bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multilocus DNA analysis supports Didymodon gelidus (Musci, Pottiaceae) as a distinct endemic of the austral polar region
Authors: Ronikier Michał , Saługa Marta , Jiménez Juan A. , Ochyra Ryszard , Stryjak-Bogacka Monika
Published: December 2018

The taxonomic position of the Antarctic subendemic species Didymodon gelidus Cardot is controversial, notably because of its notorious sterile condition. Considering the overall appearance and the reddish coloration of the plants, the leaf areolation, reaction of the leaf lamina with KOH, and the presence of multicellular axillary gemmae, this species was considered to be conspecific with the Holarctic D. brachyphyllus (Sull.) R. H. Zander. As a result, the latter was established as a bipolar species. Recent detailed morphological and anatomical studies have revealed a number of features which enable recognition of D. gelidus and D. brachyphyllus, including the shape of leaves, leaf apices and basal leaf cells, as well as costal anatomy. Here, within a larger-scale project focused on the evolution and biogeographical connections of Antarctic endemic mosses, we analyzed the genetic relationships of D. gelidus and D. brachyphyllus to confront the morphology-based conclusions. We selected five geographically distinct collections per species and applied a multilocus DNA analysis based on nuclear (ITS) and plastid (atpIH, trnLF, trnG, rps4) sequences to assess the genetic differentiation of these two taxa. We also placed their lineages in a wider phylogenetic context using an extended sampling of Didymodon taxa and select other representatives of Pottiaceae. Our results showed a clear genetic differentiation of the Southern Hemisphere (D. gelidus) and Northern Hemisphere (D. brachyphyllus) plants. Moreover, the phylogenetic analysis showed that D. gelidus formed a strongly supported clade on its own which was distantly related to D. brachyphyllus. Accordingly, the two taxa do not represent geographical vicariants. Didymodon gelidus must be considered a distinct endemic species of the austral polar region, having its optimal occurrence in the Antarctic and weakly penetrating northward to South Georgia and Îles Kerguelen in the Subantarctic. The relatively isolated phylogenetic position of D. gelidus likely suggests its old age.
The lichen genus Opegrapha s. l. in Poland: morphological variability, ecology, and distribution
Authors: Wieczorek Anetta
Published: December 2018

This monograph presents the results of research on the morphological and anatomical variability, ecology, and distribution of Opegrapha s. l. in Poland. The study is based on roughly 1,400 specimens from Polish and some European herbaria. Out of the 18 species of the genus Opegrapha s. l. recorded from Poland, seven species belong to the genus Opegrapha Ach., four species now belong to the genus Alyxoria Ach. ex Gray, two species each are found in the genera Arthonia Ach. and Zwackhia Körb, and one species belongs to each of the genera Gyrographa Ertz & Tehler, Phacographa Hafellner, and Pseudoschismatomma Ertz & Tehler. One of the species, Zwackhia sorediifera, has been reported from Poland for the first time. Among the 18 species of the genus Opegrapha s. l., 10 are epiphytic, five epilithic, and two lichenicolous. The first modern identification key for the species of Opegrapha s. l. in Poland is presented. Numerous new regional records are provided that complement our knowledge of the geographic distribution of some poorly known taxa, such as Alyxoria culmigena, A. mougeotii, A. ochrocheila, Arthonia calcarea, Opegrapha dolomitica, O. geographicola, O. lithyrga, and Phacographa glaucomaria. All species are characterized and discussed, and their diagnostic characters illustrated. Geographic ranges of each species in Poland are presented on maps based on revised herbarium materials.
On-the-fly Computation Method in Field-Programmable Gate Array for Analog-to-Digital Converter Linearity Testing
Authors: Mangca Darwin C. , Gerasta Olga Joy , Luna Anne Lorraine , Zhu Xi , Hora Jefferson Abelo
Published: December 2018

This paper presents a new approach to linearity testing of analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) through on-the-fly computation in field-programmable gate array (FPGA) hardware. The proposed method computes the linearity while it is processing without compromising the accuracy of the measurement, so very little overhead time is required to compute the final linearity. The results will be displayed immediately after a single ramp is supplied to the device under test. This is a cost-effective chip testing solution for semiconductor companies, achieved by reducing computing time and utilization of low-cost and low-specification automatic test equipment (ATE). The experimental results showed that the on-the-fly computation method significantly reduced the computation time (up to 44.4%) compared to the conventional process. Thus, for every 100M 12-bit ADC tested with 32 hits per code, the company can save up to 139,972 Php on electricity consumption.
Use of Systematic Approach in Accident Risk Analysis for Motorcyclists: A Conceptual Idea
Authors: Da Costa Don Gaspar Noesaku , Malkhamah Siti , Suparma Latif Budi
Published: December 2018

Thus far, minimum stopping sight distance (SSD) is determined based on design speed, a minimum reaction time of 1.64 s and a deceleration rate of 3.4 m/s², whereas in certain situations the latter can be shorter than 1 s and higher than 4.5 m/s². Awareness of this can trigger speculative behavior, as can be seen from the choice of speed and/or the critical crossing gap, which is often smaller than the recommended minimum SSD. This study focused on the development of an appropriate minimum SSD model that is suited to risky conditions at an un-signalized intersection and its possible usage in accident risk evaluation, particularly for motorcyclists. The data were taken from direct measurements and related studies. Variables that potentially influence minimum SSD were tested. The results strongly suggest that the speed reduction achieved by downshifting significantly influences both the braking distance and the impact speed. Moreover, the minimum SSD obtained from the proposed model significantly differs from that obtained from a similar model recommended by AASHTO. Therefore, it is worthwhile to consider the application of the proposed minimum SSD as an accident probability indicator parameter.
Sliding Wear Properties of a Composite of Aluminum 2024 Powder Reinforced with Heat Treatment and Silicon Carbide
Authors: Mahdi Ahmed Sahib
Published: December 2018

Wear behavior of aluminum alloy 2024 was investigated. Three patterns of specimens, namely, fabricated (compacted), reinforced with silicon carbide only and reinforced with silicon carbide followed by heat-treatment (quenching and aging processes) were selected. The effect of load on the specimen was studied for each type of pattern. Three values of load (10, 12.5 and 15N) were tested to investigate the wear behavior. The experimental results showed that the weight loss was 0.056 g for the specimen reinforced with silicon carbide and heat treatment, while it was 0.069 and 0.067 g for the as-fabricated specimen and the specimen reinforced with silicon carbide only, respectively. The increase of microhardness caused increased wear resistance and thus the weight loss was reduced. The microhardness increased with the increase of the ratio of silicon carbide, while, conversely, the density decreased with the increase of the ratio of silicon carbide. The maximum value of hardness was observed for the specimen reinforced with 5% of Sic followed with heat treatment at 284 Hv, while for the specimens reinforced with 4% and 3% Sic it was 255 and 227 Hv, respectively. It can be concluded that when heat treatment and reinforcement by Sic particles are performed, the microhardness value of aluminum 2024 will increase.
Wettability Alteration Induced by Surface Roughening During Low Salinity Waterflooding
Authors: Marhaendrajana Taufan , Ridwan Muhammad Ghifari , Kamil Maulana Insan , Permadi Pudji
Published: December 2018

Wettability alteration during low salinity waterflooding (LSW) is expected to be one of the prominent reasons for enhanced oil recovery. However, the underlying mechanisms of improved oil recovery in sandstone during LSW are not entirely clear. Thus, a series of experiments was carried out to investigate the underlying mechanisms that drive the wettability alteration. FTIR spectroscopy was combined with thermogravimetric analysis to quantify the amount of adsorbed hydrocarbon components in sandstone with various clay contents. Afterward, the time-dependent contact angle in fabricated sandstone substrate (RMS roughness 9.911.31) was observed with various clay and brine contents to monitor the wettability alteration during LSW. The existence of divalent ions (Ca2+ and Mg2+) was found to stabilize the sandstone and prevent it from swelling. Surprisingly, with the presence of divalent ions, the rate of contact angle change was insignificant (, even though a reduction of divalent ions occurred and the rate of contact angle change with the sole presence of NaCl was notably altered (. Furthermore, the presence of higher clay content showed an increased contact angle alteration. We propose that these phenomena are partially driven by macroscopic phenomena of clay swelling, which leads to surface roughening and enhances the water-wetness.
The Sensitivity of Aerodynamic Forces to Multi-parameters in a Bird-like Flapping Wing
Authors: Ding Changtao , Lv Yuanjun , Lu Min
Published: December 2018

The sensitivity of aerodynamic forces in a bird-like flapping wing was numerically studied by analyzing the aerodynamic force states under different parameters. First, the physical model and the kinematic model of the bird-like flapping wing were separately established. Then the aerodynamic force model was established and some important parameters were analyzed by adopting the Taguchi orthogonal method. Finally, a simulation was carried out, from which the order of the parameters was separately determined according to the parameters' effect on lift or thrust. The results showed that increasing the flapping frequency is one of the most important ways to increase lift and thrust. The lift can be increased by increasing the flight velocity, while the thrust can be increased by increasing the maximum flapping angle. The lift or the thrust becomes larger when the incidence angle is approximately or .
The Integration of MAFMA and AHP Methods for Analysis and Risk Mitigation of Pasteurized Milk Production
Authors: Santoso Imam , Saâ€™adah Miftahus , Sari Eva Novita , Prameswari Puspa Ayu Indah , Agustina Chintya Rizki
Published: December 2018

Risk and uncertainty management is an important task in industry. Risks in raw materials such as livestock products may occur from the feed. The production process is also exposed to risks, which may be caused by controllable variables. In final products, uncontrollable actions may also pose risks. This research aimed to figure out the risks and their causes in the production process of milk and to discover applicable mitigation strategies. The methods used in this study were the Multi-Attribute Failure Mode Analysis (MAFMA) method to find the causes and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to discover mitigation strategies. The results were in the form of risks in the production process caused by: 1) raw materials, 2) the production process, 3) human resources, and 4) machinery and equipment. The highest risk in the production process is posed by undetected damage to machinery and contamination during the production process. However, both are rooted in human error: poorly trained workers, omission of checking or testing, and poor supervision of the process. Mitigation strategies, i.e. standardization and supervision of the raw materials, production process, and final product, were implemented to reduce the potential risks. In the implementation of these strategies, worker participation, either as controller or as supervisor, is very important.
A Hybrid Multi-Criteria Analysis Model for Solving the Facility LocationâAllocation Problem: A Case Study of Infectious Waste Disposal
Authors: Wichapa Narong , Khokhajaikiat Porntep
Published: December 2018

Choosing locations for infectious waste disposal (IWD) is one of the most significant issues in hazardous waste management due to the risk imposed on the environment and human life. This risk can be the result of an undesirable location of IWD facilities. In this study a hybrid multi-criteria analysis (Hybrid MCA) model for solving the facility locationâallocation (FLA) problem for IWD was developed by combining two objectives: total cost minimization and weight maximization. Based on an actual case of forty-seven hospitals and three candidate municipalities in the northeastern region of Thailand, first, the Fuzzy AHP and Fuzzy TOPSIS techniques were integrated to determine the closeness of the coefficient weights of each candidate municipality. After that, these weights were converted to weighting factors and then these factors were taken into the objective function of the FLA model. The results showed that the Hybrid MCA model can help decision makers to locate disposal centers, hospitals and incinerator size simultaneously. Besides that the model can be extended by incorporating additional selection criteria/objectives. Therefore, it is believed that it can also be useful for addressing other complex problems.
Development of Drive Control Strategy for Front-and-Rear-Motor-Drive Electric Vehicle (FRMDEV)
Authors: Sun Binbin , Li Bo , Wang Yongjun , Ge Wenqing , Gao Song
Published: December 2018

In order to achieve both high-efficiency drive and low-jerk mode switch in FRMDEVs, a drive control strategy is proposed, consisting of top-layer torque distribution aimed at optimal efficiency and low-layer coordination control improving mode-switch jerk. First, with the use of the off-line particle swarm optimization algorithm (PSOA), the optimal switching boundary between single-motor-drive mode (SMDM) and dual-motor drive mode (DMDM) was modelled and a real-time torque distribution model based on the radial basis function (RBF) was created to achieve the optimal torque distribution. Then, referring to the dynamic characteristics of mode switch tested on a dual-motor test bench, a torque coordination strategy by controlling the variation rate of the torque distribution coefficient during the mode-switch process was developed. Finally, based on a hardware-in-loop (HIL) test platform and an FRMDEV, the proposed drive control strategy was verified. The test results show that both drive economy and comfort were improved significantly by the use of the developed drive control strategy.
Power and Representation in Women’s Autobiographies
Authors: Dadashova Shafag
Published: December 2018

The study discusses epistemological aspects of power and the dynamics of its perception in the process of life-writing. Autobiography is presented as a specific form of epiphany. The paper suggests that writing one’s own life enables the author to better understand the past. As a result of a retrospective self-analysis the writer shapes a new look at the borders of his/her personal power and the level of its dependence on others. In investigation of life-writings, a qualitative method of social sciences in combination with hermeneutics, close reading and discourse analysis reveal deep and hidden social norms, gender roles, religion, and their role in empowerment and disempowerment of the author.
The study consists of two parts. The first part is theoretical and interrogates the notion of personal power. It finds links between writing the own life and conscious empowerment, arguing that the author becomes more conscious about the own personality after having analysed the past decisions from the perspective of present times. The second part presents two autobiographies by female authors from two different Muslim cultures. These authors negotiate between the larger nationalist agenda and their own personal concerns. These autobiographies (Pakistani author Tehmina Durrani, My Feudal Lord; Azerbaijani writer Banine, Caucasian Days and Parisian Days) are the end of their authors’ long silence, their revolt against the conventional norms, their decision to have an agency to confess and protest. These autobiographies are the authors’ attempts to break the established matrix of perceptions, imposed norms, and gain power to build the real picture of their identity.
The study sums up with the conclusion that in spite of very similar motifs of female authors to get empowered through self-analysis, different cultures and time create specific subjectivities associated with particular historical events and geographical location.
The Links of Self-perception of Lithuanians to Place: Insights Based on the Data of European Values Surveys (1990–2017)
Authors: Savicka Aida
Published: December 2018

What determines that we feel connected with certain places and attached to them, that we care for them and express warm feelings of belonging even when living far away from them for a long time? The answers to these questions inevitably lead to the fundamental issue of personal identity. The present article analyses one of the aspects of the place identity phenomenon, namely, the dynamics of the relationship of self-perception of Lithuanians with certain places. For this purpose, the latest data from the European Values Survey, completed at the end of 2017, and the data of previous waves of this survey are employed. They reveal that Lithuanians give priority to local areas (first of all, to their own city, to Lithuania, and somewhat less to their own region), meanwhile their identification with Europe and the whole world is not so strong. However, the empirical data confirm the theoretical assumption that local and global self-awareness cannot be opposed: the comparison of the strength of place identities in different socio-demographic groups and among respondents with different value orientations has shown that the boundaries of places important for a person’s self-awareness are intertwined in a very complex way.
METHOD FOR GENERATING HYDROGEN FROM ALUMINIUM WASTE, TO FEED THE FUEL CELL OF A RADIO-CONTROL CAR
Authors: SALUEÑA BERNA XAVIER , MUJAL ROSAS RAMON , DAGA MONMAN JOSE MARIA , COLOM FAJULA XAVIER
Published: December 2018

Most of radio controlled cars with Fuel Cell on the market store hydrogen in pressurized cylinders or metal hydrides. In this article, the possibility of generating hydrogen inside the vehicle, at a constant flow rate, from aluminum soda can rings, in alkaline solution medium and by isopropyl alcohol regulation, is proposed. The alcohol helps to eliminate the NaOH particles transported by the hydrogen and likewise to keeps the flow rate constant over time. A theoretical model has been developed to predict the hydrogen flow rate generated as a function of the molarity and temperature of the solution, as well as the purity and dimensions of the aluminum plates. Subsequently, the model has been validated experimentally from test plates and the flow rate and purity of the hydrogen obtained has been analyzed. Finally, a radio control car with Fuel Cell was designed, adding the filters and elements necessary for its correct operation. Main contribution of this study is the use of isopropyl alcohol for flow rate regulation and the control of the purity of hydrogen.
DETERMINATION AND SOLUTION TO THE STRUCTURAL FAILURES IN A URBAN BUS
Authors: ACOSTA FLORES MARIO , JIMENEZ LOPEZ EUSEBIO , CUENCA  JIMENEZ FRANCISCO
Published: December 2018

The origin of an automotive structural mechanical failure can be originated by diverse causes, due for example to the structural geometry, the materials of manufacture, the processes of manufacture and the mechanical loads, that appear during the time of service for the that were designed, among other causes. The determination of the mechanical causes that provoke such failures is not a simple task, so it is recommended to apply systematic methods that allow identifying and characterizing them efficiently. Currently, there are experimental and computational tools, which can be used of an integral way to assess failures, locate them and give them a practical solution.
In this article an efficient method is presented, which was used to identify and quantify the causes that originated mechanical structural failures (generated by cracks) in a bus. Through a numerical method, was searched for and found the solution to the problem, which was implemented and evaluated. The method integrates experimental and numerical tools for the analysis of stresses and deformations (photoelasticity and electrical extensometry) required for the study of failures. Static tests (torsion and flexion) and braking, curving and travel tests were carried out, with the purpose of obtaining data of stresses and strains that would allow evaluating the mechanical conditions of the bus. The load conditions of the tests were a Gross Vehicle Weight (PBV) and PBV + 20%. To carry out the road tests, only the information of the edges and potholes was considered, since they turned out to be the events that caused the highest levels of stress.
The study was carried out on a prototype bus, which did not present structural mechanical failures. The case study presented in this paper refers to finding the causes and the solution to a problem of a failure by a fissure located on the floor of a bus.
Finally, the results obtained show the efficiency of the proposed analysis method as well as the integration of the experimental and numerical tools used, in a systematic and integral way identifying the causes that originated a failure in the structure of the bus.

Keywords: Mechanical failures, experimental methods, numerical methods for stress analysis, automotive structures.
STRENGTH INDICES AND CONVERSION RELATIONS FOR BASALT FIBER-REINFORCED RECYCLED AGGREGATE CONCRETE
Authors: ZHANG XIANGGANG , KUANG XIAOMEI , WANG FANG , WANG SHUREN
Published: December 2018

To analyze the strength indices and conversion relations of basalt fibre-reinforced recycled aggregate concrete (BFRRC), the basic strength indices of BFRRC were tested, and the influence of basalt fibre (BF) content and replacement rate of recycled coarse aggregate on the failure mode and strength indices was analyzed and discussed. A simple and accurate model that involved the replacement rate and BF content was established to predict the conversion relationships among these strength indices, and the existing research results are taken into the presented formula to verify its applicability. The test results indicate that the brittleness of cubic specimens of BFRRC is markedly improved under compression, the typical shear failure of the oblique section occurs in prism specimens, the splitting surface of BFRRC becomes flatter in cubic specimens, and the macroscopic failure mode of the prism specimens belongs to tensile failure under the bending load. All of these strength indices of BFRRC are enhanced by the incorporation of BF. The presented conversion relationships have good wide-applicability to calculate the strength indices. The conclusions obtained in the study are of important theoretical value to direct the similar engineering practice.

Keywords: Basalt fibre-reinforced recycled aggregate concrete, Failure mode, Strength indices, Conversion relations
Effects of ROS in human adrenocortical carcinoma SW-13 cells
Authors: Shimada Eriko , Tsuruwaka Yusuke
Published: December 2018

Paraquat is a highly effective contact herbicide, an inducer of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which generate oxidative stress in cells. Reactive oxygen species has been known to function as an important messenger in cell differentiation. In this study, we investigated the effect of paraquat on cell differentiation using human adenocortical carcinoma (ACC) SW-13 cells. Paraquat, an inducer of intracellular reactive oxygen species, induced the differentiation of SW-13 cells into neural-like cells in the presence of neurofilament. Moreover, paraquat exposure promoted SW-13 cell proliferation and increased intracellular Ca2+ concentration.
A mechanism of nervous system functions capable to have evolved: by generating an inducible variant of inter-cellular fusion
Authors: Vadakkan Kunjumon I
Published: December 2018

A realistic hope has been that from ontogeny, it may become possible to understand the steps of evolutionary changes that may assist in understanding the mechanism of nervous system functions. However, explaining how first-person internal sensations are formed in the nervous system makes this approach very difficult. In this context, if it becomes possible to derive an operational principle by using constraints from observations at different levels, then it will enable examining whether it is possible to arrive at its specific circuit features from single neuronal cells using simple steps of introducing variations and selection. In this context, semblance hypothesis is examined. Inter-neuronal inter-spine interaction leading to the formation of inter-postsynaptic functional LINK (IPL) is necessary for generating units of internal sensations and their computation. The results show its suitability as an evolved mechanism. Significant neuronal and spine loss during ontogeny indicate that following these events, IPLs resulted from the selection of a suitable variation. This can only be achieved through transient inter-neuronal inter-spine fusion, which leads to inducible molecular changes for keeping the spines separate by arresting fusion at the stage of hemifusion. The importance of sustaining this one-time induced IPL mechanism for retaining cognitive functions throughout life is discussed.
Pre-saccadic remapping relies on dynamics of spatial attention
Authors: Szinte Martin , Jonikaitis Donatas , Rangelov Dragan , Deubel Heiner
Published: December 2018

Each saccade shifts the projections of the visual scene on the retina. It has been proposed that the receptive fields of neurons in oculomotor areas are predictively remapped to account for these shifts. While remapping of the whole visual scene seems prohibitively complex, selection by attention may limit these processes to a subset of attended locations. Because attentional selection consumes time, remapping of attended locations should evolve in time, too. In our study, we cued a spatial location by presenting an attention-capturing cue at different times before a saccade and constructed maps of attentional allocation across the visual field. We observed no remapping of attention when the cue appeared shortly before saccade. In contrast, when the cue appeared sufficiently early before saccade, attentional resources were reallocated precisely to the remapped location. Our results show that pre-saccadic remapping takes time to develop suggesting that it relies on the spatial and temporal dynamics of spatial attention.
Symbiont location, host fitness, and possible coadaptation in a symbiosis between social amoebae and bacteria
Authors: Shu Longfei , Brock Debra A , Geist Katherine S , Miller Jacob W , Queller David C , Strassmann Joan E , DiSalvo Susanne
Published: December 2018

Recent symbioses, particularly facultative ones, are well suited for unravelling the evolutionary give and take between partners. Here we look at variation in natural isolates of the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum and their relationships with bacterial symbionts, Burkholderia hayleyella and Burkholderia agricolaris. Only about a third of field-collected amoebae carry a symbiont. We cured and cross-infected amoebae hosts with different symbiont association histories and then compared host responses to each symbiont type. Before curing, field-collected clones did not vary significantly in overall fitness, but infected hosts produced morphologically different multicellular structures. After curing and reinfecting, host fitness declined. However, natural B. hayleyella hosts suffered fewer fitness costs when reinfected with B. hayleyella, indicating that they have evolved mechanisms to tolerate their symbiont. Our work suggests that amoebae hosts have evolved mechanisms to tolerate specific acquired symbionts; exploring host-symbiont relationships that vary within species may provide further insights into disease dynamics.
A Study of Vowel Nasalization and Vowel Epenthesis Processes in Cameroon Francophone English
Authors: Tagne Safotso Gilbert
Published: December 2018

Unlike Cameroon English and Received Pronunciation, Cameroon Francophone English has a number of nasal  and epenthetic vowels. Those nasal vowels are generally French ones, as Cameroon Francophone English is heavily influenced by that language. The epenthetic vowels found in Cameroon Francophone English as in many other non-native Englishes are difficult to explain. Part of the data analysed is drawn from past studies (Safotso 2001, 2006, 2012 & 2015; Kouega 2008). This is complemented by the oral reading of some test words by French-speaking Cameroonian undergraduate/postgraduate students and some speech gathered from debates and interventions on various national TV channels and radio stations. Results show that in Cameroon Francophone English, vowel nasalization and vowel epenthesis occur in specific positions. This paper attempts to show how they operate in that variety of English.
Shifting Perceptions of Orient and Occident in Nineteenth-Century Arabic Travel Writing
Authors: Almarhaby Ibrahem
Published: December 2018

This study investigates the relationship between the Eastern Self and the Western Other by focusing on the influence of the French Other on the ideology of the Arab Self in modern Arabic travel literature. As a case study, the analysis has been conducted on Takhlīṣ al-Ibriz fī Talkhīṣ Paris [‘The extraction of pure gold in the abridgement of Paris’]. The 19th century, from which this source originates, is considered to be significant in terms of distinguishing modern travelogue literature from that of the medieval period, where the image of the Western Other in Arabs’ imagination dramatically changed due to colonialism. As one of the richest and most open approaches in textual analysis, the study adopts the thematic approach to shed light on the extent to which the ideological impact of the Other on the political, religious, civil and social domains of the Self can be seen in this wide-ranging travel source. The study infers that al-Ṭahṭāwī was greatly ideologically impacted by West in all of the allocated domains, as can be seen clearly in his comprehensive comparisons, descriptions and explanations. This influence is indeed what distinguishes this modern travelogue literature from the medieval ones.
Disturbance of Native Americans as Reflected in Selected Folkloric Poems of Luci Tapahonso, Joy Harjo and Simon Ortiz
Authors: Allawi Saddam Widad , Roselezam Wan Yahya Wan , Kaur A/P Jujar Singh Hardev , Mani Manimangai
Published: December 2018

As a result of colonialization  and assimilation, the natives were disturbed between past and present. Adopting the colonizer culture, style of life, language and changing home place come together in the mind of Native American people and lead them to be confused; they intermingle between past and present. They want to be themselves but the colonizer wants them to be the others. This feeling of disturbance affected Native American people, especially the chosen poets for this study. This paper shows how Native American people reflect their disturbance toward the colonization in their folkloric poetry. It explains how each element of folklore represents their disturbance towards the colonizer’s dominant culture. This paper will be done under postcolonial framework utilizing Frantz Fanon’s second views about the natives. Disturbance follows assimilation and they together forced Native Americans to present fighting literature which shows the third phase of Fanon.
Frontal polymerization accelerated by continuous conductive elements
Authors: Goli Elyas , Robertson Ian D. , Agarwal Harshit , Pruitt Emmy L. , Grolman Joshua M. , Geubelle Philippe H. , Moore Jeffrey S.
Published: December 2018

Frontal polymerization (FP), a propagating reaction wave driven by exothermic polymerization, is increasingly considered for the rapid fabrication of fiber‐reinforced composites. However, the effect of the fibers on the FP reaction has not yet been explored. In this contribution, we demonstrate that thermally conductive continuous elements accelerate FP using an experimental model system and finite‐element‐based numerical simulations. Furthermore, the degree of acceleration is shown to be affected by the amount of available monomer in the system. These results suggest that thermally conductive carbon fiber reinforcement may facilitate FP for composite manufacturing. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019, 136, 47418.
A scaled‐down model for the translation of bacteriophage culture to manufacturing scale
Authors: Ali Junaid , Rafiq Qasim , Ratcliffe Elizabeth
Published: December 2018

Therapeutic bacteriophages are emerging as a potential alternative to antibiotics and synergistic treatment of antimicrobial‐resistant infections. This is reflected by their use in an increasing number of recent clinical trials. Many more therapeutic bacteriophage is being investigated in preclinical research and due to the bespoke nature of these products with respect to their limited infection spectrum, translation to the clinic requires combined understanding of the biology underpinning the bioprocess and how this can be optimized and streamlined for efficient methods of scalable manufacture. Bacteriophage research is currently limited to laboratory scale studies ranging from 1–20 ml, emerging therapies include bacteriophage cocktails to increase the spectrum of infectivity and require multiple large‐scale bioreactors (up to 50 L) containing different bacteriophage–bacterial host reactions. Scaling bioprocesses from the milliliter scale to multi‐liter large‐scale bioreactors is challenging in itself, but performing this for individual phage‐host bioprocesses to facilitate reliable and robust manufacture of phage cocktails increases the complexity. This study used a full factorial design of experiments approach to explore key process input variables (temperature, time of infection, multiplicity of infection, agitation) for their influence on key process outputs (bacteriophage yield, infection kinetics) for two bacteriophage–bacterial host bioprocesses (T4 – Escherichia coli; Phage K – Staphylococcus aureus). The research aimed to determine common input variables that positively influence output yield and found that the temperature at the point of infection had the greatest influence on bacteriophage yield for both bioprocesses. The study also aimed to develop a scaled down shake‐flask model to enable rapid optimization of bacteriophage batch bioprocessing and translate the bioprocess into a scale‐up model with a 3 L working volume in stirred tank bioreactors. The optimization performed in the shake flask model achieved a 550‐fold increase in bacteriophage yield and these improvements successfully translated to the large‐scale cultures.
Transforming brain signals related to value evaluation and self‐control into behavioral choices
Authors: Zha Rujing , Bu Junjie , Wei Zhengde , Han Long , Zhang Pengyu , Ren Jiecheng , Li Ji‐An , Wang Ying , Yang Lizhuang , Vollstädt‐Klein Sabine , Zhang Xiaochu
Published: December 2018

The processes involved in value evaluation and self‐control are critical when making behavioral choices. However, the evidence linking these two types of processes to behavioral choices in intertemporal decision‐making remains elusive. As the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), striatum, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) have been associated with these two processes, we focused on these three regions. We employed functional magnetic resonance imaging during a delayed discounting task (DDT) using a relatively large sample size, three independent samples. We evaluated how much information about a specific choice could be decoded from local patterns in each brain area using multivoxel pattern analysis (MVPA). To investigate the relationship between the dlPFC and vmPFC/striatum regions, we performed a psychophysiological interaction (PPI) analysis. In Experiment I, we found that the vmPFC and dlPFC, but not the striatum, could determine choices in healthy participants. Furthermore, we found that the dlPFC showed significant functional connectivity with the vmPFC, but not the striatum, when making decisions. These results could be replicated in Experiment II with an independent sample of healthy participants. In Experiment III, the choice‐decoding accuracy in the vmPFC and dlPFC was lower in patients with addiction (smokers and participants with Internet gaming disorder) than in healthy participants, and decoding accuracy in the dlPFC was related to impulsivity in addicts. Taken together, our findings may provide neural evidence supporting the hypothesis that value evaluation and self‐control processes both guide the intertemporal choices, and might provide potential neural targets for the diagnosis and treatment of impulsivity‐related brain disorders.
Early detection of esophageal second primary tumors using Lugol chromoendoscopy in patients with head and neck cancer: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Bugter Oisín , van de Ven Steffi E. M. , Hardillo Jose A. , Bruno Marco J. , Koch Arjun D. , Baatenburg de Jong Robert J.
Published: December 2018

Background

Early detection of esophageal secondary primary tumors (SPTs) in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients could increase patient survival. The purpose of this study was to determine the diagnostic yield of esophageal SPTs using Lugol chromoendoscopy.

Methods

A systematic review of all available databases was performed to find all Lugol chromoendoscopy screening studies.

Results

Fifteen studies with a total of 3386 patients were included. The average yield of esophageal‐SPTs in patients with HNSCC was 15%. The prevalence was the highest for patients with an index hypopharyngeal (28%) or oropharyngeal (14%) tumor. The esophageal‐SPTs were classified as high‐grade dysplasia in 49% of the cases and as invasive carcinoma's in 51%.

Conclusion

Our results show that 15% of the patients with HNSCC that underwent Lugol chromoendoscopy were diagnosed with an esophageal‐SPT. Based on these results there is enough evidence to perform Lugol chromoendoscopy, especially in an Asian patient population.
Bayesian uncertainty quantification in inverse modeling of electrochemical systems
Authors: Sethurajan Athinthra , Krachkovskiy Sergey , Goward Gillian , Protas Bartosz
Published: December 2018

This present study proposes a novel approach to quantifying uncertainties of constitutive relations inferred from noisy experimental data using inverse modeling. We focus on electrochemical systems in which charged species (e.g., Lithium ions) are transported in electrolyte solutions under an applied current. Such systems are typically described by the Planck‐Nernst equation in which the unknown material properties are the diffusion coefficient and the transference number assumed constant or concentration‐dependent. These material properties can be optimally reconstructed from time‐ and space‐resolved concentration profiles measured during experiments using the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique. However, as the measurement data is usually noisy, it is important to quantify how the presence of noise affects the uncertainty of the reconstructed material properties. We address this problem by developing a state‐of‐the‐art Bayesian approach to uncertainty quantification in which the reconstructed material properties are recast in terms of probability distributions, allowing us to rigorously determine suitable confidence intervals. The proposed approach is first thoroughly validated using “manufactured” data exhibiting the expected behavior as the magnitude of noise is varied. Then, this approach is applied to quantify the uncertainty of the diffusion coefficient and the transference number reconstructed from experimental data revealing interesting insights. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Benzenoid rings resonance energies and local aromaticity of benzenoid hydrocarbons
Authors: Randić Milan
Published: December 2018

In this article, we consider partitioning of the analytical expression for resonance energy (RE) in smaller benzenoid hydrocarbons, to individual benzenoid rings of polycyclic molecules. The analytical expression for molecular RE, available since 1976, is given by the count of all linearly independent conjugated circuit in all Kekulé structures in a molecule. Analytical expression for local ring RE (RRE) is given by counting all linearly independent conjugated circuits involving single benzenoid ring in all Kekulé structures, which when added, gives the molecular RE. If for benzene ring the RRE is taken to be 1.000, rings in polycyclic benzenoid hydrocarbons have their ring RRE, which give the degree of their local aromaticity, smaller than 1.000. The difference to 1.000 is a measure of the similarity of a ring to benzene in this one‐dimensional (1‐D) representation of local aromaticities of benzenoid hydrocarbons. The plot of RRE against the distance of the same ring from benzene in the Local Aromaticity Map, in which benzenoid rings are characterized ring bond orders and average variations of adjacent CC bonds, shows linear correlation (with r = 0.91), reducing the local aromaticity in benzenoid hydrocarbons to 1‐D molecular property. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
LC‐DAD‐ESI‐MS/MS–based phenolic profiling and antioxidant activity in Turkish cv. Nizip Yaglik olive oils from different maturity olives
Authors: Amanpour Armin , Kelebek Hasim , Selli Serkan
Published: December 2018

The current study was designed to find out how olive maturity indices (2.5, 3.5, and 4.5) affect the individual phenolic compounds and antioxidant potencies of olive oils produced from cv. Nizip Yaglik olives. Liquid chromatography coupled to diode array detection and electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry in multiple reaction monitoring mode was utilized for the determination of phenolic composition qualitatively and quantitatively. Findings asserted a quite similar phenolic profile (14 phenols) depending on the various phenolic groups in all oils, while the concentration of total and individual phenolic compounds revealed significant differences between the samples statistically (p < 0.05). Among the individual phenolic classes in all samples, secoiridoids were the most prevailing group and their total content showed a clear significant decline as the olive fruits get ripened. Antioxidant potency values showed a clear diminution attitude during the maturation of the olives. The principal component analysis revealed that oils were discriminated from each other according to phenolic compounds and antioxidant potencies. Moreover, oils obtained from the unripe and medium‐ripe fruits possessed a very good quality marked by their elevated phenolic levels.
First‐Trimester Abdominal Circumference (Versus Crown Rump Length) Improves Precision in Inter‐ and Intraobserver Variability
Authors: Afshar Yalda , Gutkin Rachel , Krakow Deborah , Cuckle Howard , Silverman Neil S. , Platt Lawrence D.
Published: December 2018

Objectives

The aim of this study was to evaluate inter‐ and intraobserver variability of first‐trimester biometric measurements and crown‐rump length (CRL) and to compare the accuracy and precision of CRL with these biometric measurements used in the interpretation of first‐trimester nuchal translucency (NT).

Methods

Women presenting for a first trimester ultrasound were recruited. Both a sonographer, and a maternal fetal medicine specialist individually examined each participant. Each examiner obtained three independent measurements of CRL, a standardized set of biometric measurements (biparietal diameter, occipitofrontal diameter, head circumference, abdominal circumference, humerus length, and femur length), and an NT between 11 0/7 and 13 6/7 weeks of gestation. Biometry‐specific expected NT values were calculated using linear and quadratic regression models and were used to convert results into multiples of the median.

Results

Fetal biometric measurements, CRL, and NT measurements were obtained in 356 consecutive pregnancies with singleton fetuses. CRL demonstrated the least intra‐ and interobserver variability as demonstrated by the smallest coefficient of variance. However, abdominal circumference and head circumference were not statistically different from CRL variance. CRL and abdominal circumference showed the smallest standard deviation when calculating multiples of the median for NT interpretation.

Conclusion

First‐trimester abdominal circumference demonstrates the most intra‐ and interobserver precision for dating and calculating NT multiples of the median, which could potentially be useful with obesity and in any setting with technical limitations of sonography.
Diagnostic Performance of Multimodal Sound Touch Elastography for Differentiating Benign and Malignant Breast Masses
Authors: Dong Fajin , Wu Huaiyu , Zhang Lei , Tian Hongtian , Liang Weiyu , Ye Xiuyin , Liu Yan , Xu Jinfeng
Published: December 2018

Objectives

Evaluating the value of screening breast masses by separate or combined use of multimodal Sound Touch Elastography.

Methods

Women with 159 masses (mean size, 14.86 ± 6.57 mm; range, 5.30–30.00 mm) were enrolled in the study. The pathology results were adopted as diagnostic standards. The abilities of Young's modulus (E), shear modulus (G), and shear wave (C) to differentiate malignant and benign breast masses based on receiver operating characteristic curves were evaluated, and the optimal cutoff values were obtained. Sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, and negative likelihood ratio were calculated. Then, the values were combined to perform an overall analysis of Sound Touch Elastography using evidence‐based medicine, construct forest plots, and calculate areas under the summary receiver operating characteristic curves, pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, and diagnostic scores.

Results

A total of 159 masses with a mean size of 14.86 ± 6.57 mm (range, 5.30–30.00 mm) were included. For the various parameters, the diagnostic values were as follows: Gmax > Emax > Cmax > Csd > Esd > Gsd > Emean > Gmean > Cmean. There were no significant differences in Emin, Gmin, or Cmin. When the 9 parameters were combined, the pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, diagnostic scores and areas under the summary receiver operating characteristic curves were 84% (95% confidence interval [CI], 79%–88%), 82% (95% CI, 80%–84%), 4.75 (95% CI, 4.15–5.43), 0.20 (95% CI, 0.15–0.25), 3.19 (95% CI, 2.84–3.54) and 90.2% (95% CI, 87%–92%), respectively.

Conclusions

Sound Touch Elastography can be recognized as a new ultrasound‐based diagnostic method for differentiation between benign and malignant breast masses.