bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optimal Energy Consumption Tasks Scheduling Strategy for Multi-Radio WSNs
Authors: Yan Qiao , Peng Wei , Zhang Guiqing
Published: February 2020

Multi-radio technology is regarded as a promising way to improve the performance of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) and has attracted much attention of researchers. It is very important to reduce energy consumption and to prolong the lifetime of Multi-Radio WSNs (MR-WSNs), since the node is generally battery-operated in MR-WSN environments. In this paper, two typical types of energy consumption process, the transmitting energy consumption and idle listening energy consumption, are analyzed firstly. Based on the above analysis, the energy consumption model of multi-radio nodes is built, and then it is considered as the optimization objective for the minimization energy consumption of multi-radio nodes. Furthermore, the heuristic optimal energy consumption task scheduling strategy based on the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm is proposed, and then the detailed steps of the proposed strategy are presented. Finally, the effectiveness and performance of the proposed strategy are evaluated through practical experiments and simulations. Evaluation results show that the proposed strategy outperforms some other algorithms, in terms of energy consumption, network lifetime, and tasks extensibility.
Human-In-The-Loop Assessment of an Ultralight, Low-Cost Body Posture Tracking Device
Authors: Sierotowicz Marek , Connan Mathilde , Castellini Claudio
Published: February 2020

In rehabilitation, assistive and space robotics, the capability to track the body posture of a user in real time is highly desirable. In more specific cases, such as teleoperated extra-vehicular activity, prosthetics and home service robotics, the ideal posture-tracking device must also be wearable, light and low-power, while still enforcing the best possible accuracy. Additionally, the device must be targeted at effective human-machine interaction. In this paper, we present and test such a device based upon commercial inertial measurement units: it weighs 575 g in total, lasts up to 10.5 h of continual operation, can be donned and doffed in under a minute and costs less than 290 EUR. We assess the attainable performance in terms of error in an online trajectory-tracking task in Virtual Reality using the device through an experiment involving 10 subjects, showing that an average user can attain a precision of 0.66 cm during a static precision task and 6.33 cm while tracking a moving trajectory, when tested in the full peri-personal space of a user.
Networking-Aware IoT Application Development
Authors: Bröring Arne , Seeger Jan , Papoutsakis Manos , Fysarakis Konstantinos , Caracalli Ahmad
Published: February 2020

Various tools support developers in the creation of IoT applications. In general, such tools focus on the business logic, which is important for application development, however, for IoT applications in particular, it is crucial to consider the network, as they are intrinsically based on interconnected devices and services. IoT application developers do not have in depth expertise in configuring networks and physical connections between devices. Hence, approaches are required that automatically deduct these configurations. We address this challenge in this work with an architecture and associated data models that enable networking-aware IoT application development. We evaluate our approach in the context of an application for oil leakage detection in wind turbines.
High Definition 3D Map Creation Using GNSS/IMU/LiDAR Sensor Integration to Support Autonomous Vehicle Navigation
Authors: Ilci Veli , Toth Charles
Published: February 2020

Recent developments in sensor technologies such as Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), radar, and camera have led to emerging state-of-the-art autonomous systems, such as driverless vehicles or UAS (Unmanned Airborne Systems) swarms. These technologies necessitate the use of accurate object space information about the physical environment around the platform. This information can be generally provided by the suitable selection of the sensors, including sensor types and capabilities, the number of sensors, and their spatial arrangement. Since all these sensor technologies have different error sources and characteristics, rigorous sensor modeling is needed to eliminate/mitigate errors to obtain an accurate, reliable, and robust integrated solution. Mobile mapping systems are very similar to autonomous vehicles in terms of being able to reconstruct the environment around the platforms. However, they differ a lot in operations and objectives. Mobile mapping vehicles use professional grade sensors, such as geodetic grade GNSS, tactical grade IMU, mobile LiDAR, and metric cameras, and the solution is created in post-processing. In contrast, autonomous vehicles use simple/inexpensive sensors, require real-time operations, and are primarily interested in identifying and tracking moving objects. In this study, the main objective was to assess the performance potential of autonomous vehicle sensor systems to obtain high-definition maps based on only using Velodyne sensor data for creating accurate point clouds. In other words, no other sensor data were considered in this investigation. The results have confirmed that cm-level accuracy can be achieved.
Multi-Channel Neural Recording Implants: A Review
Authors: Hashemi Noshahr Fereidoon , Nabavi Morteza , Sawan Mohamad
Published: February 2020

The recently growing progress in neuroscience research and relevant achievements, as well as advancements in the fabrication process, have increased the demand for neural interfacing systems. Brain–machine interfaces (BMIs) have been revealed to be a promising method for the diagnosis and treatment of neurological disorders and the restoration of sensory and motor function. Neural recording implants, as a part of BMI, are capable of capturing brain signals, and amplifying, digitizing, and transferring them outside of the body with a transmitter. The main challenges of designing such implants are minimizing power consumption and the silicon area. In this paper, multi-channel neural recording implants are surveyed. After presenting various neural-signal features, we investigate main available neural recording circuit and system architectures. The fundamental blocks of available architectures, such as neural amplifiers, analog to digital converters (ADCs) and compression blocks, are explored. We cover the various topologies of neural amplifiers, provide a comparison, and probe their design challenges. To achieve a relatively high SNR at the output of the neural amplifier, noise reduction techniques are discussed. Also, to transfer neural signals outside of the body, they are digitized using data converters, then in most cases, the data compression is applied to mitigate power consumption. We present the various dedicated ADC structures, as well as an overview of main data compression methods.
Environmental Citizenship and Energy Efficiency in Four European Countries (Italy, The Netherlands, Switzerland and Hungary)
Authors: Czibere Ibolya , Kovách Imre , Megyesi Gergely Boldizsár
Published: February 2020

In our paper we aim at analysing the social factors influencing energy use and energy efficiency in four different European countries, using the data from the PENNY research (Psychological social and financial barriers to energy efficiency—Horizon 2020). As a part of the project, a survey was conducted in four European countries (Italy, The Netherlands, Switzerland and Hungary) to compare environmental self-identity, values and attitudes toward the energy use of European citizens. Previous research has examined the effect of a number of factors that influence individuals’ energy efficiency, and attitudes to energy use. The novelty of our paper that presents four attitudes regarding energy use and environmental consciousness and compares them across four different regions of Europe. It analyses the differences between the four attitudes among the examined countries and tries to understand the factors explaining the differences using linear regression models of the most important socio-demographic variables. Finally, we present a typology of energy use attitudes: four groups, the members of which are basically characterised by essentially different attitudes regarding energy use. A better understanding of the diversity of energy use may assist in making more accurate policy decisions.
Academic Literacy and Student Diversity: Evaluating a Curriculum-Integrated Inclusive Practice Intervention in the United Kingdom
Authors: Calvo Sara , Celini Luciano , Morales Andrés , Martínez José Manuel Guaita , Núñez-Cacho Utrilla Pedro
Published: February 2020

The sustainability of universities is based, among other aspects, on their ability to adapt to changes and the needs of students, an increasingly diverse population. In this sense, Academic literacy provision at universities tends to be centralized and to offer language support for general academic literacy purposes rather than language development that responds in a more nuanced way to the particular literacy needs of students’ disciplines. Yet, in recent years, several studies have supported the integration of academic literacy into subject teaching outlining the principles of an inclusive model of academic literacy instruction. This paper draws on a theoretical framework developed by Wingate to evaluate a curriculum-integrated inclusive practice intervention in the United Kingdom with students from a first-year credit-bearing module at Middlesex University Business School. The study used a mixed methods approach that includes a literature review, secondary data, feedback questionnaire and a focus group to evaluate our teaching method and reflect on the collaboration of the team members to develop this inclusive pedagogical approach. The findings suggest that, on the whole, this intervention was perceived by both the module teaching team and students as positive, welcoming and often crucial for supporting undergraduate students into the disciplinary discourse of their subject of study. Yet, recommendations were made with respect to developing better guidelines for subject lecturers on how to deliver the integrated academic literacy as well as the importance of the participation of students, student learning assistants and graduate teaching assistants in the design of the intervention. This study contributes to the literature on inclusive practice intervention and pedagogical approaches to integrating academic literacy into subject teaching for a diverse student population, contributing to the social sustainability of the universities.
European Banking Integration and Sustainable Economic Growth
Authors: Stoica Ovidiu , Oprea Otilia-Roxana , Bostan Ionel , Sandu Toderașcu Carmen , Lazăr Cristina Mihaela
Published: February 2020

Sustainable economic growth is considered a fundamental problem due to the effects that can be felt on the society as a whole, along with the phenomenon of banking integration that can influence the development of a country’s economy. This research aims to investigate the impact of banking market integration on sustainable economic growth in EU countries, especially in the context of financial integration, a good consolidation of the banking market is needed. We also identified the main factors by which the development of the banking market influences economic growth. The analysis was carried out for the period 2004–2018 in EU countries as a sample. According to the results obtained, we can say that European banking integration has a positive influence and has many benefits on the growth and sustainable development of the economy. The main factors by which banking integration significantly and positively favors economic growth are convergence of asset returns, convergence of interest rates, cross-border lending to the non-banking sector, foreign assets and foreign liabilities), the ratio of international banking activities, the ratio between assets and GDP, and the net interest margin (only when maintaining a low level) with some differences between the pre-crisis and the post-crisis period, the countries in the Euro Zone outside the euro, and the new EU member states and the old EU member states.
Stakeholder Pressures and Corporate Environmental Strategies: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Wang Lixiang , Li Weian , Qi Lujun
Published: February 2020

Stakeholder pressures and corporate environmental strategies continue to be important topics of corporate sustainability. Limited by sample size, there is a lack of general conclusions on which groups of stakeholder pressures are the main drivers of environmental strategies. Amassing a database of 58 empirical studies, the authors divided stakeholder pressures into four groups—internal, coercive, market, and social pressure—and explored the relationship between different pressures and environmental strategies by conducting a meta-analysis. The main result shows that internal pressure is the main driver of environmental strategies. Further empirical results show that stakeholder pressures could have a larger effect on corporate environmental strategies in developed countries and that non-manufacturing firms could change their environmental strategies more easily than manufacturing firms. The results provide the practical implication that a green industry transition is strongly needed in the manufacturing industry, especially for polluting industries, and that firms in polluting industries should implement environmental strategy changes in the future. This paper contributes to clarifying the relationship between stakeholder pressures and corporate environmental strategies based on a meta-analysis.
Rethinking the Way of Doing Business: A Reframe of Management Structures for Developing Corporate Sustainability
Authors: Nunhes Thaís Vieira , Bernardo Merce , Oliveira Otávio José de
Published: February 2020

Corporate sustainability (CS) literature has gone through a period of intense development. The moment is favorable to gather these contributions to consistently advance the state-of-the-art in CS and, also, discuss them in application to real contexts. The main objective of the paper is to systematize, through a literature review using content analysis of the 30 most cited articles from 2007 to 2017, the guiding pillars of CS management. A systematic search for papers was carried out in Scopus and Web of Science, and the initial screening of the papers was assisted by the coding software, MAXQDA 2018, through which the authors structured and analyzed their main insights, contributions, and conclusions. After getting acquainted with the sample, an in-depth reading of the texts was conducted and 60 CS elements were identified. The elements cited in the relevant literature were grouped into six pillars related to corporate sustainability strategy, corporate governance, human resources management, knowledge and innovation management, measurement, disclosure, and independent assurance, and management systems, and integrated management systems. The main contribution of this paper is to identify the management pillars of CS in a systematic way to consistently advance the state-of-the-art in the subject. Also, this study provides understanding to managers on the main aspects that make up the integration of this construct in the companies.
Towards Eco-Flowable Concrete Production
Authors: Rashidi Maria , Joshaghani Alireza , Ghodrat Maryam
Published: February 2020

Environmental concerns have increased due to the amount of unused/expired plastic medical waste generated in hospitals, laboratories, and other healthcare facilities, in addition to the fact that disposing of such wastes with extremely low degradation levels causes them to remain in the environment for extended periods of time. These issues have led researchers to develop more environmentally friendly alternatives for disposing of plastic medical waste in Australia. This study is an attempt to assess the impacts of using expired plastic syringes as fine aggregate on fresh and hardened characteristics of flowable concrete, which might provide a solution to environmental concerns. Six mixtures of flowable concrete with water-to-cement ratios of 0.38 were studied. It was found that using recycled aggregate in up to 20% can improve the workability and increase the V-funnel values of flowable concrete mixtures. However, using waste aggregates in more than 30% caused an inapt flowability. Adding waste aggregate at the 30%–50% replacement level led to a decrease in the L-box ratio. To verify the utility and the efficacy of this experiment, the connections between different rheological test measurements were also compared by implementing the Pearson correlation function. The mechanical properties of the mixes containing recycled aggregates were decreased at the age of seven days; however, at later ages, waste aggregates increased the strength at the 10%–30% replacement levels.
Review of the Legislative Framework for the Remuneration of Photovoltaic Production in Spain: A Case Study
Authors: Blanco-Díez Patricia , Díez-Mediavilla Montserrat , Alonso-Tristán Cristina
Published: February 2020

Spain is among the European countries with the greatest photovoltaic potential. During the first decade of the 2000s, Spain was a European leader in installed photovoltaic power and job creation in the renewable energy sector, strongly influenced by a very favorable regulatory framework and public subsidies at a time of economic growth. That situation would be completely reversed with the regulatory changes introduced in 2012 to combat the tariff deficit and the instability in the electricity supply system, problems accentuated by the economic crisis. The main objective of this study is to present an exhaustive review of the legislative changes that have affected photovoltaic energy in Spain. Using real data on electricity production and the remuneration of a typical photovoltaic plant, we show that there was a very significant fall in the economic returns that investors had come to expect, within a system that prioritized, first and foremost, the initial investment rather than the levels of electricity production. The changes to the legislative framework affecting a typical 100 kWp photovoltaic (PV) facility that entered into service before 2007 provoked a significant decrease of 8.7% in expected revenues, calculated from real data of production and income. These economic losses can be even higher, with a drop in revenue of almost 25% if the entire period of the installation’s useful life is analyzed. Public support for renewable energy is important for its introduction into the electricity market, but so is regulatory stability that offers investment security and predictability for maintaining investment and development in the renewable energy sector.
Tree Ecosystem Services, for Everyone? A Compositional Analysis Approach to Assess the Distribution of Urban Trees as an Indicator of Environmental Justice
Authors: Cruz-Sandoval Marco , Ortego María Isabel , Roca Elisabet
Published: February 2020

Trees provide a broad amount of ecosystem services in urban areas. Although it is well documented that trees are essential for the well-being and livability of cities, trees are often not evenly distributed. Studies have found that urban residents with a deprived socioeconomic status are associated with a lower coverage and access to urban trees in their communities, yet a fair distribution of trees contributes to the sustainability and resilience of cities. In this context, the environmental justice movement seeks to ensure equal distribution of green infrastructure and its benefits throughout a territory. The objective of this study is threefold: (i) to determine whether urban trees in Guadalajara, Mexico, are distributed equally; (ii) to assess the association between urban trees and socioeconomic status; and (iii) to introduce compositional data analysis to the existing literature. Due to the compositional nature of the data, compositional analysis techniques are applied. We believe this novel approach will help define the proper management of data used in the literature. The outcomes provide insights for urban planners working towards the Sustainable Development Goals to help eradicate the uneven distribution of urban trees in cities.
Spatio-Temporal Trend of Aging Regions and Their Neighborhood Environment: Findings from Daegu Metropolitan City, Korea
Authors: Kim Eun Jung , Kim Myung-Yeon , Kim Hyunjung
Published: February 2020

This study aims to examine how the aging population of each region has changed from 2009 to 2018, and how age-friendly the current neighborhood environments are in those areas in Daegu, Korea. The 139 administrative units are used as spatial units to identify aging regions, while 100 m × 100 m grid cells are employed as spatial units to capture the environmental variables of the neighborhood comprehensively. To analyze Daegu’s aging regions, emerging hotspot analysis was performed, demonstrating the spatio-temporal patterns of the elderly population. ANOVA analysis and a case study with field surveys were used to examine the age-friendly environmental conditions in aging regions. Findings of this study showed that Daegu’s aging regions were increasing rapidly and spreading from the city center over time. In addition, it was found that the neighborhood environmental conditions of the aging regions were very poor in terms of accessibility, safety, and pleasurability. Significant differences were also found in the levels of age-friendliness of the neighborhood environments, depending on whether they are urban or suburban. The results herein support public policy proposals relevant to urban planning, environmental design, and aging policies.
Isolation of an Anti–tumour Disintegrin: Dabmaurin–1, a Peptide Lebein–1–like, from Daboia mauritanica Venom
Authors: Chalier Florence , Mugnier Laura , Tarbe Marion , Aboudou Soioulata , Villard Claude , Kovacic Hervé , Gigmes Didier , Mansuelle Pascal , de Pomyers Harold , Luis José , Mabrouk Kamel
Published: February 2020

In the soft treatment of cancer tumours, consequent downregulation of the malignant tissue angiogenesis constitutes an efficient way to stifle tumour development and metastasis spreading. As angiogenesis requires integrin–promoting endothelial cell adhesion, migration, and vessel tube formation, integrins represent potential targets of new therapeutic anti–angiogenic agents. Our work is a contribution to the research of such therapeutic disintegrins in animal venoms. We report isolation of one peptide, named Dabmaurin–1, from the hemotoxic venom of snake Daboia mauritanica, and we evaluate its potential anti–tumour activity through in vitro inhibition of the human vascular endothelial cell HMECs functions involved in tumour angiogenesis. Dabmaurin–1 altered, in a dose–dependent manner, without any significant cytotoxicity, HMEC proliferation, adhesion, and their mesenchymal migration onto various extracellular matrix proteins, as well as formation of capillary–tube mimics on MatrigelTM. Via experiments involving HMEC or specific cancers cells integrins, we demonstrated that the above Dabmaurin–1 effects are possibly due to some anti–integrin properties. Dabmaurin–1 was demonstrated to recognize a broad panel of prooncogenic integrins (αvβ6, αvβ3 or αvβ5) and/or particularly involved in control of angiogenesis (α5β1, α6β4, αvβ3 or αvβ5). Furthermore, mass spectrometry and partial N–terminal sequencing of this peptide revealed, it is close to Lebein–1, a known anti–β1 disintegrin from Macrovipera lebetina venom. Therefore, our results show that if Dabmaurin–1 exhibits in vitro apparent anti–angiogenic effects at concentrations lower than 30 nM, it is likely because it acts as an anti–tumour disintegrin.
Chronic Microcystin-LR Exposure Induces Abnormal Lipid Metabolism via Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Male Zebrafish
Authors: Zhang Dandan , Lin Wang , Liu Yinjie , Guo Honghui , Wang Lingkai , Yang Liping , Li Li , Li Dapeng , Tang Rong
Published: February 2020

In order to explore effects of low levels of continuous microcystin-LR (MC-LR) (a cyanotoxin) exposure on hepatic lipid metabolism on the basis of the endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) pathway, we exposed adult male zebrafish to MC-LR (0, 1, 5, and 25 μg/L) for 60 days, and hepatic histopathology as well as lipid metabolic parameters were determined with mRNA levels of ERS signal molecules and downstream factors, along with genes associated with lipid metabolism in zebrafish liver. The results revealed that prolonged exposure to MC-LR remarkably altered the levels of hepatic total cholesterol and triglyceride and led to hepatic steatosis, which was also confirmed by hepatic cytoplasmic vacuolization in Hematoxylin/eosin (H&E) stain and lipid droplet accumulation in Oil Red O stain. The severity of hepatic damage and lipidation was increased in a dose-related manner. MC-LR exposure significantly upregulated transcriptional levels of ERS markers including hspa5, mapk8, and chop, indicating the occurrence of ERS in the liver of zebrafish. Concurrently, MC-LR significantly improved mRNA expression of unfolded protein response (UPR) pathway-related genes including atf6, eif2ak3, ern1, and xbp1s, suggesting that all of the three UPR branches were activated by MC-LR. MC-LR also induced significant upregulation of downstream lipid metabolism-related factors and genes including srebf1, srebf2, fatty acid synthase (fasn), acetyl-CoA carboxylase (acaca), stearoyl-CoA desaturase (scd), HMG CoA reductase (hmgcra), and HMG CoA synthase (hmgcs1), and downregulation of genes associated with lipolysis such as triglyceride hydrolase gene (atgl), hormone-sensitive enzyme gene (hsla), and carnitine palmitoyltransferase gene (cpt1aa). Our present results indicated that the cause of hepatic lipid accumulation by MC-LR was mainly by upregulating lipogenic and cholesterol genes but downregulating the expression of lipolytic genes through the induction of srebf1 and srebf2, which were involved in the activation of ERS signal pathways.
Kemampuan Biofilter Anaerob Berdasarkan Jenis Media dalam Pengolahan Air Limbah Domestik Tahun 2016
Authors: Nababan Donal , Sitorus Mido Ester Juniati , Brahmana Netti Etalia Br. , Silitonga Evawani Martalena
Published: February 2020

Domestic wastewater is used water that cannot be used anymore for its original use, either containing human waste (feces) or from kitchen, bathroom and washing activities. The more dense the population in a settlement the more waste must be controlled. One simple way to treat domestic wastewater is to use anaerobic biofilter based on the type of media. The media used were broken stones, plastic sheets, and coconut shell charcoal. The purpose of this study was to determine the ability of anaerobic biofilter based on the type of media in domestic wastewater treatment. The parameters measured are BOD, COD and PH. Anaerobic biofilter performance is determined by looking at the difference in levels before and after using the media. This research is a quasi-experimental research with one group pretest-posttest design. The sample of this study were 10 samples taken from repetition 3 times in one experiment, the process was done by a batch system. The results showed an average reduction in BOD on plastic sheet media by 84.76%, COD by 84.77%, PH by 32.3%. The average reduction in BOD in the stone medium was 80.57%, COD was 80.59%, PH was 29.66%. The average reduction in BOD in coconut shell charcoal media was 69.72%, COD was 77.84%, PH was24%.
IDENTIFICACIÓN DE cDNAs DE Agave tequilana Weber Var. azul SIMILARES A FUROSTANOL GLICÓSIDO 26-O-β-GLUCOSIDASAS
Authors: Monroy-González Zurisadaí , Martínez-Hernández Aída
Published: February 2020

La furostanol glicósido 26-O-β-glucosidasa (F26G) participa en el último paso de la biosíntesis de saponinas esteroidales, lo que escinde la glucosa unida al hidroxilo del C26 del furostanol glucósido para permitir la formación del espirostano. A pesar de la existencia de numerosos estudios que muestran la diversidad estructural y actividad biológica de las saponinas de plantas, así como su reconocido potencial biotecnológico y farmacológico, pocas enzimas participantes en la ruta de biosíntesis de las saponinas esteroidales han sido estudiadas y sólo una enzima nativa tipo F26G ha sido purificada y caracterizada funcionalmente. En este estudio, mediante búsqueda por BLASTX en una base de datos de Agave tequilana Weber var. azul (Agave DB), se identificaron 46 ESTs (Expressed Sequence Tags) de DNA complementario (cDNAs) similares a la F26G de Asparagus officinalis, la mayoría provienen de cDNAs clonados a partir de tejidos florales (anteras y ovarios) o raíz; ambos órganos son productores de saponinas. Entre ellos, se identificaron seis ESTs cuyo alineamiento indica que representan a tres cDNAs diferentes entre sí. Estos ESTs se registraron en la base de datos dbEST de NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information), el cual fue el primer registro de secuencias nativas de cDNAs potencialmente codificantes similares a F26G en Agave. El tamaño de los cDNAs clonados y su alineamiento hacia el lado 5’ de las F26G conocidas sugieren que son cDNAs completos. Se diseñaron iniciadores diferenciales específicos para cada tipo de cDNA y se analizó por RT-PCR su expresión en tejidos vegetativos de A. tequilana. Se establecieron protocolos de PCR cuantitativo (qPCR) para estudios posteriores de regulación de su expresión génica. La información aquí reportada servirá como base para estudiar la función, regulación y actividad enzimática de las enzimas clonadas de Agave similares a F26G.
Determination of Ethanol in Fermented Broth by Headspace Gas Chromatography using Capillary Column
Authors: Mohammed Asem Hassan , Mohammed Alaa Kareem , Kamar Firas Hashim , Abbas Aseel Abdulqader , Nechifor Gheorghe
Published: February 2020

The gas chromatography (GC) method in analytical chemistry is a quick and accurate method to detect volatile components like ethanol. A method for determining volatile components known as Headspace chromatography (HS-GC) was developed along with an internal standard method (ISM) to identify ethanol in fermented broth in the laboratory. The aim of this research is determining the concentration of ethanol in fermented broth using capillary column (ZB-1). This method can analyze ethanol concentrations in the fermented medium broth ranging from 10 to 200 g/L. The validation of this method was done in order to obtain the results to be of high precision and the significant, precision was represented as the relative standard deviation (RSD) which was less than 5%, accuracy was less than 4 % and significance level was p [ 0.05. It was found that this method exhibited good reproducibility.
3D Printed Splints an Innovative Method to Treat Temporomandibular Joint Pathology
Authors: Sirbu Adina , Bordea Roxana , Lucaciu Ondine , Braitoru Claudia , Szuhanek Camelia , Campian Radu Septimiu
Published: February 2020

3D printing is a new technology with a particular resonance in dentistry which will become an important tool for all dental fields. In patients with TMJ pathology splints are used very often used to release the pain and to put the mandible in a centric relation. Conventional splints are made from acrylic designed by the dental technician with salt and pepper method or composite resins also designed by a dental technician on plaster model casts while 3D printed splints are computer designed so they can be preview resulting thus a much more accuracy in form and contact points.
Water Soluble Mixed Ligand Complexes Spectral, antioxidant, antimicrobial and DNA interaction studies
Authors: Sakthikumar Karunganathan , Sankarganesh Murugesan , Raja Jeyaraj Dhaveethu , Mitu Liviu
Published: February 2020

A new series of water soluble mixed ligand complexes [MII(L)(bpy)AcO].nH2O M = Cu, (n=1) (1); Co (2), Mn (3), Ni (4) (n=4) and Zn (5) (n=2) have been synthesized from 2-(2-Morpholinoethylimino)methyl)phenol Schiff base ligand (HL) and 2,2�-bipyridine in a 1:1:1 molar ratio. The resulting complexes were characterized by spectral techniques. The spectral data of these complexes suggest an octahedral geometry. In vitro antioxidant activity results of DPPH assay, hydroxyl radical, super oxide and nitric oxide for complexes (1-5) were compared with ligand (HL) and in vitro antimicrobial activities of all compounds were examined against selected bacterial and fungal strains which indicate that the complexes exhibit higher antimicrobial activity than free ligand (HL). Gel electrophoresis results indicated that, complexes (1) and (2) have exhibited more DNA cleavage efficiency than others. The intrinsic binding constant (Kb) values for the complexes (1-5) observed by electronic absorption technique were in the order of (1) ] (4) ] (5) ] (2) ] (3) and DNA binding affinity values for these complexes obtained by viscosity measurements were in the order of ethidium bromide ] (1) ] (2) ] (3) ] (4) ] (5).
HPLC Screening of Bioactives Compounds and Antioxidant Capacity of Different Hypericum Species
Authors: Gitea Daniela , Vicas Simona , Gitea Manuel Alexandru , Nemeth Sebastian , Tit Delia Mirela , Pasca Bianca , Purza Lavinia , Iovan Ciprian
Published: February 2020

Our study compares the content in polyphenolic compounds and hypericin, in four species of Hypericum - H. perforatum L., H. maculatum Cr., H. hirsutum L., H. tetrapterum Fr. (syn. Hypericumacutum Mnch.) harvested from spontaneous flora in the north-western area of Transylvania, Romania. These species represent an important source of such compounds with different biological actions. After making the extracts, they were subjected to HPLC-SM analysis. The presence of rutoside in the largest amount (462.82 mg %) in the H. perforatum extract was observed, this containing most of the flavonoid heterosides. For the species H. maculatum, the presence in a much higher amount of the hyperoside (976.36 mg %) is characteristic compared to the other species. Quercetol is the best represented of the flavonoid aglycons, its concentration being the highest in H. hirsutum (659.66 mg %). The hypericin content ranges from 0.2171 g % in the H. tetrapterum extract, to 0.0314 g % in the methanol extract of H. maculatum.The highest antioxidant properties measured by FRAP method were recorded in the case of H. perforatum and H. maculatum.
Potential Use of Galium verum Essential Oil for Antibacterial Properties in Gelatin Based Hydrogels Prepared by Microwave Irradiation Technique
Authors: Gherman Timea , Popescu Violeta , Carpa Rahela , Rapa Maria , Gavril Georgiana Luminita , Dudescu Mircea Cristian , Bombos Dorin
Published: February 2020

Galium verum essential oil (EO) loaded gelatin hydrogel was prepared by microwave-assisted polymerization method. FT-IR analysis indicated no chemical interaction between the hydrogel matrix and EO. Good swelling behavior, increased thermo- and mechanical- properties was attributed to the synergistic effects of the secondary structure of gelatin after gelation and intermolecular hydrogen-bonding interactions between the hydrogel matrix and EO ingredient�s. Antibacterial activity was investigated by the agar diffusion method.
Sorption of Bisphenol A in Aqueous Solutions on Irradiated and as-Grown Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes
Authors: Senin Raluca Madalina , Ion Ion , Oprea Ovidiu , Stoica Rusandica , Ganea Rodica , Ion Alina Catrinel
Published: February 2020

In this study, non-irradiated and weathered multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) obtained through irradiation, were studied as adsorbents for BPA, both nanomaterials being characterized before and after the adsorption process. The objectives of our investigation were to compare the characteristics of non-irradiated and irradiated MWCNTs, to evaluate the adsorption capacity of BPA by pristine and irradiated MWCNTs and to determine the variation of the kinetic, sorption and thermodynamic parameters during sorption process using both sorbents.
Iono-molecular Separation with Composite Membranes VI. Nitro-phenol separation through sulfonated polyether ether ketone on capillary polypropylene membranes
Authors: Din Ion Spiridon , Cimbru Anca Maria , Rikabi Abbas Abdul Kadhim Klaif , Tanczos Szidonia Katalin , Ticu (Cotorcea) Simona , Nechifor Gheorghe
Published: February 2020

The importance of removing and / or separating nitro phenols from aqueous solutions through membranes is substantiated by the multitude of recent research in the field, which broadly justifies both the economic and ecological reasons of such an approach. The present paper outlines the results of the transfer of nitro phenols through a membrane system made up of PPET impregnated polypropylene capillaries (PP) impregnated with sulfonate polyetheretherketone (SPEEK). The experiments were carried out in a PP-SPEEK capillary membrane module, with a useful size of 1 m2. Determinations made by using a 4 L / min flow rate source at a 5 mg / l nitrophenol concentration and pH 5 or pH 7, and the pH 12 receiving phase and a flow rate of 0.3 L / min, revealed that o- and p-nitrophenol were transferred much faster than m-nitrophenol (the flux is nearly double); the source phase of the system is concentrated in m-nitrophenol, and the receptor phase in o- and p-nitro phenols; the transfer data correlates with the higher water solubility of m-nitrophenol; mono nitro phenols transfer much faster than di nitrophenol, but both the mono and di nitrophenol streams decrease over time; after 4-5 hours of work, the mono nitrophenol concentration triples in the receiving phase, while the 2,4-dinitrophenol concentration doubles in the source phase.
Hydrochlorothiazide: Chemical Structure, Therapeutic, Phototoxic and Carcinogenetic Effects in Dermatology
Authors: Tatu Alin Laurentiu , Ciobotaru Oana Roxana , Miulescu Magdalena , Buzia Olimpia Dumitriu , Elisei Alina Mihaela , Mardare Nela , Diaconu Camelia , Robu Silvia , Nwabudike Lawrence Chukwudi
Published: February 2020

The present paper is a review on hydrochlorothiazide, a diuretic frequently used in therapeutics, also underlining several particularities observed in time and correlated with the results in the literature in what concerns the phototoxic action of this diuretic on skin.
Study of Analytical Parameters of a Differential Pulse Voltammetric Method using Chemically Modified Electrodes for Lead Analysis in Water
Authors: Lazar Ioana Georgiana , Diacu Elena , Vasile Gabriela Geanina , Ungureanu Eleonora Mihaela , Ivanov Alexandru Anton
Published: February 2020

The development of a new voltammetric method for the determination of Pb2+ ions in water samples using glassy carbon electrodes modified with 2,6-bis((E)-2-(thiophen-2-yl)vinyl)-4-(4,6,8-trimethylazulen-1-yl)pyrylium perchlorate is here presented. The analytical parameters for differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) were established and the method was applied for Pb2+ ions determination in acetate buffer solution at pH 5.5. For the developed DPV method the linearity of calibration curve was set up between 20.71mg L-1 - 103.6 mg L-1 with a good correlation coefficient R2=0.9988, the intermediate precision was calculated for three lead concentrations:20, 60,100mg L-1.The obtained detection and quantification limits were 3.1 mg L-1, respectively 10.4 mg L-1. An uncertainty budget was developed and the value of expanded uncertainty was assessed. The optimized method was used to analyze Pb2+ ions from of water samples and good correlation with standard method was obtained.
Characterization of the Eugenol Effects on the Bioenergetic Profile of SCC-4 Human Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cell Line
Authors: Duicu Oana M. , Pavel Ioana Z. , Borcan Florin , Muntean Danina M. , Cheveresan Adelina , Bratu Emanuel A. , Rusu Laura Cristina , Karancsi Olimpiu Ladislau
Published: February 2020

Eugenol (EU), the active ingredient in clove oil, is commonly used as successful therapeutic compound in dentistry due to its antiseptic and anti-inflammatory effects. Recent research studies suggest that eugenol has also a potential anti-cancer effect. This study was thereby purported to assess the effects of EU on the bioenergetic profile of the SCC-4 human squamous cell carcinoma cell line. To this aim, SCC-4 cells were treated for 24 hours with free EU and EU incorporated in polyurethane structures (50 �M each). Oxygen consumption rate (OCR) and extracellular acidification rate (ECAR) were measured using the Seahorse XF-24e extracellular flux analyzer (Agilent Technologies Inc.). Analysis of the SCC-4 bioenergetic profile was performed in the presence of the classic modulators of the electron transport chain: oligomycin, FCCP, and antimycin A+rotenone. Our data showed that cells stimulated with free EU induced a decrease of OCR linked parameters and an increase of ECAR, effects that were abolished by the incorporation of EU in polyurethane structures. In conclusion, free eugenol elicits inhibitory effects on mitochondrial respiration in the SCC-4 cell line, a result that might be suggestive for its anti-tumoral effects.
Machine Learning Crowdfunding
Authors: Katsamakas Evangelos , Sun Hao
Published: February 2020

Crowdfunding is a novel and important economic mechanism for funding projects and promoting innovation in the digital economy. This article explores most recent structured and unstructured data from a crowdfunding platform. It provides an in-depth exploration of the data using text analytics techniques, such as sentiment analysis and topic modeling. It uses novel natural language processing to represent project descriptions, and evaluates machine learning models, including neural network models, to predict project fundraising success. It discusses the findings of the performance evaluation, and summarizes lessons for crowdfunding platforms and their users.
A Cloud Based Solution for Smart Education
Authors: Alam M. Afshar , Saiyeda Anam
Published: February 2020

This article describes how in the current digital era, smart is the latest buzzword. From smartphones, smart homes, smart cars to smart cities every technological as well as traditional device is becoming smarter. In the field of education digital learning has always been present daring back to the educational television shows. Now it has evolved into e-learning, m-learning and now s-learning. Campuses are becoming smart with the use of latest technologies like IoT and cloud computing. Smart learning is the use of all these latest paradigms in order to optimize the teaching and learning experience. It enhances the traditional classroom environment to make learning more fruitful. Cloud computing is now invading all realms, as it reduces dependency on hardware and reduces cost and the headache of maintenance. Cloud technology can be integrated with learning to make learning smarter. We propose a solution to combine these both in order to get an optimized learning system which will help students in self-evaluation and will use cloud to provide its services.
Impulse Noise Detection and Removal Method Based on Modified Weighted Median
Authors: Ashpreet  , Biswas Mantosh
Published: February 2020

Impulse noise generally occurs because of bit errors in progression of image acquisition and transmission. It is well known that median filtering method is an impulse noise removal method. Lots of modified median filters have been proposed in the last decades to improve the methods for noise suppression and detail preservation, which have their own deficiencies while identifying and restoring noise pixels. In this article, after deeply analyzing the reasons, such as decreased noise detection and noise removal accuracy that forms the basis of the deficiencies, this article proposes a modified weighted median filter method for color images corrupted by salt-and-pepper noise. In this method, a pixel is classified into either “noise free pixel” or “noise pixel” by checking the center pixel in the current filtering window with the extreme values (0 or 255) for an 8-bit image using noise detection step. Directional differences and the number of “good” pixels in the current filtering window modify the detected noise pixels. Simulation effects on considered test images reveal the proposed method to be improved over state-of-the-art de-noising methods in terms of PSNR and SSIM with pictorial comparative analysis.
Fingolimod Profoundly Reduces Frequencies and Alters Subset Composition of Circulating T Follicular Helper Cells in Multiple Sclerosis Patients
Authors: Huber Johanna E. , Chang Yinshui , Meinl Ingrid , Kümpfel Tania , Meinl Edgar , Baumjohann Dirk
Published: February 2020

Fingolimod is an effective treatment for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. It is well established that fingolimod, a modulator of the sphingosine-1-phosphate pathway, restrains the egress of CCR7+ lymphocytes from lymphatic tissues into the blood, thus resulting in reduced lymphocyte counts in peripheral blood. CXCR5+ T follicular helper (Tfh) cells provide help to B cells, are essential for the generation of potent Ab responses, and have been shown to be critically involved in the pathogenesis of several autoimmune diseases. Besides lymphoid tissue-resident Tfh cells, CXCR5+ circulating Tfh (cTfh) cells have been described in the blood, their numbers correlating with the magnitude of Tfh cells in lymphoid tissues. Although the effect of fingolimod on circulating lymphocyte subsets has been established, its effect on cTfh cells remains poorly understood. In this study, we found that although fingolimod strongly and disproportionally reduced cTfh cell frequencies, frequencies of activated cTfh cells were increased, and the composition of the cTfh cell pool was skewed toward a cTfh1 cell phenotype. The circulating T follicular regulatory cell subset and CXCR5+ CD8+ T cell frequencies were also strongly and disproportionally decreased after fingolimod treatment. In contrast, relative frequencies of CXCR5– memory Th cells as well as regulatory T and B cells were increased. In summary, these data provide new insights into fingolimod-induced compositional changes of lymphocyte populations in the blood, in particular cTfh cells, and thus contribute to a better understanding of the mechanism of action of fingolimod in multiple sclerosis patients.
POWER LINE EXTRACTION AND ANALYSIS BASED ON LIDAR
Authors: Chen X. H. , Dai J. Q. , He Y. R. , Ma W. W.
Published: February 2020

Abstract. The traditional electrical power line inspection method has the disadvantages of high labor intensity, low efficiency and long cycle of re-inspection. Airborne LiDAR can quickly obtain the high-precision three-dimensional spatial information of transmission line, and the data which collected by it can make it possible to accurately detect the dangerous points.It is proposed to use the grid method to divide the data into multiple regions for the elevation histogram statistical method to obtain the power line point cloud at the complex mountainous terrain. In the non-ground point data, part of the vegetation point cloud is separated according to the point cloud dimension feature, and then the power line point and the pole point are distinguished according to the density characteristics of the point cloud so as to realize the point cloud classification of the transmission line corridor. On this basis, the power line safety distance detection is carried out on the power line points and vegetation points extracted by the classification, and the early warning analysis of the dangerous points of the transmission line tree barrier is completed. The experimental results show that the method can classify the acquired power line corridor point cloud and extract the complete power line, which effectively eliminates the hidden dangers and has certain practical significance.
Hydronephrosis Due to Bilateral Tubo-ovarian Abscess
Authors: Fite Emily , Fitzgerald Jennifer , Kistenfeger Quinn
Published: February 2020

A 27-year-old female presented to the emergency department with fevers, nausea, chills, and non-specific bilateral lower quadrant abdominal pain. A pregnancy test was negative. Computed tomography demonstrated moderate left hydronephrosis secondary to tubo-ovarian abscess (TOA). The abscess was so large it distorted local anatomy and compressed the ureters. She was prescribed merepenem and admitted for care by obstetrics/gynecology.