bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Detección y cuantificación de virus dengue 2 en lisado celular y plasma de niños por qPCR en tiempo real usando un estuche comercial y el equipo EcoTM System-Illumina
Authors: Perdomo Celis Federico , Perilla Piedad , Salgado Doris M. , Narváez Carlos F.
Published: February 2018

Métodos para diagnóstico de dengue virus (DENV) en zonas endémicas son altamente necesarios. Uno de ellos es la reacción en cadena de polimerasa en tiempo real (qPCR), método que permite además la cuantificación del genoma viral. Los estuches comerciales de qPCR para DENV son costosos y restringen su uso a un número pequeño de dispositivos de qPCR, limitando la aplicación de la técnica. Aquí se evaluó el desempeño de un estuche comercial de qPCR para la detección de DENV-2 en un dispositivo de qPCR (EcoTM System, Illumina) localmente disponible, no listado por el fabricante del estuche. Lisado de células VERO-76 y plasma de niños, ambos con infección confirmada por DENV-2, fueron evaluados. Como controles de especificidad, lisado celular y plasma de niños infectados con DENV-1, además de lisado no infectado, fueron también incluidos. Las reacciones fueron además evaluadas simultáneamente en un equipo Applied Biosystem 7300, uno de los recomendados por el fabricante del estuche. La curva estándar generada por el EcoTM fue robusta (R2= 0.99), con baja variabilidad en las réplicas (
The feasibility of pomegranate beverage enrichment with jujube extract
Authors: Jafarpour Afshin
Published: February 2018

Jujube consists of Vitamin C, Riboflavin and Thiamin. Vitamin and minerals of fruit are good for heart and improve metabolism. This study evaluates the effects of jujube extract on physicochemical properties and anti-oxidant activity of pomegranate juice. Pomegranate juice was treated with jujube extract (water, alcohol, and water-alcohol) at five concentration levels (5, 10, 15, 20, 25%). Color, total acidity, pH, total solid, activity and anti-oxidant capacity, ash, density, formalin value, tannin  and sugar content of treatments were evaluated. The results showed that by increase of concentration of jujube extract, pH was increased and acidity was reduced. By increase of water extract concentration in formulation, anti-oxidant capacity was increased significantly (P<0.05). The highest and lowest anti-oxidant capacity was dedicated to the samples with 25% water extract and 25% alcohol extract.
Emergency awake tracheostomy for an impending upper airway obstruction in a child while beheading a live fish
Authors: Tabakei Losalini , Bulanauca Maloni , Vukivukiseru Mara , Cama Jitoko Kelepi
Published: February 2018

Disabling a live fish by biting the fish head is a traditional practice in developing countries like Fiji. It is a practice that should be abandoned to avoid death from the fish causing an acute upper airway obstruction. Despite the lack of infrastructure and challenges, emergency awake tracheostomy in a child can be done safely in an emergency situation under local anaesthetic with minimal sedation to secure the airway. It is feasible to do it in the rural or remote health centres by a surgeon before any attempt at removing the foreign body causing an impending upper airway obstruction. Alternatively, transfer to a tertiary centre for definitive treatment can be safely done once a definitive airway has been secured.
Utilization of Tetrapleura tetraptera Waste for Energy and Climate Change Mitigation
Authors: Derkyi N.S.A. , Derkyi N.S.A.
Published: February 2018

Charcoal production as practiced in Ghana contributes greatly to the deterioration of the environment through deforestation.Tetrapleura tetraptera is used as a spice and thickener as well as syrup and condiments among others. It now finds wideusage in the alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage industries. In these operations, huge quantities of waste are generated.The objective of this work was to convert the waste into energy for climate change mitigation. The woody fruit residue ofT. tetraptera and wood cut from the forest were carbonized into charcoal in a steel carbonizer at a temperature of 5000C.Charcoal yield, physicochemical and energy properties were determined. The quantity of trees that would have been cut fromthe forest to produce the same amount of charcoal as obtained from the woody fruit residue was determined. The charcoalyield from Cylicodiscus gabonensis and Acacia nilotica was 25% each whilst the yield from T. tetraptera woody fruit residuewas 30%. T. tetraptera fruit residue was found to be a high yielding charcoal. It showed quality charcoal in terms of highcalorific value and fixed carbon content comparing with the preferred wood species investigated. The use of T. tetraptera fruitwaste is therefore a suitable sustainable option for charcoal production and this option will greatly reduce the environmentalpollution caused by the indiscriminate dumping of the waste.
Achieving energy efficiency and aesthetics through windows in the Tropics
Authors: Gyimah Kwabena Abrokwa
Published: February 2018

The world today is faced with climate change issues and due to the activities man has been involved in over the years. Worldleaders have become very concerned with this and lot of measures are been laid down to mitigate this. The built environmentis a major contributor since its construction process, materials used and even the daily operation uses a lot energy which is amajor concern. Architects are therefore challenged with creating a balance between their traditional aesthetics of buildingsand energy efficiency. This research therefore seeks to find out how this balance can be achieved in the tropics through theuse of different window pane properties. The study therefore sought to identify developments of windows with regards to theirpane properties to see how both aesthetics and energy efficiency can be achieved. Literature was reviewed to find out thecurrent situation and then a case study building analysed for results. The case study buildings were then modified to see theeffect of each modification. Comparative analysis was done with the original buildings and the modified buildings and it wasfound that reflection was a key to achieve both aesthetics and energy efficiency. Other factors had impact and influence onthe aesthetics and energy efficiency but reflection stood out of the lot.
Solar Photovoltaic Installation Cost Reduction through Building Integrated Photovoltaics in Ghana.
Authors: Gyimah Kwabena Abrokwa
Published: February 2018

The growth and use of photovoltaic (PV) cannot be disputed as the world craves for cleaner energy options. Energy demandsalso keep on rising and buildings alone contribute about 40% of energy use in the world. This means that even if the worldshifts completely to cleaner energy options, buildings will still demand more energy and therefore sustainable energy sourcesfor buildings should be encouraged. Again, the initial setup cost of fossil fuel energy is lower than renewable energy. To makerenewable energy attractive, cheaper setup cost should be achieved and this can be done by a cost offset through buildingelement replacement by PV. This means the use of Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) is of high potential for financialoffset than Building Applied Photovoltaic (BAPV). Quantitative data was gathered on roofing sheets cost and solar integrationinto roof cost. The average cost of roofing sheets for an area of 24m2 roof spaces is $2,160.00 and the cost of integrating asolar PV on that same space is $9,600.00. The cost of constructing the space with roofing sheets is used to offset the cost ofinstalling the solar PV to reduce it to $7,440.00. Autodesk Ecotect software was used to know the energy generated from roofintegration of solar and this is 16,512kWh. This energy generated is converted to monetary value of $3,302.00 per year. Thebreakeven time after offset reduction is approximately 2 years 6 months due to monetary returns on the solar PV.
Scale-Specific but Inter-Linked Strategies for Managing Forest Resource Conflicts in Ghana: Forest Professionals’ Views
Authors: Derkyi Mercy
Published: February 2018

Constructive conflict management strategies according to forest professionals have the potential to minimise the prevalence offorest resource conflicts at different levels of scale in Ghana’s high forest zone. The paper therefore employed mixed methodsin gathering data on conflict causes, prevailing and alternative conflict management strategies from forest professionals’perspectives. Results revealed multifaceted forest resource conflict causes such as: i) weak implementation of policystrategies and actions; ii) absence of guidelines on crop damage compensation payment; iii) boundary disputes; iv) farmlandscarcity; and v) local elite capture of social responsibility agreement negotiation process and benefits. It was also ascertainedthat prevailing conflict management strategies are diverse but strategies used are based on case-by-case approaches whichlack clearly defined conflict management mechanism to redress the numerous grievances in the sector. It is in view of that theforest professionals recommended scale-specific but inter-linked strategies to be institutionalised in the forestry sector.
The stock and socio-economic uses of Borassus Aethiopum in Abrimasu Forest Reserve of Mampong Forest District
Authors: Siaw D. E. K. A,
Published: February 2018

This present paper provides the stock level and socio-economic uses of Borassus aethiopum in Abrimasu forest reserveof Mampong forest District. Survey was conducted in Abrimasu Forest Reserve and five selected fringe communities ofthe forest Reserve. Information on stocking, source, usage, as well as sale of Borassus aethiopum were obtained throughsemi-structured interview, key informants interviews, personal communication and desk study were used together withfocal group discussion. The inventory of Borassus aethiopum was taken from both the on- and –off reserve areas. Threecompartments and farms were randomly selected and demarcated for the study. The mean stocking ofBorassus aethiopum(33-61 trees per hectare) in the Abrimasu Forest Reserve was significantly higher than stocking in the off-reserve (18 and 61trees per hectare). From the results, 29% of the respondents use Borassus aethiopum as food and 33% of the respondentsuse Borassus aethiopum as shelter. 15% and 23% of the respondents generate income for using Borassus aethiopum forAphrodisiac and medicinal purposes. It was concluded that more Borassus aethiopum trees are exploited from the off–reservethan the forest reserve. It is envisaged that as the population increases in the study area, there will be over-exploitation on thespecies in terms of urban development, consumption and agricultural practices. Authors strongly recommend that measuresare in place to save the species from extinction.
Exploring the Causes and Management of Pastoralists-Farmer Conflicts in Ghana
Authors: Opoku Patrick
Published: February 2018

Conflicts between pastoralists and farmers are not new to our farming communities in Ghana but in recent years the magnitudeof these conflicts have increased especially in the Agogo traditional area of the Ashanti region of Ghana. This paper exploresthe causes of the conflicts and conflict management strategies used. In order to achieve the said objective a qualitative andquantitative data collection techniques were employed to study some 90 farmers who were directly affected by the conflicts inthe study area. Data were collected using semi structured questionnaire administered through personal interviews. The datawere analyzed using content analysis and descriptive statistics. The study found out that, the conflicts between farmers andFulani pastoralist in the study area was caused by five major factors which include; destruction of food crops by cattle and thekilling of innocent citizens of the area which has brought fear and panic among citizens. Since the 1990s till today, the Fulaniherdsmen have either shot and killed or butchered not less than 12 people in the study area. The conflicts were managed usingseveral conflict management strategies, however what proved very effective was coercion and adjudication.
PRODUÇÃO DA CULTURA DA ALFACE (Lactuta sativa L) EM FUNÇÃO DAS LÂMINAS DE IRRIGAÇÃO E TIPOS DE ADUBOS
Authors: Santos Marcio Aurelio Lins dos , Santos Daniella Pereira dos , Menezes Sirleide Maria de , Lima Dayane Farias , Vieira Jânio Pedro da Silva
Published: February 2018

A alface (Lactuta sativa L) é uma das hortaliças mais consumida em todo o mundo, tendo seu cultivo um alto consumo de água, uma vez que a Região Nordeste apresenta déficit hídrico e distribuição de precipitações irregulares durante o ano, se tornando necessário o uso racional da água para irrigação. Objetivo-se avaliar a produtividade da cultura da alface em função de diversas lâminas de água e diferentes tipos de adubos. O experimento foi conduzido na área experimental do Grupo Irriga do Campus de Arapiraca da UFAL. O delineamento experimental foi conduzido em blocos casualizados contendo parcelas e subparcelas, em arranjo fatorial 3x3x4, com três blocos, três níveis de laminas de água (50; 100 e 150% da ETc) e quatro tipos de adubação (testemunha (sem adubação); esterco bovino; esterco de aves; fertilizante químico). Foi utilizado o sistema de irrigação por gotejamento. As variáveis analisadas foram: número de folhas (NF), área média das folhas (AMF), massa fresca da parte aérea (MFPA), massa fresca da raiz (MFR), massa seca da parte aérea (MSPA) e massa seca da raiz (MSR). Neste sentido, pode-se concluir que a cultura da alface respondeu significativamente a todas as lâminas aplicadas, sendo a lâmina correspondente a 150% da ETc a que apresentou os melhores resultados para todas as variáveis analisadas. Não houve efeito significativo para os tipos de adubo e nem para lâminas associadas aos tipos de adubos para as variáveis analisadas.
QUANTIFICAÇÃO DE COMPOSTOS BIOATIVOS EM FRUTOS DE MANGABA (Hancornia speciosa Gomes) NATIVOS DE ALAGOAS.
Authors: Santos Everton Ferreira , Araújo Rychardson Rocha , Lemos Eurico Eduardo Pinto , Endres Laurício
Published: February 2018

A mangabeira (Hancornia speciosa Gomes) é uma espécie frutífera nativa do Brasil, com vasta distribuição em várias regiões do País, especialmente nos tabuleiros costeiros e baixadas litorâneas do Nordeste e nos Cerrados das regiões Centro-Oeste, Norte e Sudeste. Em Alagoas, ocorre naturalmente em áreas de Tabuleiros Costeiros e em faixas litorâneas do Estado, onde é explorado de forma extrativista tanto para o consumo in natura como para o processamento. A mangabeira, sofre, nestas áreas, sérios riscos de extinção devido à exploração irracional nos ecossistemas, necessitando de estudos que viabilizem a coleta de germoplasma e instalação de coleções e pomares comerciais, quase inexistentes. O estudo das suas características bioquímico-nutricionais é importante, pois contribui para a valorização da espécie e sua exploração racional, como também sua inserção no mercado competitivo de frutas como produto diferenciado, além de contribuir para promoção da saúde humana. O objetivo deste trabalho foi realizar a quantificação de compostos bioativos em frutos de mangabeira nativos do litoral de Alagoas. Foram quantificados os teores de antocianinas, flavonóides, pectina total e pectina solúvel. A polpa dos frutos apresentaram teores de antocianinas e flavonóides de 4,42 mg.100g-1 e 6,29 mg.100g-1, respectivamente e teores médios de pectina total de 1,28% e pectina solúvel de 1,09%. Os frutos analisados demonstraram possuir características funcionais que possibilitam sua utilização tanto de forma in natura como pelas indústrias de alimentos, contribuindo para sua inserção no mercado como produto diferenciado.
Kecerdasan Interpersonal Siswa Melalui Model Student Teams Achievement Divisions
Authors: Hakim Arief Rahman
Published: February 2018

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mendeskripsikan penerapan model pembelajaran kooperatif student teams achievement divisions dalam meningkatkan kecerdasan interpersonal pada siswa. Pendekatan yang dilakukan dalam penelitian ini adalah classroom action research dengan mendeskripsikan yang terjadi di dalam kelas. Subyek dalam penelitian ini adalah siswa kelas IV SDN Tanjungrujo 4 Kota Malang dengan jumlah 30 orang. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa kecerdasan interpersonal siswa kelas IV SDN Tanjungrejo 4 Kota Malang dapat ditingkatkan melalui model pembelajaran ini. Pembelajaran ini menggunakan kelompok kecil sehingga siswa dapat bekerja sama untuk memaksimalkan pembelajarannya sendiri dan orang lain, sehingga dapat mendorong siswa untuk meningkatkan kepekaan sosial, pemahaman sosial, dan komunikasi sosial bisa maksimal.
Peningkatan Keterampilan Berpikir Kreatif dengan Menggunakan Metode Mind Mapping pada Mata Kuliah Pendidikan IPA SD Kelas Awal Mahasiswa PGSD Fakultas Ilmu Pendidikan Universitas Hasyim Asy’ari.
Authors: Nuruddin Muhammad
Published: February 2018

Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk meningkatkan keterampilan berpikir kreatif mahasiswa PGSD, Fakultas Ilmu Pendidikan, Universitas Hasyim Asy’ari pada mata kuliah Pendidikan IPA SD Kelas Awal. Upaya untuk meningkatkan keterampilan berpikir kreatif dapat dilakukan dengan menerapkan metode Mind Mapping pada mata kuliah Pendidikan IPA SD Kelas Awal. Karena dengan metode Mind mapping mahasiswa dapat menuangkan ide-ide yang ada di otaknya serta dapat menuangkan kreativitas yang dimilikinya di atas sebuah kertas kosong.Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian deskriptif. Penelitian ini menggunakan rancangan penelitian tindakan kelas kolaboratif bersiklus. Dalam penelitian ini terdiri dari dua siklus. Setiap siklus terdiri dari tahap perencanaan, pelaksanaan, observasi, dan refleksi. Subjek dalam penelitian ini adalah mahasiswa PGSD semester IV Fakultas Ilmu Pendidikan Universitas Hasyim Asy’ari dengan jumlah mahasiswa 37 orang. Teknik pengumpulan data dilakukan dengan observasi, tes, dan catatan lapangan.Berdasarkan hasil penelitian yang dilakukan pada siklus 1 menunjukkan peningkatan keterampilan berpikir kreatif mahasiswa pada mata kuliah Pendidikan IPA SD Kelas Awal hal ini ditunjukkan dengan persentase pada siklus 1 sebesar 65,71% dan mengalami peningkatan pada siklus 2 dengan persentase 80%. Dari hasil tersebut dapat disimpulkan bahwa penerapan metode mind mapping dapat meningkatkan keterampilan berpikir kreatif mahasiswa PGSD, Fakultas Ilmu Pendidikan, Universitas Hasyim Asy’ari pada mata kuliah Pendidikan IPA SD Kelas Awal. Kata kunci: Keterampilan berpikir kreatif, metode mind mapping, IPA SD Kelas Awal.
Pembelajaran Bahasa Indonesia Berbasis Multiple Intelligences Kurikulum Tahun 2013 Pada Peserta Didik Kelas V SD Muhammadiyah 8 Surabaya Tahun Pelajaran 2017/2018
Authors: Mubarok Insani Wahyu
Published: February 2018

Pembelajaran MI didasarkan pada jenis kecerdasan yang dominan, gaya belajar, dan kecenderungan kerja otak kanan-kiri. Selanjutnya, guru menyesuaikannya dengan menentukan penggunaan model, pendekatan, strategi, metode, dan teknik pembelajaran yang tepat. Hal inilah yang terjadi pada guru mata pelajaran Bahasa Indonesia kelas V SD Muhammadiyah 8 Surabaya tahun pelajaran 2017/2018. Oleh sebab itu, fenomena tersebut dijadikan fokus penelitian: (1) Jenis-jenis kecerdasan majemuk, modalitas belajar, dan kecenderungan otak kanan-kiri, (2)  Bentuk pembelajaran Bahasa Indonesia yang berbasis Multiple Intelligences pada peserta didik kelas V SD Muhammadiyah 8 Surabaya tahun pelajaran 2017/2018, dan (3) Faktor-faktor pendukung dan penghambat dalam Pembelajaran Bahasa Indonesia Berbasis Multiple Intelligences Kurikulum Tahun 2013 Pada Peserta Didik Kelas V SD Muhammadiyah 8 Surabaya Tahun Pelajaran 2017/2018.Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian kualitatif yang menggunakan pendekatan fenomenologi. Fenomena yang hendak diteliti adalah jenis-jenis kecerdasan majemuk, gaya belajar, dan kecenderungan otak kanan-kiri, bentuk Pembelajaran Bahasa Indonesia Berbasis Multiple Intelligences Kurikulum Tahun 2013 Pada Peserta Didik Kelas V SD Muhammadiyah 8 Surabaya Tahun Pelajaran 2017/2018 dan faktor-faktor pendukung serta penghambatnya. Untuk memperoleh data-data, peneliti menggunakan teknik observasi, wawancara kualitatif, dan dokumentasi.               Kata kunci: Multiple Intelligences, Pembelajaran Bahasa Indonesia, dan Program Studi Bahasa
Pengembangan Bahan Ajar IPA Berbasis Inkuiri Untuk Siswa Kelas V SD
Authors: Khair Baiq Niswatul
Published: February 2018

Penelitian dan pengembangan ini bertujuan untuk menghasilkan bahan ajar IPA berbasis inkuiri untuk kelas V SD. Bahan ajar iniberupa bahan ajar siswa dan pegangan guru berbasis inkuiri yang sahih atau valid, efektif dalam meningkatkan hasil belajar dan keterampilan proses sains siswa dan praktis digunakan oleh siswa dan guru. Peneliti mengembangkan bahan ajar menggunakan model penelitian dan pengembangan modifikasi Borg and Gall (2003). Adapun tahapan yang dilalui terdiri dari 6 langkah, yakni: 1) studi pendahuluan; 2) perencanaan; 3) pengembangan; 4) validasi; 5) uji coba; 6) produk akhir.Hasil validasi ahli bahan ajar IPA berbasis inkuiri mendapatkan perolehan sebesar 97.56% terhadap isi/materi, 92.39% terhadap bahasa, dan 81.25% terhadap desain bahan ajar. Hasil uji coba kelas terbatas menunjukkan perolehan hasil belajar siswa sebesar 88.7 dan 100% siswa telah mencapai KKM, serta persentase keterampilan proses sains siswa sebesar 78.51%. Selain itu persentase kepraktisan yang diperoleh adalah 89.59% bagi siswa dan 92.85% bagi guru. Berdasarkan paparan data tersebut, bahan ajar IPA berbasis inkuiri layak digunakan karena telah dikategorikan sangat valid, efektif dalam meningkatkan hasil belajar dan keterampilan proses siswa, serta praktis digunakan dalam proses pembelajaran IPA pada kelas Vb di SDN 4 Praya. Kata Kunci: bahan ajar, IPA, inkuiri, hasil belajar, keterampilan proses sains
KAZIK DAVRANIŞININ 2D VE 3D OLARAK ARAŞTIRILMASI
Authors: Mazak Emre
Published: February 2018

Bu çalışmada; kazıklı temellerin kullanım yerleri, kazıkların
sınıflandırılması, kazıklarda grup etkisi, kazıklarda oturma, sonlu elemanlar
yöntemi ve sonlu farklar yöntemi konularından bahsedilmektedir. Düşey yükleme
altındaki grup kazıkların davranışlarının çözümü için kullanılan yöntemler
anlatılmaktadır. Kohezyonsuz bir zemin içerisinde kazıklı temel, sonlu farklar
paket programı FLAC 2D ve FLAC 3D ile modellenmiş, aynı zemin içerisinde kazık
aks aralığına göre oluşturulan modellerin analiz sonuçları karşılaştırılmış ve
yorumlanmıştır.
Disentangling Long Trajectory Contributions in Two-Colour High Harmonic Generation
Authors: Hofmann Cornelia , Landsman Alexandra , Keller Ursula
Published: February 2018

This work investigates High Harmonic Generation (HHG) in gas targets, induced by intense two-colour driving fields. We compared classical trajectory Monte Carlo simulations based on a semiclassical model of strong field tunnel ionisation of helium to experimental HHG spectra, and investigated the relative contribution of long trajectories to low harmonic orders. This phenomenon can be found even when the experimental setup is chosen to suppress long trajectories and favour phase matching for short trajectories.
Tackling Area Coverage Problems in a Reconfigurable Floor Cleaning Robot Based on Polyomino Tiling Theory
Authors: Prabakaran Veerajagadheswar , Mohan Rajesh , Sivanantham Vinu , Pathmakumar Thejus , Kumar Suganya
Published: February 2018

Whilst Polyomino tiling theory has been extensively studied as a branch of research in mathematics, its application has been largely confined to multimedia, graphics and gaming domains. In this paper, we present a novel application of Tromino tiling theory, a class of Polyomino with three cells in the context of a reconfigurable floor cleaning robot, hTromo. The developed robot platform is able to automatically generate a global tiling set required to cover a defined space while leveraging on the Tromino tiling theory. Specifically, we validated the application of five Tromino tiling theorems with our hTromo robot. Experiments performed clearly demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed approach resulting in very high levels of area coverage performance in all considered experimental cases. This paper also presents the system architecture of our hTromo robot and a detailed description of the five tiling theorems applied in this study.
Using Multispectral Airborne LiDAR Data for Land/Water Discrimination: A Case Study at Lake Ontario, Canada
Authors: Morsy Salem , Shaker Ahmed , El-Rabbany Ahmed
Published: February 2018

Coastal areas are environmentally sensitive and are affected by nature events and human activities. Land/water interaction in coastal areas changes over time and, therefore, requires accurate detection and frequent monitoring. Multispectral Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) systems, which operate at different wavelengths, have become available. This new technology can provide an effective and accurate solution for the determination of the land/water interface. In this context, we aim to investigate a set of point features based on elevation, intensity, and geometry for this application, followed by a presentation of an unsupervised land/water discrimination method based on seeded region growing algorithm. The multispectral airborne LiDAR sensor, the Optech Titan, was used to acquire LiDAR data at three wavelengths (1550, 1064, and 532 nm) of a study area covering part of Lake Ontario in Scarborough, Canada for testing the discrimination methods. The elevation- and geometry-based features achieved an average overall accuracy of 75.1% and 74.2%, respectively, while the intensity-based features achieved 63.9% accuracy. The region growing method succeeded in discriminating water from land with more than 99% overall accuracy, and the land/water boundary was delineated with an average root mean square error of 0.51 m. The automation of this method is restricted by having double returns from water bodies at the 532 nm wavelength.
A Lattice Boltzmann Method and Asynchronous Model Coupling for Viscoelastic Fluids
Authors: Su Jin , Ouyang Jie , Lu Junxiang
Published: February 2018

The numerical algorithms of viscoelastic flows can appear a tremendous challenge as the Weissenberg number (Wi) enlarged sufficiently. In this study, we present a generalized technique of time-stably advancing based on the coupled lattice Boltzmann method, in order to improve the numerical stability of simulations at a high Wi number. The mathematical models of viscoelastic fluids include both the equation of the solvent and the Oldroyd-B constitutive equation of the polymer. In the two-dimensional (2D) channel flow, the coupled method shows good agreements between the corresponding exact results and the numerical results obtained by our method. In addition, as the Wi number increased, for the viscoelastic flows through contractions, we show that the prediction of our presented method can reproduce the same numerical results that were reported by previous studies. The main advantage of current method is that it can be applied to simulate the complex phenomena of the viscoelastic fluids.
Oxygen Vacancy-Mediated ZnO Nanoparticle Photocatalyst for Degradation of Methylene Blue
Authors: Zhang Qiuping , Xu Ming , You Biao , Zhang Qin , Yuan Huan , Ostrikov Kostya
Published: February 2018

ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) are synthesized by deoxidizing ZnO powder in a vacuum drying process. This process reduces the size of the NPs and increases the concentration of oxygen vacancies on their surfaces. ZnO NPs with sufficient oxygen vacancies are highly effective for the photodecomposition of methylene blue (MB) dye in water under ultraviolet irradiation. The MB degradation efficiency exceeds 99 percent after 50 min of light irradiation, and the catalytic property of the NPs remains stable over several complete degradation cycles. It is revealed that the concentration of oxygen vacancies on the surface, and the photocatalytic activity, are both higher for smaller NPs. Oxygen vacancies reduce the recombination rate of photo-generated charge carriers by capturing the electrons and hence, improve the efficiency of redox reactions. In addition, a smaller particle size leads to a larger specific surface area and a higher photonic efficiency for the ZnO NPs.
Methyl Chloride Synthesis over Metal Chlorides-Modified Mesoporous Alumina Catalyst
Authors: Ji Yuwen , Zhang Feilong , Yu Feng , Zhang Jianshu , Zhang Jinli
Published: February 2018

Mesoporous alumina has been successfully prepared using sucrose as templates. Mesoporous alumina-based catalysts, neat and impregnated with metal chlorides, were tested for gas phase methyl chloride synthesis from methanol and HCl. The catalysts were characterized with Transmission electron microscope (TEM), N2-physisorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to identify the relationship between the catalyst characteristics and their activity and selectivity. Experimental studies revealed that the alumina acidity decreases with increasing calcination temperature, and the catalytic activity is strongly related to the acidity. The catalytic activity of mesoporous alumina (named as Al2O3-500 °C) is higher than that of the commercial alumina under the same experimental conditions. The metal chlorides-modified alumina has more Lewis acid sites than the neat alumina. Impregnation by alcohol is more effective for increasing the amount of Lewis acid sites than impregnation by water. The total Lewis acid concentration of the modified alumina decreases in the following order: ZnCl2/Al2O3-E > ZnCl2/Al2O3-W > FeCl3/Al2O3-E > FeCl3/Al2O3-W, Where E and W respectively indicate that the catalyst impregnation solution is ethanol and water, which agrees well with the catalytic performance order. The effect of ethanol as a solvent in the impregnation could be due to the inhibition of the hydrolysis of metal chloride. The catalyst delivered a stable performance during a 100 h test that was significantly higher than that of commercial alumina.
Cost-Effective and Facile Preparation of Fe2O3 Nanoparticles Decorated N-Doped Mesoporous Carbon Materials: Transforming Mulberry Leaf into a Highly Active Electrocatalyst for Oxygen Reduction Reactions
Authors: Zhang Tingting , Guan Lihao , Li Changqing , Zhao Junfeng , Wang Manchao , Peng Lin , Wang Jiahui , Lin Yuqing
Published: February 2018

Herein, a promising method to prepare efficient N-doped porous carbon-supported Fe2O3 nanoparticles (Fe2O3/N-PCs) ORR electrocatalysts is presented. The porous carbon was derived from a biomass i.e., mulberry leaf through a cost-effective approach. The existence of diverse compounds containing carbon, oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur in mulberry leaf benefit the formation and uniform dispersion of Fe2O3 nanoparticles (NPs) in the porous carbon. In evaluating the effects of the carbon support on the Fe2O3 NPs towards the ORR, we found that the sample of Fe2O3/N-PCs-850 (Fe2O3/N-PCs obtained at 850 °C) with high surface area of 313.8 m2·g−1 exhibits remarkably superior ORR activity than that of materials acquired under other temperatures. To be specific, the onset potential and reduction peak potential of Fe2O3/N-PCs-850 towards ORR are 0.936 V and 0.776 V (vs. RHE), respectively. The calculated number of electron transfer n for the ORR is 3.9, demonstrating a near four-electron-transfer process. Furthermore, it demonstrates excellent longtime stability and resistance to methanol deactivation compared with Pt/C catalyst. This study provides a novel design of highly active ORR electrocatalysts from low-cost abundant plant products.
The Relationship Between Sleep and Cognition in Children Referred for Neuropsychological Evaluation: A Latent Modeling Approach
Authors: Svingos Adrian , Greif Sarah , Bailey Brittany , Heaton Shelley
Published: February 2018

Children with conditions affecting cognitive processes experience high levels of sleep disturbance, which may further compound the cognitive ramifications of their disorders. Despite this, existing studies in this area have been primarily confined to only particular diagnostic groups and/or a limited scope of sleep and cognitive parameters. The current study characterized the nature of sleep problems and examined the relationship between a wide range of sleep-related problems and cognitive functioning in a large (N = 103) diagnostically heterogeneous sample of youth (aged 6–16) referred for neuropsychological assessment. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the relationship between sleep-related problems (i.e., daytime sleepiness, sleep onset latency, sleep fragmentation, sleep time variability, sleep debt) and cognitive performance (i.e., executive functioning, sustained attention, memory, processing speed). Sleep fragmentation emerged as the most prominent sleep-related problem in the present sample. Structural equation modeling demonstrated a negative association between sleep-related problems and cognition that did not reach statistical significance (β = −0.084, p = 0.629). The current statistical approach may be used as a conceptual framework for future work examining these multi-dimensional constructs in a parsimonious fashion.
Design of Spin-Frustrated Monomer-Type C60•− Mott Insulator
Authors: Otsuka Akihiro , Konarev Dmitri , Lyubovskaya Rimma , Khasanov Salavat , Maesato Mitsuhiko , Yoshida Yukihiro , Saito Gunzi
Published: February 2018

Spin-frustrated monomer-type Mott insulator C60•− solids are discussed in this review article. For the C60•− solids, the interfullerene center-to-center distance (r) is the key parameter that controls the competition between covalent bond-formation, itinerancy, and spin frustration. Eight C60•− salts with various compositions and dimensionalities are reviewed. In all of these C60•− salts except one, neither bond-formation nor long-range magnetic ordering was observed down to low temperatures. A plot of Weiss temperature (|ΘCW|) against r shows that |ΘCW| grows rapidly below r = 10.0 Å.
A Quantal Response Statistical Equilibrium Model of Induced Technical Change in an Interactive Factor Market: Firm-Level Evidence in the EU Economies
Authors: Yang Jangho
Published: February 2018

This paper studies the pattern of technical change at the firm level by applying and extending the Quantal Response Statistical Equilibrium model (QRSE). The model assumes that a large number of cost minimizing firms decide whether to adopt a new technology based on the potential rate of cost reduction. The firm in the model is assumed to have a limited capacity to process market signals so there is a positive degree of uncertainty in adopting a new technology. The adoption decision by the firm, in turn, makes an impact on the whole market through changes in the factor-price ratio. The equilibrium distribution of the model is a unimodal probability distribution with four parameters, which is qualitatively different from the Walrasian notion of equilibrium in so far as the state of equilibrium is not a single state but a probability distribution of multiple states. This paper applies Bayesian inference to estimate the unknown parameters of the model using the firm-level data of seven advanced OECD countries over eight years and shows that the mentioned equilibrium distribution from the model can satisfactorily recover the observed pattern of technical change.
Release Mechanism of Fuel-N into NOx and N2O Precursors during Pyrolysis of Rice Straw
Authors: Liu Xiaorui , Luo Zhongyang , Yu Chunjiang , Jin Bitao , Tu Hanchao
Published: February 2018

Rice straw, which is a typical agricultural residue in China, was pyrolyzed in a horizontal tube reactor connected with a Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analyzer at temperatures ranging from 500 to 900 °C to research the release mechanism of fuel-N into NOx and N2O precursors. The concentrations of gaseous nitrogen components were monitored online. NH3, HCN, HNCO, as well as NO were identified components. A high dependency between the gaseous products and temperature was found. NH3 and HNCO preferred to be formed at lower temperatures and HCN tended to form at higher temperatures. It is worth noting that NO was also an important product. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was performed to analyze the nitrogen species in rice straw. The result showed that amino-N (N-A) was the main form of nitrogen which accounted for 88.85%. Pyrrolic-N (N-5) was also identified and occupied the rest. Then nitrogen modeling compounds, glycine and pyrrole, were appropriately selected based on the results of XPS to well understand the nitrogen release mechanism during pyrolysis of rice straw. The formation routes of all the nitrogen gaseous components were confirmed. NH3, HNCO and NO were originated from the decomposition of amino-N. While both amino-N and pyrrolic-N produced HCN. NO was not detected during the pyrolysis of pyrrole and a little NO was found during the pyrolysis of glycine. Hence, it can be deduced that the large amount of NO formed during the pyrolysis of rice straw was due to the direct oxidization reaction of –NH and –OH, the latter is abundant in the raw material. In order to provide evidence for this deduction, cellulose was added to increase the amount of –OH and co-pyrolysis of cellulose and glycine was conducted. The effect of –OH on the formation of NO was confirmed. Then, the release mechanism of fuel-N into NOx and N2O precursors during rice straw pyrolysis was concluded based on the experimental results.
Testing for Polytomies in Phylogenetic Species Trees Using Quartet Frequencies
Authors: Sayyari Erfan , Mirarab Siavash
Published: February 2018

Phylogenetic species trees typically represent the speciation history as a bifurcating tree. Speciation events that simultaneously create more than two descendants, thereby creating polytomies in the phylogeny, are possible. Moreover, the inability to resolve relationships is often shown as a (soft) polytomy. Both types of polytomies have been traditionally studied in the context of gene tree reconstruction from sequence data. However, polytomies in the species tree cannot be detected or ruled out without considering gene tree discordance. In this paper, we describe a statistical test based on properties of the multi-species coalescent model to test the null hypothesis that a branch in an estimated species tree should be replaced by a polytomy. On both simulated and biological datasets, we show that the null hypothesis is rejected for all but the shortest branches, and in most cases, it is retained for true polytomies. The test, available as part of the Accurate Species TRee ALgorithm (ASTRAL) package, can help systematists decide whether their datasets are sufficient to resolve specific relationships of interest.
Epidemiological Study on Metal Pollution of Ningbo in China
Authors: Li Zhou , Su Hong , Wang Li , Hu Danbiao , Zhang Lijun , Fang Jian , Jin Micong , Fiati Kenston Samuel , Song Xin , Shi Hongbo , Zhao Jinshun , Mao Guochuan
Published: February 2018

Background: In order to search for effective control and prevention measures, the status of metal pollution in Ningbo, China was investigated. Methods: Nine of the most common contaminating metals including lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn), and mercury (Hg) in samples of vegetables, rice, soil, irrigation water, and human hair were detected using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Three different districts including industrial, suburban and rural areas in Ningbo were studied through a stratified random sample method. Results: (1) Among all of the detected vegetable samples, Cd exceeded the standard limit rates in industrial, suburban and rural areas as high as 43.9%, 27.5% and 5.0%, respectively; indicating the severity of Cd pollution in Ningbo. (2) The pollution index (PI) of Cd and Zn in soil (1.069, 1.584, respectively) suggests that soil is slightly polluted by Cd and Zn. Among all samples, metal contamination levels in soil were all relatively high. (3) A positive correlation was found between the concentrations of Pb, Cd and Cu in vegetables and soil; Pb, Cu, Cr and Ni in vegetables and irrigation water, as well as, Cu and Ni in rice and irrigation water; and, (4) Higher Pb and Cd concentrations were found in student scalp hair in both industrial and suburban areas compared to rural areas. (5) Hg and Pb that are found in human scalp hair may be more easily absorbed from food than any of the other metals. Conclusions: In general, certain harmful metal pollutions were detected in both industrial and suburban areas of Ningbo in China.
DNA Methylation Levels of the ELMO Gene Promoter CpG Islands in Human Glioblastomas
Authors: Michaelsen Signe , Aslan Derya , Urup Thomas , Poulsen Hans , Grønbæk Kirsten , Broholm Helle , Kristensen Lasse
Published: February 2018

Complete surgical resection of glioblastoma is difficult due to the invasive nature of this primary brain tumor, for which the molecular mechanisms behind remain poorly understood. The three human ELMO genes play key roles in cellular motility, and have been linked to metastasis and poor prognosis in other cancer types. The aim of this study was to investigate methylation levels of the ELMO genes and their correlation to clinical characteristics and outcome in patients diagnosed with glioblastoma. To measure DNA methylation levels we designed pyrosequencing assays targeting the promoter CpG island of each the ELMO genes. These were applied to diagnostic tumor specimens from a well-characterized cohort of 121 patients who received standard treatment consisting of surgery, radiation therapy, plus concomitant and adjuvant chemotherapy. The promoter methylation levels of ELMO1 and ELMO2 were generally low, whereas ELMO3 methylation levels were high, in the tumor biopsies. Thirteen, six, and 18 biopsies were defined as aberrantly methylated for ELMO1, ELMO2, and ELMO3, respectively. There were no significant associations between the methylation status of any of the ELMO gene promoter CpG islands and overall survival, progression-free survival, and clinical characteristics of the patients including intracranial tumor location. Therefore, the methylation status of the ELMO gene promoter CpG islands is unlikely to have prognostic value in glioblastoma.
Immunohistochemical Expression of Aquaporin-1 in Fluoro-Edenite-Induced Malignant Mesothelioma: A Preliminary Report
Authors: Angelico Giuseppe , Caltabiano Rosario , Loreto Carla , Ieni Antonio , Tuccari Giovanni , Ledda Caterina , Rapisarda Venerando
Published: February 2018

Background: The immunohistochemical expression of aquaporin-1 (AQP1) in asbestos-related malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is emerging as a useful prognostic indicator of improved survival. A significantly increased incidence of MPM in a small town in southern Italy was ascribed to exposure to fluoro-edenite (FE), a naturally occurring asbestos fiber. We investigated the immunohistochemical expression of AQP1 in patients affected by FE-related MPM; taking into consideration its suggested independent prognostic role, its possible correlation with clinicopathological parameters and patient outcome was also evaluated. Methods: Ten patients were selected for this study, as neoplastic tissue blocks, clinical and follow-up data were available. The immunohistochemical overexpression of AQP1 was defined as ≥50% of tumor cells showing membranous staining. Results: Six cases showed AQP1 expression in ≥50% of tumor cells; in this group, a significant association of AQP1 overexpression with an increased median overall survival (OS) of 26.3 months was observed. By contrast, four patients exhibited an AQP1 score of <50% of stained cells, with a shorter median OS of 8.9 months. Conclusions: The present study represents further confirmation of the hypothesized prognostic role of AQP1, which seems a reliable prognostic indicator.
Advances in the Genetics of Hypertension: The Effect of Rare Variants
Authors: Russo Alessia , Di Gaetano Cornelia , Cugliari Giovanni , Matullo Giuseppe
Published: February 2018

Worldwide, hypertension still represents a serious health burden with nine million people dying as a consequence of hypertension-related complications. Essential hypertension is a complex trait supported by multifactorial genetic inheritance together with environmental factors. The heritability of blood pressure (BP) is estimated to be 30–50%. A great effort was made to find genetic variants affecting BP levels through Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS). This approach relies on the “common disease–common variant” hypothesis and led to the identification of multiple genetic variants which explain, in aggregate, only 2–3% of the genetic variance of hypertension. Part of the missing genetic information could be caused by variants too rare to be detected by GWAS. The use of exome chips and Next-Generation Sequencing facilitated the discovery of causative variants. Here, we report the advances in the detection of novel rare variants, genes, and/or pathways through the most promising approaches, and the recent statistical tests that have emerged to handle rare variants. We also discuss the need to further support rare novel variants with replication studies within larger consortia and with deeper functional studies to better understand how new genes might improve patient care and the stratification of the response to antihypertensive treatments.
Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Foods and Derived Products Containing Ellagitannins and Anthocyanins on Cardiometabolic Biomarkers: Analysis of Factors Influencing Variability of the Individual Responses
Authors: García-Conesa María-Teresa , Chambers Karen , Combet Emilie , Pinto Paula , Garcia-Aloy Mar , Andrés-Lacueva Cristina , De Pascual-Teresa Sonia , Mena Pedro , Konic Ristic Aleksandra , Hollands Wendy , Kroon Paul , Rodríguez-Mateos Ana , Istas Geoffrey , Kontogiorgis Christos , Rai Dilip , Gibney Eileen , Morand Christine , Espín Juan , González-Sarrías Antonio
Published: February 2018

Understanding interindividual variability in response to dietary polyphenols remains essential to elucidate their effects on cardiometabolic disease development. A meta-analysis of 128 randomized clinical trials was conducted to investigate the effects of berries and red grapes/wine as sources of anthocyanins and of nuts and pomegranate as sources of ellagitannins on a range of cardiometabolic risk biomarkers. The potential influence of various demographic and lifestyle factors on the variability in the response to these products were explored. Both anthocyanin- and ellagitannin-containing products reduced total-cholesterol with nuts and berries yielding more significant effects than pomegranate and grapes. Blood pressure was significantly reduced by the two main sources of anthocyanins, berries and red grapes/wine, whereas waist circumference, LDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, and glucose were most significantly lowered by the ellagitannin-products, particularly nuts. Additionally, we found an indication of a small increase in HDL-cholesterol most significant with nuts and, in flow-mediated dilation by nuts and berries. Most of these effects were detected in obese/overweight people but we found limited or non-evidence in normoweight individuals or of the influence of sex or smoking status. The effects of other factors, i.e., habitual diet, health status or country where the study was conducted, were inconsistent and require further investigation.