bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Penerapan Model Arias pada Pembelajaran Kooperatif Tipe Think-Pair-Share (TPS) dalam Meningkatkan Motivasi Belajar dan Hasil Belajar Siswa Kelas VIII MTs Al­Amin Pakis
Authors: Kusmawati Wiwik , Lestari Purwaning Budi
Published: October 2019

This study aims to: (1) increase the motivation of class VIII student of MTs Al-Amin Pakis on the subject of growth and development, using the learning model of ARIAS at strategic cooperative learning Think-Pair-Share (TPS), (2) increase the yield class VIII student of MTs Al-Amin Pakis on the subject of growth and development, using ARIAS model study on cooperative learning strategies ThinkPair-Share (TPS). In this research is classroom action research (PTK/Classroom Action Research) by using a qualitative approach. The data analysis technique used to examine all the data that have been collected for researchers carrying out the practice of applying the learning model of ARIAS at learning strategies in the classroom TPS VIII through science lessons about growth and development in MTs Al-Amin Ferns. Data derived from the results of observations, interviews, tests and other data. Data analysis was performed through three steps: data reduction, a data display (presentation of data), conclusion drawing/verifcation (conclusion). Based on the analysis it can be concluded that: (1) the use of the learning model ARIAS on cooperative learning strategies Think-Pair-Share, can increase learning motivation eighth grade students of MTs Al-Amin Ferns in the subject of growth and development, (2) use ARIAS learning model on cooperative learning strategies Think-Pair-Share, can improve learning outcomes eighth grade students of MTs Al-Amin Ferns in the subject of growth and development.
Speech Acts in Musical Movie “The Sound of Music”
Authors: Hadiwijaya Munawwir
Published: October 2019

Dalam mengekspresikan gagasan, seseorang tidak hanya menghasilkan ujaran semata, melainkan juga melakukan sebuah tindakan melalui ujaran-ujaran yang dihasilkan tersebut, fenomena ini lazim disebut tindak tutur. Di sisi lain, flm adalah potret nyata dari kehidupan sehari-hari yang tertuang dalam bingkai cerita yang divisualkan. Dari sebuah flm penonton dapat memperoleh hiburan sekaligus nilai-nilai yang bisa diaplikasikan ke dalam hidup mereka. Objek dari penelitian ini adalah bahasa yang digunakan oleh tokoh utama flm “The Sounds of Music”. Film ini berjenre musikal, para tokoh dalam flm ini mengkomunikasikan gagasan dan pemikiran mereka melalui lirik-lirik lagu, dan hal inilah yang membuat flm ini menarik untuk diteliti. Bagaimana tindak tutur yang dihasilkan oleh para tokoh utama flm ini dalam komunikasi mereka dan tindak perlokusi yang mungkin akan muncul adalah fokus dari penelitian ini. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode diskriptif kualitatif dan menggunakan kerangka berpikir teori tindak tutur yang digagas oleh Austin untuk menganalisa data. Berdasarkan temuan-temuan dalam penelitian ini, dapat disimpulkan bahwa: Dari lima jenis ujaran tindak ilokusi, terdapat hanya empat jenis tindak ilokusi yang digunakan oleh para tokoh utama di dalam flm. Detail dari temuan ini adalah sebagai berikut: terdapat empat data yang termasuk kasus direktif yang kesemuanya dalam bentuk ujaran perintah yang memiliki tindak perlikusi menjalankan perintah; tiga kasus ujaran komisif dalam bentuk expresi penolakan, yang memunculkan tindak perlokusi pihak yang tertolak akan membatalkan tindakan yang ia lakukan; empat kasus representatif dalam bentuk pernyataan dan penggambaran; dan yang terakhir dua kasus ekspresif dalam bentuk memberi selamat yang memunculkan rasa nyaman sebagai tindak perlokusinya.
Penggunaan Media Kartu Bergambar Sebagai Upaya Meningkatkan Minat Baca Anak Usia Dini di Pos Paud Mutiara Bundaku Malang
Authors: Sari Loesita , Pujiharti Yulita , Kuscahyani Naniek
Published: October 2019

The purpose of this study is to determine the use of the media card image as an effort to increase students’s Interest in reading Pos Paud Mutiara Bundaku Malang. This study used a comparative approach with research and development and statistic analysis. The Subject involved the students of Pos Paud Mutiara Bundaku Malang which consisted of 13 students. The Sources of data were documents containing result of pretest and postest methods, interviews and obsevation. Based on the research analysis, it was found that the children’s interst in reading media picture card increased to be 7.68 better than before at the score of 69.23.
Pengembangan Media Cergam Untuk Meningkatkan Minat Belajar Matematika Pada Siswa Sekolah Dasar di Daerah Tertinggal
Authors: Kusumaningtyas Nopem , Listianingsih Welas
Published: October 2019

Nowadays, the research on the production of mathematic learning media on the basis of technology is in progress. The purpose of the study is to produce the story media with pictures to improve the students’ interest of learning mathematics. The model used was a procedural model development. Of the data collection based on the questionaires from the proper aspects of contents, language, presentation, and display, it indicated the good average score of 3.61 on Likert scale. In addition, based on the result of survey and experiment towards 20 students as sample at SDN Klampok III Singosari, the condition of the media of learning mathematics (CERGAM) can increase the students interest of reading and learning mathematics with score of 3.63 on the Likert scale from the criteria involving aspects of beneft, presentation, and display.
STUDENTS’ PERCEPTION TOWARD ROLE PLAY ACTIVITY IN THE ESP CLASS ROOM
Authors: Astuti Endang Setiyo
Published: October 2019

Pembelajaran bahasa Inggris yang dikhususkan dalam konteksbidang tertentu dikenal dengan ESP (BahasaInggrisuntuktujuankhusus). Tujuannya adalah untuk mengembangkan potensi linguistic mahasiswa yang membutuhkan pengetahuan bahasa di bidangnya.Sejalan dengan tujuannya, pembelajaran ESP dilakukan dengan mengajarkan keterampilan berbahasa, salah satunya adalah keterampilan berbicara. Penelitian inidilakukan di sebuah Akademi Kebidanan di Malang, yang melaksanakan program ESP bagi mahasiswanya. Dalam proses pembelajarannya, salah satu instruktur menerapkans trategi roleplay karena melihat bahwa strategi ini dapat memotivas imahasiswa untuk aktif berbicara bahasaInggris. Maka, tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mendeskripsikan bagaimana kegiatan roleplay dilakukan di kelas ESP dan apa persepsi mahasiswa terhadap kegiatan roleplay. Penelitian ini menggunakan metodedeskriptifkualitatif yang menggunakan angket, interview, dan observasi sebagai instrument untuk mengumpulkan data. Hasilnya menunjukkan bahwa mahasiswa memiliki persepsi yang positif terhadap kegiatan dalam roleplay karena mereka berkesempatan untuk berlatih berbicara bahasa Inggrisdengan mengalam isituasi yang seolah-olah nyata di dunia kerja sehingga meningkatkan percaya diri mereka.Kegiatan dalam roleplay juga dapat meningkatkan interaksi di antara mahasiswa.
STRATEGI KOMUNIKASI VOLUNTARY COUNSELING TEST (VCT) TERHADAP PENDERITA HIV/AIDS (ODHA) DI MALANG
Authors: Novariyanto Rizki Agung
Published: October 2019

HIV / AIDS is still one of the dreaded disease by a large part of society, because they still consider HIV / AIDS as a deadly disease , there is no cure and the disease is a curse . This is caused due to an incorrect myths about HIV / AIDS . Due to the myth , making people living with HIV / AIDS (PLWHA ) are stigmatized and discrimination . Stigma and discrimination are two things that are often experienced by people living with HIV . Because of the stigma and discrimination that people living with HIV be afraid , afraid to open up for fear of being shut excluded so that people living with HIV and people living with HIV closure that makes HIV / AIDS is difficult to detect its spread . To overcome these problems, one of which is through Voluntary Counseling Test ( VCT ) . VCT counseling is an activity that provides psychological support , information and knowledge of HIV / AIDS , prevent the transmission of HIV, promote responsible behavior change , treatment and ensure solving various problems associated with HIV / VCT AIDS.Ada in two stages , namely the stage of Pre- Test and Post- Tests . In the Pre- test counseling is done stage by providing information about HIV / AIDS , prevention , transmission and window period. Pre- test counseling provides knowledge about the benefits of HIV testing , testing for decision making, and planning for issues facing HIV . After HIV Testing and Counseling Pre PLWHA PLWHA undergo the HIV test will undergo stages of post counseling where PLHIV will be conditioned to accept the results of the HIV test , get information about what to do if the results of his HIV test is positive or negative , andmost importantly so that people living with HIV do not become stress , depression and despair. VCT is run by counselors who are trained and experienced in this study bidangnya.Pada researchers conducted a study using qualitative methods to the three counselors that have been set using purposive sampling method and data captured through interviews and counseling in VCT observasi.Ketika Pre Test and post- test , the counselor needs a communications strategy that will be used to affect people living with HIV in order to receive the message delivered by the counselor and the main thing is to change the behavior of people living with HIV. Based on the results of research conducted by the researchers of the communication strategy VCT Pre Test and Post- Test in Dr. Saiful Anwar Hospital Malang against people living with HIV , it was found that the result is a persuasive communication strategies used by counselors when doing koneling to PLWHA HIV Testing Pre and Communication , Information andEducation (CIE ) is a communication strategy that is used by counselors when counseling Post- test counseling is done by the counselor was tailored to what the existing problems in people living with HIV with the ultimate goal , namely a change in the behavior of people living with HIV.
PENGEMBANGAN MEDIA DIGITAL SITUS CANDI JAGO DALAM MENINGKATKAN HASIL BELAJAR MAHASISWA SEJARAH IKIP BUDI UTOMO MALANG
Authors: Bashofi Ferdinan , Widianto Suheri
Published: October 2019

The purpose of this research is to design the learning media of Indonesian cultural history, and to describe the effect of media usage on student learning outcomes. This research is a development research using Sugiyono model, while tehadap learning result using pseudo experiment to know effectiveness to result learn. The findings in the field show there are 4 relics of the temple building from the Hindu-Buddhist era and which is used as a model is Jago temple. The result of validity test of learning media is expressed well by validator with obtained validation result: 75,5% from media expert which mean included in criterion good enough, while from material expert equal to 80% good category. Result of data of questionnaires validation of practitioner 1 validation toward learning media obtained percentage 85%. Learning media developed after tested try to get good response from students with percentage of 81% with good category. Learning media developed effectively because after tested, and obtained the results: (1) the average learning outcomes in the form of absorption of material comprehension, the number of students who complete learning as much as 28 of 29 students with students’ learning completeness classically is 96.5% average value 84.48, (2) students’ experimental class learning outcomes are better than control class, (3) there is statistically significant difference or significant use of digital learning media of jago temple site to increase student learning outcomes.
Survei Minat dan Motivasi Mahasiswa Terhadap Ekstrakurikuler Futsal
Authors: Sulikan Sulikan
Published: October 2019

Interest from someone is influenced by many factors, namely internally and externally. Motivation is one of the thing which is coming from inside. The goal of the research is to know how far the university students’ interest and motivation are in joining with extracurricular of futsal. The study was done through survey with two free variables, interest and motivation, while the instrument used to collect data were questionaires and documentation. Based on the analysis, it was found that the students’ responses ‘strongly agree’ in terms of their interest are 44.34%, ‘agree’ 35.97%, while the rest as their responses ‘disagree’ and ‘strongly disagree’ 16.74% and 2.94% respectively. Moreover, the students’ responses ‘strongly agree’ in terms of their motivation are 46.66%, ‘agree’ 35.53%, while the rest as their responses ‘disagree’ and ‘strongly disagree’ 14.79% and 3.01% respectively. Of the result, it can be concluded that the university students had high category of both interst and motivation. Therefore, it was suggested that they could defend their godd interest and motivation.
Identifikasi Gaya Belajar Mahasiswa Pendidikan Jasmani Kesehatan dan Rekreasi (PJKR) IKIP Budi Utomo Malang
Authors: Habibi Ahmad Ilham , Hartati Tri Asih Wahyu , Lestari Purwaning Budi
Published: October 2019

Lecturers must know and understand the characteristics and learning styles of their students so that their interactions can take place well in the learning and teaching process. However, in reality in the field most of the Lecturers are Educational Study Programs Physical Health and Recreation (PJKR) does not yet know and understand student learning styles optimally. Therefore this study aims to determine the tendency of PJKR student learning styles at IKIP Budi Utomo Malang. This research is a qualitative descriptive study.The instruments of this study were student learning style questionnaires, interview guidelines for lecturers and interview guidelines for students. The results showed that the most dominant PJKR student learning style was the visual learning style with a total of 98 students (63.23%). The next dominant student learning style is the kinesthetic learning style with a total of 23 students (14.84%).The conclusion of this study is that most PJKR students have a visual learning style and some others have kinesthetic learning styles.
Ecological Valence of Some Irises Species of the Western Part of Azerbaijan
Authors: Askerova L.
Published: October 2019

The environmental factors of the places of natural growth of 4 species of rhizome irises were evaluated. The method of amplitude scales of D. Tsyganov was used, the coefficient of environmental efficiency for each factor was calculated, and the index of tolerance was determined by the method of L. Zhukova. According to climatic scales: 3 species of irises are stenobionts, and 1 species (Iris acutiloba C. A. Mey.) is hemistenobiont. According to soil scales: 2 species (Iris carthaliniae Fomin, I. paradoxa Steven) — stenobionts, 2 species (Iris imbricata Lindl., I. acutiloba C. A. Mey.) — hemistenobionts. On a scale of illumination: 3 species — mesobionts, 1 species (Iris imbricata Lindl.) — hemieurybiont. As a result of the work, it was revealed that most species belong to the stenovalent fraction.
The Growth Rate of Apple Bitter Rot Lesion, Caused by Colletotrichum spp., is Affected by Temperature, Fungal Species, and Cultivar
Authors: Nita Mizuho , Atwal Aman , Bly Amanda , Lewallen Kara
Published: October 2019

The growth and symptom development of two fungal species, Colletotrichum siamense, and C. fioriniae were examined using in vitro and in planta assays. In a plate assay, C. siamense grew fastest at 30 °C and at 25 °C, but C. fioriniae grew slower at 30 °C than at 25 °C. With apple inoculation assay, the mean lesion diameters at 30 °C were significantly larger (P ≤ 0.05) than that at 20 °C on a cultivar Ida Red for both fungal species. On the other hand, the mean lesion diameter on a cultivar Golden Delicious was significantly larger at 20 °C than at 30 °C for both fungal species. Therefore, the rate of lesion development was influenced not only by fungal species and incubation temperature but also by apple cultivar. In this study, cultivar ‘Ida red’ was found to be more susceptible to C. siamense under warm environmental condition. Although both species were able to grow at 10 °C in the plate assay, no disease symptoms were developed at 10 °C with the inoculation assay. Although the numbers of cultivar and fungal species are small, to our knowledge, this is the first report to describe potential interactive effect among Colletotrichum species, temperature, and apple cultivar on the rate of bitter rot symptom development.
First Report of Candidatus Phytoplasma prunorum, The European Stone Fruit Yellows Phytoplasma on Peach Trees on the Territory of Canton of Geneva, Switzerland
Authors: Etropolska Aneliya , Lefort François
Published: October 2019

In recent years, ‘Ca. P. prunorum’, the agent of ESFY was reported from several apricot orchards of Canton of Wallis, the main apricot production region in Switzerland (Genini and Ramel, 2004). The psyllid vector Cacopsylla pruni was also found in several locations in the Lake Geneva area (Ackermann et al., 2006). The presence of the disease and of its proven vector C. pruni at the eastern part of the Lake Geneva area, as well as the existing risk of dissemination of ESFY to other stone fruit orchards along the Lake Geneva are the reasons for which ESFY needs to be studied further. ESFY and its possible dissemination through C. pruni on the territory of Canton of Geneva, bordering France, has never been yet studied. In 2016, visual observations were conducted in several stone fruit orchards near Geneva. Plant material was obtained from peach trees, displaying some of the typical symptoms such premature leaf colouration, leaf-roll, tree decline (Sabaté et al., 2015), in the autumn, when the concentration of the phytoplasma in the upper parts of the trees is the highest. Phloem was prepared from branches and was extracted with a CTAB-based adapted protocol (Lefort and Douglas, 1999). PCR amplification of phytoplasma DNA was achieved with the universal primers: fP1/rP7 (Deng and Hiruki, 1991; Schneider et al., 1995). All positive samples were tested with the ESFY-specific non-ribosomal primers ECA1/ECA2 (Jarausch et al., 1998). Typical symptoms of ESFY, like premature leaf colouration, leaf yellowing with reddish edges,  leaf-roll, severe chlorosis, die-back of top branches and partial or, complete decline of the trees (Figure 1) were found in a peach orchard (GPS coordinates: 46°15'17.4"N 6°12'40.7"E) located in the area of Collonge-Bellerive, close to Geneva city. Ten trees were sampled in this orchard. The presence of ‘Ca. P. prunorum’ was confirmed in two of them (Figure 2 and Figure 3). At the beginning of spring 2017, the monitoring of the ESFY symptoms in the infested orchard was resumed. Early bud break was found on the two infected trees and the infection was confirmed again by PCR (Figure 4 and Figure 5). The same symptoms were observed in many trees of this orchard, which correlated with the previous autumn observations. Trapping confirmed the presence of the insect vector Cacopsylla pruni (Bodnár et al., 2018) in the infected area. In order to understand more about the origin and the diversity of ESFY phytoplasma in this area, additional plant and insect samples will be analyzed. The correlation between symptoms and infected plants will be studied further. We report here for the first time on the occurrence of ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma prunorum’ (‘Ca. P. prunorum’) the agent of ESFY on the territory of Canton of Geneva.
Sexism, Class and Violence
Authors: Lindisfarne Nancy , Neale Jonathan
Published: October 2019

Without a theory of gender – of what it is and what it does in the world -we cannot explain why sexual imagery, notions of masculinity and femininity, sexual experiences and gendered relations differ in different times and places, and how and why such differences come about. We know that in class societies, elites use racism and other ideologies to divide us and make inequality seem natural. Here we suggest that gendered inequality and sexism - that is, systematic patterns of inequality between women and men in any particular setting - is found everywhere in class societies because it does this job particularly well. Our argument is radical. We argue that systematic gendered inequality is so effective in naturalizing inequality because it is always doubled-sided: one side is love, the other is imbued with gendered violence. Love and kindness are aspects of all our closest human relationships – with our parents, our children, our friends and our lovers, straight or gay. But at the same time. Our close relationships are riven with gendered differences and inequality. So love locks us in, and sexism hurts and angers us. Our theoretical argument starts from the top, from class privilege and the systematic gendered inequality found in all class societies and the inevitable resistance these provoke. Our focus, however, is on neoliberalism as a laboratory for exploring how the rich and powerful combine the use of violence with reconfigurations of ideologies of gender to respond to changes in their material circumstances to protect their economic interests and class dominance.
Neoliberal Burdens for Women in Academy: ‘How Dare We Not Work’
Authors: Şimşek Burcu
Published: October 2019

In this article, I discuss the potential of digital storytelling as a site where feminist scholars in academia can get together to reflect upon their concerns about neoliberal burdens in academia. I rely on the recent literature about the feminist interventions in higher education in addition to giving an account of the grass-roots digital storytelling movement around the world and its feminism oriented journey in Turkey. Focusing on the digital stories told at the pre-conference digital storytelling workshop in EMU (Eastern Mediterranean University) immediately before the 5th International Conference on Gender Studies in March 2015, the aim of that digital storytelling workshop was not only to facilitate the creation of digital stories told by feminist academics but also to carry these digital stories into the program of the conference in a special session that hosted both the screening of these digital stories and an open discussion about our neoliberal concerns in academia and everyday life. This article also provides an account of the main discussions and attempts to suggest the digital storytelling workshop as a tool for broadening the interactions between academic and activist feminisms.
Çatışma Bölgelerindeki Kadınlar: Kıbrıslı Kadınlarla Yapılan Röportajlar Serisi
Authors: Karahasan Hakan
Published: October 2019

Anna Prodromou (2019). Women in Conflict Zones: A Collection of Interviews of Cypriot Women (Çatışma Bölgelerindeki Kadınlar: Kıbrıslı Kadınlarla Yapılan Röportajlar Serisi). Nicosia: Erker Publishing House. 197 sayfa. ISBN-10, 13: 9925756405, 978-9925756407.
Ultrasound-Enhanced Hot Air Drying of Germinated Highland Barley Seeds: Drying Characteristics, Microstructure, and Bioactive Profile
Authors: Song Yan , Tao Yang , Zhu Xiaoyu , Han Yongbin , Show Pau Loke , Song Changnain , Zaid Hayyiratul Fatimah Mohd
Published: October 2019

The effects of ultrasound-enhanced hot air drying on the drying characteristics, microstructure and bioactive profile of germinated highland barley seeds (GHB) were studied. GHB was dried by hot air at 55 °C and 70 °C and ultrasonic intensities of 125.1 W/dm2 and 180.2 W/dm2, respectively. The results showed that when the drying temperature was 55 °C or 70 °C, the sonicated groups could shorten the drying time by 17.4–26.1% or 18.8–31.3%, respectively. Ultrasound drying at 125.1 W/dm2 and 55 °C could mostly increase the content of organic selenium and the rehydration rate, improve the color and maintain the original structure of GHB. Compared with hot air drying alone, the phenolic content did not increase due to ultrasound-enhanced hot air drying. Therefore, drying at an ultrasonic intensity of 125.1 W/dm2 and a temperature of 55 °C could effectively shorten the drying time, and enhance the quality of GHB.
The Potential Role of Sulbactam and Cephalosporins Plus Daptomycin Against Daptomycin-Nonsusceptible VISA and H-VISA Isolates: An In Vitro Study
Authors: Lai Chih-Cheng , Chen Chi-Chung , Lu Ying-Chen , Lin Tsuey-Pin , Chen Hung-Jui , Su Bo-An , Chao Chien-Ming , Chuang Yin-Ching , Tang Hung-Jen
Published: October 2019

This study assesses the synergistic effect of the combination of cephalosporins and sulbactam with daptomycin against daptomycin-nonsusceptible, vancomycin-intermediate resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VISA) or heterogeneous vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus (h-VISA) isolates. The in vitro activity of daptomycin against daptomycin-nonsusceptible VISA/h-VISA isolates after adding cephalosporins with or without sulbactam was evaluated. The MIC of daptomycin against the VISA/h-VISA isolates was reduced after adding cephalosporins to daptomycin. Except for one VISA and two h-VISA isolates, the other VISA/h-VISA isolates became daptomycin-susceptible (MICs ≤ 1 mg/L). After adding sulbactam to each daptomycin/cephalosporin combination, the MIC of daptomycin against the VISA/h-VISA isolates decreased for 5 (33.3%), 6 (40.0%), 6 (40.0%), and 6 (40.0%) isolates with the cefazolin, cefmetazole, cefotaxime, and cefepime combinations, respectively. Synergism using the checkerboard method was noted in 100% of cefazolin and cefotaxime combinations and 87% and 80% of cefmetazole and cefepime combinations for all the VISA and h-VISA isolates. With the addition of sulbactam, synergism was noted in 100% of cefazolin, cefmetazole, and cefotaxime combinations and 93% of the cefepime combinations for all the VISA and h-VISA isolates. Almost all the FICs for the three-drug combinations were lower than those for the two-drug combinations. Using time-killing methods, a synergistic effect against five h-VISA isolates was observed. A synergistic effect of daptomycin, sulbactam, and each cephalosporin was observed for all VISA isolates. In conclusion, the activity of daptomycin against daptomycin-nonsusceptible VISA/h-VISA isolates can be enhanced by adding cephalosporins, and partially further promoted by sulbactam.
Experimental and Computational Study of the Antioxidative Potential of Novel Nitro and Amino Substituted Benzimidazole/Benzothiazole-2-Carboxamides with Antiproliferative Activity
Authors: Cindrić Maja , Sović Irena , Mioč Marija , Hok Lucija , Boček Ida , Roškarić Petra , Butković Kristina , Martin-Kleiner Irena , Starčević Kristina , Vianello Robert , Kralj Marijeta , Hranjec Marijana
Published: October 2019

We present the synthesis of a range of benzimidazole/benzothiazole-2-carboxamides with a variable number of methoxy and hydroxy groups, substituted with nitro, amino, or amino protonated moieties, which were evaluated for their antiproliferative activity in vitro and the antioxidant capacity. Antiproliferative features were tested on three human cancer cells, while the antioxidative activity was measured using 1,1-diphenyl-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. Trimethoxy substituted benzimidazole-2-carboxamide 8 showed the most promising antiproliferative activity (IC50 = 0.6–2.0 µM), while trihydroxy substituted benzothiazole-2-carboxamide 29 was identified as the most promising antioxidant, being significantly more potent than the reference butylated hydroxytoluene BHT in both assays. Moreover, the latter also displays antioxidative activity in tumor cells. The measured antioxidative capacities were rationalized through density functional theory (DFT) calculations, showing that 29 owes its activity to the formation of two [O•∙∙∙H–O] hydrogen bonds in the formed radical. Systems 8 and 29 were both chosen as lead compounds for further optimization of the benzazole-2-carboxamide scaffold in order to develop more efficient antioxidants and/or systems with the antiproliferative activity.
Gallic Acid-Dextran Conjugate: Green Synthesis of a Novel Antioxidant Molecule
Authors: Queiroz Moacir Fernandes , Sabry Diego Araujo , Sassaki Guilherme Lanzi , Rocha Hugo Alexandre Oliveira , Costa Leandro Silva
Published: October 2019

A novel derivative of dextran, dextran–gallic acid (Dex–Gal), obtained from simple conjugation with gallic acid, was synthesized by an efficient free radical-mediated method. To verify the synthesis of Dex–Gal, 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometry, and high-performance size-exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) were employed. The results revealed the conjugation of gallic acid with the 15.5 kDa dextran from Leuconostoc mesenteroides. Dex–Gal had a molecular weight of 11.2 kDa, indicating that the conjugation reaction was accompanied by a minor degradation of Dex–Gal. In addition, Dex–Gal contained 36.8 ± 1.4 mg gallic acid per gram dextran. These molecules were also evaluated as antioxidants using total antioxidant capacity (TAC), reducing power, ferric chelation, and superoxide radical-scavenging assays. Both polysaccharides had no ferric chelation activity. In addition, Dex–Gal was more efficient as an antioxidant agent in TAC (13 times) and was more efficient than dextran in superoxide radical-scavenging (60 times) and reducing power (90 times) assays. These data demonstrate that Dex–Gal is a natural-compound-based antioxidant with potential applications in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries.
The Effects and Mechanisms of Cyanidin-3-Glucoside and Its Phenolic Metabolites in Maintaining Intestinal Integrity
Authors: Tan Jijun , Li Yanli , Hou De-Xing , Wu Shusong
Published: October 2019

Cyanidin-3-glucoside (C3G) is a well-known natural anthocyanin and possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The catabolism of C3G in the gastrointestinal tract could produce bioactive phenolic metabolites, such as protocatechuic acid, phloroglucinaldehyde, vanillic acid, and ferulic acid, which enhance C3G bioavailability and contribute to both mucosal barrier and microbiota. To get an overview of the function and mechanisms of C3G and its phenolic metabolites, we review the accumulated data of the absorption and catabolism of C3G in the gastrointestine, and attempt to give crosstalk between the phenolic metabolites, gut microbiota, and mucosal innate immune signaling pathways.
A Multi-Level Optimization Method for Elastic Constants Identification of Composite Laminates
Authors: Huang Chien Yang , Kam Tai Yan
Published: October 2019

A new and effective elastic constants identification technique is presented to extract the elastic constants of a composite laminate subjected to uniaxial tensile testing. The proposed technique consists of a new multi-level optimization method that can solve different types of minimization problems, including the extraction of material constants of composite laminates from given strains. In the identification process, the optimization problem is solved by using a stochastic multi-start dynamic search minimization algorithm at the first level in order to obtain the statistics of the quasi-optimal design variables for a set of randomly generated starting points. The statistics of the quasi-optimal elastic constants obtained at this level are used to determine the reduced feasible region in order to formulate the second-level optimization problem. The second-level optimization problem is then solved using the particle swarm algorithm in order to obtain the statistics of the new quasi-optimal elastic constants. The iteration process between the first and second levels of optimization continues until the standard deviations of the quasi-optimal design variables at any level of optimization are less than the prescribed values. The proposed multi-level optimization method, as well as several existing global optimization algorithms, is used to solve a number of well-known mathematical minimization problems to verify the accuracy of the method. For the adopted numerical examples, it has been shown that the proposed method is more efficient and effective than the adopted global minimization algorithms to produce the exact solutions. The proposed method is then applied to identify four elastic constants of a [0°/±45°]s composite laminate using three strains in 0°, 45°, and 90° directions, respectively, of the composite laminate subjected to uniaxial testing. For comparison purposes, several existing global minimization techniques are also used to solve the elastic constants identification problem. Again, it has been shown that the proposed method is capable of producing more accurate results than the adopted available methods. Finally, experimental data are used to demonstrate the applications of the proposed method.
Compression of Biomass Substances—A Study on Springback Effects and Color Formation in Pellet Manufacture
Authors: Frodeson Stefan , Lindén Pär , Henriksson Gunnar , Berghel Jonas
Published: October 2019

In order to increase the use of a variated raw material base for pellet production with a maintained density level, knowledge of the biomaterials’ ability to counteract any springback effects is essential. In this study, the springback effects were investigated for single press produced pellets from cellulose, hemicelluloses, pectin, and two woods at different moisture contents. The change in pellet coloring was also tested through a spectrophotometer for both xylan and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) pellets. The results show that the density of xylan pellets is much higher than glucomannan, for both green and cured pellets, and that the length of the pellets, as well as springback contribution, differ between the hemicelluloses. The study also presents results showing that both xylan and CMC pellets have a mutually identical spectrum and that the changes in the structure of xylan are not only related to moisture content, but are also pressure-related. The study also postulates that the color difference of the xylan pellets is a result of physical changes in the structure, as opposed to being of a chemical nature.
Advantage of Steerable Catheter and Haptic Feedback for a 5-DOF Vascular Intervention Robot System
Authors: Woo Jaehong , Song Hwa-Seob , Cha Hyo-Jeong , Yi Byung-Ju
Published: October 2019

Vascular intervention involves inserting a catheter and guidewire into blood vessels to diagnose and treat a disease in an X-ray environment. In this conventional vascular intervention procedure, the doctor is exposed to considerable radiation. To reduce the exposure, we developed a master–slave robot system. A steerable catheter is employed to shorten the task-time and reduce the contact force applied to the vessel walls during catheter insertion. The steerable catheter helps to select a vascular branch; thus, the radiation exposure time for patients is reduced, and perforation in the patient’s vessel is prevented. Additionally, the robot system employs a haptic function to replicate the physician’s tactile sensing in vascular intervention. In this study, the effectiveness of the steering catheter and haptic function was demonstrated experimentally in comparison with a conventional catheter.
Impact of Aeration on the Removal of Organic Matter and Nitrogen Compounds in Constructed Wetlands Treating the Liquid Fraction of Piggery Manure
Authors: Donoso Natalia , van Oirschot Dion , Kumar Biswas Jayanta , Michels Evi , Meers Erik
Published: October 2019

The increasing demand for sustainable, robust and cost-efficient wastewater treatment techniques strengthen the implementation of constructed wetlands (CWs) in the agricultural sector. In countries like Belgium (Flanders), the compliance of strict water quality standards and surface area requirements have hindered considerably their application. New wetland designs such as aerated CWs, could help to overcome these challenges. This study evaluated the capacity of artificially aerated mesocosm systems to decrease chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentrations below the 125 mgO2/L limit imposed on installations treating animal manure. The treatment of this high-strength wastewater has been slightly studied via aerated CWs. A three-stage experiment investigated the effect of constant, intermittent and non-aeration regimes on: ammonium volatilisation, the evolution of organic and nitrogen compounds concentrations, and denitrification. The results were assessed through a mixed modelling procedure using SAS 9.4 software. A COD removal between 65% and 58% in constantly and intermittent aerated systems, versus 27% COD removal in the non-aerated system indicated the effectiveness of aeration. However, a dissimilarity was encountered in the removal of nitrogen compounds, resulting in an 82% decrease of nitrate concentrations in the non-aerated system, versus 0.5% and 11% in the aerated ones. Based on the results, this experimental set-up adjusted to field operational conditions can prove that aerated CWs can treat the liquid fraction of piggery manure.
Synthesis of Novel Heteroatom-Doped Porous-Organic Polymers as Environmentally Efficient Media for Carbon Dioxide Storage
Authors: Satar Hind A. , Ahmed Ahmed A. , Yousif Emad , Ahmed Dina S. , Alotibi Mohammed F. , El-Hiti Gamal A.
Published: October 2019

The high carbon dioxide emission levels due to the increased consumption of fossil fuels has led to various environmental problems. Efficient strategies for the capture and storage of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide are crucial in reducing their concentrations in the environment. Considering this, herein, three novel heteroatom-doped porous-organic polymers (POPs) containing phosphate units were synthesized in high yields from the coupling reactions of phosphate esters and 1,4-diaminobenzene (three mole equivalents) in boiling ethanol using a simple, efficient, and general procedure. The structures and physicochemical properties of the synthesized POPs were established using various techniques. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) images showed that the surface morphologies of the synthesized POPs were similar to coral reefs. They had grooved networks, long range periodic macropores, amorphous surfaces, and a high surface area (SBET = 82.71–213.54 m2/g). Most importantly, they had considerable carbon dioxide storage capacity, particularly at high pressure. The carbon dioxide uptake at 323 K and 40 bar for one of the POPs was as high as 1.42 mmol/g (6.00 wt %). The high carbon dioxide uptake capacities of these materials were primarily governed by their geometries. The POP containing a meta-phosphate unit leads to the highest CO2 uptake since such geometry provides a highly distorted and extended surface area network compared to other POPs.
Diagnosis and Prediction of Large-for-Gestational-Age Fetus Using the Stacked Generalization Method
Authors: Akhtar Faheem , Li Jianqiang , Pei Yan , Imran Azhar , Rajput Asif , Azeem Muhammad , Wang Qing
Published: October 2019

An accurate and efficient Large-for-Gestational-Age (LGA) classification system is developed to classify a fetus as LGA or non-LGA, which has the potential to assist paediatricians and experts in establishing a state-of-the-art LGA prognosis process. The performance of the proposed scheme is validated by using LGA dataset collected from the National Pre-Pregnancy and Examination Program of China (2010–2013). A master feature vector is created to establish primarily data pre-processing, which includes a features’ discretization process and the entertainment of missing values and data imbalance issues. A principal feature vector is formed using GridSearch-based Recursive Feature Elimination with Cross-Validation (RFECV) + Information Gain (IG) feature selection scheme followed by stacking to select, rank, and extract significant features from the LGA dataset. Based on the proposed scheme, different features subset are identified and provided to four different machine learning (ML) classifiers. The proposed GridSearch-based RFECV+IG feature selection scheme with stacking using SVM (linear kernel) best suits the said classification process followed by SVM (RBF kernel) and LR classifiers. The Decision Tree (DT) classifier is not suggested because of its low performance. The highest prediction precision, recall, accuracy, Area Under the Curve (AUC), specificity, and F1 scores of 0.92, 0.87, 0.92, 0.95, 0.95, and 0.89 are achieved with SVM (linear kernel) classifier using top ten principal features subset, which is, in fact higher than the baselines methods. Moreover, almost every classification scheme best performed with ten principal feature subsets. Therefore, the proposed scheme has the potential to establish an efficient LGA prognosis process using gestational parameters, which can assist paediatricians and experts to improve the health of a newborn using computer aided-diagnostic system.
Characteristics of Postural Muscle Activity in Response to A Motor-Motor Task in Elderly
Authors: Lee Yun-Ju , Liang Jing Nong , Wen Yu-Tang
Published: October 2019

The purpose of the current study was to evaluate postural muscle performance of older adults in response to a combination of two motor tasks perturbations. Fifteen older participants were instructed to perform a pushing task as an upper limb perturbation while standing on a fixed or sliding board as a lower limb perturbation. Postural responses were characterized by onsets and magnitudes of muscle activities as well as onsets of segment movements. The sliding board did not affect the onset timing and sequence of muscle initiations and segment movements. However, significant large muscle activities of tibialis anterior and erector spinae were observed in the sliding condition (p < 0.05). The co-contraction values of the trunk and shank segments were significantly larger in the sliding condition through the studied periods (p < 0.05). Lastly, heavy pushing weight did not change the timing, magnitude, sequence of all studied parameters. Older adults enhanced postural stability by increasing the segment stiffness then started to handle two perturbations. In conclusion, they were able to deal with a dual motor-motor task after having secured their balance but could not make corresponding adjustments to the level of the perturbation difficulty.
Light-Weighted Password-Based Multi-Group Authenticated Key Agreement for Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Chen Mao-Sung , Chang I-Pin , Liu Tung-Kuan
Published: October 2019

Security is a critical issue for medical and health care systems. Password-based group-authenticated key agreement for wireless sensor networks (WSNs) allows a group of sensor nodes to negotiate a common session key by using password authentication and to establish a secure channel by this session key. Many group key agreement protocols use the public key infrastructure, modular exponential computations on an elliptic curve to provide high security, and thus increase sensor nodes’ overhead and require extra equipment for storing long-term secret keys. This work develops a novel group key agreement protocol using password authentication for WSNs, which is based on extended chaotic maps and does not require time-consuming modular exponential computations or scalar multiplications on an elliptic curve. Additionally, the proposed protocol is suitable for multiple independent groups and ensures that the real identities of group members cannot be revealed. The proposed protocol is not only more secure than related group key agreement protocols but also more efficient.
Genome-Wide Investigation of the NAC Gene Family and Its Potential Association with the Secondary Cell Wall in Moso Bamboo
Authors: Shan Xuemeng , Yang Kebin , Xu Xiurong , Zhu Chenglei , Gao Zhimin
Published: October 2019

NAC (NAM, ATAF, and CUC) transcription factors (TFs) are implicated in the transcriptional regulation of diverse processes and have been characterized in a number of plant species. However, NAC TFs are still not well understood in bamboo, especially their potential association with the secondary cell wall (SCW). Here, 94 PeNACs were identified and characterized in moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis). Based on their gene structures and conserved motifs, the PeNACs were divided into 11 groups according to their homologs in Arabidopsis. PeNACs were expressed variously in different tissues of moso bamboo, suggesting their functional diversity. Fifteen PeNACs associated with the SCW were selected for co-expression analysis and validation. It was predicted that 396 genes were co-expressed with the 15 PeNACs, in which 16 and 55 genes were involved in the lignin catabolic process and cellulose biosynthetic process respectively. As the degree of lignification in the growing bamboo shoots increased, all 15 PeNACs were upregulated with a trend of rising first and then decreasing except PeNAC37, which increased continuously. These results indicated that these PeNACs might play important roles in SCW biosynthesis and lignification in bamboo shoots. Seven of 15 PeNACs had been found positively co-expressed with seven PeMYBs, and they had similar expression patterns with those of the PeMYBs in bamboo shoots. The targeted sites of miR164 were found in 16 PeNACs, of which three PeNACs associated with SCW were validated to have an opposite expression trend to that of miR164 in growing bamboo shoots. In addition, three PeNACs were selected and verified to have self-activation activities. These results provide comprehensive information of the NAC gene family in moso bamboo, which will be helpful for further functional studies of PeNACs to reveal the molecular regulatory mechanisms of bamboo wood property.
Tetrahydrocannabinol Sensing in Complex Biofluid with Portable Raman Spectrometer Using Diatomaceous SERS Substrates
Authors: Sivashanmugan Kundan , Zhao Yong , Wang Alan X.
Published: October 2019

Using thin-layer chromatography in tandem with surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TLC-SERS) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) sensing in complex biological fluids is successfully conducted with a portable Raman spectrometer. Both THC and THC metabolites are detected from the biofluid of marijuana-users as biomarkers for identifying cannabis exposure. In this article, ultra-sensitive SERS substrates based on diatomaceous earth integrated with gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) were employed to detect trace levels of cannabis biomarkers in saliva. Strong characteristic THC and THC metabolite SERS peaks at 1601 and 1681 cm−1 were obtained despite the moderate interference of biological molecules native to saliva. Urine samples were also analyzed, but they required TLC separation of THC from the urine sample to eliminate the strong influence of urea and other organic molecules. TLC separation of THC from the urine was performed by porous microfluidic channel devices using diatomaceous earth as the stationary phase. The experimental results showed clear separation between urea and THC, and strong THC SERS characteristic peaks. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to analyze the SERS spectra collected from various THC samples. The spectra in the principal component space were well clustered for each sample type and share very similar scores in the main principal component (PC1), which can serve as the benchmark for THC sensing from complex SERS spectra. Therefore, we proved that portable Raman spectrometers can enable an on-site sensing capability using diatomaceous SERS substrates to detect THC in real biological solutions. This portable THC sensing technology will play pivotal roles in forensic analysis, medical diagnosis, and public health.