bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Militarization via Education
Authors: Leitner-Stojanov Darko
Published: June 2019

This article examines the textual and visual content of the first postwar
primer in socialist Yugoslav Macedonia in order to understand the messages that it contains relating to techniques of militarization. After outlining the historical context in which this primer was developed, with reference to teachers’ memories and archival sources, the article analyzes the role of teaching materials in connection with the experience of the Second World War and the politics of the new communist state. This content analysis identifies six militaristic messages and values communicated to the pupils, who are addressed as future soldiers.
Similarities and Differences between West and East German Primers, 1945–1949
Authors: Stürmer Verena
Published: June 2019

The ban on almost all previously approved textbooks in occupied Germany in 1945 brought about a turning point in the history of reading primers in this country. This article examines the requirements that textbooks had to fulfill in order to be approved by the authorities of the various occupation zones. In spite of differing sociopolitical and pedagogical attitudes and conditions, reading primersin all occupied zones shared the theme of children’s play and harmonious everyday life. However, a comparative analysis of the primers reveals significant differences that cannot be explained exclusively as a consequence of influence exerted by occupying powers. Rather, these differences resulted from the context in which
each primer appeared.
Does knowing foreign language pay off in the Russian labor market?
Authors: Rozhkova Ksenia V. , Roshchin Sergey Yu.
Published: June 2019

Though foreign language is widely accepted as an important form of human capital and a factor of economic growth, the labor market outcomes for foreign language skills in developing economies remain understudied. This research explores the returns to different levels of foreign language skills in the Russian labor market and tries do disentangle the differences in return associated with job characteristics. The results indicate positive wage premium for foreign language skills in Russia which approximately equals to 9% when controlling for job-related characteristics. Moreover, wage premium for advanced level of knowledge reaches 24%. However, there is considerable heterogeneity in the economic returns across age groups, levels of education, and occupations. The highest return to foreign language skills is obtained by managers and results to be 13%. For elementary occupations the estimate appears to be insignificant which proves that return to foreign language skills exists only for a limited number of specific jobs.
Economic globalization: Lack of balance in the world economy and the growing uncertainty (On the monograph “Prospects of economic globalization” edited by A. S. Bulatov)
Authors: Bragina Elena A.
Published: June 2019

The reviewed monograph makes a strong impression with its relevance, complexity and scale of the subject and also determination of 27 authors to conduct a versatile research of the present stage of economic globalization and its possible prospects. The authorship of the term is attributed to many, mainly eminent economists of the second half of the 20th century studying general processes in the world economy. Its wide recognition happened in the 1990s, the term has become a widely used tool, but its interpretation and application vary greatly. The authors of the monograph consider economic globalization in dynamics, from different positions, seeking to reveal features of this process at the level of certain countries and groups of countries during their interaction in the world economy.
Active and passive labour market policies on the Russian labour market: Centralization or regionalization?
Authors: Giltman Marina A. , Obukhovich Natalia V. , Tokareva Oksana E.
Published: June 2019

The article explores the evolution of active and passive labour market policies in the Russian Federation from the 1990s to nowadays, highlighting the roles of the federal center and the regions in its implementation. The study was based on descriptive and institutional analysis, as well as content analysis of regional employment programs. The results have shown that decentralization was applied only to an active labour market policy. At the same time the most ambitious goals were continued to be reached with additional organizational and financial support from the centre.
Methods for the Total Risk Assessment of Cybersecurity of Critical Infrastructure Facilities
Authors: Mokhor V. , Gonchar S. , Dybach О.
Published: June 2019

The paper presents the analysis of national and foreign literature on the methods of cybersecurity risk assessment including critical infrastructure facilities. It is stated that cybersecurity and risk assessment are an important issue of critical infrastructure facilities. The paper proposes graphical and analytical methods for assessing the total cybersecurity risk of I&C systems including critical infrastructure facilities. These total risk assessment methods are based on determining the maximum values of consequences for each risk. It is shown that the maximum values of cyber threat effects can be determined by expert means, as the maximum losses that can be caused to the company assets. The proposed methods make it possible to determine the total cybersecurity risk of critical infrastructure, the total losses due to multiple cyber threats, the total losses due to a single cyber threat for a certain period of time, the likelihood of maximum losses due to multiple cyber threats. There are the advantages of these methods for assessing total risk. Based on the proposed methods, it is possible to develop a methodology for assessing the cybersecurity risks of I&C systems including critical infrastructure facilities, and build decision support systems for the application of risk reduction measures. The economic feasibility of applying these or other risk treatment measures, both organizational and technical, is defined by evaluating the cost of such measures with the maximum amount of losses due to the total risk.
Water Hammers in Transonic Modes of Steam-Liquid Flows in NPP Equipment
Authors: Skalozubov V. , Bilous N. , Pirkovskiy D. , Kozlov I. , Komarov Yu. , Chulkin O.
Published: June 2019

The analysis of well-known studies in modelling conditions for water hammers in equipment and components of pipeline systems has revealed that definition of conditions and parameters of water hammers in the transonic modes of single- and two-phase flows (at a speed of propagation of acoustic disturbances) is the least studied problem.

The original method is proposed for determining the conditions and parameters of water hammers in transonic flow modes subject to the transition of the kinetic energy of the flow stagnation into the energy of the water hammer pulse.

It was found that the simulated hydrodynamic loads in transonic modes can significantly exceed the corresponding known recommendations of N. Zhukovsky.

The proposed method of equations computer modelling served to determine the criteria range for water hammers due to aperiodic thermohydrodynamic instability in transonic flow modes.
User Risky Behavior and Security Awareness through Lifespan
Authors: Velki Tena , Romstein Ksenija
Published: June 2019

In the last decade, the Internet has become a crucial part of human life. Everyday usage of the Internet has enabled rapid development of social engineering. The weakest link in this chain are naive users with their risky online behavior who are unaware of Internet security risks. As knowledge, awareness and behavior depend on human characteristics, such as maturity, age and education, the main goal of this study was to investigate trendlines of user risky behavior and security awareness through the lifespan. Results have shown the growth of online risky behavior through the lifespan and the growth of knowledge and security awareness in middle adulthood. In general, we can conclude that people who are more knowledgeable about and more aware of potential security risks are at the same time more prone to risky behavior when using information systems.
Lossless Compression of Medical Image Sequences Using a Resolution Independent Predictor and Block Adaptive Encoding
Authors: Sharma Urvashi , Sood Meenakshi , Puthooran Emjee
Published: June 2019

The proposed block-based lossless coding technique presented in this paper targets at compression of volumetric medical images of 8-bit and 16-bit depth. The novelty of the proposed technique lies in its ability of threshold selection for prediction and optimal block size for encoding. A resolution independent gradient edge detector is used along with the block adaptive arithmetic encoding algorithm with extensive experimental tests to find a universal threshold value and optimal block
size independent of image resolution and modality. Performance of the proposed technique is demonstrated and compared with benchmark lossless compression algorithms. BPP values obtained from the proposed algorithm show that it is capable of effective reduction of inter-pixel and coding
redundancy. In terms of coding efficiency, the proposed technique for volumetric medical images outperforms CALIC and JPEG-LS by 0.70 % and 4.62 %, respectively.
Analiza danych biometrycznych reakcji okoruchowych i mimicznych na archiwalny plakat propagandowy
Authors: Szurmiński Łukasz , Kisilowska Małgorzata
Published: June 2019

Pomiary biometryczne pozwalają uzyskać dane o nieuświadomionych reakcjach respondentów na prezentowany materiał, w tym przypadku wizualny. Cel: Poznanie reakcji współczesnych widzów na przekaz propagandowy plakatów polskich z okresu po 1945 roku. Metody badań: Pomiary biometryczne: eyetracking i facetracking oraz badanie ankietowe. Wyniki i wnioski: Potwierdzono większe oddziaływanie obrazu niż tekstu oraz silne reakcje emocjonalne na przekaz; odmienne reakcje grup respondentów o różnym przygotowaniu. Wartość poznawcza: Trwały potencjał oddziaływania plakatów propagandowych na widza; wiedza do wykorzystania w działalności edukacyjnej i popularyzatorskiej.
Estratégias de ensino em disciplina do curso de mestrado educação em ciências na Amazônia: percepção de estudantes
Authors: Terán Augusto Fachín
Published: June 2019

Resumo: : O nosso objetivo foi apresentar evidências sobre a eficácia das estratégias de ensino usadas para a aprendizagem dos estudantes e qual é sua percepção sobre as metodologias usadas numa disciplina do curso de mestrado Educação em Ciências na Amazônia. O estudo é do tipo qualitativo, com abordagem interpretativa, realizado com duas turmas de mestrado. Os dados foram coletados através de um questionário com perguntas abertas e fechadas direcionadas aos discentes, o mesmo que foi aplicado no último dia de aula. Os estudantes apontaram que durante as aulas foi facilitada a fixação do conteúdo em função da metodologia utilizada e que isto influenciou no seu comportamento, tornando-os mais críticos, estudiosos e exigentes.Palavras-chave: Docência; Espaços educativos; Espaços Não Formais; Ensino de Ciências; Estratégias de ensino. Teaching strategies used in a postgraduate course of the masters degree in science education in the Amazon: student's perceptionAbstract: : Our objective was to present evidence on the efficacy of teaching strategies used for the students' learning and how they perceive the methodologies used in a course of the Master's Degree Science Education in the Amazon. This is qualitative type study with an interpretative approach, carried out with two masters classes. The data were collected through a questionnaire with open and closed questions directed to the students, it was applied on the last day of class. The students pointed out that during the lessons the content was fixed according to the methodology used and influenced their behavior, making them more critical, studious, and demanding.Keywords: Teaching; Educational spaces; Non-Formal Spaces; Science teaching; Teaching strategies.
Tecnologias digitais como possibilidade para compreender a produção de conhecimento em matemática
Authors: Paulo Rosa Monteiro , Firme Ingrid Cordeiro , Tonéis Cristiano Natal
Published: June 2019

Resumo: Neste artigo discutimos o modo pelo qual se pode compreender o sentido das Tecnologias Digitais (TD) e sua potencialidade para a produção de conhecimento em matemática, especificamente no contexto da sala de aula e da formação de professores. Destaca-se que a produção, na perspectiva fenomenológica, é entendida como um movimento dinâmico que acontece no mundo da experiência vivida (BICUDO, 2000), enfatizando que sendo humanos é de onde podemos falar: da realidade mundana (HEIDEGGER, 2005). O mundo, como campo de vivência e possibilidade de o sujeito pensar e se expressar se abre à compreensão e os sentidos e significados vão se articulando nos atos vivenciais. O mundo, sempre compartilhado com os outros (seres e objetos), é o horizonte de possibilidades de ser e de conhecer. Nesse horizonte as TD são objetos intencionais, abertas à percepção e compreensão. São tematizadas e se expõem segundo um modo de dar-se a conhecer.Palavras-chave: Educação Matemática; Fenomenologia; Jogos Digitais; Formação de Professores. Digital technologies as a possibility to understand the knowledge production in mathematicsAbstract: In this article we discuss the way in which one can understand the meaning of Digital Technologies (DT) and its potential for the production of knowledge in mathematics, specifically in the context of the classroom and teacher training. It is emphasized that production, in the phenomenological perspective, is understood as a dynamic movement that happens in the world of lived experience (BICUDO, 2000), emphasizing that being human is where we can speak: from mundane reality (HEIDEGGER, 2005). The world as a field of experience and the possibility of the subject to think and express itself opens to understanding and the meanings and meanings are articulated in the acts of experience. The world, always shared with others (beings and objects), is the horizon of possibilities of being and knowing. Within this horizon DT are intentional objects, open to perception and understanding. They are thematized and exposed according to a way of making themselves known.Keywords: Mathematical Education; Phenomenology; Digital Games; Teacher Training.
O monólogo do zoo: nos caminhos de uma narrativa digital?
Authors: Steinert Monica Érika Pardin
Published: June 2019

Resumo: : Os zoológicos são instituições científicas porque encerram coleções faunísticas com relevância biológica, além de repercutirem de formas distintas as características dos biomas de origem desses seres vivos. Disto provém sua potencialidade pedagógica, extensível para a Educação Básica com consequente aproveitamento desses lugares como ambientes não formais de ensino. Um ambiente não formal de ensino, mas com potencialidade para o ensino-aprendizagem e que vai ao encontro da proposição sempre vanguardista de turismo educativo feita por Célestin Freinet. Este trabalho é um relato de experiência sobre uma aula de campo que resultou na construção de uma narrativa digital, que se propõe como diálogo entre protagonistas escolares e institucionais, no sentido de modificar uma realidade no seio de um modelo de crise socioambiental.Palavras-chave: Ambiente não formal; Zoológico; Mídia; TDIC; Comunicação. The zoo monologue: on the ways of a digital narrative?Abstract: : Zoos are scientific institutions because they contain faunal collections with biological relevance, as well as having different repercussions on the characteristics of the biomes of origin of these living beings. From this comes their pedagogical potential, extendable to Basic Education with the consequent use of these places as non formal educational environments. A non-formal teaching environment, but with potential for teaching-learning and that meets the always avant-garde proposition of educational tourism made by Célestin Freinet. This work is an experience report about a field class that resulted in the construction of a digital narrative, which is proposed as a dialogue between school and institutional protagonists, in order to modify a reality within a socioenvironmental crisis model.Keywords: Non-formal environment; Zoo; Media; TDIC; Communication.
Закрепление нетоксичных антипиренов на поверхности полиэфирных волокон
Authors: Рева Ольга , Назарович Андрей , Богданова Валентина
Published: June 2019

Установлены режимы формирования в спиртовых растворах хлорида олова реакционноспособных коллоидных наноразмерных частиц, обеспечивающих прочную привязку к полиэфирной матрице азот-фосфорсодержащего ингибитора горения. Установлено наличие химического взаимодействия компонентов антипирена с адгезионным подслоем соединений олова с формированием новых соединений и мостиковых связей.
Применение силы воды гидротехнических сооружений в вооруженных конфликтах
Authors: Ахмедов Машрап , Салямова Клара
Published: June 2019

Приведен анализ использования разрушительной силы воды в военных конфликтах с 1607 г. до 80-х годов прошлого века. Рассмотрен ряд крупнейших военных конфликтов, причиной которых стала борьба за водные ресурсы. Приведены примеры, когда разрушение гидротехнических сооружений оказывает негативное воздействие на окружающую среду и создает серьезные угрозы для стран, расположенных ниже по течению.
The Metabolism of 5-methylcytosine Residues in DNA
Authors: MURÍN R. , ABDALLA M. , MURÍNOVÁ N. , HATOK J. , DOBROTA D.
Published: June 2019

The fundamental biochemical processes of 5-methylcytosine (5-mC) synthesis, maintenance, conversion and removal determine the time and spatial pattern of DNA methylation. This has a strong effect on a plethora of physiological aspects of cellular metabolism. While the presence of 5-mC within the promoter region can silence gene expression, its derivative – 5-hydroxymethylcytosine exerts an opposite effect. Dysregulations in the metabolism of 5-mC lead to an altered DNA methylation pattern which is linked with a disrupted epigenome, and are considered to play a significant part in the etiology of several human diseases. A summary of recent knowledge about the molecular processes participating in DNA methylation pattern shaping is provided here.
Alcohol and Fetoplacental Vasoconstrictor Reactivity
Authors: JAKOUBEK V. , HAMPL V.
Published: June 2019

Alcohol abuse during pregnancy is a well-known factor in fetal morbidity, including smaller fetal size. We have shown that chronic hypoxia, considered the main pathogenetic factor in intrauterine growth restriction, elevates fetoplacental vascular resistance (and vasoconstrictor reactivity) and thus, presumably, reduces placental blood flow. We thus hypothesized that alcohol may affect the fetus – in addition to other mechanisms – by altering fetoplacental vascular resistance and/or reactivity. Using isolated, double-perfused rat placenta model, we found that maternal alcohol intake in the last third of gestation doubled the vasoconstrictor responses to angiotensin II but did not affect resting vascular resistance. Reactivity to acute hypoxic challenges was unchanged. Chronic maternal alcohol intake in a rat model alters fetoplacental vasculature reactivity; nevertheless, these changes do not appear as serious as other detrimental effects of alcohol on the fetus.
Circadian Leptin Concentration Changes in Critically Ill Heart Failure Patients
Authors: CUNDRLE I. , SUK P. , SRAMEK V. , LACINOVA Z. , HALUZIK M.
Published: June 2019

Physiologically, leptin concentration is controlled by circadian rhythm. However, in critically ill patients, circadian rhythm is disrupted. Thus we hypothesized that circadian leptin concentration changes are not preserved in critically ill patients. Ten consecutive critically ill heart failure patients with the clinical indication for mechanical ventilation and sedation were included into our study. Plasma leptin concentration was measured every 4 h during the first day (0-24 h) and during the third day (48-72 h) after admission. During the first day, there were significant leptin concentration changes (ANOVA, p<0.05), characterized by an increase in concentration by 44 % (16-58 %); p=0.02 around noon (10 am-2 pm) and then a decrease in concentration by 7 % (1-27 %); p=0.04 in the morning (2 am-6 am). In contrast, there was no significant change in leptin concentration during the third day after admission (ANOVA, p=0.79). Based on our preliminary results, we concluded that in critically ill heart failure patients, the circadian rhythm of plasma leptin concentration seems to be preserved during the first but not during the third day after admission.
Age-Dependent Effect of Long-Term Microwave Radiation on Postnatal Neurogenesis in Rats: Morphological and Behavioral Study
Authors: RAČEK A. , BEŇOVÁ K. , ARNOUL P. , ZÁVODSKÁ M. , ANGELIDIS A. , CIGÁNKOVÁ V. , ŠIMAIOVÁ V. , RAČEKOVÁ E.
Published: June 2019

Processes of adult neurogenesis can be influenced by environmental factors. Here, we investigated the effect of microwave radiation (MWR) on proliferation and cell dying in the rat rostral migratory stream (RMS) – a migration route for the neuroblasts of the subventricular zone. Adult and juvenile (two weeks old) rats were exposed to a pulsed-wave MWR at the frequency of 2.45 GHz for 1 or 3 h daily during 3 weeks. Adult rats were divided into two groups: without survival and with two weeks survival after irradiation. Juvenile rats survived till adulthood, when were tested in the light/dark test. Proliferating cells in the RMS were labeled by Ki-67; dying cells were visualized by Fluoro-Jade C histochemistry. In both groups of rats irradiated as adults we have observed significant decrease of the number of dividing cells within the RMS. Exposure of juvenile rats to MWR induced only slight decrease in proliferation, however, it strikingly affected cell death even two months following irradiation. In addition, these rats displayed locomotor hyperactivity and decreased risk assessment in adulthood. Our results suggest that the long-lasting influence of radiation is manifested by affected cell survival and changes in animals´ behavior.
Effects of an Antioxidant Protective Topical Formulation on Eye Exposed to Ultraviolet-Irradiation: a Study in Rabbit Animal Model
Authors: VIZZARRI F. , PALAZZO M. , BARTOLLINO S. , CASAMASSIMA D. , PAROLINI B. , TROIANO P. , CARUSO C. , COSTAGLIOLA C.
Published: June 2019

Ultraviolet-radiation exerts a well-known role in the development of various ocular diseases and may contribute to the progress of age-related macular degeneration. Therefore, the use of compounds able to protect the eyes from UV-induced cellular damage is challenging. The aim of this study has been to test the protective effects of an antioxidant topical formulation against UV-induced damage in rabbit eyes. Twelve male rabbits were used. Animals were divided into 4 groups of 3 animals each. Control group (CG) did not receive any irradiation and/or eye drop. The other three experimental groups were treated as follows: the first group received only UVR irradiation for 30 min, without eye drop supplementation (Irradiation group, IG), the second (G30) and the third (G60) groups received UV irradiation for 30’ and 60’, respectively, and eye drop supplementation (riboflavin, d-α-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol, proline, glycine, lysine and leucine solution) every 15 min for three hours. In the IG group a significant increase of oxidized glutathione (GSSG) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was recorded in the aqueous humor, whereas ascorbic acid levels were significantly lower when compared to control eyes. In the groups exposed to UVR rays for 30 min, and treated with the topical antioxidant formulation, the GSSG, H2O2 and ascorbic acid levels were similar to those recorded in controls, whereas in the G60 group the three markers significantly differ from control group. In the lens, a significant decrease of alpha tocopherol and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) was recorded in IG-animals as compared to control group, whereas malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were significantly higher in UV-induced eye than in control eyes. In the G30 groups the alpha tocopherol, MDA and TAC levels do not significantly differ from those recorded in controls, whereas in the G60 group these three markers significantly differ from control group. Present findings demonstrate that topical treatment with the antioxidant formulation used herein protects ocular structures from oxidative stress induced by UV exposure in in vivo animal model.
Genetically Determined Folate Deficiency Is Associated With Abnormal Hepatic Folate Profiles in the Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat
Authors: PRAVENEC M. , LEUNG K.-Y. , ZÍDEK V. , MLEJNEK P. , ŠIMÁKOVÁ M. , ŠILHAVÝ J. , KOŽICH V. , GREENE N. D. E.
Published: June 2019

Increased levels of plasma cysteine are associated with obesity and metabolic disturbances. Our recent genetic analyses in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) revealed a mutated Folr1 (folate receptor 1) as the quantitative trait gene associated with diminished renal Folr1 expression, lower plasma folate levels, hypercysteinemia, hyperhomocysteinemia and metabolic disturbances. To further analyse the effects of the Folr1 gene expression on folate metabolism, we used mass spectrometry to quantify folate profiles in the plasma and liver of an SHR-1 congenic strain, with wild type Folr1 allele on the SHR genetic background, and compared them with the SHR strain. In the plasma, concentration of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5mTHF) was significantly higher in SHR-1 congenic rats compared to SHR (60±6 vs. 42±2 nmol/l, P<0.01) and 5mTHF monoglutamate was the predominant form in both strains (>99 % of total folate). In the liver, SHR-1 congenic rats showed a significantly increased level of 5mTHF and decreased concentrations of dihydrofolate (DHF), tetrahydrofolate (THF) and formyl-THF when compared to the SHR strain. We also analysed the extent of folate glutamylation in the liver. Compared with the SHR strain, congenic wild-type Folr1 rats had significantly higher levels of 5mTHF monoglutamate. On the other hand, 5mTHF penta- and hexaglutamates were significantly higher in SHR when compared to SHR-1 rats. This inverse relationship of rat hepatic folate polyglutamate chain length and folate sufficiency was also true for other folate species. These results strongly indicate that the whole body homeostasis of folates is substantially impaired in SHR rats compared to the SHR-1 congenic strain and might be contributing to the associated metabolic disturbances observed in our previous studies.
Thomas Reid on the Improvement of Knowledge
Authors: Shrock Christopher A.
Published: June 2019

Thomas Reid often seems distant from other Scottish Enlightenment figures. While Hume, Hutcheson, Kames, and Smith wrestled with the nature of social progress, Reid was busy with natural philosophy and epistemology, stubbornly loyal to traditional religion and ethics, and out of touch with the heart of his own intellectual world. Or was he? I contend that Reid not only engaged the Scottish Enlightenment's concern for improvement, but, as a leading interpreter of Isaac Newton and Francis Bacon, he also developed a scheme to explain the progress of human knowledge. Pulling thoughts from across Reid's corpus, I identify four key features that Reid uses to distinguish mature sciences from prescientific arts and inquiries. Then, I compare and contrast this scheme with that of Thomas Kuhn in order to highlight the plausibility and originality of Reid's work.
Fatigue Assessment of Prestressed Concrete Slab-Between-Girder Bridges
Authors: Lantsoght Eva O.L. , Koekkoek Rutger , van der Veen Cor , Sliedrecht Henk
Published: June 2019

In the Netherlands, the assessment of existing prestressed concrete slab-between-girder bridges has revealed that the thin, transversely prestressed slabs may be critical for static and fatigue punching when evaluated using the recently introduced Eurocodes. On the other hand, compressive membrane action increases the capacity of these slabs, and it changes the failure mode from bending to punching shear. To improve the assessment of the existing prestressed slab-between-girder bridges in the Netherlands, two 1:2 scale models of an existing bridge, i.e., the Van Brienenoord Bridge, were built in the laboratory and tested monotonically, as well as under cycles of loading. The result of these experiments revealed: (1) the static strength of the decks, which showed that compressive membrane action significantly enhanced the punching capacity, and (2) the Wöhler curve of the decks, showed that the compressive membrane action remains under fatigue loading. The experimental results could then be used in the assessment of the most critical existing slab-between-girder bridges. The outcome was that the bridge had sufficient punching capacity for static and fatigue loads and, therefore, the existing slab-between-girder bridges in the Netherlands fulfilled the code requirements for static and fatigue punching.
Road Infrastructure Analysis with Reference to Traffic Stream Characteristics and Accidents: An Application of Benchmarking Based Safety Analysis and Sustainable Decision-Making
Authors: Shah Syyed Adnan Raheel , Ahmad Naveed
Published: June 2019

Road infrastructure sustainability is directly associated with the safety of human beings. As a transportation engineer and policymaker, it is necessary to optimize the funding mechanism for road safety improvement by identifying problematic road segments. Infrastructure improvement is one of the key targets for efficient road safety management. In this study, data envelopment analysis (DEA) technique has been applied in combination with a geographical information system (GIS) to evaluate the risk level of problematic segments of a 100 km-long motorway (M-2) section. Secondly, the cross efficient method has been used to rank the risky segments for prioritization and distribution of funding to improve the road safety situation. This study will help in efficiently identifying the risky segments for safety improvement and budget allocation prioritization. GIS map will further improve the visualization and visibility of problematic segments to easily locate the riskiest segments of the motorway.
A Pattern Based Method for Simplifying a BPMN Process Model
Authors: Ramos-Merino Mateo , Álvarez-Sabucedo Luis M. , Santos-Gago Juan M. , de Arriba-Pérez Francisco
Published: June 2019

BPMN (Business Process Model and Notation) is currently the preferred standard for the representation and analysis of business processes. The elaboration of these BPMN diagrams is usually carried out in an entirely manual manner. As a result of this human-driven process, it is not uncommon to find diagrams that are not in their most simplified version possible (regarding the number of elements). This work presents a fully automatic method to simplify a BPMN process model document. A two-phase iterative algorithm to achieve this simplification is described in detail. This algorithm follows a heuristic approach that makes intensive use of a Pattern Repository. This software element is concerned with the description of feasible reductions and its enactment. The critical concept lies in the discovery of small reducible patterns in the whole model and their substitution with optimised versions. This approach has been verified through a double validation testing in total 8102 cases taken from real world BPMN process models. Details for its implementation and usage by practitioners are provided in this paper along with a comparison with other existing techniques concerned with similar goals.
Design of Terminal Sliding Mode Controllers for Disturbed Non-Linear Systems Described by Matrix Differential Equations of the Second and First Orders
Authors: Skruch Paweł , Długosz Marek
Published: June 2019

This paper describes a design scheme for terminal sliding mode controllers of certain types of non-linear dynamical systems. Two classes of such systems are considered: the dynamic behavior of the first class of systems is described by non-linear second-order matrix differential equations, and the other class is described by non-linear first-order matrix differential equations. These two classes of non-linear systems are not completely disjointed, and are, therefore, investigated together; however, they are certainly not equivalent. In both cases, the systems experience unknown disturbances which are considered bounded. Sliding surfaces are defined by equations combining the state of the system and the expected trajectory. The control laws are drawn to force the system trajectory from an initial condition to the defined sliding surface in finite time. After reaching the sliding surface, the system trajectory remains on it. The effectiveness of the approaches proposed is verified by a few computer simulation examples.
Screening of Inhibitory Effects of Polyphenols on Akt-Phosphorylation in Endothelial Cells and Determination of Structure-Activity Features
Authors: Dirimanov Stoyan , Högger Petra
Published: June 2019

Polyphenols exert beneficial effects in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, their mechanism of action remains largely unknown. Endothelial Akt-kinase plays a key role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular complications in T2DM and therefore the modulation of its activity is of interest. This work aimed to characterize effects of structurally different polyphenols on Akt-phosphorylation (pAkt) in endothelial cells (Ea.hy926) and to describe structure-activity features. A comprehensive screening via ELISA quantified the effects of 44 polyphenols (10 µM) on pAkt Ser473. The most pronounced inhibitors were luteolin (44 ± 18%), quercetin (36 ± 8%), urolithin A (35 ± 12%), apigenin, fisetin, and resveratrol; (p < 0.01). The results were confirmed by Western blotting and complemented with corresponding experiments in HUVEC cells. A strong positive and statistically significant correlation between the mean inhibitory effects of the tested polyphenols on both Akt-residues Ser473 and Thr308 (r = 0.9478, p = 0.0003) was determined by immunoblotting. Interestingly, the structural characteristics favoring pAkt inhibition partially differed from structural features enhancing the compounds’ antioxidant activity. The present study is the first to quantitatively compare the influence of polyphenols from nine different structural subclasses on pAkt in endothelial cells. These effects might be advantageous in certain T2DM-complications involving over-activation of the Akt-pathway. The suggested molecular mode of action of polyphenols involving Akt-inhibition contributes to understanding their effects on the cellular level.
Major Depressive Disorder Is Associated with Impaired Interoceptive Accuracy: A Systematic Review
Authors: Eggart Michael , Lange Andreas , Binser Martin , Queri Silvia , Müller-Oerlinghausen Bruno
Published: June 2019

Interoception is the sense of the physiological condition of the entire body. Impaired interoception has been associated with aberrant activity of the insula in major depressive disorder (MDD) during heartbeat perception tasks. Despite clinical relevance, studies investigating interoceptive impairments in MDD have never been reviewed systematically according to the guidelines of the PRISMA protocol, and therefore we collated studies that assessed accuracy in detecting heartbeat sensations (interoceptive accuracy, IAc) in MDD (databases: PubMed/Medline, PsycINFO, and PsycARTICLES). Out of 389 records, six studies met the inclusion criteria. The main findings suggest that (i) moderately depressed samples exhibit the largest interoceptive deficits as compared with healthy adults. (ii) difficulties in decision making and low affect intensity are correlated with low IAc, and (iii) IAc seems to normalize in severely depressed subjects. These associations may be confounded by sex, anxiety or panic disorder, and intake of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Our findings have implications for the development of interoceptive treatments that might relieve MDD-related symptoms or prevent relapse in recurrent depression by targeting the interoceptive nervous system.
Relationship between Academic Stress, Physical Activity and Diet in University Students of Education
Authors: Chacón-Cuberos Ramón , Zurita-Ortega Félix , Olmedo-Moreno Eva María , Castro-Sánchez Manuel
Published: June 2019

(1) Background: Several research works have shown the relationship between physical activity (PA), adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD) and health. Nevertheless, there are few studies that demonstrate the relationship of these habits with academic performance, and specifically with academic stress. (2) Methods: This descriptive, non-experimental, and cross-sectional study aims to analyse the associations between these variables in a sample composed of 515 university students, using as main instruments the KIDMED, PAQ-A and the Scale of Academic Stress. (3) Results: The university students analysed showed higher levels of academic stress for women, and especially in the academic obligations and communication of own ideas. In addition, it was shown that those university students that had a body mass index (BMI) associated with being overweight or under-weight were the respondents with higher levels of stress. Finally, the students with a low adherence to MD had higher scores for stress associated with the communication of their own ideas, while PA was not related to academic stress. When sex and BMI variables were controlled in the regression model, no associations were obtained between stress and diet quality. (4) Conclusions: This study shows interesting implications in the treatment of academic stress. Although stress was not associated with diet and physical activity, it was linked to a worse state of health associated with states of being overweight, being of special interest the treatment of stress in women.
Application of Exergy-Based Fault Detection in a Gas-To-Liquids Process Plant
Authors: Greyling Sarita , Marais Henri , van Schoor George , Uren Kenneth Richard
Published: June 2019

Fault detection and isolation (FDI) within the petrochemical industries (PCIs) is largely dominated by statistical techniques. Although a signal-based technique centered on exergy flows within a process plant was proposed, it has only been applied to single process units. The exergy-based scheme has not yet been applied to process plants that feature at least a single recycle stream. The Tennessee Eastman process (TEP) is commonly used as an FDI benchmark process, but due to obfuscation, the TEP cannot be directly implemented in a commercial process simulator. Thus, application of FDI techniques to proprietary processes will require significant investment into the implementation of the FDI scheme. This is a key impediment to the wide-spread comparison of various FDI techniques to non-benchmark processes. In this paper, a gas-to-liquids (GTL) process model is developed in Aspen HYSYS®, and the model’s performance is validated. The exergy-based FDI technique is applied to the GTL process while the process is subjected to carefully selected faults. The selected faults aim to affect several process units, and specifically, the resultant recycle stream of the GTL process is considered. The results indicate that even though the exergy-based technique makes use of fixed thresholds, complete detection and isolation can be achieved for a list of common process faults. This is significant since it shows, for the first time, that the exergy-based FDI scheme can successfully be deployed in processes with recycle streams.
SIMIT: Subjectively Interesting Motifs in Time Series
Authors: Deng Junning , Lijffijt Jefrey , Kang Bo , De Bie Tijl
Published: June 2019

Numerical time series data are pervasive, originating from sources as diverse as wearable devices, medical equipment, to sensors in industrial plants. In many cases, time series contain interesting information in terms of subsequences that recur in approximate form, so-called motifs. Major open challenges in this area include how one can formalize the interestingness of such motifs and how the most interesting ones can be found. We introduce a novel approach that tackles these issues. We formalize the notion of such subsequence patterns in an intuitive manner and present an information-theoretic approach for quantifying their interestingness with respect to any prior expectation a user may have about the time series. The resulting interestingness measure is thus a subjective measure, enabling a user to find motifs that are truly interesting to them. Although finding the best motif appears computationally intractable, we develop relaxations and a branch-and-bound approach implemented in a constraint programming solver. As shown in experiments on synthetic data and two real-world datasets, this enables us to mine interesting patterns in small or mid-sized time series.
MapEff: An Effective Graph Isomorphism Agorithm Based on the Discrete-Time Quantum Walk
Authors: Liu Kai , Zhang Yi , Lu Kai , Wang Xiaoping , Wang Xin , Tian Guojing
Published: June 2019

Graph isomorphism is to determine whether two graphs have the same topological structure. It plays a significant role in areas of image matching, biochemistry, and information retrieval. Quantum walk, as a novel quantum computation model, has been employed to isomorphic mapping detection to optimize the time complexity compared with a classical computation model. However, these quantum-inspired algorithms do not perform well—and even cease to work—for graphs with inherent symmetry, such as regular graphs. By analyzing the impacts of graphs symmetry on isomorphism detection, we proposed an effective graph isomorphism algorithm (MapEff) based on the discrete-time quantum walk (DTQW) to improve the accuracy of isomorphic mapping detection, especially for regular graphs. With the help of auxiliary edges, this algorithm can distinguish the symmetric nodes efficiently and, thus, deduct the qualified isomorphic mapping by rounds of selections. The experiments tested on 1585 pairs of graphs demonstrated that our algorithm has a better performance compared with other state-of-the-art algorithms.
Large Eddy Simulation of Self-Excited Oscillation Pulsed Jet (SEOPJ) Induced by a Helmholtz Oscillator in Underground Mining
Authors: Fang Zhenlong , Wu Qiang , Zhang Mengda , Liu Haoyang , Jiang Pan , Li Deng
Published: June 2019

Pulsed waterjet can break rocks effectively by taking advantage of the water hammer effect, and is thus widely used in mining, petroleum, and natural gas fields. With the aim to further clarify the flow field characteristics of pulsed jets induced by a Helmholtz oscillator, large eddy simulation was conducted under different operating pressures. The velocity distribution, mean flow field, and the coherent structure were examined using the oscillators of different cavity lengths and diameters. The results clearly showed that the major frequency of jet pulsation gradually increased with the increase of operating pressure. A stable periodic velocity core was formed at the outlet of the Helmholtz oscillator, while the external flow field was subjected to periodic impact. As a result, the ambient fluid was strongly entrained into the jet beam. With the increase of the cavity length, the length of the core segment decreased while the energy loss caused by the cavity increased, which was also accompanied by a rapid attenuation of the axial velocity at the jet outlet. The coherent structure of the jet in the oscillator with small cavity diameter was more disordered near the nozzle outlet, and the vortex scale was larger. The effect of cavity diameter can be reflected in the feedback modulation of the jet in the cavity. Compared with the conical nozzle, the length of the core section of the jet was shorter, but the jet had better bunching, a smaller diffusion angle, and better mixing performance. These results provide a further understanding of the characteristics of pulsed water jet for better utilizations in the fields of energy exploitation.
Thermal Characterization of a Heat Management Module Containing Microencapsulated Phase Change Material
Authors: Shih H.M. , Lin Yi-Pin , Lin L.P. , Lai Chi-Ming
Published: June 2019

In this study, a heat management module containing a microencapsulated phase change material (mPCM) was fabricated from mPCM (core material: paraffin; melting temperature: 37 °C) and aluminum honeycomb structures (8 mm core cell). The aluminum honeycomb functioned both as structural support and as a heat transfer channel. The thermal management performance of the proposed module under constant-temperature boundary conditions was investigated experimentally. The thermal protection period of the module decreased as the Stefan number increased; however, increasing the subcooling factor could effectively enhance the thermal protection performance. When the cold-wall temperature TC was fixed at 17 °C and the initial hot wall temperature was 47–67 °C, the heat dissipation of the module was complete 140 min after the hot-wall heat supply was stopped. The time required to complete the heat dissipation increased to 280 min when TC increased to 27 °C.
An Experimental and Numerical Study on Supported Ultra-Lean Methane Combustion
Authors: Lin Ho-Chuan , Chen Guan-Bang , Wu Fang-Hsien , Li Hong-Yeng , Chao Yei-Chin
Published: June 2019

With a much larger global warming potential (GWP) and much shorter lifespan, the reduction of methane emissions offers an additional opportunity and a relatively quick way of mitigating climate change in the near future. However, the emissions from coal mining in the form of ventilation air methane (VAM), usually in ultra-lean concentration, pose the most significant technical challenge to the mitigation of methane emission. Therefore, a better understanding of ultra-lean methane combustion is essential. With three 5 mm × 50 mm rectangle cross-section slot jets, a novel sandwich-type triple-jet burner is proposed to provide stable combustion of an ultra-lean methane–air mixture with equivalence ratios from 0.3 to 0.88, and 0.22 in extreme conditions. The ultra-lean methane flame in the center of the triple-jet burner is supported by the two lean outer flames at an equivalence ratio φ = 0.88. The flow field and combustion chemical reactions are predicted by detailed numerical simulation with GRI-Mech 3.0 reaction mechanisms. Two-dimensional numerical results are validated with those obtained by experimental particle image velocimetry (PIV), as well as visual flame height and temperature measurements. An ultra-lean methane–air mixture has to burn with external support. In addition, the ultra-lean flame is non-propagating with a relatively low temperature. The ultra-lean center flame is seen to start from the outer flame and incline perfectly to the post-flame temperature and OH concentration profiles of the outer lean flame. The adjacent stronger flame provides heat and active radicals, such as OH and HO2, from the post-flame region and in the wall proximity of the gap between the adjacent flame and the central ultra-lean jet to initiate and maintain the combustion of the central ultra-lean flame. The outstanding wall-proximity radical of HO2 is found to be the main contributor to the initiation and stabilization of the central ultra-lean flame by providing a low-temperature oxidation of fuel through the following reaction: HO2 + CH3 ⇔ OH + CH3O. The major chemical reaction paths contributing to fuel decomposition and oxidation of the supported ultra-lean center flame are also identified and delineated.