondents in the experiment. From the research it was found that cartoon-like design obtained the lowest mean score arousal followed by stylized, realistic and semi-realistic designs. However, cartoon-like design scored highest mean score for emotions in learning followed by semi-realistic, realistic and stylized designs. Therefore, cartoon-like agent is the best agent among others in inducing positive emotions in learning. In addition, the mediation analysis shows that arousal has mediating effects on relation between different realism designs and emotions in learning. In conclusion, this study recommends cartoon-like agent as the best suitable design for 2D virtual agent followed by semi-realistic, realistic and stylized designs subsequently. Finally, the findings of this study can be a useful guideline for multimedia designers in determining the ideal 2D virtual agent appearance to elicit maximum impact of it in promoting positive emotions in multimedia learning environment.
Computer based Registration for Skill Development
Authors:   koneru lakshmaiah Education Foundation, Guntur Vaddeswaram, India., Basha* CMAK Zeelan , sharan T V Shanmuka ,   koneru lakshmaiah Education Foundation, Guntur Vaddeswaram, India., Reddy M Ravi Kishore ,   koneru lakshmaiah Education Foundation, Guntur Vaddeswaram, India, Venkatesh P S M ,   koneru lakshmaiah Education Foundation, Guntur Vaddeswaram, India
Published: November 2019

Student skill development system is a part of university course registration system. In University traditional approach course registration process involves filling registration forms manually and then they have to submit them. In traditional approach students don’t have choice to select their courses. Students need to study the courses which are offered by university and are very limited so students cannot improve their skills and the process is very time consuming. With the improvement of information technology from the last decade, the major focus has shifted from manual system to automated system. Various other applications like Railway systems, Hospital management etc., are also getting updated from manual to automated work. Although there are several approaches have been proposed in addressing student registration, this research paper provides a very user friendly and automated way of registration system. An Online Skill Development System has been developed to simplify the current manual procedure. In this project students can register for their courses based on their interest and they can also register for online moocs so that they can improve their skills and knowledge. Students can explore more technologies through the moocs. This system has been developed using ServiceNow Platform and its concepts like Client Script, Script Include, Form designer, Service portal, Workflow and Notifications. This system software is more secured, user-friendly and less time-consuming.
The Reasons for The Mass Mortality of Siberian Roe Deer in The Wintering Period in Western Siberia
Authors:   FSBEI HE Novosibirsk State Agrarian University, Novosibirsk, Russia, Yermolik* V.B. ,   Kirzinsky State Nature Reserve of Federal Importance, Barabinsk, Novosibirsk Region, Russia., Schmidt Yu.D. ,   FSBEI HE Novosibirsk State Agrarian University, Novosibirsk, Russia., Smirnov P.N. ,   FSBEI HE Novosibirsk State Agrarian University, Novosibirsk, Russia.
Published: November 2019

The article presents the analysis of the limiting environmental factors that determine the dynamics of the roe deer population in Western Siberia. The regularities of the extreme effect of winter anomalies, in particular, high snow, on the organisms of Siberian roe deer have been determined. The structure of winter nutrition and behavioral reactions of roe deer has been studied in terms of adaptation and maintaining the homeostasis in the conditions of fodder shortage and overcoming the resistance of the snow cover. The reasons for the mass mortality of roe deer in the winter have been found. To solve this problem, post-mortem examinations were made of the roe deer that died from starvation in the wild. Studies have shown that roe deer feeding on raw growing browse in the wintering period results in injuries of the digestive system. This browse has low nutritional value and is unable to ensure the energy balance in the organism of roe deer. It has been found that this process is accompanied by degeneration of the tissues and organs with disruption of their functions, resulting in nutritional depletion, which causes mass mortality of roe deer in the wild.
Meals of Cattle Feeders in Surkhan Oasis
Authors:   Doctorate at Termiz State university, Termez, Uzbekistan, Nurullo Tursunov
Published: November 2019

Different varieties of meals, methods of making them and local ethno-cultural features of hospitality of cattle feeders in Southern Uzbekistan at the end of XIX century and at the beginning of XX century. Natural climate and daily household activities highly influenced the type of traditional meals in the area and the way they were consumed by the localswhich has been highlighted in the article.
Performance Evaluation o f a n Efficient 5 2 Compressor f or Digital Applications
Authors:   Assistant, Professor, Department. of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, Tamilnadu, India., Mathan N. , Jegan G. ,   Assistant, Professor, Department. of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, Tamilnadu, India., Avinash M. Satya Sai ,   Department. of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, Tamilnadu, India., Yadav M. Krishna ,   Department. of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, India..
Published: November 2019

This paper presents an efficient performance 5-2 compressor which consumes less power. The architecture of this compressor consists of full adder, XOR’s, CGEN and MUX blocks. This architecture is mainly implemented based on Cout signals independent of Cin signals in order to reduce the carry propagation to a compressor. An efficient full adder is used to optimize the compressor architecture. In this design, an existing carry generator, XOR, MUX blocks configure with the proposed full adder circuit. The proposed design for full adder employs using pass transistor logic, which eliminates the weak logic in the circuit. This technique is mainly considerable for less power consumption. The parameters of proposed architecture is compared with other designs i.e. power-delay product, average-power, and delay. Simulations were done using HSPICE software in 130nm and 32nm technology. The simulation results show the improvement in the overall performance of the 5-2 compressor.
Data Offloading for Effective Rescue Operations During Fire Disaster Management
Authors:   Associate Professor, GRIET, Hyderabad, Telangana, India., Kavitha Dr. Kayiram , Lalitha Dr. R.V.S. ,   Professor, Aditya College of Engineering, Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, India., Latha J.Bhargavi ,   Assistant Professor, GRIET, Hyderabad, Telangana, India., Suneetha T.V. ,   Assistant Professor, GRIET, Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
Published: November 2019

Disasters such as fire, earthquake and tsunami, etc. often result in precious loss of life as well as pose great economic challenge to developing countries like India. Of late, fires in moving vehicles such as trains and buses have become very common in India leading to loss of life and property. As we cannot predict or control the disaster, we can at least make efforts in minimising loss and some effective rescue operations post disaster. It is very important to perform post disaster analysis of the event to have better rescue operations and also to analyse the reason behind the occurrence of such disaster if possible. So that if it is man-made disaster preventive measures could be prescribed in future. Many Wireless Sensor Networks were proposed in the past for disaster management. But, fire leaves the network disconnected and important data is left unused in the damaged network. So, we propose Internet of Things (IoT) which is a promising technology that can be used to solve some of the problems mentioned above. To date, the application of IoT in post-disaster management is still an unexplored problem. In this paper, we propose data offloading mechanism for effective rescue operations post disaster from damaged network. The network is partially damaged in case of disaster and using fog computing we retrieve data and transfer to cloud for better data analytics. We propose a data flow framework built for effective post-disaster management.