bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Food Insecurity and Conflict Events in Africa
Authors: Murshed Syed Mansoob , Badiuzzaman Muhammad , Hasan Rashel
Published: May 2018

The aim of this paper is to examine the relationship between food insecurity and conflict events short of war in Africa, taking account of a host of mediating factors, including the degree of inequality, the level of development, democratic quality, quality of governance and the degree of government expenditure, which we incorporate into our analysis. Our results suggest that food price volatility does contribute significantly to conflict events measured by political events in Africa (ACLED). Greater democracy can engender more conflict, but in a non-linear fashion. The broader V-DEM participatory index of democracy also encourages more protest. Our governance variables are significant, emphasising the salience of state capacity in this regard. An innovation of our study is the inclusion of inequality. We deploy two metrics of vertical inequality: the GINI coefficient and the broader V-DEM egalitarian index. The GINI index of income inequality has a counter-intuitive statistically insignificant sign, suggesting that greater income equality or middle-class share of income results in greater political unrest. We also utilise political measures of inter-group horizontal inequality which significantly engender conflict risk.
Movement Activity Among Patients Diagnosed with Alcohol Dependence Syndrome
Authors: Zawadzka Magdalena , Dziedziczak-Buczyńska Maria , Buczyński Andrzej , Henrykowska Gabriela
Published: May 2018

Frequent consumption of large amounts of alcohol usually does not correspond to regular physical activity. However, regular physical activity can lead to an improved well-being and greater satisfaction with life. The aim of the study was to determine the level of physical activity in the group of patients diagnosed with alcohol dependence syndrome and examine the correlation between these variables. The study was conducted among a selected group of individuals of both sexes, aged 22-65 and undergoing treatment. Our study indicated an absence of a correlation between gender and the level of physical activity among people addicted to alcohol. Moreover, no statistically significant relationship was found between alcohol dependence and physical activity undertaken in the researched group.
A molecular modeling study for miscibility of polyimide/polythene mixing systems with/without compatibilizer
Authors: Chen Song , Li Jian , Wei Lei , Jin Yongliang , Khosla Tushar , Xiao Jun , Cheng Bingxue , Duan Haitao
Published: May 2018

Molecular models were established to predict the miscibility of polyimide/polythene mixing systems and the enhancing effects of compatibilizer addition of maleic anhydride grafted polythene (MAH-g-PE). Molecular dynamics simulations were applied to investigate radial distribution functions and Flory-Huggins parameters of the mixing systems. Results show that polyimide/polythene is miscible to a certain degree, and the miscibility gets better after adding MAH-g-PE. Dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) simulations display that micro-phase separation occurs in the polyimide/polythene mixing systems, however, effective interfaces appear between polyimide and polythene phases after adding MAH-g-PE. The results of molecular mechanics simulations indicate that the ability of mixing systems to resist stretch, compression and shear deformation increases after adding MAH-g-PE. This work offers a promising technique to predict miscibility properties for polyimide/polythene system prior to actual production and attempt to find a suitable compatibilizer for that system.
Tempest: Temporal Dynamics in Anonymity Systems
Authors: Wails Ryan , Sun Yixin , Johnson Aaron , Chiang Mung , Mittal Prateek
Published: May 2018

Many recent proposals for anonymous communication omit from their security analyses a consideration of the effects of time on important system components. In practice, many components of anonymity systems, such as the client location and network structure, exhibit changes and patterns over time. In this paper, we focus on the effect of such temporal dynamics on the security of anonymity networks. We present Tempest, a suite of novel attacks based on (1) client mobility, (2) usage patterns, and (3) changes in the underlying network routing. Using experimental analysis on real-world datasets, we demonstrate that these temporal attacks degrade user privacy across a wide range of anonymity networks, including deployed systems such as Tor; pathselection protocols for Tor such as DeNASA, TAPS, and Counter-RAPTOR; and network-layer anonymity protocols for Internet routing such as Dovetail and HORNET. The degradation is in some cases surprisingly severe. For example, a single host failure or network route change could quickly and with high certainty identify the client’s ISP to a malicious host or ISP. The adversary behind each attack is relatively weak – generally passive and in control of one network location or a small number of hosts. Our findings suggest that designers of anonymity systems should rigorously consider the impact of temporal dynamics when analyzing anonymity.
Secure asymmetry and deployability for decoy routing systems
Authors: Bocovich Cecylia , Goldberg Ian
Published: May 2018

Censorship circumvention is often characterized as a cat-and-mouse game between a nation-state censor and the developers of censorship resistance systems. Decoy routing systems offer a solution to censor- ship resistance that has the potential to tilt this race in the favour of the censorship resistor by using real connections to unblocked, overt sites to deliver censored content to users. This is achieved by employing the help of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) or Autonomous Systems (ASes) that own routers in the middle of the net- work. However, the deployment of decoy routers has yet to reach fruition. Obstacles to deployment such as the heavy requirements on routers that deploy decoy router relay stations, and the impact on the quality of service for customers that pass through these routers have deterred potential participants from deploying existing systems. Furthermore, connections from clients to overt sites often follow different paths in the upstream and downstream direction, making some existing designs impractical. Although decoy routing systems that lessen the burden on participating routers and accommodate asymmetric flows have been proposed, these arguably more deployable systems suffer from security vulnerabilities that put their users at risk of discovery or make them prone to censorship or denial of service attacks. In this paper, we propose a technique for supporting route asymmetry in previously symmetric decoy routing systems. The resulting asymmetric solution is more secure than previous asymmetric proposals and provides an option for tiered deployment, allowing more cautious ASes to deploy a lightweight, non-blocking relay station that aids in defending against routing-capable adversaries. We also provide an experimental evaluation of relay station performance on off-the-shelf hardware and additional security improvements to recently proposed systems.
“Won’t Somebody Think of the Children?” Examining COPPA Compliance at Scale
Authors: Reyes Irwin , Wijesekera Primal , Reardon Joel , On Amit Elazari Bar , Razaghpanah Abbas , Vallina-Rodriguez Narseo , Egelman Serge
Published: May 2018

We present a scalable dynamic analysis framework that allows for the automatic evaluation of the privacy behaviors of Android apps. We use our system to analyze mobile apps’ compliance with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), one of the few stringent privacy laws in the U.S. Based on our automated analysis of 5,855 of the most popular free children’s apps, we found that a majority are potentially in violation of COPPA, mainly due to their use of thirdparty SDKs. While many of these SDKs offer configuration options to respect COPPA by disabling tracking and behavioral advertising, our data suggest that a majority of apps either do not make use of these options or incorrectly propagate them across mediation SDKs. Worse, we observed that 19% of children’s apps collect identifiers or other personally identifiable information (PII) via SDKs whose terms of service outright prohibit their use in child-directed apps. Finally, we show that efforts by Google to limit tracking through the use of a resettable advertising ID have had little success: of the 3,454 apps that share the resettable ID with advertisers, 66% transmit other, non-resettable, persistent identifiers as well, negating any intended privacy-preserving properties of the advertising ID.
Toward Distribution Estimation under Local Differential Privacy with Small Samples
Authors: Murakami Takao , Hino Hideitsu , Sakuma Jun
Published: May 2018

A number of studies have recently been made on discrete distribution estimation in the local model, in which users obfuscate their personal data (e.g., location, response in a survey) by themselves and a data collector estimates a distribution of the original personal data from the obfuscated data. Unlike the centralized model, in which a trusted database administrator can access all users’ personal data, the local model does not suffer from the risk of data leakage. A representative privacy metric in this model is LDP (Local Differential Privacy), which controls the amount of information leakage by a parameter ∈ called privacy budget. When ∈ is small, a large amount of noise is added to the personal data, and therefore users’ privacy is strongly protected. However, when the number of users ℕ is small (e.g., a small-scale enterprise may not be able to collect large samples) or when most users adopt a small value of ∈, the estimation of the distribution becomes a very challenging task. The goal of this paper is to accurately estimate the distribution in the cases explained above. To achieve this goal, we focus on the EM (Expectation-Maximization) reconstruction method, which is a state-of-the-art statistical inference method, and propose a method to correct its estimation error (i.e., difference between the estimate and the true value) using the theory of Rilstone et al. We prove that the proposed method reduces the MSE (Mean Square Error) under some assumptions.We also evaluate the proposed method using three largescale datasets, two of which contain location data while the other contains census data. The results show that the proposed method significantly outperforms the EM reconstruction method in all of the datasets when ℕ or ∈ is small.
Undermining Privacy in the Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS)
Authors: Smith Matthew , Moser Daniel , Strohmeier Martin , Lenders Vincent , Martinovic Ivan
Published: May 2018

Despite the Aircraft Communications, Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS) being widely deployed for over twenty years, little scrutiny has been applied to it outside of the aviation community. Whilst originally utilized by commercial airlines to track their flights and provide automated timekeeping on crew, today it serves as a multi-purpose air-ground data link for many aviation stakeholders including private jet owners, state actors and military. Such a change has caused ACARS to be used far beyond its original mandate; to date no work has been undertaken to assess the extent of this especially with regard to privacy and the various stakeholder groups which use it. In this paper, we present an analysis of ACARS usage by privacy sensitive actors-military, government and business. We conduct this using data from the VHF (both traditional ACARS, and VDL mode 2) and satellite communications subnetworks. Based on more than two million ACARS messages collected over the course of 16 months, we demonstrate that current ACARS usage systematically breaches location privacy for all examined aviation stakeholder groups, explaining the types of messages used to cause this problem.We illustrate the challenges with three case studies-one for each stakeholder group-to show how much privacy sensitive information can be constructed with a handful of ACARS messages. We contextualize our findings with opinions on the issue of privacy in ACARS from 40 aviation industry professionals. From this, we explore recommendations for how to address these issues, including use of encryption and policy measures.
Privacy Pass: Bypassing Internet Challenges Anonymously
Authors: Davidson Alex , Goldberg Ian , Sullivan Nick , Tankersley George , Valsorda Filippo
Published: May 2018

The growth of content delivery networks (CDNs) has engendered centralized control over the serving of internet content. An unwanted by-product of this growth is that CDNs are fast becoming global arbiters for which content requests are allowed and which are blocked in an attempt to stanch malicious traffic. In particular, in some cases honest users-especially those behind shared IP addresses, including users of privacy tools such as Tor, VPNs, and I2P - can be unfairly targeted by attempted ‘catch-all solutions’ that assume these users are acting maliciously. In this work, we provide a solution to prevent users from being exposed to a disproportionate amount of internet challenges such as CAPTCHAs. These challenges are at the very least annoying and at their worst - when coupled with bad implementations - can completely block access from web resources. We detail a 1-RTT cryptographic protocol (based on an implementation of an oblivious pseudorandom function) that allows users to receive a significant amount of anonymous tokens for each challenge solution that they provide. These tokens can be exchanged in the future for access without having to interact with a challenge. We have implemented our initial solution in a browser extension named “Privacy Pass”, and have worked with the Cloudflare CDN to deploy compatible server-side components in their infrastructure. However, we envisage that our solution could be used more generally for many applications where anonymous and honest access can be granted (e.g., anonymous wiki editing). The anonymity guarantee of our solution makes it immediately appropriate for use by users of Tor/VPNs/ I2P. We also publish figures from Cloudflare indicating the potential impact from the global release of Privacy Pass.
Consistent Synchronous Group Off-The-Record Messaging with SYM-GOTR
Authors: Schliep Michael , Vasserman Eugene , Hopper Nicholas
Published: May 2018

We describe SYM-GOTR, a protocol for secure Group Off-The-Record (GOTR) messaging. In contrast to previous work, SYM-GOTR is the first protocol to offer confidential, authenticated, and repudiable conversations among a dynamic group with the additional properties of message unlinkability and the guarantee that all users see the same conversation, while providing efficient use of network and CPU resources. SYM-GOTR achieves these properties through the use of a novel optimistic consistency check protocol that either determines that all users agree on a transcript with constant-size messages or identifies at least one user that has not followed the protocol. We provide an implementation of SYM-GOTR as a Java library along with a plugin for the Jitsi instant messaging client. We analyze the performance of SYM-GOTR in a real world deployment scenario and discuss the challenges of providing a usable implementation without compromising the security of the conversation.
Noise-robust assessment of SNP array based CNV calls through local noise estimation of log R ratios
Authors: Cosemans Nele , Claes Peter , Brison Nathalie , Vermeesch Joris Robert , Peeters Hilde
Published: May 2018

Arrays based on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been successful for the large scale discovery of copy number variants (CNVs). However, current CNV calling algorithms still have limitations in detecting CNVs with high specificity and sensitivity, especially in case of small (<100 kb) CNVs. Therefore, this study presents a simple statistical analysis to evaluate CNV calls from SNP arrays in order to improve the noise-robustness of existing CNV calling algorithms. The proposed approach estimates local noise of log R ratios and returns the probability that a certain observation is different from this log R ratio noise level. This probability can be triggered at different thresholds to tailor specificity and/or sensitivity in a flexible way. Moreover, a comparison based on qPCR experiments showed that the proposed noise-robust CNV calls outperformed original ones for multiple threshold values.
The Rescaled VAR Model with an Application to Mixed-Frequency Macroeconomic Forecasting
Authors: Giusto Andrea , İşcan Talan B.
Published: May 2018

This paper introduces the rescaled representation of VAR models (R-VARs) and demonstrates its application in forecasting mixed-frequency macroeconomic data. We develop the model, illustrate how to implement it, and derive the asymptotic properties of the estimates. We show that R-VARs provide reliable estimates of the prediction error bands while maintaining the precision of the point forecasts. We illustrate these features by comparing it to a mixed-frequency Bayesian VAR model, the leading alternative in the existing literature.
Bayesian Subset Selection for Two-Threshold Variable Autoregressive Models
Authors: Ni Shuxia , Xia Qiang , Liu Jinshan
Published: May 2018

In this paper, we propose and study an effective Bayesian subset selection method for two-threshold variable autoregressive (TTV-AR) models. The usual complexity of model selection is increased by capturing the uncertainty of the two unknown threshold levels and the two unknown delay lags. By using Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) techniques with driven by a stochastic search, we can identify the best subset model from a large number of possible choices. Simulation experiments show that the proposed method works very well. As applied to the application to the Hang Seng index, we successfully distinguish the best subset TTV-AR model.
Charakterisierung einer Modenverwirbelungskammer als Testumgebung für drahtlose Sensor/Aktor-Module
Authors: Cammin Christoph , Krush Dmytro , Heynicke Ralf , Scholl Gerd
Published: May 2018

Dieser Beitrag beschreibt Messungen zur Charakterisierung einer Modenverwirbelungskammer vor dem Hintergrund der Qualifizierung von drahtlosen Sensor/Aktor-Modulen. Aufbauend auf Normen bzw. Testempfehlungen, die für andere drahtlose Anwendungen entwickelt wurden, wird in diesem Beitrag das Verhalten einer Modenverwirbelungskammer unter verschiedenen Beladungen und jeweils verschiedenen Modenrührersequenzen speziell für den Test von drahtlosen Sensor/Aktor-Modulen in industriellen Indoor-Umgebungen untersucht. Im Abschluss wird unter Abwägung der Wirtschaftlichkeit eine Konfiguration der Modenverwirbelungskammer für entsprechende Testmessungen vorgeschlagen.
Effect of Variable Geometry Guide-Vane with Cylindrical Endwalls on Turbine Stage Performance
Authors: Jiang Yuting , Wan Xinchao , Yue Guoqiang , Lin Hongfei , Zheng Qun
Published: May 2018

The part-load performance of gas turbine is of great importance due to the consideration of running time spent at part power, and Variable Geometry Turbine (VGT) is an important way to meet the requirements. Effect of variable geometry guide-vane with cylindrical endwalls on part-load turbine stage performance is quantified by detailed analysis of aerodynamic characteristics. The turbine stage characteristics of corrected mass flow, corrected output power and efficiency are presented to investigate the VGT performance under the condition of four off-design rotating angles. In addition, the flow field, the loss distribution and the leakage flow are analyzed for different rotating angles. Results show that both the corrected mass flow and the corrected output power increase as the vane throat area is increased, the total leakage area and the shroud area are increased with the increase of rotating angle, whereas the hub leakage area is decreased, and the total pressure loss and the entropy change of variable geometry vane are both increased with the decrease of vane throat area.
A Climate for Change? Norwegian Farmers’ Attitudes to Climate Change and Climate Policy
Authors: Brobakk Jostein
Published: May 2018

Climate change is one of the major challenges of our time, and particularly so for agriculture. Agriculture is a significant contributor to climate change and, according to projections from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), will experience alterations in production conditions in the future. The Norwegian government’s 2009 White Paper on climate policy for agriculture is based on the point of view that the agricultural sector can and should contribute to Norway fulfilling its climate policy commitments. This requires changes in farm operations and production methods, making the farmer an important agent when it comes to the implementation of climate change mitigation measures. In this article, I study Norwegian farmers’ climate change perceptions and priorities, and examine what it would take for them to consider implementing mitigation measures on their own farms. The analysis is based on a survey focusing on climate change from a representative sample of Norwegian farmers in 2011, the only survey of its kind conducted on this group so far. The results show that even if farmers perceive climate change as real and manmade, they do not appear to experience the changes as requiring immediate action. Moreover, farmers seem to view adapting to new environmental policy as a greater challenge than adapting to climate change itself. Farmers also appear to place production-related goals and managing the farm economy higher on the agenda than curbing emissions. Financial incentives, in the form of public support schemes or higher prices for food produced in a more environmentally friendly way, are factors which could increase the likelihood of implementing environmental measures on their own farms. A majority of farmers also believe that sectors other than agriculture should contribute more to cuts in greenhouse gases. Factors that most clearly explain the variation in attitudes to climate change are education levels, political or ideological factors, and the feeling of proximity; that is to say, to what extent one perceives climate change to be something that will affect one’s own productivity in the future. In order to fulfill environmental policy commitments in the agricultural sector, farmers’ motivation must be strengthened, and the focus should be placed on measures that view productivity goals, farm economies and mitigation measures in a wider context.
Analyzing Electoral Behavior Using PTV’s: Benefits and Methodological Issues
Authors: Ramonaitė Ainė
Published: May 2018

In the last decade, the propensity-to-vote (PTV) measure is being increasingly used in the research of electoral behavior. The purpose of this article is to explore the advantages and methodological issues of this measure, applying it for the analysis of the determinants of party choice in the 2016 Lithuanian parliamentary elections. In particular, the article explores the implications of using OLS regression for analysing a generic party with a stacked data matrix instead of cross-classified multilevel modeling.
Causes and Consequences of Third-Party Intervention in Disputes over History: Recognition of the Armenian Massacre as Genocide and Relations with Turkey
Authors: Mukoyama Naosuke
Published: May 2018

In the post-Cold War international society, third-party intervention has become increasingly common across various spheres. What were previously assumed to be domestic or bilateral issues have become of great interest to foreign governments and international organizations. Disputes over history, whose intensification in many parts of the world is also a recent political phenomenon, are no exception. Regarding past atrocities by one country upon another, the “victim” side seeks recognition and redress from third parties, while the “perpetrator” side tries to prevent such interference. This paper investigates the causes of such intervention and the consequences of it for bilateral relations between the intervenor and the “perpetrator” country, using the conflict between Armenia and Turkey over the recognition of the 1915–1916 Armenian Massacre as genocide as a case study. The results reveal that countries with a Christian majority and a large Armenian population typically conduct such intervention, and that although third-party intervention affects bilateral relations negatively, the effect is only temporary.
Red photo- and electroluminescent half-lantern cyclometalated dinuclear platinum(II) complex
Authors: Kinzhalov Mikhail A. , Katkova Svetlana A. , Doronina Elizaveta P. , Novikov Alexander S. , Eliseev Ivan I. , Ilichev Vasiliy A. , Kukinov Andrey A. , Starova Galina L. , Bokach Nadezhda A.
Published: May 2018

New cyclometalated dinuclear platinum(II) complex bearing bridged 4,6-dimethylpyrimidine-2(1H)-thiolate (μ-C6H7N2S-κN,S) ligands, [{Pt(ppy)(μ-C6H7N2S-κN,S)}2] (3) (ppy=(2-phenylpyridinato-C2,N)) was prepared via the reaction of chloro-bridged dimer [{Pt(ppy)Cl}2] with 4,6-dimethylpyrimidine-2(1H)-thione (C6H8N2S) in the presence oft-BuOK. The complex holds dinuclear frameworks with short Pt(II)···Pt(II) distance (2.8877(3) Å), and exhibit red intense luminescence from the triplet metal-metal-to-ligand charge-transfer at 697 nm in CH2Cl2solution and at 649 nm in solid state at RT. Single crystal XRD analysis reveals the metallophilic interactions Pt···Pt with significant covalent contribution in the structure of3which were studied by quasi-relativistic and relativistic DFT calculations (viz., M06/MWB60(Pt) and 6-311+G* (other atoms); M06/DZP-DKH levels of theory) and topological analysis of the electron density distribution within the framework of Bader’s theory (QTAIM method). Estimated strength of the Pt···Pt contact is 8.1–12.2 kcal/mol and it is mostly determined by crystal packing effects and weak attractive interactions between the adjacent metal centers due to overlapping of their dz2and pzorbitals. An organic light-emitting diode based on this complex showed red electroluminescence with maximal luminance of 115 cd/m2and current efficiency of 2.45 cd/A at this luminance.
Syntheses and crystal structures of ruthenium complexes with bidentate salicylaldiminato and dithiophosphato ligands
Authors: Tang Li-Hua , Wu Fule , Lin Hui , Jia Ai-Quan , Zhang Qian-Feng
Published: May 2018

Treatment of the bidentate Schiff base 2-[(2,6-diisopropyl-phenylimino)-methyl]-phenol (HL1) with one equivalent of (Et4N)[RuCl4(MeCN)2] in the presence of triethylamine afforded (Et4N)[RuCl3(κ
2-N,O-L1)(MeCN)] (1), which reacted with two equivalents of K[S2P(O
i
Pr)2] to produce a neutral ruthenium(III) complex [Ru(κ
2-N,O-L1){η
2-S2P(O
i
Pr)2}2] (2) bearing both salicylaldiminato and dithiophosphato ligands. Reactions of the bidentate Schiff bases 2-[(3-chloro-phenylimino)-methyl]-phenol (HL2) and 2-[(2,4,6-trimethyl-phenylimino)-methyl]-phenol (HL3) with one equivalent of [Ru(CO)2Cl2] in the presence of triethylamine led to formation of the corresponding anionic ruthenium(II) carbonyl complexes (Et3NH)[RuCl2(κ
2-N,O-L2)(CO)2] (3) and (Et3NH)[RuCl2(κ
2-N,O-L3)(CO)2] (4). The molecular structures of complexes 2–4 have been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction.
Strukturen zweier Salze des Bis(thioharnstoff)gold(I)-Kations
Authors: Strey Mark , Jones Peter G.
Published: May 2018

Attempts to isolate the compound (tu2Au)SCN1(tu=thiourea), first reported in 1949, at first led to [(tu)2Au]2SO4·CH3OH2after crystallization from methanol-petroleum ether. Crystallization from isopropanol led to the required compound1. The crystal structure analysis of1confirmed its ionic nature, (tu2Au)+SCN−. The tu ligands are mutuallytrans(torsion angle C–S···S–C 175.4(2)°), and the entire cation is approximately planar (r.m.s. deviation 0.08 Å). Eight classical hydrogen bonds connect the residues to form layers parallel to thebcplane atx≈⅛, ⅜, ⅝ and ⅞; the layers are connected by aurophilic contacts, which link the cations to form chains parallel to theaaxis. In the structure of compound2the S=C groups are synclinal to each other; two NH2groups are connected via a bifurcated hydrogen bonding system to a sulfate oxygen, forming a ring of graph setR21(10).${\rm{R}}_2^1(10).$In a complex three-dimensional packing, the cations are connected by various interactions to form layers parallel to theacplane aty≈½, whereas the sulfates are the centres of hydrogen-bonded double layers on both sides of the mirror plane aty≈¾. The structure contains a convincing example of a hydrogen bond to a gold centre.
Micellar Supported Ultrafiltration of Malachite Green: Experimental Verification of Theoretical Approach
Authors: Ullah Mohib , Shah Luqman Ali , Sayed Murtaza , Siddiq Muhammad , Amin Noor Ul
Published: May 2018

This study pertains to theoretical aspect of membrane and surfactant supported ultrafiltration technique followed by experimental evaluation of rejection percentage (R%) and permeate flux (J). The organic dye malachite green (MG) was removed from water samples with help of micellar solution of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) surfactant on account of effective surfactant-dye interaction. The MG removal from water was result of electrostatic force of attraction between Stern layer of SDS micelles and cationic MG in addition to hydrophobic-hydrophobic interaction. The regenerated cellulose membrane was used to retain enhanced MG-SDS micellar complex from polluted water in stirred ultrafiltration cell. R% of MG increases from 79.3%, 77%, 76% to 97.5%, 95%, 90% for 0.01, 0.1 and 0.2 mM concentrations, respectively. “J” decreases throughout the experiment on account of membrane plugging or concentration polarization. Hydrodynamic radius (Rh) of SDS surfactant was also determined at its post micellar concentrations by dynamic laser light scattering (DLLS) that shows high rejection percentage with increased Rh values.
Towards Low-Toxic Colloidal Quantum Dots
Authors: Jang Youngjin , Shapiro Arthur , Horani Faris , Kauffmann Yaron , Lifshitz Efrat
Published: May 2018

Colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) are of enormous interest in the scientific and engineering fields. During the past few decades, significant efforts have been conducted in investigating Cd- and Pb-based CQDs, resulting in excellent photoluminescence (PL) properties and impressive performance in various applications. But the high toxicity of Cd and Pb elements pushed the scientific community to explore low-toxic CQDs excluding poisonous heavy metals. Several semiconductor materials with lower toxicity than Cd and Pb species have been proposed. This article presents a short overview of recent efforts involving low-toxic CQDs, focusing especially on IV–VI and III–V semiconductors which are active in the near- and short-wave-infrared (IR) regimes. Recent achievements pertinent to Sn- and In-based CQDs are highlighted as representative examples. Finally, limitations and future challenges are discussed in the review.
Reframing the History of New Religious Movements
Authors: Driedger Michael , Wolfart Johannes C.
Published: May 2018

In this special issue of Nova Religio four historians of medieval and early modern Christianities offer perspectives on basic conceptual frameworks widely employed in new religions studies, including modernization and secularization, radicalism/violent radicalization, and diversity/diversification. Together with a response essay by J. Gordon Melton, these articles suggest strong possibilities for renewed and ongoing conversation between scholars of “old” and “new” religions. Unlike some early discussions, ours is not aimed simply at questioning the distinction between old and new religions itself. Rather, we think such conversation between scholarly fields holds the prospect of productive scholarly surprise and perspectival shifts, especially via the disciplinary practice of historiographical criticism.
An Initial Response to the Call for Reframing the History of New Religious Movements
Authors: Melton J. Gordon
Published: May 2018

In response to Nova Religio articles by Andreas Pietsch and Sita Steckel, Michael Driedger, and Johannes C. Wolfart calling for a reframing of new religious movements by new religions scholars, agreement is offered that new religions studies will be well served by incorporating insights from scholars of new religious movements and sectarian movements of the late medieval and Reformation eras, as well as by recasting assumptions that associate apocalyptic movements with violence. It is also suggested that a more sophisticated assessment of pluralism in previous centuries and more attention to methodological issues will provide a firmer foundation for current claims of a growing religious diversity in the contemporary world.
Phylogeny of the GenusDrosophila
Authors: O’Grady Patrick M , DeSalle Rob
Published: May 2018

Understanding phylogenetic relationships among taxa is key to designing and implementing comparative analyses. The genus Drosophila, which contains over 1600 species, is one of the most important model systems in the biological sciences. For over a century, one species in this group, Drosophila melanogaster, has been key to studies of animal development and genetics, genome organization and evolution, and human disease. As whole-genome sequencing becomes more cost-effective, there is increasing interest in other members of this morphologically, ecologically, and behaviorally diverse genus. Phylogenetic relationships within Drosophila are complicated, and the goal of this paper is to provide a review of the recent taxonomic changes and phylogenetic relationships in this genus to aid in further comparative studies.
Urgensi Penyelenggaraan Bantuan Hukum Bagi Masyarakat Miskin Oleh Pemerintah Daerah
Authors: Baital Bachtiar
Published: May 2018

Abstract: Implementation of legal assistance by local governments that are formalized into a regional regulation is essential in order to ensure and realize equality before the law and access to justice for everyone, especially the poor as vulnerable groups with legal problems. For local governments, the provision of legal aid is a form of commitment and political will of local governments within the framework of regional autonomy aimed at providing protection to their citizens, one of which relates to access to justice as the principle of equal treatment in the face of law and government with no exception as set forth in Article 27 paragraph (1) of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia.Keywords: Legal Aid, Poor People, Local Government Abstrak: Penyelenggaraan bantuan hukum oleh pemerintah daerah yang diformilkan ke dalam suatu peraturan daerah sangat diperlukan dalam rangka untuk menjamin dan mewujudkan persamaan dihadapan hukum dan akses pada keadilan bagi setiap orang terutama masyarakat miskin sebagai kelompok masyarakat yang rentan bermasalah dengan hukum. Bagi pemerintah daerah, penyelenggaraan bantuan hukum merupakan bentuk komitmen dan political will pemerintah daerah dalam kerangka otonomi daerah yang ditujukan untuk memberikan perlindungan kepada warganya, salah satunya berkaitan dengan akses pada keadilan sebagai pengejewantahan prinsip perlakuan yang sama di hadapan hukum dan pemerintahan dengan tanpa kecuali sebagaimana dituangkan dalam Pasal 27 ayat (1) UUD NRI Tahun 1945.Kata Kunci: Bantuan Hukum, Masyarakat Miskin, Pemerintah Daerah
Pengguna Jasa Angkutan Umum Jenis Angkot Di Jakarta Dalam Perspektif Hukum Perlindungan Konsumen
Authors: Alam Faris Satria
Published: May 2018

Abstract:In reality, consumer as users and passenger’s public transportation (Angkot) have not received legal protection and maximum service that should be given regarding the application of minimum service standards. Besides, there are still problems related to public transportation service sector in the form of the decision of public transportation tariff that has not been matched by the availability of public transportation, the proper of public transportation and consumer safety from crime over public transportation. The result of this study explains that public transportation (Angkot) still has many weaknesses especially related to the implementation of minimum service standards.Keywords: Public Transportation, Angkot, Consumer Protection. Abstrak:Konsumen sebagai pengguna jasa maupun penumpang angkutan umum jenis angkot pada realitasnya belum mendapat perlindungan hukum dan pelayanan maksimal yang seharusnya diberikan berupa penerapan standar pelayanan minimal. Disamping masih adanya persoalan mengenai sektor pelayanan angkutan umum berupa: penetapan tarif angkutan umum yang belum atau tidak diimbangi dengan ketersediaan jumlah angkutan umum; kelaikan kendaraan angkutan umum; dan keamanan konsumen dari kejahatan di atas kendaraan angkutan umum. Hasil penelitian ini menjelaskan bahwa selama ini pelayanan angkutan umum jenis angkot ini masih memiliki banyak kekurangan terutama menyangkut penerapan standar pelayanan minimal.Kata Kunci: Angkutan Umum, Jenis Angkot, Perlindungan Konsumen.
Hak Asasi Manusia Menurut Undang-Undang Nomor 9 Tahun 1991
Authors: Maftuhi Ekrom
Published: May 2018

Human Rights are natural rights that must be respected by everyone.Human rights are given from God. Nevertheless, fulfilling the human rights need statepolicy to commit and to implement human rights. Moreover, if the state declarerechstaat, the state must fullfill and respect the human rights as the requirement ofRechstaat. In Indonesia, the development and the history of fullfilling and respectingthe human rights happened in such important periode. Means, to respect and to fulfillthe human rights depend on the state policy even the human rights given from God. DOI: 10.15408/sjsbs.v3i3.7860
Interkoneksi Mahkamah Konstitusi Dengan Mahkamah Agung; Studi Implementasi Putusan Tentang Nasab Anak
Authors: Mesraini Mesrain
Published: May 2018

This article examines the interconnection between constitutional courtand Supreme Court, with a special reference to the situation when Supreme Courtdecreed after the constitutional court decree. For the purpose of study, I use thedecree on the child’s descent case proposed by Machica Mohtar to examine theinterconnection of these two courts. By understanding how effective are theconstitutional court decrees and their connection with the position of SupremeCourt, I find that the interconnection between these religious court–high religiouscourts and constitutional court well-managed enough. Constitutional court decreehas been used as the basis for the court decrees. Nevertheless, Supreme Courttends not to place constitutional court decree for a permanent legal force (inkracht).As a result, the connection between constitutional court and Supreme Court hasnot been seen in its proper level. In another aspect, the implementation of law inIndonesia has shown a shifting from civil law system to those mixed between civillaw and common law systems. In this regard, this shifting indicates that not onlydoes a judge decree based on a procedural-justice, but he/she also takes asubstantive-justice into consideration. DOI: 10.15408/sjsbs.v4i1.7866
Korelasi Hak Asasi Manusia dan Hukum Islam
Authors: Alfaruqi Daniel
Published: May 2018

Abstract.The controversy between Islamic law and universal human rights continues to roll. Apart from universal claims to human rights principles, when he saw that the concept came from the West, some Muslims were suspicious and considered it an attempt to secularize Islamic law. As a result, conservative Muslims continue to reject the application of Western standards, even in the name of universal human rights, to legal problems in Muslim societies. Based on this research, it can be concluded that the Islamic response to human rights is a reflection of global, lasting and fundamental demands. By not intending to have anology, in fact Islam has first taught humanity about concepts that are egalitarian, universal and democratic. This concept that is so beautiful and comprehensive is allegedly adopted by the West through the emergence of universal ideas standardized in the convention of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Islamic teachings cover all aspects of human life, and of course they have included rules and high respect for human rights. But it is not in a structured document, but is spread in the holy verses of the Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad. The birth of the UDHR and the Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam (CDHRI) endorsed by the OIC was an attempt to clarify the actions of Muslim countries on arrogant, authoritarian and arbitrary Western claims.Keywords: Islamic law, human rights Abstrak.Kontroversi antara hukum Islam dan hak-hak asasi manusia universal terus bergulir. Meskipun telah melekat klaim universal pada prinsip-prinsip HAM, ketika melihat bahwa konsep tersebut berasal dari Barat, sebagian umat Islam curiga dan menganggapnya sebagai usaha untuk mensekulerkan hukum Islam. Karena itu, kalangan Muslim konservatif tetap menolak penerapan standar-standar Barat, meskipun atas nama HAM universal, terhadap persoalan-persoalan hukum pada masyarakat Muslim. Berdasarkan penelitian ini diperoleh kesimpulan bahwa respon Islam terhadap hak asasi manusia adalah cerminan dari tuntutan global, abadi, dan fundamental. Dengan tidak bermaksud untuk berapologi, sesunguhnya Islam telah terlebih dahulu mengajarkan umat manusia tentang konsep yang egaliter, universal, dan demokratis. Konsep yang sedemikian indah dan komprehensif ini disinyalir diadopsi oleh Barat melalui pemunculan ide-ide universal yang dibakukan dalam konvensi Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Ajaran Islam meliputi seluruh aspek dari sisi kehidupan manusia,dan tentu saja telah tercakup di dalamnya aturan dan penghargaan yang tinggi terhadap hak asasi manusia (HAM). Namun memang tidak dalam satu dokumen yang terstruktur, tetapi tersebar dalam ayat-ayat suci al-Quran dan Sunnah Nabi Muhammad SAW. Kelahiran UDHR dan Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam (CDHRI) yang diratifikasi oleh OKI merupakan upaya penjernihan yang dilakukan oleh negara-negara Muslim atas klaim Barat yang arogan, otoriter dan semena-mena.Kata kunci: Hukum Islam, Hak Asasi Manusia
Kekerasan Dalam Rumah Tangga Perspektif Hukum Positif Indonesia
Authors: Aji Ahmad Mukri
Published: May 2018

Kererasan dalam rumah tangga merupakan bentuk perlanggaran hakasasi manusia yang harus segera ditanggulangi. Begitu banyak bentukkekerasan dalam rumah tangga, seperti kekerasan fisik (pemukulan,penganiayaan, penjambakan dll), kekerasan seksual (pemerkosaan,ekploitasi seksual, perbudakan seksual, kehamilan paksa, perdaganganperempuan dan anak, pelecehan seksual, aborsi dll), kekerasan psikologis(ancaman, intimidasi, penyisihan, dll), dan kekerasan ekonomi (laranganbekerja, ekploitasi tenaga duanya, dll). Sedangkan korban kekerasan lainyaatau siapapun yang tinggal dalam rumah tangga. Namun saat ini yang palingbanyak menjadi korban kekerasan dalam rumah tangga adalah perempuandan anak. Kekerasan dalam rumah tangga merupakan fenomena gurung esyang tersembunyi rapat di balik dinding-dinding rumah dan sangat sulitmengungkapkan. DOI: 10.15408/sjsbs.v4i1.7870
’Urf Sebagai Sumber Hukum
Authors: Nusirwan Nusirwan
Published: May 2018

Dalam perjalanan sejarah Islam, para ulama mengembangkan berbagai teori, metode, danprinsip hukum yang sebelumnya tidak dirumuskan secara sistematis, baik dalam Al-qur’anmaupun as-Sunnah. Upaya para ulama tersebut berkaitan erat dengan tuntutan realita sosialyang semakin hari semakin kompleks. Berbagai persoalan baru bermunculan yang sebelumnyatidak dibahas secara spesifik dalam Alquran dan Hadits Nabi. Di antara metode penetapanhukum yang dikembangkan para ulama adalah al-urf, yakni adat kebiasan suatu masyarakatyang dipandang baik dan diterima oleh akal sehat. DOI: 10.15408/sjsbs.v4i1.7873
“Mekanisme Pengelolaan Dana Pada PT Syarikat Takaful Indonesia Ditinjau Dari Segi Hukum Islam
Authors: Sibarani Sabungan
Published: May 2018

There are still many doubts about the existence of insurance in Indonesia, bothconventional insurance and Islamic insurance. There are four opinions aboutinsurance: 1). Insurance is considered haram in Islamic law, 2). Insurance isacceptable in Islamic Shariah, 3). Social insurance only allowed with Islamicshariah, 4). All types of insurance are considered syubhat. Fund managementmechanisms on conventional insurance contains elements of gharar, maisir, andusury, in contrast to Islamic insurance, especially at PT. Syarikat TakafulIndonesia. Fund management mechanism at PT. Syarikat Takaful Indonesia isdivided into 2 parts: premium with savings element and no savings element. Inpremiums with savings elements are divided into 2 accounts namely savingsaccount and special account (Tabarru '), whereas in premiums without element ofsavings only entered into special accounts only. Fund management mechanism atPT. Syarikat Takaful Indonesia uses two concepts namely the concept of al-Takaful (protection) and al-Mudharobah (profit sharing). With the two conceptsare takaful insurance avoided from elements of gharar, maisir, and usury. Ingeneral, Takaful provides two types of protection: family takaful and generaltakaful. In the event of a dispute in takaful insurance is settled through theIndonesian Arbitration Board of Muamalat (BAMUI). DOI: 10.15408/sjsbs.v4i2.7874
Perlakuan Terhadap Tindakan Kriminal dan SIstem Pengadilan Anak
Authors: Madnur Madnur
Published: May 2018

Dalam deklarasi hak anak-anak yang telah tercantum di dalamdeklarasi Jenewa tentang Hak Anak-Anak tahun 1924 dan telah diakuidalam deklarasi sedunia tentang Hak Asasi Manusia serta Undang-Undangyang dibuat oleh badan khusus dan organisasi internasional yang memberiperhatian kesejahteraan anak-anak. Mengingat bahwa umat manusiaberkewajiban memberikan yang terbaik bagi anak-anak. Dalam deklarasihak Anak-anak bahwa asas anak-anak mempunyai hak untuk memperolehperlindungan khusus dan harus memperoleh kesempatan dan fasilitas yangdijamin oleh hukum dan sarana lain sehingga secara jasmani, mental,akhlak, rohani, dan sosial mereka dapat berkembang dengan sehat danwajar dalam keadaan bebas dan bermartabat. DOI: 10.15408/sjsbs.v4i2.7875
Penyelesaian Perkara Anak Secara Restorasi Dalam Penerapan Sistem Peradilan Anak
Authors: Wahyudi Ilham
Published: May 2018

Anak sebagai anugrah Tuhan Yang Maha Esa, dengan semua kekhususansifatnya ialah generasi harapanyang kepadanya dibebankan rnasa depan bangsa dannegara. Oleh karenanya jaminan tumbuh kembangnyamenjadi tanggung jawab semuakomponen bangsa termasuk masyarakatdan pemerintah.Jaminan itu harusnampakdalam peraturan-peraturan hukum yangmemperhatikan sifat khusus dari anak-anaksehingga dapatmemberi jaminan bagi kesejahteraan anak.Memberikan jaminantumbuh kembangnya secara wajar melaluiperaturan hukum yang mengacu padakesejahteraan anak termasuk anak yang berkonflik dengan hukum.Tulisan denganjudul penyelesaian perkara anak secara restorasi dalam penerapan systemperadilananakadalah suatu hasil analisa tentang praktek SPP anak dan penerapan konseprestorative justice sebagai konsepbaru dalam menyelesaikan perkara anak.Denganmetode penelitian normatif empiris yang bersifat kualitatifpenelitian ini memperolehhasil diantaranya; jaminan hukum terhadap anak yang berkonflik dengan hokumyangdiatur dalam Undang-Undang No. 3 tahun 1997 tentang Pengadilan Anak. DOI: 10.15408/sjsbs.v4i2.7878