bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prematuridade de crianças nascidas no Centro Obstétrico do Município de Coari – Amazonas, Brasil
Authors: Hurtado Guerrero Ana Felisa , Reis Silvaney Gonçalves , Costa Parente Perpétua Souza da , Oliveira da Silva Daiane Valéria , Camilo Hurtado Guerrero José
Published: December 2018

OBJETIVO: Analisar a incidência de partos prematuros no Centro Obstétrico de Coari, no período de 2011 a 2015. MÉTODO: estudo retrospectivo quantitativo sobre partos prematuros no Hospital Regional de Coari Odair Carlos Geraldo. RESULTADOS: Mostraram que foram mães adolescentes, solteiras, agricultoras com intercorrências como contrações uterinas e parto normal. Dos prematuros nasceram mais meninos com peso normal e entre 35 a 37 semanas. Em relação ao índice de Apgar, 10,6% dos prematuros obtiveram pontuação menor ou igual a sete no primeiro minuto de vida, sendo que no quinto minuto esse percentual caiu para 7,8%, indicando que a maioria teve uma rápida recuperação. CONCLUSÃO: A gravidez na adolescência vem crescendo no município e com esta os partos prematuros, os cuidados devem ser centrados na realização de um bom pré-natal para evitarem complicações, sendo que não contam com UTI neonatal.
Indicadores da atenção pré-natal em um município do sudoeste do Paraná
Authors: Candido De Bortoli Cleunir De Fatima , Mackieviez Franciele , Battistoni Lianara , Fiorentin Lujácia Felipes
Published: December 2018

A atenção pré-natal é constituída por um conjunto de ações, que visam a promoção da saúde materna e infantil. Este estudo teve por objetivo analisar os indicadores da assistência pré-natal de gestantes de risco habitual em acompanhamento na rede básica. Estudo de campo, descritivo, de abordagem quantitativa. Os dados foram coletados por meio de um formulário estruturado e submetidos à tabulação de maneira simples com análise descritiva dos mesmos. Os resultados evidenciaram inadequações relacionadas à baixa participação em atividades educativas. Identificou-se a necessidade de promover intervenções em saúde para monitorar o cumprimento dos protocolos assistenciais preconizados, visando garantir uma prática segura de cuidados à saúde durante a gestação, parto e puerpério.
EL CONOCIMIENTO PRIVADO DEL JUEZ COMO CAUSAL DEL IMPEDIMENTO Y/O RECUSACIÓN
Authors: Morales Cano Ricardo A.
Published: December 2018

EL CONOCIMIENTO PRIVADO DEL JUEZ COMO CAUSAL DEL IMPEDIMENTO Y/O RECUSACIÓN 
Effect of pulper consistency on stickies size distribution
Authors: Doshi Mahendra , Aziz Salman , De Jong Robert , Houtman Carl
Published: December 2018

Pulper consistency affects production capacity, defibering efficiency, and particle size distribution of contaminants, and in particular, stickies and inks. The effect of pulper consistency on stickies size distribution, though important, has not been studied in detail.
In this project, pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA)-containing furnish was pulped in a laboratory at 5%, 10% and 15% consistency. Results show that 15% consistency pulp produced many more small-sized stickies compared to pulps produced at 5% and 10% consistency. This is contrary to the generally accepted hypothesis and needs further investigation. Calcium carbonate, usually present in varying proportions in many recovered paper grades, is known to have some pacifying effect on stickies. A new pacifying agent prepared from silicone release liner, called desiliconized pulp (DSP), behaves like bleached virgin hardwood kraft pulp. DSP seems to have a pacifying effect similar to that of calcium carbonate. Thus, DSP may potentially replace a small amount of bleached virgin hardwood kraft pulp, with a bonus stickies-pacifying effect.
Presentación
Authors: Carrillo De la Rosa Yezid
Published: December 2018

La edición número 11 de la Revista Jurídica Mario Alario D' Filippo trae a sus lectores un nuevo acopio de resultados de investigación jurídica. En cada uno de ellos, se condensa el esfuerzo de los académicos que forman parte de la Facultad de Derecho y Ciencias Políticas de la Universidad de Cartagena, así como de aquellos investigadores del medio externo que decidieron participar en esta gesta editorial.
El pensamiento iusnaturalista y la interpretación jurídica
Authors: Carrillo De la Rosa Yezid , Carrillo Velásquez Ahneyenzy
Published: December 2018

El presente artículo constituye un avance de una propuesta de investigación sobre los modelos de interpretación jurídico-constitucional. En esta oportunidad se intenta, desde el método de investigación dogmático-jurídico, abordar las tesis del iusnaturalismo y las implicaciones que estas tienen en el modelo de interpretación jurídica y en la elección de las directivas de interpretación.
AFLES’s Inspirations and Its ASEAN Youth Community Development (ASEAN Future Leaders Summit)
Authors: Ali Anees Janee , Sarang Shabana Gul , Sarvghadi Ali , Khalid Jamshed , May Brandon
Published: December 2018

This article is discussing about experiences of conducting AFLES (ASEAN Future Leaders Summit), which started in 2013 with the collaboration between Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and Prince of Songkla University, Thailand (PSU). AFLES is an action-packed summit meant for ASEAN youth with exciting forums, discussions, lectures, team-work, outdoor activities, community work, services, sight-seeing and cultural events. With the main objectives of developing ASEAN youth community in terms of their leadership skills and to serve as a platform for ASEAN youth to get together and connected to each other, AFLES for the last sixth term (2013-2018), has evolved to be a looking after summit to participate by ASEAN university student leaders. Over the years AFLES has developed and progressed with a few more collaborators, namely AKEPT (Malaysia Higher Education Leadership Academy), UiTM (Universiti Teknologi MARA), UUM (Universiti Utara Malaysia) and UKM (Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia). Community development, ASEAN unity and harmonization, and Internationalization of Higher Education Institutions in ASEAN are discussed regarding to the sustainability of AFLES in conducting an international program for youth across ASEAN region.
DUKUNGAN SOSIAL TENTANG EFIKASI DIRI MENYUSUI PADA IBU NIFAS
Authors: Cemara Agnes Julisca , Wisuda Andeka Marleni Ratna Dewi,
Published: December 2018

Bengkulu City is the city with the lowest coverage of 9 districts / cities inBengkulu Province in 2015 by 38%. The success of breastfeeding can be increased inmothers who have high breastfeeding self-efficacy. One of the factors that influencebreastfeeding self-efficacy is the existence of social support sourced from the family(husband), cadres, and health personnel (midwives). This study aims to determine theanalysis of social support on breastfeeding self-efficacy of postpartum in the WorkingArea of PuskesmasLingkar. This research uses qualitative method with phenomenologyapproach. The subjects of the study were chosen by using purposive sampling techniqueconsisting of 6 primary informants which is 3 postpartum mothers with high efficacy and3 postpartum mothers with low efficacy and 6 secondary informants which is 2 midwives,2 cadres and 2 husbands, each consisting of low and high efficacy. The results showedthat social support in the form of family support (husband), cadres and health workers(midwives) affects self-efficacy of breastfeeding in postpartum. Forms of family support(husband) and health personnel (midwife) are informational, emotional, assessment andintrumental support. Forms of cadre support is just informational suppor. It is expectedthat health workers can provide a comprehensive extension of ASI to mother and family.Training of cadres also needs to be done to improve the role and task of cadres inimproving the success of postpartum mother to breastfeed her baby exclusively.
Estimation of the Reliability of Automatic Axial-balancing Devices for Multistage Centrifugal Pumps
Authors: Pavlenko Ivan , Trojanowska Justyna , Gusak Oleksandr , Ivanov Vitalii , Pitel Jan , Pavlenko Vita
Published: December 2018

The permanent increase of operating parameters of modern multistage centrifugal pumps requires more precise modelling for estimation their dynamic reliability and needs to develop new approach and methodology for the related calculations. It is necessary to change the approach assuming empirical coefficients to another one based on the probabilistic design for analysis of reliability for pumps and their nodes. In this case, the probabilistic parameters of the design features and fluid flow are significant for the calculation (e. g. geometry of gap seals, boundary conditions, material properties) and should be considered. The automatic axial-balancing device of the rotor is one of the most important nodes of multi-stage centrifugal pumps. It operates as the balancing disc for the axial force up to 1 MN. This paper presents the methodology for the numerical calculation of the balancing disc and its influence on the reliability of multistage centrifugal pumps. The proposed approach is based on the criterion of the permissible amplitudes of axial oscillations of the rotor with the automatic axial-balancing device considering probabilistic origin of main geometrical, hydromechanical and operating parameters.
Review of the Evidence for Prehospital Administration of Benzyl Penicillin in Meningococcal Septicaemia – Experience in Queensland
Authors: Tippett Vivienne , Bonham Richard
Published: December 2018

Meningococcal disease is a rare but potential killer in both adults and children. Community acquired meningococcal disease is caused by a variety of serogroups of Neisseria meningitides. Of the five main subgroups, A, B, C, W135 and Y, serogroups, A and Y are rarely identified in Australia. Alternatively, Serogroup B accounts for the highest number of cases followed by serogroup C strains. Meningococcal infection causes two distinct clinical profiles, though dual presentations are not uncommon. The first, meningitis presenting alone, is the more common form of infection and requires urgent but not immediate medical treatment. Conversely the second presentation, meningococcal septicaemia, is considered a medical emergency. In Queensland, careful and detailed consideration of the evidence for introduction of benzyl penicillin for the prehospital treatment of meningococcal septicaemia has been conducted. Notwithstanding the seriousness of the septicaemic presentation, these reviews have resulted in the decision not to introduce this drug in the ambulance service at the time. This paper describes the reasoning behind these decisions.
Ambulance Transport and Services in the Rural Areas of Iceland, Scotland and Sweden
Authors: Gunnarsson Björn , Svavarsdóttir Hildigunnur , Dúason Sveinbjörn , Sim Andrew , Munro Agnes , McInnes Cathy , MacDonald Roddy , Ängquist Karl-Axel , Nordström Britt-Marie
Published: December 2018

The University Hospital in Akureyri (Centre for Emergency Medical Service (EMS) Education) in Iceland, Emergency & Disaster Medical Centre (AKMC) in Sweden and National Health Service - Western Isles in Scotland have undertaken a project “Ambulance Transport and Services in the Rural Areas” (ATSRuAr); the object of this paper is to provide an overview of the present status of ambulance transport and services in the three participating regions. This is a project of the INTERREG III Northern Periphery Programme (NPP) who provided a grant for the work.

Methods

Each partner reviewed the current status of prehospital services in their country or region and presented the results at a project meeting in Iceland in March 2006.

Results and Conclusion

Geography and weather provide a challenge to the ambulance transport and services in sparsely populated northern rural areas. The Emergency Medical Services (EMS) systems in these three northern rural areas have many similarities. However, there are differences in the number and distribution of ambulances, the running of the service, education and training of ambulance personnel and first responder schemes. This collaboration will debate on the provision of ambulance transport. Research is needed to indicate how improvements in ambulance transport can improve patient outcome in rural areas.
A Descriptive Physical Profile of Western Australian Male Paramedics
Authors: Chapman D. , Peiffer J. , Abbiss C.R. , Laursen P.B.
Published: December 2018

Objectives

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the physical characteristics of a group of West Australian male paramedics.

Methods

Data was collected from conventional (CO) (n=18) and special operations (SO) (n=11) officers undergoing occupational performance evaluations as contracted by St. John Ambulance Australia to an external independent third party. Using a series of field-based physical conditioning tests, aerobic capacity (multistage shuttle run test), body composition (skinfolds), flexibility (sit-and-reach test), muscular strength (5 stage abdominal and grip strength), muscular endurance (sit-ups, push-ups and chin-ups in 60 seconds (s)), power (vertical jump height), and anaerobic capacity/agility using the Bangsbo agility test were examined.

Results

The average predicted aerobic capacity of all officers was 45.8±5.2 ml·kg·min-1 (mean ± SD). Mean rating of abdominal strength was 4±1 and mean grip strength was 52±9 kg. The maximum number of sit-ups, push-ups and chin-ups performed in 60 s was 21±11, 40±12 and 7±5, respectively. Significantly more push-ups were completed for SO than for CO. Percentage body fat was significantly lower for SO than for CO. Fatigue index score (Bangsbo test) were significantly lower for SO than for CO.

Conclusion

The physical fitness profile of our sample indicated above normal levels of aerobic capacity, local muscle endurance and muscle strength, which likely contributes to workplace performance competency. However the fitness profile highlighted a potential deficiency in anaerobic capacity. Paramedics may benefit from a physical conditioning program with emphasis on their ability to operate at a greater functional capacity for higher repeated near maximal efforts.
Paramedics, Consent and Refusal – are We Competent?
Authors: Steer Brian
Published: December 2018

A theoretical foundation is described by summarizing currently accepted concepts of consent and refusal. These concepts are then placed in the context of the paramedic environment, which by its very nature makes decisions about consent very difficult. Three cases are briefly reviewed in light of these concepts and four areas for investigation are identified. It is argued there exists a need for the assessment of the skill and education of paramedics so that they may be better equipped to make decisions acceptable to the wider medical community.
Are Undergraduate Paramedic Students Able to Accurately Estimate a Patient's Age? – a Short Report
Authors: Boyle Malcolm , Williams Brett
Published: December 2018

Background

Accurately estimating a patient's age (adult or paediatric) is a requirement for all health care clinicians, especially when the patient is unresponsive. Likewise, this ability is critical for paramedics as calculations for paediatric medication dosages, defibrillation, some equipment sizing, and other invasive procedures like intubation, require age as the basis for the calculation. No previous prehospital or nursing studies on paramedic or nursing age estimations were located. The objective of this study was to identify if undergraduate paramedic students were able to accurately estimate a patient's age.

Methods

A prospective single-blinded observational pilot study requiring students to estimate the age of seven patients of varying age using digital images of a complete person.

Results

The results demonstrate that undergraduate paramedic and paramedic/nursing students have difficult in accurately estimating a person's age or at least being within five years either side of the actual adult age. Patients one and two were children, 28% of students correctly estimated the age of patient one, with 26% of students correctly estimating the age of patient two. The remainder were adult patients. No student correctly estimated the age of patient three, only 1% of students correctly estimated the age of patient four, 6% of students correctly estimated the age of patient five, none of the students correctly estimated the age of patient six, and approximately 2% of students correctly estimated the age of patient seven.

Conclusion

The results of this pilot study have demonstrated that undergraduate paramedic, paramedic/nursing students, and potentially novice paramedics, lack the ability to accurately estimate the age of a range of patients. The results have provided teaching staff with important information to incorporate into the clinical curriculum.
Investigating the Benefits of Out-of-Hospital External Chest Compression
Authors: Williams Brett , Fallows Brian , Allan Jeff
Published: December 2018

Objective

1. To review and analyse the literature regarding out-of-hospital external chest compressions (ECC) in severe asthma and status asthmaticus. 2. To compare which ambulance services in Australia and New Zealand actively use ECC in their clinical practice guidelines for severe asthma.

Methods

Literature review using a variety of medical databases including, Medline, AMED, ProQuest, EMBASE, CINAHL, Scopus and Cochrane Library from 1950 to present. The following keywords were used in the search strategy, ambulance, asthma, emergency medical technicians, external chest compression, external chest pressure, lateral chest compression, lateral chest pressure, out-of-hospital, paramedic, prehospital, status asthmaticus and thoracic compression. A review of Australian and New Zealand ambulance service clinical practice guidelines was also undertaken comparing the current out-of-hospital guidelines use of ECC.

Results

A total of nine papers were located with low levels of evidence supporting the use of ECC. Only two papers directly discussed ECC in the context of out-of-hospital care. Three of the eight Australian ambulance services actively use ECC in their clinical practice guidelines.

Conclusion

High level evidence was not found supporting the use of ECC in severe asthma or status asthmaticus. Anecdotal opinions and case reports generally have supported its use in dynamic hyperinflation settings. Further research is required before recommendations can be made.
Silent Myocardial Ischaemia: A Review of the Literature for Prehospital Care Providers
Authors: Nehme Ziad , Boyle Malcolm
Published: December 2018

Introduction
There has been little emphasis in paramedic education about silent myocardial ischaemia, its implications, and management in the prehospital environment. There is also inadequate information about the aetiology and prehospital management of silent myocardial infarction. The objective of this study was to review the literature on silent myocardial ischaemia and determine appropriate prehospital management.
Methods
A review of the Medline database was conducted from 1950 to the beginning of March 2007. Inclusion criteria were, any study type reporting the epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical concepts, and management of silent myocardial ischaemia. References of relevant articles were also reviewed. A review of prehospital clinical implications and management was also undertaken.
Results
The search yielded 1,332 articles; 110 articles met the inclusion criteria with another 32 articles located from review of relevant articles reference list. Silent myocardial ischaemia is not limited to patients with significant coronary artery disease or cardiovascular risk profiles, it may affect up to 10% of patients with asymptomatic coronary artery disease. Silent myocardial ischaemia is also associated with greater adverse outcomes, and has been defined as the single strongest factor attributing to cardiac death in patients with concurrent angina pectoris. All patients with coronary artery disease presenting with and without pain can be managed with GTN and aspirin, in the absence of contra-indications.
Conclusion
This study demonstrates that silent myocardial ischaemia is not limited to patients with significant cardiovascular risk profiles and may affect up to 10% of patients with asymptomatic coronary artery disease. There is little prehospital care providers can achieve with current clinical practice guidelines and management regimes.
Exploratory Factor Analysis: A Five-Step Guide for Novices
Authors: Williams Brett , Onsman Andrys , Brown Ted
Published: December 2018

Factor analysis is a multivariate statistical approach commonly used in psychology, education, and more recently in the health-related professions. This paper will attempt to provide novice researchers with a simplified approach to undertaking exploratory factor analysis (EFA). As the paramedic body of knowledge continues to grow, indeed into scale and instrument psychometrics, it is timely that an uncomplicated article such as this be offered to the paramedic readership both nationally and internationally. Factor analysis is an important tool that can be used in the development, refinement, and evaluation of tests, scales, and measures that can be used in education and clinical contexts by paramedics. The objective of the paper is to provide an exploratory factor analysis protocol, offering potential researchers with an empirically-supported systematic approach that simplifies the many guidelines and options associated with completing EFA.
The development of an updated prehospital search filter for the Cochrane Library: Prehospital Search Filter Version 2.0
Authors: Burgess Stephen , Smith Erin , Piper Sarah , Archer Frank
Published: December 2018

Prehospital care is a dynamic domain. Emerging roles, changes to clinical scope and practice, and changing terminologies have highlighted the ongoing need to identify and critically appraise prehospital research. In 2004, Smith, McDonald, Wasiak, Jennings, MacPherson and Archer reported on the development of a prehospital literature search filter for The Cochrane Library.1
The search filter was designed to provide a comprehensive and transparent methodology to identify research conducted in the prehospital environment. At the time the authors identified that the search filter would need to be modified over time to reflect changes in the literature and the scope of prehospital care.1
This paper reports on the first modification of the original search filter. The Prehospital Search Filter Version 2.0 was developed to ensure that the search filter continues to capture all relevant research and remains a useful tool in identifying prehospital literature.
Adaptive Control Design and Stability Analysis of Robotic Manipulators
Authors: Wei Bin
Published: December 2018

In this paper, the author presents the adaptive control design and stability analysis of robotic manipulators based on two main approaches, i.e., Lyapunov stability theory and hyperstability theory. For the Lyapunov approach, the author presents the adaptive control of a 2-DOF (degrees of freedom) robotic manipulator. Furthermore, the adaptive control technique and Lyapunov theory are subsequently applied to the end-effector motion control and force control, as in most cases, one only considers the motion control (e.g., position control, trajectory tracking). To make the robot interact with humans or the environment, force control must be considered as well to achieve a safe working environment. For the hyperstability approach, a control system is developed through integrating a PID (proportional–integral–derivative) control system and a model reference adaptive control (MRAC) system, and also the convergent behavior and characteristics under the situation of the PID system, model reference adaptive control system, and PID+MRAC control system are compared.
Recent Contributions of Agricultural Economics Research in the Field of Sustainable Development
Authors: Bertoni Danilo , Cavicchioli Daniele , Donzelli Franco , Ferrazzi Giovanni , Frisio Dario G. , Pretolani Roberto , Ricci Elena Claire , Ventura Vera
Published: December 2018

Sustainable development is more often considered by media, public opinion, and politicians to be the main goal our society should attempt to pursue in the coming years. To this aim, academic researchers have made sustainability one of the main objects of their studies. This work focuses on environmental sustainability and presents a brief overview of how it is taken into consideration in the agricultural economics field by considering this topic from different perspectives and thus highlighting how this field is gradually broadening its scope to include sustainable development objectives. Our analysis shows that the path towards sustainable development is strongly correlated to the protection of the environment. Therefore, agricultural policies aimed at protecting and preserving the environment, and, more in general, innovation along the agri-food chain, together with consumer attention towards environmental issues, can play an important role in achieving this objective.
Enhancers Improve the AID-Induced Hypermutation in Episomal Vector for Antibody Affinity Maturation in Mammalian Cell Display
Authors: Chen Chuan , Wang Jie , Zhao Yun , Chen Shaopeng , Hu Zhishang , Chen Long , Hang Haiying
Published: December 2018

The induction of somatic hypermutation (SHM) in various cell lines by activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) has been used in protein-directed selection, especially in antibody affinity maturation. Several antibody affinity maturation systems based on mammalian cells have been developed in recent years, i.e., 293T, H1299, Raji and CHO cells. However, the efficiency of in vitro AID-induced hypermutation is low, restricting the application of such systems. In this study, we examined the role of Ig and Ek enhancers in enhancing SHM in the episomal vector pCEP4 that expresses an anti-high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) full-length antibody. The plasmid containing the two enhancers exhibited two-fold improvement of mutation rate over pCEP4 in an AID expression H1299 cell line (H1299-AID). With the engineered episomal vector, we improved the affinity of this antibody in H1299-AID cells by 20-fold.
Agrimonia procera Wallr. Extract Increases Stress Resistance and Prolongs Life Span in Caenorhabditis elegans via Transcription Factor DAF-16 (FoxO Orthologue)
Authors: Saier Christina , Gommlich Inge , Hiemann Volker , Baier Sabrina , Koch Karoline , Horn Gert , Kowalewsky Tanja , Bartelt Jörg , Seemann Maria , Wätjen Wim
Published: December 2018

Agrimonia procera is a pharmacologically interesting plant which is proposed to protect against various diseases due to its high amount of phytochemicals, e.g., polyphenols. However, in spite of the amount of postulated health benefits, studies concerning the mechanistic effects of Agrimonia procera are limited. Using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, we were able to show that an ethanol extract of Agrimonia procera herba (eAE) mediates strong antioxidative effects in the nematode: Beside a strong radical-scavenging activity, eAE reduces accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and protects against paraquat-induced oxidative stress. The extract does not protect against amyloid-β-mediated toxicity, but efficiently increases the life span (up to 12.7%), as well as the resistance to thermal stress (prolongation of survival up to 22%), of this model organism. Using nematodes deficient in the forkhead box O (FoxO)-orthologue DAF-16, we were able to demonstrate that beneficial effects of eAE on stress resistance and life span were mediated via this transcription factor. We showed antioxidative, stress-reducing, and life-prolonging effects of eAE in vivo and were able to demonstrate a molecular mechanism of this extract. These results may be important for identifying further molecular targets of eAE in humans.
Oxidative Stress in the Newborn Period: Useful Biomarkers in the Clinical Setting
Authors: Millán Iván , Piñero-Ramos José David , Lara Inmaculada , Parra-Llorca Anna , Torres-Cuevas Isabel , Vento Máximo
Published: December 2018

Aerobic metabolism is highly efficient in providing energy for multicellular organisms. However, even under physiological conditions, an incomplete reduction of oxygen produces reactive oxygen species and, subsequently, oxidative stress. Some of these chemical species are highly reactive free radicals capable of causing functional and structural damage to cell components (protein, lipids, or nucleotides). Oxygen is the most used drug in ill-adapted patients during the newborn period. The use of oxygen may cause oxidative stress-related diseases that increase mortality and cause morbidity with adverse long-term outcomes. Conditions such as prematurity or birth asphyxia are frequently treated with oxygen supplementation. Both pathophysiological situations of hypoxia–reoxygenation in asphyxia and hyperoxia in premature infants cause a burst of reactive oxygen species and oxidative stress. Recently developed analytical assays using mass spectrometry have allowed us to determine highly specific biomarkers with minimal samples. The detection of these metabolites will help improve the diagnosis, evolution, and response to therapy in oxidative stress-related conditions during the newborn period.
Long-Term Behaviour of Precast Concrete Deck Using Longitudinal Prestressed Tendons in Composite I-Girder Bridges
Authors: Ma Haiying , Shi Xuefei , Zhang Yin
Published: December 2018

Twin-I girder bridge systems composite with precast concrete deck have advantages including construction simplification and improved concrete strength compared with traditional multi-I girder bridge systems with cast-in-place concrete deck. But the cracking is still a big issue at interior support for continuous span bridges using twin-I girders. To reduce cracks occurrence in the hogging regions subject to negative moments and to guarantee the durability of bridges, the most essential way is to reduce the tensile stress of concrete deck within the hogging regions. In this paper, the prestressed tendons are arranged to prestress the precast concrete deck before it is connected with the steel girders. In this way, the initial compressive stress induced by the prestressed tendons in the concrete deck within the hogging region is much higher than that in regular concrete deck without prestressed tendons. A finite element analysis is developed to study the long-term behaviour of prestressed concrete deck for a twin-I girder bridge. The results show that the prestressed tendons induce large compressive stresses in the concrete deck but the compressive stresses are reduced due to concrete creep. The final compressive stresses in the concrete deck are about half of the initial compressive stresses. Additionally, parametric study is conducted to find the effect to the long-term behaviour of concrete deck including girder depth, deck size, prestressing stress and additional imposed load. The results show that the prestressing compressive stress in precast concrete deck is transferred to steel girders due to concrete creep. The prestressed forces transfer between the concrete deck and steel girder cause the loss of compressive stresses in precast concrete deck. The prestressed tendons can introduce some compressive stress in the concrete deck to overcome the tensile stress induced by the live load but the force transfer due to concrete creep needs be considered. The concrete creep makes the compressive stress loss and the force redistribution in the hogging regions, which should be considered in the design the twin-I girder bridge composite with prestressed precast concrete deck.
Analysis of SNR for High-Orbit Target Detected by Ground-Based Photoelectric System
Authors: Huang Zhiguo , Huang Rui , Xue Xiaojun
Published: December 2018

To determine the feasibility of observing high-orbit targets with a large aperture telescope, we created a simulation based on electronics to evaluate the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) model for an infrared ground-based photoelectric system. Atmosphere transmission and sky background radiation data were obtained using MODTRAN software, then the SNRs of the high-orbit target (HOT) in different temperatures and orbit heights were calculated separately. The results showed that the observation of the HOT in a short band was possible, and the effect of short-wave was excellent at low temperatures. On the basis of this model, some space targets were observed by a K-band photoelectric telescope for verification and had constructive results. Thus, the model can be used as a basis for whether a HOT can be detected.
Plant-Mediated Biotransformations of S(+)- and R(–)-Carvones
Authors: Mączka Wanda , Sołtysik Daria , Wińska Katarzyna , Grabarczyk Małgorzata , Szumny Antoni
Published: December 2018

The enzymatic system of vegetables is well known as an efficient biocatalyst in the stereoselective reduction of ketones. Therefore, we decided to use the comminuted material of several plants including five vegetables (Apium graveolens L., Beta vulgaris L., Daucus carota L., Petroselinum crispum L., and Solanum tuberosum L.) and three fruits (Malus pumila L. “Golden” and “Kortland” as well as Pyrus communis L. “Konferencja”) to obtain enantiomerically pure carveol, which is commercially unavailable. Unexpectedly, all of the used biocatalysts not only reduced the carbonyl group of (4R)-(–)-carvone and (4S)-(+)-carvone, but also reduced the double bond in the cyclohexene ring. The results revealed that (4R)-(–)-carvone was transformed into (1R, 4R)- and (1S, 4R)-dihydrocarvones, and (1R,2R,4R)-dihydrocarveol. Although the enzymatic system of the potato transformed the substrate almost completely, the %de was not the highest. Potato yielded 92%; however, when carrot was used as the biocatalyst, it was possible to obtain 17% of (1R, 4R)-(+)-dihydrocarvone with 100% diastereomeric excess. In turn, the (4S)-(+)-carvone was transformed, using the biocatalysts, into (1R, 4S)- and (1S, 4S)-dihydrocarvones and dihydrocarveols. Complete substrate conversion was observed in biotransformation when potato was used. In the experiments using apple, (1R, 4S)-dihydrocarvone with 100% diastereomeric excess was obtained. Using NMR spectroscopy, we confirmed both diastereoisomers of 4(R)-1,2-dihydrocarveols, which were unseparated in the GC condition. Finally, we proved the high usefulness of vegetables for the biotransformation of both enantiomers of carvone as well as dihydrocarvone.
Dryout and Replenishment of Bottom-Heated Saturated Porous Media with an Overlying Plain Water Layer
Authors: Carbonell Montserrat , Virto Luis , Gamez-Montero Pedro Javier
Published: December 2018

The aim of this paper is to elucidate the influence of the physical properties of both phases—solid matrix and saturating liquid—of bottom-heated porous media with an overlying plain water layer. The dryout, the stability of the system’s water layer-vapor region, and the thermal state evolution are studied. The porous media under study are a bronze powder saturated by water, and a solution of surfactant and coarse sand saturated by the same liquids. From the experimental data obtained, a theoretical approach is carried out to describe the dryout and rewetting process. The influence of the nature and physical properties of the solid and liquid phases is also analyzed, with special attention to the addition of surfactant in the saturating liquid.
RETRACTED: Laplacian Eigenmaps Feature Conversion and Particle Swarm Optimization-Based Deep Neural Network for Machine Condition Monitoring
Authors: Yuan Nanqi , Yang Wenli , Kang Byeong , Xu Shuxiang , Wang Xiaolin
Published: December 2018

This work reports a novel method by fusing Laplacian Eigenmaps feature conversion and deep neural network (DNN) for machine condition assessment. Laplacian Eigenmaps is adopted to transform data features from original high dimension space to projected lower dimensional space, the DNN is optimized by the particle swarm optimization algorithm, and the machine run-to-failure experiment were investigated for validation studies. Through a series of comparative experiments with the original features, two other effective space transformation techniques, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Isometric map (Isomap), and two other artificial intelligence methods, hidden Markov model (HMM) as well as back-propagation neural network (BPNN), the present method in this paper proved to be more effective for machine operation condition assessment.
Off-Design Modeling and Simulation of Solar Absorption-Subcooled Compression Hybrid Cooling System
Authors: Li Zeyu , Yu Jianting , Chen Erjian , Jing Yue
Published: December 2018

The solar absorption-subcooled compression hybrid cooling system (SASCHCS) is potentially an economical solution for high-rise buildings. The hybrid system is subjected to off-design operation frequently, owing to the changes in solar irradiance and cooling demand. However, a large amount of iterations and difficult convergence are encountered in the traditional off-design modeling. Hence, our present study contributes to the development of an off-design model that is exact and can be solved conveniently. A novel modeling method based on the combination of an absorption subsystem described by the characteristic equation and a compression subsystem modeled by the lumped parameter method is proposed. A prototype and corresponding experimental system are developed to verify the model. A good agreement between the theoretical result and test data is displayed. The maximum deviation is less than 4%. Subsequently, the performance of the facility for different operating conditions is simulated and analyzed. We found that the subcooling power relies significantly on the compressor speed, i.e., a reduction by 58.6% when the compressor speed reduces by 80%. In addition, a high temperature and low flow rate of cooling water in the compression subsystem is adverse to the performance of the hybrid system. Our study can serve as the foundation for the operational analysis of the solar absorption-subcooled compression hybrid cooling system as well as promote its development.
A Genetic Algorithm for VNF Provisioning in NFV-Enabled Cloud/MEC RAN Architectures
Authors: Ruiz Lidia , Durán Ramón J. , De Miguel Ignacio , Khodashenas Pouria S. , Pedreño-Manresa Jose-Juan , Merayo Noemí , Aguado Juan C. , Pavón-Marino Pablo , Siddiqui Shuaib , Mata Javier , Fernández Patricia , Lorenzo Rubén M. , Abril Evaristo J.
Published: December 2018

5G technologies promise to bring new network and service capacities and are expected to introduce significant architectural and service deployment transformations. The Cloud-Radio Access Networks (C-RAN) architecture, enabled by the combination of Software Defined Networking (SDN), Network Function Virtualization (NFV) and Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) technologies, play a key role in the development of 5G. In this context, this paper addresses the problems of Virtual Network Functions (VNF) provisioning (VNF-placement and service chain allocation) in a 5G network. In order to solve that problem, we propose a genetic algorithm that, considering both computing resources and optical network capacity, minimizes both the service blocking rate and CPU usage. In addition, we present an algorithm extension that adds a learning stage and evaluate the algorithm performance benefits in those scenarios where VNF allocations can be reconfigured. Results reveal and quantify the advantages of reconfiguring the VNF mapping depending on the current demands. Our methods outperform previous proposals in the literature, reducing the service blocking ratio while saving energy by reducing the number of active core CPUs.
A Large Capacity Histogram-Based Watermarking Algorithm for Three Consecutive Bins
Authors: Yue Zhen , Li Zichen , Ren Hua , Yang Yixian
Published: December 2018

The histogram watermark, which performs watermark embedding by slightly modifying the histogram of the original image, has been a hot research topic in information hiding technology due to the superiority of its pixel modification during the watermark embedding process, which is independent of the pixel position. This property makes the histogram-based watermark strong resistant to geometric attacks, such as cropping attack, crossed attack, rotation attack, etc. In this paper, we propose a large capacity histogram-based robust watermarking algorithm based on three consecutive bins for the first time. In our scheme, we divide the shape of three consecutive bins into eight cases. According to these cases, we embed Information Number 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7, respectively. The embedded information capacity reaches one bit per bin (bpb), and the amount of embedded information is equal to 200% of the previous existing algorithms. Experimental results show that the new algorithm not only has a large capacity of embedding information, but also has strong robustness to geometric attacks, as well as common image processing operations.
Design and Experimental Evaluation of a Low-Cost Test Rig for Flywheel Energy Storage Burst Containment Investigation
Authors: Buchroithner Armin , Haidl Peter , Birgel Christof , Zarl Thomas , Wegleiter Hannes
Published: December 2018

Data related to the performance of burst containments for high-speed rotating machines, such as flywheel energy storage systems (FESS), turbines or electric motors is scarce. However, development of optimized burst containment structures requires statistically significant data, which calls out for low-cost test methods as a strategic development tool. Consequently, a low-cost test rig (so called spin pit) for the investigation of burst containments was designed, with the goal to systematically investigate the performance of different containment structures and materials, in conjunction with the failure mechanisms of different rotors. The gathered data (e.g., burst speed, acceleration, temperature, ambient pressure, etc.) in combination with a post-mortem analysis was used to draw an energy balance and enabled the assessment of the effectiveness of various burst containments.
Antipodal Vivaldi Antenna Arrays Fed by Substrate Integrated Waveguide Right-Angled Power Dividers
Authors: Salem Hesari Sara , Bornemann Jens
Published: December 2018

This paper describes a novel feed system for compact antipodal Vivaldi antenna arrays on a single layer of substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) by using SIW H-plane right-angled power dividers. The proposed antenna systems are composed of a Vivaldi array and an H-plane right-angled corner power divider which includes an over-moded waveguide section. Based on the number of antennas in the Vivaldi array, mode converter sections at K-band and Ka-band frequencies are designed, fabricated, and measured when feeding Vivaldi antenna arrays with two, three, and four antennas. Right-angled SIW power dividers are employed to obtain controllable phase distribution over the output ports which consequently controls the beam shapes of the systems. The phase relationships in the output ports are varied to obtain different pattern directions for different applications. The two-way divider system with 180-degree phase difference and three-way divider system are fabricated and measured; simulation results are presented for other designs. The measured results are in good agreement with simulations which confirms the design approach. All systems achieve good performance and meet all design goals including a return loss better than 10 dB in the operating bandwidth, gain higher than 8 dB for all systems, and radiation and polarization efficiencies higher than 80% and 98%, respectively.
Fatigue of Friction Stir Welded Aluminum Alloy Joints: A Review
Authors: Li Hongjun , Gao Jian , Li Qinchuan
Published: December 2018

The application fields of friction stir welding technology, such as aerospace and transportation, has high safety requirements and fatigue is the dominant failure mode for weldments. It is of great significance to understand the fatigue properties of friction stir welded joints. This paper provides an overview of the fatigue mechanism, influencing factors, crack growth rate, and fatigue life assessment. It is found that the fatigue performance of friction stir welded joints can be affected by welding process parameters, test environment, stress ratio, residual stress, and weld defect. The optimized process parameters can produce high quality weld and increase the weld fatigue life. Laser peening is an effective post weld treatment to decrease fatigue crack growth rate and improve material fatigue life.
Within and Across-Language Comparison of Vocal Emotions in Mandarin and English
Authors: Wang Ting , Lee Yong-cheol , Ma Qiuwu
Published: December 2018

This study reports experimental results on whether the acoustic realization of vocal emotions differs between Mandarin and English. Prosodic cues, spectral cues and articulatory cues generated by electroglottograph (EGG) of five emotions (anger, fear, happiness, sadness and neutral) were compared within and across Mandarin and English through a production experiment. Results of within-language comparison demonstrated that each vocal emotion had specific acoustic patterns in each language. Moreover, normalized data were used in the across-language comparison analysis. Results indicated that Mandarin and English showed different mechanisms of utilizing pitch for encoding emotions. The differences in pitch variation between neutral and other emotions were significantly larger in English than in Mandarin. However, the variations of speech rate and certain phonation cues (e.g., CPP (Cepstral Peak Prominence) and CQ (Contact quotient)) were significantly greater in Mandarin than in English. The differences in emotional speech between the two languages may be due to the restriction of pitch variation by the presence of lexical tones in Mandarin. This study reveals an interesting finding that occurs when a certain cue (e.g., pitch) is restricted in one language, other cues were strengthened to take on the responsibility of differentiating vocal emotions. Therefore, we posit that the acoustic realizations of emotional speech are multidimensional.