bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Konstruksi Realitas dalam Infotainment Silet
Authors: Mariyam Siti
Published: April 2017

This paper aims to analyze the discourse of motto used by Silet, the most favorite infotainment programs of Panasonic Gobel Awards. The research found that Silet has used language that can transform reality. Using language, Silet has constructed meaning to audiences that information presented has changed from original form. Something that is taboo now can be worthy to discuss it after broadcasted by Silet. Silet gives suggestion and ‘false consciousness’ to audiences that everything presented by Silet is good and right. The use of words and motto is a tactic to make proper banality of news content presented by Silet.
Dampak Kekuatan Informasi Film Ngenest terhadap Penilaian Komunitas Stand Up Indonesia di Jakarta
Authors: Marta Rustono Faradi , Suryani Angelina
Published: April 2017

This research examines the influence of information strength on NGENEST The Movie towards social judgment. This topic has appointed based on facts that the delivery of anti-discrimination message is expected can inffluence Indonesian people about Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (unity in diversity). The purpose of this study is to find effects of a message on NGENEST The Movie towards social judgment. This research is using quantitative method with positivistic and explanative approaches .Data were colected through by questionnaires to 91 members of Stand Up Indonesia community in Jakarta, and supported by secondary data obtained from literature. Hypotheses testing has been done by doing correlation test, regression, coefficient of determination and t-test. The result shows that information strength on NGENEST The Movie has significant relation towards social judgment. The result of linear regression has been indicated by equation Y = 3,037 + 0,365 X1, with the result of hypotheses testing stating that the variable of information strength on NGENEST The Movie has significant impact on social judgment, contributing to 17,9 %. It can be concluded that the information strength on NGENEST The Movie has significant impact towards social judgment.
Novel Tracking and Reporting Methods for Studying Large Birds in Urban Landscapes
Authors: Davis Adrian , Major Richard E. , Taylor Charlotte E. , Martin John M.
Published: April 2017

Monitoring individually marked birds' movements over the long term with the aid of third‐party observers can be challenging for reasons including poor tag visibility, observer error and tag failure or removal. This study tested the efficacy of the little used method of tagging birds with livestock ear‐tags; fitted to the patagia of 100 sulphur‐crested cockatoos occupying an urbanised landscape. The wing‐tags were easily applied, persisted over four years, and were highly visible. Urban residents were encouraged to report sightings of tagged birds, and there was a strong public response, with a total of 14 705 valid records over the first four years. Wing‐tagged birds were predominantly reported through a customised smartphone application (n = 10 146 records), e‐mail (n = 3243), Facebook (n = 415), and other formats (n = 901) by a large number of people (n = 1252) across all formats. All 100 tagged birds were reported by third‐party observers at least once and 68% of birds were reported more than 100 times. Because large birds tend to dominate urban bird communities, this research methodology should be effective for many other urban ecology projects.
Investigation of the Tribological Behaviour of HS6-5-3 type Tool Steels during High-Temperature Sliding Wear*
Authors: Walter M. , Egels G. , Boes J. , Röttger A. , Theisen W.
Published: April 2017

The wear behaviour of work roll materials is an important issue during the hot rolling process of metals. For this reason, the present study investigates the mechanical properties and the sliding wear behaviour of HS6-5-3 type high-speed steels (HSS) at elevated temperatures. Influences on the performance of HSS discussed are the microstructural constitution (as-cast and electro-slag remelted condition), the heat-treatment condition and the overall tribological system (C60 carbon steel and X5CrNi18-10 stainless steel counter-body materials). The results of the study show, how mechanical and tribological properties of HSS depend on these aspects and how a modification of the processing route can lead to improved high-temperature properties of HSS. As a main aspect the investigations show that, the formation of tribochemical wear layers during high-temperature sliding wear needs to be regarded. Tribochemical wear layers dominate the high-temperature wear behavior of steels. Therefore, the formation, characteristics and stability of tribochemical wear layers are analysed [1].
Effects on Water Management and Quality Characteristics of Ozone Application in Chicory Forcing Process: A Pilot System
Authors: Nicoletto Carlo , Maucieri Carmelo , Sambo Paolo
Published: April 2017

Agriculture is the largest user of world water resources, accounting for 70% of all consumption. Reducing water consumption and increasing water use efficiency in agriculture are two of the main challenges that need to be faced in the coming decades. Radicchio Rosso di Treviso Tardivo (RTT) is a vegetable that requires a water forcing process prior to final commercialization which presents a significant environmental impact due to the high water volumes used and then dispersed into the environment. The experiment was aimed at reducing the water use in the forcing process of RTT, by developing a pilot system with recycled water in a closed loop through ozone treatment. Concerning water quality, the redox potential value was higher in the ozonized system, whereas turbidity, pH and electrical conductivity of the ozonized system did not change significantly from the control. Yield and quality of plants obtained in the ozonized system did not significantly differ from the control plants except for the antioxidant activity that was higher in plants forced using the water treated with ozone. Our initial results suggest that the ozone treatment could be applied in the forcing process and is suitable for growers, saving up to 95% of water volumes normally used for this cultivation practice.
Fusion of Intraoperative 3D B-mode and Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound Data for Automatic Identification of Residual Brain Tumors
Authors: Ilunga-Mbuyamba Elisee , Lindner Dirk , Avina-Cervantes Juan , Arlt Felix , Rostro-Gonzalez Horacio , Cruz-Aceves Ivan , Chalopin Claire
Published: April 2017

Intraoperative ultrasound (iUS) imaging is routinely performed to assist neurosurgeons during tumor surgery. In particular, the identification of the possible presence of residual tumors at the end of the intervention is crucial for the operation outcome. B-mode ultrasound remains the standard modality because it depicts brain structures well. However, tumorous tissue is hard to differentiate from resection cavity borders, blood and artifacts. On the other hand, contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) highlights residuals of the tumor, but the interpretation of the image is complex. Therefore, an assistance system to support the identification of tumor remnants in the iUS data is needed. Our approach is based on image segmentation and data fusion techniques. It consists of combining relevant information, automatically extracted from both intraoperative B-mode and CEUS image data, according to decision rules that model the analysis process of neurosurgeons to interpret the iUS data. The method was tested on an image dataset of 23 patients suffering from glioblastoma. The detection rate of brain areas with tumor residuals reached by the algorithm was qualitatively and quantitatively compared with manual annotations provided by experts. The results showed that the assistance tool was able to successfully identify areas with suspicious tissue.
Assessment of Land-Use/Land-Cover Change and Forest Fragmentation in the Garhwal Himalayan Region of India
Authors: Batar Amit , Watanabe Teiji , Kumar Ajay
Published: April 2017

The Garhwal Himalaya has experienced extensive deforestation and forest fragmentation, but data and documentation detailing this transformation of the Himalaya are limited. The aim of this study is to analyse the observed changes in land cover and forest fragmentation that occurred between 1976 and 2014 in the Garhwal Himalayan region in India. Three images from Landsat 2 Multispectral Scanner System (MSS), Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM), and Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) were used to extract the land cover maps. A cross-tabulation detection method in the geographic information system (GIS) module was used to detect land cover changes during the 1st period (1976–1998) and 2nd period (1998–2014). The landscape fragmentation tool LFT v2.0 was used to construct a forest fragmentation map and analyse the forest fragmentation pattern and change during the 1st period (1976–1998) and 2nd period (1998–2014). The overall annual rate of change in the forest cover was observed to be 0.22% and 0.27% in the 1st period (1976–1998) and 2nd period (1998–2014), respectively. The forest fragmentation analysis shows that a large core forest has decreased throughout the study period. The total area of forest patches also increased from 1976 to 2014, which are completely degraded forests. The results indicate that anthropogenic activities are the main causes of the loss of forest cover and forest fragmentation, but that natural factors also contributed. An increase in the area of scrub and barren land also contributed to the accumulation of wasteland or non-forest land in this region. Determining the trend and the rate of land cover conversion is necessary for development planners to establish a rational land use policy.
Feature-Based Image Watermarking Algorithm Using SVD and APBT for Copyright Protection
Authors: Zhang Yunpeng , Wang Chengyou , Wang Xiaoli , Wang Min
Published: April 2017

Watermarking techniques can be applied in digital images to maintain the authenticity and integrity for copyright protection. In this paper, scale-invariant feature transform (SIFT) is combined with local digital watermarking and a digital watermarking algorithm based on SIFT, singular value decomposition (SVD), and all phase biorthogonal transform (APBT) is proposed. It describes the generation process of the SIFT algorithm in detail and obtains a series of scale-invariant feature points. A large amount of candidate feature points are selected to obtain the neighborhood which can be used to embed the watermark. For these selected feature points, block-based APBT is carried out on their neighborhoods. Moreover, a coefficients matrix of certain APBT coefficients is generated for SVD to embed the encrypted watermark. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed watermarking algorithm has stronger robustness than some previous schemes. In addition, APBT-based digital watermarking algorithm has good imperceptibility and is more robust to different combinations of attacks, which can be applied for the purpose of copyright protection.
On the Values for the Turbulent Schmidt Number in Environmental Flows
Authors: Gualtieri Carlo , Angeloudis Athanasios , Bombardelli Fabian , Jha Sanjeev , Stoesser Thorsten
Published: April 2017

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) has consolidated as a tool to provide understanding and quantitative information regarding many complex environmental flows. The accuracy and reliability of CFD modelling results oftentimes come under scrutiny because of issues in the implementation of and input data for those simulations. Regarding the input data, if an approach based on the Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations is applied, the turbulent scalar fluxes are generally estimated by assuming the standard gradient diffusion hypothesis (SGDH), which requires the definition of the turbulent Schmidt number, Sct (the ratio of momentum diffusivity to mass diffusivity in the turbulent flow). However, no universally-accepted values of this parameter have been established or, more importantly, methodologies for its computation have been provided. This paper firstly presents a review of previous studies about Sct in environmental flows, involving both water and air systems. Secondly, three case studies are presented where the key role of a correct parameterization of the turbulent Schmidt number is pointed out. These include: (1) transverse mixing in a shallow water flow; (2) tracer transport in a contact tank; and (3) sediment transport in suspension. An overall picture on the use of the Schmidt number in CFD emerges from the paper.
Comparative Analysis of the Complete Chloroplast Genome of Four Endangered Herbals of Notopterygium
Authors: Yang Jiao , Yue Ming , Niu Chuan , Ma Xiong-Feng , Li Zhong-Hu
Published: April 2017

Notopterygium H. de Boissieu (Apiaceae) is an endangered perennial herb endemic to China. A good knowledge of phylogenetic evolution and population genomics is conducive to the establishment of effective management and conservation strategies of the genus Notopterygium. In this study, the complete chloroplast (cp) genomes of four Notopterygium species (N. incisum C. C. Ting ex H. T. Chang, N. oviforme R. H. Shan, N. franchetii H. de Boissieu and N. forrestii H. Wolff) were assembled and characterized using next-generation sequencing. We investigated the gene organization, order, size and repeat sequences of the cp genome and constructed the phylogenetic relationships of Notopterygium species based on the chloroplast DNA and nuclear internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences. Comparative analysis of plastid genome showed that the cp DNA are the standard double-stranded molecule, ranging from 157,462 bp (N. oviforme) to 159,607 bp (N. forrestii) in length. The circular DNA each contained a large single-copy (LSC) region, a small single-copy (SSC) region, and a pair of inverted repeats (IRs). The cp DNA of four species contained 85 protein-coding genes, 37 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes and 8 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes, respectively. We determined the marked conservation of gene content and sequence evolutionary rate in the cp genome of four Notopterygium species. Three genes (psaI, psbI and rpoA) were possibly under positive selection among the four sampled species. Phylogenetic analysis showed that four Notopterygium species formed a monophyletic clade with high bootstrap support. However, the inconsistent interspecific relationships with the genus Notopterygium were identified between the cp DNA and ITS markers. The incomplete lineage sorting, convergence evolution or hybridization, gene infiltration and different sampling strategies among species may have caused the incongruence between the nuclear and cp DNA relationships. The present results suggested that Notopterygium species may have experienced a complex evolutionary history and speciation process.
Non-Responsive Feeding Practices, Unhealthy Eating Behaviors, and Risk of Child Overweight and Obesity in Southeast Asia: A Systematic Review
Authors: Cristina Lindsay Ana , Sitthisongkram Somporn , Greaney Mary , Wallington Sherrie , Ruengdej Praewrapee
Published: April 2017

Childhood obesity is increasing dramatically in many Southeast Asian countries, and becoming a significant public health concern. This review summarizes the evidence on associations between parental feeding practices, child eating behaviors, and the risk of overweight and obesity in Southeast Asian children 2–12 years old. We systematically searched five electronic academic/research (PubMed, PsycINFO, ProQuest Nursing, Medline, and CINAHL) databases using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement for peer-reviewed studies published in English between January 2000 and December 2016. Fourteen observational studies met the inclusion criteria and were reviewed. Reviewed studies were examined separately for preschool- and school-aged children and revealed that non-responsive parental feeding practices and unhealthy child eating behaviors were associated with a risk of child overweight and obesity in several Southeast Asian countries. Nonetheless, due to the small number of identified studies (n = 14) and because only about half of the Southeast Asian countries (Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, the Philippines, and Malaysia) were represented (5/11) in the examined studies, additional research is needed to further understand the factors associated with childhood obesity among children in Southeast Asia to develop interventions that are tailored to the specific needs of Southeast Asian countries and designed to address practices and behaviors that may promote childhood obesity.
Spatial and Temporal Analysis of the Mitigating Effects of Industrial Relocation on the Surface Urban Heat Island over China
Authors: Zhang Linlin , Meng Qingyan , Sun Zhenhui , Sun Yunxiao
Published: April 2017

Urbanization is typically accompanied by the relocation and reconstruction of industrial areas due to limited space and environmental requirements, particularly in the case of a capital city. Shougang Group, one of the largest steel mill operators in China, was relocated from Beijing to Hebei Province. To study the thermal environmental changes at the Shougang industrial site before and after relocation, four Landsat images (from 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2016) were used to calculate the land surface temperature (LST). Using the urban heat island ratio index (URI), we compared the LST values for the four images of the investigated area. Following the relocation of Shougang Group, the URI values decreased from 0.55 in 2005 to 0.21 in 2016, indicating that the surface urban heat island effect in the area was greatly mitigated; we infer that this effect was related to steel production. This study shows that the use of Landsat images to assess industrial thermal pollution is feasible. Accurate and rapid extraction of thermal pollution data by remote sensing offers great potential for the management of industrial pollution sources and distribution, and for technical support in urban planning departments.
Chemopreventive Strategies for Inflammation-Related Carcinogenesis: Current Status and Future Direction
Authors: Kanda Yusuke , Osaki Mitsuhiko , Okada Futoshi
Published: April 2017

A sustained and chronically-inflamed environment is characterized by the presence of heterogeneous inflammatory cellular components, including neutrophils, macrophages, lymphocytes and fibroblasts. These infiltrated cells produce growth stimulating mediators (inflammatory cytokines and growth factors), chemotactic factors (chemokines) and genotoxic substances (reactive oxygen species and nitrogen oxide) and induce DNA damage and methylation. Therefore, chronic inflammation serves as an intrinsic niche for carcinogenesis and tumor progression. In this article, we summarize the up-to-date findings regarding definitive/possible causes and mechanisms of inflammation-related carcinogenesis derived from experimental and clinical studies. We also propose 10 strategies, as well as candidate agents for the prevention of inflammation-related carcinogenesis.
Sonic Hedgehog and TDP-43 Participate in the Spontaneous Locomotor Recovery in a Mouse Model of Spinal Motoneuron Disease
Authors: Gulino Rosario , Parenti Rosalba , Gulisano Massimo
Published: April 2017

Several studies have attempted to repair the damaged spinal cord (SC) by stimulating neurogenesis or neuroplasticity, with limited success. Sonic hedgehog (Shh) is involved in neural induction and stem cell functioning, but recent findings also suggest its role in regeneration and functional recovery. Transactive response DNA-binding protein of 43 kDa (TDP-43) is a nuclear DNA/RNA binding protein involved in transcription and RNA processing. Recent findings have reported cytoplasmic inclusions containing TDP-43 in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Although substantial attention has been given to the toxic effects of this protein, the functional role of TDP-43 remains largely unclear. We used a mouse model of neurotoxic motoneuron depletion to study the role of the above-described factors in the compensatory changes occurring after the lesion. The injection of cholera toxin-B saporin into the gastrocnemius muscle caused a partial motoneuron death accompanied by an impairment of locomotion. Interestingly, motor activity was significantly restored as soon as one month later. Moreover, we observed an activity-dependent modification of Shh and synaptic proteins: synapsin-I and α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate (AMPA) receptors. Notably, the motor performance of lesioned animals correlated with the expression of synapsin-I and Shh. Conversely, the expression of Shh significantly correlated with the levels of synapsin-I, GluR2, and TDP-43. The results suggest that Shh and TDP-43 are crucial parts of a complex mechanism of neuroplasticity in a mouse model of SC motoneuron disease.
The Effect of Surfactant Content over Cu-Ni Coatings Electroplated by the sc-CO2 Technique
Authors: Chuang Ho-Chiao , Sánchez Jorge , Cheng Hsiang-Yun
Published: April 2017

Co-plating of Cu-Ni coatings by supercritical CO2 (sc-CO2) and conventional electroplating processes was studied in this work. 1,4-butynediol was chosen as the surfactant and the effects of adjusting the surfactant content were described. Although the sc-CO2 process displayed lower current efficiency, it effectively removed excess hydrogen that causes defects on the coating surface, refined grain size, reduced surface roughness, and increased electrochemical resistance. Surface roughness of coatings fabricated by the sc-CO2 process was reduced by an average of 10%, and a maximum of 55%, compared to conventional process at different fabrication parameters. Cu-Ni coatings produced by the sc-CO2 process displayed increased corrosion potential of ~0.05 V over Cu-Ni coatings produced by the conventional process, and 0.175 V over pure Cu coatings produced by the conventional process. For coatings ~10 µm thick, internal stress developed from the sc-CO2 process were ~20 MPa lower than conventional process. Finally, the preferred crystal orientation of the fabricated coatings remained in the (111) direction regardless of the process used or surfactant content.
New Low-Sn Zr Cladding Alloys with Excellent Autoclave Corrosion Resistance and High Strength
Authors: Zhang Ruiqian , Jiang Beibei , Pang Chang , Dai Xun , Sun Yongduo , Liao Wei , Wang Qing , Dong Chuang
Published: April 2017

It is expected that low-Sn Zr alloys are a good candidate to improve the corrosion resistance of Zr cladding alloys in nuclear reactors, presenting excellent corrosion resistance and high strength. The present work developed a new alloy series of Zr-0.25Sn-0.36Fe-0.11Cr-xNb (x = 0.4~1.2 wt %) to investigate the effect of Nb on autoclave corrosion resistance. Alloy ingots were prepared by non-consumable arc-melting, solid-solutioned, and then rolled into thin plates with a thickness of 0.7 mm. It was found that the designed low-Sn Zr alloys exhibit excellent corrosion resistances in three out of pile autoclave environments (distilled water at 633 K/18.6 MPa, 70 ppm LiOH solution at 633 K/18.6 MPa, and superheated water steam at 673 K/10.3 MPa), as demonstrated by the fact of the Zr-0.25Sn-0.36Fe-0.11Cr-0.6Nb alloy shows a corrosion weight gain ΔG = 46.3 mg/dm2 and a tensile strength of σUTS = 461 MPa following 100 days of exposure in water steam. The strength of the low-Sn Zr alloy with a higher Nb content (x = 1.2 wt %) is enhanced up to 499 MPa, comparable to that of the reference high-Sn N36 alloy (Zr-1.0Sn-1.0Nb-0.25Fe, wt %). Although the strength improvement is at a slight expense of corrosion resistance with the increase of Nb, the corrosion resistance of the high-Nb alloy with x = 1.2 (ΔG = 90.4 mg/dm2 for 100-day exposure in the water steam) is still better than that of N36 (ΔG = 103.4 mg/dm2).
Jesuit and Feminist Hospitality: Pope Francis’ Virtue Response to Inequality
Authors: Ward Kate
Published: April 2017

Pope Francis is the first Jesuit pope and has made economic inequality a theme of his pontificate. This article shows that Pope Francis diagnoses economic inequality as both a structural problem and a problem of virtue, and that the virtue he calls for in response is what James F. Keenan, SJ has called Jesuit hospitality. Reviewing contemporary theological work on hospitality, I show that Francis’ Jesuit hospitality shares many features with hospitality as described by feminist theologians. Namely, it is risky, takes place across difference, acknowledges the marginality of both host and guest, and promises mutual benefit to each party. Francis’ account of the spiritual practice of encounter provides a concrete vision of Jesuit hospitality in action. This article contributes to existing literature on the uniquely Jesuit nature of Francis’ theology and to work showing the resonance of his intellectual standpoint with feminist approaches. It proposes a Christian virtue response to the pressing contemporary problem of economic inequality.
A Recognition and Geological Model of a Deep-Seated Ancient Landslide at a Reservoir under Construction
Authors: Qi Shengwen , Zou Yu , Wu Faquan , Yan Changgen , Fan Jinghui , Zang Mingdong , Zhang Shishu , Wang Ruyi
Published: April 2017

Forty-six ancient Tibetan star-shaped towers and a village are located on a giant slope, which would be partially flooded by a nearby reservoir currently under construction. Ground survey, boreholes, and geophysical investigations have been carried out, with results indicating that the slope consists of loose deposit with a mean thickness of approximately 80 m in addition to an overlying bedrock of micaceous schist and phyllite. Ground survey and Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) indicated that the slope is experiencing some local deformations, with the appearance of cracks and occurrence of two small landslides. Through using borehole logs with the knowledge of the regional geological background, it can be inferred that the loose deposit is a result of an ancient deep-seated translational landslide. This landslide was initiated along the weak layer of the bedding plane during the last glaciation in the late Pleistocene (Q3) period, which was due to deep incision of the Dadu River at that time. Although it has not shown a major reaction since the ancient Tibetan star-shaped towers have been built (between 200 and 1600 AD), and preliminary studies based on geological and geomorphological analyses incorporated with InSAR technology indicated that the landslide is deformable. Furthermore, these studies highlighted that the rate of deformation is gradually reducing from the head to the toe area of the landslide, with the deformation also exhibiting relationships with seasonal rainstorms. The state of the toe area is very important for stabilizing a landslide and minimizing damage. It can be expected that the coming impoundment of the reservoir will increase pore pressure of the rupture zone at the toe area, which will then reduce resistance and accelerate the deformation. Future measures for protection of the slope should be focused on toe erosion and some bank protection measures (i.e., rock armor) should be adopted in this area. Meanwhile, some long-term monitoring measures should be installed to gain a deep understanding on the stability of this important slope.
Capturing the Diversity of Deprived Areas with Image-Based Features: The Case of Mumbai
Authors: Kuffer Monika , Pfeffer Karin , Sliuzas Richard , Baud Isa , Maarseveen Martin
Published: April 2017

Many cities in the Global South are facing rapid population and slum growth, but lack detailed information to target these issues. Frequently, municipal datasets on such areas do not keep up with such dynamics, with data that are incomplete, inconsistent, and outdated. Aggregated census-based statistics refer to large and heterogeneous areas, hiding internal spatial differences. In recent years, several remote sensing studies developed methods for mapping slums; however, few studies focused on their diversity. To address this shortcoming, this study analyzes the capacity of very high resolution (VHR) imagery and image processing methods to map locally specific types of deprived areas, applied to the city of Mumbai, India. We analyze spatial, spectral, and textural characteristics of deprived areas, using a WorldView-2 imagery combined with auxiliary spatial data, a random forest classifier, and logistic regression modeling. In addition, image segmentation is used to aggregate results to homogenous urban patches (HUPs). The resulting typology of deprived areas obtains a classification accuracy of 79% for four deprived types and one formal built-up class. The research successfully demonstrates how image-based proxies from VHR imagery can help extract spatial information on the diversity and cross-boundary clusters of deprivation to inform strategic urban management.
Discriminative Sparse Representation for Hyperspectral Image Classification: A Semi-Supervised Perspective
Authors: Xue Zhaohui , Du Peijun , Su Hongjun , Zhou Shaoguang
Published: April 2017

This paper presents a novel semi-supervised joint dictionary learning (S2JDL) algorithm for hyperspectral image classification. The algorithm jointly minimizes the reconstruction and classification error by optimizing a semi-supervised dictionary learning problem with a unified objective loss function. To this end, we construct a semi-supervised objective loss function which combines the reconstruction term from unlabeled samples and the reconstruction–discrimination term from labeled samples to leverage the unsupervised and supervised information. In addition, a soft-max loss is used to build the reconstruction–discrimination term. In the training phase, we randomly select the unlabeled samples and loop through the labeled samples to comprise the training pairs, and the first-order stochastic gradient descents are calculated to simultaneously update the dictionary and classifier by feeding the training pairs into the objective loss function. The experimental results with three popular hyperspectral datasets indicate that the proposed algorithm outperforms the other related methods.
A Low Cost BLE Transceiver with RX Matching Network Reusing PA Load Inductor for WSNs Applications
Authors: Liang Zhen , Li Bin , Huang Mo , Zheng Yanqi , Ye Hui , Xu Ken , Deng Fangming
Published: April 2017

In this work, a low cost Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) transceiver for wireless sensor network (WSN) applications, with a receiver (RX) matching network reusing power amplifier (PA) load inductor, is presented. In order to decrease the die area, only two inductors were used in this work. Besides the one used in the voltage control oscillator (VCO), the PA load inductor was reused as the RX impedance matching component in the front-end. Proper controls have been applied to achieve high transmitter (TX) input impedance when the transceiver is in the receiving mode, and vice versa. This allows the TRX-switch/matching network integration without significant performance degradation. The RX adopted a low-IF structure and integrated a single-ended low noise amplifier (LNA), a current bleeding mixer, a 4th complex filter and a delta-sigma continuous time (CT) analog-to-digital converter (ADC). The TX employed a two-point PLL-based architecture with a non-linear PA. The RX achieved a sensitivity of −93 dBm and consumes 9.7 mW, while the TX achieved a 2.97% error vector magnitude (EVM) with 9.4 mW at 0 dBm output power. This design was fabricated in a 0.11 μm complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology and the front-end circuit only occupies 0.24 mm2. The measurement results verify the effectiveness and applicability of the proposed BLE transceiver for WSN applications.
Exclusive Contexts Resolver: A Low-Power Sensing Management System for Sustainable Context-Awareness in Exclusive Contexts
Authors: Baek Dusan , Lee Jung-Won
Published: April 2017

Several studies focus on sustainable context-awareness of a mobile device to which power is supplied from a limited battery. However, the existing studies did not consider an unnecessary sensing operation in exclusive contexts wherein it is not possible for the exclusive contexts to logically exist at the same time and are instead occasionally inferred practically due to the inaccuracy of the context-awareness. Simultaneously inferring two or more exclusive contexts is semantically meaningless and leads to inefficient power consumption, and thus, it is necessary to handle this problem for sustainable context-awareness. To this end, in the present study, an exclusive contexts resolver (ExCore), which is a low-power sensing management system, is proposed for sustainable context-awareness in exclusive contexts. The ExCore takes the sensor behavior model to the developer and identifies the sensing operation inferring the exclusive contexts through unnecessary sensing operation search rules. It also generates low-power sensing operations. The application and middleware were evaluated with the low-power sensing operations generated by the ExCore. The results indicated an average power efficiency improvement of 12–62% depending on the test scenario. The ExCore helps application developers or middleware developers in providing sustainable context-aware service in exclusive contexts.
Problems with Firm-Led Voluntary Sustainability Schemes: The Case of Direct Trade Coffee
Authors: MacGregor Finlay , Ramasar Vasna , Nicholas Kimberly A.
Published: April 2017

Ensuring sustainable consumption and production is one of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Sustainable consumption can be supported through regulatory processes. Voluntary private regulatory schemes claiming to contribute to sustainability are a rapidly growing form of regulation. We study one such voluntary sustainability scheme in order to look at the opportunities and challenges this type of regulatory process poses using Abbot and Snidal’s regulatory standard-setting framework (2009). Specifically, we examine direct trade voluntary schemes in the coffee industry. To do this, we selected six leading direct trade firms in the US and Scandinavia, analyzed firms’ websites in 2015 and 2016 and conducted interviews with four of the firms. We found direct trade as a voluntary scheme was an attempt to market and codify good sourcing practices. US-based founding firms have distanced themselves from the term due to perceived co-optation, which we conceptualize as the failure of industry to self-regulate and argue was enabled by the re-negotiation of standards without the power to enforce or penalize misuse of the term. Firms reacted to co-optation by releasing data to consumers directly; we argue this puts too much responsibility on consumers to monitor and enforce standards. By contrast, Scandinavian firms maintained standards enforced through trademark nationally. Both US and Scandinavian contexts demonstrate a weakness of firm-led agenda-setting for sustainable development in that schemes may be optimized for a particular business concern—in this case quality—rather than to achieve sustainable development goals. This is problematic if schemes are marketed on contribution to the public good when incentives within the scheme are not aligned to produce an optimal result for the public good.
Diabetogenic Effects of Ochratoxin A in Female Rats
Authors: Mor Firdevs , Sengul Omur , Topsakal Senay , Kilic Mehmet , Ozmen Ozlem
Published: April 2017

In this study, the diabetogenic effects of long term Ochratoxin A (OTA) administration in rats were investigated, and its role in the etiology of diabetes mellitus (DM) was examined utilizing 42 female Wistar rats for these purposes. The rats were divided into three different study and control groups according to the duration of the OTA administration. The rats received 45 μg OTA daily in their feed for 6, 9 and 24 weeks, respectively. Three control groups were also used for the same time periods. Blood and pancreatic tissue samples were collected during the necropsy at the end of the 6, 9 and 24 weeks. The plasma values of insulin, glucagon and glucose were determined for the study and control groups. Pancreatic lesions were evaluated via histopathological examination and insulin and glucagon expression in these lesions was subsequently determined using immunohistochemical methods. Statistically significant decreases in insulin levels were observed, in contrast to increases in blood glucagon and glucose levels. Histopathological examinations revealed slight to moderate degeneration in Langerhans islet cells in all OTA-treated groups. Immunohistochemistry of pancreatic tissue revealed decreased insulin and increased glucagon expression. This study demonstrated that OTA may cause pancreatic damage in the Langerhans islet and predispose rats to DM.
Temporal Distribution Characteristics of Alpine Precipitation and Their Vertical Differentiation: A Case Study from the Upper Shule River
Authors: Li Qingfeng , Yang Guojing
Published: April 2017

Alpine precipitation is an important component of the mountain hydrological cycle and may also be a determinant of water resources in inland river basins. In this study, based on field observation data of the upper Shule River and daily precipitation records of the Tuole weather station during 2009–2015, temporal distribution characteristics of alpine precipitation and their vertical differentiation were evaluated mainly using percentages of precipitation anomalies (Pa), coefficient of variation (Cv), precipitation concentration degree (PCD) and concentration period (PCP). The results indicated that the inter-annual variability of annual precipitation was generally small, with a Pa that was only somewhat larger in low altitude zones for individual years; the inter-annual fluctuation of monthly precipitation increased noticeably, but the Cv and precipitation can be described as a power function. Annual distribution was basically consistent; more than 85.6% of precipitation was concentrated during the period from May to September; PCD ranged between 0.71 and 0.83 while the PCP was located within the 37th–41st pentads. Diurnal variation of precipitation was defined, mainly occurring from 1500 to 0100 Local Standard Time, and displayed a vertical change that was dominated by precipitation intensity or precipitation frequency. The temporal distribution of alpine precipitation has a noticeable vertical differentiation, and this is likely to originate from the diversity of precipitation mechanisms in mountainous terrain areas.
Can Water Abundance Compensate for Weak Water Governance? Determining and Comparing Dimensions of Irrigation Water Security in Tajikistan
Authors: Klümper Frederike , Herzfeld Thomas , Theesfeld Insa
Published: April 2017

In this paper we consider both hydrology and governance as critical dimensions for irrigation water security. We scale down the overall water security concept to the agricultural sector, suggest an index of irrigation water security faced by farmers, and provide an empirical illustration in the case of Tajikistan. Irrigation water security is investigated by three different dimensions: (a) a hydrology dimension, expressing a lack of water availability; (b) a governance dimension, the perceived difficulty in accessing water; and (c) a hybrid dimension of governance and hydrology. We developed an irrigation water security index, which we empirically tested using farm household survey data (N = 399). This index provides evidence that different farm types, e.g., small versus large, perceive different water security threats. Further, we found that if one dimension is less distinctive, the complementary dimension occurs as a coping mechanism. Thus, we conclude that diversified support mechanisms for infrastructure and management are needed to reach a higher level of water security.
Neoplastic wounds: controlling pain, exudate, odor and bleeding
Authors: Agra Glenda , Ferreira Thalys Maynnard Costa , Oliveira Daniele Martins do Nascimento , Nogueira Wynne Pereira , Brito Débora Thaíse Freires de , Oliveira Patrícia Simplício de , De Andrade Fábia Letícia Martins , Gomes Roseane Ferreira , Lima Nayda Babel Alves de , Pimentel Edlene Régis Silva , Diniz Iraktânia Vitorino , Santos Josenilda Pereira dos , Souza Fernando Oliveira de , Costa Marta Miriam Lopes
Published: April 2017

Objective: To synthesize scientific literature published on the control of pain, exudation, odor and bleeding of neoplastic wounds.

Methods: This is an integrative review of the literature in the databases CINAHL, SciELO, MEDLINE and LILACS with articles that approached the theme. Twenty-two articles were included, of which 18 were written in the English language and three in the Spanish language, published between 2004 and 2014.

Results: From the articles studied, categories were constructed: Interventions for pain control; Interventions for the control of exudate; Interventions for the control of odor and Interventions for the control of bleeding.

Conclusion: Most of the studies were bibliographical research originating from opinions of authorities and / or reports of committees of experts in the area. Therefore, it is urgent to carry out randomized clinical trials.

 

Keywords: Cutaneous ulcer; Injuries and injuries; Nursing oncology; Nursing care.
The Extended Northern ROSAT Galaxy Cluster Survey (NORAS II). I. Survey Construction and First Results
Authors: Böhringer Hans , Chon Gayoung , Retzlaff Jörg , Trümper Joachim , Meisenheimer Klaus , Schartel Norbert
Published: April 2017

As the largest, clearly defined building blocks of our universe, galaxy clusters are interesting astrophysical laboratories and important probes for cosmology. X-ray surveys for galaxy clusters provide one of the best ways to characterize the population of galaxy clusters. We provide a description of the construction of the NORAS II galaxy cluster survey based on X-ray data from the northern part of the ROSAT All-Sky Survey. NORAS II extends the NORAS survey down to a flux limit of 1.8 × 10−12 erg s−1 cm−2 (0.1–2.4 keV), increasing the sample size by about a factor of two. The NORAS II cluster survey now reaches the same quality and depth as its counterpart, the southern REFLEX II survey, allowing us to combine the two complementary surveys. The paper provides information on the determination of the cluster X-ray parameters, the identification process of the X-ray sources, the statistics of the survey, and the construction of the survey selection function, which we provide in numerical format. Currently NORAS II contains 860 clusters with a median redshift of z = 0.102. We provide a number of statistical functions, including the log N–log S and the X-ray luminosity function and compare these to the results from the complementary REFLEX II survey. Using the NORAS II sample to constrain the cosmological parameters, σ
8 and Ω
m
, yields results perfectly consistent with those of REFLEX II. Overall, the results show that the two hemisphere samples, NORAS II and REFLEX II, can be combined without problems into an all-sky sample, just excluding the zone of avoidance.
First Lensed Quasar Systems from the VST-ATLAS Survey: One Quad, Two Doubles, and Two Pairs of Lensless Twins*
Authors: Schechter Paul L. , Morgan Nicholas D. , Chehade B. , Metcalfe N. , Shanks T. , McDonald Michael
Published: April 2017

We have analyzed images from the VST-ATLAS survey to identify candidate gravitationally lensed quasar systems in a sample of WISE sources with

. Results from follow-up spectroscopy with the Baade 6.5 m telescope are presented for eight systems. One of them is a quadruply lensed quasar, and two are doubly lensed systems. Two are projected superpositions of two quasars at different redshifts. In one system, two quasars, although at the same redshift, have very different emission line profiles and constitute a physical binary. In two systems, the component spectra are consistent with the lensing hypothesis, after allowing for microlensing. However, as no lensing galaxy is detected in these two systems, we classify them as lensless twins. More extensive observations are needed to establish whether they are in fact lensed quasars or physical binaries.
SPIRITS: Uncovering Unusual Infrared Transients with Spitzer
Authors: Kasliwal Mansi M. , Bally John , Masci Frank , Cody Ann Marie , Bond Howard E. , Jencson Jacob E. , Tinyanont Samaporn , Cao Yi , Contreras Carlos , Dykhoff Devin A. , Amodeo Samuel , Armus Lee , Boyer Martha , Cantiello Matteo , Carlon Robert L. , Cass Alexander C. , Cook David , Corgan David T. , Faella Joseph , Fox Ori D. , Green Wayne , Gehrz R. D. , Helou George , Hsiao Eric , Johansson Joel , Khan Rubab M. , Lau Ryan M. , Langer Norbert , Levesque Emily , Milne Peter , Mohamed Shazrene , Morrell Nidia , Monson Andy , Moore Anna , Ofek Eran O. , Sullivan Donal O’ , Parthasarathy Mudumba , Perez Andres , Perley Daniel A. , Phillips Mark , Prince Thomas A. , Shenoy Dinesh , Smith Nathan , Surace Jason , Dyk Schuyler D. Van , Whitelock Patricia A. , Williams Robert
Published: April 2017

We present an ongoing, five-year systematic search for extragalactic infrared transients, dubbed SPIRITS—SPitzer InfraRed Intensive Transients Survey. In the first year, using Spitzer/IRAC, we searched 190 nearby galaxies with cadence baselines of one month and six months. We discovered over 1958 variables and 43 transients. Here, we describe the survey design and highlight 14 unusual infrared transients with no optical counterparts to deep limits, which we refer to as SPRITEs (eSPecially Red Intermediate-luminosity Transient Events). SPRITEs are in the infrared luminosity gap between novae and supernovae, with [4.5] absolute magnitudes between −11 and −14 (Vega-mag) and [3.6]–[4.5] colors between 0.3 mag and 1.6 mag. The photometric evolution of SPRITEs is diverse, ranging from <0.1 mag yr−1 to >7 mag yr−1. SPRITEs occur in star-forming galaxies. We present an in-depth study of one of them, SPIRITS 14ajc in Messier 83, which shows shock-excited molecular hydrogen emission. This shock may have been triggered by the dynamic decay of a non-hierarchical system of massive stars that led to either the formation of a binary or a protostellar merger.
SDSS IV MaNGA—Rotation Velocity Lags in the Extraplanar Ionized Gas from MaNGA Observations of Edge-on Galaxies
Authors: Bizyaev D. , Walterbos R. A. M. , Yoachim P. , Riffel R. A. , Fernández-Trincado J. G. , Pan K. , Diamond-Stanic A. M. , Jones A. , Thomas D. , Cleary J. , Brinkmann J.
Published: April 2017

We present a study of the kinematics of the extraplanar ionized gas around several dozen galaxies observed by the Mapping of Nearby Galaxies at the Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA) survey. We considered a sample of 67 edge-on galaxies out of more than 1400 extragalactic targets observed by MaNGA, in which we found 25 galaxies (or 37%) with regular lagging of the rotation curve at large distances from the galactic midplane. We model the observed Hα emission velocity fields in the galaxies, taking projection effects and a simple model for the dust extinction into account. We show that the vertical lag of the rotation curve is necessary in the modeling, and estimate the lag amplitude in the galaxies. We find no correlation between the lag and the star formation rate in the galaxies. At the same time, we report a correlation between the lag and the galactic stellar mass, central stellar velocity dispersion, and axial ratio of the light distribution. These correlations suggest a possible higher ratio of infalling-to-local gas in early-type disk galaxies or a connection between lags and the possible presence of hot gaseous halos, which may be more prevalent in more massive galaxies. These results again demonstrate that observations of extraplanar gas can serve as a potential probe for accretion of gas.