bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
RESPONS DAN ADAPTASI IKAN TERI (Stolephorus sp.) TERHADAP LAMPU LIGHT EMITTING DIODE (LED) (Response and Adaptation of Anchovy (Stolephorus sp.) to Light Emitting Diode (LED) Lamp)
Authors: Susanto Adi , Fitri Aristi Dian Purnama , Putra Yuhelsa , Susanto Heri , Alawiyah Tuti
Published: January 2018

ABSTRACTInnovation of LED lamp are encouraged the research and development to obtain effective and eco-friendly fishing lamp. However, information about response, behaviour and retina adaptation of main target species to LED light are still limited. Meanwhile, this information is a key to determining intensity of effective LED light for fishing operation. The aims of this study are to determine response and retina adaptation of anchovy (Stolephorus sp.) to different LED colour. This research was performed to the anchovies with total length 4.80-6.10 cm, which were acclimated in the fish tank. Fish response was observed visually and recorded by video camera. Retina adaptation was analysed by using histology method through pigment and cone index at light zone respectively. The results showed the fish response to white LED 3.4 times was faster than blue LED. However times duration of anchovy at the lighting area was 1.8 times longer in the area of blue lighting. The anchovies were more responsive to white LED (p value= 0.0033) with the average number of fish was 45 individuals. White LED with illumination between 42-96 lux was the optimal illumination for fishing operation which can reach the highest cone index about 64-73%.Keywords: cone index, effectiveness, fishing, illuminationABSTRAKPenemuan lampu LED mendorong berkembangnya penelitian untuk menghasilkan fishing lamp yang lebih efektif dan ramah lingkungan. Namun informasi tentang respons, tingkah laku dan adaptasi retina mata ikan target tangkapan terhadap cahaya lampu LED masih terbatas. Pada dasarnya, informasi tersebut menjadi kunci dalam penentuan intensitas cahaya lampu LED yang efektif untuk penangkapan ikan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menentukan respons dan adaptasi retina mata ikan teri (Stolephorus sp.) terhadap lampu LED dengan warna berbeda. Penelitian menggunakan ikan teri dengan panjang total antara 4,80-6,10 cm yang telah melalui proses aklimatisasi dalam bak penampungan. Pengamatan terhadap respons ikan teri dilakukan secara visual dan direkam dengan video kamera. Adaptasi retina mata ikan teri diamati berdasarkan hasil histologi dengan melihat nilai indeks pigmen dan indeks kon pada masing-masing zona pencahayaan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa ikan teri 3,4 kali lebih cepat merespons lampu LED putih dibandingkan terhadap lampu LED biru. Namun ikan teri bertahan 1,8 kali lebih lama di area pencahayaan warna biru. Ikan teri lebih memberikan respons yang lebih baik pada LED putih (p value= 0,0033) dengan rata-rata jumlah ikan yang berkumpul di area pencahayaan sebanyak 45 ekor. Lampu LED warna putih dengan iluminasi cahaya antara 42-96 lux merupakan lampu paling ideal untuk penangkapan teri karena menghasilkan adaptasi sel kon paling tinggi dengan indeks kon antara 64-73%.Kata kunci:  indeks kon, efektivitas, penangkapan, iluminasi
LIGHT EMITTING DIODE (LED) HIJAU DAN PENGARUHNYA TERHADAP PENGURANGAN BYCATCH PENYU PADA PERIKANAN GILLNET DI PERAIRAN PALOH (Green Light Emitting Diode (LED) and its Effect on Sea Turtle Bycatch Reduction of Gillnet Fisheries in Paloh Waters)
Authors: Prasetyo Ganang Dwi , Wahju Ronny Irawan , Yusfiandayani Roza , Riyanto Mochammad
Published: January 2018

ABSTRACTBycatch problem is a global issue and can be a driver of marine megafauna declines in the world, such as sea turtle, where is the animal's status as endangered species. Green Light Emitting Diode (LED) is known as an innovative technology to reduce sea turtle bycatch without reduce target catch effectively. The use of green LED in order to reduce sea turtle bycatch in gillnet fisheries was carried out in Paloh Coast, West Borneo during August to October 2015. Experiment performed a total of 20 settings with gillnet fleets operate two units simultaneously, ie gillnet control (without LED lights) and gillnet experiment (with LED lights). Turtles caught predominantly were in the juvenile phase as 57.14% and the potential location of capture sea turtle bycatch in station 2 (1˚52' - 1˚56' LU and 109˚14' - 109˚18' BT). The results, showed that the green turtle (Chelonia mydas) were caught of 7 turtles, were captured by control gillnet 6 turtles with an CPUE 0.29 ± 0.03 Turtle/E, while by experimental gillnet 1 turtle with an CPUE by 0,04 ± 0,009 Turtle/E. The used of green LED light was significantly reduce sea turtle bycatch of 85% without decreasing target catch.Keywords: CPUE, green LED light, sea turtle bycatchABSTRAKPermasalahan terkait bycatch merupakan isu utama global yang dapat mengancam penurunan populasi megafauna laut seperti penyu yang telah berstatus endangerd species. Lampu LED merupakan inovasi teknologi untuk mengurangi bycatch penyu tanpa mengurangi hasil tangkapan ikan utama secara efektif. Penggunaan lampu Light Emmitting Diode (LED) hijau untuk mengurangi bycatch penyu pada perikanan jaring insang (gillnet) dilakukan di perairan Paloh, Kalimantan Barat selama bulan Agustus hingga Oktober 2015. Uji coba dilakukan dengan menggunakan 2 unit kapal gillnet yang dioperasikan di setiap stasiun pengamatan secara bersamaan dengan jumlah ulangan sebanyak 20 kali, diantaranya gillnet kontrol (tanpa lampu LED) dan gillnet eksperimen (dengan lampu LED). Penyu yang tertangkap cenderung didominasi oleh fase juvenile sebesar 57,14% dan lokasi potensi tertangkapnya bycatch penyu pada stasiun 2 (1˚52' - 1˚56' LU dan 109˚14' - 109˚18' BT). Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa penyu yang tertangkap merupakan penyu hijau (Chelonia mydas) berjumlah 7 ekor, terdiri dari 6 ekor tertangkap pada gillnet kontrol dengan CPUE 0,29 ± 0,03  ekor/E, dan 1 ekor pada gillnet eksperimen dengan CPUE 0,04 ± 0,009 ekor/E. Penggunaan lampu LED hijau memberikan pengaruh secara significant untuk mengurangi bycatch penyu dengan persentase pengurangan sebesar 85% tanpa mengurangi hasil tangkapan ikan utama.Kata kunci:  CPUE, lampu LED hijau, bycatch penyu
Cancer chemoprevention with natural agents: Where we are now?
Authors: Gupta Sanjay , Gupta Karishma , Montellano Jeniece
Published: January 2018

Chemoprevention is defined as a means of cancer control in which the occurrence of clinical cancer can be prevented, slowed or reversed by the administration of one or more synthetic or naturally occurring biologic compounds [1-5]. In contrast to cancer treatment, the goal of chemoprevention is to reduce the incidence of clinical cancer. Preventing the onset of clinical cancer is desirable because therapy for established cancer is not uniformly effective. Chemoprevention also implies the prevention of precancerous lesions, which are called pre-invasive neoplasia, dysplasia, or intraepithelial neoplasia, depending on the organ system [5, 6]. The process of carcinogenesis involves the accumulation of multiple sequential genetic alterations and mutations that transforms a normal cell to a malignant cell capable of stromal invasion and ultimately metastasis. Carcinogenesis is traditionally separated into three phases: initiation, promotion and progression [6]. The initiation stage is relatively rapid and involves carcinogen binding and damage to DNA. The promotion phase is reversible, as tumor promoters act as mitogens to induce clones of initiated cells to expand. The promotion phase is a consequence of the functional loss of regulatory proteins and cellular checkpoints important for cellular proliferation and apoptosis. Progression is a stage in which phenotypically and genotypically altered cells develop irreversible macroscopic and microscopic changes. Because initiation and progression are irreversible, the promotion phase of carcinogenesis may be the best target for chemoprevention.
The Comprehension Problems of Children With Poor Reading Comprehension Despite Adequate Decoding: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Spencer Mercedes , Wagner Richard K.
Published: January 2018

The purpose of this meta-analysis was to examine the comprehension problems of children who have a specific reading comprehension deficit (SCD), which is characterized by poor reading comprehension despite adequate decoding. The meta-analysis included 86 studies of children with SCD who were assessed in reading comprehension and oral language (vocabulary, listening comprehension, storytelling ability, and semantic and syntactic knowledge). Results indicated that children with SCD had deficits in oral language (d = −0.78, 95% confidence interval, CI [−0.89, −0.68], but these deficits were not as severe as their deficit in reading comprehension (d = −2.78, 95% CI [−3.01, −2.54]). When compared with reading comprehension age–matched normal readers, the oral language skills of the two groups were comparable (d = 0.32, 95% CI [−0.49, 1.14]), which suggests that the oral language weaknesses of children with SCD represent a developmental delay rather than developmental deviance. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.
Improvement of the Graphene Oxide Dispersion Properties with the Use of TOPSIS Based Taguchi Application
Authors: Şimşek Barış , Ultav Gözde , Korucu Haluk , Yartaşı Ahmet
Published: January 2018

The stability of the graphene oxide dispersions is an important issue in the preparation of medicine, printed flexible electronics, 3D printers and conductive inks. In order to improve the stability; mean and standard deviation of particle size, polydispersity index, zeta potential and conductivity of graphene oxide dispersion were selected as the main stability properties. The improvement rate between the estimate and the optimal conditions were calculated for the mean and standard deviation of particle size, polydispersity index, zeta potential and conductivity as 264.0%, 1875.0%, 583.3%, 5.0% and 50.0%, respectively in terms of the GO quality characteristics. The improvement rate between the estimate and the optimal conditions were calculated for the mean and standard deviation of particle size, polydispersity index, zeta potential and conductivity as 42.7%, 79.7%, -5.0%, 9.9% and -86.7%, respectively in terms of the GO quality characteristics. The result show that TOPSIS based Taguchi optimization in this study is effective to improve the graphene oxide dispersion stability.
‘Hinged’ activity systems: Expanding the utility of activity theory
Authors: Hughes Lewis
Published: January 2018

As a derivative from Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT), where gaining insight into the circumstances of an activity is among its applications, this article presents an approach to initiating and structuring activity system guided conversation where the intent is to strengthen stakeholder empathy and partnership in action. Whilst this paper is not, in-itself, an outcome of so-focused research, it is a sharing of insights accruing from ethnographic research largely in the vocational education and training (VET) arena and, in particular, ongoing exploration of the circumstances aiding and inhibiting Australian VET teachers including researching and drawing upon the research of others as part of their professional practice.

In essence, this article posits that activity system – as derived from CHAT – guided conversation has much utility in achieving empathetic partnerships between stakeholders in an activity where their respective interests might otherwise be in conflict. Accordingly, the notion of the ‘Hinge’ is offered as a device to expand the utility of Activity Theory. The ‘Hinge’ being constructed by conversation agreeing the ‘Object’, which is the most influencing of ‘Rule’, ‘Community’ or ‘Division of Labour’ and then the nature of enabling ‘Tool’.
Editorial: Cultural historical theory & VET – A contribution to broadening the theoretical grounds of research in VET
Authors: Moreno Herrera Lázaro
Published: January 2018

No abstract available.
Enzyme-Based Labeling Strategies for Antibody–Drug Conjugates and Antibody Mimetics
Authors: Falck Georg , Müller Kristian
Published: January 2018

Strategies for site-specific modification of proteins have increased in number, complexity, and specificity over the last years. Such modifications hold the promise to broaden the use of existing biopharmaceuticals or to tailor novel proteins for therapeutic or diagnostic applications. The recent quest for next-generation antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) sparked research into techniques with site selectivity. While purely chemical approaches often impede control of dosage or locus of derivatization, naturally occurring enzymes and proteins bear the ability of co- or post-translational protein modifications at particular residues, thus enabling unique coupling reactions or protein fusions. This review provides a general overview and focuses on chemo-enzymatic methods including enzymes such as formylglycine-generating enzyme, sortase, and transglutaminase. Applications for the conjugation of antibodies and antibody mimetics are reported.
Influence of Nitrogen Partial Pressure on Microstructure and Tribological Properties of Mo-Cu-V-N Composite Coatings with High Cu Content
Authors: Mei Haijuan , Wang Rui , Zhong Xing , Dai Wei , Wang Qimin
Published: January 2018

In this study, Mo-Cu-V-N composite coatings with high Cu content of ~18 at.% were deposited on 316L stainless steel and YT14 cemented carbide substrates by high power impulse magnetron sputtering in Ar–N2 gas mixtures. The influence of N2 partial pressure was investigated with respect to the microstructure and tribological properties of the coatings. The results indicated that the Mo-Cu-V-N composite coatings exhibited FCC B1-MoN phase with a strong (200) preferred orientation, and Cu phase was found to exist as metallic species. As the N2 partial pressure increased from 0.11 to 0.35 Pa, the peak intensity of (200) plane decreased gradually and simultaneous peak broadening was observed, which was typical for grain refinement. With increasing the N2 partial pressure, the columnar microstructure became much coarser, which led to the decrease of residual stress and hardness. The Mo-Cu-V-N composite coatings with high Cu content exhibited a relatively low wear rate of 10−8 mm3/N·m at 25 °C, which was believed to be attributed to the mixed lubricious oxides of MoO2, CuO and V2O5 formed during tribo-oxidation, which cannot be formed in the coatings with low Cu content. When the wear temperature was increased up to 400 °C, the wear rate increased sharply up to 10−6 mm3/N·m despite the formation of lubricious oxides of MoO3/CuMoO4 and V2O5. This could be due to the loss of nitrogen and pronounced oxidation at high temperatures, which led the wear mechanism to be transformed from mild oxidation wear to severe oxidation wear.
Flexible n-Type Tungsten Carbide/Polylactic Acid Thermoelectric Composites Fabricated by Additive Manufacturing
Authors: Du Yong , Chen Jiageng , Liu Xin , Lu Chun , Xu Jiayue , Paul Biplab , Eklund Per
Published: January 2018

Flexible n-type tungsten carbide/polylactic acid (WC/PLA) composites were fabricated by additive manufacturing and their thermoelectric properties were investigated. The preparation of an n-type polymer-based thermoelectric composite with good stability in air atmosphere via additive manufacturing holds promise for application in flexible thermoelectric devices. For WC/PLA volume ratios varying from ~33% to 60%, the electrical conductivity of the composites increased from 10.6 to 42.2 S/cm, while the Seebeck coefficients were in the range −11 to −12.3 μV/K. The thermal conductivities of the composites varied from ~0.2 to ~0.28 W·m−1·K−1 at ~300 K.
Thermodynamic Fluid Equations-of-State
Authors: Woodcock Leslie
Published: January 2018

As experimental measurements of thermodynamic properties have improved in accuracy, to five or six figures, over the decades, cubic equations that are widely used for modern thermodynamic fluid property data banks require ever-increasing numbers of terms with more fitted parameters. Functional forms with continuity for Gibbs density surface ρ(p,T) which accommodate a critical-point singularity are fundamentally inappropriate in the vicinity of the critical temperature (Tc) and pressure (pc) and in the supercritical density mid-range between gas- and liquid-like states. A mesophase, confined within percolation transition loci that bound the gas- and liquid-state by third-order discontinuities in derivatives of the Gibbs energy, has been identified. There is no critical-point singularity at Tc on Gibbs density surface and no continuity of gas and liquid. When appropriate functional forms are used for each state separately, we find that the mesophase pressure functions are linear. The negative and positive deviations, for both gas and liquid states, on either side of the mesophase, are accurately represented by three or four-term virial expansions. All gaseous states require only known virial coefficients, and physical constants belonging to the fluid, i.e., Boyle temperature (TB), critical temperature (Tc), critical pressure (pc) and coexisting densities of gas (ρcG) and liquid (ρcL) along the critical isotherm. A notable finding for simple fluids is that for all gaseous states below TB, the contribution of the fourth virial term is negligible within experimental uncertainty. Use may be made of a symmetry between gas and liquid states in the state function rigidity (dp/dρ)T to specify lower-order liquid-state coefficients. Preliminary results for selected isotherms and isochores are presented for the exemplary fluids, CO2, argon, water and SF6, with focus on the supercritical mesophase and critical region.
The Carbon Dynamics of Dry Tropical Afromontane Forest Ecosystems in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia
Authors: Belay Beyene , Pötzelsberger Elisabeth , Sisay Kibruyesfa , Assefa Dessie , Hasenauer Hubert
Published: January 2018

Forest degradation due to land use change is a severe problem in Ethiopian Afromontane Forests. We investigated such degradation effects by comparing degraded agricultural land (previously covered with forest) with neighboring natural forests, 40 to 50 years after conversion. We selected four different study areas to cover the eco-climatic conditions of the Amhara region in Northwestern Ethiopia. For a paired-stand comparison we collected soil data on both land use types. We calculated forest biomass to evaluate the biogeochemical-mechanistic ecosystem model Biome-BGC, which is used as a diagnostic tool to assess the site and management impacts on productivity as well as ecosystem carbon and nitrogen accumulation. We applied Biome-BGC to assess rehabilitation options on such degraded land. Afromontane forests in the highlands of Ethiopia showed high soil C stocks, resulting from long lasting biomass accumulation. Removing the tree cover and converting forest areas to crop- or grassland, has led to a loss of 40–85% of the soil C stocks and thus a loss in soil fertility within only 40 to 50 years. Rehabilitation efforts by replanting trees will improve soil fertility, but may require over a thousand years to achieve a similar level in biomass and soil fertility versus the situation prior to the land use change.
Surveillance of Foodborne Pathogens: Towards Diagnostic Metagenomics of Fecal Samples
Authors: Andersen Sandra , Hoorfar Jeffrey
Published: January 2018

Diagnostic metagenomics is a rapidly evolving laboratory tool for culture-independent tracing of foodborne pathogens. The method has the potential to become a generic platform for detection of most pathogens and many sample types. Today, however, it is still at an early and experimental stage. Studies show that metagenomic methods, from sample storage and DNA extraction to library preparation and shotgun sequencing, have a great influence on data output. To construct protocols that extract the complete metagenome but with minimal bias is an ongoing challenge. Many different software strategies for data analysis are being developed, and several studies applying diagnostic metagenomics to human clinical samples have been published, detecting, and sometimes, typing bacterial infections. It is possible to obtain a draft genome of the pathogen and to develop methods that can theoretically be applied in real-time. Finally, diagnostic metagenomics can theoretically be better geared than conventional methods to detect co-infections. The present review focuses on the current state of test development, as well as practical implementation of diagnostic metagenomics to trace foodborne bacterial infections in fecal samples from animals and humans.
Development of a Tsunami Inundation Analysis Model for Urban Areas Using a Porous Body Model
Authors: Yamashita Kei , Suppasri Anawat , Oishi Yusuke , Imamura Fumihiko
Published: January 2018

To evaluate tsunami hazards with strong locality in urban areas, this study developed a novel tsunami inundation model based on nonlinear shallow water wave equations and a porous body model (PBM). By applying a kinematic boundary condition that includes both porosity and surface permeability of the porous medium, the proposed model could accurately incorporate geometric effects such as the flow anisotropy caused by the distributions of buildings. The proposed PBM demonstrated as good accuracy for the inundation heights around buildings near the coastline as with a conventional three-dimensional simulation with high resolution. In addition, the model showed its capability to reproduce a tsunami’s essential behaviors in urban areas. In particular, the amplification effect of flow velocity along straight roads surrounded by buildings was reasonably reproduced. It can be expected that the present model can become a useful tool to accurately evaluate the tsunami risks in urban areas.
Gradient Material Strategies for Hydrogel Optimization in Tissue Engineering Applications
Authors: Smith Callahan Laura
Published: January 2018

Although a number of combinatorial/high-throughput approaches have been developed for biomaterial hydrogel optimization, a gradient sample approach is particularly well suited to identify hydrogel property thresholds that alter cellular behavior in response to interacting with the hydrogel due to reduced variation in material preparation and the ability to screen biological response over a range instead of discrete samples each containing only one condition. This review highlights recent work on cell–hydrogel interactions using a gradient material sample approach. Fabrication strategies for composition, material and mechanical property, and bioactive signaling gradient hydrogels that can be used to examine cell–hydrogel interactions will be discussed. The effects of gradients in hydrogel samples on cellular adhesion, migration, proliferation, and differentiation will then be examined, providing an assessment of the current state of the field and the potential of wider use of the gradient sample approach to accelerate our understanding of matrices on cellular behavior.
Risk Assessment for Children Exposed to Arsenic on Baseball Fields with Contaminated Fill Material
Authors: Ferguson Alesia , Black Jennifer , Sims Isaac , Welday Jennifer , Elmir Samir , Goff Kendra , Higginbotham J. , Solo-Gabriele Helena
Published: January 2018

Children can be exposed to arsenic through play areas which may have contaminated fill material from historic land use. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the risk to children who play and/or spend time at baseball fields with soils shown to have arsenic above background levels. Arsenic in soils at the study sites located in Miami, FL, USA showed distinct distributions between infield, outfield, and areas adjacent to the fields. Using best estimates of exposure factors for children baseball scenarios, results show that non-cancer risks depend most heavily upon the age of the person and the arsenic exposure level. For extreme exposure scenarios evaluated in this study, children from 1 to 2 years were at highest risk for non-cancer effects (Hazard Quotient, HQ > 2.4), and risks were higher for children exhibiting pica (HQ > 9.7) which shows the importance of testing fill for land use where children may play. At the study sites, concentration levels of arsenic resulted in a range of computed cancer risks that differed by a factor of 10. In these sites, the child’s play position also affected risk. Outfield players, with a lifetime exposure to these arsenic levels, could have 10 times more increased chance of experiencing cancers associated with arsenic (i.e., lung, bladder, skin) in comparison to infielders. The distinct concentration distributions observed between these portions of the baseball fields emphasize the need to delineate contaminated areas in public property where citizens may spend more free time. This study also showed a need for more tools to improve the risk estimates for child play activities. For instance, more refined measurements of exposure factors for intake (e.g., inhalation rates under rigorous play activities, hand to mouth rates), exposure frequency (i.e., time spent in various activities) and other exposure factors (e.g., soil particulate emission rates at baseball play fields) can help pinpoint risk on baseball fields where arsenic levels may be a concern.
The Effect of Protracted Exposure to Radiation on Liver Injury: A Cohort Study of Industrial Radiographers in Xinjiang, China
Authors: Sun Qing , Mao Weiming , Jiang Haiyue , Zhang Xiaoyue , Xiao Jing , Lian Yulong
Published: January 2018

Background: At present, a large number of studies indicate that high dose ionizing radiation exposure is an important risk factor for liver damage. Whether protracted exposure to low external doses of ionizing radiation could induce liver injury is unclear. The aim of this study was to assess the risk of liver injury following protracted exposure to occupational radiation compared to a group of unexposed workers. Methods: A three-year cohort study was initiated in Xinjiang, China in 2010 and included 508 industrial radiographers and 2156 unexposed workers. The incidence of liver injury was assessed clinically based on the evaluation of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) levels. Logistic regression was used to examine whether radiation is a risk factor for liver injury. Results: Compared with the unexposed group, protracted radiation exposure was found to be a risk factor for liver injury. Sex, age at baseline and alcohol consumption were not associated with liver injury. However, hypertension was a risk factor for liver injury. The association between cumulative recorded radiation dose and liver injury was not found in this study. Conclusions: These findings indicate that protracted exposure to radiation is a risk factor for liver injury.
Are We in Boswash Yet? A Multi-Source Geodata Approach to Spatially Delimit Urban Corridors
Authors: Georg Isabel , Blaschke Thomas , Taubenböck Hannes
Published: January 2018

The delimitation of urban space is conceptually elusive and fuzzy. Commonly, urban areas are delimited through administrative boundaries. These artificial, fixed boundaries, however, do not necessarily represent the actual built-up extent, the urban catchment, or the economic linkage within and across neighboring metropolitan regions. For an approach to spatially delimit an urban corridor—a generically defined concept of a massive urban area—we use the Boston to Washington (Boswash) region as an example. This area has been consistently conceptualized in literature as bounded urban space. We develop a method to spatially delimit the urban corridor using multi-source geodata (built-up extent, infrastructure and socioeconomic data) which are based on a grid rather than on administrative units. Threshold approaches for the input data serve to construct Boswash as varying connected territorial spaces, allowing us to investigate the variability of possible spatial forms of the area, i.e., to overcome the simple dichotomous classification in favor of a probability-based differentiation. Our transparent multi-layer approach, validated through income data, can easily be modified by using different input datasets while maintaining the underlying idea that the likelihood of an area being part of an urban corridor is flexible, i.e., in our case a factor of how many input layers return positive results.
Uptake of Tyrosine Amino Acid on Nano-Graphene Oxide
Authors: Nassef Hossam , Hagar Mohamed , Malek Zeiad , Othman Abdelhameed
Published: January 2018

Graphene oxide (GO) is emerging as a promising nanomaterial with potential application in the detection and analysis of amino acids, DNA, enzymes, and proteins in biological fluid samples. So, the reaction of GO with amino acids should be characterized and determined before using it in biosensing methods and devices. In this study, the reaction of tyrosine amino acid (Tyr) with GO was characterized using FT-IR, UV-vis spectrophotometry, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) before its use. The optimum conditions for GO’s interaction with Tyr amino acid have been studied under variable conditions. The optimum conditions of pH, temperature, shaking time, and GO and tyrosine concentrations for the uptaking of tyrosine amino acid onto the GO’s surface from aqueous solution were determined. The SEM analysis showed that the GO supplied was in a particle size range between 5.4 and 8.1 nm. A pH of 8.4–9.4 at 25 °C and 5 min of shaking time were the optimum conditions for a maximum uptake of 1.4 μg/mL of tyrosine amino acid onto 0.2 mg/mL of GO.
On the Alloying and Properties of Tetragonal Nb5Si3 in Nb-Silicide Based Alloys
Authors: Tsakiropoulos Panos
Published: January 2018

The alloying of Nb5Si3 modifies its properties. Actual compositions of (Nb,TM)5X3 silicides in developmental alloys, where X = Al + B + Ge + Si + Sn and TM is a transition and/or refractory metal, were used to calculate the composition weighted differences in electronegativity (Δχ) and an average valence electron concentration (VEC) and the solubility range of X to study the alloying and properties of the silicide. The calculations gave 4.11 < VEC < 4.45, 0.103 < Δχ < 0.415 and 33.6 < X < 41.6 at.%. In the silicide in Nb-24Ti-18Si-5Al-5Cr alloys with single addition of 5 at.% B, Ge, Hf, Mo, Sn and Ta, the solubility range of X decreased compared with the unalloyed Nb5Si3 or exceeded 40.5 at.% when B was with Hf or Mo or Sn and the Δχ decreased with increasing X. The Ge concentration increased with increasing Ti and the Hf concentration increased and decreased with increasing Ti or Nb respectively. The B and Sn concentrations respectively decreased and increased with increasing Ti and also depended on other additions in the silicide. The concentration of Sn was related to VEC and the concentrations of B and Ge were related to Δχ. The alloying of Nb5Si3 was demonstrated in Δχ versus VEC maps. Effects of alloying on the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) anisotropy, Young’s modulus, hardness and creep data were discussed. Compared with the hardness of binary Nb5Si3 (1360 HV), the hardness increased in silicides with Ge and dropped below 1360 HV when Al, B and Sn were present without Ge. The Al effect on hardness depended on other elements substituting Si. Sn reduced the hardness. Ti or Hf reduced the hardness more than Cr in Nb5Si3 without Ge. The (Nb,Hf)5(Si,Al)3 had the lowest hardness. VEC differentiated the effects of additions on the hardness of Nb5Si3 alloyed with Ge. Deterioration of the creep of alloyed Nb5Si3 was accompanied by decrease of VEC and increase or decrease of Δχ depending on alloying addition(s).
Cryogenic Milling of Titanium Powder
Authors: Kozlík Jiří , Stráský Josef , Harcuba Petr , Ibragimov Ilya , Chráska Tomáš , Janeček Miloš
Published: January 2018

Ti Grade 2 was prepared by cryogenic attritor milling in liquid nitrogen and liquid argon. Two types of milling balls were used—stainless steel balls and heavy tungsten carbide balls. The effect of processing parameters on particle size and morphology, contamination of powder and its microhardness was investigated. Milling in liquid nitrogen was not feasible due to excessive contamination by nitrogen. Minor reduction of particle size and significant alterations in particle morphology depended on type of milling balls and application of stearic acid as processing control agent. Heavily deformed ultra-fine grained (UFG) internal microstructure of powder particles was observed by the method of “transmission Kikuchi diffraction”.
Unusually High Incidences of Staphylococcus aureus Infection within Studies of Ventilator Associated Pneumonia Prevention Using Topical Antibiotics: Benchmarking the Evidence Base
Authors: Hurley James
Published: January 2018

Selective digestive decontamination (SDD, topical antibiotic regimens applied to the respiratory tract) appears effective for preventing ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. However, potential contextual effects of SDD on Staphylococcus aureus infections in the ICU remain unclear. The S. aureus ventilator associated pneumonia (S. aureus VAP), VAP overall and S. aureus bacteremia incidences within component (control and intervention) groups within 27 SDD studies were benchmarked against 115 observational groups. Component groups from 66 studies of various interventions other than SDD provided additional points of reference. In 27 SDD study control groups, the mean S. aureus VAP incidence is 9.6% (95% CI; 6.9–13.2) versus a benchmark derived from 115 observational groups being 4.8% (95% CI; 4.2–5.6). In nine SDD study control groups the mean S. aureus bacteremia incidence is 3.8% (95% CI; 2.1–5.7) versus a benchmark derived from 10 observational groups being 2.1% (95% CI; 1.1–4.1). The incidences of S. aureus VAP and S. aureus bacteremia within the control groups of SDD studies are each higher than literature derived benchmarks. Paradoxically, within the SDD intervention groups, the incidences of both S. aureus VAP and VAP overall are more similar to the benchmarks.
Fat, Sugar, Whole Grains and Heart Disease: 50 Years of Confusion
Authors: Temple Norman
Published: January 2018

During the 1970s some investigators proposed that refined carbohydrates, especially sugar and a low intake of dietary fiber, were major factors in coronary heart disease (CHD). This suggestion was eclipsed by the belief that an excess intake of saturated fatty acids (SFA) was the key dietary factor, a view that prevailed from roughly 1974 to 2014. Findings that have accumulated since 1990 inform us that the role of SFA in the causation of CHD has been much exaggerated. A switch from SFA to refined carbohydrates does not lower the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL-cholesterol in the blood and therefore does not prevent CHD. A reduced intake of SFA combined with an increased intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids lowers the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL-cholesterol; this may reduce the risk of CHD. The evidence linking carbohydrate-rich foods with CHD has been steadily strengthening. Refined carbohydrates, especially sugar-sweetened beverages, increase the risk of CHD. Conversely, whole grains and cereal fiber are protective. An extra one or 2 servings per day of these foods increases or decreases risk by approximately 10% to 20%.
Exploring the Knowledge and Perception of Generic Medicines among Final Year Undergraduate Medical, Pharmacy, and Nursing Students in Sierra Leone: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Approach
Authors: James Peter , Bah Abdulai , Margao Emmanuel , Hanson Christian , Kabba John , Jamshed Shazia
Published: January 2018

Most low-income nations have national medicine policy that emphasized the use of generic medicines in the public health sector. However, the use of generics is often debatable as there are concerns over its efficacy, quality, and safety compared to their branded counterparts. This study was conducted to compare the knowledge and perception of generic medicines among final year undergraduate medical, pharmacy, and nursing students in Sierra Leone. We conducted a questionnaire-based cross-sectional study among these students at the College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences University of Sierra Leone. Out of the 62 students, only two (2/62, 3.2%) knew about the acceptable bioequivalence limit. At least half of respondents in all three groups agreed that all generics are therapeutically equivalent to their innovator brand. At least half of the medicine (21/42, 50%) and nursing (6/9, 66.6%) students, compared to pharmacy students (5/11, 45.5%), believed that higher safety standards are required for proprietary medicines than for generic medicines. Most of them agreed that they need more information on the safety, quality, and efficacy aspects of generics (59/62, 95.2%). All three groups of healthcare students, despite variations in their responses, demonstrated a deficiency in knowledge and misconception regarding generic medicines. Training on issues surrounding generic drugs in healthcare training institutions is highly needed among future healthcare providers in Sierra Leone.
Counter-Based Broadcast Scheme Considering Reachability, Network Density, and Energy Efficiency for Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Jung Ji-Young , Seo Dong-Yoon , Lee Jung-Ryun
Published: January 2018

A wireless sensor network (WSN) is emerging as an innovative method for gathering information that will significantly improve the reliability and efficiency of infrastructure systems. Broadcast is a common method to disseminate information in WSNs. A variety of counter-based broadcast schemes have been proposed to mitigate the broadcast-storm problems, using the count threshold value and a random access delay. However, because of the limited propagation of the broadcast-message, there exists a trade-off in a sense that redundant retransmissions of the broadcast-message become low and energy efficiency of a node is enhanced, but reachability become low. Therefore, it is necessary to study an efficient counter-based broadcast scheme that can dynamically adjust the random access delay and count threshold value to ensure high reachability, low redundant of broadcast-messages, and low energy consumption of nodes. Thus, in this paper, we first measure the additional coverage provided by a node that receives the same broadcast-message from two neighbor nodes, in order to achieve high reachability with low redundant retransmissions of broadcast-messages. Second, we propose a new counter-based broadcast scheme considering the size of the additional coverage area, distance between the node and the broadcasting node, remaining battery of the node, and variations of the node density. Finally, we evaluate performance of the proposed scheme compared with the existing counter-based broadcast schemes. Simulation results show that the proposed scheme outperforms the existing schemes in terms of saved rebroadcasts, reachability, and total energy consumption.
Reliability-Aware Cooperative Node Sleeping and Clustering in Duty-Cycled Sensors Networks
Authors: Song Jeungeun , Miao Yiming , Song Enmin , Hossain M. , Alhamid Mohammed
Published: January 2018

Duty-cycled sensor networks provide a new perspective for improvement of energy efficiency and reliability assurance of multi-hop cooperative sensor networks. In this paper, we consider the energy-efficient cooperative node sleeping and clustering problems in cooperative sensor networks where clusters of relay nodes jointly transmit sensory data to the next hop. Our key idea for guaranteeing reliability is to exploit the on-demand number of cooperative nodes, facilitating the prediction of personalized end-to-end (ETE) reliability. Namely, a novel reliability-aware cooperative routing (RCR) scheme is proposed to select k-cooperative nodes at every hop (RCR-selection). After selecting k cooperative nodes at every hop, all of the non-cooperative nodes will go into sleep status. In order to solve the cooperative node clustering problem, we propose the RCR-based optimal relay assignment and cooperative data delivery (RCR-delivery) scheme to provide a low-communication-overhead data transmission and an optimal duty cycle for a given number of cooperative nodes when the network is dynamic, which enables part of cooperative nodes to switch into idle status for further energy saving. Through the extensive OPNET-based simulations, we show that the proposed scheme significantly outperforms the existing geographic routing schemes and beaconless geographic routings in wireless sensor networks with a highly dynamic wireless channel and controls energy consumption, while ETE reliability is effectively guaranteed.
Spatial Characteristics, Health Risk Assessment and Sustainable Management of Heavy Metals and Metalloids in Soils from Central China
Authors: Li Fei , Cai Ying , Zhang Jingdong
Published: January 2018

The contents of seven toxic metals (Cu, Cr, Cd, Zn, Pb, Hg and As) in soils from Central China, including Henan Province, Hubei Province and Hunan Province, were collected from published papers from 2007 to 2017. The geoaccumulation index, health risk assessment model and statistics were adopted to study the spatial contamination pattern, to assess the human health risks and to identify the priority control pollutants. The concentrations of soil metals in Central China, especially Cd (1.31 mg/kg), Pb (44.43 mg/kg) and Hg (0.19 mg/kg), surpassed their corresponding background values, and the Igeo values of Cd and Hg varied the most, ranging from the unpolluted level to the extremely polluted level. The concentrations of toxic metals were higher in the southern and northern parts of Central China, contrasting to the lowest contents in the middle parts. For non-carcinogenic risk, the hazard index (HI) values for the children in Hubei Province (1.10) and Hunan Province (1.41) exceeded the safe level of one, with higher health risks to children than adults, and the hazard quotient (HQ) values of the three exposure pathways for both children and adults in Central China decreased in the following order: ingestion > dermal contact > inhalation. For carcinogenic risk (CR), the CR values for children in Hubei Province (2.55 × 10−4), Hunan Province (3.44 × 10−4) and Henan Province (1.69 × 10−4), and the CR for adults in Hubei Province (3.67 × 10−5), Hunan Province (4.92 × 10−5) and Henan Province (2.45 × 10−5) exceeded the unacceptable level (10−4) and acceptable level (10−6), respectively. Arsenic (As) appeared to be the main metalloid for both children and adults causing the high carcinogenic risk. For sustainable development in Central China, special attention should be paid to Cd, Hg, Cr, Pb and As, identified as the priority control soil metals. Importance should also be attached to public education, source control, and the remediation of the highly contaminated soils, especially in the areas where it can endanger the groundwater. Furthermore, it is necessary to appropriately adjust the industrial structure and cooperate more to form a complete economic zone.
City Branding in China’s Northeastern Region: How Do Cities Reposition Themselves When Facing Industrial Decline and Ecological Modernization?
Authors: Han Meiling , De Jong Martin , Cui Zhuqing , Xu Limin , Lu Haiyan , Sun Baiqing
Published: January 2018

The past decade has seen a surge in the use of city branding, which is used to attract specific target groups of investors, high-tech green firms and talented workforce and reflects a desired shift from old, polluting manufacturing industries to new, clean service industries. Previous studies in the Chinese mega-city regions Pearl River Delta, Yangtze River Delta and Jing-Jin-Ji (region around Beijing and Tianjin) have shown that branding practices of primarily service and innovation oriented cities are largely in line with existing industrial profiles while those which are predominantly manufacturing oriented wish to present themselves as more service and innovation driven. In this contribution, city branding practices are studied in China’s three Northeastern provinces Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning which face structural decline because of the presence of many outdated resource-based and heavy industries. The gap between existing profile and branding choices appears not systematic as in China’s leading economic regions. Northeastern cities focus more on combining primary, secondary and tertiary industrial patterns than on displacing manufacturing with services. The tertiary sector in these provinces is more administrative and public sector oriented and generates lower value added; it is therefore not significantly more attractive than the primary and secondary ones.
Impact of Infrastructure and Production Processes on Rioja Wine Supply Chain Performance
Authors: Díaz-Reza José , García-Alcaraz Jorge , Martínez-Loya Valeria , Avelar-Sosa Liliana , Jiménez-Macías Emilio , Blanco-Fernández Julio
Published: January 2018

This paper presents a structural equation model for analyzing the relationship between four latent variables: infrastructure, production processes, transport benefits, and economic benefits within the supply chain for wine from La Rioja, Spain, by incorporating 12 observed variables. The model proposes six hypothesis that were tested using information gathered from 64 surveys completed by managers of several wineries in the region. The WarpPLS v.5® software (Version 5.0, Script Warp Systems, Laredo, TX, USA) was used to execute the model and analyze the direct, indirect, and total effects among latent variables. The results show that the control of production processes is a direct source of economic and transport benefits because of its higher explanatory power of those variables. Similarly, infrastructure is a direct source of transport and production benefits, and some of them are given indirectly. In addition, infrastructure does not have a direct effect on economic benefits; however, there were indirect effects given through production process and transport benefits. Infrastructure is a very important variable because of its influence in the final performance, but also because of its high environmental impact. Finally, economic benefits were explained in 43.8%, 19.1% belonging to production process, 21.1% coming from transport benefits, and 3.7% from infrastructure.
Sustainable Living in Finland: Combating Climate Change in Everyday Life
Authors: Salonen Arto , Siirilä Jani , Valtonen Mikko
Published: January 2018

Finland aims to be a carbon-neutral society by the year 2050. We are interested to know on a general level how sustainable living materializes among Finnish people, what is the structure of a sustainable lifestyle in Finland and how do people reason about their everyday behavior choices in the context of sustainability in order to combat climate change. The data (n = 2052) were collected by questionnaire in April 2017. They were corrected by sex, age and residential area to be representative of the population of Finland (18–79 years old). We applied mixed methods. A principal axis factoring was conducted on the 32 variables with orthogonal rotation (varimax). Six factors explained 65.2% of the variance. The respondents were also able to write why they considered the specific variable to be important for them. We classified 2811 reasonings. According to our results, Finns have become conscious of climate change, but carbon reduction has not become mainstream in their everyday life. Circulation and preventing loss of materials show a promising start to a Finn’s sustainable way of living. Recycling has been automated so that it is part of a Finn’s everyday routine and habits. Finns also favor domestic food and products. They are interested in the origin of materials. Essential reasons for that are supporting the local economy and ensuring a good employment rate for the state. Smart, carbon-free mobility is a challenge. Finns seem to estimate that their personal car use is already at the proper level. On the other hand, even one fifth reported consideration of environmental effects when planning holidays.