bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ruthenium-containing Polymer-stabilized Catalyst System for the Hydrogenation of Benzene-Toluene Mixtures
Authors: Bykov A. , Demidenko G.
Published: November 2019

The study is aimed at creating a polymer-stabilized ruthenium-containing catalytic system for liquid-phase hydrogenation of arenes in alkanes, including the creation of catalytic systems for upgrading the fuels of internal combustion engines. As a catalyst system, a catalyst based on ruthenium compounds stabilized in an industrial hypercrosslinced polystyrene MN100 has been proposed. Dodecane was selected as a model reaction solvent. During the study, the effect of temperature and pressure of hydrogen on the speed and differential selectivity of the hydrogenation of benzene and toluene in their mixture in dodecane was studied. It was shown that the differential selectivity of hydrogenation with respect to benzene increases with temperature up to 160°C and decreases with an increase in the total pressure in the reaction mixture. A study of the nature of the active phase of the catalytic system by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed that ruthenium (IV) oxide is formed during the reduction of the catalyst.
Polymer Magnetically Separable Catalyst for Supercritical Deoxygenation of Fatty Acids
Authors: Stepacheva A. , Semenova A. , Yablokova N. , Kupriyanova E. , Rud D.
Published: November 2019

In this paper, the possibility of using a magnetically separated ruthenium-containing catalyst based on a polymer matrix of hypercrosslinked polystyrene in the supercritical deoxygenation of stearic acid to produce a second-generation biodiesel fuel is studied. The catalyst was synthesized by a successive deposition of iron and ruthenium oxides to the polymeric support. The resulting catalytically active Ru-Fe3O4-HPS system is characterized by high specific surface area (364 m2/g) and magnetization (4.5 emu/g). This catalyst allows obtaining a high (up to 86%) yield of hydrocarbons C17+ and exhibits high activity in the process of deoxygenation in supercritical n-hexane. It was found that the selected catalytic system retains its catalytic activity for at least 10 consecutive cycles.
The And of Modernism: On New Periodizations
Authors: Gildea Niall , Wylot David
Published: November 2019

The study of literary modernism is in the ascendant in the academy. From alternate modernisms, to neomodernisms, to metamodernism and global modernisms, modernism scholarship has evolved through a configuration of modernism into a cross-cultural and inter-generational aesthetic practice. This article critically examines the periodizing logic implicit in this new modernism scholarship, specifically as it pertains to the study of what is loosely called ‘neomodernism’, which we suggest presents a notable development in literary history for accounts of contemporary fiction and postmodern culture. We are principally interested in a recent trend we observe in modernism literary criticism concerning the futurization of the object (literary modernism), and of critical work thereupon. This work, which specifically addresses developments in contemporary Western Anglophone literature, seeks to extend the project of modernism (sometimes called its ‘promise’) into the present, understanding it as the principal agency in literary distinction and merit. We examine this criticism through a series of case studies, and discern three interconnecting strands in neomodernist criticism – three ways of futurizing modernism, and of self-futurizing modernism criticism.
PERANCANGAN APLIKASI BROADCAST RADIO ONLINE BERBASIS ANDROID
Authors: Effendy Dedi Usman
Published: November 2019

Radio internet yang juga dikenal sebagai web radio, net radio, broadcastradio atau e-radio adalah layanan penyiaran audio yang ditransmisikanmelalui internet. Penyiaran yang dilakukan melalui internet disebutsebagai webcasting karena tidak menular secara luas melalui sarananirkabel. Radio internet memiliki sebuah media broadcast yang dapatmenyediakan saluran audio terus menerus dan tidak ada kontroloperasional penyiaran seperti media penyiaran tradisional padaumumnya.Cara yang digunakan untuk menyiarkan radio internet adalah melaluiteknologi broadcast, yaitu teknologi yang dapat menerima sertamengirim informasi dari satu pihak ke pihak lain menggunakan alatyang dapat menerima aliran media broadcast tersebut juga. Teknologibroadcast ini menggunakan lossy audiocodec, yaitu program komputeryang berfungsi untuk mengkompres audio maupun video berdasarkandata yang diformat melalui broadcast suara ke radio internet dan untukdatabase sever di gunakan MySQL.Tujuan penelitian ini adalah merancang model dan membuat sebuahprogram aplikasi broadcast radio online dalam android mobile.Luarandari penelitian ini dapat memberikan kemudahan bagi pengguna androidmobile dalam mengakses broadcast radio online, memberikankemudahan bagi pengguna android dalam menikmati fasilitas yangdiberikan broadcast radio online, dengan program broadcast radio onlineini memudahkan pengguna android untuk mendapatkan music, radio,membuat suatu program dengan menggunakan software Java.
IMPLEMENTASI KENDALI LOGIKA FUZZY PADA SISTEM PENGATURAN TEMPERATUR PROSES PENURUN KADAR AIR SUSU
Authors: Singgih Hariyadi , Siswoko Siswoko , Maskuri Maskuri
Published: November 2019

Susu merupakan bahan minuman yang mempunyai kandungan gizitinggi tetapi rentan terhadap bakteri sehingga tidak tahan lama danmudah rusak (kadaluarsa). Oleh karena itu, perlu adanya pengolahansusu untuk mengoptimalkan kualitas dan ketahanan susu, yang disebutproses pasteurisasi atau mengurangi kadar air pada susu disebut dengansusu kental.Pada penelitian ini dilakukan penelitian proses penurunan kadar air susu(±27%) hingga menjadi susu kental dengan metode kendali logikafuzzy. Metode kendali logika fuzzy digunakan untuk mengontrolkestabilan temperatur yang digunakan untuk memanaskan susu padatemperatur konstan 80 ºC secara otomatis dengan masukan setpointtemperatur sesuai persyaratan pengolahan susu hingga dicapai kadar airsusu menjadi ≤ 40% (susu kental). Sumber pemanas menggunakanactuator kompor listrik yang dibantu dengan sistem evaporasi vacumdengan setpoint antara (800- - 900)C,Hasil pengujian produk prototype diperoleh nilai optimasi waktu terbaik= 6 jam, (%) kadar air = 27% dengan tekstur hasil bahan uji terbaikberwarna coklat kekuningaan.
ANALISA BEBAN TERHUBUNG SOLAR CELL STUDI KASUS USAHA KECIL MENENGAH WARUNG INTERNET
Authors: Sungkono Sungkono , Murtono Ari , Nugrahanto Indrawan
Published: November 2019

Beberapa penelitian telah dilakukan untuk menghitung efisiensi penggunaan solar panel surya pada skala beban rumahan. Solar panel adalah konversi cahaya sinar matahari menjadi listrik, baik secara langsung dengan menggunakan photovoltaic, atau tidak langsung dengan menggunakan tenaga surya terkonsentrasi sehingga menghasilkan tenaga listrik. Dalam penelitian yang telah dilakukan saat ini kita mendapatkan nilai penghematan dari konsumsi tarif listrik sebesar Rp. 31.000/bulan, dengan daya luaran yang dihasilkan 0.69 kwh pemilihan jenis solar cell, charge controller, battery capacity, inverter dan load based menjadi komponen utama untuk menentukan nilai output yang dibutuhkan terhadap beban selain itu juga kondisi irradiance dari suatu wilayah. Terdapat inefisiensi dalam sistem panel surya yang terpasang di warnet Fiz Mitra Media, yang mana panel surya terpasang hanya memiliki produktifitas 1.6 Wh per WP, atau hanya 30% dari kejadian umum yang berlaku.
A QUESTÃO ÉTICA NA FORMAÇÃO SUPERIOR E NA EDUCAÇÃO DA INFÂNCIA E JUVENTUDE
Authors: Silva Luzia Batista de Oliveira , Silva Guaracy , Agostini Nilo , Nardella-Dellova Pietro
Published: November 2019

O Dossiê tem como objetivo trazer contribuições relevantes e inéditas ao campo da Educação, de acordo com dois eixos de investigação. No primeiro eixo, trata-se de discutir sobre a formação superior e, no segundo eixo, trata-se de discutir sobre a educação da infância e juventude. Ambos os eixos de investigação estão abertos para receber discussões e reflexões de pesquisas em andamento ou pesquisas já concluídas nas áreas das Ciências Humanas e Sociais. Podem participar do dossiê: docentes e discentes – doutores e doutorandos – pesquisadores de um dos dois eixos de investigação proposto. O dossiê terá espaço para dez artigos, sendo cinco artigos do primeiro eixo e cinco artigos do segundo eixo.
European Governance in Adult Education
Authors: Milana Marcella , Tronca Luigi , Klatt Gosia
Published: November 2019

This article examines the working of complex intergovernmental policies that have brought about new opportunities and structures in European adult education since the 2008 global financial crisis. Drawing on political sociology, it restricts attention on the Renewed European Agenda for Adult Learning (2011), to examine its historical development, and how it bundles together various governance mechanisms, policy instruments, and social actors to govern the adult education policy domain through policy coordination. This points at regulatory politics as a distinctive quality of European governance in adult education. Then, through Social Network Analysis, it explores in depth one of its policy instrument (i.e., coordinated working groups/networks) and the form of network governance it creates. This analysis pinpoints at the comparative advantage of some organizations (i.e., the ministries of Latvia, Finland and Belgium), which partake in this form of network governance. This produces unpredictable contingency in EU policy coordination.
Pemahaman Pernikahan Kudus Suku Dawan Ditinjau Dari Kejadian 1:27-28
Authors: Mauboy Anita , Eveline Sjanette
Published: November 2019

With the increasing number of Timorese Dawan who are married they are not in accordance with what is right before God today. Certainly making the servants of God must pay special attention and focus looking for various ways how to prevent and overcome the situation.

   And this is also very important to be studied. Why? Because of the habits that practiced by the Timor Dawan tribe rampant until now and this has a negative impact on the generation of teenagers and youth of the Dawan Timor tribe.

   And keep in mind that habits like this are also something evil in God's eyes. Therefore, as people who believe in God need to pay attention to this problem and find ways to prevent and improve this habit because this is something that is wrong and that is not pleasing before God.

   With this, the author is burdened to examine this problem with qualitative method. So that if you wish through this research, the people of Timor Dawan can turn those bad habits into habits that are in accordance with Genesis 1: 27-28.

   And this also needs to be applied by God's servants especially for God's servants who come from the Eastern Dawan tribe so that young people can see and apply their marriage properly and correctly before God and avoid bad associations that commit adultery before being blessed in the church.
The Reversal Effect of Sigma-1 Receptor (S1R) Agonist, SA4503, on Atrial Fibrillation After Depression and Its Underlying Mechanism
Authors: Liu Xin , Qu Chuan , Shi Shaobo , Ye Tianxin , Wang Linglin , Liu Steven , Zhang Cui , Liang Jinjun , Hu Dan , Yang Bo
Published: November 2019

Aim

Sigma-1 receptors have been investigated and shown to play a protective role in both depression and cardiovascular disease. SA4503, known as a σ1 receptor agonist, regulates cardiac calcium and potassium channels in rat models of depression. However, it remains unknown whether SA4503 can alleviate myocardial inflammation or conduction junctions in the atrium after exposure to chronic mild stress.

Methods and Results

Sprague-Dawley male rats received 28-day treatment with SA4503, simultaneously with chronic mild stress. Behavior measurements were assessed after the daily doses. Additionally, a multielectrode array assessment, electrophysiological study, immunohistochemistry analysis, histological analysis, and Western blot analysis were performed. Depression rats’ hearts showed abnormal electrical activity, including disordered excitation propagation and prolonged total activation time (TAT). In addition, atrial arrhythmias (AAs), induced by burst stimulation, showed higher incidence and longer duration in the depression group compared to the control group. These changes were related to reduced conduction junctions and enhanced spatial heterogeneity. Importantly, depressed rat hearts showed greater expression of inflammatory factors (TGF-α, IL-6, and TGF-β), more collagen distribution in the extracellular matrix, and lower expression of gap junction proteins (CX40 and CX43). Furthermore, SA4503 partially mitigated the above indices in the depression group (P < 0.01 for all groups).

Conclusion

These findings show the effects of the σ1R agonist SA4503; it alleviates atrial myocardial inflammation and conduction junctions after chronic mild stress. SA4503 may be the promising pharmacological agent to treat depression-related AAs by increasing conduction function, improving the expression of connexin 40 and 43, and reducing cardiac myocardial inflammation.
Factors Affecting Successful Agricultural Loan Applications: The Case of a South African Credit Provider
Authors: Henning Johannes I. F. , Bougard Dominique A. , Jordaan Henry , Matthews Nicolette
Published: November 2019

The purpose of the paper is to determine the influence of different factors used by a formal credit institution to evaluate loan applications in the agricultural sector. The research attempts to capture the actual factors considered by credit institutions rather than the traditional factors found in literature. Loan applications from 128 farmers, predominantly commercial farmers, were obtained from a credit institution with branches situated in various provinces of South Africa. Data consisted of loan application information which is broader than the financial information normally obtained in credit research, and the final decision of the credit provider. Principal component logistic regression was used to investigate the likeliness with which loan application variables influence the outcome of the loan application. Results indicate that loan applications that are more likely to be successful are older more experienced farmers, who can provide sufficient collateral, have more years of business with the credit provider, have an acceptable credit history, request smaller loan amounts, have lower interest expense ratio, higher production cost ratios, and have diversification strategies. This paper contributes to knowledge on information used by financial credit providers (institutions) in classifying agricultural loan applications as successful as guided by actual factors used in credit decision making by the credit provider.
Perspectives on Perennial Grain Crop Production among Organic and Conventional Farmers in France and the United States
Authors: Wayman Sandra , Debray Valentine , Parry Stephen , David Christophe , Ryan Matthew R.
Published: November 2019

Perennial grain crops are currently being developed, yet little is known about farmer interest in these new crops. We conducted an online survey in France and the United States to evaluate interest in perennial grains. Results show that 57% of the farmers who responded reported they were “interested” or “very interested” in growing perennial grains, whereas 41% reported they needed more information. Respondents consistently ranked “to increase or maintain farm profitability” and “to improve soil health” among the top reasons why they were interested in growing perennial grains. Reasons why farmers were interested, as well as their concerns about growing perennial grains, differed by country and farm type (i.e., conventional vs. organic). More farmers in France than in the United States ranked “to reduce labor requirements”, and more conventional farmers than organic farmers ranked “to reduce inputs” among their top reasons for their interest. Farmers were also asked about integration strategies and management. More farmers in the United States than in France and more conventional farmers than organic farmers reported that they were interested in dual-purpose perennial crops that can be harvested for both grain and forage. Results from this survey can guide future perennial grain research and development.
Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Ecballium elaterium in Almond Orchards
Authors: Blank Lior , Birger Nitzan , Eizenberg Hanan
Published: November 2019

The concept of site-specific weed management is based on the assumption that weeds are aggregated in patches. In this study, we surveyed four plots in four commercial almond orchards for three years and mapped the locations of Ecballium elaterium, a troublesome weed in Israeli agriculture, specifically in almond orchards. We analyzed the spatial pattern of the plants’ locations using nearest neighbor analysis and Ripley’s L function. The number of E. elaterium plants increased by more than 70% in the four plots from 2015 to 2016. In addition, the observed mean distance between nearest neighbors increased by more than 10% from 2016 and 2017. We found in all four plots that the spatial pattern of E. elaterium was clustered and that these weed patch locations were consistent over the years although the density within the patches increased. The extent of these clusters ranged between 40 to 70 m and remained similar in size throughout the study. These features make E. elaterium a suitable target for site-specific weed management and for pre-emergence patch spraying. Knowledge of the spatial and temporal pattern of weeds could aid in understanding their ecology and could help target herbicide treatments to specific locations of the field and, thus, reducing the chemical application.
Recovery of Wheat Heritage for Traditional Food: Genetic Variation for High Molecular Weight Glutenin Subunits in Neglected/Underutilized Wheat
Authors: Alvarez Juan B. , Guzmán Carlos
Published: November 2019

Club wheat (Triticum aestivum L. ssp. compactum (Host) Mackey), macha wheat (T. aestivum L. ssp. macha (Dekapr. & A.M. Menabde) Mackey) and Indian dwarf wheat (T. aestivum L. ssp. sphaerococcum (Percival) Mackey) are three neglected or underutilized subspecies of hexaploid wheat. These materials were and are used to elaborate modern and traditional products, and they could be useful in the revival of traditional foods. Gluten proteins are the main grain components defining end-use quality. The high molecular weight glutenin subunit compositions of 55 accessions of club wheat, 29 accessions of macha wheat, and 26 accessions of Indian dwarf wheat were analyzed using SDS-PAGE. Three alleles for the Glu-A1 locus, 15 for Glu-B1 (four not previously described), and four for Glu-D1 were detected. Their polymorphisms could be a source of genes for quality improvement in common wheat, which would permit both their recovery as new crops and development of modern cultivars with similar quality characteristics but better agronomic traits.
The Effects of Reproductive Disorders, Parity, and Litter Size on Milk Yield of Serrana Goats
Authors: Margatho Gisele , Rodríguez-Estévez Vicente , Quintas Hélder , Simões João
Published: November 2019

Several reproductive factors may affect milk yield in goats. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of reproductive disorders, parity, and litter size, and their interactions on the 150-day standardized milk yield (SMY150) of low-producing dairy goats extensively raised. A total of 148,084 lactations between 1993 and 2015 were obtained from data of the Genpro pedigree records of the Transmontano ecotype of Serrana goat breed. The presence or absence of reproductive disorders (RD) from late (>half) pregnancy (abortions followed by lactation) or at kidding, number of fetuses (single vs. multiple), and parity (primiparous vs. multiparous) of the Transmontano ecotype of Serrana goat were used as fixed effects to fit a general linear model for a SMY150 output. A significant effect (p < 0.001) of all factors on SMY150, as well as three-way interactions, were observed. The SMY150 reduction subsequent to RD was 3.7% for multiparous and 9.6% for primiparous goats carrying singletons, and 14.1% for multiparous and 18.8% primiparous goats carrying multiple fetuses. It was concluded that a new lactation following abortion occurrence is viable for production purpose in low-producing dairy goats under pastoralism. Nevertheless, the impact of RD on SMY150 varied according to the number of fetuses and the parity of the Transmontano ecotype of Serrana goats. This information should be used in decision-making practices regarding reproductive and herd health management.
Enzymatically Digested Food Waste Altered Fecal Microbiota But Not Meat Quality and Carcass Characteristics of Growing-Finishing Pigs
Authors: Jinno Cynthia , Saelao Perot , Maga Elizabeth A. , King Annie , Morash Dan , Zicari Steve , Yang Xiang , Liu Yanhong
Published: November 2019

This experiment aimed to evaluate meat quality, fatty acid profile in back-fat, and fecal microbiota of growing-finishing pigs fed with liquid enzymatically digested food waste. Fifty-six crossbred pigs (approximately 32.99 kg body weight) were assigned to one of two treatments with seven replicate pens and four pigs per pen. Pigs were fed with control (corn-soybean meal diets) or food waste from d 0 to 53, while all pigs were fed with the control diet from d 53 to 79. The 16S rRNA sequencing was used to analyze microbiota of feces collected on d 0, 28, 53, and 79. Meat quality and carcass characteristics were measured in one pig per pen at the end of the experiment. Pigs fed with food waste contained more (p < 0.05) eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in back-fat. Feeding food waste increased (p < 0.05) the relative abundances of Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae, but decreased (p < 0.05) the relative abundances of Streptococcaceae and Clostridiaceae in feces on d 29 or d 53. In conclusion, feeding enzymatically digested food waste did not affect pork quality, but provided more beneficial fatty acids to pork consumers and altered the fecal microbiota in growing-finishing pigs.
Early Diagnostics of Freemartinism in Polish Holstein-Friesian Female Calves
Authors: Kozubska-Sobocińska Anna , Smołucha Grzegorz , Danielak-Czech Barbara
Published: November 2019

Freemartinism in females born from heterosexual multiple pregnancies is characterized by the presence of XX/XY cell lines due to the formation of a shared blood system by anastomoses between fetal membranes of co–twins and leads to disturbed development of the reproductive system, including infertility. The aim of this study was to estimate the most precise and effective diagnostic method, especially useful for early identification of freemartinism in young female calves. The cytomolecular evaluation results of 24 Holstein-Friesian heifers from heterosexual twins was verified by molecular techniques: PCR, short tandem repeats (STRs), and relative quantitative PCR. The molecular analyses have been found to be a more efficient testing strategy, with a higher diagnostic success rate than karyotype evaluation. In 21 heifers, leucocyte chimerism determined by the 60, XX/60, XY karyotype was revealed—the proportion of the 60, XY male cell line in individual animals was in the range of 4–66%. In three cases, a normal karyotype 60, XX was identified, which indicates that anastomoses did not occur in 12.5% of studied twins and suggests that these potentially fertile heifers can be qualified for further breeding. The precise and early identification of freemartinism can be the basis for guidelines and selection recommendations concerning the reproductive performance of heifers born from heterosexual multiple pregnancies.
Replacing Soybean Meal with Urea in Diets for Heavy Fattening Lambs: Effects on Growth, Metabolic Profile and Meat Quality
Authors: Saro Cristina , Mateo Javier , Andrés Sonia , Mateos Iván , Ranilla María José , López Secundino , Martín Alba , Giráldez Francisco Javier
Published: November 2019

Thirty-six Assaf male lambs (29.4 ± 3.10 kg body weight (BW)) were used to study the feasibility of including urea (at 0, 0.6 or 0.95% of dry matter for Control, Urea1, and Urea2 diets, respectively) in substitution of soybean meal in fattening diets. Animals were individually penned and feed intake was recorded daily. Blood samples were taken at days 35 and 63 of the experimental period to determine the acid-base status and the biochemical profile. At the end of the experiment (nine weeks), lambs were slaughtered, ruminal contents were collected and carcass and meat quality were evaluated. There were not differences (p > 0.05) among treatments in dry matter intake, animal performance, ruminal fermentation pattern, and carcass and meat parameters. Serum albumin concentration was higher and concentration of HCO3 and total CO2 in blood were lower in Urea2 compared to Urea1 and Control lambs. These results, together with the tendency to lower (p = 0.065) blood pH in this group might suggest a moderate metabolic acidosis. Partial replacement of soybean meal with urea did not impair growth rate in heavy fattening Assaf lambs (from 29 to 50 kg body weight), reduced feeding costs and had no adverse effects on feed efficiency, rumen fermentation and carcass and meat quality.
An Efficient Parallel Algorithm for Polygons Overlay Analysis
Authors: Zhou Yuke , Wang Shaohua , Guan Yong
Published: November 2019

Map overlay analysis is essential for geospatial analytics. Large scale spatial data pressing poses challenges for geospatial map overlay analytics. In this study, we propose an efficient parallel algorithm for polygons overlay analysis, including active-slave spatial index decomposition for intersection, multi-strategy Hilbert ordering decomposition, and parallel spatial union algorithm. Multi-strategy based spatial data decomposition mechanism is implemented, including parallel spatial data index, the Hilbert space-filling curve sort, and decomposition. The results of the experiments showed that the parallel algorithm for polygons overlay analysis achieves high efficiency.
3D User Interface Design and Usability for Immersive VR
Authors: Kharoub Hind , Lataifeh Mohammed , Ahmed Naveed
Published: November 2019

This work presents a novel design of a new 3D user interface for an immersive virtual reality desktop and a new empirical analysis of the proposed interface using three interaction modes. The proposed novel dual-layer 3D user interface allows for user interactions with multiple screens portrayed within a curved 360-degree effective field of view available for the user. Downward gaze allows the user to raise the interaction layer that facilitates several traditional desktop tasks. The 3D user interface is analyzed using three different interaction modes, point-and-click, controller-based direct manipulation, and a gesture-based user interface. A comprehensive user study is performed within a mixed-methods approach for the usability and user experience analysis of all three user interaction modes. Each user interaction is quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed for simple and compound tasks in both standing and seated positions. The crafted mixed approach for this study allows to collect, evaluate, and validate the viability of the new 3D user interface. The results are used to draw conclusions about the suitability of the interaction modes for a variety of tasks in an immersive Virtual Reality 3D desktop environment.
Numerical Simulation of a New Flow Field Design with Rib Grooves for a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell with a Serpentine Flow Field
Authors: Luo Xin , Chen Shizhong , Xia Zhongxian , Zhang Xuyang , Yuan Wei , Wu Yuhou
Published: November 2019

The cathode flow field design of a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell is essential to fuel cell performance, which directly affects the uniformity of reactant distribution and the ability to remove water. In this paper, the single serpentine flow field design on the cathode side is optimized to reach a high performance by controlling the rib groove rate (the ratio of the number of grooved ribs to the number of total ribs). The rib groove starts from the inlet side and then evenly distributes over the ribs. Four rib groove rates are selected in this study, namely, 0, 1/3, 2/3, and 1. A three-dimensional PEM fuel cell model is used to analyze the output performance of the fuel cell. The results indicate that the rib groove design has a significant effect on the distribution of oxygen at the cathode side, the density of the membrane current, the concentration of water vapor under the rib, and the fuel cell output performance. The output performance of the fuel cell improves with the increased rib groove rate. However, when the rib groove rate is greater than 2/3, its impact on the overall performance of the fuel cell begins to slow down. The PEM fuel cells exhibit the best output performance when the rib groove rate is 1.
Micro-Raman Mapping of the Strain Field in GaAsN/GaAsN:H Planar Heterostructures: A Brief Review and Recent Evolution
Authors: Giulotto Enrico , Geddo Mario
Published: November 2019

Raman scattering is an effective tool for the investigation of the strain state of crystalline solids. In this brief review, we show how the analysis of the GaAs-like longitudinal optical phonon frequency allowed to map the strain behavior across interfaces in planar heterostructures consisting of GaAsN wires embedded in GaAsN:H matrices. Moreover, we recently showed how the evolution of the longitudinal optical frequency with increasing H dose strongly depends on polarization geometry. In a specific geometry, we observed a relaxation of the GaAs selection rules. We also present new results which demonstrate how laser irradiation intensity–even at low levels–may affect the line shape of the GaAs-like spectral features in GaAsN hydrogenated materials.
Aroma Release of Olfactory Displays Based on Audio-Visual Content
Authors: Alraddadi Safaa , Alqurashi Fahad , Tsaramirsis Georgios , Al Luhaybi Amany , M. Buhari Seyed
Published: November 2019

Variant approaches used to release scents in most recent olfactory displays rely on time for decision making. The applicability of such an approach is questionable in scenarios like video games or virtual reality applications, where the specific content is dynamic in nature and thus not known in advance. All of these are required to enhance the experience and involvement of the user while watching or participating virtually in 4D cinemas or fun parks, associated with short films. Recently, associating the release of scents to the visual content of the scenario has been studied. This research enhances one such work by considering the auditory content along with the visual content. Minecraft, a computer game, was used to collect the necessary dataset with 1200 audio segments. The Inception v3 model was used to classified the sound and image dataset. Further ground truth classification on this dataset resulted in four classes: grass, fire, thunder, and zombie. Higher accuracies of 91% and 94% were achieved using the transfer learning approach for the sound and image models, respectively.
A Brain-Inspired Goal-Oriented Robot Navigation System
Authors: Chen Qiuying , Mo Hongwei
Published: November 2019

Autonomous navigation in unknown environments is still a challenge for robotics. Many efforts have been exerted to develop truly autonomous goal-oriented robot navigation models based on the neural mechanism of spatial cognition and mapping in animals’ brains. Inspired by the Semantic Pointer Architecture Unified Network (SPAUN) neural model and neural navigation mechanism, we developed a brain-like biologically plausible mathematical model and applied it to robotic spatial navigation tasks. The proposed cognitive navigation framework adopts a one-dimensional ring attractor to model the head-direction cells, uses the sinusoidal interference model to obtain the grid-like activity pattern, and gets optimal movement direction based on the entire set of activities. The application of adaptive resonance theory (ART) could effectively reduce resource consumption and solve the problem of stability and plasticity in the dynamic adjustment network. This brain-like system model broadens the perspective to develop more powerful autonomous robotic navigation systems. The proposed model was tested under different conditions and exhibited superior navigation performance, proving its effectiveness and reliability.
Experimental Investigation on Compressive Properties and Carbon Emission Assessment of Concrete Hollow Block Masonry Incorporating Recycled Concrete Aggregates
Authors: Liu Chao , Zhu Chao , Bai Guoliang , Quan Zonggang , Wu Jian
Published: November 2019

In this paper, the compressive strength experiment for three groups of recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) specimens with different replacement ratios of recycled aggregate (0%, 50%, 100%) was carried out. The mechanism of the block and mortar properties on the compressive strength of block masonry was investigated by means of a static loading test. The formula for calculating the compressive strength of a recycled concrete block was obtained based on experimental data. Moreover, the global warming potential (GWP) of recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) block masonry was evaluated by life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. The feasibility for application of RAC block masonry was discussed combined with environmental impact data analysis. The results show that the strength of RAC blocks is the principal element affecting the compressive strength of block masonry, and the strength of mortar also has a certain impact for the compressive of RAC block masonry; the sub-coefficient of material performance should be enhancive appropriately for ensuring the construction quality of RAC block masonry; the total GWP of RAC block is lower than that of natural aggregate concrete (NAC) block. The environmental benefits of the promotion and application of RAC block masonry are inspiring.
Editorial for Special Issue: Underwater Acoustics, Communications, and Information Processing
Authors: Kim Kiseon , Shevlyakov Georgy , Kim Jea Soo , Soufian Majeed , Statsenko Lyubov
Published: November 2019

Information and communication technologies (ICT) have brought forth various useful tools and services, enabling another Internet-based industrial revolution over the last few decades [...]
Advanced Adaptive Cruise Control Based on Operation Characteristic Estimation and Trajectory Prediction
Authors: Woo Hanwool , Madokoro Hirokazu , Sato Kazuhito , Tamura Yusuke , Yamashita Atsushi , Asama Hajime
Published: November 2019

In this paper, we propose an advanced adaptive cruise control to evaluate the collision risk between adjacent vehicles and adjust the distance between them seeking to improve driving safety. As a solution for preventing crashes, an autopilot vehicle has been considered. In the near future, the technique to forecast dangerous situations and automatically adjust the speed to prevent a collision can be implemented to a real vehicle. We have attempted to realize the technique to predict the future positions of adjacent vehicles. Several previous studies have investigated similar approaches; however, these studies ignored the individual characteristics of drivers and changes in driving conditions, even though the prediction performance largely depends on these characteristics. The proposed method allows estimating the operation characteristics of each driver and applying the estimated results to obtain the trajectory prediction. Then, the collision risk is evaluated based on such prediction. A novel advanced adaptive cruise control, proposed in this paper, adjusts its speed and distance from adjacent vehicles accordingly to minimize the collision risk in advance. In evaluation using real traffic data, the proposed method detected lane changes with 99.2% and achieved trajectory prediction error of 0.065 m, on average. In addition, it was demonstrated that almost 35% of the collision risk can be decreased by applying the proposed method compared to that of human drivers.
Evaluation of Sustainable Development in European Union Countries
Authors: Martín Carlos Javier , Carnero María Carmen
Published: November 2019

Despite the great importance of sustainable development for a country, it is possible to say, having reviewed the literature widely, that this research is the first to use a Multi-Criteria Decision Method (MCDM) to analyze the sustainability of EU countries, considering different dimensions and weighting the criteria with the help of a group of experts. This paper therefore sets out a Multi-Criteria Model for analyzing the development of sustainability in EU countries (and Norway and Iceland). This required prior filtering and analysis of the data from the Eurostat database. The model was built with the multi-criteria Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) technique. Four experts in sustainability participated in the weighting process. The results of the AHP model are identified by areas of sustainability, with the highest value found in Norway, and the rest are found around it forming rings of sustainability, where sustainability decreases the further a country is from Norway. This research could be used to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each country with regard to sustainable development, and by analyzing the measures taken by Norway and other countries with very high sustainability, by continuous improvement processes, reach similar levels of sustainable development.
Elicitation of the Allelopathic Potential of Rice by Methyl Salicylate Treatment
Authors: Patni Babita , Guru Sudhir Kumar , Iriti Marcello , Vitalini Sara
Published: November 2019

Weed infestation is one of the most severe problems affecting rice production worldwide. Current weed control practices are either costly or pose a threat to the environment. The use of competitive rice genotypes seems to be a promising strategy. The aim of our study was to improve the allelopathic potential of three selected rice genotypes by foliar application of methyl salicylate (MeSA), a signaling molecule eliciting the plant defense response. Aqueous extracts of the shoots and roots of two competitive (UPR 2962-6-2-1 and Govind) and one non-competitive (UPR 2992-17-3-1) rice genotypes treated with MeSA solution at different concentrations (1 mM, 2 mM, and 3 mM) showed phytotoxic effects on the growth of the weed Echinochloa colona. Specifically, shoot and root extracts obtained from the competitive rice genotypes similarly decreased both the E. colona germination rate (9% to 44.5%) and the length of its roots and shoots (11% to 48%). Extracts of the non-competitive rice genotype showed a similar trend but lower effects, inhibiting the E. colona germination up to 32% and reducing the growth of the weed roots and shoots by 6–23.5% and 7–28%, respectively, according to the increasing MeSA concentrations. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis demonstrated an increase in different allelopathic phenolic acids in the three rice genotypes in response to MeSA treatments. Among the detected compounds, vanillic and protocatechuic acids showed the greatest differences compared to controls with values up to 2.1-fold higher in shoots of the two competitive UPR-2962-6-2-1 and Govind rice genotypes, while their roots were characterized by the greatest increases of 8-hydroxyquinoline (8.2-fold) and protocatechuic acid (1.7-fold). Differently, non-competitive genotype UPR 2992-17-3-1 showed the highest increase for gallic acid (2.2-fold) in shoots and for p-hydroxybenzoic acid (2.4-fold) in roots. Lastly, MeSA was found to improve the competitiveness of rice genotypes without any detrimental effect on the host plant.
3-Sulphinyl-5-Amino-1H-1,2,4-Triazoles as Inhibitors of Copper Corrosion
Authors: Shevtsov Dmitry , Kozaderov Oleg , Shikhaliev Khidmet , Komarova Ekaterina , Kruzhilin Alexei , Potapov Andrei , Prabhakar Chetti , Zartsyn Ilya
Published: November 2019

A set of electrochemical and full-scale corrosion testing methods demonstrates that 3-sulphinylalkyl-5-amino-1H-1,2,4-triazoles can be used as inhibitors of copper corrosion in neutral chloride solutions and under atmospheric corrosion. It was shown that the inhibition effect of 3-sulphinylalkyl derivatives of 5-amino-1H-1,2,4-triazole increases with the growth of the chain of the additive. By means of the impedance spectroscopy method, the authors determined that the polarisation resistance and the Warburg impedance increases whereas the double-layer capacitance decreased with the growth of the inhibitor chain and the concentration of the inhibitor. In addition, the period when the first signs of corrosion attack appear on the copper plates in the salt spray chamber increased with the growth of the inhibitor chain and its concentrations. The lowest value of this period was measured for 3-sulphinylpropyl derivatives. However, it is still 12 times higher that this value measured without any inhibitors. Full-scale testing in 1% HCl solution showed that the corrosion rate slows down by 10–20 times upon the introduction of the derivatives of 3-sulphinylbutyl and 3-sulphinylpentyl at a concentration of ≥5.00 mM. If the concentration of 3-phenethylsulphinyl is equal to or higher than 1.00 mM, then the protection level is about 85%.
Analysis on the Impacts of Slant Tropospheric Delays on Precise Point Positioning
Authors: Xiong Chunbao , Yu Lina , Zhao Lewen
Published: November 2019

Tropospheric delay is one main factor affecting the accuracy of precise point positioning (PPP) ambiguity-float and fixed solutions. Investigations mainly focused on evaluating the contributions of tropospheric corrections to the accuracy and reliability of PPP solutions. The tropospheric corrections generally contained the zenith tropospheric delay (ZTD) and the horizontal gradients estimated from relative positioning or PPP. However, the estimated tropospheric delays can be partly absorbed by the carrier phase residuals if the stochastic model is not well-defined. Therefore, along with the ZTD and horizontal gradients, the carrier phase residuals from PPP backward filter are considered to reconstruct slant tropospheric delay (STD). Based on the proposed STD model, its marginal effects on GPS PPP were investigated. Results indicated that the consideration of carrier phase residuals for STD modeling can improve the three-dimensional accuracy to 0.5 cm/1 cm/1.2 cm in the South/North/Up (N/E/U) components. Then, the effects of internal and external STD corrections on PPP float and fixed solutions were analyzed. Compared to the ZTD + gradients augmentation, STD corrections from the same station could improve the PPP accuracy by 51%/51%/60%; the large improvements were because the multipath error and observation noise were eliminated. In comparison, the improvement was 14%/28%/31% using external STD corrections, which indicated the effects of unmodeled tropospheric errors in the phase residuals. The ambiguity-fixing results indicated that the fixing rate of PPP ambiguity was increased by 30% with STD augmentation. As the BeiDou System (BDS) suffered longer convergence than that of GPS, the benefits of STD modeling to the BDS observations were also validated. Overall, the results validated the performance of STD-augmented PPP, which demonstrated the potential application of high-accuracy troposphere products.
Vector Map Random Encryption Algorithm Based on Multi-Scale Simplification and Gaussian Distribution
Authors: Pham Giao N. , Ngo Son T. , Bui Anh N. , Tran Dinh V. , Lee Suk-Hwan , Kwon Ki-Ryong
Published: November 2019

In recent years, GIS (Geographical Information System) vector maps are widely used in everyday life, science, and the military. However, the production process of vector maps is expensive, and a large volume of vector map data is easily stolen and illegally distributed. Therefore, original providers desire an encryption solution to encrypt GIS vector map data before being stored and transmitted in order to prevent pirate attacks and to ensure secure transmission. In this paper, we propose an encryption algorithm for GIS vector map data for preventing illegal copying, and ensuring secured storage and transmission. Polyline/polygon data of GIS vector maps are extracted to compute a backbone object. The backbone object is then selectively simplified by the multi-scale simplification algorithm in order to determine the feature vertices of the backbone object. The feature vertices of the backbone object are encrypted by the advanced encryption standard and the secret key. Finally, all vertices of the backbone object are randomized by the random Gaussian distribution algorithm to obtain the encrypted GIS vector map. Experimental results show that the entire map is altered completely after the encryption process. The proposed method is responsive to the various GIS vector map data formats, and also provides better security than previous methods. The computation time of the proposed method is also significantly shorter than that of previous methods.
Hyperspectral Image Classification Based on Spectral and Spatial Information Using Multi-Scale ResNet
Authors: Wang Zong-Yue , Xia Qi-Ming , Yan Jing-Wen , Xuan Shu-Qi , Su Jin-He , Yang Cheng-Fu
Published: November 2019

Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) contains abundant spectrums as well as spatial information, providing a great basis for classification in the field of remote sensing. In this paper, to make full use of HSI information, we combined spectral and spatial information into a two-dimension image in a particular order by extracting a data cube and unfolding it. Prior to the step of combining, principle component analysis (PCA) is utilized to decrease the dimensions of HSI so as to reduce computational cost. Moreover, the classification block used during the experiment is a convolutional neural network (CNN). Instead of using traditionally fixed-size kernels in CNN, we leverage a multi-scale kernel in the first convolutional layer so that it can scale to the receptive field. To attain higher classification accuracy with deeper layers, residual blocks are also applied to the network. Extensive experiments on the datasets from Pavia University and Salinas demonstrate that the proposed method significantly improves the accuracy in HSI classification.