bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
External Financial Auditing of Local And Regional Governments by Regional Audit Institutions in the European Union
Authors: Chouvel Rudy
Published: July 2018

U Europskoj uniji vanjska financijska revizija jedinica lokalne i regionalne samouprave provodi se primjenom četiriju različitih metoda, no samo šest država članica (Njemačka, Francuska, Španjolska, Austrija, Poljska i Nizozemska) koriste regionalne revizijske institucije (RAI-e). One se još mogu nazivati i regionalnim
računovodstvenim sudovima ili komorama. Neovisnost RAI-a zajam-
čena je ustavom ili zakonom država koje ih koriste, a neovisnosti u prilog ide i znatan stupanj njihove financijske autonomije. Statuti RAI-a propisuje zabranu bilo kakvog političkog ili profesionalnog utjecaja na članove RAI-a, što je i u skladu sa EURORAI preporukama. RAI-i su nastali kao odgovor na različite potrebe. U nekim zemljama, kao što su Nizozemska ili Poljska, nisu postojala vanjska revizijska tijela koja bi se bavila lokalnim samoupravim jedinicama (i brojnim agencijama koje one osnivaju). S druge strane, ustrojstvo nekih zemalja, federalno (u Njemačkoj i Austriji) ili kvazi-federalno (u Španjolskoj), rezultiralo je uspostavom decentraliziranih revizijskih tijela. Napokon, u nekim slučajevima, kao npr. u Francuskoj, radilo se o tome da vrhovna revizijska institucija (SAI) nije mogla nadzirati preveliki broj jedinica lokalne samouprave. Ovaj posljednji faktor se nesumnjivo pokazao odlučujućim prilikom uspostave RAI-a u navedenim zemaljma, budući da one zajedno obuhvaćaju dvije trećine jedinica lokalnih samouprava u Europske unije. RAI-i mogu provoditi reviziju jedinica lokalne samouprave u cjelini ili samo nekih njezinih tijela ili institucija. RAI-e nadziru pravilnost računovodstvenog postupanja kao i rezultata poslovanja, a prilikom provedbe nadzora koriste niz proceduralnih metoda među kojima postoji sličnost između zemalja. Po provedenom nadzoru, RAI-e izdaju preporuke, no aktivnosti koje se poduzimaju radi praćenja izvršavanja preporuka
nisu ujednačene između zemalja. Neke zemlje izdane preporuke smatraju obvezujućima, dok se kod drugih smatra da one svoj učinak postižu samim javnim objavljivanjem.
An Iterative Automatic Final Alignment Method in the Ontology Matching System
Authors: Gulić Marko , Vrdoljak Boris , Vuković Marin
Published: July 2018

Ontology matching plays an important role in the integration of heterogeneous data sources that are described by ontologies. In order to determine correspondences between ontologies, a set of matchers can be used. After the execution of these matchers and the aggregation of the results obtained by these matchers, a final alignment method is executed in order to select appropriate correspondences between entities of compared ontologies. The final alignment method is an important part of the ontology matching process because it directly determines the output result of this process. In this paper we improve our iterative final alignment method by introducing an automatic adjustment of final alignment threshold as well as a new rule for determining false correspondences with similarity values greater than adjusted threshold. An evaluation of the method is performed on the test ontologies of the OAEI evaluation contest and a comparison with other final alignment methods is given.
Analisis Perencanaan, Pengawasan dan Pengendalian terhadap Anggaran Pendapatan dan Belanja Daerah Dinas Kelautan dan Perikanan Provinsi Riau
Authors: Suharti Suharti , Hutahaean Reka Tresiana
Published: July 2018

This study aims to determine the effect of Planning, Supervising and Controlling On Income And Fund Budget of Local Government (APBD) in Marine and Fishery Service Riau Province 2012-2016). This research was conducted at the Department of Marine and Fishery Riau Province. The number of population were 60 respondents. Analysis used was Multiple Linear Regression Model. The results of this study indicate that planning has no significant effect on the Income and Fund Budget of Local Government (APBD) and Supervising and Controlling have significantly influence to APBD.

Keywords: Planning, Supervising, Controlling, Budget
Wilayah Cakupan Pelayanan Pembeli di Pasar Bandar Buat Kecamatan Lubuk Kilangan Kota Padang
Authors: Qamilah Nurul , Krama Agel Vidian
Published: July 2018

This study aims to obtain a description of the coverage area of visitor services Bandar Bandar Buat Kecamatan Lubuk Kilangan Kota Padang and how much influence of pull factors such as: accessibility, and distance, quality, price, completeness and type of goods. The type of this research is descriptive research by combining qualitative and quantitative approach, while approach taken in sampling is by accidental technique. The result of the research shows that: (1) The area of service coverage of visitors, especially buyers at Bandar Buat Market is spread in eleven urban villages, with seven subdistricts of Lubuk Kilangan, Tarantang, Beringin, Indarung, Padang Besi, Koto Lalang, Bandar Buat Village, Village of Batu Gadang and four other villages of the two districts different that  Piai Tangah village, Village of Limau Manis, Binuang Kampung Dalam village contained in District Pauh, and village in the district Kuranji,. Factors influencing buyers to come shopping to Bandar Buat  Market are 17 percent Accessibility by percentage, Goods type with percentage of 18 percent, Quality of Goods with percentage of 23 percent, Completed Goods with percentage of 22 percent, and Goods Price by percentage of 20 percent, the pull factor that became the main choice of  visitors is the factor of quality of goods with a percentage of 23 percent.

Keywords: Market, pull factor, the coverage area
Penerapan Teknik Peer Editing terhadap Ketuntasan Hasil Belajar Siswa Kelas X MA Mazroillah Lubuklinggau dalam Menyunting Teks Prosedur Kompleks
Authors: Muslihah Nur Nisai , Nia Novita
Published: July 2018

The purpose of this study is to describe the Application of peer editing technique to the mastery of students learning achievement of Class X MA Mazroillah Lubuklinggau in Editing Text of Complex Procedure. This study uses quasiexperimental method with the research population of 49 students who are divided into two classes. The selected class as sample is X.II.S class. The data were collected with technical tests in the form of essay tests. The test results show that the average score of students is greater than the KKM or 78.87> 70 and the percentage of mastery reaches 89.29 percent. Based on the calculation results obtained to = 4.743. When consulted with t table with N-1 = 28-1 = 27 or db / df = 27) at significance level of 1percent is 2,771 and 5 percent significance level is 2.052. So to greater than tt either at the significance level of 1 percent or 5 percent, or 4,743> 2,771 and 4,743> 2,052. Thus the hypothesis in this study that the application of Peer Editing techniques can significantly complete the learning outcomes of Students Class X MA Mazroillah Lubuklinggau in editing the text of complex procedures proven truth

Keywords: Peer Editing, Text Procedure Complex
Analisis Motivasi Mahasiswa dalam Belajar Fisika
Authors: Sasmita Petri Reni , Rachman Saiful , Hartoyo Zainal
Published: July 2018

The purpose of this study is to find out the comparative description of student motivation on the newly developed campus in physics learning with a more advanced campus. To get a description of the students motivation, as many as 87 students selected at random from three different campuses were surveyed using Science Motivation Questionnaire II. The science motivation questionnaire consists of five components of motivation: intrinsic motivation, self-determination, self-efficacy, career motivation, and grade motivation. The results show that there is no significant difference between student motivation on the newly developed campus and student motivation on a more advanced campus in physics learning. If it is seen based on the motivation component, it is known that there is no significant difference between all components of student motivation on the newly developed campus with student motivation on campus which is more advanced.

Keyword: Physics Learning Motivation, Physics Learning, and Physics Education
Identifying stealth malware using CPU power consumption and learning algorithms
Authors: Luckett Patrick , McDonald J. Todd , Glisson William B. , Benton Ryan , Dawson Joel , Doyle Blair A.
Published: July 2018

With the increased assimilation of technology into all aspects of everyday life, rootkits pose a credible threat to individuals, corporations, and governments. Using various techniques, rootkits can infect systems and remain undetected for extended periods of time. This threat necessitates the careful consideration of real-time detection solutions. Behavioral detection techniques allow for the identification of rootkits with no previously recorded signatures. This research examines a variety of machine learning algorithms, including Nearest Neighbor, Decision Trees, Neural Networks, and Support Vector Machines, and proposes a behavioral detection method based on low yield CPU power consumption. The method is evaluated on Windows 7, Windows 10, Ubuntu Desktop, and Ubuntu Server operating systems along with employing four different rootkits. Relevant features within the data are calculated and the overall best performing algorithms are identified. A nested neural network is then applied that enables highly accurate data classification. Our results present a viable method of rootkit detection that can operate in real-time with minimal computational and space complexity.
CFD Based Qualification of Mixing Efficiency of Stirred Vessels
Authors: Till Zoltán , Molnár Bálint , Egedy Attila , Varga Tamás
Published: July 2018

In this work, we focus on the most crucial units in a chemical technology, the chemical reactors. Using a commercially available CFD software package, COMSOL Multiphysics, 3D mathematical models of a batch reactor with different impeller geometries have been investigated. The reasonable agreement between the experimental and simulation results indicates the validity of the developed CFD model. The effect of the impeller design, e. g. number of blades on the mixing efficiency is evaluated based on the simulation studies. The proposed measure to determine the energy efficiency of mixing (i. e. mixing index) is based on the calculated velocity field and energy usage. The information about the homogeneity of the mixed phase in the system can be extracted from the developed velocity field. Hence, we proposed histograms of velocity fluctuations on a logarithmic scale as an efficient tool to measure the achieved homogeneity of the phase in case of different impellers and rotational speeds.
A Research Agenda on Open Innovation and Entrepreneurship: A Co-Word Analysis
Authors: Ortiz-de-Urbina-Criado Marta , Nájera-Sánchez Juan-José , Mora-Valentín Eva-María
Published: July 2018

This paper aims to contribute to a better understanding of the literature on open innovation and entrepreneurship. Several studies have applied bibliometric methods to innovation and entrepreneurship separately. However, no study has considered these fields in combination while using a bibliometric approach. The main aim of this paper is to understand the relationship between open innovation and entrepreneurship. We develop a descriptive analysis, focusing on temporal evolution, journals, authors, universities, countries, and keywords, and a co-word analysis. Our research identifies the main topics investigated in the open innovation and entrepreneurship literature and describes their relationships. Based on our results, the topics are grouped in three clusters. We present observations on how this literature is influenced by the resources and how this literature affects the management of innovation and knowledge. Future research could focus on questions such as the advantages of open innovation in the creation of new companies, whether open innovation processes facilitate access to funding sources by entrepreneurs or the analysis of business models based on open innovation for the creation of new companies.
Reconfigurable Formation Control of Multi-Agents Using Virtual Linkage Approach
Authors: Liu Yi , Gao Junyao , Liu Cunqiu , Zhao Fangzhou , Zhao Jingchao
Published: July 2018

Formation control is an important problem in cooperative robotics due to its broad applications. To address this problem, the concept of a virtual linkage is introduced. Using this idea, a group of robots is designed and controlled to behave as particles embedded in a mechanical linkage instead of as a single rigid body as with the virtual structure approach. As compared to the virtual structure approach, the method proposed here can reconfigure the group of robots into different formation patterns by coordinating the joint angles in the corresponding mechanical linkage. Meanwhile, there is no need to transmit all the robots’ state information to a single location and implement all of the computation on it, due to virtual linkage’s hierarchical architecture. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated using two simulations with nine robots: moving around a circle in line formation, and moving through a gallery with varying formation patterns.
Special Issue on Ultrafast Ultrasound Imaging and Its Applications
Authors: Hasegawa Hideyuki , De Korte Chris
Published: July 2018

Among medical imaging modalities, such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound imaging stands out in terms of temporal resolution[…]
Optimize Rotating Wind Energy Rotor Blades Using the Adjoint Approach
Authors: Vorspel Lena , Stoevesandt Bernhard , Peinke Joachim
Published: July 2018

Wind energy rotor blades are highly complex structures, both combining a large aerodynamic efficiency and a robust structure for lifetimes up to 25 years and more. Current research deals with smart rotor blades, improved for turbulent wind fields, less maintenance and low wind sites. In this work, an optimization tool for rotor blades using bend-twist-coupling is developed and tested. The adjoint approach allows computation of gradients based on the flow field at comparably low cost. A suitable projection method from the large design space of one gradient per numerical grid cell to a suitable design space for rotor blades is derived. The adjoint solver in OpenFOAM is extended for external flow. As novelty, we included rotation via the multiple reference frame method, both for the flow and the adjoint field. This optimization tool is tested for the NREL Phase VI turbine, optimizing the thrust by twisting of various outer parts between 20–50% of the blade length.
Case Study of a Functionally Graded Aluminum Part
Authors: Fracchia Elisa , Lombardo Silvia , Rosso Mario
Published: July 2018

The growing interest in aluminum alloys is due to the excellent ductility and mechanical strength, especially in relation with their lightness. These properties make aluminum alloys one of the most used and competitive materials in the automotive sectors. In fact, at the present day, automotive components must guarantee high mechanical and thermal properties in order to ensure low emissions of the vehicle. Despite that, harsh operating conditions can lead to a rupture in aluminum components, especially if subjected to both thermal and mechanical loads. In this panorama, aluminum functionally graded materials (FGMs) could be introduced, in order to produce a single piece with different properties that fulfill all the piece requirements. In this work, considering the typical application of the aluminum alloys as engine pistons, FGMs are realized by sequential gravity casting with the piston alloy EN AB 48000 and the alloy EN AB 42100. Tensile tests on these bi-metal parts give good results in terms of mechanical strength, elongation rates and alloys bonding.
Multi-Phase Under Voltage Load Shedding Scheme for Preventing Delayed Voltage Recovery by Induction Motor Power Consumption Characteristics
Authors: Lee Yunhwan , Song Hwachang
Published: July 2018

This paper aims to develop a multi-phase under voltage load shedding (MUVLS) strategy that effectively sheds the load to mitigate delayed voltage recovery (DVR). The major cause of the DVR phenomenon is related to the dynamic characteristics of induction motor (IM) loads. The deaccelerating and stalling of the IM load during disturbances is the main driving force of short-term voltage instability, resulting in an amount of reactive power consumption and excessive current draw. With the economic efficiency of energy use, the proportion of IM loads is gradually increasing, and this trend might deteriorate system stability. This paper focuses on the impact of IM loads in the Korean power system and analyzes the parameter sensitivity of IM loads and the proportion of appropriate IM loads. The proposed procedure for under voltage load shedding (UVLS) applies voltage stability criteria to decide the most efficient load shedding scheme. The determined MUVLS scheme can offer new and more effective remedial actions to maintain voltage stability, considering the characteristics of IM loads. Case studies on the Korean power system have validated the performance of the proposed MUVLS scheme under severe contingency scenarios, showing that the proposed strategy effectively mitigates DVR.
Impact of Subgrid-Scale Modeling in Actuator-Line Based Large-Eddy Simulation of Vertical-Axis Wind Turbine Wakes
Authors: Abkar Mahdi
Published: July 2018

A large-eddy simulation (LES) study of vertical-axis wind turbine wakes under uniform inflow conditions is performed. Emphasis is placed on exploring the effects of subgrid-scale (SGS) modeling on turbine loading as well as on the formation and development of the wind turbine wake. In this regard, the validated LES framework coupled with an actuator-line parametrization is employed. Three different SGS models are considered: the standard Smagorinsky model, the Lagrangian scale-dependent dynamic (LSDD) model, and the anisotropic minimum dissipation (AMD) model. The results show that the SGS model has a negligible effect on the mean aerodynamic loads acting on the blades. However, the structure of the wake, including the mean velocity and turbulence statistics, is significantly affected by the SGS closure. In particular, the standard Smagorisnky model with its theoretical model coefficient (i.e., CS∼0.16) postpones the transition of the wake to turbulence and yields a higher velocity variance in the turbulent region compared to the LSDD and AMD models. This observation is elaborated in more detail by analyzing the resolved-scale turbulent kinetic energy budget inside the wake. It is also shown that, unlike the standard Smagorinsky model, which requires detailed calibrations of the model coefficient, the AMD can yield predictions similar to the LSDD model for the mean and turbulence characteristics of the wake without any tuning.
Radio-Fluorogenic Gel Dosimetry with Coumarin
Authors: Sandwall Peter A. , Bastow Brandt P. , Spitz Henry B. , Elson Howard R. , Lamba Michael , Connick William B. , Fenichel Henry
Published: July 2018

Gel dosimeters are attractive detectors for radiation therapy, with properties similar to biological tissue and the potential to visualize volumetric dose distributions. Radio-fluorogenesis is the yield of fluorescent chemical products in response to energy deposition from ionizing radiation. This report shares the development of a novel radio-fluorogenic gel (RFG) dosimeter, gelatin infused with coumarin-3-carboxlyic acid (C3CA), for the quantification of imparted energy. Aqueous solutions exposed to ionizing radiation result in the production of hydroxyl free radicals through water radiolysis. Interactions between hydroxyl free radicals and coumarin-3-carboxylic acid produce a fluorescent product. 7-hydroxy-coumarin-3-carboxylic acid has a blue (445 nm) emission following ultra-violet (UV) to near UV (365–405 nm) excitation. Effects of C3CA concentration and pH buffers were investigated. The response of the RFG was explored with respect to strength, type, and exposure rate of high-energy radiation. Results show a linear dose response relationship independent of energy and type, with a dose-rate dependency. This report demonstrates increased photo-yield with high pH and the utility of gelatin-RFG for phantom studies of radiation dosimetry.
Whole Life-Cycle Ecological Footprint of Rural Existing Houses in Northern China
Authors: Liu Ming , Zhang Baogang , Ren Jingwei , Lian Chaoli , Yuan Jie , Hao Qingli
Published: July 2018

To solve the increasing contradiction between the living environment and residential energy consumption in rural areas, it is urgent to alter the traditional living mode and create a new living pattern with a pleasant environment. Based on the theory of ecological footprint, in this article we compare the whole life-cycle ecological footprint between the northern rural house with various energy-saving measures and the urban multi-layer residence with only external wall thermal-insulation as the energy-saving measure. The results show that the sustainability of the multi-layer residence is obviously superior to the rural house. Therefore, rural house designers should learn the multi-layer residential design strategies, construction methods, and operation modes to reduce the unnecessary waste of the energy and resources. Through centralized planning, construction, and heating systems, the multi-level residence is conducive to sustainable human development. The study provides relevant theoretical support for low-carbon house construction in village areas.
NGAL is Downregulated in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Leads to Increased Survival, Proliferation, Migration and Chemoresistance
Authors: Monisha Javadi , Roy Nand Kishor , Padmavathi Ganesan , Banik Kishore , Bordoloi Devivasha , Khwairakpam Amrita Devi , Arfuso Frank , Chinnathambi Arunachalam , Alahmadi Tahani Awad , Alharbi Sulaiman Ali , Sethi Gautam , Kumar Alan Prem , Kunnumakkara Ajaikumar B.
Published: July 2018

Oral cancer is a major public health burden worldwide. The lack of biomarkers for early diagnosis has increased the difficulty in managing this disease. Recent studies have reported that neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), a secreted glycoprotein, is upregulated in various tumors. In our study, we found that NGAL was significantly downregulated in primary malignant and metastatic tissues of oral cancer in comparison to normal tissues. The downregulation of NGAL was strongly correlated with both degree of differentiation and stage (I–IV); it can also serve as a prognostic biomarker for oral cancer. Additionally, tobacco carcinogens were found to be involved in the downregulation of NGAL. Mechanistic studies revealed that knockdown of NGAL increased oral cancer cell proliferation, survival, and migration; it also induced resistance against cisplatin. Silencing of NGAL activated mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)signaling and reduced autophagy by the liver kinase B1 (LKB1)-activated protein kinase (AMPK)-p53-Redd1 signaling axis. Moreover, cyclin-D1, Bcl-2, and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) were upregulated, and caspase-9 was downregulated, suggesting that silencing of NGAL increases oral cancer cell proliferation, survival, and migration. Thus, from our study, it is evident that downregulation of NGAL activates the mTOR pathway and helps in the progression of oral cancer.
Epithelioid Hemangioendothelioma as a Model of YAP/TAZ-Driven Cancer: Insights from a Rare Fusion Sarcoma
Authors: Lamar John M. , Motilal Nehru Vijeyaluxmy , Weinberg Guy
Published: July 2018

Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EHE) is a rare soft-tissue sarcoma involving cells with histologic markers that suggest an endothelial origin. Around 90% of EHEs are caused by the fusion of Transcriptional Co-activator with a PDZ-motif (TAZ) with Calmodulin Binding Transcription Activator 1 (CAMTA1), a central nervous system-specific transcription activator. The 10% of EHEs that lack the TAZ–CAMTA1 fusion instead have a fusion of Yes-associated Protein (YAP) and Transcription Factor E3 (TFE3) genes (YAP-TFE3). YAP and TAZ are well-defined downstream effectors in the Hippo pathway that promote cell growth when translocated to the nucleus. The TAZ–CAMTA1 fusion transcript is insensitive to the Hippo inhibitory signals that normally prevent this process and thus constitutively activates the TAZ transcriptome. In EHE, this causes tumors to form in a variety of organs and tissue types, most commonly the liver, lung, and bone. Its clinical course is unpredictable and highly variable. TAZ activation is known to contribute to key aspects of the cancer phenotype, including metastasis and fibrosis, and increased expression of TAZ is thought to be causally related to the progression of many cancers, including breast, lung, and liver. Therefore, understanding TAZ biology and the molecular mechanisms by which it promotes unregulated cell proliferation will yield insights and possibly improved treatments for both EHE as well as much more common cancers.
Immobilization of an Endo-β-N-acetylglucosaminidase for the Release of Bioactive N-glycans
Authors: Cohen Joshua L. , Karav Sercan , Barile Daniela , De Moura Bell Juliana M. L. N.
Published: July 2018

As more is learned about glycoproteins’ roles in human health and disease, the biological functionalities of N-linked glycans are becoming more relevant. Protein deglycosylation allows for the selective release of N-glycans and facilitates glycoproteomic investigation into their roles as prebiotics or anti-pathogenic factors. To increase throughput and enzyme reusability, this work evaluated several immobilization methods for an endo-β-N-acetylglucosaminidase recently discovered from the commensal Bifidobacterium infantis. Ribonuclease B was used as a model glycoprotein to compare N-glycans released by the free and immobilized enzyme. Amino-based covalent method showed the highest enzyme immobilization. Relative abundance of N-glycans and enzyme activity were determined using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Kinetic evaluation demonstrated that upon immobilization, both Vmax and the Km decreased. Optimal pH values of 5 and 7 were identified for the free and immobilized enzyme, respectively. Although a higher temperature (65 vs. 45 °C) favored rapid glycan release, the immobilized enzyme retained over 50% of its original activity after seven use cycles at 45 °C. In view of future applications in the dairy industry, we investigated the ability of this enzyme to deglycosylate whey proteins. The immobilized enzyme released a higher abundance of neutral glycans from whey proteins, while the free enzyme released more sialylated glycans, determined by nano-LC Chip Q-ToF MS.
Animal Female Meiosis: The Challenges of Eliminating Centrosomes
Authors: Gruss Oliver J.
Published: July 2018

Sexual reproduction requires the generation of gametes, which are highly specialised for fertilisation. Female reproductive cells, oocytes, grow up to large sizes when they accumulate energy stocks and store proteins as well as mRNAs to enable rapid cell divisions after fertilisation. At the same time, metazoan oocytes eliminate their centrosomes, i.e., major microtubule-organizing centres (MTOCs), during or right after the long growth phases. Centrosome elimination poses two key questions: first, how can the centrosome be re-established after fertilisation? In general, metazoan oocytes exploit sperm components, i.e., the basal body of the sperm flagellum, as a platform to reinitiate centrosome production. Second, how do most metazoan oocytes manage to build up meiotic spindles without centrosomes? Oocytes have evolved mechanisms to assemble bipolar spindles solely around their chromosomes without the guidance of pre-formed MTOCs. Female animal meiosis involves microtubule nucleation and organisation into bipolar microtubule arrays in regulated self-assembly under the control of the Ran system and nuclear transport receptors. This review summarises our current understanding of the molecular mechanism underlying self-assembly of meiotic spindles, its spatio-temporal regulation, and the key players governing this process in animal oocytes.
Molecular and Morphological Phylogenetic Analysis of Naupactus Dejean (Curculionidae: Entiminae) and Allied Genera: The Dilemma of Classification
Authors: Del Río Maria G. , Rodriguero Marcela S. , Confalonieri Viviana A. , Lanteri Analía A.
Published: July 2018

Naupactus (Curculionidae: Entiminae) is the most speciose weevil genus of the tribe Naupactini. The main objective of this work is to recognize species groups within Naupactus and to analyze the relationships between this and other Neotropical genera. For this purpose, we compiled a combined data matrix of 60 terminal units corresponding to 40 species for which we recorded 812 molecular and morphological characters (763 and 49 respectively), which were analyzed by Maximum Parsimony and Bayesian analyses. The single tree obtained from each analysis was rooted with Cyrtomon inhalatus. The species of Naupactus were recovered as different monophyletic groups, some of them closer to other genera of Naupactini (Lanterius, Teratopactus, Pantomorus and Parapantomorus) than to species of the same genus. We conclude that Naupactus is non-monophyletic, even though most species can be recognized based on a particular combination of morphological characters, which are probably symplesiomorphic. To be consistent with the cladistic principles, some genera diversified in marginal areas of the Pantomorus-Naupactus complex should be synonymized with Naupactus; however, these nomenclatural changes may not ensure a generic definition based on synapomorphies. We prefer to be conservative about the current classification until more evidence is available. The only nomenclatural amendments proposed herein are the transference of Naupactus inermis Hustache to Lanterius and of N. setarius to Symmathetes.
Indian Diabetic Retinopathy Image Dataset (IDRiD): A Database for Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Research
Authors: Porwal Prasanna , Pachade Samiksha , Kamble Ravi , Kokare Manesh , Deshmukh Girish , Sahasrabuddhe Vivek , Meriaudeau Fabrice
Published: July 2018

Diabetic Retinopathy is the most prevalent cause of avoidable vision impairment, mainly affecting the working-age population in the world. Recent research has given a better understanding of the requirement in clinical eye care practice to identify better and cheaper ways of identification, management, diagnosis and treatment of retinal disease. The importance of diabetic retinopathy screening programs and difficulty in achieving reliable early diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy at a reasonable cost needs attention to develop computer-aided diagnosis tool. Computer-aided disease diagnosis in retinal image analysis could ease mass screening of populations with diabetes mellitus and help clinicians in utilizing their time more efficiently. The recent technological advances in computing power, communication systems, and machine learning techniques provide opportunities to the biomedical engineers and computer scientists to meet the requirements of clinical practice. Diverse and representative retinal image sets are essential for developing and testing digital screening programs and the automated algorithms at their core. To the best of our knowledge, IDRiD (Indian Diabetic Retinopathy Image Dataset), is the first database representative of an Indian population. It constitutes typical diabetic retinopathy lesions and normal retinal structures annotated at a pixel level. The dataset provides information on the disease severity of diabetic retinopathy, and diabetic macular edema for each image. This makes it perfect for development and evaluation of image analysis algorithms for early detection of diabetic retinopathy.
A Reduced Switch AC-AC Converter with the Application of D-STATCOM and Induction Motor Drive
Authors: Jibhakate Chaitanya , Chaudhari Madhuri , Renge Mohan
Published: July 2018

In this paper, a reduced switch AC-DC-AC converter is used as a distribution static compensator (DSTATCOM) and induction motor drive. The AC-DC-AC nine switch converter (NSC) is a reduced switch topology of conventional 12-switch back to back converter. With a 25% reduced switch count, NSC has lower losses when operated at constant frequency mode compared to twelve switch converter (TSC). The idea is to operate NSC input terminal as an active front-end rectifier to mimic synchronous generator (SG) operation. The induction motor is connected at the output of the NSC for irrigation application where no speed regulation is required. In distribution generation (DG), a large capacitor bank is used to deliver required reactive power. This may lead to over-voltage at the point of common coupling (PCC) when the load is turned off. To manage reactive power transfer at PCC, a control scheme is developed for NSC such that it can absorb or deliver reactive power with induction motor drive. Similar to SG, V-curve and inverted V-curve is plotted. The simulation and hardware results prove the feasibility of the proposed system.
Performance Analysis of Hybrid Optical–Acoustic AUV Swarms for Marine Monitoring
Authors: Lodovisi Chiara , Loreti Pierpaolo , Bracciale Lorenzo , Betti Silvello
Published: July 2018

Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) are assuming an important role in the monitoring and mapping of marine ecosystems, especially for their ability to explore harsh environments. AUV swarm can collect data operating autonomously for long periods enabling new applications in this field. However, the mission duration is usually limited also by the high power consumption required for acoustic transmissions. A new generation of devices complements the acoustic modem with an optical modem that can provide a communication channel with higher capacity and lower power consumption with respect to the acoustic channel. However, the optical link that uses the visible light is very sensitive to the water turbidity that can strongly limit the link coverage. In this paper, we evaluate the networking performances of the Venus vessel, a real AUV prototype equipped with an acoustical modem and an optical modem. The presented analysis aims to evaluate key system parameters allowing to select the best way to set up network communications according to the surrounding conditions (e.g., quality of water) and to the application requirements. Simulation results account for the case of ports or basins, where the water quality is poor and the use of the optical modem is strongly limited by distance. We evaluate system performance in terms of transmission delay in the network and we also provide a power–capacity trade-off.
Developing Novel Temperature Sensing Garments for Health Monitoring Applications
Authors: Lugoda Pasindu , Hughes-Riley Theodore , Oliveira Carlos , Morris Rob , Dias Tilak
Published: July 2018

Embedding temperature sensors within textiles provides an easy method for measuring skin temperature. Skin temperature measurements are an important parameter for a variety of health monitoring applications, where changes in temperature can indicate changes in health. This work uses a temperature sensing yarn, which was fully characterized in previous work, to create a series of temperature sensing garments: armbands, a glove, and a sock. The purpose of this work was to develop the design rules for creating temperature sensing garments and to understand the limitations of these devices. Detailed design considerations for all three devices are provided. Experiments were conducted to examine the effects of contact pressure on skin contact temperature measurements using textile-based temperature sensors. The temperature sensing sock was used for a short user trial where the foot skin temperature of five healthy volunteers was monitored under different conditions to identify the limitations of recording textile-based foot skin temperature measurements. The fit of the sock significantly affected the measurements. In some cases, wearing a shoe or walking also heavily influenced the temperature measurements. These variations show that textile-based foot skin temperature measurements may be problematic for applications where small temperature differences need to be measured.
Critical Discount Factor Values in Discounted Supergames
Authors: Berg Kimmo , Kärki Markus
Published: July 2018

This paper examines the subgame-perfect equilibria in symmetric 2×2 supergames. We solve the smallest discount factor value for which the players obtain all the feasible and individually rational payoffs as equilibrium payoffs. We show that the critical discount factor values are not that high in many games and they generally depend on how large the payoff set is compared to the set of feasible payoffs. We analyze how the stage-game payoffs affect the required level of patience and organize the games into groups based on similar behavior. We study how the different strategies affect the set of equilibria by comparing pure, mixed and correlated strategies. This helps us understand better how discounting affects the set of equilibria and we can identify the games where extreme patience is required and the type of payoffs that are difficult to obtain. We also observe discontinuities in the critical values, which means that small changes in the stage-game payoffs may affect dramatically the equilibrium payoffs.
The Genetics of a Behavioral Speciation Phenotype in an Island System
Authors: Blankers Thomas , Oh Kevin P. , Shaw Kerry L.
Published: July 2018

Mating behavior divergence can make significant contributions to reproductive isolation and speciation in various biogeographic contexts. However, whether the genetic architecture underlying mating behavior divergence is related to the biogeographic history and the tempo and mode of speciation remains poorly understood. Here, we use quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping to infer the number, distribution, and effect size of mating song rhythm variations in the crickets Laupala eukolea and Laupala cerasina, which occur on different islands (Maui and Hawaii). We then compare these results with a similar study of an independently evolving species pair that diverged within the same island. Finally, we annotate the L. cerasina transcriptome and test whether the QTL fall in functionally enriched genomic regions. We document a polygenic architecture behind the song rhythm divergence in the inter-island species pair that is remarkably similar to that previously found for an intra-island species pair in the same genus. Importantly, the QTL regions were significantly enriched for potential homologs of the genes involved in pathways that may be modulating the cricket song rhythm. These clusters of loci could constrain the spatial genomic distribution of the genetic variation underlying the cricket song variation and harbor several candidate genes that merit further study.
Possible Role of Envelope Components in the Extreme Copper Resistance of the Biomining Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans
Authors: Oetiker Nia , Norambuena Rodrigo , Martínez-Bussenius Cristóbal , Navarro Claudio A. , Amaya Fernando , Álvarez Sergio A. , Paradela Alberto , Jerez Carlos A.
Published: July 2018

Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans resists extremely high concentrations of copper. Strain ATCC 53993 is much more resistant to the metal compared with strain ATCC 23270, possibly due to the presence of a genomic island in the former one. The global response of strain ATCC 53993 to copper was analyzed using iTRAQ (isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantitation) quantitative proteomics. Sixty-seven proteins changed their levels of synthesis in the presence of the metal. On addition of CusCBA efflux system proteins, increased levels of other envelope proteins, such as a putative periplasmic glucan biosynthesis protein (MdoG) involved in the osmoregulated synthesis of glucans and a putative antigen O polymerase (Wzy), were seen in the presence of copper. The expression of A. ferrooxidansmdoG or wzy genes in a copper sensitive Escherichia coli conferred it a higher metal resistance, suggesting the possible role of these components in copper resistance of A. ferrooxidans. Transcriptional levels of genes wzy, rfaE and wzz also increased in strain ATCC 23270 grown in the presence of copper, but not in strain ATCC 53993. Additionally, in the absence of this metal, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) amounts were 3-fold higher in A. ferrooxidans ATCC 53993 compared with strain 23270. Nevertheless, both strains grown in the presence of copper contained similar LPS quantities, suggesting that strain 23270 synthesizes higher amounts of LPS to resist the metal. On the other hand, several porins diminished their levels in the presence of copper. The data presented here point to an essential role for several envelope components in the extreme copper resistance by this industrially important acidophilic bacterium.
The Multiplanetary Future of Plant Synthetic Biology
Authors: Llorente Briardo , Williams Thomas C. , Goold Hugh D.
Published: July 2018

The interest in human space journeys to distant planets and moons has been re-ignited in recent times and there are ongoing plans for sending the first manned missions to Mars in the near future. In addition to generating oxygen, fixing carbon, and recycling waste and water, plants could play a critical role in producing food and biomass feedstock for the microbial manufacture of materials, chemicals, and medicines in long-term interplanetary outposts. However, because life on Earth evolved under the conditions of the terrestrial biosphere, plants will not perform optimally in different planetary habitats. The construction or transportation of plant growth facilities and the availability of resources, such as sunlight and liquid water, may also be limiting factors, and would thus impose additional challenges to efficient farming in an extraterrestrial destination. Using the framework of the forthcoming human missions to Mars, here we discuss a series of bioengineering endeavors that will enable us to take full advantage of plants in the context of a Martian greenhouse. We also propose a roadmap for research on adapting life to Mars and outline our opinion that synthetic biology efforts towards this goal will contribute to solving some of the main agricultural and industrial challenges here on Earth.
Morphodynamic Trends of the Ribb River, Ethiopia, Prior to Dam Construction
Authors: Mulatu Chalachew A. , Crosato Alessandra , Moges Michael M. , Langendoen Eddy J. , McClain Michael
Published: July 2018

The meandering Ribb River flows in northwest Ethiopia to Lake Tana, the source of the Blue Nile River. The river has already undergone changes due to several human interventions, such as embanking, sand mining, water extraction and lake level regulation for hydropower. At present, a dam and a weir are under construction to store and divert water for irrigation. This will strongly alter both water and sediment discharges to the downstream river reaches, causing adjustments to the morphology. Assessing the current morphodynamic trends is the first necessary step to study the future effects and find ways to mitigate them. This paper presents an analysis of the current and past river based on newly collected data, aerial photographs, SPOT and Google Earth images. The riverbed changes are derived from historical staff gauge height analysis. The effects of sediment mining and water extraction are assessed using the theory of morphodynamic equilibrium. The findings of the analysis show a reduction of sediment transport capacity in the downstream direction, which has resulted in intense sediment deposition, resulting in blockage of the Lower River reach and subsequent channel avulsion. The effects of Lake Tana level regulation on the observed processes appear to be minor.
A Meta-Prediction of Methylenetetrahydrofolate-Reductase Polymorphisms and Air Pollution Increased the Risk of Ischemic Heart Diseases Worldwide
Authors: Chen Zhao-Feng , Young Lufei , Yu Chong Ho , Shiao S. Pamela K.
Published: July 2018

Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is among the leading causes of death worldwide. Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) polymorphisms have been associated with IHD risk, but the findings presented with heterogeneity. The purpose of the present meta-analysis was to provide an updated evaluation by integrating machine-learning based analytics to examine the potential source of heterogeneity on the associations between MTHFR polymorphisms and the risk of various subtypes of IHD, as well as the possible impact of air pollution on MTHFR polymorphisms and IHD risks. A comprehensive search of various databases was conducted to locate 123 studies (29,697 cases and 31,028 controls) for MTHFR C677T, and 18 studies (7158 cases and 5482 controls) for MTHFR A1298C. Overall, MTHFR 677 polymorphisms were risks for IHD (TT: Risk ratio (RR) = 1.23, p < 0.0001; CT: RR = 1.04, p = 0.0028, and TT plus CT: RR = 1.09, p < 0.0001). In contrast, MTHFR 677 CC wildtype was protective against IHD (RR = 0.91, p < 0.00001) for overall populations. Three countries with elevated IHD risks from MTHFR C677T polymorphism with RR >2 included India, Turkey, and Tunisia. Meta-predictive analysis revealed that increased air pollution was associated with increased MTHFR 677 TT and CT polymorphisms in both the case and control group (p < 0.05), with the trend of increased IHD risk resulting from increased air pollution. These results associate the potential inflammatory pathway with air pollution and the folate pathway with MTHFR polymorphism. Future intervention studies can be designed to mitigate MTHFR enzyme deficiencies resulting from gene polymorphisms to prevent IHDs for at-risk populations.
GIS Application to Regional Geological Structure Relationship Modelling Considering Semantics
Authors: He Handong , Hu Di , Lü Guonian
Published: July 2018

GIS modelling, which is often employed to establish the abstract structural forms of geological phenomena and their structural relationships, is of great importance for the expression and analysis of geological structures to describe and express such phenomena accurately and intuitively. However, current GIS modelling schemes value structural forms over structural relationships, and existing geological semantic expressions in the modelling of geological relationships are incomplete. Therefore, this paper categorizes geological relationships into three levels: geological phenomena, geological objects and geological spatial objects: (1) based on their definitions, this work categorizes geological relationships into internal composition relationships and external combined relationships for a total of two categories, eight classes and 27 small groups; (2) this work also improves the system with a total of 33 classified geological objects by transforming the relationships between geological phenomena into relationships between geological objects; and (3) based on the 27 small groups of geological relationships, through the corresponding geometric and semantic expressions between topological rules and geological rules and between relationship rules and geological rules, this work then expresses internal composition relationships as topological relationships between geological spatial objects and expresses external combined relationships as association relationships between geological spatial objects. A GIS model of geological relationships that integrates their geometries and semantics is then built. Finally, taking the Dagang-Danyang section of the Ningzhen mountains as an example, the results show that the proposed GIS modelling method can better store and express geological phenomena, geological objects and geological spatial objects in a way that integrates geometry and semantics.