bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Distribution of Rhododendron falconeri Hook. F. (Ericales: Ericaceae) in Yuksam-Dzongri trekking corridor of Khangchendzonga National Park, Sikkim, India
Authors: Pandey Aseesh , Badola Hemant K.
Published: May 2018

Rhododendron falconeri Hook.f. [= Azalea falconeri (Hook.f.) Kuntze] is a potential candidate for conservation in Sikkim State due to its threatened status and startling features especially during the flowering period.  We studied the status and habitats for R. falconeri across the Yuksam-Dzongri trekking corridor in Khangchendzonga National Park, Sikkim eastern Himalaya.  These findings will help to develop conservation strategies for R. falconeri and landscape beautification sustainability in the long run.
Mugger Crocodile Crocodylus palustris Lesson, 1831 (Reptilia: Crocodilia: Crocodylidae) in river Saberi of Godavari system in southern Odisha, India: conservation implications
Authors: Debata Subrat , Purohit Swetashree , Mahata Anirban , Jena Sudheer Kumar , Palita Sharat Kumar
Published: May 2018

A biodiversity survey was conducted in Koraput District of southern Odisha between August 2014 and July 2017.  During the survey, occurrence of Mugger or Marsh Crocodile Crocodylus palustris was ascertained from five localities in a stretch of 23km of river Saberi, a tributary of the Godavari River system.  The area is in the Gupteswar proposed reserve forest of Odisha, and forms a boundary with Kanger Ghat National Park of Chhattisgarh State.  The geographic region offers possible scope for long term ecological monitoring jointly by wildlife organizations of Odisha and Chhattisgarh in collaboration with Central University of Orissa.  For long-term conservation of the species, activities may be initiated with annual monitoring of crocodile populations involving local people, and creating awareness about the Schedule-I status of crocodiles under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
Durga Das’s Leaf-nosed Bat Hipposideros durgadasi Khajuria, 1970 (Mammalia: Chiroptera: Hipposideridae): a new distribution record in northern India hidden in the National Zoological Collections
Authors: Kamalakannan M. , Dar Tauseef Hamid , Venkatraman C.
Published: May 2018

Durga Das’s leaf-nosed bat Hipposideros durgadasi Khajuria, 1970 is one of the endemic bats in India and was known only from Jabalpur district of Madhya Pradesh and Kolar district of Karnataka. Upon careful examination of the external morphology, craniodental and baculum structure of the bat collections, which were collected from 14 km west of Mirzapur district of Uttar Pradesh, northern India during the year 1998 and deposited in the National Zoological Collections of Zoological Survey of India were identified as Hipposideros durgadasi. It is the first report on the occurrence of Durga Das’s leaf-nosed bat in Uttar Pradesh and an additional distribution record in northern India.
Complete characterization of a class of privacy-preserving tracking problems
Authors: Zhang Yulin , Shell Dylan A
Published: May 2018

We examine the problem of target tracking whilst simultaneously preserving the target’s privacy as epitomized by the robotic panda-tracking scenario, which O’Kane introduced at the 2008 Workshop on the Algorithmic Foundations of Robotics to elegantly illustrate the utility of ignorance. The present paper reconsiders his formulation and the tracking strategy he proposed, along with its completeness. We explore how the capabilities of the robot and panda affect the feasibility of tracking with a privacy stipulation, uncovering intrinsic limits, no matter the strategy employed. This paper begins with a one-dimensional setting and, putting the trivially infeasible problems aside, analyzes the strategy space as a function of problem parameters. We show that it is not possible to actively track the target as well as protect its privacy for every non-trivial pair of tracking and privacy stipulations. Secondly, feasibility can be sensitive, in several cases, to the information available to the robot initially. Quite naturally in the one-dimensional model, one may quantify sensing power by the number of perceptual (or output) classes available to the robot. The robot’s power to achieve privacy-preserving tracking is bounded, converging asymptotically with increasing sensing power. We analyze the entire space of possible tracking problems, characterizing every instance as either achievable, constructively by giving a policy where one exists (some of which depend on the initial information), or proving that the instance is impossible. Finally, to relate some of the impossibility results in one dimension to their higher-dimensional counterparts, including the planar panda-tracking problem studied by O’Kane, we establish a connection between tracking dimensionality and the sensing power of a one-dimensional robot.
In defence of tokenism? Implementing children’s right to participate in collective decision-making
Authors: Lundy Laura
Published: May 2018

This article revisits the concept and practice of tokenism in collective child participation, querying whether it is accurate to describe it as ‘non-participation’ and assessing the extent to which it may offer a useful and sometimes necessary step on the journey to more respectful and meaningful engagement with children. It concludes by reflecting on the quality of the feedback given to children and the role that improved feedback might play in addressing the challenge of tokenism.
Asynchronous finite-time control for networked switched linear parameter-varying systems via an event-triggered communication scheme
Authors: Ren Hangli , Zong Guangdeng
Published: May 2018

This article addresses the finite-time control problem for a class of switched linear parameter-varying systems via an event-triggered communication scheme. Different from the existing finite-time problems, not only the problem of finite-time boundedness but also the problem of input-output finite-time stability is considered in this article. Using an asynchronous switching scheme, sufficient conditions are established to guarantee the event-based closed-loop systems are both finite-time bounded and input-output finite-time stable. Then, a parameter-dependent asynchronous controller is designed by solving a set of linear matrix inequalities. Finally, a numerical example is presented to show the effectiveness of the result.
Participation of liver stem cells in cholangiocarcinogenesis after aflatoxin B1exposure of glutathione S-transferase A3 knockout mice
Authors: Ilic Zoran , Mondal Tapan K , Guest Ian , Crawford Dana R , Sell Stewart
Published: May 2018

Aflatoxin B1, arguably the most potent human carcinogen, induces liver cancer in humans, rats, trout, ducks, and so on, but adult mice are totally resistant. This resistance is because of a detoxifying enzyme, mouse glutathione S-transferase A3, which binds to and inactivates aflatoxin B1epoxide, preventing the epoxide from binding to DNA and causing mutations. Glutathione S-transferase A3 or its analog has not been detected in any of the sensitive species, including humans. The generation of a glutathione S-transferase A3 knockout (represented as KO or -/-) mice has allowed us to study the induction of liver cancer in mice by aflatoxin B1. In contrast to the induction of hepatocellular carcinomas in other species, aflatoxin B1induces cholangiocarcinomas in GSTA3-/- mice. In other species and in knockout mice, the induction of liver cancer is preceded by extensive proliferation of small oval cells, providing additional evidence that oval cells are bipolar stem cells and may give rise to either hepatocellular carcinoma or cholangiocarcinoma depending on the nature of the hepatocarcinogen and the species of animal. The recent development of mouse oval cell lines in our laboratory from aflatoxin B1-treated GSTA3-/- mice should provide a new venue for study of the properties and potential of putative mouse liver stem cells.
Effect of a rigid toroidal inhomogeneity on the elastic properties of a composite
Authors: Krasnitskii Stanislav , Trofimov Anton , Radi Enrico , Sevestianov Igor
Published: May 2018

An analytical solution is obtained for the problem of an infinite elastic medium containing a rigid toroidal inhomogeneity under remotely applied uniform strain. The traction on the torus surface is determined as a function of torus parameters and strain components applied at infinity. The results are utilized to calculate components of the stiffness contribution tensor of the rigid toroidal inhomogeneity that is required for calculation of the overall elastic properties of a material containing multiple toroidal inhomogeneities. The analytical results are verified by comparison with finite element model calculations.
Health Behaviors, Physical Health, and Health Care Utilization in Children With ADHD
Authors: Park Se Jin , Jang Hyesue , Lee Yeeun , Kim Chul Eung , Park Subin
Published: May 2018

Objective: To compare health behaviors, physical health outcomes, and health care utilization between children with and without ADHD. Method: In this cross-sectional study, we obtained data for children with and without ADHD from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. To investigate the association between ADHD and health outcomes, we estimated the adjusted prevalence ratios (APRs) in these groups. Results: Among 10,838 children aged 7 to 18 years with and without ADHD, those with ADHD had significantly higher APRs for overall health problems, physical illness, and injuries than those without ADHD. Despite having health care needs, children with ADHD were less likely than those without ADHD to use health care services. However, there were no significant associations between most health behaviors and ADHD. Conclusion: Increased efforts are needed to provide quality health care services to address the medical conditions of children with ADHD and to enhance their health care utilization when needed.
Review of biologic and behavioral risk factors linking depression and peripheral artery disease
Authors: Ramirez Joel L , Drudi Laura M , Grenon S Marlene
Published: May 2018

The incidence of depression has been rising rapidly, and depression has been recognized as one of the world’s leading causes of disability. More recently, depression has been associated with an increased risk of symptomatic atherosclerotic disease as well as worse perioperative outcomes in patients with cardiovascular disease. Additionally, recent studies have demonstrated an association between depression and peripheral artery disease (PAD), which has been estimated to affect more than 200 million people worldwide. These studies have identified that depression is associated with poor functional and surgical outcomes in patients with PAD. Although the directionality and specific mechanisms underlying this association have yet to be clearly defined, several biologic and behavioral risk factors have been identified to play a role in this relationship. These factors include tobacco use, physical inactivity, medical non-adherence, endothelial and coagulation dysfunction, and dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, autonomic system, and immune system. In this article, we review these potential mechanisms and the current evidence linking depression and PAD, as well as future directions for research and interventional strategies. Understanding and elucidating this relationship may assist in preventing the development of PAD and may improve the care that patients with PAD and comorbid depression receive.
Towards an understanding of loneliness among Australian men: Gender cultures, embodied expression and the social bases of belonging
Authors: Franklin Adrian , Barbosa Neves Barbara , Hookway Nicholas , Patulny Roger , Tranter Bruce , Jaworski Katrina
Published: May 2018

Recent quantitative investigations consistently single out considerable gender variations in the experience of loneliness in Australia, and in particular how men are especially prone to protracted and serious episodes of loneliness. In 2017 the Director of Lifeline implicated loneliness as a significant factor in suicide among Australian men – currently three times the rate of suicide among women. Compared to women men also struggle to talk about loneliness or seek help from a range of informal and professional sources. We know very little about men’s experience of loneliness or why they are so susceptible to it currently and research is urgently needed in order to design specific interventions for them. To date, psychology has dominated the theoretical research on loneliness but in this article we argue that sociology has a key role to play in broadening out the theoretical terrain of this understanding so as to create culturally informed interventions. Most researchers agree that loneliness occurs when belongingess needs remain unmet, yet it is also acknowledged that such needs are culturally specific and changing. We need to understand how loneliness and gender cultures configure for men; how they are located in different ethnic, class and age cohort cultures as well as the changing social/economic/spatial/public/institutional bases for belonging across Australia. Theoretical enquiry must encompass the broader social structural narratives (Bauman, Giddens and Sennett) and link these to the changing nature of belonging in everyday life – across the public sphere, the domestic sphere, work, in kinship systems, housing and settlement patterns, associational life, in embodied relationships and online.
Socially-driven persuasive health intervention design: Competition, social comparison, and cooperation
Authors: Orji Rita , Oyibo Kiemute , Lomotey Richard K. , Orji Fidelia A.
Published: May 2018

Persuasive technologies are tools for motivating behaviour change using persuasive strategies. socially-driven persuasive technologies employ three common socially-oriented persuasive strategies in many health domains: competition, social comparison, and cooperation. Research has shown the possibilities for socially-driven persuasive interventions to backfire by demotivating behaviour, but we lack knowledge about how the interventions could motivate or demotivate behaviours. To close this gap, we studied 1898 participants, specifically Socially-oriented strategies and their comparative effectiveness in socially-driven persuasive health interventions that motivate healthy behaviour change. The results of a thematic analysis of 278 pages of qualitative data reveal important strengths and weaknesses of the individual socially-oriented strategies that could facilitate or hinder their effectiveness at motivating behaviour change. These include their tendency to simplify behaviours and make them fun, challenge people and make them accountable, give a sense of accomplishment and their tendency to jeopardize user’s privacy and relationships, creates unnecessary tension, and reduce self-confidence and self-esteem, and provoke a health disorder and body shaming, respectively. We contribute to the health informatics community by developing 15 design guidelines for operationalizing the strategies in persuasive health intervention to amplify their strengths and overcome their weaknesses.
Detection and elimination method for deception jamming based on an antenna array
Authors: Ni Shuyan , Cui Jianhua , Cheng Naiping , Liao Yurong
Published: May 2018

A global positioning system is an important way of locating an aircraft, while deception jamming can affect the positioning accuracy of such navigation. Considering this, a detection and elimination method for deception jamming is proposed based on a specially designed array for the aircraft. The jamming is detected by comparing the double-difference observation of the carrier phases of two different signals to a certain threshold derived according to the measurement errors of the receiver. To estimate the jamming direction with high accuracy, meanwhile considering the feasibility of airborne installation, a novel configurated array combining medium-length baseline with short baseline is designed, and a fast method to solve the integer ambiguity is discussed. After jamming detection, the nulling of the array beam is pointed to the jamming source through the orthogonal vector weighting to suppress jamming. The validity of the method is verified by computer simulations.
A joint optimization of energy harvesting and spectrum sensing for wireless sensor networks under Middleton Class A noise
Authors: Xu Enwei , Shi Shuo , Chen Dawei , Gu Xuemai
Published: May 2018

With the growing popularity of wireless sensor networks, the environment in which the network is located becomes more undesirable. In addition, the problems of spectrum scarcity and the short sensor lifetime have become increasingly prominent. In this article, we incorporate the two technologies of cognitive radio and energy harvesting to solve the above problems of wireless sensor networks under impulsive noise. First, we use a Middleton Class A noise model to imitate the practical environment and the fractional lower order moments detector is employed to perform spectrum sensing for the sensors of wireless sensor networks, which are performing as the second users. Second, a new time-slots structure is proposed for the self-powered second user and the analytical expression of the second user’s average throughput is derived. Finally, we maximize the second user’s average throughput by a joint optimization of the sensing duration and data transmission duration while giving the primary user sufficient protection. Simulation shows that a much better performance can be achieved by fractional lower order moment detector than the traditional energy detector. Moreover, our optimization of the time-slots allocation is feasible and the maximum second user’s average throughput can be obtained.
FL-ASB: A Fuzzy Logic Based Adaptive-period Single-hop Broadcast Protocol
Authors: Pan Bin , Wu Hao , Wang Jin
Published: May 2018

In vehicular ad hoc networks, vehicle-to-vehicle–based broadcast can fast disseminate safety messages between vehicles within the whole network and hence expand drivers perception vision, which will reduce the accident probability and ensure the transportation reliability. As for fixed-period single-hop broadcast protocol, disseminating safety messages frequently can cause excessive network load. However, increasing period purely does not guarantee the real-time performance. In addition, exiting adaptive-period single-hop broadcast protocols also have limitations without considering synthetically various impact factors. Thus, how to design a single-hop broadcast protocol that can dynamically adjust the broadcast period according to the actual road condition is a pressing issue. A Fuzzy Logic Based Adaptive-period Single-hop Broadcast Protocol in vehicular ad hoc networks is designed in this article, which provides a new solution for the dissemination of period safety messages. In this article, the impact of various factors (such as the number of one-hop neighbor nodes, vehicle speed, received signal strength index, and visibility) on the single-hop broadcast period has been analyzed. In view of each impact factor, we design corresponding membership function and fuzzy rules according to the specific scenarios and parameters. It realizes the adaptive changes of period safety messages broadcast period through the simulation of the proposed fuzzy logic inference system. Finally, we verify the performance of the Fuzzy Logic Based Adaptive-period Single-hop Broadcast Protocol in a bidirectional four-lane highway scenario. Simulation results show that the proposed Fuzzy Logic Based Adaptive-period Single-hop Broadcast Protocol has obvious advantages in terms of network load ratio, average one-hop delay, and delivery ratio.
Update on the role of lenalidomide in patients with multiple myeloma
Authors: Holstein Sarah A. , Suman Vera J. , McCarthy Philip L.
Published: May 2018

Lenalidomide is a derivative of thalidomide and belongs to the class of drugs known as the immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs). The IMiDs have played a large role in improving the survival outcomes of patients with multiple myeloma. In particular, lenalidomide is currently standard of care in the newly diagnosed setting, in the maintenance setting post-autologous stem cell transplant, as well as in the relapsed/refractory setting. While the combination of lenalidomide and various proteasome inhibitors has proven particularly effective, there are emerging data demonstrating the effectiveness of lenalidomide in combination with other important classes of drugs including the monoclonal antibodies. Recent studies have provided insight into the molecular target of lenalidomide and the other IMiDs, although there is still much to be learned regarding the mechanisms by which lenalidomide affects the myeloma cell and the immune system. Here we review the molecular mechanisms of action, side effects, and the results of the clinical trials which have led to the widespread incorporation of lenalidomide into the myeloma therapeutic armamentarium.
Modifications of 2:1 Clay Minerals in a Kaolinite-Dominated Ultisol under Changing Land-Use Regimes
Authors: Austin Jason C. , Perry Amelia , Richter Daniel D. , Schroeder Paul A.
Published: May 2018

Chemical denudation and chemical weathering rates vary under climatic, bedrock, biotic, and topographic conditions. Constraints for landscape evolution models must consider changes in these factors on human and geologic time scales. Changes in nutrient dynamics, related to the storage and exchange of K+ in clay minerals as a response to land use change, can affect the rates of chemical weathering and denudation. Incorporation of these changes in landscape evolution models can add insight into how land use changes affect soil thickness and erodibility. In order to assess changes in soil clay mineralogy that result from land-use differences, the present study contrasts the clay mineral assemblages in three proximal sites that were managed differently over nearly the past two centuries where contemporary vegetation was dominated by old hardwood forest, old-field pine, and cultivated biomes. X-ray diffraction (XRD) of the oriented clay fraction using K-, Mg-, and Na-saturation treatments for the air-dried, ethylene glycol (Mg-EG and K-EG) solvated, and heated (100, 350, and 550°C) states were used to characterize the clay mineral assemblages. XRD patterns of degraded biotite (oxidized Fe and expelled charge-compensating interlayer K) exhibited coherent scattering characteristics similar to illite. XRD patterns of the Mg-EG samples were, therefore, accurately modeled using NEWMOD2® software by the use of mineral structure files for discrete illite, vermiculite, kaolinite, mixed-layer kaolinite-smectite, illite-vermiculite, kaolinite-illite, and hydroxy-interlayered vermiculite. The soil and upper saprolite profiles that formed on a Neoproterozoic gneiss in the Calhoun Experimental Forest in South Carolina, USA, revealed a depth-dependence for the deeply weathered kaolinitic to the shallowly weathered illitic/vermiculitic mineral assemblages that varied in the cultivated, pine, and hardwood sites, respectively. An analysis of archived samples that were collected over a five-decade growth period from the pine site suggests that the content of illite-like layers increased at the surface within 8 y. Historical management of the sites has resulted in different states of dynamic equilibrium, whereby deep rooting at the hardwood and pine sites promotes nutrient uplift of K from the weathering of orthoclase and micas. Differences in the denudation rates at the cultivated, pine, and hardwood sites through time were reflected by changes in the soil clay mineralogy. Specifically, an increased abundance of illite-like layers in the surface soils can serve as a reservoir of K+.
Physıcal activity level in element ary education second level children, physical self description and self-esteem
İlköğretim II. kademe çocuklarda fiziksel aktivite düzeyi, kendini fiziksel tanımlama ve benlik saygısı
Authors: Baydemir Barış , Yurdakul Hüseyin Özden , Özer Kamil
Published: May 2018

The aim of this study is to analyze the factors affecting the physical ego of children between the age of 11-13 considering the levels of physical activity and physical perception. According to results of 2010-2011 Çanakkale National Education Questionnaire; 11 schools which have high and low economic status were randomly selected. To determine the reason of the differences between groups, Post-hoc Bonferroni test was used when the variances were homogenous and Dunnett’s T3 test was used when the variances were not homogenous for the each independent variable. Pearson Correlation was used in order to find relationship between the independent groups. Alpha level was set to 0.05 for all calculations. According to the main findings of the research, it was found that the levels of physical activity, physical self description and self confidence of students differentiated in terms of gender and socioeconomic levels of the students. Extended English summary is in the end of Full Text PDF (TURKISH) file.  ÖzetBu çalışmanın amacı fiziksel benliği etkileyen faktörlerin 11-13 yaş çocuklarda fiziksel aktivite ve fiziksel algılama düzeyine göre inceleyerek sosyo-ekonomik düzeyin fiziksel aktivite ve fiziksel uygunluk düzeyine etkisini ortaya koymaktır. 2010-2011 Çanakkale İl Milli Eğitim veli anket sonuçları çerçevesinde alt ve üst gelir grubuna sahip okullardan; merkezden ve ilçelerden rastgele 11 okul seçilmiştir. Gruplar arasındaki anlamlı farklılığın nedenini belirlemek için de her bir bağımsız değişken adına varyansların homojen olduğu durumlarda çoklu karşılaştırma testlerinden Post-hoc Bonferroni testi, varyansların homojen olmadığı durumlarda ise Dunnett’s T3 testi uygulanmıştır. Bağımsız gruplar arasındaki ilişki için Pearson Mometler çarpım korelasyonu uygulanmış, tüm istatistik hesaplamalarda anlamlılık düzeyi 0,05 olarak kabul edilmiştir. Araştırma sonucunda; 11-13 yaş çocuklarda fiziksel aktivite, kendini fiziksel tanımlama ve benlik saygısı düzeyleri, cinsiyete ve sosyo-ekonomik düzeye göre farklılaşmaların olduğu saptanmıştır.
Differential expression of FGFRs signaling pathway components in bladder cancer: A step toward personalized medicine
Authors: Ousati Ashtiani Z , Tavakkoly-Bazzaz J , Salami SA , Pourmand MR , Mansouri F , Mashahdi R , Pourmand G
Published: May 2018

Variations Improper activation and inappropriate expression of fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFRs) in cancer suggests that they can act as therapeutic targets. Fibroblast growth factor receptor inhibitors are currently employed in clinical trials of different cancers. Regarding the essence and the importance of the personalized medicine, mainly mirrored by remarkable inter-individual variations in different populations, we aimed to perform a pilot study to address FGFR1 and FGFR3 expression levels and their correlation with the clinicopathological features in Iranian patients with bladder cancer (BC). Paired tumor and adjacent non tumor tissue samples along with their clinico-pathological parameters were obtained from 50 cases diagnosed with BC in different stages and grades. The mRNA expressions of FGFR1 and FGFR3 in tissue samples were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR). The expression levels of FGFR3 were significantly higher in tumor tissues when compared to adjacent normal tissues (p = 0.007), regardless of the stages and grades of the tumor. Over expression was associated with cigarette smoking (p = 0.037) and family history for cancer (p = 0.004). Decreased expression of FGFR1 was observed, remarkably evident in high-grade tumors (p = 0.047), while over expression was detected in low-grade samples. This pilot study clearly suggests that in Iranian BC patients FGFR1 and FGFR3 expression patterns are different, and also highly distinctive with regard to the tumor’s stage and grade. Such particular expression patterns may indicate their special values to be employed for interventional studies aiming targeted therapy. Further studies with a larger sample size are needed to validate our results.
Review of optimum temperature, humidity, and vapour pressure deficit for microclimate evaluation and control in greenhouse cultivation of tomato: a review
Authors: Shamshiri Redmond Ramin , Jones James W. , Thorp Kelly R. , Ahmad Desa , Man Hasfalina Che , Taheri Sima
Published: May 2018

Greenhouse technology is a flexible solution for sustainable year-round cultivation of Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill), particularly in regions with adverse climate conditions or limited land and resources. Accurate knowledge about plant requirements at different growth stages, and under various light conditions, can contribute to the design of adaptive control strategies for a more cost-effective and competitive production. In this context, different scientific publications have recommended different values of microclimate parameters at different tomato growth stages. This paper provides a detailed summary of optimal, marginal and failure air and root-zone temperatures, relative humidity and vapour pressure deficit for successful greenhouse cultivation of tomato. Graphical representations of the membership function model to define the optimality degrees of these three parameters are included with a view to determining how close the greenhouse microclimate is to the optimal condition. Several production constraints have also been discussed to highlight the short and long-term effects of adverse microclimate conditions on the quality and yield of tomato, which are associated with interactions between suboptimal parameters, greenhouse environment and growth responses.
Using different classification models in wheat grading utilizing visual features
Authors: Basati Zahra , Rasekh Mansour , Abbaspour-Gilandeh Yousef
Published: May 2018

Wheat is one of the most important strategic crops in Iran and in the world. The major component that distinguishes wheat from other grains is the gluten section. In Iran, sunn pest is one of the most important factors influencing the characteristics of wheat gluten and in removing it from a balanced state. The existence of bug-damaged grains in wheat will reduce the quality and price of the product. In addition, damaged grains reduce the enrichment of wheat and the quality of bread products. In this study, after preprocessing and segmentation of images, 25 features including 9 colour features, 10 morphological features, and 6 textual statistical features were extracted so as to classify healthy and bug-damaged wheat grains of Azar cultivar of four levels of moisture content (9, 11.5, 14 and 16.5% w.b.) and two lighting colours (yellow light, the composition of yellow and white lights). Using feature selection methods in the WEKA software and the CfsSubsetEval evaluator, 11 features were chosen as inputs of artificial neural network, decision tree and discriment analysis classifiers. The results showed that the decision tree with the J.48 algorithm had the highest classification accuracy of 90.20%. This was followed by artificial neural network classifier with the topology of 11-19-2 and discrimient analysis classifier at 87.46 and 81.81%, respectively
Integrated model for predicting rice yield with climate change
Authors: Park Jin-Ki , Das Amrita , Park Jong-Hwa
Published: May 2018

Rice is the chief agricultural product and one of the primary food source. For this reason, it is of pivotal importance for worldwide economy and development. Therefore, in a decision-support-system both for the farmers and in the planning and management of the country’s economy, forecasting yield is vital. However, crop yield, which is a dependent of the soil-bio-atmospheric system, is difficult to represent in statistical language. This paper describes a novel approach for predicting rice yield using artificial neural network, spatial interpolation, remote sensing and GIS methods. Herein, the variation in the yield is attributed to climatic parameters and crop health, and the normalized difference vegetation index from MODIS is used as an indicator of plant health and growth. Due importance was given to scaling up the input parameters using spatial interpolation and GIS and minimising the sources of error in every step of the modelling. The low percentage error (2.91) and high correlation (0.76) signifies the robust performance of the proposed model. This simple but effective approach is then used to estimate the influence of climate change on South Korean rice production. As proposed in the RCP8.5 scenario, an upswing in temperature may increase the rice yield throughout South Korea.
Relationship between the properties of raw and cooked spaghetti – new indices for pasta quality evaluation
Authors: Biernacka Beata , Dziki Dariusz , Różyło Renata , Wójcik Monika , Miś Antoni , Romankiewicz Daria , Krzysiak Zbigniew
Published: May 2018

The quality of pasta can be evaluated by measuring the characteristics which encompass the most important quality parameters, such as colour, cooking properties and texture. The aim of the study was to suggest new indices which can be used to evaluate the quality of pasta. For the tests, 15 samples of spaghetti (produced from either semolina or common wheat flour) were used. The bending test was performed for the determination of the strength properties of raw pasta, while the pasta colour parameters were evaluated via the Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage system. The pasta cooking test included the evaluation of optimum cooking time, weight increase index and cooking loss. The samples of cooked spaghetti were cut, and the parameters describing pasta texture were determined. Statistical analysis showed significant correlations (α = 0.05) between colour parameters (lightness and redness) and pasta ash content (R = -0.90 and 0.84, respectively). The mechanical properties of raw pasta correlated positively with pasta density. The strongest correlation was found between pasta density and flexural strength. The destruction force for raw spaghetti during the bending test correlated significantly and positively with the cutting force of the cooked pasta. The obtained correlations can be helpful in pasta quality evaluation.
Effect of climate change on sowing and harvest dates of spring barley and maize in Poland
Authors: Marcinkowski Paweł , Piniewski Mikołaj
Published: May 2018

Climate change and projected temperature increase is recognised to have significant impact on agricultural production and crop phenology. This study evaluated the climate change impact on sowing and harvest dates of spring barley and maize in the boundaries of two largest catchments in Poland - the Vistula and the Odra. For this purpose, an agro-hydrological Soil and Water Assessment Tool has been used, driven by climate forcing data provided within the Coordinated Downscaling Experiment - European Domain experiment projected to the year 2100 under two representative concentration pathways: 4.5 and 8.5. The projected warmer climate significantly affected the potential scheduling of agricultural practices, accelerating the occurrence of sowing and harvest dates. The rate of acceleration was dependent on the time horizon and representative concentration pathways scenario. In general, the rate of sowing/harvest advance was accelerating in time and, also from representative concentration pathways 4.5 to 8.5, reaching 23 days for spring barley and 30 days for maize (ensemble mean for the far future under representative concentration pathways 8.5).
Synthesis and Luminescence Properties of ZrO2:Gd3+, RE3+(RE = Sm3+ ,Er3+) Phosphors
Authors: Yildiz Esra
Published: May 2018

In the present study, ZrO2co-doped with Gd3+/Sm3+and Gd3+/Er3+ions have been synthesized using Pechini method. Phase composition, morphology and photoluminescence properties of the synthesized phosphors were investigated by using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), differential thermal analysis/thermal gravimetry (DTA/TG), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and photoluminescence spectrofluorometer (PL). After heating at 1200 °C, XRD revealed that the phosphors were crystallized as monoclinic and tetragonal multiphases. SEM images indicated that the phosphors consist of fine and spherical grains with a size around 200 nm to 250 nm. Luminescence studies of these phosphors have been carried out on the emission and excitation, along with lifetime measurements
La HARM et la AIS comme échelles standardisées du risque en psychiatrie légale
Authors: Praud Noëmie , Prat Sebastien S
Published: May 2018

In this letter, the authors review briefly the concept of risk assessment in psychiatry. They provide knowledge about the use of the Hamilton Anatomy of Risk Management (HARM) and Aggressive Incidents Scale (AIS), as risk assessment and management tools. They look at the limitations and benefits of using these assessment tools in France. (article in French)
MELD Protocol 4 - Lesion Masking v2
Authors: Adler Sophie , Whitaker Kirstie , Semmelroch Mira , Wagstyl Konrad
Published: May 2018

The MELD Project is an international collaboration aiming to create open-access, robust and generalisable tools for FCD detection. To this end, we will train a neural network classifier on MRI features from FCD patients from multiple centres worldwide. Protocol 4 provides instructionson how tocreate lesion masks in FreeSurfer using tkmedit.
MELD Protocol 5 - Post-processing Pipeline v2
Authors: Adler Sophie , Whitaker Kirstie , Semmelroch Mira , Wagstyl Konrad
Published: May 2018

The MELD Project is an international collaboration aiming to create open-access, robust and generalisable tools for FCD detection. To this end, we will train a neural network classifier on MRI features from FCD patients from multiple centres worldwide. Protocol 5 provides instructionsfor post-processing FreeSurfer reconstructions to create final feature matrices.
A Discursive Approach to Mediatisation: Corporate Technology Discourse and the Trope of Media Indispensability
Authors: Fast Karin
Published: May 2018

Hitherto, and mainly by way of ethnographic studies, mediatisation research has informed us regarding the relevance, influence, and role of media in various spheres of social life. Less is known, however, about how mediatisation is discursively constructed. The relevance of constructivist approaches to mediatisation has been explicated, e.g., by Krotz (2017), who calls for critical mediatisation studies that consider the economic interests of mediatisation stakeholders, including the ICT industry. Against this backdrop, this article scrutinizes what the alleged ‘mobility revolution’ entails according to some who would benefit most from such a revolution. More concretely, the article studies the discursive practices of three leading corporations in the mobile communications sector: IBM, Huawei, and Ericsson. Stimulated by critical mediatisation theory as well as related accounts of the (technology) discourse-reality relationship, the article asks: if mobile media changes ‘everything’ in life—whose lives are being changed? If mobile media are ‘indispensable’ to modern ways of living—what are they supposed to do? Ultimately, the article speaks to the theme of this thematic issue by interrogating how contemporary mobile technology discourse contributes to the (re-)production of social space. Findings suggest that mediatisation is constructed as the response to an internal human drive for connectivity and as an inexorable natural force. Three sub-discourses on mobile technology are identified: ‘technologies of cosmos’, ‘technologies of self’, and, ultimately, ‘technologies of life’. Altogether, these sub-discourses disclose and reinforce the hegemonic nature of mediatisation by communicating the indispensability of mobile media in modern—notably, urban and privileged—lives. In addition to providing answers to the study’s empirical questions, the article includes a discussion about the potential implications of existing discourse overlaps between ICT companies and mediatisation theorists, as well as a sketch for an agenda for the ‘discursive turn’ in mediatisation studies.
Mobile Media and Social Space: How Anytime, Anyplace Connectivity Structures Everyday Life
Authors: Vanden Abeele Mariek , De Wolf Ralf , Ling Rich
Published: May 2018

Using Giddens’ (1984) structuration theory we examine how social structures in mobile communication technologies shape the everyday life of individuals, thereby re-shaping power dynamics that underlie the social organization of society. We argue that the anytime, anyplace connectivity afforded by mobile communication technologies structures society by imposing a network, social and personal logic. We discuss how each logic both reproduces and challenges traditional power structures, at the micro- as well as macro-level. At the micro-level, the network logic refers to mobile communication technologies’ capacity to organize activities in a networked fashion, granting people greater autonomy from time and place. The social logic refers to mobile communication technologies’ capacity for perpetual contact, fostering social connectedness with social relationships. The personal logic refers to mobile communication technologies’ capacity to serve as extensions of the Self, with which people can personalize contents, services, place and time. The flipside of these logics is that, at the micro-level, the responsibility to operate autonomously, to maintain personal social networks, and to manage and act based on personal information shifts to the individual. We also notice shifts in power structures at the macro-level. For instance, to reap the benefits of mobile communication technology individuals engage in free ‘digital labor’ and tolerate new forms of surveillance and control.
Comparison between oxytocin, ergometrine and misoprostol in active management of the third stage of labour: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Rahim Abubaker Y. H. Abdel , Ounsa Mohamed A. A. Gadir E. , Albarakati Rayan G. , Mohamed Elsadig Y. , Abdalla Sawsan M.
Published: May 2018

Background: The aim of the present study was to compare the effectiveness of sublingual misoprostol, intravenous infusion of oxytocin, and intravenous infusion of Ergometrine in reducing blood loss during the third stage of labor.Methods: This is a no-random trial study conducted in in Ribat University Hospital, Khartoum among 150 laboring ladies with a healthy singleton pregnancy. After obtaining their written informed consent to participate in the study, they were randomly assigned to one of three possible treatment groups: 400 μg of sublingual misoprostol; 10 IU of intravenous infusion oxytocin; and 0.5 mg of intravenous infusion of Ergometrine. Blood loss was estimated by weighing the collected blood and converting the weight to milliliters.Results: The shortest mean duration of the third stage of labor was seen in patients who received misoprostol (3.89±0.37 min), followed by oxytocin (4.6±0.9 min), and Ergometrine (5.45±0.9 min). The lowest mean blood loss was seen in the patients who received 400 µg misoprostol (168.36±24.83 ml), followed by those who received 10 IU oxytocin (205.56±34.82 ml), and 0.5 mg Ergometrine (214.49±35.97 ml).Conclusions: Present study showed that 400 µg sublingual misoprostol was more effective than the conventional parenteral uterotonics in reducing the amount of the blood loss during the third stage of labor and has comparable effect to that of 10 IU intravenous oxytocin in shortening the duration of third stage of labor. It also showed that the use of misoprostol reduces the need for extra-uterotonics and blood transfusion.
Adjunctive intrauterine Foley’s Catheter Balloon adding to hypogastric artery ligation in the conservative management of morbid adherent placenta previa
Authors: Sallam Hany F. , Shady Nahla W.
Published: May 2018

Background: Objective of present study was to demonstrate the efficacy of Foley’s catheters balloon tamponade as an adjuvant to control blood loss during and after a caesarian section in patient undergone hypogastric artery ligation (HAL) due to morbid adherent placenta previa (MAPP).Methods: A single-center retrospective case-control clinical trial was carried out in a tertiary university hospital between March 2015 and March 2018, 124 women were undergoing cesarean delivery for MAPP, were managed conservatively either with HAL or HAL plus inflated Intrauterine Foley’s Catheter Balloon to control post-partum hemorrhage secondary to MAPP. In the case of conservative treatment protocol failure, cesarean hysterectomy was performed.Results: 124 women were enrolled (n=62 in each group). group of women received HAL plus Intrauterine Foley’s Catheter Balloon (group II)) showed a significant reduction in intraoperative and 4 hours post-operative blood loss compared with (Group I) which received HAL without Intrauterine Foley’s Catheter Balloon. (P = 0.0001,0.0.015), so the overall estimated blood loss in group II showed significant reduction compared with group I (P = 0.0001).Conclusions: Adjunctive intrauterine Foley's catheter balloon adding to HAL ligation in the management of MAPP is a novel combination approach have proved to be effective to control of intraoperative and PPH and to preserve the uterus as possible and change in the concept of MAPP management always mandates hysterectomy. And may become an alternative valid option to planned cesarean-hysterectomy in well-selected cases who have a strong desire for future fertility.
Knowledge of modern contraceptives among undergraduate students of College of Health Sciences of Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, Nigeria
Authors: Muhammad Ahmad Maryam , Habibullah Adamu , Muhammad Ismail Ahmad , Muhammed Auwalu , Nakakana Usman Nasir , Muhammad Hindatu Tukur
Published: May 2018

Background: Many undergraduate students in Nigerian Universities are at increased risk of sexually transmitted infections, unwanted pregnancies with resultant illegal abortions. The aim of this study is to assess the undergraduate students’ knowledge of contraceptives. Understanding the knowledge of contraception among students is essential in tackling unwanted pregnancies among youths.Methods: The researchers use cross-sectional survey, a quantitative approach to the stated objective. About fifty five (55) female students aged 18 to 21 years were enrolled in the study using purposive sampling technique. The instrument for data collection was a structured questionnaire. The fifty five (55) completed questionnaires were retrieved and data analyzed using SPSS version 20.Results: The result showed that current overall contraception knowledge was low, while general contraceptive knowledge is high among the student. However, the knowledge of both short-term and long term acting contraceptive methods were very low as reported by the respondents.Conclusions: This study has implication for health education especially on the use of modern contraceptives. Thus, recommendations were highlighted to improve students’ knowledge of the various contraceptive methods.