bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of External Forces on Bank Recapitalization
Authors: Ernovianti Etri , Ahmad Nor Hayati
Published: January 2018

Purpose: This paper provides evidence of the influence of selected external forces during the banking crises on the recapitalized performance of banks in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand in the IMT-GT economic region. 
Methodology: The study covers a period of 19 years from 1997 to 2015 across 45 commercial banks.  The data was collected from the World Bank database and the global economy website.
Results: Although the strategy of capital injection used to strengthen the capital position of the banks proved positively significant, the results showed GDP, Inflation and Political Stability Index had different impact on the recapitalized banks' performance in these three countries. The overall results appears to indicate that external forces  have higher impact on Indonesia banks compared to Thailand and Malaysian banks over the study period.
Implications: This study recommend recapitalize banks to efficiently utilize their enlarged capital base to expand their lending activities and investment to real sectors in order to generate higher economic growth for the IMT-GT region.
The Interpretivist and The Learner
Authors: Amelia Dean Bonnie
Published: January 2018

Aim/Purpose: In the time that we study for our dissertation, our learning takes many turns. Sometimes we feel excited, motivated and accomplished, while other times frustrated, tired or unsure. This paper presents a poem to illustrate one student’s PhD journey through reflection on those fluctuations, milestones and learning moments experienced along the way.

Background: Central to the journey presented here is learning about the interpretivist paradigm, its approaches, methods and critics. Interpretivism is a qualitative research approach which, in many disciplines, continues to be the positivist’s poor cousin.

Methodology: This original paper takes an autoethnographic approach, expressed through poetry. Autoethnography uses self-reflection to connect personal experience to wider social and cultural understandings and has been seldom applied to investigate and uncover the contested and emergent doctoral experience.

Contribution: Little opportunities arise during doctoral studies for the student to pause, reflect and communicate new learnings or knowledge without the boundaries of academic discursive conventions. In this way, the poetic medium of expression offers an original contribution to the field. The poem also illuminates the struggles with finding voice, an ontology that resonates, and the place that marks independence from others in becoming a researcher.

Findings: Poetry affords ideas and feelings intensity through a distinctive style and rhythm of literature. This original poem offers a creative artefact that can be useful for supervisors and students at any stage of their dissertation, to ignite conversation on the challenges of higher education study.

Recommendations for Practitioners: This paper invites others to consider their learning journey and discovery of self, to reflect on and record the milestones, tensions and catalysts of learning.

Recommendation for Researchers: It opens doors particularly for those exploring, or wanting to explore, qualitative research through an interpretivist paradigm where knowledge is socially or experientially co-constructed and the researcher is inseparable to the research.

Impact on Society: Becoming a researcher as synonymous with being a learner is a crucial discovery that widely connects to being a practitioner in any field. Learning to love the red pen is a metaphor of doctoral studies used to denote acceptance of feedback on written work as well as acceptance more broadly that there is always more to learn.

Future Research: What if we encouraged doctoral students and academics to challenge convention and write/produce/create authentic expressions of learning? Encouragement should be afforded to doctoral students and academics to reflect during and beyond their research journeys, in a medium that personally resonates to empower deeper insights and understandings.
PENGARUH PEMBERIAN TERAPI TOMAT (Lycopersicum grandifolium) TERHADAP PENURUNAN TEKANAN DARAH PADA LANSIA DENGAN HIPERTENSI DI PSTW Ã¢â¬ÅPUSPAKARMAÃ¢â¬Â MATARAM
Authors: Dan Ni Made Sumatywati Hastuti Handayani, Kusmiyati
Published: January 2018

ABSTRAKProses menua dalam perjalanan hidup manusia terjadi terus menerus dan berkelanjutan secaraalami. Lansia mengalami berbagai perubahan, baik secara fisik maupun mental. Perubahanyang terjadi pada lansia salah satunya pada sistem kardiovaskuler yaitu terjadi penurunanelastisitas pembuluh darah, sehingga meningkatkan resistensi pembuluh darah perifer yangmengakibatkan tekanan darah tinggi (hipertensi). Tomat mengandung betakarotin dan vitaminE sebagai anti oksidan yang dapat mencegah aglutinasi darah, sehingga dapat menurunkantekanan darah. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui pengaruh terapi tomat terhadappenurunan tekanan darah pada lansia hipertensi di PSTW Ã¢â¬ÅPuspakarmaÃ¢â¬Â Mataram. Penelitianini menggunakan desain Quasy eksperimen pre post desain. Berdasarkan tehnik total samplingdidapatkan 22 respoden. Sampel dibagi menjadi kelompok kontrol dan kelompok eksperimenmasing-masing terdiri dari 11 orang. Kelompok eksperimen diberi perlakuan terapi tomat dankelompok kontrol tidak diberikan perlakuan. Penelitian ini dilakukan selama 21 hari padalansia dengan hipertensi ringan, sedang, dan berat, Data di analisa dengan statistik uji tdengan taraf kesalahan 5%. Pada kelompok perlakuan sebelum diberikan perlakuan terapitomat sebagian besar responden berada pada hipertensi sedang sebanyak 8 responden (72,73%), pada kelompok kontrol sebagian besar berada pada hipertensi sedang 5 responden(45,46%). Kelompok perlakuan setelah diberikan terapi tomat, sebagian besar respondenberada pada hipertensi ringan 6 reponden (54,54%), pada kelompok kontrol sebagian besarberada hipertensi sedang sebanyak 7 responden (63,64%). Hasil uji t didapatkan nilai t hitung= 4,46 > t tabel (0,05) = 2,086, sehingga dapat disimpulkan bahwa pemberian terapi tomatberpengaruh signifikan terhadap penurunan tekanan darah pada lansia dengan hipertensi diPSTW Ã¢â¬ÅPuspakarmaÃ¢â¬Â Mataram.Kata-kata kunci: Lansia, Penurunan tekanan darah, Terapi Tomat
DINAMIKA KOMUNITAS FITOPLANKTON DAN KUALITAS PERAIRAN DI LINGKUNGAN PERAIRAN TAMBAK UDANG INTENSIF: SEBUAH ANALISIS KORELASI
Authors: Dan Yusli Wardiatno Bambang Widigdo
Published: January 2018

ABSTRAKPenelitian ini bertujuan mendeskripsikan struktur komunitas fitoplankton di tambak danperairan sekitarnya dan mengkaji korelasinya dengan kualitas perairan di lingkunganpertambakan udang intensif. Pengambilan sampel air dan fitoplankton dilakukan pada tujuhstasiun di lingkungan dan pada lima tambak. Analisis data yang digunakan adalah indekssimilaritas dan analisis komponen utama. Komunitas fitoplankton yang ditemukan terdiri dari47 genera dari enam kelas yaitu Bacillariophyceae, Dinophyceae, Cyanophyceae,Chlorophyceae, Euglenophyceae, dan Chrysophyceae, dengan dominasi umum KelasBacillariophyceae. Sementara pada tambak didominasi oleh Cyanophyceae danChlorophyceae. Kelimpahan fitoplankton di tambak cenderung meningkat seiring denganbertambahnya DOC (Day Of Culture). Kelimpahan fitoplankton menurun pada saluranpembuangan utama (canal main outlet). Penurunan ini diduga akibat adanya percampuran airbuangan dengan air laut dan efek sedimentasi di sepanjang saluran tersebut. Indeks similaritasmemperlihatkan bahwa air buangan tambak tidak mempengaruhi kelimpahan fitoplankton dilingkungan perairan sekitar area pertambakan dikarenakan konsentrasi limbah yang mencapailingkungan telah menurun akibat pengenceran pada saluran pembuangan utama. Kelimpahanfitoplankton di lingkungan perairan berkorelasi erat dengan Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen(DIN), Dissolved Inorganic Phosphate (DIP), dan TSS. Sedangkan di kolam budidaya(tambak), kelimpahan fitoplankton berkorelasi erat dengan DIP, kecerahan, dan salinitas.Kata kunci: fitoplankton, kualitas air, tambak udang, korelasiABSTRACTThe research was amied to reveal phytoplankton community in shrimp ponds and thesurrounding waters, and to study the correlation between phytoplankton community and waterquality. Water sample and phytoplankton collections were made in seven stations in thesurrounding waters and in five shrimp ponds. Similarity index and principal componentanalyses are used for data analyses.The results showed that 47 genera phytoplankton from sixclasses (i.e. Bacillariophyceae, Dinophyceae, Cyanophyceae, Chlorophyceae,Euglenophyceae, and Chrysophyceae) were found, and it is dominated by ClassBacillariophyceae in the surrounding waters. While in the shrimp ponds, Cyanophyceae andChlorophyceae were the two dominants. The abundance of phytoplankton tended to increasewith DOC (Day Of Culture). In the shrimp pond area, especially in canal main outlet theabundance decreased due to mixing processes with sea water in the canal. Similarity index indicated that shrimp pond effluent did not affect phytoplankton community of thesurrounding waters. In the surrounding waters, phytoplankton abundance was significantlycorreated with Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen (DIN), Dissolved Inorganic Phosphate (DIP),and TSS. While in shrimp ponds, it was significantly correlated with DIP, transparency andsalinity.Keywords: phytoplankton, water quality, shrimp pond, correlation
Kekhasan Morfologi Spesies Mangrove di Gili Sulat
Authors: Gito Hadiprayitno, dan M. Liwa Ilhamdi Agil Al Idrus, I Gde Mertha
Published: January 2018

ABSTRAKTujuan penelitian ini adalah menganalisis kekhasan morfologi spesies mangrove diGili Sulat. Pengumpulan data dalam penelitian ini menggunakan metode survey melaluipengamatan langsung secara in situ terhadap morfologi populasi-populasi dalam spesiesmangrove di lapangan. Data yang diperoleh dianalisis secara kualitatif dan kuantitatifkemudian deskripsikan untuk menggambarkan kekhasan morfologi spesies mangrove diGili Sulat. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan terdapat tujuh spesies mangrove komponenmayor yang populasinya menunjukkan morfologi yang khas di Gili Sulat, yaitu Bruguieragymnorrhiza, Rhizophora mucronata, Rhizophora stylosa, Rhizophora apiculata, Ceriopstagal, Sonneratia alba, dan Avicennia marina. Kekhasan morfologi spesies mangrovetersebut mencakup karakter tinggi pohon, warna dan diameter batang, struktur akar danjumlah bunga.Kata kunci: kekhasan, mangrove, morfologiABSTRACTThe aims of this reseach is to analyze specific morphology of species mangrove inGili Sulat. Data collected in this reseach is done by survey method through in situobservation to populations morphology of mangrove species in the field. Data is analyzedby qualitative and quantitative and then describing to explain specific morphology ofmangrove species in Gili sulat. The result show that there are seven major component ofmangrove species with specific population morphology in Gili sulat, namely Bruguieragymnorrhiza, Rhizophora mucronata, Rhizophora stylosa, Rhizophora apiculata, Ceriopstagal, Sonneratia alba, and Avicennia marina, respectively. The specific morphologycharacter of these mangrove species are heigh of trees, colour and diameter of stem, rootstructure and number of flower.Key Words: specific, mangrove, morphology
Genotyping of the Valencia Peanut Core Collection with a Molecular Marker Associated with Sclerotinia blight Resistance
Authors: Chamberlin Kelly D. , Puppala Naveen
Published: January 2018

Cultivated peanut, the second most economically important legume crop throughout the United States and the third most important oilseed in the world, is consistently threatened by various diseases and pests. Sclerotinia blight, (causal agents Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (S. sclerotiorum) and Sclerotinia minor Jagger (S. minor))is a major threat to peanut production in the Southwestern U.S., Virginia, and North Carolina and can reduce yield by up to 50% in severely infested fields. S. sclerotiorum has now been reported in areas of eastern New Mexico and west Texas where all U.S. grown Valencia peanuts are produced, commonly in organic cropping environments. Host plant resistance provides the most effective solution to managing Sclerotinia blight, especially in organic systems where pesticide use is not an option for disease control. To date, no Valencia cultivars with Sclerotinia blight resistance have been released. In this study, the Valencia peanut core germplasm collection was genotyped with a Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) marker associated with Sclerotinia blight resistance in order to identify potential germplasm for use in breeding to develop Valencia peanut cultivars resistant to the disease. Thirty accessions from the Valencia peanut core collection have profiles consistent with other genotypes that exhibit less that 5% incidence of Sclerotinia blight under heavy disease pressure. The identified accessions, after field evaluation, may serve as potential sources of Sclerotinia blight resistance in Valencia peanut breeding programs.
Fusions et acquisitions
Authors: Derbaix Christian , Poncin Ingrid , Derbaix Maud , Naglieri Alice , Derbaix Arlène
Published: January 2018

Cet article1 observe les réactions des consommateurs face au redéploiement des marques issu des fusions et acquisitions. Après une revue de la littérature qui se veut exhaustive, la contribution majeure de ce travail est de traiter quatre cas de F&A en réalisant deux revues de presse, des entretiens avec des responsables des organisations impliquées et surtout en donnant la parole aux consommateurs afin de cerner leurs réactions. La théorie de la réactance psychologique est mobilisée afin d’interpréter les réactions des consommateurs aux redéploiements des marques.
BBS News Vol.8(2)
Authors: Lasker Shamima Parvin
Published: January 2018

No abstract available.
Subcellular Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) in Cardiovascular Pathophysiology
Authors: Aldosari Sarah , Awad Maan , Harrington Elizabeth , Sellke Frank , Abid M.
Published: January 2018

There exist two opposing perspectives regarding reactive oxygen species (ROS) and their roles in angiogenesis and cardiovascular system, one that favors harmful and causal effects of ROS, while the other supports beneficial effects. Recent studies have shown that interaction between ROS in different sub-cellular compartments plays a crucial role in determining the outcomes (beneficial vs. deleterious) of ROS exposures on the vascular system. Oxidant radicals in one cellular organelle can affect the ROS content and function in other sub-cellular compartments in endothelial cells (ECs). In this review, we will focus on a critical fact that the effects or the final phenotypic outcome of ROS exposure to EC are tissue- or organ-specific, and depend on the spatial (subcellular localization) and temporal (duration of ROS exposure) modulation of ROS levels.
Metabolic Alterations in Cancer Cells and the Emerging Role of Oncometabolites as Drivers of Neoplastic Change
Authors: Zhou Zhengqiu , Ibekwe Elochukwu , Chornenkyy Yevgen
Published: January 2018

The mitochondrion is an important organelle and provides energy for a plethora of intracellular reactions. Metabolic dysregulation has dire consequences for the cell, and alteration in metabolism has been identified in multiple disease states—cancer being one. Otto Warburg demonstrated that cancer cells, in the presence of oxygen, undergo glycolysis by reprogramming their metabolism—termed “aerobic glycolysis”. Alterations in metabolism enable cancer cells to gain a growth advantage by obtaining precursors for macromolecule biosynthesis, such as nucleic acids and lipids. To date, several molecules, termed “oncometabolites”, have been identified to be elevated in cancer cells and arise from mutations in nuclear encoded mitochondrial enzymes. Furthermore, there is evidence that oncometabolites can affect mitochondrial dynamics. It is believed that oncometabolites can assist in reprogramming enzymatic pathways and providing cancer cells with selective advantages. In this review, we will touch upon the effects of normal and aberrant mitochondrial metabolism in normal and cancer cells, the advantages of metabolic reprogramming, effects of oncometabolites on metabolism and mitochondrial dynamics and therapies aimed at targeting oncometabolites and metabolic aberrations.
Cytokine Response to Exercise and Its Modulation
Authors: Suzuki Katsuhiko
Published: January 2018

Strenuous exercise induces such inflammatory responses as leukocytosis (neutrophilia) and symptoms as delayed-onset muscle soreness and swelling. However, the association between inflammatory mediator cytokines and oxidative stress is not fully delineated. Herein, in addition to basic background information on cytokines, research findings on exertional effects on cytokine release and the underlying mechanisms and triggers are introduced. Then, the associations among cytokine responses, oxidative stress, and tissue damage are described not only in overloaded skeletal muscle, but also in other internal organs. Furthermore, we introduce preventive countermeasures against the exhaustive exercise-induced pathogenesis together with the possibility of antioxidant interventions.
The Study of Non-Detection Zones in Conventional Long-Distance Ultrasonic Guided Wave Inspection on Square Steel Bars
Authors: Zhang Lei , Yang Yuan , Wei Xiaoyuan , Yao Wenqing
Published: January 2018

In a low-frequency ultrasonic guided wave dual-probe flaw inspection of a square steel bar with a finite length boundary, the flaw reflected pulse wave cannot be identified using conventional time monitoring when the flaw is located near the reflection terminal; therefore, the conventional ultrasonic echo method is not applicable and results in a non-detection zone. Using analysis and simulations of ultrasonic guided waves for the inspection of a square steel bar, the reasons for the appearance of the non-detection zone and its characteristics were analyzed and the range of the non-detection zone was estimated. Subsequently, by extending the range of the conventional detection time domain, the envelope of the specific reflected pulse signal was extracted by a combination of simulations and related envelope calculations to solve the problem of the non-detection zone in conventional inspection methods. A comparison between the simulation and the experimental results demonstrate that the solution is feasible. This study has certain practical significance for ultrasonic guided wave structural monitoring.
Web Strategy to Convey Marine Biogeochemical Feedback Concepts to the Policy Community: Aerosol and Sea Ice
Authors: Menzo Zachary
Published: January 2018

Limited understanding of the climate system imposes upon policy makers an intimate reliance on results from Earth System Models (ESMs). However, climate simulations are necessarily incomplete since many strong channels through planetary scale biology and geochemistry remain too complex or poorly comprehended to include. This paper presents and describes an interactive, public domain website detailing the role of two marine biogeochemical (mBGC) feedback loops currently excluded from many ESMs (www.marinefeedbacks.com). Every page on the website includes images or videos to foster engagement with its technically challenging content. Simultaneously, fundamentals of the natural science involved are reinforced. The site includes subsections of the following nature; background information, executive summaries for each feedback type, detailed descriptions of the chemical mechanisms, climate change impact, and recommendations for future research. The information provided is firmly grounded in the technical literature but is designed specifically for accessibility to non-scientists. Particular targets for the material are the next-generation of decision makers and those framing the international climate agenda. It is hoped that a site with tailored pedagogical value may contribute to well informed policy formulation and legislation.
The Internet and the Anti-Vaccine Movement: Tracking the 2017 EU Measles Outbreak
Authors: Mavragani Amaryllis , Ochoa Gabriela
Published: January 2018

In the Internet Era of information overload, how does the individual filter and process available knowledge? In addressing this question, this paper examines the behavioral changes in the online interest in terms related to Measles and the Anti-Vaccine Movement from 2004 to 2017, in order to identify any relationships between the decrease in immunization percentages, the Anti-Vaccine Movement, and the increased reported Measles cases. The results show that statistically significant positive correlations exist between monthly Measles cases and Google queries in the respective translated terms in most EU28 countries from January 2011 to August 2017. Furthermore, a strong negative correlation (p < 0.01) exists between the online interest in the term ‘Anti Vaccine’ and the Worldwide immunization percentages from 2004 to 2016. The latter could be supportive of previous work suggesting that conspiracist ideation is related to the rejection of scientific propositions. As Measles require the highest immunization percentage out of the vaccine preventable diseases, the 2017 EU outbreak could be the first of several other diseases’ outbreaks or epidemics in the near future should the immunization percentages continue to decrease. Big Data Analytics in general and the analysis of Google queries in specific have been shown to be valuable in addressing health related topics up to this point. Therefore, analyzing the variations and patterns of available online information could assist health officials with the assessment of reported cases, as well as taking the required preventive actions.
Effect of Al-B2O3-TiO2 Exothermic System on Performances of Fly Ash Glass/Ceramic Composite Coating
Authors: An Yajun , Li Weiqiang , Zhu Li , Lu Jingjing , Liu Xianyang
Published: January 2018

Glass/ceramic composite coatings were prepared on 40Cr steel matrix by thermo-chemical reaction with fly ash and a small amount of SiO2, Al2O3, MgO, and albite as main raw materials. On this basis, adding 10% Al-TiO2-B2O3 exothermic system, the morphology, phase, thermal shock resistance, and corrosion resistance of the coating were tested, and the influence of exothermic system on the structure and properties of the composite coating was studied. The experimental results show that the addition of exothermic system can promote the formation of NaB15, TiB2, Na2B4O7, Ca2Al2SiO7, and other new phases by thermo-chemical reaction; when compared to the composite coating without addition of exothermic system, combined with a good interface, higher compactness, and lower porosity. The highest micro hardness can be reached 725HV0.1. The number of thermal shock from 700 °C to room temperature can reach more than 50 times; acid, salt, oil immersion corrosion test, composite coating with exothermic system relative to the matrix increased by 27.40 times, 3.97 times, and 1.88 times, respectively. The overall performance is better than that of the composite coating without exothermic system.
Synthesis, Characterization, and Application of Novel Ni-P-Carbon Nitride Nanocomposites
Authors: Fayyad Eman , Abdullah Aboubakr , Hassan Mohammad , Mohamed Adel , Wang Chuhong , Jarjoura George , Farhat Zoheir
Published: January 2018

Dispersion of 2D carbon nitride (C3N4) nanosheets into a nickel phosphorous (NiP) matrix was successfully achieved by ultrasonication during the electroless plating of NiP from an acidic bath. The morphology and thickness, elemental analysis, phases, roughness, and wettability for as-plated and heat-treated nanocomposite were determined by scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, and contact angle measurements, respectively. C3N4 showed a homogeneous distribution morphology in the nanocomposite that changed from amorphous in case of the NiP to a mixed crystalline-amorphous structure in the NiP-C3N4 nanocomposite. The microhardness and corrosion resistance of the as-plated nanocomposite and the heat-treated nanocomposite coating were significantly enhanced compared to the Ni-P. The nanocomposite showed a superior corrosion protection efficiency of ~95%, as observed from the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements. On the other hand, the microhardness of the nanocomposite was significantly increased from 780 to reach 1175 HV200 for NiP and NiP-C3N4, respectively.
Essential Oils and Their Single Compounds in Cosmetics—A Critical Review
Authors: Sarkic Asja , Stappen Iris
Published: January 2018

Essential oils are widely incorporated in cosmetic products, perfumes and related household products due to the variety of their properties but mainly due to their pleasant odour. The composition of these volatile natural complex mixtures may vary depending on the quality of plant material from which they were obtained and the extraction method by which they were derived. These factors are also important in ensuring the safe use of essential oils in personal care products. As they contain compounds with varied chemical structure and effects, skin sensitivity and irritations as well as other symptoms may arise after their application. Although essential oils are considered as safe and nontoxic when used at low concentrations, available scientific literature indicates that essential oils and their compounds may possess a strong allergy potential. This review focuses on side effects and allergy contact dermatitis caused by selected essential oils and their single compounds in cosmetic products, summarizing data from the most recent scientific literature.
An Uncommon Case of Pediatric Esthesioneuroblastoma Presenting as SIADH: 18F-FDG PET/CT in Staging and Post-Therapeutic Assessment
Authors: Fosbøl Marie , Bilde Anders , Friborg Jeppe , Von Benzon Eric , Kjær Andreas , Von Buchwald Christian , Borgwardt Lise
Published: January 2018

Esthesioneuroblastoma (ENB) is an uncommon neuroendocrine tumor originating from the olfactory neuroepithelium and accounts for 3–6% of all intranasal tumors [1]. ENBs can be locally aggressive and cause invasion and destruction of surrounding structures. Histological grading and clinical stage at presentation are highly predictive of survival and especially presence of lymph node and distant metastases are determining prognostic factors [2,3,4,5]. Thus, reliable imaging is essential in these patients. Conventional imaging modalities for staging ENB are magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT). However, fluorine-18 fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose positron emission tomography/CT (18F-FDG PET/CT) has been reported as a valuable adjunct and was found to upstage 36% of ENB patients compared to conventional imaging [6]. We present a case demonstrating the diagnostic work-up and follow-up with 18F-FDG PET/CT in a young patient with ENB with a highly atypical clinical presentation.
Study of Time and Meteorological Characteristics of Wind Speed Correlation in Flat Terrains Based on Operation Data
Authors: Shen Xiaojun , Zhou Chongcheng , Fu Xuejiao
Published: January 2018

The accurate calculation and characteristic analysis of wind speed correlation (WSC) is the basis of wind farm equivalent modeling, wind power prediction and other advanced applications. It is well known that the accurate calculation of WSC depends on the quality of the raw data, and the WSC of wind turbines is related to spatial, time and meteorological conditions. However, the researches on the statistical analysis of time/meteorological WSC characteristics and the original data quality improvement for WSC calculation are rarely carried out. This paper reviews and redefines the concept and connotation of spatial, time and meteorological WSC. On this basis, a general process is proposed for WSC calculation including data classification, extraction and cleaning. Then the WSC characteristics between wind turbines are analyzed from time and meteorological dimensions based on the actual operation data. In addition, the influence of time WSC and meteorological WSC on wind turbine equivalent modeling and wind power prediction was discussed. The results of case study shows that the proposed general WSC calculation process is feasible and effective; the WSC for different time scales, wind speed ranges and wind directions varies greatly; the spatial WSC cannot characterize the time variability and directionality of the WSC. And the time and meteorological WSC characteristics are of great engineering value to improve the wind turbine equivalent modeling and wind power prediction accuracy, the influence of time scale and meteorological conditions should be considered in the applications of WSC.
The Effect of Using Ethanol-Gasoline Blends on the Mechanical, Energy and Environmental Performance of In-Use Vehicles
Authors: Tibaquirá Juan , Huertas José , Ospina Sebastián , Quirama Luis , Niño José
Published: January 2018

The use of ethanol in gasoline has become a worldwide tendency as an alternative to reduce net CO2 emissions to the atmosphere, increasing gasoline octane rating and reducing dependence on petroleum products. However, recently environmental authorities in large urban centers have expressed their concerns on the true effect of using ethanol blends of up to 20% v/v in in-use vehicles without any modification in the setup of the engine control unit (ECU), and on the variations of these effects along the years of operation of these vehicles. Their main concern is the potential increase in the emissions of volatile organic compounds with high ozone formation potential. To address these concerns, we developed analytical and experimental work testing engines under steady-conditions. We also tested carbureted and fuel-injected vehicles every 10,000 km during their first 100,000 km of operation. We measured the effect of using ethanol-gasoline blends on the power and torque generated, the fuel consumption and CO2, CO, NOx and unburned hydrocarbon emissions, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as acetaldehyde, formaldehyde, benzene and 1,3-butadiene which are considered important ozone precursors. The obtained results showed statistically no significant differences in these variables when vehicles operate with a blend of 20% v/v ethanol and 80% v/v gasoline (E20) instead of gasoline. Those results remained unchanged during the first 100,000 km of operation of the vehicles. We also observed that when the vehicles operated with E20 at high engine loads, they showed a tendency to operate with greater values of λ (ratio of the actual air-fuel ratio to the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio) when compared to their operation with gasoline. According to the Eco-Indicator-99, these results represent a minor reduction (<1.3%) on the impact to human health, and on the deterioration of the ecosystem. However, it implies a 12.9% deterioration of the natural resources. Thermal equilibrium analysis, at the tailpipe conditions (~100 °C), showed that ethane, formaldehyde, ethylene and ethanol are the most relevant VOCs in terms of the amount of mass emitted. The use of ethanol in the gasoline reduced 20–40% of those emissions. These reductions implied an average reduction of 17% in the ozone formation potential.
Gas Transport Model in Organic Shale Nanopores Considering Langmuir Slip Conditions and Diffusion: Pore Confinement, Real Gas, and Geomechanical Effects
Authors: Zhang Liehui , Shan Baochao , Zhao Yulong , Du Jia , Chen Jun , Tao Xiaoping
Published: January 2018

Nanopores are extremely developed and randomly distributed in shale gas reservoirs. Due to the rarefied conditions in shale strata, multiple gas transport mechanisms coexist and need further understanding. The commonly used slip models are mostly based on Maxwell slip boundary condition, which assumes elastic collisions between gas molecules and solid surfaces. However, gas molecules do not rebound from solid surfaces elastically, but rather are adsorbed on them and then re-emitted after some time lag. A Langmuir slip permeability model was established by introducing Langmuir slip BC. Knudsen diffusion of bulk phase gas and surface diffusion of adsorbed gas were also coupled into our nanopore transport model. Considering the effects of real gas, stress dependence, thermodynamic phase changes due to pore confinement, surface roughness, gas molecular volume, and pore enlargement due to gas desorption during depressurization, a unified gas transport model in organic shale nanopores was established, which was then upscaled by coupling effective porosity and tortuosity to describe practical SGR properties. The bulk phase transport model, single capillary model, and upscaled porous media model were validated by data from experimental data, lattice Boltzmann method or model comparisons. Based on the new gas transport model, the equivalent permeability of different flow mechanisms as well as the flux proportion of each mechanism to total flow rate was investigated in different pore radius and pressure conditions. The study in this paper revealed special gas transport characteristics in shale nonopores and provided a robust foundation for accurate simulation of shale gas production.
Ecological Structure of a Tropical Urban Forest in the Bang Kachao Peninsula, Bangkok
Authors: Sommeechai Montathip , Wachrinrat Chongrak , Dell Bernard , Thangtam Nipon , Srichaichana Jamroon
Published: January 2018

Rapid urbanization has changed the structure and function of natural ecosystems, especially floodplain ecosystems in SE Asia. The ecological structure of vegetation stands and the usefulness of satellite images was investigated to characterize a disturbed tropical urban forest located in the Chao Phraya River lower floodplain, Thailand. Nine sample plots were established on the Bang Kachao Peninsula (BKP) within 4 tropical forest types in an urban area: rehabilitation forest, home-garden agroforestry, mangrove and park. The tree habitats were beach forest, swamp forest, moist evergreen forest, dry evergreen forest, mangrove forest and abandoned orchard or home-garden. Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) values obtained from Landsat 7 satellite images were correlated with plant structure from field surveys. NDVI had the highest relationship with stand factors for number of families, number of species, Shannon-Weiner index and total basal area. Linear regression predicted well the correlation between NDVI and stand factors for families and basal area. NDVI trends reflected urban tropical forest typing and biodiversity, being high in rehabilitation and mangrove forests, moderate in home-gardens and low in parks. We suggest that the application of NDVI for assessments can be useful for future planning, monitoring and management of the BKP and hence may contribute for increasing biodiversity and complexity of these urban forests.
Tree Stress and Mortality from Emerald Ash Borer Does Not Systematically Alter Short-Term Soil Carbon Flux in a Mixed Northeastern U.S. Forest
Authors: Matthes Jaclyn , Lang Ashley , Jevon Fiona , Russell Sarah
Published: January 2018

Invasive insect pests are a common disturbance in temperate forests, but their effects on belowground processes in these ecosystems are poorly understood. This study examined how aboveground disturbance might impact short-term soil carbon flux in a forest impacted by emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) in central New Hampshire, USA. We anticipated changes to soil moisture and temperature resulting from tree mortality caused by emerald ash borer, with subsequent effects on rates of soil respiration and methane oxidation. We measured carbon dioxide emissions and methane uptake beneath trees before, during, and after infestation by emerald ash borer. In our study, emerald ash borer damage to nearby trees did not alter soil microclimate nor soil carbon fluxes. While surprising, the lack of change in soil microclimate conditions may have been a result of the sandy, well-drained soil in our study area and the diffuse spatial distribution of canopy ash trees and subsequent canopy light gaps after tree mortality. Overall, our results indicate that short-term changes in soil carbon flux following insect disturbances may be minimal, particularly in forests with well-drained soils and a mixed-species canopy.
Recent Advances on Cellular D2D Communications
Authors: Seet Boon-Chong , Hasan Syed , Chong Peter
Published: January 2018

Device-to-device (D2D) communications have attracted a great deal of attention fromresearchers in recent years.[...]
European Vanilla Option Pricing Model of Fractional Order without Singular Kernel
Authors: Yavuz Mehmet , Özdemir Necati
Published: January 2018

Recently, fractional differential equations (FDEs) have attracted much more attention in modeling real-life problems. Since most FDEs do not have exact solutions, numerical solution methods are used commonly. Therefore, in this study, we have demonstrated a novel approximate-analytical solution method, which is called the Laplace homotopy analysis method (LHAM) using the Caputo–Fabrizio (CF) fractional derivative operator. The recommended method is obtained by combining Laplace transform (LT) and the homotopy analysis method (HAM). We have used the fractional operator suggested by Caputo and Fabrizio in 2015 based on the exponential kernel. We have considered the LHAM with this derivative in order to obtain the solutions of the fractional Black–Scholes equations (FBSEs) with the initial conditions. In addition to this, the convergence and stability analysis of the model have been constructed. According to the results of this study, it can be concluded that the LHAM in the sense of the CF fractional derivative is an effective and accurate method, which is computable in the series easily in a short time.
Age and Gender Differences in Psychological Distress among African Americans and Whites: Findings from the 2016 National Health Interview Survey
Authors: Watkins Daphne , Johnson Natasha
Published: January 2018

Previous studies report a race and mental health paradox: Whites score higher on measures of major depression compared to African Americans, but the opposite is true for psychological distress (i.e., African Americans score higher on distress measures compared to Whites). Independently, race, age, and gender outcomes for psychological distress are well documented in the literature. However, there is relatively little research on how psychological distress interferes with the lives of African Americans and Whites at the intersection of their various race, age, and gender identities. This study uses data from the 2016 National Health Interview Survey to examine age and gender differences in psychological distress and how much psychological distress interferes with the lives of African Americans and Whites. Our study findings are contrary to the paradox such that young White women (M = 3.36, SD = 1.14) and middle-aged White men (M = 2.55, SD = 3.97) experienced higher psychological distress than all other race, age, and gender groups. Psychological distress interference was relatively high among the high distress groups, except for older African American men (M = 1.73, SD = 1.05) and young African American women (M = 1.93, SD = 0.95). Implications for studies that consider cultural experiences of psychological distress, and how it impacts different demographic groups are discussed.
Comparing Classic and Interval Analytical Hierarchy Process Methodologies for Measuring Area-Level Deprivation to Analyze Health Inequalities
Authors: Cabrera-Barona Pablo , Ghorbanzadeh Omid
Published: January 2018

Deprivation indices are useful measures to study health inequalities. Different techniques are commonly applied to construct deprivation indices, including multi-criteria decision methods such as the analytical hierarchy process (AHP). The multi-criteria deprivation index for the city of Quito is an index in which indicators are weighted by applying the AHP. In this research, a variation of this index is introduced that is calculated using interval AHP methodology. Both indices are compared by applying logistic generalized linear models and multilevel models, considering self-reported health as the dependent variable and deprivation and self-reported quality of life as the independent variables. The obtained results show that the multi-criteria deprivation index for the city of Quito is a meaningful measure to assess neighborhood effects on self-reported health and that the alternative deprivation index using the interval AHP methodology more thoroughly represents the local knowledge of experts and stakeholders. These differences could support decision makers in improving health planning and in tackling health inequalities in more deprived areas.
Application of Geospatial Techniques for Groundwater Quality and Availability Assessment: A Case Study in Jaffna Peninsula, Sri Lanka
Authors: Gunaalan Kuddithamby , Ranagalage Manjula , Gunarathna M. , Kumari M. , Vithanage Meththika , Srivaratharasan Tharmalingam , Saravanan Suntharalingam , Warnasuriya T.W.S.
Published: January 2018

Groundwater is one of the most important natural resources in the northern coastal belt of Sri Lanka, as there are no major water supply schemes or perennial rivers. Overexploitation, seawater intrusion and persistent pollution of this vital resource are threatening human health as well as ecosystems in the Jaffna Peninsula. Therefore, the main intent of the present paper is to apply geospatial techniques to assess the spatial variation of groundwater quality and availability for the sustainable management of groundwater in the coastal areas. The electrical conductivity (EC) and depth to water (DTW) of 41 wells were measured during the period from March to June 2014, which represents the dry period of the study area. Surface interpolation, gradient analysis, a local indicators of spatial autocorrelations (LISA) and statistical analysis were used to assess the quality and availability of groundwater. The results revealed that the drinking and irrigation water quality in the study area were poor and further deteriorated with the progression of the dry season. Good quality and availability of groundwater were observed in the western zone compared to other zones of the study area. A negative correlation was identified between depth to water and electrical conductivity in the western zone. Hence, relatively deep wells in the western zone of the study area can be used to utilize the groundwater for drinking, domestic and agricultural purposes. The outcomes of this study can be used to formulate policy decisions for sustainable management of groundwater resources in Jaffna Peninsula.
A Knowledge Base for Automatic Feature Recognition from Point Clouds in an Urban Scene
Authors: Xing Xu-Feng , Mostafavi Mir-Abolfazl , Chavoshi Seyed
Published: January 2018

LiDAR technology can provide very detailed and highly accurate geospatial information on an urban scene for the creation of Virtual Geographic Environments (VGEs) for different applications. However, automatic 3D modeling and feature recognition from LiDAR point clouds are very complex tasks. This becomes even more complex when the data is incomplete (occlusion problem) or uncertain. In this paper, we propose to build a knowledge base comprising of ontology and semantic rules aiming at automatic feature recognition from point clouds in support of 3D modeling. First, several modules for ontology are defined from different perspectives to describe an urban scene. For instance, the spatial relations module allows the formalized representation of possible topological relations extracted from point clouds. Then, a knowledge base is proposed that contains different concepts, their properties and their relations, together with constraints and semantic rules. Then, instances and their specific relations form an urban scene and are added to the knowledge base as facts. Based on the knowledge and semantic rules, a reasoning process is carried out to extract semantic features of the objects and their components in the urban scene. Finally, several experiments are presented to show the validity of our approach to recognize different semantic features of buildings from LiDAR point clouds.
Aquaporin Expression and Water Transport Pathways inside Leaves Are Affected by Nitrogen Supply through Transpiration in Rice Plants
Authors: Ding Lei , Li Yingrui , Gao Limin , Lu Zhifeng , Wang Min , Ling Ning , Shen Qirong , Guo Shiwei
Published: January 2018

The photosynthetic rate increases under high-N supply, resulting in a large CO2 transport conductance in mesophyll cells. It is less known that water movement is affected by nitrogen supply in leaves. This study investigated whether the expression of aquaporin and water transport were affected by low-N (0.7 mM) and high-N (7 mM) concentrations in the hydroponic culture of four rice varieties: (1) Shanyou 63 (SY63), a hybrid variant of the indica species; (2) Yangdao 6 (YD6), a variant of indica species; (3) Zhendao 11 (ZD11), a hybrid variant of japonica species; and (4) Jiuyou 418 (JY418), another hybrid of the japonica species. Both the photosynthetic and transpiration rate were increased by the high-N supply in the four varieties. The expressions of aquaporins, plasma membrane intrinsic proteins (PIPs), and tonoplast membrane intrinsic protein (TIP) were higher in high-N than low-N leaves, except in SY63. Leaf hydraulic conductance (Kleaf) was lower in high-N than low-N leaves in SY63, while Kleaf increased under high-N supply in the YD6 variant. Negative correlations were observed between the expression of aquaporin and the transpiration rate in different varieties. Moreover, there was a significant negative correlation between transpiration rate and intercellular air space. In conclusion, the change in expression of aquaporins could affect Kleaf and transpiration. A feedback effect of transpiration would regulate aquaporin expression. The present results imply a coordination of gas exchange with leaf hydraulic conductance.
Functional Analysis of Promoters from Three Subtypes of the PI3K Family and Their Roles in the Regulation of Lipid Metabolism by Insulin in Yellow Catfish Pelteobagrus fulvidraco
Authors: Zhuo Mei-Qin , Luo Zhi , Xu Yi-Huan , Li Dan-Dan , Pan Ya-Xiong , Wu Kun
Published: January 2018

In the present study, the length of 360, 1848 and 367 bp sequences of promoters from three subtypes of PI3K family (PI3KCa, PI3KC2b and PI3KC3) of yellow catfish Pelteobagrus fulvidraco were cloned and characterized. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that PI3KCa, PI3KC2b and PI3KC3 had different structures in their core promoter regions. The promoter regions of PI3KCa and PI3KC2b had CpG islands but no CAAT and TATA box. In contrast, the promoter of PI3KC3 had the canonical TATA and CAAT box but no CpG island. The binding sites of several transcription factors, such as HNF1, STAT and NF-κB, were predicted on PI3KCa promoter. The binding sites of transcription factors, such as FOXO1, PPAR-RXR, STAT, IK1, HNF6 and HNF3, were predicted on PI3KC2b promoter and the binding sites of FOXO1 and STAT transcription factors were predicted on PI3KC3 promoter. Deletion analysis indicated that these transcriptional factors were the potential regulators to mediate the activities of their promoters. Subsequent mutation analysis and electrophoretic mobility-shift assay (EMSA) demonstrated that HNF1 and IK1 directly bound with PI3KCa and PI3KC2b promoters and negatively regulated the activities of PI3KCa and PI3KC2b promoters, respectively. Conversely, FOXO1 directly bound with the PI3KC2b and PI3KC3 promoters and positively regulated their promoter activities. In addition, AS1842856 (AS, a potential FOXO1 inhibitor) incubation significantly reduced the relative luciferase activities of several plasmids of PI3KC2b and PI3KC3 but did not significantly influence the relative luciferase activities of the PI3KCa plasmids. Moreover, by using primary hepatocytes from yellow catfish, AS incubation significantly down-regulated the mRNA levels of PI3KCa, PI3KC2b and PI3KC3 and reduced triacylglyceride (TG) accumulation and insulin-induced TG accumulation, as well as the activities and the mRNA levels of several genes involved in lipid metabolism. Thus, the present study offers new insights into the mechanisms for transcriptional regulation of PI3Ks and for PI3Ks-mediated regulation of lipid metabolism by insulin in fish.