bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Malay, English and religion: language maintenance in multilingual Singapore
Authors: Abu Bakar Mukhlis
Published: July 2019

The ideologies underlying Singapore’s language-in-education policy drive home the message that students should feel some form of emotional connection to their mother tongue. At the same time, English is privileged leading many to index it with education, upward mobility, modernity and prestige. Singapore parents are cognisant of these ideologies and play an important role in mediating their children’s affiliation to the respective languages and influencing their language use patterns. This study seeks to obtain a sense of how parents of 8-year old children struggle with competing ideologies when enrolling their children in one of two Islamic religious education programmes: English-medium Kids aL.I.V.E. and Malay-medium mosque madrasah. Parents of 35 children from the two programmes reported on their use of Malay and English, and their children’s proficiency in, and use of, the two languages. Their reports suggest that the children were equally proficient in both languages but English was their dominant language. Parents were highly supportive of the language medium of the respective programmes, but irrespective of which language they supported, many were strongly affiliated to Malay citing reasons that mirror the state ideology that calls on its citizens to stay rooted in their ethnic heritage through their mother tongue.
Problematising unfocused written feedback: A case study on four university students’ essays
Authors: Journal ILS
Published: July 2019

In the past decade, many studies have sought to show the efficacy of different types of written feedback. All of these studies yielded consistent results, and at times contradicting results. Considering the nature of language teaching and learning, English language teaching (ELT) practitioners should consider problematising the issue of providing written feedback, instead of looking for a solution. Taking this into account, this study uses a case-study approach to evaluate the efficacy of unfocused feedback across multiple-drafts in an advanced English writing course taken by English majors at an international university in Thailand. Over a four-month semester, the class wrote five essays, with each essay having at least three drafts. In all drafts, unfocused feedback was provided with the assumption that students’ prior English writing courses have helped them develop self-monitoring abilities. The data consist of the frequency of errors and unfocused feedback of the last three essays of four students. Subsequently, a correlation coefficient of the errors and unfocused feedback was calculated and results indicated that as the number of feedback decreased through drafts, the number of errors decreased as well. This shows a positive correlation between the two variables, albeit at varying degrees for different students. Students were also interviewed about their perceptions and expectations toward writing feedback. This study suggests that unfocused feedback may work for certain students, but not all.
Keserasian lafaz gaya bahasa Jinas dalam Kitab Al-Hikam Al-‘Ata’iyyah: Kajian nilai estetika
Authors: Mhd Ramli Mhd Faizal , Othman Mohd Sukki , Hajimaming@Toklubok Pabiyah
Published: July 2019

Kajian ini memfokuskan kepada keserasian lafaz gaya bahasa jinās dalam kitab al-Hikam al-‘Ata’iyyah. Kitab tersebut dilihat sebagai sebuah karya dakwah yang mempunyai aspek keindahan bahasa dan ketinggian sastera. Justeru, kajian ini menjelaskan nilai estetika gaya bahasa jinās dari sudut keserasian lafaz. Kajian ini dibincangkan dengan menggunakan pendekatan Ali al-Jundi yang meletakkan keserasian lafaz sebagai salah satu daripada kriteria nilai estetika jinās. Hasil kajian membuktikan bahawa penulisan dakwah Syeikh Ibn ‘Ata’illah al-Sakandari mempunyai hikmah yang bersifat rabbani dan banyak dipengaruhi oleh kesenian balaghah Arab yang amat tinggi.
Generalized Distribution of Relaxation Times Analysis for the Characterization of Impedance Spectra
Authors: Danzer Michael A.
Published: July 2019

Impedance spectroscopy is a universal nondestructive tool for the analysis of the polarization behavior of electrochemical systems in frequency domain. As an extension and enhancement of the standard impedance spectroscopy, the distribution of relaxation times (DRT) analysis was established, where the spectra are transferred from frequency into time domain. The DRT helps to analyze complex impedance spectra by identifying the number of polarization processes involved without prior assumptions and by separating and quantifying their single polarization contributions. The DRT analysis, as introduced in literature, claims to be a model-free approach for the characterization of resistive-capacitive systems. However, a data preprocessing step based on impedance models is often required to exclude non-resistive-capacitive components off the measured impedance spectra. The generalized distribution of relaxation times (GDRT) analysis presented in this work is dedicated to complex superposed impedance spectra that include ohmic, inductive, capacitive, resistive-capacitive, and resistive-inductive effects. The simplified work flow without preprocessing steps leads to a reliable and reproducible DRT analysis that fulfills the assumption of being model-free. The GDRT is applicable for the analysis of electrochemical, electrical, and even for non-electrical systems. Results are shown for a lithium-ion battery, a vanadium redox flow battery, and for a double-layer capacitor.
Industrial X-ray Fluorescence Analyzer for Real-Time Thickness Measurements of Aluminium Coatings on Rolled Steel
Authors: Sokolov Aleksander , Hasikova Jelena , Pecerskis Aleksejs , Gostilo Vladimir
Published: July 2019

Aluminium coatings that are formed by physical vapour deposition (PVD) on rolled steel products are more resistant to atmospheric and seawater corrosion than zinc coatings. We developed a coating thickness analyzer (CTA) with an X-ray fluorescence (XRF) measuring head, that is integrated into the PVD pilot line. In this study, to conduct measurements of elements with atomic numbers less than 20 while avoiding the problem of registration of light elements, the measuring head was integrated into a process vacuum chamber to maintain a vacuum during the measurements. To validate the proposed tool, cold-rolled steel strips of different grades are used as substrates, and aluminium was deposited on the surface via PVD in thicknesses ranging from 1 to 20 g/m2. The thin-film thickness measurements during a pre-acceptance test were found to have a relative accuracy of less than 5% and a relative precision of less than 1–2%. The proposed CTA can be readily integrated in the factory’s automatic process control system and the real-time measurements in operating and calibration modes, and the status of all spectrometric equipment (X-ray tube, detector etc.) can be transmitted to the upper-level computer. Thus, the process engineer can properly control the deposition process.
A Survey of Inclusive Growth Policy
Authors: Heshmati Almas , Kim Jungsuk , Wood Jacob
Published: July 2019

Background: Since the latter part of the 20th Century, countries have been particularly challenged by the trade-off that exists between delivering generous welfare provisions and strong economic growth. Such dynamics have stimulated a need to better understand the causes of income inequality so as to better formulate policies that foster inclusive growth and reduce growing concerns surrounding income inequality. Method: Given its ability to succinctly summarize, analyze, and synthesize an extant body of literature from a certain genre of scholastic endeavor, this study utilizes a literature review as its proposed methodological approach. Results: From our assessment of the literature, we identified four key areas that contribute significantly to income inequality in both advanced and developing economies, these include: (i) pursuing skill-biased technological change; (ii) enhancing education systems; (iii) consolidation of globalization; and (iv) reform of the labor market and its relevant institutions. Conclusion: There is no silver bullet to achieving inclusive growth. Any policy manifesto must seek to offer a coordinated policy platform that looks to deal directly with the causes of inequality. In order to do so, consideration should be given to a range of policy areas including fiscal, education, trade liberalization, and labor market reforms.
Forecasting India’s Electricity Demand Using a Range of Probabilistic Methods
Authors: An Yeqi , Zhou Yulin , Li Rongrong
Published: July 2019

With serious energy poverty, especially concerning power shortages, the economic development of India has been severely restricted. To some extent, power exploitation can effectively alleviate the shortage of energy in India. Thus, it is significant to balance the relationship between power supply and demand, and further stabilize the two in a reasonable scope. To achieve balance, a prediction of electricity generation in India is required. Thus, in this study, five methods, the metabolism grey model, autoregressive integrated moving average, metabolic grey model-auto regressive integrated moving average model, non-linear metabolic grey model and non-linear metabolic grey model-auto regressive integrated moving average model, are applied. We combine the characteristics of linear and nonlinear models, making a prediction and comparison of Indian power generation. In this way, we enrich methods for prediction research on electrical energy, which avoids large errors in trends of electricity generation due to those accidental factors when a single predictive model is used. In terms of prediction outcomes, the average relative errors from five models above are 1.67%, 1.62%, 0.84%, 1.84%, and 1.37%, respectively, which indicates high accuracy and reference value of these methods. In conclusion, India’s power generation will continue to grow with an average annual growth rate of 5.17% in the next five years (2018–2022).
Characterization and Antioxidant Activity of Products Derived from Xylose–Bovine Casein Hydrolysate Maillard Reaction: Impact of Reaction Time
Authors: Chen Kun , Zhao Jiajia , Shi Xiaohan , Abdul Qayum , Jiang Zhanmei
Published: July 2019

The characterization and antioxidant activity on Maillard reaction products (MRPs) derived from xylose and bovine casein hydrolysate (BCH) was investigated at 100 °C and initial pH 8.0 as a function of reaction time. The pH values and free amino groups contents of xylose–BCH MRPs remarkably decreased with the reaction time up to 8 h, whereas their browning intensities significantly increased (p < 0.05). After 4 h of heat treatment, the fluorescence properties of xylose–BCH MRPs reached the maximum. There was a production of higher and smaller molecular substances in xylose–BCH MRPs with an increased reaction time, as analyzed by size exclusion chromatography. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging capacity and ferrous reducing activity of xylose-BCH MRPs gradually increased with the reaction time extended from 0 to 8 h.
Dental Whitening Gels: Strengths and Weaknesses of an Increasingly Used Method
Authors: Fiorillo Luca , Laino Luigi , De Stefano Rosa , D’Amico Cesare , Bocchieri Salvatore , Amoroso Giulia , Isola Gaetano , Cervino Gabriele
Published: July 2019

Many people nowadays undergo treatments to improve their aesthetics, often neglecting the general state of health. Aesthetics and appearance have become of prime importance, perhaps correlating with of the advent of social networks and digital photographs. One of the most requested aesthetic treatments for dentists is dental bleaching through the use of whitening gels. Dental bleaching is a treatment which involves an improvement in the chrome of the teeth in a short time, and this treatment appears not invasive for the patients. In-office and at-home bleaching treatments can be found. The purpose of this scientific study is to evaluate all of the advantages and disadvantages of this medical treatment. In this study, were report information and items related to bleaching side effects. Dentists often find themselves in disagreement on this topic. The PICO (Population/Intervention/Comparison/Outcome) question investigated was: Are dental patients who have dental bleaching an increased risk of teeth damage? All of the data in the literature has been collected, and all of the side effects of this treatment were evaluated. 263 studies emerged from initial research; only 14 were screened after screening, as they contained sufficient data to evaluate the side effects of treatment. One certain thing emerged; among the contraindications to the treatment of dental bleaching dentinal hypersensitivity could be cited. In fact, one of the most reported undesirable effects regards this problem. Other studies have evaluated pain, color improvement and duration, or patient satisfaction. Dental bleaching is a treatment that aims to improve the aesthetics of our patients; this is also reflected from a psychological point of view and therefore has effects on general health. However, the whitening treatment is not suitable for everyone and must be carefully evaluated by a specialist. This treatment also entails maintenance by the patient and therefore better compliance to normal oral hygiene procedures.
Older Adults’ Perceptions of ICT: Main Findings from the Technology In Later Life (TILL) Study
Authors: Marston Hannah Ramsden , Genoe Rebecca , Freeman Shannon , Kulczycki Cory , Musselwhite Charles
Published: July 2019

Technology is entwined in 21st Century society, and within the lives of people across all ages. The Technology In Later Life (TILL) study is the first piece of work contributing to the impact, behavior, and perception of technology use, by adults aged ≥70 years, residing in rural and suburban areas. TILL is an international, multi-centred, multi-methods study investigating and conceptualizing how various technologies impact the lives of older adults; residing in urban and rural locations in the United Kingdom (UK) and Canada. This in-depth study recruited 37 participants via a multi-methods approach. Analysis of the findings ascertained two overarching themes: facilitators of technology use (i.e., sharing of information and feeling secure), and detractors of technology (i.e., feelings of apprehension of use). Proposed recommendations include promotion of technology from a strengths-based perspective focusing on positive opportunities technology to improve health and wellbeing, creating a peer support network to assist with learning of new technology, and the need to examine further how intergenerational relationships may be enhanced through the use of technology. The distinction of these themes narrates to the originality of this initial study and milieu of recruited participants, intersecting across the fields of gerontology, geography, social sciences, and gerontechnology.
Novel High-Power, High Repetition Rate Laser Diode Pump Modules Suitable for High-Energy Class Laser Facilities
Authors: Hübner Marko , Will Ingo , Körner Jörg , Reiter Jürgen , Lenski Mathias , Tümmler Johannes , Hein Joachim , Eppich Bernd , Ginolas Arnim , Crump Paul
Published: July 2019

The latest generation of high-energy-class pulsed laser facilities, under construction or planned, such as EuPRAXIA, require reliable pump sources with high power (many kW), brightness (>1 MW/cm2/sr) and electro-optical conversion efficiency (>50%). These new facilities will be operated at high repetition rates (around 100 Hz) and only diode lasers are capable of delivering the necessary performance. Commercial (quasi-continuous wave, QCW) diode laser pulse-pump sources are, however, constructed as low-cost passively cooled stacked arrays that are limited either in brightness, efficiency or repetition rate. Commercial continuous wave diode laser pumps constructed using microchannel coolers (as used in high-value industrial machine tools) can fulfil all requirements, but are typically not preferred, due to their cost and complexity and the challenges of preventing cooler degradation. A custom solution is shown here to fill this gap, using advanced diode lasers in a novel passive side-cooling geometry to realize 100 … 200 Hz pump modules (10%–20% duty cycle) that emit peak power of 6 kW at wavelength = 940 nm. The latest performance of these modules is summarized and compared to literature. We show that a brightness >1 MW/cm2/sr can be efficiently delivered across a wide range of laser pulse conditions with 10% duty cycle (pulse width: 100 µs … 100 ms … cw, repetition rate up to 1 kHz). Furthermore, we describe how these pumps have been used to construct and reliably operate (>109 pulses without degradation) in high-energy-class regenerative and ring amplifiers at the Max-Born-Institut für Nichtlineare Optik und Kurzzeitspektroskopie (MBI). We also show first results on 100 Hz pumping of cryogenically cooled solid-state Yb:YAG slab amplifiers, as anticipated for use in the EuPRAXIA laser, and note that peak temperature is disproportionately increased, indicating that improved cooling and more detailed studies are needed.
High Constitutive Cytokine Release by Primary Human Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells Is Associated with a Specific Intercellular Communication Phenotype
Authors: Reikvam Håkon , Aasebø Elise , Brenner Annette K. , Bartaula-Brevik Sushma , Grønningsæter Ida Sofie , Forthun Rakel Brendsdal , Hovland Randi , Bruserud Øystein
Published: July 2019

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous disease, and this heterogeneity includes the capacity of constitutive release of extracellular soluble mediators by AML cells. We investigated whether this capacity is associated with molecular genetic abnormalities, and we compared the proteomic profiles of AML cells with high and low release. AML cells were derived from 71 consecutive patients that showed an expected frequency of cytogenetic and molecular genetic abnormalities. The constitutive extracellular release of 34 soluble mediators (CCL and CXCL chemokines, interleukins, proteases, and protease regulators) was investigated for an unselected subset of 62 patients, and they could be classified into high/intermediate/low release subsets based on their general capacity of constitutive secretion. FLT3-ITD was more frequent among patients with high constitutive mediator release, but our present study showed no additional associations between the capacity of constitutive release and 53 other molecular genetic abnormalities. We compared the proteomic profiles of two contrasting patient subsets showing either generally high or low constitutive release. A network analysis among cells with high release levels demonstrated high expression of intracellular proteins interacting with integrins, RAC1, and SYK signaling. In contrast, cells with low release showed high expression of several transcriptional regulators. We conclude that AML cell capacity of constitutive mediator release is characterized by different expression of potential intracellular therapeutic targets.
Reduced Expression of Sprouty1 Contributes to the Aberrant Proliferation and Impaired Apoptosis of Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells
Authors: Rosso Valentina , Panuzzo Cristina , Petiti Jessica , Carturan Sonia , Dragani Matteo , Andreani Giacomo , Fava Carmen , Saglio Giuseppe , Bracco Enrico , Cilloni Daniela
Published: July 2019

In most of the acute myeloid leukemia patients there is an aberrant tyrosine kinase activity. The prototype of Sprouty proteins was originally identified in Drosophila melanogaster as antagonists of Breathless, the mammalian ortholog of fibroblast growth factor receptor. Usually, SPRY family members are inhibitors of RAS signaling induced by tyrosine kinases receptors and they are implicated in negative feedback processes regulating several intracellular pathways. The present study aims to investigate the role of a member of the Sprouty family, Sprouty1, as a regulator of cell proliferation and growth in patients affected by acute myeloid leukemia. Sprouty1 mRNA and protein were both significantly down-regulated in acute myeloid leukemia cells compared to the normal counterpart, but they were restored when remission is achieved after chemotherapy. Ectopic expression of Sprouty1 revealed that it plays a key role in the proliferation and apoptotic defect that represent a landmark of the leukemic cells. Our study identified Sprouty1 as negative regulator involved in the aberrant signals of adult acute myeloid leukemia. Furthermore, we found a correlation between Sprouty1 and FoxO3a delocalization in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients at diagnosis, suggesting a multistep regulation of RAS signaling in human cancers.
Intra-Articular Injection of Hydrolyzed Collagen to Treat Symptoms of Knee Osteoarthritis. A Functional In Vitro Investigation and a Pilot Retrospective Clinical Study
Authors: De Luca Paola , Colombini Alessandra , Carimati Giulia , Beggio Michelangelo , de Girolamo Laura , Volpi Piero
Published: July 2019

Among all joints affected, knee osteoarthritis has a prevalence of about 10% in men and 13% in women over 60 years old. Knee osteoarthritis has high economic and social costs and may have a devastating impact on patient quality of life. Treatment of symptomatic knee Osteoarthritis may involve oral or topical administration of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or intra-articular injection of corticosteroids. Recently, a novel injectable collagen formulation (ChondroGrid) consisting of bovine hydrolyzed <3 kDa type I collagen has been developed and is currently available on the market as an injectable medical device. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the in vitro and in vivo effects of ChondroGrid in treating knee osteoarthritis symptoms to assess its safety and performance. Viability and proliferation of ChondroGrid-exposed human chondrocytes derived from five donors were assessed through the Alamar Blue/CyQuant assays. Their expression of MMP1/MMP3 and TIMP1/TIMP3 was then assessed through RT-PCR and that of TGFβ1, IGF-I, and VEGF using ELISA assays. Shape and ECM deposition were assessed using the Bern score after a 28-day ChondroGrid exposure, and collagen deposition was assessed using immunostaining. Records of 20 patients affected by Kellgren Lawrence grade 1 to 4 knee osteoarthritis who received three 4 mg/2 mL ChondroGrid injections 2 weeks apart were then retrospectively assessed to compare VAS, Lequesne, and WOMAC scores collected before and 15, 45, and 225 days after the first injection. ChondroGrid had no effects on the markers under consideration, but induced type-II and inhibited type-I collagen deposition; the Bern score was higher when cells were cultured with ChondroGrid. Patients experienced a 44% Lequesne score and a 55% VAS at moving score reduction. All other scores decreased >70%. ChondroGrid may prompt chondrocytes to produce hyaline cartilage, prevent fibrous tissue formation, and be a safe and effective adjuvant to treat symptomatic knee osteoarthritis.
Effect of Different Types of Block Copolymers on Morphology, Mechanical Properties, and Fracture Mechanisms of Bisphenol-F Based Epoxy System
Authors: Bajpai Ankur , Wetzel Bernd
Published: July 2019

The effect of adding different types of soft block copolymer on the tensile properties, fracture mechanic properties, and thermo-mechanical properties of bisphenol F based epoxy resin were studied. Two different self-assembling block copolymers, (a) constituting of a center block of poly (butyl acrylate) and two side blocks of poly (methyl) methacrylate-co-polar co-monomer (BCP 1) and (b) poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(butylene oxide) (PEO-PBO) diblock copolymer (BCP 2), were used with an epoxy-hardener system. The maximum fracture toughness and fracture energy were measured as KIc = 2.75 MPa·m1/2 and GIc = 2.37 kJ/m2 for the 10 wt % of BCP 1 modified system, which were 366% and 2270% higher in comparison to reference epoxy system, and a 63% reduction in tensile strength was also observed. Similarly, for BCP2 modified systems, the maximum value of KIc = 1.65 MPa·m1/2 and GIc = 1.10 kJ/m2 was obtained for epoxy modified with 12 wt % of BCP2 and a reduction of 32% in tensile strength. The fracture toughness and fracture energy were co-related to the plastic zone size for all the modified systems. Finally, the analysis of the fracture surfaces revealed the toughening micro-mechanisms of the nanocomposites.
Challenges and Opportunities of Social Media Data for Socio-Environmental Systems Research
Authors: Lopez Bianca E. , Magliocca Nicholas R. , Crooks Andrew T.
Published: July 2019

Social media data provide an unprecedented wealth of information on people’s perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors at fine spatial and temporal scales and over broad extents. Social media data produce insight into relationships between people and the environment at scales that are generally prohibited by the spatial and temporal mismatch between traditional social and environmental data. These data thus have great potential for use in socio-environmental systems (SES) research. However, biases in who uses social media platforms, and what they use them for, create uncertainty in the potential insights from these data. Here, we describe ways that social media data have been used in SES research, including tracking land-use and environmental changes, natural resource use, and ecosystem service provisioning. We also highlight promising areas for future research and present best practices for SES research using social media data.
Debonding Detection and Monitoring for CFRP Reinforced Concrete Beams Using Pizeoceramic Sensors
Authors: Liu Shukui , Sun Wei , Jing Hongwen , Dong Zhaoxing
Published: July 2019

The bonding status between Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) and concrete is one of the key issues for the safety of CFPR-reinforced structures, thus it is of great importance to detect the debonding as early as possible. Instead of detecting the debonding which is artificially set at the very beginning, this paper investigates the feasibility of using low-cost piezoceramic sensors to detect and monitor the debonding of CFRP-reinforced concrete beams in situ. For existing debonding detection, a concrete beam reinforced with CFRP sheet was loaded through the three-point bending test till failure to induce debonding between CFRP sheet and the concrete substrate, and piezoceramic sensors were used to detect the existing debonding by analyzing the receiving ultrasonic waves. In addition, the debonding detection results were further compared with and verified by the vision-based strain testing results. For in-situ debonding monitoring, 10 piezoceramic sensors were used as an array to track the wave transmission changes during the loading process of a CFRP-reinforced concrete beam, and the debonding development process was successfully monitored. The test results show that the low-cost piezoceramic sensors are very effective to generate and receive ultrasonic waves, and are capable of detecting the existing debonding and monitoring of the in-situ debonding process as well.
Development of an Adapted Model for Decision-Making to Improve Reasoning and Risk Assessment in an Emergency Team: A Prospective Simulation Study
Authors: Häske David , Dorau Wolfgang , Heinemann Niklas , Stock Jan-Philipp , Schempf Benjamin
Published: July 2019

Background and Objectives: Medical staff is rarely trained in structured decision-making, relying instead on intuition without due consideration for the associated pros and cons. Materials and Methods: We adopted a model for decision-making to improve reasoning and risk assessment and carried out a prospective simulation study using paramedic students in a three-year training program. We conducted a training session in which participants were lectured on decision-making using the FAR-BEK model (German abbreviation for facts, alternatives, risks, competence, decision, control), physiological processes in decision-making under stress, as well as medico-legal aspects for the comprehension and justification of medical decisions. We analyzed pre- and post-training scenarios to elucidate the influence of training on decision-making. Results: Twenty paramedic students, with a mean age of 22.0 ± 1.7 years, took part in the study. The question of whether decision aids can be applied, initially affirmed by 40% of participants, rose to 71.4% (p = 0.011) following our training. Confidence in decision-making increased on a 7-point Likert scale from 4.5 to 4.8 points (p < 0.394). The reasoning behind the decisions rose from 5.3 to 5.6 points (p < 0.081). Indication, options, and risks rose significantly, from 5.4 to 6.1 points (p = 0.045). Overall, our simulation training significantly increased the points of decision support taken into account (57.8% vs. 88.9%, p < 0.001). Viewed individually, the largest increase of 180% was seen in risk assessment (33.3% vs. 93.3%, p < 0.002). The second largest increase of 150% was seen in the question of one’s own permissions (26.7% vs. 66.7%, p < 0.066). Also, the control increased (40.0% vs. 86.7%, p < 0.021). Conclusions: With a brief training course, both the awareness and the implementation of a structured decision-making model in paramedic students can be significantly increased. Nevertheless, no definitive conclusions can be made with respect to the implementation of real patient care. The application of structured, standardized decision-making tools may need to be further consolidated in routine medical use.
Technical Concepts for the Investigation of Spatial Effects in Spiral-Wound Microfiltration Membranes
Authors: Hartinger Martin , Heidebrecht Hans-Jürgen , Schiffer Simon , Dumpler Joseph , Kulozik Ulrich
Published: July 2019

Existing works on the influence of spatial effects on flux and permeation of proteins in microfiltration (MF) have focused on ceramic membranes. There is little information on spiral-wound membranes (SWMs). Since the inner core of a SWM is practically inaccessible by non-destructive techniques, three different prototypes were constructed in this study to optimize suitability for the investigation of spatial effects on filtration performance. To measure the pressure drop, shortened SWMs 0.25, 0.50, and 0.75 times the length of a standard industrial SWM (0.96 m) were designed. Second, a sectioned membrane (0.96 m) with separated compartments on the permeate side was constructed to analyze spatial effects on flux and protein permeation along the flow path of a SWM. Three different features characterized this sectioned module: sectioned permeate pockets, a sectioned permeate collection tube, and sectioned permeate drain and measurement systems. Crossflow filtration experiments showed that these modifications did not alter the filtration performance compared to an unmodified control SWM. Thus, it can be applied to assess spatially-resolved filtration performance in SWMs. The third prototype designed was a test cell with accessible flat sheet membranes and spacer material, as in SWMs. The flow path in this test cell was designed to match the characteristics of the channels between the membrane sheets in a standard SWM as closely as possible. The flow path length and the combination of membrane material and spacer architecture were the same as in the control SWM. This test cell was designed to assess the effects of length and processing conditions on the formation of a deposit layer. The combined results of these test modules can yield new insights into the spatial distribution of flux, permeation of target components, and deposit formation.
Study on Sulfur Transfer Behavior during Refining of Rejected Electrolytic Manganese Metal
Authors: Wang Qiang , Liu Yu , Wang Fang , Cao Yulong , Li Guangqiang
Published: July 2019

A slag treatment method was proposed to recycle rejected electrolytic manganese metal. To improve the sulfur removal ratio, computational fluid dynamics and experimental studies of the sulfur transfer behavior during the refining process were carried out. Experiments of slag-metal reaction for desulfurization were carried out using an electric resistance furnace at temperatures ranging from 1773 K to 1923 K. A transient three-dimensional coupled numerical model was established to represent the three-phase flow, heat and mass transfer in the experiment. The desulfurization rate was described by a metallurgical kinetics module, which was related to the slag composition, the interfacial tension coefficient, the flow and the temperature of the melt. The predicted sulfur content agreed reasonably well with the measured data. The temperature of the fluids at the outer side of the crucible was higher than that at the center, resulting in a larger sulfur partition ratio and a more vigorous flow. The sulfur transfer rate was higher at the outer edge of the molten slag–molten manganese interface. The sulfur removal ratio increased from 51.4% to 85.1% with a change in heating temperature from 1773 K to 1873 K, and slightly dropped to 83.3% when the heating temperature increased to 1923 K. The heating temperature of 1873 K is the optimal choice for recycling in the present work.
A Citrus Peel Waste Biorefinery for Ethanol and Methane Production
Authors: Patsalou Maria , Samanides Charis G. , Protopapa Eleni , Stavrinou Stella , Vyrides Ioannis , Koutinas Michalis
Published: July 2019

This paper deals with the development of a citrus peel waste (CPW) biorefinery that employs low environmental impact technologies for production of ethanol and methane. Three major yeasts were compared for ethanol production in batch fermentations using CPW pretreated through acid hydrolysis and a combination of acid and enzyme hydrolysis. The most efficient conditions for production of CPW-based hydrolyzates included processing at 116 °C for 10 min. Pichia kudriavzevii KVMP10 achieved the highest ethanol production that reached 30.7 g L−1 in fermentations conducted at elevated temperatures (42 °C). A zero-waste biorefinery was introduced by using solid biorefinery residues in repeated batch anaerobic digestion fermentations achieving methane formation of 342 mL gVS−1 (volatile solids). Methane production applying untreated and dried CPW reached a similar level (339–356 mL gVS−1) to the use of the side stream, demonstrating that the developed bioprocess constitutes an advanced alternative to energy intensive methods for biofuel production.
Treatment of Contaminated Groundwater via Arsenate Removal Using Chitosan-Coated Bentonite
Authors: Yee Jurng-Jae , Arida Carlo Vic Justo , Futalan Cybelle Morales , de Luna Mark Daniel Garrido , Wan Meng-Wei
Published: July 2019

In the present research, treatment of contaminated groundwater via adsorption of As(V) with an initial concentration of 50.99 µg/L using chitosan-coated bentonite (CCB) was investigated. The effect of adsorbent mass (0.001 to 2.0 g), temperature (298 to 328 K), and contact time (1 to 180 min) on the removal efficiency was examined. Adsorption data was evaluated using isotherm models such as Langmuir, Freundlich, and Dubinin-Radushkevich. Isotherm study showed that the Langmuir (R2 > 0.9899; χ2 ≤ 0.91; RMSE ≤ 4.87) model best correlates with the experimental data. Kinetics studies revealed that pseudo-second order equation adequately describes the experimental data (R2 ≥ 0.9951; χ2 ≤ 0.8.33; RMSE ≤ 4.31) where equilibrium was attained after 60 min. Thermodynamics study shows that the As(V) adsorption is non-spontaneous (ΔG0 ≥ 0) and endothermic (ΔH0 = 8.31 J/mol) that would result in an increase in randomness (ΔS0 = 29.10 kJ/mol•K) within the CCB-solution interface. FT-IR analysis reveals that hydroxyl and amino groups are involved in the adsorption of As(V) from groundwater. Results of the present research serve as a tool to determine whether CCB is an environmentally safe and cost effective material that could be utilized in a permeable reactive barrier system for the remediation of As(V) from contaminated groundwater.
Protocol for the Design and Assembly of a Light Sheet Light Field Microscope
Authors: Madrid-Wolff Jorge , Forero-Shelton Manu
Published: July 2019

Light field microscopy is a recent development that makes it possible to obtain images of volumes with a single camera exposure, enabling studies of fast processes such as neural activity in zebrafish brains at high temporal resolution, at the expense of spatial resolution. Light sheet microscopy is also a recent method that reduces illumination intensity while increasing the signal-to-noise ratio with respect to confocal microscopes. While faster and gentler to samples than confocals for a similar resolution, light sheet microscopy is still slower than light field microscopy since it must collect volume slices sequentially. Nonetheless, the combination of the two methods, i.e., light field microscopes that have light sheet illumination, can help to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of light field microscopes and potentially improve their resolution. Building these microscopes requires much expertise, and the resources for doing so are limited. Here, we present a protocol to build a light field microscope with light sheet illumination. This protocol is also useful to build a light sheet microscope.
Multilayer-Coated Tablet of Clopidogrel and Rosuvastatin: Preparation and In Vitro/In vivo Characterization
Authors: Seo Ki-Soo , Han Hyo-Kyung
Published: July 2019

The acid lability of rosuvastatin hinders the preparation of mixed combination formulations of rosuvastatin with acidic drugs such as clopidogrel. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop a multilayer-coated tablet that avoids physicochemical interactions between rosuvastatin and clopidogrel. Among the tested hydrophobic materials, glyceryl behenate was most effective at inhibiting the production of lactone, the acid degradation product of rosuvastatin. Therefore, the multilayer-coated tablet included a hydrophobic separation layer consisting of glyceryl behenate between the clopidogrel core tablet and the rosuvastatin coating layer. In order to prevent delayed dissolution by the stable hydrophobic separation layer, crospovidone was added into the clopidogrel core tablet as an effective disintegrant. Copovidone was also added to the coating layer of rosuvastatin, achieving a dissolution profile comparable to that of the reference drug, Crestor®. The resulting multilayer-coated tablet exhibited similar pharmacokinetic profiles to those of reference drugs (Plavix® and Crestor®) in beagle dogs, and there was no statistically significant difference in the maximum plasma concentration (Cmax), the time to reach the maximum plasma concentration (Tmax), or the area under the plasma-concentration time curve (AUC) between the test and reference formulations. The storage stability tests showed that the amounts of acid degradation products and total impurities were comparable to that of the reference drug. In conclusion, the present study successfully developed a stable multilayer-coated tablet containing both clopidogrel and rosuvastatin that may improve the patient compliance in combination therapy for cardiovascular diseases.
Photobiomodulation for Alzheimer’s Disease: Has the Light Dawned?
Authors: Hamblin Michael
Published: July 2019

Next to cancer, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and dementia is probably the most worrying health problem facing the Western world today. A large number of clinical trials have failed to show any benefit of the tested drugs in stabilizing or reversing the steady decline in cognitive function that is suffered by dementia patients. Although the pathological features of AD consisting of beta-amyloid plaques and tau tangles are well established, considerable debate exists concerning the genetic or lifestyle factors that predispose individuals to developing dementia. Photobiomodulation (PBM) describes the therapeutic use of red or near-infrared light to stimulate healing, relieve pain and inflammation, and prevent tissue from dying. In recent years PBM has been applied for a diverse range of brain disorders, frequently applied in a non-invasive manner by shining light on the head (transcranial PBM). The present review discusses the mechanisms of action of tPBM in the brain, and summarizes studies that have used tPBM to treat animal models of AD. The results of a limited number of clinical trials that have used tPBM to treat patients with AD and dementia are discussed.
A Novel MPC with Actuator Dynamic Compensation for the Marine Steam Turbine Rotational Control with a Novel Energy Dynamic Model
Authors: Liu Sheng , Zhao Baoling , Wu Ling
Published: July 2019

The conventional modeling method of the marine steam turbine rotational speed control system (MSTRSCS) is based on Newton’s second law, constructing the mechanical equations between the rotational acceleration and the resultant torque. The disadvantages of this are nonlinearity, a complex structure and an infinite point of discontinuity in the rotational acceleration when the rotational speed is close to 0. Taking the kinetic energy of MSTRSCS as the output variable by using the kinetic energy theorem in this paper, we convert the complex nonlinear model of MSTRSCS into a linear one, since kinetic energy and rotational speed are homeomorphic. Model predictive control (MPC) adopts a discrete-time model, whereas the real system is time-continuous. Hence, poor performance is obtained in the real system when the time-discrete control law is applied to the MSTRSCS through the actuator. In case of high requirements for system accuracy and control performance, conventional MPC (CMPC) cannot meet the engineering requirements. In order to lessen the impact of this phenomenon, this paper proposes a novel MPC with actuator dynamic compensation (ADCMPC), in which the dynamics of the actuator are quantified and the system performance is improved. Compared with other control techniques such as CMPC, the performance of the ADCMPC strategy in MSTRSCS is successfully validated.
Decawave UWB Clock Drift Correction and Power Self-Calibration
Authors: Sidorenko Juri , Schatz Volker , Scherer-Negenborn Norbert , Arens Michael , Hugentobler Urs
Published: July 2019

The position accuracy based on Decawave Ultra-Wideband (UWB) is affected mainly by three factors: hardware delays, clock drift, and signal power. This article discusses the last two factors. The general approach to clock drift correction uses the phase-locked loop (PLL) integrator, which we show is subject to signal power variations, and therefore, is less suitable for clock drift correction. The general approach to the estimation of signal power correction curves requires additional measurement equipment. This article presents a new method for obtaining the curve without additional hardware and clock drift correction without the PLL integrator. Both correction methods were fused together to improve two-way ranging (TWR).
An AutoEncoder and LSTM-Based Traffic Flow Prediction Method
Authors: Wei Wangyang , Wu Honghai , Ma Huadong
Published: July 2019

Smart cities can effectively improve the quality of urban life. Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) is an important part of smart cities. The accurate and real-time prediction of traffic flow plays an important role in ITSs. To improve the prediction accuracy, we propose a novel traffic flow prediction method, called AutoEncoder Long Short-Term Memory (AE-LSTM) prediction method. In our method, the AutoEncoder is used to obtain the internal relationship of traffic flow by extracting the characteristics of upstream and downstream traffic flow data. Moreover, the Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) network utilizes the acquired characteristic data and the historical data to predict complex linear traffic flow data. The experimental results show that the AE-LSTM method had higher prediction accuracy. Specifically, the Mean Relative Error (MRE) of the AE-LSTM was reduced by 0.01 compared with the previous prediction methods. In addition, AE-LSTM method also had good stability. For different stations and different dates, the prediction error and fluctuation of the AE-LSTM method was small. Furthermore, the average MRE of AE-LSTM prediction results was 0.06 for six different days.
Support Vector Machine for Regional Ionospheric Delay Modeling
Authors: Zhang Zhengxie , Pan Shuguo , Gao Chengfa , Zhao Tao , Gao Wang
Published: July 2019

The distribution of total electron content (TEC) in the ionosphere is irregular and complex, and it is hard to model accurately. The polynomial (POLY) model is used extensively for regional ionosphere modeling in two-dimensional space. However, in the active period of the ionosphere, the POLY model is difficult to reflect the distribution and variation of TEC. Aiming at the limitation of the regional POLY model, this paper proposes a new ionosphere modeling method with combining the support vector machine (SVM) regression model and the POLY model. Firstly, the POLY model is established using observations of regional continuously operating reference stations (CORS). Then the SVM regression model is trained to compensate the model error of POLY, and the TEC SVM-P model is obtained by the combination of the POLY and the SVM. The fitting accuracies of the models are verified with the root mean square errors (RMSEs) and static single-frequency precise point positioning (PPP) experiments. The results show that the RMSE of the SVM-P is 0.980 TECU (TEC unit), which produces an improvement of 17.3% compared with the POLY model (1.185 TECU). Using SVM-P models, the positioning accuracies of single-frequency PPP are improved over 40% compared with those using POLY models. The SVM-P is also compared with the back-propagation neural network combined with POLY (BPNN-P), and its performance is also better than BPNN-P (1.070 TECU).
Assessment of Bandaged Burn Wounds Using Porcine Skin and Millimetric Radiometry
Authors: Owda Amani Yousef , Salmon Neil , Shylo Sergiy , Owda Majdi
Published: July 2019

This paper describes the experimental setup and measurements of the emissivity of porcine skin samples over the band of 80–100 GHz. Measurements were conducted on samples with and without dressing materials and before and after the application of localized heat treatments. Experimental measurements indicate that the differences in the mean emissivity values between unburned skin and burned damaged skin was up to ~0.28, with an experimental measurement uncertainty of ±0.005. Measured differences in the mean emissivity values between unburned and burn damaged skin increases with the depth of the burn, indicating a possible non-contact technique for assessing the degree of a burn. The mean emissivity of the dressed burned skin was found to be slightly higher than the undressed burned skin, typically ~0.01 to ~0.02 higher. This indicates that the signature of the burn caused by the application of localized heat treatments is observable through dressing materials. These findings reveal that radiometry, as a non-contact method, is capable of distinguishing between normal and burn-damaged skin under dressing materials without their often-painful removal. This indicates the potential of using millimeter wave (MMW) radiometry as a new type of medical diagnostic to monitor burn wounds.