bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ОСОБЛИВОСТІ ІНВЕСТУВАННЯ ІННОВАЦІЙНОЇ ДІЯЛЬНОСТІ ПІДПРИЄМСТВ
Authors: Давуд Асем
Published: May 2018

The article presents the research findings on optimization of funding sources, the selection of the structure of sources of investment assets accumulation and developing practical recommendations for effective managerial decision-making on the choice of relevant financing alternatives for innovations funding. Evidence is provided that efficient performance of innovative enterprises contributes to the overall national economic development and makes a significant source of budget replenishment at all levels. Enhancing innovative entrepreneurship is a critical economic driver that challenges effective government support and investment. Under limited availability of investment assets there is an urgent need to identify the best method of their distribution, in particular, to estimate a rational share of investment which could be used to foster innovation activities. Implementation of the national economy and business entities innovative development model depends critically on the availability and accessibility of multiple investment sources. This issue is particularly acute for business which lays the basis for the development of the key sectors of economy. The paper seeks to substantiate an adaptive procedure for the investment structure optimization to facilitate innovative development of economic entities subject to optimality criteria, from the perspectives of both the investment recipient and the investor. A methodological approach has been suggested that allows for better visual perception to evaluate the contribution of particular investment sources in increasing the efficiency of investment process to boost business innovative development, compare different options for choosing the investment structure as well as to optimize the structure of an investment package.
Evaluation of aggregates from conglomerate beds of the Upper Siwalik Subgroup, Chure Khola area, Central Nepal Sub-Himalaya
Authors: Pradhananga Sunil Shanker , Tamrakar Naresh Kazi
Published: May 2018

Durability of infrastructures demands detail study of rocks which helps to give knowledge on physical properties, strength and durability of rocks, and their usefulness as construction materials. A wide belt of conglomerates of the Upper Siwalik Subgroup (Pliocene to Lower Pleistocene) extends in the Chure Hills of Central Nepal. These conglomerates are mostly loosely consolidated, matrix-supported and containing clast of diverse composition. Because of haphazard mining of the riverbeds of the Chure and Dudhaura Kholas, the present study was carried out for evaluation of clasts from the conglomerates distributed at the hillslopes of the Chure Khola, as alternative sources mainly for unbound pavement. Stiffness and durability of clasts from conglomerates was tested for grading, shape indices, Water Absorption Value (WAV), specific gravity, Aggregate Impact Value (AIV), Aggregate Crushing Value (ACV), Los Angles Abrasion Value (LAV), Sodium Sulphate Soundness Value (SSSV) and Slake Durability Index (SDI). The suitability of clast from conglomerates for unbound pavement was finally evaluated for the sample for intended uses following specifications of British standard, ASTM standard and Nepal standard.The clasts of conglomerate beds are composed of quartzite, sandstone, siltstone, schist, marble, phyllite, granite, limestone and amphibolite. Among all those clasts, quartzite is dominant in all samples. The texture of clast is smooth and rough surface. Flakiness index (FI) and Elongation index (EI) indicate that aggregates possess only some flat and elongate grains and are good in workability. WAV lies below 3% and the dry density (2260kg/m3–2750kg/m3) of aggregates, coincides with the standard average value of ASTM Standard, British Standard and Nepal Standard. The ACV of the sample lies in the range 17% to 26% within the limit of ASTM standard, BS and Nepal Standard. The Los Angles Value of the sample lies in the range 34% to 44.60% and therefore, they can be used for base course and sub base course. SSSV for five cycles was calculated to be less than 10%. SDI after second cycle is very high (94.29%) and samples are durable in nature according to ASTM D4644- 87 Standard. All parameters show that the sample of the clast of conglomerate deposited along the Chure Khola are durable meeting all ASTM, British and Nepal Standard and thus are suitable unbound pavement.Bulletin of the Department of Geology,  vol. 19, 2016, pp. 1–14
Water Quality Index of southern part of the Kathmandu Valley, Central Nepal; evaluation of physical water quality parameters of shallow wells
Authors: Bohara Bimal
Published: May 2018

Physical water quality of shallow groundwater of the southern part of the Kathmandu Valley was studied and analysed. Being the capital city of the country, the population is increasing day by dayand consequently the demand of water supply has also increased. Analyses reveal ranges of temperature to be 15.3–24.2 °C, pH to be 5.67–8.07, electrical conductivity to be (EC) 230–2860 μS/cm, and dissolved oxygen (DO) to be 0.09–9.1 mg/L in dry season whereas in wet season temperature, pH, EC and DO ranges are respectively 19.6–27.3 °C, 5.92–8.3, 183–3030 μS/cm and 0.19–7.9 mg/L. Water Quality Index (WQI) map shows that the upstream river areas contain good water quality than the downstream areas. The areas like Kalanki and Satdobato have poor water quality according to the guidelines of Nepal Drinking Water Quality Standard.Bulletin of the Department of Geology, Vol. 19, 2016, pp. 45–56
Female Ownership of Fixed Assets in Nepal: A Regional Perspective
Authors: Rijal Shiba Prasad
Published: May 2018

Fixed assets especially house and land have significant importance in wealth, social security and power in Nepal. Ownership over these assets has greater implications in women’s status within households and communities. This also decides the economic dependence or independence and provides the means to be engaged in productive economic activity. The present study aims at analyzing the regional pattern of female ownership of fixed assets- house and land. Relevant data were acquired from a desk review of published and unpublished literature including online database. The study finds that there is a great gender discrepancy in ownership of fixed assets in Nepal and this varies across ecological zones and provinces. Female ownership of both land and house is associated with 10.7 percent while only 9.0 percent have ownership of land only. Tarai shows relatively positive condition as compared to other ecological zones with female ownership of 12.3 percent households with house and land and 10.5 percent with only land. Among provinces, the most negative situation exists in the province six as compared to others. The socio-cultural barriers are still a major challenge for women’s ownership of property in Nepal.The Third Pole: Journal of GeographyVol. 17: 73-82, 2017
Current and projected climate change in the Mekong Delta
Authors:   Vietnam Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Climate change, Nguyen Van Thang , Mai Van Khiem ,   Vietnam Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Climate change, Vu Van Thang ,   Vietnam Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Climate change, Nguyen Dang Mau ,   Vietnam Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Climate change
Published: May 2018

This article evaluates trends in past and projected future climate change at the Mekong Delta. The study is based on updated observation data gathered up to 2014, and the latest climate change scenarios published by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE). The results show that the mean annual temperature increased by 0.3 to 0.9oC, and annual rainfall increased by 5 basis points to 20% at most observation stations during the years 1958-2014. In comparison to the baseline (1986-2005), temperatures were projected to increase by between 1.3 to 1.4°C in the middle of the century and by between 1.7 to 1.9°C at the end of the century, under the medium scenario (RCP4.5). According to the high scenario of RCP8.5, temperatures likely increased by 1.8 to 2oC in the middle of the century and 3.4 to 3.6oC at the end of the century. Annual rainfall is expected to increase from 10 to 20% in the mid-21st century under both RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios; increase of 30% in a part of the northern Mekong Delta under the RCP8.5 scenario.
Immobilization of ZnO nanoparticles on fluorinated perlite granules for the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue
Authors:   University of Science - Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City, Pham Nguyet Anh , Nguyen Thi Huynh Nhu ,   University of Science - Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City, Tran Tuan Ngoc ,   University of Science - Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City, Nguyen Quy Tu ,   University of Science - Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City, Le Tien Khoa ,   University of Science - Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City
Published: May 2018

The fluorination of perlite granules and the immobilization of ZnO nanoparticles on the perlite surface were carried out at the same time by a simple impregnation method to create new highly photocatalytic materials which are easily separated from reaction solutions after treatment. The influence of perlite fluorination on the crystal structure, morphology, UV-visible absorption, and surface functional groups of ZnO, as well as on the ZnO content on perlite, was respectively characterized by XRD, FE-SEM, UV-Visible diffuse reflectance, FTIR and atomic absorption spectrometry. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated via the extent of degradation of methylene blue under UVA irradiation. According to the results, the fluorination of perlite leads to numerous effects on ZnO, such as the decline of ZnO cell parameters, the increase of ZnO content on perlite granules (resulting in the enhancement of light absorption in UVA range), and the decrease of ZnO particle size, which can effectively improve its photocatalytic performance. The photocatalysts were also found to be able to stay afloat on water, allowing for easy separation from the reaction solution.
Nasionalisme dalam Teks Keagamaan Indonesia Masa Depan
Authors: Yusuf Choirul Fuad
Published: May 2018

This article aims at: (i) describing condition of Indonesian”s  natio­nalism, (ii) analysing the socio-political effects  of religious texts toward nationalism in Indonesia, and (iii) proposing strategic alternatives for empowering the future Indonesian’s nationalism. Through an inductive-deductive approach, the article highlights that, unavoidably,  globalization has shaped any condusive situation for the growth and development of universal and transnational ideologies. Globalisation of religious text—liberal, radical, and moderate-- has been capable of breeding transna­tionalism ideologies in Indonesia. For the sake of stopping the growth of such destructive ideologies, the use of socio-cultural approach is neces­sarily needed. Which is carried out by (i) controlling and censoring ade­quatrely toward religious texts, and (ii) revitalilizing the constructive religious text legacies, (iii) intensifying and extensifying committment and responsibility of the Goverment, private institution, and society at large to manage any cultural legacies of Nusantara.Key words: globalization, nationalism, religious texts, transnational ideologies,  sociocuktural approach.Artikel ini bertujuan: (i) menggambarkan kondisi nasionalisme Indonesia, (ii) menganalisis pengaruh teks keagamaan transnasional terha­dap nasio­na­lis­me Indonesia, dan (iii) mengusulkan strategi penguat­an nasiona­lis­me Indonesia melalui pendekatan sosial budaya. Dengan menggunakan pendekatan induktif-deduktif, artikel menggaris-bawahi bahwa globalisasi  berdampak kuat terjadinya pertumbuhan dan perkembangan gerakan trans­nasional. Globalisasi teks keagamaan—baik teks liberal, teks radikal mau­pun teks moderat—telah menyuburkan pertumbuhan gerakan transna­sional di Indonesia. Untuk itu, pendekatan sosial budaya menjadi salah satu salah satu cara efektif untuk menang­hambat perkembangan globalisasi faham transnasional, diantara­nya mela­lui: (i) penyaringan, pengontrolan, dan pengawasan terhadap teks keaga­ma­an (ii) revitalisasi khazanah teks-teks keagamaan yang konstruktif bagi nasionalisme Indonesia & NKRI, dan (iii) intensifikasi dan ekstensifikasi program, serta (iv) penguatan komit­men semua pihak—Pemerintah, Peme­rintah Daerah, dan masyarakat.Kata kunci: globalisasi, nasionalisme, teks keagamaan, faham trans­na­sional, pendekatan sosial-budaya.
Potential Analysis of Forest Stand Inventory in Production Forest Management Unit (KPHP) Nunukan IV, Nunukan Regency-North Kalimantan
Authors: Almarief Andi
Published: May 2018

This research aims at (1) to determined the potential, the structure and speciescomposition of forest stands in KPHP Nunukan IV for the basis of forest governance andmanagement of the plan.This research uses data from forest inventories KPHP that implementedin July 2017. Tally sheet data from the field was classified by the growth rate, diameter class and species group and then was calculated for number of stems and volume. The results of this research are 1) from 50 plots retrieved 79 species. 2) Species compotition is dominated by Shorea with average volume 175,31 m3/ha. 3) Stand structure,  the total number of trees 137 stems/ha and volume 245,01 m3/ha. Shorea dominate 90 stems/ha and volume175,31 m3/ha.4) for seedlings obtained INP At the highest level is meranti by 45,93%, Kapur by 14,14 % and Keruing by 14,14%. The highest INP of saplings on the type of Meranti at 66,79%, Guava 30,18 % and 19,84 % Medang. At the highest level of pole INP obtained on the type of Meranti at 94,7 % , Mendarahan 24,01% and Jambu-Jambu 21,09%. At the level of the tree has the largest INP Meranti 88,51%, Medang 30,64% dan Keruing 24,49%.
DİSTOPİK FİLMLERDE KADININ TEMSİLİ: BİR ADEM HAVVA HİKAYESİ
Authors: ÖZGAN MISIRCI Sevgi Sevil
Published: May 2018

Çoğunlukla
“ütopya” kavramının anti-tezi olarak tanımlanan “distopya”, geçmiş ve şimdiden
yola çıkarak, geleceğin toplum yapısına dair olumsuz öngörülerde bulunan düşünsel
içerikleri anlatmakta kullanılan bir kavramdır. Distopya kavramının tarihsel
kökleri daha eskilere uzansa da, hayal edilebilecek en kötü yönetim ve
durumları ifade etmek için ilk olarak kullanan kişi John Stuart Milldir. Kavramsal
bağlamın ötesinde bir edebiyat türü olarak ortaya çıkması ise 20. yüzyılın başlarında olmuş, 1920’lerin
sonlarına doğru ise sinema sanatı içerisinde kullanılmaya başlanmıştır.

Genel olarak bilimkurgu türü içerisinde ele
alınabilecek distopik filmler kültürel, politik, tarihsel gelişmelere göre
farklılık göstermiştir. Bu yazıda klasik denebilecek, iktidarı, ekonomik
sistemi ve bilimsel, Aydınlanmacı aklın bir eleştirisi olan beş film,
Metropolis (1927, Fritz Lang), Fahrenheit (1966, François Truffaut), 1984 (1984,
Michael Radford), Brazil ( 1985, Terry Gilliam), Equilibrium (2002, Kurt
Wimmer) ele alınmaktadır. Bu filmlerdeki ortak tema, ilerlemeci, modernist,
bilimci bakış açısını arkasına alarak genişleyen, genişledikçe eşitsizlikleri,
baskıyı artıran bir ekonomik düzen ve bu düzeni ayakta tutmaya çalışan hantal, toplumu
duygulardan arınmış aklın buyrukları doğrultusunda dizayn eden, sistemini
sürdürmek için teknolojinin imkanlarıyla gözetleyen, insan doğasını dışlayan,
dışladıkça da gelişen tepkilere karşılık zalimleşen bürokratik yapı ve bu
bürokratik yapının nesneleşmiş hali olan memurlar konu edinilir.
ANTİK ÇAĞ'DA KONYA OVASINI TAŞELİ PLATOSUNA BAĞLAYAN YOLLAR
Authors: BARDAKCI Kürşat
Published: May 2018

Konya Ovası, Batı
Anadolu’dan Akdeniz’e ulaşımı sağlaması itibariyle önemli bir konuma sahiptir. Kavşak
noktasında bulunan Konya Ovası’ndan Akdeniz kıyısına çeşitli yollarla ulaşım
sağlanmaktadır. Bu ulaşım ağlarından birisi de Taşeli Platosu güzergâhıdır.
Taşeli Platosu yol güzergâhlarının bazıları antik dönemden beri
kullanılmaktadır. Söz konusu bu yolları Göksu Nehri ve kolları oluşturmuştur.
Antik dönemde Kalykadnos (Göksu) Vadisi yolu olarak bilinen yolun en önemli güzergâhı;
Seleukeia (Silifke)-Olba (Uzuncaburç)-Claudiopolis (Mut)-Laranda (Karaman)
üzerinden Ikonium’a (Konya) uzanan güzergâhtır. Ayrıca Sertavul Geçidi ile de
ovadan kıyıya ulaşım sağlanmıştır. Sertavul Geçidi ile Konya-Ermenek-Anamur ya
da Konya-Mut-Silifke üzerinden Kıbrıs ve Mısır bağlantısı sağlanmıştır. Bu geçit stratejik konumu sebebiyle antik
dönemde uğrak yeri olmuştur. Bu geçidin önemli özelliklerinden birisi de iklimsel
geçiş noktası olmasıdır. Bunun yanı sıra, bu geçit daha kestirme olmasına
rağmen Gülek Geçidi daha sık kullanılmıştır. Bunun sebebi de Sertavul Geçidi
çevresinin dağlık yapısı ve bölgede yaşayan dağlı kavimler olmuştur. Özellikle
Hellenistik dönemde bölgede büyük bir otorite sahibi olan korsanlar bu geçidi
ellerinde tutmaya çalışmışlardır. Buraya egemen olan siyasi gücün, bu geçitten
geçiş ücreti aldığı da düşünülmektedir. Bu geçiş ücreti ile ekonomik gelir elde
edilmekteydi. Ayrıca günümüzde kullanılan yayla yolları da antik dönem yol
güzergâhlarına benzerliğiyle dikkat çekmektedir. Bu
çalışmanın amacı da, eskiçağda kullanılan bu yolları, antik kaynaklar ve modern
çalışmalar ışığında ortaya çıkarmaktır.
Mesleki Benlik Saygısı, Sürekli Kaygı ve Yaşam Doyumu Düzeylerinin İncelenmesi
Authors: Çivilidağ Aydın , Yanar Ayşegül , Kızılırmak Büşra , Denizli Tuğçe
Published: May 2018

Bu
araştırmada mesleki benlik saygısı, sürekli kaygı ve yaşam doyumu düzeylerinin belirlenen
bazı değişkenler doğrultusunda incelenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Araştırma, Akdeniz
bölgesindeki bir üniversitenin farklı fakülte ve bölümlerinde okuyan 360 üniversite
öğrencisinin (207 kadın %57.5 ve 153 erkek %. 42.5) gönüllü katılımıyla
gerçekleştirilmiştir. Araştırmada, Arıcak (1999) tarafından Türkçeye uyarlanan Mesleki
Benlik Saygısı Ölçeği (MBSÖ), Öner ve Le Compte (1983) tarafından Türkçeye
uyarlanan Sürekli Kaygı Ölçeği (SKÖ) ve Köker (1991) tarafından Türkçeye
uyarlanan Yaşam Doyumu Ölçeği (YDÖ) kullanılmıştır. Araştırmadan elde edilen
veriler SPSS 22.0 programı kullanılarak analiz edilmiştir. Araştırma
sonuçlarına göre; Kadınlarda yaşam doyumu ile mesleki benlik saygısı arasında
anlamlı, olumlu ve orta düzeyde (r= 0.416) ilişki
bulunurken, erkeklerde sürekli kaygı ve mesleki benlik puanları arasında
anlamlı, olumsuz ve orta düzeyde (r= -0.317) bir ilişki bulunmuştur. Ayrıca sürekli kaygı, mesleki benlik saygısı ve cinsiyet
değişkenlerinin birlikte yaşam doyumu değişkeni üzerinde anlamlı yordayıcılar
oldukları bulunmuştur. Araştırma sonuçları, literatürdeki sonuçlar bağlamında
tartışılmıştır.
Polyommatus diana (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae) Kayseri İli Rhopalocera Faunası için İlk Kayıt ve Erkek Genital Morfolojisi
Authors: ATAY Erol , ÇELİK Mehmet
Published: May 2018

Polyommatus diana was detected for the first time in the
butterfly observations in Düşmüş and Gökoluk Plateaus of Yahyalı District in
Kayseri Province made between 1 May - 15 June 2017. This work carried out in the form of field and laboratory
studies, the colors and patterns of the front and hind wings of male and female
subjects were described, the male genital  slide was prepared and the
morphology was described and the host plant in which the females lay eggs was
identified. Photographs introducing the species have given for the
first time in this study. Polyommatus
diana is the first register for Kayseri Rhopalocera fauna.
Scenedesmus sp.’nin DPPH (1,1-difenil-2-pikrilhidrazil) Serbest Radikal Süpürücü Aktivitesi
Authors: SOYLU Elif Neyran , ÇEBİ Ayşegül
Published: May 2018

Spectrophotometric DPPH method was used for the determination
of DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) free radical scavenging activity of Scenedesmus sp. which was isolated from
the Giresun mine and cultivated under BG11 culture conditions. 1 mL of 10-3 M
DPPH ethanol solution was added and 3 mL of extract solution was added and
vortexed. The absorbance was read at 517 nm for 30 minutes in the dark. BHT and
Trolox were used as standard antioxidants. The DPPH radical scavenging activity
reaction was calculated using the formula.
Caractéristiques des patients centenaires consultants dans un service d’accueil et d’urgences
Authors: Gast C. , Leveau M. , Valentian M. , Mewasing I.B. , Dautheville S. , Bouvard E. , Ray P.
Published: May 2018

Introduction : Le nombre de consultations des personnes âgées aux urgences est en constante augmentation. Cette étude avait pour but d’évaluer les caractéristiques des patients centenaires, consultants dans un service d’accueil d’urgences et leur devenir.

Patients et méthode : Etude monocentrique, rétrospective, sur la période de janvier 2012 à mars 2015, incluant tous les centenaires consultants aux urgences d’un hôpital universitaire. Les données ont été comparées à une première période d’étude 10 ans auparavant (2002-2005) (travail déjà publié).

Résultats : Durant cette période, 21 550 (14%) des patients ayant consulté avaient plus de 75 ans, et 129 (<1%) patients avaient 100 ans et plus. Sept dossiers incomplets ont été exclus, et un total de 122 dossiers a donc été retenu pour l’étude. L’âge moyen des patients était de 102 +/- 1,4 ans. En 2002-2005, 81% des patients centenaires ont été adressés au SAU après un premier contact de leur médecin traitant ou du médecin de garde, contre 56% en 2012-2015 (p<0,001). Les principaux motifs de consultation aux urgences restaient les chutes (42% vs. 39%, p=0,66), suivies des symptômes respiratoires (22% vs. 21%, p=0,88). La durée moyenne de séjour a diminué de 10 jours à 7 jours, entre les 2 périodes. Le taux d’hospitalisation restait stable (57% vs. 67%, p=0,06), ainsi que la mortalité hospitalière (24% sur les deux périodes, p=0,95).

Conclusion : Cette étude souligne la spécificité des besoins des patients centenaires aux urgences, en matière de prise en charge non programmée.
The Monsanto Papers: Poisoning the scientific well
Authors: McHenry Leemon B.
Published: May 2018

OBJECTIVE:

Examination of de-classified Monsanto documents from litigation in order to expose the impact of the company’s efforts to influence the reporting of scientific studies related to the safety of the herbicide, glyphosate.

METHODS:

A set of 141 recently de-classified documents, made public during the course of pending toxic tort litigation, In Re Roundup Products Liability Litigation were examined.

RESULTS:

The documents reveal Monsanto-sponsored ghostwriting of articles published in toxicology journals and the lay media, interference in the peer review process, behind-the-scenes influence on retraction and the creation of a so-called academic website as a front for the defense of Monsanto products.

CONCLUSION:

The use of third-party academics in the corporate defense of glyhphosate reveals that this practice extends beyond the corruption of medicine and persists in spite of efforts to enforce transparency in industry manipulation.
Amplified Pilot Head Vibration and the Effects of Vibration Mitigation on Neck Muscle Strain
Authors: Wright Beatty Heather E. , Law Andrew J. , Thomas J. Russell , Wickramasinghe Viresh
Published: May 2018

INTRODUCTION: Rotary wing pilot neck strain is increasing in prevalence due to the combined effects of head supported mass (e.g., Night Vision Goggles, head mounted displays) and whole-body vibration. This study examined the physiological responses of pilots during exposure to
whole-body vibration (WBV) representative of the National Research Council’s Bell 412 helicopter in forward flight. WBV levels were measured and evaluated using the ISO-2631-1-1997 WBV standards.METHODS: Twelve pilots (aged 20–59 yr, 7 of the 12 with 20+ years flight
experience) underwent six 15-min vibration trials on a human rated shaker platform. Participants were exposed to three vibration levels (-25%, normal, and +25% amplitude; Levels 1–3, respectively) while seated on an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) or vibration mitigating (MIT)
cushion. Upper back and neck electromyography (EMG) and acceleration were continuously recorded.RESULTS: Normalized EMG amplitude was higher using the OEM compared to the MIT during Level 2 (0.18 vs. -0.27) and Level 3 (0.24 vs. -0.14) for the anterior neck muscles. Health weighted
vibration amplitude at the head (Mean of 3 levels: OEM = 1.19 and MIT = 1.11 m · s−2) was larger than the vibration amplitude at the seat (Mean of 3 levels: OEM = 0.77 and MIT = 0.70 m · s−2).DISCUSSION: The amplification of head vibration
relative to the seat, and the significant effects of vibration level, as well as the vibration mitigation cushion, on neck EMG amplitude support the need for revisions to the ISO-2631-1 standard to account for the head and neck response to whole-body vibration.Wright Beatty HE, Law
AJ, Thomas JR, Wickramasinghe V. Amplified pilot head vibration and the effects of vibration mitigation on neck muscle strain. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2018; 89(6):510–519.
The Danger Zone for Noise Hazards Around the Black Hawk Helicopter
Authors: Jones Heath G. , Greene Nathaniel T. , Chen Michael R. , Azcona Cierrah M. , Archer Brandon J. , Reeves Efrem R.
Published: May 2018

BACKGROUND: During ground operations, rotary-wing aircraft engines and subsystems produce noise hazards that place airfield personnel at risk for hearing damage. The noise exposure levels outside the aircraft during various operating conditions, and the distances from aircraft
at which they drop to safe levels, are not readily available. The current study measured noise levels at various positions around the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter for three operating conditions typically used when the aircraft is on the ground.METHODS: Microphones were positioned
systematically around the helicopter and A-weighted sound pressure levels (SPLs) were computed from the recordings. In addition, the 85-dBA SPL contour around the aircraft was mapped. The resulting A-weighted SPLs and contour mapping were used to determine the noise hazard area around the
helicopter.RESULTS: Measurements reported here show noise levels of 105 dB or greater in all operating conditions. The fueling location at the left rear of the aircraft near the auxiliary power unit (APU) is the area of greatest risk for noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). Additionally,
sound field contours indicate noise hazard areas (>85 dBA SPL) can extend beyond 100 ft from the helicopter.CONCLUSIONS: This report details the areas of greatest risk for auditory injury around the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter. Our findings suggest the area of hazardous noise
levels around the aircraft can extend to neighboring aircraft, particularly on the side of the aircraft where the APU is located. Hearing protection should be worn whenever the aircraft is operating, even if working at a distance.Jones HG, Greene NT, Chen MR, Azcona CM, Archer BJ, Reeves
ER. The danger zone for noise hazards around the Black Hawk helicopter. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2018; 89(6):547–551.
A Novel Design of Sparse Prototype Filter for Nearly Perfect Reconstruction Cosine-Modulated Filter Banks
Authors: Xu Wei , Li Yi , Miao Jinghong , Zhao Jiaxiang , Gao Xin
Published: May 2018

Cosine-modulated filter banks play a major role in digital signal processing. Sparse FIR filter banks have lower implementation complexity than full filter banks, while keeping a good performance level. This paper presents a fast design paradigm for sparse nearly perfect-reconstruction (NPR) cosine-modulated filter banks. First, an approximation function is introduced to reduce the non-convex quadratically constrained optimization problem to a linearly constrained optimization problem. Then, the desired sparse linear phase FIR prototype filter is derived through the orthogonal matching pursuit (OMP) performed under the weighted l 2 norm. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed scheme is an effective paradigm to design sparse NPR cosine-modulated filter banks.
Aerospace Mission Outcome: Predictive Modeling
Authors: Suhir Ephraim
Published: May 2018

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Phytochemical Profile of Brown Rice and Its Nutrigenomic Implications
Authors: Ravichanthiran Keneswary , Ma Zheng Feei , Zhang Hongxia , Cao Yang , Wang Chee Woon , Muhammad Shahzad , Aglago Elom K. , Zhang Yihe , Jin Yifan , Pan Binyu
Published: May 2018

Whole grain foods have been promoted to be included as one of the important components of a healthy diet because of the relationship between the regular consumption of whole-grain foods and reduced risk of chronic diseases. Rice is a staple food, which has been widely consumed for centuries by many Asian countries. Studies have suggested that brown rice is associated with a wide spectrum of nutrigenomic implications such as anti-diabetic, anti-cholesterol, cardioprotective and antioxidant. This is because of the presence of various phytochemicals that are mainly located in bran layers of brown rice. Therefore, this paper is a review of publications that focuses on the bioactive compounds and nutrigenomic implications of brown rice. Although current evidence supports the fact that the consumption of brown rice is beneficial for health, these studies are heterogeneous in terms of their brown rice samples used and population groups, which cause the evaluation to be difficult. Future clinical studies should focus on the screening of individual bioactive compounds in brown rice with reference to their nutrigenomic implications.
Water Resistant Composite Membranes for Carbon Dioxide Separation from Methane
Authors: Scholes Colin A.
Published: May 2018

Membranes that are resistant to water vapor permeation have potential in natural gas sweetening by reducing the need for pretreatment. The perfluorinated polymer Teflon AF1600 has proven resistance to water vapor, which is adapted here in the form of composite membranes consisting of a Teflon AF1600 protective layer on membranes of the polyimide 4,4′-(hexafluoroisopropylidene) diphthalic anhydride 2,3,5,6-tetramethyl-1,4-phenylenediamine (6FDA-TMPDA) as well as Polymer of Intrinsic Micro-porosity (PIM-1). The permeability of CO2 and CH4 through the composite membranes was shown to be a function of the respective permeabilities of the individual polymer layers, with the Teflon AF1600 layer providing the majority of the resistance to mass transfer. Upon exposure to water, the composite membranes had reduced water permeation of 7–13% compared to pure membranes of 6FDA-TMPDA and PIM-1, because of the water resistance of the Teflon AF1600 layer. It was observed that water permeated as clusters through the composite structure. Under CO2-CH4 mixed gas conditions, 6FDA-TMPDA layer permselectivity performance was reduced and became comparable to Teflon AF1600, while the PIM-1 layer retained much of its high permselectivity performance. Importantly, at water activities below 0.2 the PIM-1 composite membrane achieved higher permeability for CO2 compared to water.
An Intelligent Condition Monitoring Approach for Spent Nuclear Fuel Shearing Machines Based on Noise Signals
Authors: Chen Jia-Hua , Zou Shu-Liang
Published: May 2018

Shearing machines are the key pieces of equipment for spent–fuel reprocessing in commercial reactors. Once a failure happens and is not detected in time, serious consequences will arise. It is very important to monitor the shearing machine and to diagnose the faults immediately for spent–fuel reprocessing. In this study, an intelligent condition monitoring approach for spent nuclear fuel shearing machines based on noise signals was proposed. The approach consists of a feature extraction based on wavelet packet transform (WPT) and a hybrid fault diagnosis model, the latter combines the advantage on dynamic–modeling of hidden Markov model (HMM) and pattern recognition of artificial neural network (ANN). The verification results showed that the approach is more effective and accurate than that of the isolated HMM or ANN.
Evaluation of the ENVI-Met Vegetation Model of Four Common Tree Species in a Subtropical Hot-Humid Area
Authors: Liu Zhixin , Zheng Senlin , Zhao Lihua
Published: May 2018

Urban trees can significantly improve the outdoor thermal environment, especially in subtropical zones. However, due to the lack of fundamental evaluations of numerical simulation models, design and modification strategies for optimizing the thermal environment in subtropical hot-humid climate zones cannot be proposed accurately. To resolve this issue, this study investigated the physiological parameters (leaf surface temperature and vapor flux) and thermal effects (solar radiation, air temperature, and humidity) of four common tree species (Michelia alba, Mangifera indica, Ficus microcarpa, and Bauhinia blakeana) in both spring and summer in Guangzhou, China. A comprehensive comparison of the observed and modeled data from ENVI-met (v4.2 Science, a three-dimensional microclimate model) was performed. The results show that the most fundamental weakness of ENVI-met is the limitation of input solar radiation, which cannot be input hourly in the current version and may impact the thermal environment in simulation. For the tree model, the discrepancy between modeled and observed microclimate parameters was acceptable. However, for the physiological parameters, ENVI-met tended to overestimate the leaf surface temperature and underestimate the vapor flux, especially at midday in summer. The simplified calculation of the tree model may be one of the main reasons. Furthermore, the thermal effect of trees, meaning the differences between nearby treeless sites and shaded areas, were all underestimated in ENVI-met for each microclimate variable. This study shows that the tree model is suitable in subtropical hot-humid climates, but also needs some improvement.
Enhanced Iron Solubility at Low pH in Global Aerosols
Authors: Ingall Ellery D. , Feng Yan , Longo Amelia F. , Lai Barry , Shelley Rachel U. , Landing William M. , Morton Peter L. , Nenes Athanasios , Mihalopoulos Nikolaos , Violaki Kalliopi , Gao Yuan , Sahai Shivraj , Castorina Erin
Published: May 2018

The composition and oxidation state of aerosol iron were examined using synchrotron-based iron near-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy. By combining synchrotron-based techniques with water leachate analysis, impacts of oxidation state and mineralogy on aerosol iron solubility were assessed for samples taken from multiple locations in the Southern and the Atlantic Oceans; and also from Noida (India), Bermuda, and the Eastern Mediterranean (Crete). These sampling locations capture iron-containing aerosols from different source regions with varying marine, mineral dust, and anthropogenic influences. Across all locations, pH had the dominating influence on aerosol iron solubility. When aerosol samples were approximately neutral pH, iron solubility was on average 3.4%; when samples were below pH 4, the iron solubility increased to 35%. This observed aerosol iron solubility profile is consistent with thermodynamic predictions for the solubility of Fe(III) oxides, the major iron containing phase in the aerosol samples. Source regions and transport paths were also important factors affecting iron solubility, as samples originating from or passing over populated regions tended to contain more soluble iron. Although the acidity appears to affect aerosol iron solubility globally, a direct relationship for all samples is confounded by factors such as anthropogenic influence, aerosol buffer capacity, mineralogy and physical processes.
Critical Assessment of Methods to Quantify Biofilm Growth and Evaluate Antibiofilm Activity of Host Defence Peptides
Authors: Haney Evan , Trimble Michael , Cheng John , Vallé Quentin , Hancock Robert
Published: May 2018

Biofilms are multicellular communities of bacteria that can adhere to virtually any surface. Bacterial biofilms are clinically relevant, as they are responsible for up to two-thirds of hospital acquired infections and contribute to chronic infections. Troublingly, the bacteria within a biofilm are adaptively resistant to antibiotic treatment and it can take up to 1000 times more antibiotic to kill cells within a biofilm when compared to planktonic bacterial cells. Identifying and optimizing compounds that specifically target bacteria growing in biofilms is required to address this growing concern and the reported antibiofilm activity of natural and synthetic host defence peptides has garnered significant interest. However, a standardized assay to assess the activity of antibiofilm agents has not been established. In the present work, we describe two simple assays that can assess the inhibitory and eradication capacities of peptides towards biofilms that are formed by both Gram-positive and negative bacteria. These assays are suitable for high-throughput workflows in 96-well microplates and they use crystal violet staining to quantify adhered biofilm biomass as well as tetrazolium chloride dye to evaluate the metabolic activity of the biofilms. The effect of media composition on the readouts of these biofilm detection methods was assessed against two strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PAO1 and PA14), as well as a methicillin resistant strain of Staphylococcus aureus. Our results demonstrate that media composition dramatically alters the staining patterns that were obtained with these dye-based methods, highlighting the importance of establishing appropriate biofilm growth conditions for each bacterial species to be evaluated. Confocal microscopy imaging of P. aeruginosa biofilms grown in flow cells revealed that this is likely due to altered biofilm architecture under specific growth conditions. The antibiofilm activity of several antibiotics and synthetic peptides were then evaluated under both inhibition and eradication conditions to illustrate the type of data that can be obtained using this experimental setup.
Deubiquitinylase USP47 Promotes RelA Phosphorylation and Survival in Gastric Cancer Cells
Authors: Naghavi Lara , Schwalbe Martin , Ghanem Ahmed , Naumann Michael
Published: May 2018

Every year, gastric cancer causes around 819,000 deaths worldwide. The incidence of gastric cancer in the western world is slowly declining, but the prognosis is unpromising. In Germany, the 5-year-survival rate is around 32%, and the average life span after diagnosis is 6 to 9 months. Therapy of gastric cancer patients comprises a gastrectomy and perioperative or adjuvant chemotherapy. However, resistance of gastric cancer cells to these agents is widespread; thus, improved chemotherapeutic approaches are required. Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) transcription factors are associated with anti-apoptosis, carcinogenesis, and chemoresistance, and thus, constitute attractive targets for therapeutic intervention. In immunoblots, we show that ubiquitin specific protease 47 (USP47) promotes β-transducin repeat-containing protein (βTrCP) stability and phosphorylation of RelA. Furthermore, after knockdown of USP47 by RNA interference, we analyzed in gastric cancer cell lines metabolic activity/viability in an MTT assay, and apoptotic cell death by Annexin V staining and poly(ADP-Ribose) polymerase (PARP)-1, caspase 3, and caspase 8 cleavage, respectively. We found that USP47 contributes to cell viability and chemoresistance in NCI-N87 gastric carcinoma cells treated with etoposide and camptothecin. Inhibition of USP47 might be a suitable strategy to downregulate NF-κB activity, and to overcome chemoresistance in gastric cancer.
Organoids Provide an Important Window on Inflammation in Cancer
Authors: Baker Kristi
Published: May 2018

Inflammation is a primary driver of cancer initiation and progression. However, the complex and dynamic nature of an inflammatory response make this a very difficult process to study. Organoids are a new model system where complex multicellular structures of primary cells can be grown in a 3D matrix to recapitulate the biology of the parent tissue. This experimental model offers several distinct advantages over alternatives including the ability to be genetically engineered, implanted in vivo and reliably derived from a wide variety of normal and cancerous tissue from patients. Furthermore, long-term organoid cultures reproduce many features of their source tissue, including genetic and epigenetic alterations and drug sensitivity. Perhaps most significantly, cancer organoids can be cocultured in a variety of different systems with a patients’ own immune cells, uniquely permitting the study of autologous cancer-immune cell interactions. Experiments with such systems promise to shed light on the mechanisms governing inflammation-associated cancer while also providing prognostic information on an individual patient’s responsiveness to immunotherapeutic anti-cancer drugs. Thanks to their ability to capture important features of the complex relationship between a cancer and its microenvironment, organoids are poised to become an essential tool for unraveling the mechanisms by which inflammation promotes cancer.
Treating p53 Mutant Aggregation-Associated Cancer
Authors: Kanapathipillai Mathumai
Published: May 2018

p53 is a tumor suppressor protein. Under stressful conditions, p53 tightly regulates cell growth by promoting apoptosis and DNA repair. When p53 becomes mutated, it loses its function, resulting in abnormal cell proliferation and tumor progression. Depending on the p53 mutation, it has been shown to form aggregates leading to negative gain of function of the protein. p53 mutant associated aggregation has been observed in several cancer tissues and has been shown to promote tumor growth. Recent studies show correlation between p53 mutant aggregation, functional loss, and tumor growth. Moreover, p53 aggregation has been observed in biopsies, patient tissues, and in vivo studies. Given the fact that over fifty percent of cancers have p53 mutation and several of them are prone to aggregation, therapeutic strategies are needed for treating p53 mutant aggregation associated cancers. Recent studies using polyarginine analogues and designer peptides for inhibiting p53 aggregation and tumor growth gives further encouragement in treating cancer as a protein aggregation disease. In this review, we highlight the recent efforts in targeting p53 aggregation in cancer and propose the use of small stress molecules as potential p53-antiaggregation drugs.
On the Importance of Combined Scratch/Acoustic Emission Test Evaluation: SiC and SiCN Thin Films Case Study
Authors: Tomastik Jan , Ctvrtlik Radim , Drab Martin , Manak Jan
Published: May 2018

The scratch test, as probably the most widespread technique for assessment of the adhesive/cohesive properties of a film–substrate system, fully depends on reliable evaluation based on assessment of critical loads for systems’ failures. Traditionally used evaluation methods (depth change record and visual observation) may sometimes give misleading conclusions about the failure dynamics, especially in the case of opaque films. Therefore, there is a need for another independent evaluation technique with the potential to complete the existing approaches. The nondestructive method of acoustic emission, which detects the elastic waves emitted during film cracking and delamination, can be regarded as a convenient candidate for such a role even at nano/micro scale. The strength of the combination of microscopic observation of the residual groove and depth change record with the acoustic emission detection system proved to be a robust and reliable approach in analyzing adhesion/cohesion properties of thin films. The dynamics of the gradual damage taking place during the nano/micro scratch test revealed by the combined approach is presented for SiC and SiCN thin films. Comparison of critical load values clearly reflects the higher ability of the AE approach in detecting the initial material failure compared to the visual observation.
Antibacterial Functionalization of PVD Coatings on Ceramics
Authors: Osés Javier , Fuentes Gonzalo , Palacio José , Esparza Joseba , García José , Rodríguez Rafael
Published: May 2018

The application of surface treatments that incorporate silver or copper as antibacterial elements has become a common practice for a wide variety of medical devices and materials because of their effective activity against nosocomial infections. Ceramic tiles are choice materials for cladding the floors and walls of operation rooms and other hospital spaces. This study is focused on the deposition of biocide physical vapor deposition (PVD) coatings on glazed ceramic tiles. The objective was to provide antibacterial activity to the surfaces without worsening their mechanical properties. Silver and copper-doped chromium nitride (CrN) and titanium nitride (TiN) coatings were deposited on samples of tiles. A complete characterization was carried out in order to determine the composition and structure of the coatings, as well as their topographical and mechanical properties. The distribution of Ag and Cu within the coating was analyzed using glow discharge optical emission spectrometry (GD-OES) and field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM). Roughness, microhardness, and scratch resistance were measured for all of the combinations of coatings and dopants, as well as their wettability. Finally, tests of antibacterial efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were carried out, showing that all of the doped coatings had pronounced biocide activity.
Features of Metal Hydrogenation during Electron Irradiation
Authors: Larionov Vitaliy , Tyurin Yuriy , Murashkina Tatyana , Sigfusson Thorsteinn
Published: May 2018

This paper considers metal hydrogenation and hydrogen release from metals under electron irradiation. The study shows that there are two processes during irradiation: the increase in the hydrogen yield from metal and the increase in the ability of hydrogenated metal to accumulate the energy of a beam of accelerated electrons. The energy introduced into hydrogenated metal is preserved for a longer period when compared to pure metal in time scales of electronic relaxation. Electron irradiation accelerates the saturation of metals with hydrogen and deuterium. Deuterium and hydrogen participate in the collective excitation of the internal hydrogen atmosphere of metals. This effect is explained by the nonequilibrium migration and release of hydrogen from metals. The migration of hydrogen isotopes during irradiation can be used to enhance the light isotope separation.
Female Facial Attractiveness Assessed from Three-Dimensional Contour Lines by University Students
Authors: Jirathamopas Jinwara , Liao Yu Fang , Ko Ellen Wen-Ching , Chen Yu-Ray , Huang Chiung Shing
Published: May 2018

Background: Three-dimensional (3D) images could provide more accurate evaluation for facial attractiveness than two-dimensional (2D) images. The 3D facial image could be simplified into gray scale 3D contour lines. Whether female facial attractiveness could be perceived in these simplified 3D facial contour lines should be determined. Methods: A series of 100 2D photographs (one frontal and two lateral views) and 3D contour lines extracted from 3D facial images of females were projected onto a screen. Each image presentation lasted 5 s, and the evaluators marked their impression of each image’s facial attractiveness on a five-point Likert scale within 3 s of its presentation. The evaluation of the 3D contour lines was performed twice, 2 weeks apart. The evaluators were university students. Results: High consistency (r = 0.92) was found for the first and second evaluation of 3D facial contour lines for female facial attractiveness. The judgments of unattractive face were more consistent than the judgments of attractive face. Male students tended to give lower scores than female students in the evaluation of female facial attractiveness. Conclusions: Female facial attractiveness could be evaluated by 3D facial contour lines. 3D facial contour lines should be one of the key factors of facial attractiveness.