bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PENERAPAN METODE DISTRIBUTION REQUIREMENT PLANNING UNTUK MEMINIMASI BIAYA DISTRIBUSI PT SEKELUARGA
Authors: Febrianto Eko , Hunusalela Zeny Fatimah , Prasasty Aliffia Teja
Published: November 2020

Along with increasingly intense competition in any industry or business sector. Demand companies to use methods in order to win the competition. One of them is by doing fast distribution. PT Sekeluarga is one of the companies that distribution of LPG. PT Sekeluarga still has problems such as the inability to distribute goods according to demand, causing a break in the distribution chain and causing scarcity of LPG that occurs at the lowest distribution level or the community. The study was conducted using the Distribution Requirement Planning (DRP) method in addition to that there are also Lot size calculations with Fixed Order Quantity (FOQ), safety stock calculations, and forecasting. The Total Cost (TC) using the company method is Rp. 14,563,117.00. while the Total Cost (TC) using the Distribution Requirement Planning (DRP) method is Rp. 11,676,354.17. From the results of the Total Cost comparison it is found that the Total Cost with the Distribution Requirement Planning method is cheaper when compared to the company method. And by using the Distribution Requirement Planning method also obtained an efficiency of 19.82%.
IMPLEMENTASI LEMBAR PENILAIAN POTENSI BAHAYA BERDASARKAN FRAMEWORK PENILAIAN POTENSI BAHAYA IDEACM DI INDUSTRI MENGGUNAKAN PENDEKATAN ERGONOMI MAKRO (STUDI KASUS: PT XYZ)
Authors: Ridwan Gucci Dinda Okta Dwiyanti , Mardiansyah Yopy
Published: November 2020

Hazard is something that can potentially cause harm. Losses can be in the form of health problems or injuries to humans (workers), loss of work time, damage to property, area or workplace, products or damage to the surrounding environment, losses in the production process or other damages. Therefore, need for a comprehensive assessment of potential hazards. The purpose of this hazard assessment is to find out how much potential hazards the work station has. In this problem requires a solution in order to calculate how much the overall potential hazard, so the solution is to use a potential assessment sheet with a macro ergonomics approach. In the final results of the hazard potential assessment sheet is given a ranking, in order to determine the largest to the smallest potential at the work station. It also provides a quick conclusion to determine the potential hazards of macro ergonomic elements that must be carried out in advance in order in the ranking.
PENGEMBANGAN DESAIN POMPA LISTRIK SENTRIFUGAL UNTUK GALLON AIR MINUM
Authors: Zamzani Muhamad Imron , Prakoso Indro
Published: November 2020

The gallon water pump used to meet household needs, in general, is a manual pump, with an affordable price, this pump is excellent. However, the use of manual pumps is considered ineffective for water intake in gallons, so development innovation is needed for a more effective design. The purpose of this research is to design a centrifugal electric pump that is designed to facilitate the collection of water in gallons on a scale of household needs. The researcher used the Kano method to design the pump, this method was chosen so that user satisfaction is guaranteed. To get the level of product satisfaction, by distributing questionnaires to 44 respondents with 10 attributes. Analysis to determine the level of satisfaction of centrifugal electric pump products using the End-User Computing Satisfaction (EUCS) method. The level of satisfaction of centrifugal electric pump products designed with the Kano method states that most of the attributes are in an Attractive condition, meaning that the customer wants the centrifugal electric pump product to be produced immediately. With the proposed design based on human anthropometry, it is expected to be able to increase customer satisfaction.
EVALUASI KAPASITAS PRODUKSI BAN MENGGUNAKAN METODE RCCP DENGAN PENDEKATAN BOLA
Authors: Adhiana Tigar Putri , Prakoso Indro , Pangestika Nidya
Published: November 2020

Capacity planning in a company's production process needs to be considered so that the products produced meet consumer demand. PT X, is a manufacturing company that focuses on tire production. One type of large-sized tire product that has the highest demand is the ABC type with a sTabel production amount per month and demand that goes up every year. In terms of fulfilling customer demand, especially requests for large tires with type ABC, PT X often has difficulty in meeting consumer demand, this happens because the capacity of the machine is not available. Therefore, the existing production capacity must be evaluated to find out whether the available capacity is sufficient with the required capacity. To analyze this problem, the Rough Cut Capacity Planning (RCCP) method, this method is to analyze and test the determination of capacity in the master production schedule. Calculation of available capacity and capacity required in a year is carried out for the process carried out, namely: Building, Spreading and venting, curing, and Trimming. For the building and trimming process, it is found that the decision of the acupacity is fulfilled, while the Spreading and venting process is required to add 1 machine, and the curing process is required to add the machine according to the number of requests per month. From these results it can be given a proposal that needs to be considered in meeting the capacity to meet consumer needs while still paying attention to production costs.
USULAN RUTE DISTRIBUSI MENGGUNAKAN ALGORITMA SWEEP DAN LOCAL SEARCH (STUDI KASUS DI PERUSAHAAN X)
Authors: Ruben Muhamad , Imran Arif
Published: November 2020

A company has to deliver its product to thirty-five points/customers. In delivering process, there are limitations such as the number of vehicles, vehicle capacity, and driver's working hours. The company wants to find a better/shorter route in distributing its product to customer in order to minimize the transportation cost. The problem can considered as the Capacited Vehicle Routing Problem. In this paper, the Sweep algorithm are first used to find the initial solution. The local search procedures are used to the solution obtained by the Sweep algorithm. Four local searches are applied, 1-insertion intra-route, 1- insertion inter-route, 1-1 intra –route and 1-1 inter-route. The solutions produced by each local search are then compared, and the best one is selected. The best solution is given by the 1-Insertion intra-route procedure. It is 27,923 km shorter (15% better) than the current routes.
ANALISIS PENGAMBILAN KEPUTUSAN PENENTUAN LOKASI SENTRA OLEH-OLEH KHAS BATAM
Authors: Fajrah Nofriani , Zetli Sri
Published: November 2020

Batam is developing into a tourism city, however, Batam tourism has not been supported by the souvenir center to sell local people's work. There are several tourist center areas in Batam, but they have not specifically sold special souvenirs from Batam. This study aims to determine the right location for a typical souvenir center of Batam based on a decision analysis of the factors of tourist interest. The method used in this study is the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) by using six variables of tourist interests, which were obtained from previous studies, namely the existence of a tourist center, accessibility, accommodation, transportation, culinary services and the availability of souvenir products. The six variables are paired with the five tourist center areas in Batam, which are obtained based on the results of the researcher's field survey. The decision analysis was carried out by three respondents who are relevant to this study, namely the government, small and medium enterprises, and academics who have expertise in the relevant fields. Based on the research results, it was found that the right location for a typical souvenir center of Batam, Nagoya. This is because Nagoya is the iconic center of Batam with the biggest shopping mall, so tourists will definitely visit Nagoya as an experience of traveling to Batam to buy various kinds of souvenir products from food, drinks, clothes, bags, shoes, perfume and various other accessories. Based on this research, it can be concluded that the existence of an important souvenir center is considered by stakeholders in developing tourism in Batam, so that the local culture of Batam is better known by tourists by buying typical Batam souvenirs at souvenir centers and can also improve the economy of the local population by producing Batam souvenirs
Enhanced Immune Responses and Protective Immunity to Zika Virus Induced by a DNA Vaccine Encoding a Chimeric NS1 Fused With Type 1 Herpes Virus gD Protein
Authors: Pereira Lennon Ramos , Alves Rúbens Prince dos Santos , Sales Natiely Silva , Andreata-Santos Robert , Venceslau-Carvalho Aléxia Adrianne , Pereira Samuel Santos , Castro-Amarante Maria Fernanda , Rodrigues-Jesus Mônica Josiane , Favaro Marianna Teixeira de Pinho , Chura-Chambi Rosa Maria , Morganti Ligia , Ferreira Luís Carlos de Souza
Published: December 2020

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a globally-distributed flavivirus transmitted to humans by Aedes mosquitoes, usually causing mild symptoms that may evolve to severe conditions, including neurological alterations, such as neonatal microcephaly and Guillain-Barré syndrome. Due to the absence of specific and effective preventive methods, we designed a new subunit vaccine based on a DNA vector (pgDNS1-ZIKV) encoding the non-structural protein 1 (NS1) genetically fused to the Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) glycoprotein D (gD) protein. Recombinant plasmids were replicated in Escherichia coli and the expression of the target protein was confirmed in transfected HEK293 cells. C57BL/6 and AB6 (IFNAR1–/–) mice were i.m. immunized by electroporation in order to evaluate pgDNS1-ZIKV immunogenicity. After two doses, high NS1-specific IgG antibody titers were measured in serum samples collected from pgDNS1-ZIKV-immunized mice. The NS1-specific antibodies were capable to bind the native protein expressed in infected mammalian cells. Immunization with pgDNS1-ZIKV increased both humoral and cellular immune responses regarding mice immunized with a ZIKV NS1 encoding vaccine. Immunization with pgDNS1-ZIKV reduced viremia and morbidity scores leading to enhanced survival of immunodeficient AB6 mice challenged with a lethal virus load. These results give support to the use of ZIKV NS1 as a target antigen and further demonstrate the relevant adjuvant effects of HSV-1 gD.
Prefrontal Cortex and Amygdala Subregion Morphology Are Associated With Obesity and Dietary Self-control in Children and Adolescents
Authors: Kim Mimi S. , Luo Shan , Azad Anisa , Campbell Claire E. , Felix Kimberly , Cabeen Ryan P. , Belcher Britni R. , Kim Robert , Serrano-Gonzalez Monica , Herting Megan M.
Published: December 2020

A prefrontal control system that is less mature than the limbic reward system in adolescence is thought to impede self-regulatory abilities, which could contribute to poor dietary choices and obesity. We, therefore, aimed to examine whether structural morphology of the prefrontal cortex (PFC; involved in cognitive control) and the amygdala (a key brain region for reward-related processing) are associated with dietary decisions and obesity in children and adolescents. Seventy-one individuals between the ages of 8–22 years (17.35 ± 4.76 years, 51% female, 56% were overweight or obese) participated in this study; each participant completed a computer-based food choice task and a T1- and T2-weighted structural brain scans. Two indices of obesity were assessed, including age- and sex-specific body mass index (BMIz) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR). The behavioral task included rating 60 food stimuli for tastiness, healthiness, and liking. Based on each participant’s self-ratings, 100 binary food choices were then made utilizing a computer mouse. Dietary “self-control” was calculated as the proportion of trials where the individual chose the healthier food item (vs. the tastier food item) over the total number of trials. Cortical thickness and amygdala subnuclei volumes were quantified using FreeSurfer 6.0 and CIT168 atlas, respectively. We found that WHtR was negatively associated with the thickness of bilateral superior frontal, left superior temporal, right insula, and right inferior temporal regions (p < 0.05, corrected for multiple comparisons). We also found WHtR to be positively associated with the volume of the central nucleus (CEN) region of the amygdala (p = 0.006), after adjusting for the hemisphere, age, sex, and intracranial volumes. A similar data pattern was observed when BMIz was used. Moreover, we found that across all participants, thinner right superior frontal cortex and larger left CEN volumes predicted lower dietary self-control. These results suggest that differential development of the PFC and amygdala relate to obesity and dietary self-control. Further longitudinal studies are merited to determine causal relationships among altered PFC to amygdala neural circuitry, dietary self-control, and obesity.
Transient Enhanced GluA2 Expression in Young Hippocampal Neurons of a Fragile X Mouse Model
Authors: Banke Tue G. , Barria Andres
Published: December 2020

AMPA-type glutamate receptors (AMPARs) are tetrameric ligand-gated channels made up of combinations of GluA1-4 subunits and play important roles in synaptic transmission and plasticity. Here, we have investigated the development of AMPAR-mediated synaptic transmission in the hippocampus of the Fmr1 knock-out (KO) mouse, a widely used model of Fragile X syndrome (FXS). FXS is the leading monogenic cause of intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and it is considered a neurodevelopmental disorder. For that reason, we investigated synaptic properties and dendritic development in animals from an early stage when synapses are starting to form up to adulthood. We found that hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons in the Fmr1-KO mouse exhibit a higher AMPAR-NMDAR ratio early in development but reverses to normal values after P13. This increase was accompanied by a larger presence of the GluA2-subunit in synaptic AMPARs that will lead to altered Ca2+ permeability of AMPARs that could have a profound impact upon neural circuits, learning, and diseases. Following this, we found that young KO animals lack Long-term potentiation (LTP), a well-understood model of synaptic plasticity necessary for proper development of circuits, and exhibit an increased frequency of spontaneous miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents, a measure of synaptic density. Furthermore, post hoc morphological analysis of recorded neurons revealed altered dendritic branching in the KO group. Interestingly, all these anomalies are transitory and revert to normal values in older animals. Our data suggest that loss of FMRP during early development leads to temporary upregulation of the GluA2 subunit and this impacts synaptic plasticity and altering morphological dendritic branching.
Performance Evaluation of Soil Moisture Sensors in Coarse- and Fine-Textured Michigan Agricultural Soils
Authors: Dong Younsuk , Miller Steve , Kelley Lyndon
Published: December 2020

Soil moisture content is a critical parameter in understanding the water movement in soil. A soil moisture sensor is a tool that has been widely used for many years to measure soil moisture levels for their ability to provide nondestructive continuous data from multiple depths. The calibration of the sensor is important in the accuracy of the measurement. The factory-based calibration of the soil moisture sensors is generally developed under limited laboratory conditions, which are not always appropriate for field conditions. Thus, calibration and field validation of the soil moisture sensors for specific soils are needed. The laboratory experiment was conducted to evaluate the performance of factory-based calibrated soil moisture sensors. The performance of the soil moisture sensors was evaluated using Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE), Index of Agreement (IA), and Mean Bias Error (MBE). The result shows that the performance of the factory-based calibrated CS616 and EC5 did not meet all the statistical criteria except the CS616 sensor for sand. The correction equations are developed using the laboratory experiment. The validation of correction equations was evaluated in agricultural farmlands. Overall, the correction equations for CS616 and EC5 improved the accuracy in field conditions.
Plant Polyphenols-Biofortified Foods as a Novel Tool for the Prevention of Human Gut Diseases
Authors: Scarano Aurelia , Chieppa Marcello , Santino Angelo
Published: December 2020

Plant food biofortification is recently receiving remarkable attention, as it aims to increase the intake of minerals, vitamins, or antioxidants, crucial for their contribution to the general human health status and disease prevention. In this context, the study of the plant’s secondary metabolites, such as polyphenols, plays a pivotal role for the development of a new generation of plant crops, compensating, at least in part, the low nutritional quality of Western diets with a higher quality of dietary sources. Due to the prevalent immunomodulatory activity at the intestinal level, polyphenols represent a nutritionally relevant class of plant secondary metabolites. In this review, we focus on the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of different classes of polyphenols with a specific attention to their potential in the prevention of intestinal pathological processes. We also discuss the latest biotechnology strategies and new advances of genomic techniques as a helpful tool for polyphenols biofortification and the development of novel, healthy dietary alternatives that can contribute to the prevention of inflammatory bowel diseases.
Real-Time Webcam Heart-Rate and Variability Estimation with Clean Ground Truth for Evaluation
Authors: Gudi Amogh , Bittner Marian , van Gemert Jan
Published: December 2020

Remote photo-plethysmography (rPPG) uses a camera to estimate a person’s heart rate (HR). Similar to how heart rate can provide useful information about a person’s vital signs, insights about the underlying physio/psychological conditions can be obtained from heart rate variability (HRV). HRV is a measure of the fine fluctuations in the intervals between heart beats. However, this measure requires temporally locating heart beats with a high degree of precision. We introduce a refined and efficient real-time rPPG pipeline with novel filtering and motion suppression that not only estimates heart rates, but also extracts the pulse waveform to time heart beats and measure heart rate variability. This unsupervised method requires no rPPG specific training and is able to operate in real-time. We also introduce a new multi-modal video dataset, VicarPPG 2, specifically designed to evaluate rPPG algorithms on HR and HRV estimation. We validate and study our method under various conditions on a comprehensive range of public and self-recorded datasets, showing state-of-the-art results and providing useful insights into some unique aspects. Lastly, we make available CleanerPPG, a collection of human-verified ground truth peak/heart-beat annotations for existing rPPG datasets. These verified annotations should make future evaluations and benchmarking of rPPG algorithms more accurate, standardized and fair.
Double-Dielectric Microstrip Ultrahigh-Frequency Antenna for Digital Terrestrial Television
Authors: Navarro Antonio , Mostardinha Pedro , Varum Tiago , Matos Joao , Maslovski Stanislav
Published: December 2020

In many countries, terrestrial broadcasting is the main delivery medium for television. In this paper, we propose a small-volume practical receiving antenna. Our design consists of a linear array of three vertically placed patch antennas which increase antenna gain. The antenna has a double-dielectric substrate (FR4 + air) in order to increase efficiency and bandwidth. In this paper, we also discuss simulations and practical results, and demonstrate that the proposed double-dielectric microstrip antenna is a viable design choice for digital terrestrial TV (DTT) reception. The designed antenna reached a gain of 10.5 dBi at the desired central frequency of 754 MHz.
Study of Eco-Friendly Belite-Calcium Sulfoaluminate Cements Obtained from Special Wastes
Authors: Telesca Antonio , Matschei Thomas , Marroccoli Milena
Published: December 2020

Belite-calcium sulfoaluminate (BCSA) cements are special binders obtained from non-Portland clinkers; they have become increasingly more important due to their environmental impact during the manufacturing process compared to Portland cements, such as lower energy consumption and CO2 emissions. The aim of this paper was to assess the possible use of titanogypsum (T) and water potabilization sludge (W) to reduce the amount of natural raw materials (natural gypsum and clay, respectively) used in the production of BCSA cements. Three BCSA clinker generating raw mixes, containing T and/or W, and a reference mix based only on natural materials (limestone, clay, bauxite and natural gypsum) were heated in an electric furnace at temperatures ranging from 1200 to 1350 °C. Quantitative X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of the burnt products showed high conversion of reactants towards the main hydraulically active BCSA clinkers components (C2S and C4A3$), particularly at temperatures of 1300 and 1350 °C. Isothermal calorimetric measurements, differential thermal–thermogravimetric and XRD analyses as well as porosimetric measurements showed that all BCSA cements, from mixing the clinkers (at optimum temperatures) with commercial anhydrite, exhibited similar hydration behavior.
Availability Estimation of Air Compression and Nitrogen Generation Systems in LNG-FPSO Depending on Design Stages
Authors: Seo Youngkyun , Jung Jung-Yeul , Han Seongjong , Kang Kwangu
Published: December 2020

This study estimated availability of an air compression system and a nitrogen generation system in liquefied natural gas—floating production storage and offloading unit (LNG-FPSO) with different design stages to investigate the gap between the availability at the early design stage and that at the late design stage. Although availability estimation in the early design stage is more important than the late design stage, it is difficult to estimate the availability accurately in the early design stage. The design stage was divided into three depending on the design progress. Monte Carlo simulation technique was employed for the availability estimation. The results of the availability estimation showed that there was 0.434% difference between the early and late design stages. This meant that the availability in the early design stage was underestimated due to limited information. A sensitivity analysis was performed to investigate critical factors affecting the results. The investigated factors were failure rate, repair time, redundant equipment, and modified preventive maintenance schedule. The most critical factor was redundant equipment. It increased 0.486% availability.
Cognitive Manufacturing in Industry 4.0 toward Cognitive Load Reduction: A Conceptual Framework
Authors: Carvalho Adriana , Chouchene Amal , Lima Tânia , Charrua-Santos Fernando
Published: December 2020

Cognitive manufacturing utilizes cognitive computing, the industrial Internet of things (IoT), and advanced analytics to upgrade manufacturing processes in manners that were not previously conceivable. It enables associations to improve major business measurements, for example, productivity, product reliability, quality, and safety, while decreasing downtime and lowering costs. Considering all the facts that can prejudice the manufacturing performance in Industry 4.0, the cognitive load has received more attention, since it was previously neglected with respect to manufacturing industries. This paper aims to investigate what causes cognitive load reduction in manufacturing environments, i.e., human–computer interaction technologies that reduce the identified causes and the applications of cognitive manufacturing that use the referred technologies. Thus, a conceptual framework that links cognitive manufacturing to a reduction of the cognitive load was developed.
New Results on Start-Points for Multi-Valued Maps
Authors: Gaba Yaé Ulrich , Karapınar Erdal , Petruşel Adrian , Radenović Stojan
Published: December 2020

In this manuscript we investigate the existence of start-points for the generalized weakly contractive multi-valued mappings in the setting of left K-complete quasi-pseudo metric space. We provide an example to support the given result.
What Is Temperature? Modern Outlook on the Concept of Temperature
Authors: Bormashenko Edward
Published: December 2020

The meaning and evolution of the notion of “temperature” (which is a key concept for the condensed and gaseous matter theories) are addressed from different points of view. The concept of temperature has turned out to be much more fundamental than conventionally thought. In particular, the temperature may be introduced for systems built of a “small” number of particles and particles at rest. The Kelvin temperature scale may be introduced into quantum and relativistic physics due to the fact that the efficiency of the quantum and relativistic Carnot cycles coincides with that of the classical one. The relation of temperature with the metrics of the configurational space describing the behavior of systems built from non-interacting particles is demonstrated. The role of temperature in constituting inertia and gravity forces treated as entropy forces is addressed. The Landauer principle asserts that the temperature of a system is the only physical value defining the energy cost of the isothermal erasure of a single bit of information. The fundamental role of the temperature of the cosmic microwave background in modern cosmology is discussed. The range of problems and controversies related to the negative absolute temperature is treated.
Electromyography Pattern Likelihood Analysis for Flexion-Relaxation Phenomenon Evaluation
Authors: Paoletti Michele , Belli Alberto , Palma Lorenzo , Pierleoni Paola
Published: December 2020

The myoelectric activity of the back muscles can be studied to evaluate the flexion-relaxation phenomenon and find differences between electromyography patterns on different subjects. In this paper, we propose an algorithm able to provide a myoelectric silence evaluation based on the data acquired from a wireless body sensor network consisting of surface electromyography sensors in association with a wearable inertial measurement unit. From the study group was chosen a gold standard subject, a healthy control with the best regular patterns, as a reference to find a first validity range. Through the subsequent iterations, the range was modified to include the other healthy subjects who showed muscle relaxation according to the previous ranges. Through this likelihood analysis, we want to compare patterns on different channels, identified by the electromyography root mean squared values, to study and find with iterations a validity range for the myoelectric activity silence identification and classification. The proposed algorithm was tested by processing the data collected in an acquisition campaign conducted to evaluate the flexion-relaxation phenomenon on the back muscles of subjects with and without lower back pain. The results show that the submitted method is significant for the clinical assessment of electromyography activity patterns to evaluate which are the subjects that have patterns near or far from the gold standard. This analysis is useful both for prevention and for assessing the progress of subjects with low back pain undergoing physiotherapy.
Modeling and Recipe Optimization of Anti-Glare Process Using Sandblasting for Electronic Display Glass
Authors: Min Chul Hong , Kang Yoon Sung , Kim Tae Seon
Published: December 2020

Recently, anti-glare (AG) surface treatment technology has been considered as a standard process to enhance the visibility of electronic display devices. For AG, the hydrofluoric acid (HF)-based chemical etch method is the most common approach for the current display glass industry. However, in order to overcome the environmental and durability degradation problems of the HF-based chemical etch method, this paper proposes an eco-friendly physical surface treatment technology using the sandblasting method. Based on the preliminary analysis results using the central composite design (CCD) method-based response surface modeling methodology (RSM), additional experiments and analyses were performed for process modeling and optimal process recipe generation. To characterize the sandblasting process, the mean value of haze was considered as the process output, and the pressure of the nozzle, the distance of the nozzle from the surface of glass, the glass feed rate, and the grit size of the abrasives were considered as process inputs. Based on the process model using the statistical response surface regression method and machine learning-based approaches, the proposed method can generate optimized process recipes for various haze targets of 10%, 20%, and 30%, with an average haze difference of 0.84%, 0.02%, and 0.86%, and maximum deviations of 1.26%, 1.14%, and 1.4%, respectively. Through the successful completion of this work, it is expected that the proposed surface treatment method can be applied to various products including mobile phones, tablet PCs, and windshields of vehicles.
A Comparative Study on Power Flow Methods for Direct-Current Networks Considering Processing Time and Numerical Convergence Errors
Authors: Grisales-Noreña Luis Fernando , Montoya Oscar Danilo , Gil-González Walter Julian , Perea-Moreno Alberto-Jesus , Perea-Moreno Miguel-Angel
Published: December 2020

This study analyzes the numerical convergence and processing time required by several classical and new solution methods proposed in the literature to solve the power-flow problem (PF) in direct-current (DC) networks considering radial and mesh topologies. Three classical numerical methods were studied: Gauss–Jacobi, Gauss–Seidel, and Newton–Raphson. In addition, two unconventional methods were selected. They are iterative and allow solving the DC PF in radial and mesh configurations. The first method uses a Taylor series expansion and a set of decoupling equations to linearize around the desired operating point. The second method manipulates the set of non-linear equations of the DC PF to transform it into a conventional fixed-point form. Moreover, this method is used to develop a successive approximation methodology. For the particular case of radial topology, three methods based on triangular matrix formulation, graph theory, and scanning algorithms were analyzed. The main objective of this study was to identify the methods with the best performance in terms of quality of solution (i.e., numerical convergence) and processing time to solve the DC power flow in mesh and radial distribution networks. We aimed at offering to the reader a set of PF methodologies to analyze electrical DC grids. The PF performance of the analyzed solution methods was evaluated through six test feeders; all of them were employed in prior studies for the same application. The simulation results show the adequate performance of the power-flow methods reviewed in this study, and they permit the selection of the best solution method for radial and mesh structures.
Estimation of Forest Disturbance from Retrospective Observations in a Broad-Scale Inventory
Authors: Coulston John W. , Edgar Christopher B. , Westfall James A. , Taylor Marcus E.
Published: December 2020

Understanding the extent and timing of forest disturbances and their impacts is critical to formulating effective management and policy responses. Broad-scale inventory programs provide key estimates of forest parameters that indicate the extent and severity of disturbance impacts. Here, we review the use of a post-stratified estimator in a panelized design, in the context of disturbance observations that are collected retrospectively. We further develop a sample weight adjustment that is requisite for proper estimation of the extent and timing of disturbances. Using populations from areas of Arkansas, California, and Maine in the US, the weight adjustment technique was tested in a Monte Carlo simulation. We found that the estimated area of disturbance using the weight adjustment technique had satisfactory agreement with the true population values and performed considerably better than the conventional post-stratified estimation approach. The proliferation of panelized forest inventory designs globally suggests that accurate estimates of areal extent and timing of disturbances will often require that weighting adjustment techniques be employed in the estimation process.
Sustainable Literary Competence: Connecting Literature Education to Education for Sustainability
Authors: Myren-Svelstad Per Esben
Published: December 2020

Ecocritical scholarship has always had pedagogical ambitions. It is commonly assumed that education based on ecocritical readings of literature will change the attitudes and actions of pupils and students and thus contribute to forming environmentally aware and sustainable citizens. However, this article proposes an alternative view on the interaction between sustainability and literature education. Based on a critical discussion of “ecocritical orthodoxy,” this meta-theoretical study uses affect theory in conjunction with Rita Felski’s proposal for postcritical reading to argue that literature education needs to take the polysemy of literary texts and the unpredictability of readers’ encounters with such texts into account. By linking this to a specified set of sustainability competences and a dialogic concept of literary competence, the aim of the main discussion is to highlight the many potentially fertile overlaps between literature education and the competences needed in a sustainable citizen. Here, Timothy Clark’s thoughts on the Anthropocene as threshold concept, and Timothy Clark’s views on irony are important parts of the theoretical framework. Moreover, such a framework for sustainable literary competence could help to argue for the value of literature education and genuine literary competence.
Infective Endocarditis Caused by Pseudomonas stutzeri: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Alwazzeh Marwan J. , Alkuwaiti Feras A. , Alqasim Moammer , Alwarthan Sarah , El-ghoneimy Yasser
Published: December 2020

Pseudomonas bacteria are widespread pathogens that account for considerable infections with significant morbidity and mortality, especially in hospitalized patients. The Pseudomonas genus contains a large number of species; however, the majority of infections are caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, infections by other Pseudomonas species are less reported. Pseudomonas stutzeri is a ubiquitous Gram-negative bacterium that has been reported as a causative agent of some infections, particularly in immunocompromised patients but has rarely been reported as a cause of infective endocarditis. Here, we report a case of a 55-year-old female with no significant medical history who presented with exertional dyspnea, productive cough, and fever. She was diagnosed as a case of acute anterior ST myocardial infarction, underwent double valve replacement surgery, and was found to have infective endocarditis caused by Pseudomonas stutzeri.
Cold Water Swimming—Benefits and Risks: A Narrative Review
Authors: Knechtle Beat , Waśkiewicz Zbigniew , Sousa Caio Victor , Hill Lee , Nikolaidis Pantelis T.
Published: December 2020

Cold water swimming (winter or ice swimming) has a long tradition in northern countries. Until a few years ago, ice swimming was practiced by very few extreme athletes. For some years now, ice swimming has been held as competitions in ice-cold water (colder than 5 °C). The aim of this overview is to present the current status of benefits and risks for swimming in cold water. When cold water swimming is practiced by experienced people with good health in a regular, graded and adjusted mode, it appears to bring health benefits. However, there is a risk of death in unfamiliar people, either due to the initial neurogenic cold shock response or due to a progressive decrease in swimming efficiency or hypothermia.
Sensation Seeking and Gambling Behavior in Adolescence: Can Externalizing Problems Moderate this Relationship?
Authors: Tani Franca , Ponti Lucia , Ghinassi Simon
Published: December 2020

Gambling is a widespread phenomenon during adolescence. Among different risk factors involved in the onset of adolescent gambling behaviors, one factor that is studied is the sensation seeking personality trait. However, the literature is heterogeneous and a direct relationship between sensation seeking and gaming behaviors has not always been highlighted. This suggests that the relationship can be influenced by other factors. In particular, we explored the moderating role of externalizing problems in this relationship. A total of 363 adolescents (232 males and 131 females) aged 14 to 20 (M = 16.35, SD = 1.36) completed a battery of questionnaires aimed to assess their gambling behaviors, as well as the levels of externalizing problems and sensation seeking. The results showed that sensation seeking was associated with gambling severity, but this relationship was significant when externalizing problems were high and medium. On the contrary, when externalizing problems were low, the relationship between sensation seeking and gambling severity was not significant. Overall, sensation seeking in adolescence can favor the implementation of risk behaviors, such as gambling, but only in association with the presence of externalizing problems. Limitations, strengths, and social and clinical implications of the present study are discussed.
Influence of Connection Type and Platform Diameter on Titanium Dental Implants Fatigue: Non-Axial Loading Cyclic Test Analysis
Authors: Nicolas-Silvente Ana I. , Velasco-Ortega Eugenio , Ortiz-Garcia Ivan , Jimenez-Guerra Alvaro , Monsalve-Guil Loreto , Ayuso-Montero Raul , Gil Javier , Lopez-Lopez Jose
Published: December 2020

Two-pieces dental implants must provide stability of the implant-abutment-interface. The connection type and platform diameter could influence the biomechanical resistance and stress distribution. This study aims to evaluate the fatigue for different types of connections, external and internal, and different platform diameters. Three implant designs with the same length were used: (a) external hexagon/narrow platform; (b) internal double hexagon/narrow platform; (c) internal octagon/regular platform. A fatigue test was developed to establish the number of cycles needed before fracture. A 30º oblique load with a sinusoidal function of fatigue at a frequency of 15 Hz and 10% stress variation was applied to each system. The fatigue load limit (FLL) for design (a) was 190 N, being the nominal-curvature-moment (NCM) = 1.045; FLL = 150 N, with a NCM = 0.825 for (b), and FLL = 325 N, with a NCM = 1.788 for (c). The platform diameter affects the FLL, obtaining lower FLL on a narrow platform. The connection type interferes with the implant walls’ width, especially in narrow implants, making internal connections more unstable at this level. Long-term clinical studies to assess the restoration’s success rate and survival are mandatory.
Body Composition in Women after Radical Mastectomy
Authors: Wilczyński Jacek , Sobolewski Piotr , Zieliński Rafał , Kabała Magdalena
Published: December 2020

The aim of the study was to analyse the body composition among women after radical mastectomy. The body compositions of 30 women after radical mastectomy (study group) were compared with those of 30 healthy females (control group). The method of electrical bioimpedance was used to analyse body composition. The significant differences between the groups, unfavourable for women, following mastectomy concerned body mass (p = 0.021), BMI (p = 0.049), fat mass (%) (p = 0.007), fat mass (kg) (p = 0.005), total body water (%) (p = 0.002), left upper limb fat mass (p = 0.013) as well as right upper limb fat mass (p = 0.022). The body composition of women after radical mastectomy was significantly worse compared to the control group. The majority of subjects were overweight and had high levels of body fat. Abnormal body composition is a modifiable risk factor of breast cancer; therefore, improving lifestyle is important in the prevention and treatment of this disease. There is a need for education, dietary supervision and physical activity in women following radical mastectomy. The innovation of our study was the use of the modern bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) method, which does not cause ionisation and is a gold standard in the field of body composition analysis. In future research, we plan to broaden the assessment of lifestyle and the significance of diet and physical activity in the prevention and treatment of breast cancer.
The Recalled Age of Initiation of Multiple Tobacco Products among 26–34 Year Olds: Findings from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study Wave 1 (2013–2014)
Authors: Pérez Adriana , Penedo Elena , Bluestein Meagan A. , Chen Baojiang , Perry Cheryl L. , Harrell Melissa B.
Published: December 2020

This study examined the recalled age of initiation of seven different tobacco products (TPs) and explored potential influences of sex, race/ethnicity, and cigarette-smoking status on tobacco use initiation among adults 26–34 years old using the PATH study. Methods: Secondary analyses were conducted in the adult restricted PATH wave 1 (2013–2014) dataset. Weighted statistics are reported using the balanced repeated replication method and Fay’s correction to account for PATH’s complex study design. Distributions and histograms of the recalled age of initiation of seven different TPs (cigarettes, cigarillos, traditional cigars, filtered cigars, hookah, smokeless tobacco, and e-cigarettes) are reported, as well as the impact of sex and race/ethnicity using Cox proportional hazard models. The impact of cigarette-smoking status on the recalled age of initiation of each tobacco product other than cigarettes was explored. Results: The highest modes of the recalled age of initiation of cigarette use were at 14–15 and 15–16 years old. The distributions of the recalled age of initiation of cigarillos, traditional cigars, filtered cigars, hookah, and smokeless tobacco occurred later, with the highest modes at 15–16 and 17–18 years old. The distribution of the recalled age of initiation of e-cigarettes had a different shape than the other TPs, with the highest mode reported at 27–28 years old. Conclusion: Due to the ever-changing tobacco marketplace, understanding when contemporary adults aged 26–34 years recall initiating TP use is important and will inform prevention researchers.
Assessing the Impact of Lockdown on Atmospheric Ozone Pollution Amid the First Half of 2020 in Shenyang, China
Authors: Wang Liyuan , Wang Ju , Fang Chunsheng
Published: December 2020

During the eruption of COVID-19, a citywide lockdown was executed from 26 January to 23 March 2020, in Shenyang, in which the ozone pollution has recorded significant variations. This paper mainly anatomized the comprehensive characteristics and evolution trends of ozone pollution based on the lockdown period in the first half of 2020. Using the Hybrid Single Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model and cluster analysis method to establish backward trajectories and channels, the spatial transport process of ozone in the preset period and the causation of typical ozone pollution events were investigated in depth. The results demonstrated that: The ozone concentration pollution in the first half of 2020 was increased than last year. During the lockdown period, the basic pollutants levels were lower than that in pre-lockdown under different proportions, except O3 maximum 8-h moving average (MDA8) was increased by 69.7%, accompanied by the delay of daily peak value, increased pollution days and longer pollution cycle. The typical pollution events were highly consistent with the evolution path of fine aerosol compelled by extreme weather. The ozone concentration and the atmospheric oxidation capacity can be stably maintained at a low level when NO2 concentration remained at 50–70 μg/m3, no matter how much the AQI was. Meanwhile, ozone concentration in the downwind suburban was as low as the central city and soared in few stations amid post-lockdown, simultaneous the correlation between ozone and other pollutants converted from negative to positive. The trajectory indicated that the pollution sources during the lockdown and pre-lockdown were basically Southern Russia, Inner Mongolia, and the three provinces of Northeast China, the pollution from the Bohai Sea provoked ozone pollutants in Shenyang to rebound briskly amid post-lockdown, the pollution of neighboring countries and areas would have a stronger impact on air quality under the effect of lockdown.
Gender Diversity and Work–Life Conflict in Changing Times
Authors: Lu Luo , Kao Shu-Fang , Chang Ting-Ting , Cooper Cary L.
Published: December 2020

The aim of the study is to contribute to the “well-being, diversity, equity, and inclusion” dialogue of the post-pandemic era. Specifically, we explored the joint effects of biological sex and gender diversity in self-identity on the role demands—work and family conflict relationships. To advance the inclusion of scientific knowledge, the present study was conducted in the cultural context of a Chinese society. We surveyed a sample of 317 Taiwanese employees. We used structured questionnaires to collect data on biological sex, gender identity (self-endorsement on masculinity and femininity traits), work and family demands, work-to-family conflict (WFC), and family-to-work conflict (FWC). We found two sets of significant three-way interactions (sex × femininity × role demands) in predicting work and family conflict. First, for men, identifying with high femininity traits strengthened the positive relationship between work demands and FWC; for women, identifying with low femininity traits strengthened the same relationship. Second, for men, identifying with high femininity traits strengthened the relationship between family demands and WFC; for women, identifying with low femininity traits strengthened the same relationship. Our findings highlight the importance of jointly examining the biological, psychological, and social aspects of gender on the work and family interface. Contextualizing in an Eastern cultural tradition, we put the spotlight on societal pressure on people of nontraditional gender identities.