bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A STRATEGY TO STRENGTHENING THE HUMAN RESOURCE CAPABILITIES AS A VALUABLE POTENCY TOWARD CREATIVE INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT IN SOUTH TANGERANG
Authors: Putri Caecaria Dwi , Hidayat Nila K.
Published: April 2019

Human resource capability is esseltial to develop the creative industry in South Tangerang since if the human capability is lacking, it will affect the output of organization and also the other capability will be at risk. The first purpose of this research is to analyze whether there is a strong influence between human resource capabilities to the development of creative industry. The second purpose is to identify the most significance capability toward creative industry development. The third is what strategy should be implemented to develop HR Resources to Creative Industry. Descriptive research is used as a type of study which followed by qualitative and quantitative method. Furthermore, the data is analyzed though the Structural Equation Modeling analysis (SEM). The findings of this research shows that human resource capability has a strong influence to the development of creative industry in South Tangerang with the highest contribution is from skill and the strategy generated is more focused on strengthening skill as the most potential capability of people. Based on the findings, recommendation generated is government and creative industry business owner should pay more attention to the people capability and create a specific strategy and vision to srengthening the people capability.
The Licensors’ Economic Right for Creative Commons Licensed Works Used for Commercial Purposes In Indonesia
Authors: Sulistianingsih Dewi , Safitri Gianefi
Published: April 2019

A Creative Commons License is a public license which can be used by a creator or an inventor regarding a royalty-free license both for commercial and non-commercial uses. The commercial use of a creation financially inflicts the licensor since there is no economic right from the royalty from the user of the creation. This paper is a result of a study which applied a normative juridical approach. The study aims to find out the protection of economic right of the licensor for his or her creation, which is under creative commons license, which is used for commercial purposes. The economic right protection of the licensor whose work is under common creative license which is used commercially is the same as that of other licenses because a creative commons license is basically the same as other license agreements which bind parties involved in an agreement. The protection is given through the Act of the Republic of Indonesia Number 28 Year 2003 Concerning Copyright.
Relasi Kuasa-Pengetahuan dalam Sistem Ketatanegaraan di Kerajaan Konawe Abad Ke-XVII: Telaah Epistemologi Siwole Mbatohu
Authors: Idaman Idaman
Published: April 2019

Siwole Mbatohu adalah konseptual politik di kerajaan Konawe, terutama di era Mokole Tebawo (Sangia Inato). Pembagian beberapa daerah otonom dengan cara ketahanan politik dan ekonomi atas wilayah kerajaan Konawe. Wilayah Siwole Mbatohu adalah: Wilayah bagian barat kerajaan Konawe yang disebut Tambo i Tepuli, ano Oleo yang berkedudukan di Latoma dipimpin oleh Sabandara, wilayah bagian Timur kerajaan Konawe yang disebut tambo i Losoano Oleo berkedudukan di Ranomeeto yang dipimpin oleh Sapati, wilayah bagian Kanan (Utara) kerajaan Konawe yang disebut Bharata i Hanano Wuta Konawe yang berkedudukan di Tongauna dipimpin oleh Ponggawa, dan wilayah bagian kiri (Selatan) kerajaan Konawe yang disebut Bharata i Moerino Wuta Konawe berkedudukan di Asaki yang dipimpin Inowa.Beberapa manuskrip Siwole Mbatohu hanya berjuang untuk menganalisis pertahanan keamanan. Para penulis menyatakan bahwa pembagian wilayah oleh Mokole adalah pertahanan keamanan kerajaan Konawe, walaupun jika dikaji, terutama dari penggunaan hubungan kekuasaan (power/knowledge), terlihat jelas bahwa pembagian wilayah dilakukan dalam rangka mempertahankan kekuasaan. Itu adalah alasan historis, yaitu alasan historis, yaitu sebelum pembagian kerajaan Konawe, Inolobunggadue.Dalam penyelidikan epistemologi, terutama epistemologi politik, konsep Siwole Mbatohu telah diproduksi untuk mengabadikan status quo, memperkuat kekuasaan, dan mengendalikan kekuasaan di empat kerajaan kecil, yaitu sayap dan gerbang. Hubungan ini dibangun untuk melegitimasi kekuatan pusat kerajaan Konawe sebagai entitas silsilah yang terhubung dengan wilayah lain di Siwole Mbatohu. Penyebutan Mokole Tebawo, dan bahkan raja-raja Konawe pra-Islam sebagai sangia (dewa) menunjukkan bahwa mol adalah perwujudan dewa, simbol kekuatan, tempat peristirahatan yang paling otoritatif untuk semua komunitas di kerajaan Konawe.
Mercadeo y el Internet: ¿Qué retos gerenciales plantea?
Authors: Sosa Juan Carlos
Published: April 2019

La supervía de la información, el Internet, y la emergente infraestructura global han creado nuevas oportunidades y amenazas para las organizaciones en cualquier parte de nuestro planeta. Este trabajo pretende considerar las implicaciones de esta nueva infraestructura de comunicación en la práctica y en las estrategias de los negocios, principalmente cuando se utiliza como una herramienta de mercadeo directo. Además, tiene en cuenta los retos que enfrenta el gerente de mercadeo al utilizar este nuevo medio y tomar ventaja de él para responder a las oportunidades y amenazas de una nueva infraestructura. El comercio electrónico debe ser considerado una alternativa real en un mundo en donde los cambios tecnológicos son rápidos y la tendencia es dirigirse hacia la globalización, lo que hace que el gerente de hoy se plantee nuevas alternativas para mercadear sus productos o servicios.
La legislación de salario mínimo de Puerto Rico según las últimas enmiendas del 1995
Authors: Caparrós Victor M.
Published: April 2019

Este artículo tiene el propósito principal de analizar los alcances y los efectos de estas enmiendas introducidas a la ley 96 del 26 dc junio de 1956, conocida como la Ley de Salario Mínimo de Puerto Rico. El análisis que se hizo de la Ley 84 del 20 de julio de 1995 revela, entre otras cosas, que las facultades y los poderes de investigación de la Junta de Salario Mínimo fueron restringidos significativamente en perjuicio de los trabajadores puertorriqueños. Aunque por un lado supuestamente se garantiza la igualdad en la aplicación automática del salario mínimo federal, por otro lado, este mínimo federal equivale a un tope salarial sobre el cual no se pueden fijar salarios al amparo de la legislación de Puerto Rico como lo era antes de las enmiendas. También se restringe la facultad para fijar vacaciones y licencia por enfermedad en exceso de 15 y 12 días, respectivamente, y no se permite extender estos beneficios a los empleados que trabajen menos de 115 horas en cualquier mes del año. Además de reducir prácticamente los poderes de revisión dc la Junta al ámbito local, estas enmiendas eliminaron el derecho a una garantía de compensación semanal mínima a que tenían derecho los trabajadores de las industrias de hospitales, restaurantes, hoteles, cervezas y comercio al por menor. En el estudio también se señalan otros hallazgos ajenos al propósito principal de este trabajo que no podemos obviar por las repercusiones que puedan tener en el futuro. Estos tienen que ver con errores en la redacción del estatuto que tienden a generar confusiones que entendemos requerirán enmiendas a la ley antes de que las controversias lleguen a los tribunales. Estos errores probablemente fueron el resultado de la premura en aprobar la ley o de la falta de un asesoramiento adecuado o ambas razones.
El mundo de los números en El Quijote
Authors: Sarramía Tomás
Published: April 2019

El lector más casual del Quijote puede percatarse de la profusa aparición de números a lo largo de las páginas que componen la obra cumbre de su insigne autor. Sin duda, la documentada habilidad matemática de Cervantes y su aplicación en las diversas actividades de su azarosa existencia, le sirvieron como un formidable recurso literario para presentar la extensa variedad de matices de la sociedad de una época e inyectar en los diálogos de los personajes una singular vitalidad.
Viabilidad económica del cultivo de papas en Puerto Rico
Authors: Lozada De Jesús Gloria Damaris
Published: April 2019

Sinopsis de las siguientes tesis: Efecto de Falsificación de Productos en los Negocios y Mercadeo Internacional, Viabilidad Económica del Cultivo de Papas en Puerto Rico, Comercio electrónico: Retos y efectividad del internet en las estrategias de mercadeo, Caso estudio: Impacto de la Reforma de Salud en la Corporación de servicios de Salud y medicina avanzada, Diseño de arquetipos para evaluar el desempeño de las inversiones de las compañías de inversión registradas en Puerto Rico, Análisis de seis grandes desastres de mediados de los 1990s relacionados con derivados financieros y las lecciones para aprender.
Estudio sobre la percepción de los estudiantes con el servicio educativo del Departamento de Educación Física
Authors: Vélez Bravo Becky A.
Published: April 2019

Sinopsis de las siguientes tesis: Efectividad y Cable TV: La opinión de los directores de medios de agencias publicitarias, Estudio sobre la percepción de los estudiantes con el servicio educativo del Departamento de Educación Física, Nivel de aceptación de las tarjetas telefónicas prepagadas en el mercado de Puerto Rico: Antecedentes, funcionalidad y perspectiva del producto, Teoría de asignación de precios por arbitraje aplicada a la Bolsa de Valores de Caracas, Ganancias de contabilidad como indicador de flujos futuros de efectivo en el sector industrial.
El misterio del activo desaparecido
Authors: González Taboada José A.
Published: April 2019

En este artículo se discute, mediante un caso, la inconsistencia que puede haber en la contabilidad de un arrendamiento, entre el arrendador y el arrendatario. A pesar de que las normas de contabilidad, según promulgadas por la Junta de Normas para la Contabilidad Financiera (FASB por sus siglas en inglés), pretenden lograr simetría en la contabilidad, las partes involucradas pueden manipular los términos del contrato de arrendamiento de manera que cada una pueda tener la contabilidad que mejor convenga a sus intereses. El arrendador prefiere capitalizar el arrendamiento porque reconoce mayores ingresos durante los primeros años del mismo (en comparación con un arrendamiento operacional). Por otro lado, el arrendatario prefiere no capitalizar porque los arrendamientos capitalizables resultan en mayores gastos (que los operacionales) durante los primeros años del arrendamiento. El artículo explica, a través de un ejemplo, cómo se puede estructurar un arrendamiento para que ambas partes queden ""satisfechas", aprovechándose de las fallas en las normas de contabilidad.
Teoría de asignación de precios por arbitraje aplicada a la Bolsa de Valores de Caracas
Authors: Ferreira Vieira Jorge J.
Published: April 2019

Esta investigación tiene como objetivo principal conocer la relación existente entre los principales aspectos macroeconómicos de Venezuela y el rendimiento de las acciones corporativas de la Bolsa de Valores de Caracas. Los resultados arrojados por esta investigación indican que, en forma individual, los indicadores económicos más relacionados al desempeño bursátil fueron la tasa de inflación y la tasa de interés bancaria. Esto apoya los hallazgos realizados en investigaciones previas de la Teoría de Asignación de Precios por Arbitraje, en distintos entornos económicos. Los factores agrupados de mayor incidencia fueron, por un lado, los aspectos relacionados con las fuentes y usos del efectivo nacional, y por otro, la actividad comercial e industrial del país. Esta diferencia en los resultados no refleja una contradicción sino el efecto de atenuación de la variabilidad de las indicadores involucrados en un factor, debido a la diversificación.
Evaluación del desempeño de una muestra de fondos mutuos internacionales para el periodo de 1986-1996
Authors: Ortiz Meléndez Gladys I.
Published: April 2019

Sinopsis de las siguientes tesis: El impacto del SAS 82-Consideraciones de fraude en la auditoría de estados financieros- en la práctica de la contabilidad pública de firmas locales y practicantes independientes en Puerto Rico, Análisis financiero, operacional y de valorización de activos de la Autoridad de Energía Eléctrica, Proceso de gestión estratégica y diseño de un caso para una compañia puertorriqueña, Análisis crítico de la literatura sobre métodos de costeo basado en actividades y tradicionales y su impacto en la toma de decisiones gerenciales, La percepción de los estudiantes de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, Recinto de Río Piedras, sobre los servicios ofrecidos por la Unidad de Servicios Médicos de dicha Institución Universitaria, Evaluación del desempeño de una muestra de fondos mutuos internacionales para el periodo de 1986-1996.
Los llamados empresarios cubanos y la transición en la isla
Authors: González Núñez Gerardo
Published: April 2019

Uno de los elementos que caracteriza la Cuba actual es el cambio en el escenario económico que ha permitido, entre otras consecuencias, la emergencia de un nuevo tipo de empresario. Éste surge en el contexto de una economía que se ha ido permeando de las características y exigencias de un mercado mundial altamente competitivo; aspectos de los que no podrá prescindir si su aspiración es lograr una reinserción estable y beneficiosa en el sistema económico internacional. Este trabajo pretende explorar tres áreas de interés: la percepción del nuevo empresario sobre la crisis económica y la actividad empresarial; su opinión sobre los cambios económicos que hay que introducir en la isla principalmente en la esfera empresarial -y su percepción sobre el papel del empresario en la sociedad.
¿Dónde hay mejores rendimientos en la emisión de Acciones Directas o enlos ADRs?: El caso de corporaciones latinoamericanas
Authors: Irizarry Segarra María Teresa
Published: April 2019

Sinopsis de las siguientes tesis: ¿Dónde hay mejores rendimientos en la emisión de Acciones Directas o enlos ADRs?: El caso de corporaciones latinoamericanas, El impacto de la Ley de Reforma de la Litigación de Valores Privados en demandas colectivas de valores en el periodo de 1996-1999, Factores que promueven o limitan la explotación de la Industria de la Aguja en Puerto Rico, Estudio de viabilidad para el desarrollo de un proyecto de viviendas con arquitectura tropical, Estudio comparativo de la utilización de técnicas de control estadístico de la calidad en la compresión de tabletas.
Factores que promueven o limitan la explotación de la Industria de la Aguja en Puerto Rico
Authors: Medina Rosado Ilenia
Published: April 2019

Sinopsis de las siguientes tesis: ¿Dónde hay mejores rendimientos en la emisión de Acciones Directas o enlos ADRs?: El caso de corporaciones latinoamericanas, El impacto de la Ley de Reforma de la Litigación de Valores Privados en demandas colectivas de valores en el periodo de 1996-1999, Factores que promueven o limitan la explotación de la Industria de la Aguja en Puerto Rico, Estudio de viabilidad para el desarrollo de un proyecto de viviendas con arquitectura tropical, Estudio comparativo de la utilización de técnicas de control estadístico de la calidad en la compresión de tabletas.
Estudio comparativo de la utilización de técnicas de control estadístico de la calidad en la compresión de tabletas
Authors: Álvarez Ojeda Gladiel
Published: April 2019

Sinopsis de las siguientes tesis: ¿Dónde hay mejores rendimientos en la emisión de Acciones Directas o enlos ADRs?: El caso de corporaciones latinoamericanas, El impacto de la Ley de Reforma de la Litigación de Valores Privados en demandas colectivas de valores en el periodo de 1996-1999, Factores que promueven o limitan la explotación de la Industria de la Aguja en Puerto Rico, Estudio de viabilidad para el desarrollo de un proyecto de viviendas con arquitectura tropical, Estudio comparativo de la utilización de técnicas de control estadístico de la calidad en la compresión de tabletas.
Proceso de desintermediación financiera en Chile: Una revisión
Authors: Díaz Contreras Carlos , Ramírez Vera Douglas
Published: April 2019

Los bancos ya no son los únicos proveedores de financiamiento y captación del ahorro en el sistema financiero actual, con ello, el rol tradicional de la banca ha dejado de ser un monopolio de este sector. De ahí surge el término de "Desintermediación Financiera". Ésta consiste en el establecimiento de una relación directa entre los usuarios del crédito y los proveedores de los fondos, eliminando la participación de intermediarios, logrando de esta forma, reducir los costos de transacción involucrados. En este trabajo se determinará un modelo que permita medir la desintermediación financiera en Chile para el período 1988-1997, usando como variable dependiente la proporción: Desintermediación = Obligaciones con el público (Largo Plazo) + Capital Pagado / Obligaciones con Bancos e Instituciones Financieras (Largo Plazo) Como variables explicativas: la competitividad (representada por el alcance bancario), la diversificación (representada por la emisión de acciones y bonos por parte de las empresas; por el porcentaje invertido en acciones y bonos por parte de las Administradoras de Fondos de Pensiones (AFP), así como también, las inversiones de éstos últimos en instrumentos bancarios) y la globalización (representada por las emisiones de los "American Depositary Receipts" y por los flujos financieros extranjeros destinados a financiar directamente proyectos en Chile).
El subsidio de empresa emergente sueco; un estudio cualitativo de éxito y fracaso
Authors: Eriksson Birgitta , Larsson Patrik
Published: April 2019

Los subsidios de empresa emergente para el establecimiento de pequeñas empresas se han celebrado como una política de mercado laboral exitosa; no obstante, este estudio demuestra que el éxito y el fracaso podrían considerarse a distintos niveles y de distintos ángulos. En el nivel de la empresa, el subsidio de empresa emergente puede generar éxito al permitir un comienzo flexible; pero también puede contribuir a una ruptura por sus normas y reglamentos. Desde una perspectiva de empleo, el subsidio en sí mismo puede abrir y cerrar las “puertas” a las oportunidades futuras de empleo. En el nivel individual, el subsidio de empresa emergente puede poner a personas en condiciones marcadas por dificultades financieras y condiciones de trabajo deficientes.
Cambios en el proceso enseñanza-aprendizaje del curso Métodos Cuantitativos 3031
Authors: Nazario de Arce Marirosa
Published: April 2019

El curso Métodos Cuantitativos (MECU) 3031 ó precálculo es el primero en una secuencia vertical de cursos requeridos a todos los estudiantes dcl Bachillerato en Administración de Empresas del Recinto de Río Piedras de la Universidad de Puerto Rico. En los últimos cinco años, el por ciento de estudiantes que fracasa en este curso por semestre ha fluctuado entre y 36% y 60%. A consecuencia de la revisión curricular del Bachillerato en Administración de Empresas, el Comité de Currículo de la Facultad, solicitó que se incluyeran otros temas que regularmente no forman parte del curso. Con el propósito de determinar el efecto que el cambio en temario y metodología de enseñanza de MECU 3031 tiene en el aprovechamiento académico de los estudiantes, durante el primer semestre 1999 - 2000, se desarrolló este proyecto de investigación, Se seleccionaron dos secciones de MECU 3031 en las que se utilizó el temario preliminar aprobado por el grupo de profesores de Métodos Cuantitativos, el cual en comparación con el temario anterior, añade programación lineal, el Método "Simples" y el uso de la calculadora Método tradicional de conferencia y discusión de ejercicios. Al finalizar cl semestre se efectuó una comparación entre las dos secciones en cuanto al por ciento de fracasos como medida de aprovechamiento académico. En la sección que se usó aprendizaje cooperativo 19% fracasó (D, F, W, X), en la otra sección fracasó el 61%.
Las fuentes de apoyo y adiestramiento para las pequeñas y medianas empresas manufactureras orientadas a la exportación en Australia
Authors: Mahmood Muhammad
Published: April 2019

En este artículo se intentó estudiar las fuentes de apoyo y adiestramiento o capacitación para las empresas menores y medianas (SMs) orientadas a la exportación en Australia. Austrade (una agencia de gobierno) es la fuente principal de información, orientación y adiestramiento o capacitación para un gran número de empresas menores y medianas. El tipo de adiestramiento o capacitación que la mayoría de las SMEs tomaron se relacionó, en su mayor parte, con los aspectos técnicos de la exportación, por ejemplo, los procedimientos y la documentación relativa a las exportaciones. Muchas SMEs parecen usar múltiples medios para obtener información relacionada al mercado.
El TLCAN y más allá de el: Retos en el libre comercio
Authors: Soto Maritza
Published: April 2019

El Tratado de Libre Comercio de Norte América (ALCA) parece haber logrado sus objetivos sin planes adicionales para continuar negociando otras provisiones para el tratado. Sin embargo, con la intención de seguir avanzando el comercio de Norte América, el nuevo Tratado de Libre Comercio para las Américas o FTAA por sus siglas en ingles, es un acuerdo comercial sumamente ambicioso que entrelaza una amplia cantidad de economías diversas en tamaño, desarrollo, desempeño y filosofía. Esto aumenta su complejidad y también la probabilidad de que fracase. Este documento señala las áreas donde se espera que haya dificultades en las negociaciones y provee sugerencias basadas en lo que se ha aprendido de la experiencia con el ALCA que será relevante para el FTAA.
Pemahaman Kata GO’EL Dalam Kitab Rut
Authors: Basuki Ponco Mujiono
Published: April 2019

God is fully sovereign over the life of His people and He allows everything happening naturally in everyday man experience. But it will be real when examined more deeply, that in all the events of this life, God works to achieve His plan. Practically-theologically, the law about go’el in Israel's history is showing about the love and care of God in the Israel’s life, His people and proof of God's loyalty to His promises and plans. As go’el Boas also had to take Ruth to be his wife in order to uphold the name of the dead person, namely Mahlon, Ruth's husband, through the son who was born to Ruth from Boaz. Thus the name of Mahlon did not disappear from among the Israelites.
Antiproliferative Effects of the Natural Oxadiazine Nocuolin A Are Associated With Impairment of Mitochondrial Oxidative Phosphorylation
Authors: Sousa Maria Lígia , Preto Marco , Vasconcelos Vítor , Linder Stig , Urbatzka Ralph
Published: April 2019

Natural products are interesting sources for drug discovery. The natural product oxadiazine Nocuolin A (NocA) was previously isolated from the cyanobacterial strain Nodularia sp. LEGE 06071 and here we examined its cytotoxic effects against different strains of the colon cancer cell line HCT116 and the immortalized epithelial cell line hTERT RPE-1. NocA was cytotoxic against colon cancer cells and immortalized cells under conditions of exponential growth but was only weakly active against non-proliferating immortalized cells. NocA induced apoptosis by mechanism(s) resistant to overexpression of BCL family members. Interestingly, NocA affected viability and induced apoptosis of HCT116 cells grown as multicellular spheroids. Analysis of transcriptome profiles did not match signatures to any known compounds in CMap but indicated stress responses and induction of cell starvation. Evidence for autophagy was observed, and a decrease in various mitochondrial respiration parameter within 1 h of treatment. These results are consistent with previous findings showing that nutritionally compromised cells in spheroids are sensitive to impairment of mitochondrial energy production due to limited metabolic plasticity. We conclude that the antiproliferative effects of NocA are associated with effects on mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation.
A Two-Phase Approach for Single Container Loading with Weakly Heterogeneous Boxes
Authors: Dias Saraiva Rommel , Nepomuceno Napoleão , Rogério Pinheiro Plácido
Published: April 2019

We propose in this paper a two-phase approach that decomposes the process of solving the three-dimensional single Container Loading Problem (CLP) into subsequent tasks: (i) the generation of blocks of boxes and (ii) the loading of blocks into the container. The first phase is deterministic, and it is performed by means of constructive algorithms from the literature. The second phase is non-deterministic, and it is performed with the use of Generate-and-Solve (GS), a problem-independent hybrid optimization framework based on problem instance reduction that combines a metaheuristic with an exact solver. Computational experiments performed on benchmark instances indicate that our approach presents competitive results compared to those found by state-of-the-art algorithms, particularly for problem instances consisting of a few types of boxes. In fact, we present new best solutions for classical instances from groups BR1 and BR2.
Living the ‘Best Life’ or ‘One Size Fits All’—Stakeholder Perceptions of Racehorse Welfare
Authors: Butler Deborah , Valenchon Mathilde , Annan Rachel , Whay Helen R. , Mullan Siobhan
Published: April 2019

The purpose of the study was to explore the perceptions held by British racing industry stakeholders of factors influencing racehorse welfare. Ten focus groups were held across the UK with a total of 42 stakeholders from a range of roles within racehorse care including trainers, stable staff and veterinarians. Participants took part in three exercises. Firstly, to describe the scenarios of a ‘best life’ and the minimum welfare standards a horse in training could be living under. Secondly, to identify the main challenges for racehorse welfare and thirdly, to recall any innovative or uncommon practices to improve welfare they had witnessed. Using thematic analysis, eight themes emerged from the first exercise. Two strands, factors that contribute to maintaining health and the horse-human relationship ran through all eight themes. Across all themes horses living the ‘best life’ were perceived as being treated as individuals rather than being part of a ‘one size fits all’ life when kept under minimum welfare standards. Health was both perceived as the main challenge to welfare as well as one open to innovative practices such as improved veterinary treatments. Data obtained, informed by the knowledge and expertise of experienced stakeholders, combined with practical animal welfare science will be used to develop the first British racehorse welfare assessment protocol.
Comparative Study of the Use of Insect Meal from Spodoptera littoralis and Bactrocera zonata for Feeding Japanese Quail Chicks
Authors: Sayed Waheed A. A. , Ibrahim Nashaat S. , Hatab Mahmoud H. , Zhu Fen , Rumpold Birgit A.
Published: April 2019

A transformation of current livestock production towards a more sustainable operation is crucial to face nutritional and environmental challenges. There is an urgent demand for more sustainable high-quality feed sources to reduce environmental costs. Insects pose a potential alternative since they can be reared sustainably on food and feed residues. Know-how in mass rearing already exists for insect species used in biological pest control, such as the African cotton leafworm Spodoptera littoralis and the peach fruit fly Bactrocera zonata. The impact of a replacement of 50% of soybean meal by S. littoralis and B. zonata meal, respectively, on seven-days-old Japanese quail chicks was investigated in feeding trials. Concomitantly, the chemical compositions of the two insect meals and soybean meal were determined and compared. It was observed that the insect meals had higher protein and fat contents, lower carbohydrate contents and contained more saturated fatty acids than soybean meal. They also had higher methionine, and S. littoralis had a higher lysine content. Feeding trials resulted in improved growth, feed performance parameters, carcass characteristics, and biochemical indices for both insect meals. Consequently, both insect meals represent a promising alternative to soy in the feed of Japanese quail chicks.
Quality of Community Pharmacy Practice in Antibiotic Self-Medication Encounters: A Simulated Patient Study in Upper Egypt
Authors: Abdelaziz Abdullah I. , Tawfik Abdelrahman G. , Rabie Khaled A. , Omran Mohamad , Hussein Mustafa , Abou-Ali Adel , Ahmed Al-Shaimaa F.
Published: April 2019

Antibiotic misuse, either by patients or healthcare professionals, is one of the major contributing factors to antimicrobial resistance. In many Middle Eastern countries including Egypt, there are no strict regulations regarding antibiotic dispensing by community pharmacies. In this study, we examined antibiotic dispensing patterns in Egyptian community pharmacies. About 150 community pharmacies were randomly chosen using convenience sampling from the five most populous urban districts of Minia Governorate in Egypt. Two simulated patient (SP) scenarios of viral respiratory tract infection requiring no antibiotic treatment were used to assess the actual antibiotics dispensing practice of. Face-to-face interviews were then conducted to assess the intended dispensing practice. Descriptive statistics were calculated to report the main study outcomes. In 238 visits of both scenarios, 98.3% of service providers dispensed amoxicillin. Although stated otherwise in interviews, most pharmacy providers (63%) dispensed amoxicillin without collecting relevant information from presenting SPs. Findings showed high rates of antibiotic misuse in community pharmacies. Discrepancies between interviews and patient simulation results also suggest a practice‒knowledge gap. Corrective actions, whether legislation, enforcement, education, or awareness campaigns about antibiotic misuse, are urgently needed to improve antibiotic dispensing practices in Egyptian community pharmacies.
Ultrasonic Treatment Increases Extraction Rate of Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Antioxidants
Authors: Yang Qiong-Qiong , Gan Ren-You , Ge Ying-Ying , Zhang Dan , Corke Harold
Published: April 2019

The feasibility of improving the extraction rate of common bean antioxidants by ultrasonic treatment was investigated. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and spectrum Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer (FT-IR) analysis revealed that ultrasonic treatment substantially altered the cellular structure of common bean seed, resulting in increased surface area, eroded cell walls, and greater exposure of cellulose and hemicellulose. The highest antioxidant activity was obtained at optimal extraction conditions (68 min, 55% acetone, 36:1 liquid to solid ratio, 30 ℃, and 480 W) which were optimized by response surface methodology. In terms of the extraction rate of common bean antioxidants, ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) exhibits about seven-fold higher extraction efficiency than conventional solvent extraction (CSE). In addition, 10 phenolic compounds in the common bean extracts were detected and quantified by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), including protocatechuic acid, catechin, chlorogenic acid, epicatechin, ferulic acid, coumarin, rutin, myricetin, cinnamic acid, and genistein. In summary, ultrasonic treatment is an ideal candidate methodology for improving the extraction rate of common bean antioxidants.
SVPWM Method for Multilevel Indirect Matrix Converter with Eliminate Common Mode Voltage
Authors: Dinh Tuyen Nguyen , Minh Phuong Le
Published: April 2019

The multilevel indirect matrix converter (IMC) is a merit of power converter for feeding a three-phase load from three-phase power supply because it has several attractive features such as: Sinusoidal input/output currents, bidirectional power flow, long lifetime due to the absence of bulky electrolytic capacitors. As compared to the conventional IMC, the multilevel IMC provides high output performance by increasing the level of output voltage. In this paper, the novel approach topology of multilevel IMC by using the combination of the cascaded rectifier and the three-level T-Type inverter is introduced. Furthermore, the new space vector pulse width modulation (SVPWM) method for the presented multilevel IMC that eliminate the common-mode voltage is proposed in this paper. The simulation study is carried out in PSIM software to verify the proposed modulation method. Then, an experimental system is built using a three-phase RL load, a multilevel IMC, a DSP controller board and other elements to verify the effectiveness of the proposed modulation method. Some simulation and experimental results are illustrated to confirm the theory analysis.
Transaction Mechanism Based on Two-Dimensional Energy and Reliability Pricing for Energy Prosumers
Authors: Oh Eunsung , Son Sung-Yong
Published: April 2019

Prosumers, users that consume and produce energy, increase the diversity of energy system operations as distributed sources. However, they can reduce energy system reliability by increasing uncertainty. This study presents a novel transaction mechanism based on dynamic pricing for enhancing energy system reliability. The proposed dynamic energy-reliability pricing-based transaction mechanism (ERT) increases the controllability of prosumer uncertainties by a two-dimensional pricing mechanism based on time and reliability status, as compared to conventional time-based one-dimensional energy prices. Under the proposed ERT, utilities and prosumers exchange information about the utility price and the prosumer’s intent in order to ensure that demand is met. A two-way information infrastructure built for prosumer energy trading is used for this task. The utility enhances system reliability using this information, and the prosumer increases revenue through pricing selection. The practical implementation of the proposed ERT is described for both utilities and prosumers. A case study using practical renewable generation data revealed that the proposed ERT improves not only the reliability factor of the utility but also prosumer revenue as compared to a conventional energy-based dynamic pricing case. It is also shown that an economical optimum point that maximizes prosumer net revenue exists when electrical energy storage (EES) is applied to enhance performance. Increasing to the EES capacity provided room for uncertainty management, net revenue is improved, but the economic burden by the EES cost is increased. Under the proposed ERT, the optimal point results in greater EES capacity and higher net revenue enhancement than the conventional case.
Wavelet Transform Application for/in Non-Stationary Time-Series Analysis: A Review
Authors: Rhif Manel , Ben Abbes Ali , Farah Imed Riadh , Martínez Beatriz , Sang Yanfang
Published: April 2019

Non-stationary time series (TS) analysis has gained an explosive interest over the recent decades in different applied sciences. In fact, several decomposition methods were developed in order to extract various components (e.g., seasonal, trend and abrupt components) from the non-stationary TS, which allows for an improved interpretation of the temporal variability. The wavelet transform (WT) has been successfully applied over an extraordinary range of fields in order to decompose the non-stationary TS into time-frequency domain. For this reason, the WT method is briefly introduced and reviewed in this paper. In addition, this latter includes different research and applications of the WT to non-stationary TS in seven different applied sciences fields, namely the geo-sciences and geophysics, remote sensing in vegetation analysis, engineering, hydrology, finance, medicine, and other fields, such as ecology, renewable energy, chemistry and history. Finally, five challenges and future works, such as the selection of the type of wavelet, selection of the adequate mother wavelet, selection of the scale, the combination between wavelet transform and machine learning algorithm and the interpretation of the obtained components, are also discussed.
Experimental Study on the Influence of an Extension Tube on the Evolution Process and Characteristic Parameters of a Gliding Arc
Authors: Xu Shida , Song Feilong , Yang Xingkui , Zhong Yepan , Gao Yun
Published: April 2019

The influence of the discharge cone size on the characteristic parameters of a rotating gliding arc, e.g., arc length, arc rotation frequency, and regeneration frequency was investigated when the grounding electrode was equipped with an extension tube. In addition, the effect of air flow rate (100~400 standard liter per minute, SLPM) on the characteristic parameters was also studied (with an extension tube, using a No. 5 discharge cone). The results showed that the disturbance of the outlet flow was intense without an extension tube, which led to the occurrence of the short-circuit regeneration of the gliding arc when the discharge gap was small, and the short-circuit regeneration of the gliding arc could be effectively avoided by adding an extension tube at the grounding end. The existence of the extension tube could significantly increase the arc length by up to 140 mm (250 SLPM, No. 3 discharge cone). The arc lengthening was mainly caused by the unilateral extension of the high voltage side, and the arc shape changed from a “C” to an “L” shape. This also reduced the regeneration frequency to one-quarter of the arc regeneration frequency without extending the tube. Without lengthening the tube, the arc could not achieve complete circumferential rotation. The arc distribution in the annular area between the anode and the cathode was discrete, and the arc distribution was extremely uneven. The existence of the extension tube made the arc rotate uniformly, and the maximum rotation frequency was 228 Hz. The influence of the air flow rate on arc length was mainly reflected in the small flow rate range. When the air flow rate was less than 200 SLPM, the arc length increased first, and then decreased with the increase of the air flow rate, reaching the maximum arc length of 143.6 mm at 150 SLPM. The arc frequency was positively correlated with the air flow rate, but the rotation frequency increased faster than the regeneration frequency: when the flow rate was 150 SLPM, the gliding arc rotated one circle in a tensile fracture period; when the flow rate reached 400 SLPM, the gliding arc rotated two circles in a tensile fracture period.
Outlier Detection for Minor Compositional Variations in Taxonomic Abundance Data
Authors: Ishiya Koji , Aburatani Sachiyo
Published: April 2019

To understand the activities of complex microbial communities in various natural environments and living organisms, we need to capture the compositional changes in their taxonomic abundance. Here, we propose a new computational framework to detect compositional changes in microorganisms, including minor bacteria. This framework is designed to statistically assess relative variations in taxonomic abundance. By using this approach, we detected compositional changes in the human gut microbiome that might be associated with short-term human dietary changes. Our approach can shed light on the compositional changes of minor microorganisms that are easily overlooked.
Extraction of Humic Acid from Lignite by KOH-Hydrothermal Method
Authors: Cheng Gan , Niu Zeyu , Zhang Chuanxiang , Zhang Xiaoming , Li Xusheng
Published: April 2019

Humic acid (HA) was extracted by a hydrothermal method from Huolinhe lignite from Inner Mongolia. The effects of the alkali-to-carbon mass ratio, water-to-coal mass ratio, reaction temperature, and reaction time on the HA yield were investigated. The physicochemical characterization of the products was performed, and the reaction mechanism was explored. Raw coal, HA, and residual coal were characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV–VIS), elemental composition, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses and compared to each other. The maximum HA yield (90.2%) was obtained from the 0.250–0.180 mm size fraction of the coal sample at a reaction temperature and time of 190 °C and 7 h. Proximate analysis proved that the ash and sulfur of lignite can be removed by hydrothermal treatment. Elemental analysis showed that the O/C and H/C ratios were highest for HA, followed by those for residual coal and raw coal, indicating an increase in the oxygen and hydrogen content of HA. FTIR and UV–VIS analyses showed that hydrothermal extraction destroyed the macromolecular structure of lignite. Moreover, the organics were degraded and hydrolyzed during the reaction process.
Electrochemical Detection of Chloride Ions by Copper (II) Complex with Mixed Ligand of Oxindole Derivative and Dithiocarbamates Moiety
Authors: Nazim M. , Abdullah  , Ameen Sadia , Akhtar M. , Shin Hyung-Shik
Published: April 2019

The present work describes the synthesis of a new copper (II) complex with bidentate ligands based on oxindole (indolin-2-one) derivatives, namely: 1H,1′H,1″H-[2,3′:2′,3″-terbenzo[b]pyrrol]-2″(3″H)-one (L1) and [sodium diethyldithiocarbamate (DTC)] (L2) as a second bidentate ligand. The ligand L1 was prepared by the cyclization reaction of oxindole (2-indolone) with phosphorus oxychloride. A mixed-ligand was synthesized using L1 and L2 ligands with copper (Cu (II)) via a simple reflux process. The synthesized mixed Cu (II) complex [C53H44CuN7O4S2 and [Cu(L1)2(L2)]2H2O] exhibited superior solubility in organic solvents like dichloromethane, chloroform, ethanol, methanol, DMF and DMSO. The optical characterizations revealed that the synthesized Cu (II) complex displayed a broad band (2Eg→2T2g) with the absorption at ~420 nm, suggesting a distorted octahedral geometry due to the strong Jahn-Teller distortion of the Cu2+ ion. The elemental analysis confirmed the existence of Cu, C, S, N, and other elements in the synthesized mixed Cu (II) complex. The physicochemical studies of the organic ligand and Cu(II) complex were investigated by TG analysis, NMR, FTIR, SEM, EDX, electronic spectra and cyclic voltammetry measurements. The detection of chloride ions with the prepared mixed Cu(II) complex was studied by cyclic voltammetry measurements at different scan rates.
On the Performance of Deep Reinforcement Learning-Based Anti-Jamming Method Confronting Intelligent Jammer
Authors: Li Yangyang , Wang Ximing , Liu Dianxiong , Guo Qiuju , Liu Xin , Zhang Jie , Xu Yitao
Published: April 2019

With the development of access technologies and artificial intelligence, a deep reinforcement learning (DRL) algorithm is proposed into channel accessing and anti-jamming. Assuming the jamming modes are sweeping, comb, dynamic and statistic, the DRL-based method through training can almost perfectly avoid jamming signal and communicate successfully. Instead, in this paper, from the perspective of jammers, we investigate the performance of a DRL-based anti-jamming method. First of all, we design an intelligent jamming method based on reinforcement learning to combat the DRL-based user. Then, we theoretically analyze the condition when the DRL-based anti-jamming algorithm cannot converge, and provide the proof. Finally, in order to investigate the performance of DRL-based method, various scenarios where users with different communicating modes combat jammers with different jamming modes are compared. As the simulation results show, the theoretical analysis is verified, and the proposed RL-based jamming can effectively restrict the performance of DRL-based anti-jamming method.
Ecotoxicological Effect of Single and Combined Exposure of Carbamazepine and Cadmium on Female Danio rerio: A Multibiomarker Study
Authors: Shi Chunhong , He Yide , Liu Jiaxin , Lu Yue , Fan Yuting , Liang Yaling , Xu Yanhua
Published: April 2019

In aquatic environments, organisms are exposed to mixtures of pollutants which may change the toxicity profile of each contaminant, compared to its toxicity alone. Carbamazepine (CBZ) and cadmium (Cd) are among the pollutants that co-occur in aquatic environments. To date, most research about their toxicity towards aquatic vertebrates is based on single exposure experiments. The present study aims to evaluate single and combined effects of CBZ and Cd on biomarkers in female Danio rerio (zebrafish) by exposing them to environmentally relevant concentrations of these two pollutants for ten days. Four kinds of biomarkers involved in antioxidant systems, energy metabolism, nervous system, and endocrine disruption, respectively, were studied. Our research results coincided with those of former studies in single exposure experiments. However, the combined exposure of CBZ and Cd exerted different responses from other studies in which these two contaminants were examined alone in zebrafish. The present study evidenced the need to conduct more coexposure studies to enhance the environmental relevance of these experimental results.
Depth Estimation of a Deformable Object via a Monocular Camera
Authors: Jiang Guolai , Jin Shaokun , Ou Yongsheng , Zhou Shoujun
Published: April 2019

The depth estimation of the 3D deformable object has become increasingly crucial to various intelligent applications. In this paper, we propose a feature-based approach for accurate depth estimation of a deformable 3D object with a single camera, which reduces the problem of depth estimation to a pose estimation problem. The proposed method needs to reconstruct the target object at the very beginning. With the 3D reconstruction as an a priori model, only one monocular image is required afterwards to estimate the target object’s depth accurately, regardless of pose changes or deformability of the object. Experiments are taken on an NAO robot and a human to evaluate the depth estimation accuracy by the proposed method.
A Novel Method to Characterise Levels of Pharmaceutical Pollution in Large-Scale Aquatic Monitoring Campaigns
Authors: Wilkinson John L. , Boxall Alistair B.A. , Kolpin Dana W.
Published: April 2019

Much of the current understanding of pharmaceutical pollution in the aquatic environment is based on research conducted in Europe, North America and other select high-income nations. One reason for this geographic disparity of data globally is the high cost and analytical intensity of the research, limiting accessibility to necessary equipment. To reduce the impact of such disparities, we present a novel method to support large-scale monitoring campaigns of pharmaceuticals at different geographical scales. The approach employs the use of a miniaturised sampling and shipping approach with a high throughput and fully validated direct-injection High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry method for the quantification of 61 active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and their metabolites in tap, surface, wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) influent and WWTP effluent water collected globally. A 7-day simulated shipping and sample stability assessment was undertaken demonstrating no significant degradation over the 1–3 days which is typical for global express shipping. Linearity (r2) was consistently ≥0.93 (median = 0.99 ± 0.02), relative standard deviation of intra- and inter-day repeatability and precision was <20% for 75% and 68% of the determinations made at three concentrations, respectively, and recovery from Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry grade water, tap water, surface water and WWTP effluent were within an acceptable range of 60–130% for 87%, 76%, 77% and 63% of determination made at three concentrations respectively. Limits of detection and quantification were determined in all validated matrices and were consistently in the ng/L level needed for environmentally relevant API research. Independent validation of method results was obtained via an interlaboratory comparison of three surface-water samples and one WWTP effluent sample collected in North Liberty, Iowa (USA). Samples used for the interlaboratory validation were analysed at the University of York Centre of Excellence in Mass Spectrometry (York, UK) and the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Laboratory in Denver (Colorado, USA). These results document the robustness of using this method on a global scale. Such application of this method would essentially eliminate the interlaboratory analytical variability typical of such large-scale datasets where multiple methods were used.