bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluating language revival policies of Russia’s Finno-Ugric republics: policy impact and its limits
Authors: Zamyatin Konstantin
Published: February 2019

The paper evaluates language policies of the ethnic republics of Russia titled after the ethnic groups speaking Finno-Ugric languages in order to understand why the policies had limited impact on their sociolinguistic situations. This is an empirical-analytical study based on quantitative research that investigates within the framework of policy analysis the link between policy outputs and outcomes in order to test the hypothesis that changes in behaviour and attitudes can be traced back to the patterns of languagemanagement. The study produces a systematized set of data on measures taken to create the conditions for language knowledge, use and attitudes in the republics and searches for correlations among variables. The sources of quantitative data include legal and other official documents, accessible official statistics and available sociological and sociolinguistic surveys. Such a policy evaluation contributes to the theoretical understanding of the limits of the revivalist project pursued as a “top-down” public policy.
Language choice among rural Mari families and their motives
Authors: Vedernikova Elena
Published: February 2019

Language choice is a core value of language policy that consists of three elements: management, or direct efforts to manipulate a language situation: practice, a sum of sound, word and grammatical choices that an individual speaker makes; and ideology, a set of beliefs about appropriate language practice (Spolsky 2004). Motives are related to the last component. As stated by researchers, language usage within a family can be determined by even one of these factors.

This article presents the results of an analysis of quantitative and qualitative data collected during my fieldwork in Mari El (Russia). Comparative analysis of the survey data confirmed the process of weakening of intergenerational language transmission among rural Maris and the fact that the linguistic behavior of family members varies by generation. Usage of Russian or Mari within a family is mainly the result of different values attached to each language and their social roles among certain sectors of society.
Detachment constructions in European languages and beyond
Authors: Bernhardt Mariann
Published: February 2019

Besprechung M. M. Jocelyne Fernandez-Vest: Detachments for Cohesion. Toward an Information Grammar of Oral Languages. Empirical Approaches to Language Typology 56. De Gruyter Mouton 2015. XVII + 290 pp.
В. К. Кельмаков: Острые углы удмуртской филологии [Aktuelle Probleme der udmurtischen Philologie]
Authors: Salminen Esa-Jussi
Published: February 2019

Kurzrezension В. К. Кельмаков: Острые углы удмуртской филологии [Aktuelle Probleme der udmurtischen Philologie]. Ижевск 2017. 555 S.
Arto Moisio & Okan Daher: Tataarilais-suomalainen sanakirja. Татарча-финча сүзлек. Tatarça-finçä süzlek [Tatarisch-finnisches Wörterbuch]
Authors: Salminen Esa-Jussi
Published: February 2019

Kurzrezension Arto Moisio & Okan Daher: Tataarilais-suomalainen sanakirja. Татарча-финча сүзлек. Tatarça-finçä süzlek [Tatarisch-finnisches Wörterbuch]. Apuneuvoja suomalais-ugrilaisten kielten opintoja varten XVIII. Helsinki: Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura 2016. 418 S.
Kajian Karakteristik Arsitektur Karya Tan Tjiang Ay Studi Kasus
Authors: Effendi Andrey Caesar , Wibowo Danang Harito
Published: February 2019

Banyak media yang mempublikasikan karya-karya Tan Tjiang Ay. Namun tak banyak yang meneliti tentang gaya atau filosofi desain dari Tan Tjiang Ay secara dalam. Gaya desain karya-karya Tan Tjiang Ay mirip gaya desain arsitektur modern, walaupun dia sendiri tidak pernah menyebutkan seperti itu. Oleh karena itu, peneliti mendalami karakterisitk desain arsitektur rumah tinggal karya Tan Tjiang Ay. Metode penelitian bersifat kualitatif dengan melakukan kajian literatur, studi lapangan, hingga analisis arsitekturalnya dengan menggunakan beberapa contoh desain rumah tinggal karya Tan Tjiang Ay untuk mendapatkan kesimpulan yang lebih komprehensif. Hasil penelitian menunjukkah bahwa karakteristik arsitektur rumah tinggal karya Tan Tjiang Ay di Bandung lebih cenderung menggunakan pendekatan Arsitektur Modern.
Morphological Identification of Phytophthora A Causal Organism of Pineapple Heart Rot Disease in Uganda
Authors: Akasairi Ocwa , Bosco Bua , Jasper Oculi , Geoffrey Tusiime
Published: February 2019

Pineapple (Ananas comosus L. Merr) is an economic horticultural crop in Uganda. However, pineapple production is currently being threatened by the latest outbreak of pineapple heart rot disease in Uganda. Yet, information on pineapple heart rot disease causal pathogen is unknown. Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify the pathogen causing pineapple heart rot disease (PHRD) in Uganda. Samples of pineapple leaves with symptoms of PHRD were collected from four districts of Masaka, Luwero, Mukono and Kayunga. Pathogen isolation was done using corn meal agar (CMA) amended with Pimaricin, Ampicillin, Rifampicin Pentachloronitrobenzene, Hymexazol and Benomyl (PARPHB). Macro- and micro- morphological characteristics of the isolates were assessed using Potato dextrose agar (PDA) and V8 media, respectively. Pathogenicity of the isolates was tested using healthy pineapple plants based on Koch’s postulate. The results showed a significant difference (P<0.05) in the growth rates, hyphae diameter and asexual structure dimensions of the isolates. Isolates were characterized by a dense rosette and stoloniferous mycelial growth pattern in PDA media. Although, sporangia were non-caduceus, terminal, papillate and mostly ovoid, obpyriform and limoniform sporangia (32-56μm) with a mean length/breadth ratio of 1.32:1μm were observed. Chlamydospores were spherical and thick-walled (25-42µm diameter) while Sporangiophores branching was sympodial. Based on the morphological characteristics of isolates, it was concluded that Phytophthora nicotianae is the species causing pineapple heart rot disease in Uganda. This study therefore represents the first comprehensive information in Uganda. However, molecular identification of the pathogen is recommended to confirm the genetic identity of the species.
Efficacy of Botanicals and Carbofuran for the Control of Meloidogyne incognita Affecting Solanum lycopersicum L.
Authors: Ahamad Lukman , Siddiqui Mansoor A.
Published: February 2019

Fresh leaves of Calotropis procera, Wedelia chinensis, Lantana camara, Jatropha pandurifolia, Parthenium hysterophorus and Nerium indicum were evaluated for their hatching and mortality of Meloidogyne incognita. After that tested plants were used as an organic amendment for the management of M. incognita affecting Tomato. Four concentrations S, S/10, S/100 and S/1000 of leaf extracts of tested plants were prepared. All the plant extracts showed varied and significant results over control. The “S” concentration of leaf extracts of C. procera, P. hysterophorus, L. camara and W. chinensis exhibited 100% mortality over J. Pandurifolia, N. indicum after 48 h exposure period. Similarly, larval hatching was completely inhibited by “S” concentration of extracts of tested plants except for N. indicum after five days of the exposure period. Increased dilution showed a direct effect on hatching but a contrary effect on mortality. The juvenile mortality increased with increase in exposure period. In pot condition, soil amended with chopped leaves of tested plants 50 g and100 g alone and in combination with 50 g leaves plus carbofuran significantly enhanced the plant growth and decreased host infestation caused by M. incognita over control. Among treatments, C. procera leaves plus carbofuran were found to be the best in increasing plant growth and chlorophyll content.
Pathogenic Variability of Bipolaris oryzae Causing Leaf Spot Disease of Rice in West Africa
Authors: Boka Arsene , Bouet Alphonse , Tiendrebeogo Assita , Kassankogno Abalo I. , Ouedraogo Ibrahima , Nda Ghislain N. E. , Denezon Odette D. , Adiko Amoncho
Published: February 2019

An assessment of rice crop resistance to Bipolaris oryzae, a causal agent of rice brown leaf spot or helminthosporium disease was carried out.  Ten (10) irrigated and upland rice varieties were used in this study. Seven (7) isolates of B. oryzae from Burkina Faso, seven (7) from Côte d’Ivoire and six (6) from Togo were used. The ten (10) varieties were inoculated with B. oryzae strains to assess their effect and determine the resistance level of these varieties to rice leaf spot (Helminthosporium). The varieties Bouaké- AM, FKR60N, NIL130, V10, FKR62N and CY2 showed a good level of resistance against all the isolates. The incidence of the disease on leaves reached 62.22% of severity index. Results revealed also that the strain effects are not linked to their country of origin. The investigation on the pathogenicity of Bipolaris oryzae isolates displayed the existence of a pathogenic variability among the fungus populations. These findings suggest that the tested varieties possess resistance genes that can be used in varietal selection.
Effects of pH and Aeration on Sclerotium rolfsii sacc. Mycelial Growth, Sclerotial Production and Germination
Authors: Ayed Fakher , Jabnoun-Khiareddine Hayfa , Aydi-Ben-Abdallah Rania , Daami-Remadi Mejda
Published: February 2019

Sclerotium rolfsii is one of the devastating soilborne fungus responsible for significant plant losses. The effects of pH and aeration on pathogen mycelial growth, sclerotial production and germination were investigated for three Tunisian isolates. Optimal mycelial growth occurred at pH 6 for Sr2 and Sr3 isolates and at pH 6-7 for Sr1. Dry mycelial growth was optimum at pH values ranging between 4 and 7. Sclerotial initiation started on the 3rd day of incubation at all pH values tested and mature sclerotia were formed after 6 to 12 days. Optimal sclerotial production was noted at pH 5. The dry weight of 100 sclerotia varied depending on isolates and pH and occurred at pH range 4-7. At pH 9, mycelial growth, sclerotial production and dry weight of 100 sclerotia were restricted. The optimum sclerotial germination, noted after 24 h of incubation, varied depending on isolates and pH and occurred at pH 4-9. Mycelial growth was optimum in aerated plates with a significant isolates x aeration treatments interaction. Sclerotial initiation occurred at the 3rd day of incubation and mature sclerotia were observed after 6-9 days. Sclerotial development was very slow in completely sealed plates and dark sclerotia were produced only after 15 days of incubation. The highest sclerotial yields were noted in aerated plates. The highest dry weight of 100 sclerotia for Sr1 isolate was recorded in ½ sealed, no sealed and completely sealed plates, while for Sr2, it was noted in ½ and ⅔ sealed plates. For Sr3, the maximum dry weight of 100 sclerotia was recorded in ½, ⅔ and completely sealed plates. Germination of S. rolfsii sclerotia, after 24 h of incubation, did not vary significantly depending on aeration treatments and ranged from 90 to 100% for all isolates.
PEMBERDAYAAN INDUSTRI KECIL ANYAMAN BAMBU DALAM MENINGKATKAN PENDAPATAN MASYARAKAT DI DESA KARAYUNAN KECAMATAN CIGASONG KABUPATEN MAJALENGKA PROVINSI JAWA BARAT
Authors: Prihatini Juliarti
Published: February 2019

The empowerment of small industry of woven bamboo craftsmen in the village of Karayunan that is carried out by the Department of Small and Medium Enterprises Group of Industry and Trade ofMajalengka District has not been optimal. Therefore, the department seeks (1) to make an increaseof access and market share, which are promotion and information, giving an aid in supplying theproduction tolls; (2) to engage in the exhibition; (3) to make a socialization of Training Center and (4)to conduct motivation skills training such as a small industry of food in the district of Majalengka. Therole of small industry of woven bamboo is sufﬁ ciently increased people’s incomes, this thing can be seenfrom the employment. The inhibiting factors of the empowerment of small industry of woven bamboocraftsmen are the limited fund; still using simple equipments; lack of marketing and lack of educationof the craftsmen and work force.
Peran Forum Koordinasi Pimpinan Daerah dalam Penyelenggaraan Otonomi Khusus di Provinsi DKI Jakarta
Authors: Azikin Andi
Published: February 2019

The role of the Regional Leadership Coordination Forum (Forkopimda), so far has been more of a coordination forum that discussed problems in the region. The discussion was carried out in a form of meetings that were usually held in the local government office. The problems discussed are usually around the development of the last situation that occurred in the region. Other discussions usually depend on the theme or material of the discussion delivered by the Regional Head, which is then asked for advice from other Forkopinda members. In its development, it turned out that in addition to forums that were coordinating and discussing, it turned out that there were several activities in the field involving Forkopinda elements other than the Regional Head, in the form of handling social problems and natural disasters that were handled directly by TNI agencies and Polri agencies, even other institutions. who may not belong to Forkopinda.In addition to that role, Forkopinda, often also plays a role in the issue of public order, handling social conflicts, drug problems, population problems and family planning and foreign supervision problems.All of these problems require cross-sectoral coordination or coordination between vertical agencies in the region.
INEXTENSIBLE FLOWS OF CURVES ACCORDING TO SABBAN FRAME IN GALILEAN SPACE G3
Authors: GÜN BOZOK Hülya
Published: February 2019

In this paper inextensible  ows of curves in 3-dimensional Galilean space is researched. Firstly Sabban frame is dened in 3-dimensional Galilean space, then necessary and sucient conditions for inextensible ows of curves with Sabban frame in 3-dimensional Galilean space are given. Also inextensible curve  ow are expressed as a partial dierential equation involving geodesic curvature according to this frame.
AN APPLICATION OF PHASE-TYPE DISTRIBUTIONS IN A RELIABILITY SHOCK MODEL
Authors: TEKİN Mustafa , ERYILMAZ Serkan
Published: February 2019

Phase-type distributions have been found to be very useful in reliability,
queueing theory, and some other operational research applications. In this
work, we de_ne a new mixed shock model and study lifetime properties of the
corresponding system using phase-type distributions. The system under concern
fails upon the occurrence of k consecutive shocks of size at least d1 or a
single large shock of size at least d2, d1 < d2. In particular, using
closure properties of phase-type distributions, we obtain survival function and
mean time to failure of the system. Optimal replacement time is also studied.
Classification of Alcohol and Carbon Monoxide using Gas Sensors by Heuristic Algorithm based Neural Network
Authors: Adak M. Fatih , Yumusak Nejat
Published: February 2019

The classification of electronic noses data and odors is an issue that needs to be taken to a higher level in industry, science and health. Because of Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things is todays popular subject, it reinforces this proposal. In this study, the classification of alcohol and carbon monoxide gases which can be used frequently in industry and health fields has been classified. In order for the classification to be successful, neural networks were trained by the help of heuristic algorithms and more successful results than traditional methods have gained. Neural networks, especially trained with the Ant Colony algorithm, have achieved the best classification success in both training and test data. These results show that neural networks trained with Ant Colony algorithm will give successful results in classification of gases such as alcohol and carbon monoxide.
Low-Dose Total Body Irradiation Can Enhance Systemic Immune Related Response Induced by Hypo-Fractionated Radiation
Authors: Liu Jing , Zhou Jie , Wu Min , Hu ChuanFei , Yang Juan , Li Dong , Wu Peng , Chen Yue , Chen Ping , Lin Sheng , Cui YongXia , Fu ShaoZhi , Wu JingBo
Published: February 2019

A systemic immune related response (SIME) of radiotherapy has been occasionally observed on metastatic tumors, but the clinical outcomes remain poor. Novel treatment approaches are therefore needed to improve SIME ratio. We used a combination of hypo-fractionated radiation therapy (H-RT) with low-dose total body irradiation (L-TBI) in a syngeneic mouse model of breast and colon carcinoma. The combination therapy of H-RT and L-TBI potentially enhanced SIME by infiltration of CD8+T cell and altering the immunosuppressive microenvironment in non-irradiated subcutaneous tumor lesions. The frequency of IFN-γ, as a tumor-specific CD8+T cells producing, significantly inhibited the secondary tumor growth of breast and colon. Our findings suggest that L-TBI could serve as a potential therapeutic agent for metastatic breast and colon cancer and, together with H-RT, their therapeutic potential is enhanced significantly.
Space-Efficient Fully Dynamic DFS in Undirected Graphs †
Authors: Nakamura Kengo , Sadakane Kunihiko
Published: February 2019

Depth-first search (DFS) is a well-known graph traversal algorithm and can be performed in O ( n + m ) time for a graph with n vertices and m edges. We consider the dynamic DFS problem, that is, to maintain a DFS tree of an undirected graph G under the condition that edges and vertices are gradually inserted into or deleted from G. We present an algorithm for this problem, which takes worst-case O ( m n · polylog ( n ) ) time per update and requires only ( 3 m + o ( m ) ) log n bits of space. This algorithm reduces the space usage of dynamic DFS algorithm to only 1.5 times as much space as that of the adjacency list of the graph. We also show applications of our dynamic DFS algorithm to dynamic connectivity, biconnectivity, and 2-edge-connectivity problems under vertex insertions and deletions.
Computational Analysis of Compressed Stiffened Composite Panels with Impact Damage
Authors: Ryabov Alexander A. , Maslov Evgeny E. , Strelets Dmitry Y. , Slobodchikov Vladimir G.
Published: February 2019

A complex modeling technique is presented in this paper for a numerical analysis of compressed stiffened composite panels with impact damage. The numerical technique is based on the LS-Dyna code application, which simulates both the dynamic deformation of the panel subjected to a local impact and the quasi-static uniform compression of the panel within the local damage zone. The technique has been validated by both impact and compression experimental tests of the stiffened composite panel. The obtained numerical results show that impact damage to the composite panel can reduce the carrying capacity in more than 50% of damaged panels compared to undamaged panels.
Radiometric Method for Determining Canopy Stomatal Conductance in Controlled Environments
Authors: Monje Oscar , Bugbee Bruce
Published: February 2019

Canopy stomatal conductance is a key physiological factor controlling transpiration from plant canopies, but it is extremely difficult to determine in field environments. The objective of this study was to develop a radiometric method for calculating canopy stomatal conductance for two plant species—wheat and soybean from direct measurements of bulk surface conductance to water vapor and the canopy aerodynamic conductance in controlled-environment chambers. The chamber provides constant net radiation, temperature, humidity, and ventilation rate to the plant canopy. In this method, stepwise changes in chamber CO2 alter canopy temperature, latent heat, and sensible heat fluxes simultaneously. Sensible heat and the radiometric canopy-to-air temperature difference are computed from direct measurements of net radiation, canopy transpiration, photosynthesis, radiometric temperature, and air temperature. The canopy aerodynamic conductance to the transfer of water vapor is then determined from a plot of sensible heat versus radiometric canopy-to-air temperature difference. Finally, canopy stomatal conductance is calculated from canopy surface and aerodynamic conductances. The canopy aerodynamic conductance was 5.5 mol m−2 s−1 in wheat and 2.5 mol m−2 s−1 in soybean canopies. At 400 umol mol−1 of CO2 and 86 kPa atmospheric pressure, canopy stomatal conductances were 2.1 mol m−2 s−1 for wheat and 1.1 mol m−2 s−1 for soybean, comparable to canopy stomatal conductances reported in field studies. This method measures canopy aerodynamic conductance in controlled-environment chambers where the log-wind profile approximation does not apply and provides an improved technique for measuring canopy-level responses of canopy stomatal conductance and the decoupling coefficient. The method was used to determine the response of canopy stomatal conductance to increased CO2 concentration and to determine the sensitivity of canopy transpiration to changes in canopy stomatal conductance. These responses are useful for improving the prediction of ecosystem-level water fluxes in response to climatic variables.
Modelling Nitrogen Uptake in Plants and Phytoplankton: Advantages of Integrating Flexibility into the Spatial and Temporal Dynamics of Nitrate Absorption
Authors: Le Deunff Erwan , Malagoli Philippe , Decau Marie-Laure
Published: February 2019

Under field conditions, plants need to optimize nutrient ion and water acquisition in their fluctuating environment. One of the most important variables involved in variations of ion uptake processes is temperature. It modifies the thermodynamic processes of root uptake and ion diffusion in soil throughout day–night and ontogenetic cycles. Yet, most models of nitrogen (N) uptake in plants are built from set values of microscopic kinetic parameters, Vm and Km, derived from a Michaelis–Menten (MM) interpretation of nutrient isotherms. An isotherm is a curve depicting the response of root nitrate influx to external nitrate concentrations at a given temperature. Models using the MM formalism are based on several implicit assumptions that do not always hold, such as homothetic behavior of the kinetic parameters between the different root biological scales, i.e., the epidermis cell, root segments, root axes, and the whole root system. However, in marine phytoplankton, it has been clearly demonstrated that the macroscopic behavior in the nutrient uptake of a colony cannot be confounded with the microscopic behavior of individual cells, due to the cell diffusion boundary layer. The same is also true around plant root segments. Improved N uptake models should either take into account the flexibility of the kinetic parameters of nitrate uptake at the cellular level (porter–diffusion approach) or use the more realistic macroscopic kinetic parameters proposed by the flow–force approach. Here we present recent solutions proposed in marine phytoplankton and plant nutrient uptake models to make a more flexible description of the nutrient ion uptake process. Use of the mechanistic porter–diffusion approach developed in marine phytoplankton introduces more flexibility in response to cell characteristics and physical processes driven by temperature (diffusion and convection). The thermodynamic flow–force interpretation of plant-based nutrient uptake isotherms introduces more flexibility in response to environmental cues and root aging. These two approaches could help solve many problems that modelers encounter in these two research areas.
A RADAR-Based Assay to Isolate Covalent DNA Complexes in Bacteria
Authors: Aldred Katie J. , Payne Adeline , Voegerl Olivia
Published: February 2019

Quinolone antibacterials target the type II topoisomerases gyrase and topoisomerase IV and kill bacterial cells by converting these essential enzymes into cellular poisons. Although much is known regarding the interactions between these drugs and enzymes in purified systems, much less is known regarding their interactions in the cellular context due to the lack of a widely accessible assay that does not require expensive, specialized equipment. Thus, we developed an assay, based on the “rapid approach to DNA adduct recovery,” or RADAR, assay that is used with cultured human cells, to measure cleavage complex levels induced by treating bacterial cultures with the quinolone ciprofloxacin. Many chemical and mechanical lysis conditions and DNA precipitation conditions were tested, and the method involving sonication in denaturing conditions followed by precipitation of DNA via addition of a half volume of ethanol provided the most consistent results. This assay can be used to complement results obtained with purified enzymes to expand our understanding of quinolone mechanism of action and to test the activity of newly developed topoisomerase-targeted compounds. In addition, the bacterial RADAR assay can be used in other contexts, as any proteins covalently complexed to DNA should be trapped on and isolated with the DNA, allowing them to then be quantified.
A Survey of Feature Set Reduction Approaches for Predictive Analytics Models in the Connected Manufacturing Enterprise
Authors: LaCasse Phillip M. , Otieno Wilkistar , Maturana Francisco P.
Published: February 2019

The broad context of this literature review is the connected manufacturing enterprise, characterized by a data environment such that the size, structure and variety of information strain the capability of traditional software and database tools to effectively capture, store, manage and analyze it. This paper surveys and discusses representative examples of existing research into approaches for feature set reduction in the big data environment, focusing on three contexts: general industrial applications; specific industrial applications such as fault detection or fault prediction; and data reduction. The conclusion from this review is that there is room for research into frameworks or approaches to feature filtration and prioritization, specifically with respect to providing quantitative or qualitative information about the individual features in the dataset that can be used to rank features against each other. A byproduct of this gap is a tendency for analysts not to holistically generalize results beyond the specific problem of interest, and, related, for manufacturers to possess only limited knowledge of the relative value of smart manufacturing data collected.
In Vitro Antioxidant Activity and In Vivo Topical Efficacy of Lipid Nanoparticles Co-Loading Idebenone and Tocopheryl Acetate
Authors: Montenegro Lucia , Messina Concetta Maria , Manuguerra Simona , Santagati Ludovica Maria , Pasquinucci Lorella , Turnaturi Rita , Parenti Carmela , Arena Rosaria , Santulli Andrea
Published: February 2019

Idebenone (IDE) is a strong antioxidant that has been proposed for the treatment of skin disorders, including skin ageing. Unfavorable physico-chemical properties make IDE a poor skin permeant where effectiveness could be improved by its loading into suitable delivery systems such as solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) and nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC). In this work, we designed novel IDE-loaded NLC containing tocopheryl acetate (VitE) as a liquid component to obtain a synergic effect between IDE and VitE. The resulting NLC showed small particle sizes (24–42 nm), low polydispersity indices (<0.300), good stability, and were assessed for their in vitro antioxidant activity and in vivo topical effects. IDE-loaded SLN and NLC showed a high antioxidant activity in in vitro assays (DPPH and reducing power method) and provided a similar and significant protection from oxidative stress of fibroblast cells, HS-68, exposed to UV light. After a two-week topical treatment of human volunteers with gels containing IDE-loaded SLN or NLC, a similar increase in skin hydration was observed, while IDE NLC reduced skin pigmentation to a greater extent than IDE SLN. These results suggest that co-loading IDE and VitE into NLC could be a promising strategy to obtain topical formulations with improved photo-protection.
Vulnerabilities and Limitations of MQTT Protocol Used between IoT Devices
Authors: Dinculeană Dan , Cheng Xiaochun
Published: February 2019

With the proliferation of smart devices capable of communicating over a network using different protocols, each year more and more successful attacks are recorded against these, underlining the necessity of developing and implementing mechanisms to protect against such attacks. This paper will review some existing solutions used to secure a communication channel, such as Transport Layer Security or symmetric encryption, as well as provide a novel approach to achieving confidentiality and integrity of messages. The method, called Value-to-Keyed-Hash Message Authentication Code (Value-to-HMAC) mapping, uses signatures to send messages, instead of encryption, by implementing a Keyed-Hash Message Authentication Code generation algorithm. Although robust solutions exist that can be used to secure the communication between devices, this paper considers that not every Internet of Things (IoT) device or network design is able to afford the overhead and drop in performance, or even support such protocols. Therefore, the Value-to-HMAC method was designed to maximize performance while ensuring the messages are only readable by the intended node. The experimental procedure demonstrates how the method will achieve better performance than a symmetric-key encryption algorithm, while ensuring the confidentiality and integrity of information through the use of one mechanism.
The Extended SLM Combined Autoencoder of the PAPR Reduction Scheme in DCO-OFDM Systems
Authors: Hao Lili , Wang Dongyi , Tao Yang , Cheng Wenyong , Li Jing , Liu Zehan
Published: February 2019

End-to-end learning in optical communication systems is a promising technique to solve difficult communication problems, especially for peak to average power ratio (PAPR) reduction in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems. The less complex, highly adaptive hardware and advantages in the analysis of unknown or complex channels make deep learning a valid tool to improve system performance. In this paper, we propose an autoencoder network combined with extended selected mapping methods (ESLM-AE) to reduce the PAPR for the DC-biased optical OFDM system and to minimize the bit error rate (BER). The constellation mapping/de-mapping of the transmitted symbols and the phase factor of each subcarrier are acquired and optimized adaptively by training the autoencoder with a combined loss function. In the loss function, both the PAPR and BER performance are taken into account. The simulation results show that a significant PAPR reduction of more than 10 dB has been achieved by using the ESLM-AE scheme in terms of the complementary cumulative distribution function. Furthermore, the proposed scheme exhibits better BER performance compared to the standard PAPR reduction methods.
Experimental Study of the Mechanical Behavior of the Steel–Concrete Joints in a Composite Truss Bridge
Authors: Tan Yingliang , Zhu Bing , Yan Tingyi , Huang Biao , Wang Xuewei , Yang Wenwei , Huang Bo
Published: February 2019

The mechanical behavior of the steel–concrete joints in a composite bridge was investigated. Pull-out tests on eight specimens were carried out to evaluate the connection performance of Perfobond rib shear connectors (PBL shear connectors). In addition, static load tests were conducted on three composite joint specimens with a scale of 1/2 in a composite truss bridge. The crack load, load–displacement curves, strain distribution, and the joint stiffness were obtained from the composite joint to analyze the mechanical behavior of steel–concrete joints. The experimental results show that the embedded depth plays an important role in the ultimate bearing capacity and the deformation of PBL shear connectors and could even change the failure mode. Based on the test results of composite joints, the displacement increased almost linearly with the horizontal load on the concrete chord. There was no evident failure, and large deformation occurred in composite joints. In addition, the ultimate loads obtained from three composite joint specimens were greater than 2.93 times the design load (2050 kN). These investigated composite joints had excellent bearing capacity (above 6000 kN). This study will provide an experimental reference for the design of steel–concrete joints for composite truss bridges.
Environmental Effects on HV Dielectric Materials and Related Sensing Technologies
Authors: Bojovschi Alexe , Quoc Thai Vu , Trung Huy Nguyen , Quang Dung Trinh , Le Tu Cam
Published: February 2019

The increase in recent power failures, with negative impacts on humans and the economy, has been largely attributed to environmental effects and the aging of the power network. These have been accelerated in the last years due to two main factors: an increased load on the power network and material degradation owing to the presence of environmental pollutants. These factors together with specific weather conditions create the incipient conditions for power network degradation. In this paper, a review of the influence of environmental factors on high-voltage (HV) materials and components is provided. Sensing and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies developed to prevent the failure of the material structure and HV components are also reported.
Improving Handling Stability Performance of Four-Wheel Steering Vehicle Based on the H2/H∞ Robust Control
Authors: Xu Fei-Xiang , Liu Xin-Hui , Chen Wei , Zhou Chen , Cao Bing-Wei
Published: February 2019

Considering the demand for vehicle stability control and the existence of uncertainties in the four-wheel steering (4WS) system, the mixed H2/H∞ robust control methodology of the 4WS system is proposed. Firstly, the linear 2DOF vehicle model, the nonlinear 8DOF vehicle model, the driver model, and the rear wheel electrohydraulic system model were constructed. Secondly, based on the yaw rate tracking strategy, the mixed H2/H∞ controller was designed with the optimized weighting functions to guarantee system performance, robustness, and the robust stability of the 4WS vehicle stability control system. The H∞ method was applied to minimize the effects of modeling uncertainties, sensor noise, and external disturbances on the system outputs, and the H2 method was used to ensure system performance. Finally, numerical simulations based on Matlab/Simulink and hardware-in-the-loop experiments were performed with the proposed control strategy to identify its performance. The simulation and experimental results indicate that the handling stability of the 4WS vehicle is improved by the H2/H∞ controller and that the 4WS system with the H2/H∞ controller has better handling stability and robustness than those of the H∞ controller and the proportional controller.
Vibroacoustic Optimization Study for the Volute Casing of a Centrifugal Fan
Authors: Zhang Jianhua , Chu Wuli , Zhang Jinghui , Lv Yi
Published: February 2019

A numerical optimization is presented to reduce the vibrational noise of a centrifugal fan volute. Minimal vibrational radiated sound power was considered as the aim of the optimization. Three separate parts of volute panel thickness (ST: the side panel thickness; BT: the back panel thickness; FT: the front panel thickness) were taken as the design variables. Then, a vibrational noise optimization control method for the volute casing was proposed that considered the influence of vibroacoustic coupling. The optimization method was mainly divided into three main parts. The first was based on the simulation of unsteady flow to the fan to obtain the vibrational noise source. The second used the design of experiments (DoE) method and a weighted-average surrogate model (radial basis function, or RBF) with three design variables related to the geometries of the three-part volute panel thickness, which was used to provide the basic mathematical model for the optimization of the next part. The third part, implementing the low vibrational noise optimization for the fan volute, applied single-objective (taking volute radiated acoustical power as the objective function) and multi-objective (taking the volute radiated acoustical power and volute total mass as the objective function) methods. In addition, the fan aerodynamic performance, volute casing surface fluctuations, and vibration response were validated by experiments, showing good agreement. The optimization results showed that the vibrational noise optimization method proposed in this study can effectively reduce the vibration noise of the fan, obtaining a maximum value of noise reduction of 7.3 dB. The optimization in this study provides an important technical reference for the design of low vibroacoustic volute centrifugal compressors and fans whose fluids should be strictly kept in the system without any leakage.
Fabrication of Porous Si@C Composites with Core-Shell Structure and Their Electrochemical Performance for Li-ion Batteries
Authors: Zhao Shuo , Xu Yue , Xian Xiaochao , Liu Na , Li Wenjing
Published: February 2019

The pores in silicon particles can accommodate the volume expansion of silicon during the charging–discharging process. However, pores in silicon particles are easily occupied by carbon during the preparation of silicon/carbon composites. In this paper, sulfur was adsorbed in the pores of porous silicon particles before polyaniline (PANI) coating by in-situ polymerization, so that the pores were preserved in porous silicon@carbon (p-Si/@C) composites after the sublimation of sulfur during carbonization. The microstructure and the electrochemical performances of the obtained p-Si/@C composites were investigated. The results indicate that p-Si/@C composites prepared with a sulfur-melting process show a better high-rate performance than those without a sulfur-melting process. Remarkably, the former show a better capacity retention when returning to a low current density. The reversible capacities of the former were 1178 mAh·g−1, 1055 mAh·g−1, 944 mAh·g−1, and 751 mAh·g−1 at 0.2 A·g−1, 0.3 A·g−1, 0.5 A·g−1, and 1.0 A·g−1, respectively. Moreover, the reversible capacities could return to 870 mAh·g−1, 996 mAh·g−1, and 1027 mAh·g−1 when current densities returned to 0.5, 0.3, and 0.2 A·g−1, respectively.
Healing through Histidine: Bioinspired Pathways to Self-Healing Polymers via Imidazole–Metal Coordination
Authors: Zechel Stefan , Hager Martin D. , Priemel Tobias , Harrington Matthew J.
Published: February 2019

Biology offers a valuable inspiration toward the development of self-healing engineering composites and polymers. In particular, chemical level design principles extracted from proteinaceous biopolymers, especially the mussel byssus, provide inspiration for design of autonomous and intrinsic healing in synthetic polymers. The mussel byssus is an acellular tissue comprised of extremely tough protein-based fibers, produced by mussels to secure attachment on rocky surfaces. Threads exhibit self-healing response following an apparent plastic yield event, recovering initial material properties in a time-dependent fashion. Recent biochemical analysis of the structure–function relationships defining this response reveal a key role of sacrificial cross-links based on metal coordination bonds between Zn2+ ions and histidine amino acid residues. Inspired by this example, many research groups have developed self-healing polymeric materials based on histidine (imidazole)–metal chemistry. In this review, we provide a detailed overview of the current understanding of the self-healing mechanism in byssal threads, and an overview of the current state of the art in histidine- and imidazole-based synthetic polymers.
New Oxidovanadium(IV) Complexes with 2,2′-bipyridine and 1,10-phenathroline Ligands: Synthesis, Structure and High Catalytic Activity in Oxidations of Alkanes and Alcohols with Peroxides
Authors: Fomenko Iakov S. , Gushchin Artem L. , Abramov Pavel A. , Sokolov Maksim N. , Shul'pina Lidia S. , Ikonnikov Nikolay S. , Kuznetsov Maxim L. , Pombeiro Armando J. L. , Kozlov Yuriy N. , Shul’pin Georgiy B.
Published: February 2019

Reactions of [VCl3(thf)3] or VBr3 with 2,2′-bipyridine (bpy) or 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) in a 1:1 molar ratio in air under solventothermal conditions has afforded polymeric oxidovanadium(IV) four complexes 1–4 of a general formula [VO(L)X2]n (L = bpy, phen and X = Cl, Br). Monomeric complex [VO(DMF)(phen)Br2] (4a) has been obtained by the treatment of compound 4 with DMF. The complexes were characterized by IR spectroscopy and elemental analysis. The crystal structures of 3 and 4a were determined by an X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The {VOBr2(bpy)} fragments in 3 form infinite chains due to the V = O…V interactions. The vanadium atom has a distorted octahedral coordination environment. Complexes 1–4 have been tested as catalysts in the homogeneous oxidation of alkanes (to produce corresponding alkyl hydroperoxides which can be easily reduced to alcohols by PPh3) and alcohols (to corresponding ketones) with H2O2 or tert-butyl hydroperoxide in MeCN. Compound 1 exhibited the highest activity. The mechanism of alkane oxidation was established using experimental selectivity and kinetic data and theoretical DFT calculations. The mechanism is of the Fenton type involving the generation of HO• radicals.
Nanocomposite Multilayer Binary Nitride Coatings Based on Transition and Refractory Metals: Structure and Properties
Authors: Pogrebnjak Alexander , Smyrnova Kateryna , Bondar Oleksandr
Published: February 2019

One area of constant interest in many fields of industry is development of functional multilayer coatings that possess excellent performance characteristics. That is why in our brief review the results of studies of structure and properties of multilayer structures based on binary nitrides of transition or refractory metals obtained by various physical-vapor deposition (PVD) techniques are presented. The influence of substrate temperature, substrate bias voltage, bilayer thickness and interface boundaries on the structure of coatings and their properties, such as hardness, plasticity, wear and corrosion resistance, are discussed in detail. This review may be useful for students and growing community of researchers interested in the synthesis-structure-properties relationship in multilayer coatings based on metal nitrides.
Surface Integrities of Different Trajectories in Belt Grinding for Pure Iron Functional Performance Test Pieces
Authors: Liu Ying , Dai Wentao , Xiao Guijian , Huang Yun
Published: February 2019

In order to reduce the influence of surface burns and other defects in the processing of pure iron parts for a functional properties test, and to improve the accuracy and usability of the test results, abrasive belt grinding is used for surface grinding. Because of the long circumference of the belt, and the long cooling time of the abrasive particles, cold grinding can be achieved, so that the incidence of surface burns, machining hardening, and other defects can be reduced. An experimental platform for belt grinding of pure iron parts for a functional properties test was built, and corresponding belt grinding experiments were carried out. The influences of grinding parameters, such as belt velocity, feed velocity, the grinding track on the microcosmic morphology, surface roughness, surface residual stress, and micro-hardness were studied. The results showed that belt grinding improved the surface integrity, the surface roughness was less than Ra 0.4 μm, the surface residual stress ranged from −253.84 MPa to −164.14 MPa, and the micro-hardness ranged from 118 HV to 170 HV. Furthermore, to get the workpiece surface to mostly suit the functional performance test, a high abrasive belt linear speed, a low grinding depth, and a feed speed should be selected, and the processing should be conducted with a circular trajectory.
A Study of Movement Classification of the Lower Limb Based on up to 4-EMG Channels
Authors: Toledo-Pérez Diana C. , Martínez-Prado Miguel A. , Gómez-Loenzo Roberto A. , Paredes-García Wilfrido J. , Rodríguez-Reséndiz Juvenal
Published: February 2019

The number and position of sEMG electrodes have been studied extensively due to the need to improve the accuracy of the classification they carry out of the intention of movement. Nevertheless, increasing the number of channels used for this classification often increases their processing time as well. This research work contributes with a comparison of the classification accuracy based on the different number of sEMG signal channels (one to four) placed in the right lower limb of healthy subjects. The analysis is performed using Mean Absolute Values, Zero Crossings, Waveform Length, and Slope Sign Changes; these characteristics comprise the feature vector. The algorithm used for the classification is the Support Vector Machine after applying a Principal Component Analysis to the features. The results show that it is possible to reach more than 90% of classification accuracy by using 4 or 3 channels. Moreover, the difference obtained with 500 and 1000 samples, with 2, 3 and 4 channels, is not higher than 5%, which means that increasing the number of channels does not guarantee 100% precision in the classification.
Diagonalized Macromodels in Finite Element Method for Fast Electromagnetic Analysis of Waveguide Components
Authors: Nyka Krzysztof
Published: February 2019

A new technique of local model-order reduction (MOR) in 3-D finite element method (FEM) for frequency-domain electromagnetic analysis of waveguide components is proposed in this paper. It resolves the problem of increasing solution time of the reduced-order system assembled from macromodels created in the subdomains, into which an analyzed structure is partitioned. This problem becomes particularly relevant for growing size and count of the macromodels, and when they are cloned in multiple locations of the structures or are used repeatedly in a tuning and optimization process. To significantly reduce the solution time, the diagonalized macromodels are created by means of the simultaneous diagonalization and subsequently assembled in the global system. For the resulting partially diagonal matrix, an efficient dedicated solver based on the Schur complement technique is proposed. The employed MOR method preserves frequency independence of the macromodels, which is essential for efficient diagonalization, as it can be performed once for the whole analysis bandwidth. The numerical validation of the proposed procedures with respect to accuracy and speed was carried out for varying size and count of macromodels. An exemplary finite periodical waveguide structure was chosen to investigate the influence of macromodel cloning on the resultant efficiency. The results show that the use of the diagonalized macromodels provided a significant solution speedup without any loss of accuracy.