bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
TECHNICAL AND CADASTRAL REGISTRATION OF INFRASTRUCTURE OBJECTS OF REAL ESTATE
Authors: Dudinova Olga
Published: November 2019

Starting to consider the issues related to the legal regulation and implementation of the reform of technical and cadastral registration of real estate, it is impossible not to say about its role and importance for the Russian legal system. The accounting system is a certain guarantee of the rights of owners in respect of real estate. The issue of legal regulation of infrastructure facilities is still one of the most difficult in the urban planning and land legislation of the Russian Federation. The lack of effective and versatile regulatory and folding it on the basis of the practice make it very difficult town planning and investment development of territories and improvement. In this article the problems connected with legal regulation of infrastructure objects are revealed, the analysis of the current legislation and practical approaches is carried out, the classification of infrastructure objects is investigated, the essence of this concept is revealed.
ECOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC EFFECT OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF INDUSTRIAL FORMATIONS OF SOLID MINERAL DEPOSITS OF SIBERIA
Authors: Mamahatova Resta
Published: November 2019

Annotation. Some features of the development of industrial deposits of ore minerals are outlined, a review of economic and environmental factors affecting the efficiency of mining of such deposits is conducted. A high percentage of the open-cut mining developing Russian mineral deposits indicates the specificity of this development direction of the mining industries. The production of open cast mining accompanied by the formation of dumping embankments, tailing dumps, hydro dumps. At the same time, the environmental impact of modern quarries and man-made massifs acquires a regional character.
The article analyzes the scientific experience of Russian and foreign researchers in this field. The most significant provisions of the method of environmental and economic assessment of the efficiency of the development of industrial deposits are given. The comparative characteristics of various industrial deposits are indicated, areas for their storage, the maintenance of useful components in dumps, the possibilities of their development, and the estimated difficulties in processing are highlighted. The existent methods of processing of similar raw material are considered, their description is given On the example of industrial deposits the simplified ecological and economic evaluation of processing production is conducted with the use of innovative technology.
NATURAL-ANTHROPOGENIC REGIMES IN SIMPLE MODELS OF THE GLOBAL MARINE FISHERIES
Authors: Ryzhenkov Alexander
Published: November 2019

The study applies the system dynamics method in upgrading the World Bank’s global marine fisheries models in the interest of achieving the UN goals of sustainable development. The key variables are a global marine fish stock, its natural growth, as well as the fisheries’ effort and catch. The equations for the reproduction of the fish stock in the regimes of maximum sustainable yield, overfishing or undercatch are derived. Determined are collapse time frames in result of typical overfishing varieties. A new positive feedback loop has been proposed in regulating global marine fish stock to ensure maximum sustainable yield asymptotically.
ON STRATEGY OF THE RUSSIAN FOREST SECTOR DEVELOPMENT
Authors: Sokolov Vladimir , Goryaeva Elena , Vtyurina Olga
Published: November 2019

The Russian forest sector is running down. To remedy the situation, a strategy for developing the forest sector of the Russian Federation until 2030 was developed. The strategy basically repeats the mistakes of various concepts, strategies and programs developed in recent years for the Russian Federation as a whole and its subjects.Essentially, these documents are aimed at developing the forest industry, i.e. use of wood. The strategy analysis shows the unsatisfactory nature of this document, as it is based on the provisions of the detrimental Forest Code of 2006.The strategy primary error is underresourcedplanned indicators of forest products export and domestic consumption of wood raw materials. The strategy does not fix problem of forestry financing under a market economy. Based only on wood accounting, forest evaluationsare counterproductive for the forest sector, as they underestimate the value of forest areas, which are of great environmental and social importance. Further development of the forest sector will largely depend on the ability of the Federationto dialog withits subjects, forest companies and enterprises, scientific and public organizations in the field of forest policy and practice.
SIBERIA AND THE FAR EAST AMONG THE REGIONS OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION: ASSESSMENT OF CONDITIONS OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
Authors: Gvozdeva Galina , Gvozdeva Elena , Kostin Vitaly
Published: November 2019

The objective of the paper is to make a comparative description of the conditions for human development in the regions of Siberia and the Far East against the background of other territories of Russia. Based on the statistical data from 2014-2017, the typology of the Russian regions differing in external conditions for human development of the population is constructed using factor analysis. Its distinctive feature is that among the influencing factors the behavior of the population is taken into account. The concentration of population in regions with favorable conditions is shown. In most regions of Siberia and the Far East, conditions are unfavorable: low incomes, low life expectancy, accelerated reduction in the number of personnel engaged in research and development, reduction in the cost of technological innovations and the rate of growth in the volume of innovative products.
FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT IN THE RUSSIAN ECONOMY: IN THE TRICK MIRRORS OF STATISTICS
Authors: Dementiev Nicolai
Published: November 2019

With the latest statistics of the Bank of Russia (BR) and the Eurostat according to the directional principle, the article presents an appraisal of real (not formal) direct investment stocks between Russia and the rest of the world. It is shown that many large Russian corporations have subsidiaries abroad (mainly in the form of special purpose entities (SPE)), invest in them and then partially return the funds disguised as FDI, but under foreign jurisdiction. It is established that at least half of FDI in the Russian economy are in fact the returned funds of Russian corporations. In this manner, the last-mentioned can minimize the taxes, withdraw capital from the jurisdiction of Russia and furtively carry out dubious financial schemes (many countries treat SPEs activities as confidential).
According to the BR, about 80% of direct investments in Russia belong to small or even tiny countries (the Bahamas, Bermuda, Cyprus, Luxembourg, etc.) that act in deed as intermediaries. The statistics of the BR contain thus little information on real direct investors in the Russian economy.
KAJIAN PENGUATAN PERAN DIREKTORAT JENDERAL ANGGARAN MELALUI PENERAPAN BUDGET ANALYST
Authors: Sirat Achmad Fauzan
Published: November 2019

Kedudukan Chief Financial Officer (CFO) dan Chief Operational Officer (COO) sebagaimana diamanatkan dalam UU Nomor 17/2003 perlu diperjelas demi mempertajam kejelasan pemisahan kewenangan dan tanggung jawab, menguatkan pelaksanaan mekanisme checks and balances, mendorong upaya peningkatan profesionalisme dalam  penyelenggaraan tugas pemerintahan, dan mencegah kerancuan baik dalam pelaksanaan peran maupun kedudukan di mata hukum. 

              DJA sebagai unit pelaksana fungsi CFO dipandang perlu untuk melakukan reposisi peran ke arah yang lebih strategis melalui peningkatan kualitas layanan, penyempurnaan proses bisnis, termasuk  mitigasi risiko hukum yang dapat mendemotivasi pegawai yang menyebabkan kondisi vulnerable bagi DJA. Oleh karena itu perlu adanya perubahan mendasar dari yang sebelumnya lebih bersifat administratif menuju ke arah yang lebih strategis.

            Tulisan ini dimaksudkan untuk menguraikan perlunya mewujudkan peran DJA sebagai Budget Analyst  untuk meningkatkan value for money APBN dan  merumuskan langkah-langkah untuk mencapainya.
STUDI KOMPARASI PENGHITUNGAN BIAYA OUTPUT DENGAN MENGGUNAKAN METODE DIRECT COSTING DAN FULL COSTING:
Authors: Lestari Niken Ajeng
Published: November 2019

Kajian ini bertujuan untuk membandingkan antara penggunaan metode direct costing dan full costing dalam penghitungan biaya output. Studi komparasi dilakukan dengan membandingkan hasil penghitungan biaya dengan menggunakan kedua metode tersebut dan membandingkan biaya hasil penghitungan dengan metode full costing dengan membandingkan biayanya antar-BDK, antar-waktu, dan antar-BDK-waktu. Metode full costing dinilai dapat menunjukkan informasi biaya yang lebih baik bagi pimpinan K/L maupun pengguna anggaran yang dipergunakan dalam pengambilan keputusan dibandingkan dengan metode direct costing yang hingga saat ini digunakan dalam penghitungan biaya dalam RKA K/L. Metode penelitian yang digunakan dalam kajian ini adalah kualitatif deskriptif dengan metode analisis komparasi. Data yang digunakan adalah data output diklat pengadaan barang dan jasa yang dihasilkan dari 5 Balai Diklat Keuangan di BPPK pada tahun 2012 hingga 2015. Hasil dari kajian ini menunjukkan bahwa hasil penghitungan biaya dengan menggunakan metode full costing lebih besar 23% dibandingkan jika menggunakan metode direct costing. Hal ini akan berdampak pada hasil evaluasi kinerja output diklat PBJ karena belum memperhitungkan seluruh sumber daya yang digunakan dalam menghasilkan output diklat PBJ. Ketersediaan IT yang memadai menjadi syarat penting dalam penerapan metode full costing dalam sistem penganggaran dan perlu terdapat media pembelajaran yang tepat dalam rangka transfer knowledge metode full costing.
EFEKTIVITAS DAN EFISIENSI BIAYA UANG HARIAN PERJALANAN DINAS DALAM NEGERI
Authors: Mahfudin Mahfudin , Febrianto Andrie Mulya , Lestari Niken Ajeng , Kusumawati Nurrochmah Adha
Published: November 2019

This study aims to obtain an efficient and effective daily fund formula for domestic official travel. Effective means achieving the program goals as they have been planned without sacrificing input for other activities, while efficient means using state expenditure as economically as possible in achieving the government's program objectives without reducing the enthusiasm of the official travel executive. The study was carried out by indepth interviews of parties related to the preparation of standard policies on official travel costs and employees who had taken official trips by purposive sampling technique. The analytical method used is descriptive analysis and qualitative analysis. The results of the study show that the formulation of daily fund on official travel in the country is ideally adjusted for the type of official travel because of variations in transportation costs and risk costs in carrying out official travel activities.

 

Abstrak

Kajian ini bertujuan untuk memperoleh rumusan uang harian perjalanan dinas dalam negeri yang efisien dan efektif. Efektif artinya mencapai sasaran program sebagaimana yang telah ditetapkan/direncanakan tanpa mengorbankan input untuk kegiatan lain, sedangkan efisien artinya: menggunakan belanja negara sehemat mungkin dalam pencapaian sasaran program pemerintah tanpa mengurangi semangat kerja pelaksana perjalanan dinas. Kajian dilakukan dengan indepth interview wawancara pihak-pihak yang berkaitan dengan penyusunan kebijakan standar biaya perjalanan dinas serta pegawai yang pernah melakukan perjalanan dinas yang diambil dengan teknik purposive sampling.  Metode analisis yang digunakan yaitu analisis deskriptif dan analisis kualitatif. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa rumusan uang harian perjalanan dinas dalam negeri idealnya disesuaikan dengan jenis/bentuk perjalanan dinas karena adanya variasi biaya transportasi dan biaya resiko dalam pelaksanaan kegiatan perjalanan dinas.
Arctium lappa Root Extract Prevents Lead-Induced Liver Injury by Attenuating Oxidative Stress and Inflammation, and Activating Akt/GSK-3β Signaling
Authors: Alhusaini Ahlam , Fadda Laila , Hasan Iman H. , Ali Hanaa M. , El Orabi Naglaa F. , Badr Amira M. , Zakaria Enas , Alenazi Abeer M. , Mahmoud Ayman M.
Published: November 2019

Arctium lappa L. (A. lappa) is a popular medicinal plant with promising hepatoprotective activity. This study investigated the protective effect of A. lappa root extract (ALRE) on lead (Pb) hepatotoxicity, pointing to its ability to modulate oxidative stress, inflammation, and protein kinase B/Akt/glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3β signaling. Rats received 50 mg/kg lead acetate (Pb(Ac)2) and 200 mg/kg ALRE or vitamin C (Vit. C) for 7 days, and blood and liver samples were collected. Pb(Ac)2 provoked hepatotoxicity manifested by elevated serum transaminases and lactate dehydrogenase, and decreased total protein. Histopathological alterations, including distorted lobular hepatic architecture, microsteatotic changes, congestion, and massive necrosis were observed in Pb(II)-induced rats. ALRE ameliorated liver function and prevented all histological alterations. Pb(II) increased hepatic lipid peroxidation (LPO), nitric oxide (NO), caspase-3, and DNA fragmentation, and serum C-reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin-1β. Cellular antioxidants, and Akt and GSK-3β phosphorylation levels were decreased in the liver of Pb(II)-induced rats. ALRE ameliorated LPO, NO, caspase-3, DNA fragmentation and inflammatory mediators, and boosted antioxidant defenses in Pb(II)-induced rats. In addition, ALRE activated Akt and inhibited GSK-3β in the liver of Pb(II)-induced rats. In conclusion, ALRE inhibits liver injury in Pb(II)-intoxicated rats by attenuating oxidative injury and inflammation, and activation of Akt/GSK-3β signaling pathway.
Structure, Antioxidant, and Hypoglycemic Activities of Arabinoxylans Extracted by Multiple Methods from Triticale
Authors: Chen Hong , Chen Zhuoyun , Fu Yuanfang , Liu Jiao , Lin Siying , Zhang Qing , Liu Yuntao , Wu Dingtao , Lin Derong , Han Guoquan , Wang Lina , Qin Wen
Published: November 2019

Different methods of isolating arabinoxylans (AXs) from triticale were performed to investigate the extraction methods’ effects on the physiological functions of the AXs. Structural, antioxidant, and hypoglycemic activities were determined. The molecular weights (MWs) of enzyme- or water-extracted AXs were lower than those of alkali-extracted AXs. Opposite trends were shown by the arabinose–xylose ratio. Enzyme-extracted AXs exhibited higher glucose adsorption capacity and hydroxyl radical-scavenging efficiency than alkali-extracted AXs. The α-amylase inhibition ability, DPPH radical-scavenging capacity, and metal-chelating activity of alkali-extracted AXs were higher than those of enzyme-extracted AXs. Water-extracted AXs had the highest glucose dialysis retardation index. In conclusion, extraction methods can influence the physiological function of AXs through their structural features. AXs with higher MWs and esterified ferulic acid (FA) levels had higher antioxidant ability, whereas AXs with higher solubility and free FA level exhibited higher hypoglycemic activity.
An Automatic Chinese Medicine Dispensing Machine Using Shelf-Based Mechanism
Authors: Lin Jin-Yuan , Lin Jing-Min , Han Chin-Chuan , Wu Yu-Chi , Chang Chao-Shu
Published: November 2019

Chinese medicine is a time-honored and deeply valued medical skill in the Chinese community. Although currently the scientific Chinese medicine powder is prevalent, its varieties are numerous and have similar appearance, color, and odor, resulting in difficulties in being distinguished. Moreover, dosages are still weighed and mixed manually, rather than being automated; therefore, the workload for each Chinese medicine pharmacist is heavy, leading to it being easy for the wrong medicine to be administered due to human negligence. An innovative shelf-based automatic powder dispensing machine is therefore presented in this paper in order to promote the quality and efficiency of powder dispensing. This machine consists of linear guide mechanisms, weighing mechanisms, retractable mechanisms, gallipot base discharge mechanisms, and a lifting platform mechanism, and offers several innovative or important features that are beneficial to Chinese medicine. It can automatically and accurately dispense different powders in the correct weights, reducing the possibility of human error. Each gallipot is equipped with one low-cost gallipot base, which can be controlled by the weighing mechanism to discharge powder with the desired weight. Powder cross-contamination among different gallipots can also be avoided. Stepping motors are used in the presented machine for easy control, low cost, and durability. A parabolic type of S mode speed control for stepping motor is implemented, providing faster and more stable moving speed and accuracy than the traditional trapezoidal mode. Hardware and software are integrated and tested. The error of the weighed powder is reduced to +/−0.2 g. The dispensing process is very efficient, the moving speed of the weighing mechanism reaches 23.89 cm/s, and the discharge speed is up to 0.22 g/s. The system is indeed able to improve the accuracy and efficiency of powder dispensing for Chinese medicine.
Taking Advantage of Collective Intelligence and BIM-Based Virtual Reality in Fire Safety Inspection for Commercial and Public Buildings
Authors: Zhang Daxin , Zhang Jinyue , Xiong Haiming , Cui Zhiming , Lu Dan
Published: November 2019

Commercial and public buildings are more vulnerable to fires because of their complex use functions, large number of centralized occupants, and the dynamic nature of the use of space. Due to the large number of these types of buildings and the limited availability of manpower, annual fire inspections cannot ensure the continuous compliance of fire codes. A crowdsourcing application, iInspect, is proposed in this paper to harvest collective intelligence in order to conduct mass inspection tasks. This approach is supported by building information modeling (BIM) based virtual reality (VR) and an indoor real-time localization system. Based on the International Fire Code and 27 fire inspection checklists compiled by various local authorities, a generic list of inspection items suitable for iInspect is proposed, along with a reputation-based monetary incentive model. A prototype of iInspect was created for Android mobile phones, and a case study was performed in an office building in Tianjin, China, for verification of this crowdsourcing inspection approach.
Turbulent Drag Reduction Characteristics of Bionic Nonsmooth Surfaces with Jets
Authors: Song XiaoWen , Zhang MingXiao
Published: November 2019

Aiming at aerodynamic drag reduction for transportation systems, a new active surface is proposed that combines a bionic nonsmooth surface with a jet. Simulations were performed in the computational fluid dynamics software STAR-CCM+ to investigate the flow characteristics and drag reduction efficiency. The SST K-Omega model was used to enclose the equations. The simulation results showed that when the active surface simultaneously reduced the skin friction and overcame the sharp increase of pressure drag caused by a common nonsmooth surface, the total net drag decreased. The maximum drag reduction ratio reached 19.35% when the jet velocity was 11 m/s. Analyses of the turbulent kinetic energy, pressure distribution, and velocity profile variations showed that the active surface reduced the peak pressure on the windward side of the nonsmooth unit cell, thereby reducing the total pressure drag. Moreover, the recirculation formed in the unit cell transformed the fluid–wall sliding friction into fluid–fluid rolling friction like a rolling bearing, thereby reducing the skin friction. This study provides a new efficient way for turbulent drag reduction to work.
A Study of the Influence of Career Counseling Perception on the Employment Competencies of Design Students in Central Taiwan
Authors: Lo Chi-Hung
Published: November 2019

In recent years, many advanced countries have been outsourcing their lower-skilled jobs to other countries for manufacturing. As a result, employment opportunity has been declining for younger generations in advanced countries. Moreover, the extensive application of production technologies also leads to the replacement of labors by automatic machines. The employment opportunity of young adults has also gradually been deprived. It has become more difficult for students to make a career decision during college. After graduation, students also encounter the difficult choice of getting a job or going to graduate school. Therefore, career counseling for a student is critical to his/her career development. It is required to assist students in developing a correct career concept so that they can make an appropriate choice for their career. College students who are studying in design-related departments in central Taiwan were selected as the research target in this study. A total of 460 questionnaire copies were dispatched and 378 valid questionnaire copies were returned with a rate of response of 82%. The result of this research is threefold, as follows. 1. Career counseling has a significant positive influence on the vocational self-concept. 2. Vocational self-concept has a significantly positive influence on the employment competencies. 3. Career counseling has a significantly positive influence on employment competencies. We proposed recommendations based on the results of the investigation and analysis. It is expected that, the result can help schools provide appropriate and proper career counseling in order to assist and guide students into making proper career choices.
Catalytic Degradation of 4-Ethylpyridine in Water by Heterogeneous Photo-Fenton Process
Authors: Bensalah Nasr , Ahmad Mohammad I. , Bedoui Ahmed
Published: November 2019

In this work, the degradation of 4-ethylpyridine (4EP) in water by a heterogeneous photo-Fenton process (H2O2/Fe3O4/ultraviolet irradiation (UV)) was investigated. More rapid and effective 4EP degradation was obtained with H2O2/Fe3O4/UV than Fenton-like (H2O2/Fe3O4) and UV/H2O2, which is due to the larger production of hydroxyl radicals from the chemical and photolytic decomposition of H2O2. The operational conditions were varied during 4EP degradation experiments to evaluate the effects of pH, catalyst, concentration, and temperature on the kinetics and efficiency of H2O2/Fe3O4/UV oxidation. Under optimal conditions (100 mg/L 4EP, [H2O2] = 1000 mg/L, Fe3O4 = 40 mg/L, pH = 3 and room temperature, 300 rpm), 4EP was totally declined and more than 93% of the total organic carbon (TOC) was eliminated. Liquid chromatography analysis confirmed the formation of aromatic and aliphatic intermediates (4-hydroxypyridine, 4-pyridone, malonic, oxalic, and formic acids) that resulted in being mineralized. Ion chromatography analysis demonstrated the stoichiometric release of NH4+ ions during 4EP degradation by heterogeneous photo-Fenton oxidation. The reuse of the heterogeneous catalyst was evaluated after chemical and heat treatment at different temperatures. The heat-treated catalyst at 500 °C presented similar activity than the pristine Fe3O4. Accordingly, heterogeneous photo-Fenton oxidation can be an alternative method to treat wastewaters and groundwater contaminated with pyridine derivatives and other organic micropollutants. The combination of heterogeneous photo-Fenton oxidation with classical biological methods can be proposed to reduce the overall cost of the treatment in large-scale water treatment plants.
Investigation of a Method for Strengthening Perforated Cold-Formed Steel Profiles under Compression Loads
Authors: Taheri Ehsan , Firouzianhaji Ahmad , Usefi Nima , Mehrabi Peyman , Ronagh Hamid , Samali Bijan
Published: November 2019

Cold-formed steel (CFS) storage rack structures are extensively used in various industries to store products in safe and secure warehouses before distribution to the market. Thin-walled open profiles that are typically used in storage rack structures are prone to loss of stability due to different buckling modes such as local, distortional, torsional and flexural, or any interaction between these modes. In this paper, an efficient way of increasing ultimate capacity of upright frames under compression load is proposed using bolts and spacers which are added externally to the section with certain pitches along the height. Hereinto, experimental tests on 81 upright frames with different thicknesses and different heights were conducted, and the effect of employing reinforcement strategies was examined through the failure mode and ultimate load results. Non-linear finite element analyses were also performed to investigate the effect of different reinforcement spacing on the upright performance. The results showed that the reinforcement method could restrain upright flange and consequently increase the distortional strength of the upright profiles. This method can also be effective for any other light gauged steel open section with perforation. It was also observed that the reinforcement approach is much more useful for short length upright frames compared to the taller frames.
MSWI Bottom Ash Application to Resist Sulfate Attack on Concrete
Authors: Cheng Yongzhen , Dong Yun , Diao Jiakang , Zhang Guoying , Chen Chao , Wu Danxi
Published: November 2019

This research provides a strategy for partially replacing cement with municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) bottom ash (BA) to improve the performance of concrete against sulphate attack. Mortar strength tests were performed firstly to evaluate the hydration activity of the ground BA. Concrete specimens were cured in standard conditions and immersed in a solution that contained 10% sodium sulfate. Then, the compressive strength of these specimens was measured to investigate the mechanical properties and durability of the concrete. Next, the capillary porosity of the concrete was determined from the volume fractions of water lost in specimens. Finally, the transport of the sulphate solution in concrete was analyzed using capillary rise, crystallization rate, and solution absorption tests. The results indicated that BA had a certain hydration activity. The equivalent replacement of cement by BA decreased the compressive strength of the specimens but increased the durability of the concrete. There was an excellent correlation between capillary rise height, sulfate solution absorption amount, crystallization rate, and coarse capillary porosity. The addition of BA can decrease the coarse capillary porosity and further slow the capillary transport and crystallization of sulfate solution in concrete. Overall, the replacement of cement with BA can improve the durability of concrete and actualize the utilization of MSWI residues as a resource.
Impact of Recloser on Protecting Blind Areas of Distribution Network in the Presence of Distributed Generation
Authors: Sahebkar Farkhani Jalal , Najafi Arsalan , Zareein Mohammad , Godina Radu , M. G. Rodrigues Eduardo
Published: November 2019

The protection relay issues increase with the penetration of distributed generation (DG) units in distribution networks. Blind protection, sympathetic tripping and failure of reclosing are the frequent problems that are created by adding DG to the distribution networks. This research focuses on the impact of reclosers on overcurrent relay blind protection areas with DGs embedded in the distribution network. The protection blinding in overcurrent relays leads to a delay or non-tripping of the relay. The conventional solution for the blinding issue is to increase the sensitivity in the relay settings. The variation of relay settings may cause problems in the distribution network. This paper investigates the effect of reclosers on eliminating blind areas and improves the reliability in the presence of DG. In this way, possible blind points of the case study are detected, and recloser relays are then installed in appropriate locations. The case study is based on realistic data of a distribution network. The DG consists of two generators with a capacity of 4 MW. The simulation is performed in DIgSILENT software.
P-Fuzz: A Parallel Grey-Box Fuzzing Framework
Authors: Song Congxi , Zhou Xu , Yin Qidi , He Xinglu , Zhang Hangwei , Lu Kai
Published: November 2019

Fuzzing is an effective technology in software testing and security vulnerability detection. Unfortunately, fuzzing is an extremely compute-intensive job, which may cause thousands of computing hours to find a bug. Current novel works generally improve fuzzing efficiency by developing delicate algorithms. In this paper, we propose another direction of improvement in this field, i.e., leveraging parallel computing to improve fuzzing efficiency. In this way, we develop P-fuzz, a parallel fuzzing framework that can utilize massive, distributed computing resources to fuzz. P-fuzz uses a database to share the fuzzing status such as seeds, the coverage information, etc. All fuzzing nodes get tasks from the database and update their fuzzing status to the database. Also, P-fuzz handles some data races and exceptions in parallel fuzzing. We compare P-fuzz with AFL and a parallel fuzzing framework Roving in our experiment. The result shows that P-fuzz can easily speed up AFL about 2.59× and Roving about 1.66× on average by using 4 nodes.
Reconciling the Discrepancy of Post-Volcanic Cooling Estimated from Tree-Ring Reconstructions and Model Simulations over the Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Duan Jianping , Wu Peili , Ma Zhuguo
Published: November 2019

Volcanic eruptions are a major factor influencing global climate variability, usually with a cooling effect. The magnitudes of post-volcanic cooling from historical eruptions estimated by tree-ring reconstructions differ considerably with the current climate model simulations. It remains controversial on what is behind such a discrepancy. This study investigates the role of internal climate variability (i.e., El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) warm phase) with a regional focus on the Tibetan Plateau (TP), using tree-ring density records and long historical climate simulations from the fifth Coupled Model Intercomparsion Project (CMIP5). We found that El Niño plays an important role behind the inconsistencies between model simulations and reconstructions. Without associated El Niño events, model simulations agree well with tree-ring records. Divergence appears when large tropical eruptions are followed by an El Niño event. Model simulations, on average, tend to overestimate post-volcanic cooling during those periods as the occurrence of El Niño is random as part of internal climate variability.
Marine Invertebrate Extracts Induce Colon Cancer Cell Death via ROS-Mediated DNA Oxidative Damage and Mitochondrial Impairment
Authors: Ruiz-Torres Verónica , Rodríguez-Pérez Celia , Herranz-López María , Martín-García Beatriz , Gómez-Caravaca Ana-María , Arráez-Román David , Segura-Carretero Antonio , Barrajón-Catalán Enrique , Micol Vicente
Published: November 2019

Marine compounds are a potential source of new anticancer drugs. In this study, the antiproliferative effects of 20 invertebrate marine extracts on three colon cancer cell models (HGUE-C-1, HT-29, and SW-480) were evaluated. Extracts from two nudibranchs (Phyllidia varicosa, NA and Dolabella auricularia, NB), a holothurian (Pseudocol ochirus violaceus, PS), and a soft coral (Carotalcyon sp., CR) were selected due to their potent cytotoxic capacities. The four marine extracts exhibited strong antiproliferative effects and induced cell cycle arrest at the G2/M transition, which evolved into early apoptosis in the case of the CR, NA, and NB extracts and necrotic cell death in the case of the PS extract. All the extracts induced, to some extent, intracellular ROS accumulation, mitochondrial depolarization, caspase activation, and DNA damage. The compositions of the four extracts were fully characterized via HPLC-ESI-TOF-MS analysis, which identified up to 98 compounds. We propose that, among the most abundant compounds identified in each extract, diterpenes, steroids, and sesqui- and seterterpenes (CR); cembranolides (PS); diterpenes, polyketides, and indole terpenes (NA); and porphyrin, drimenyl cyclohexanone, and polar steroids (NB) might be candidates for the observed activity. We postulate that reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation is responsible for the subsequent DNA damage, mitochondrial depolarization, and cell cycle arrest, ultimately inducing cell death by either apoptosis or necrosis.
Effects of Post Anthesis Foliar Application of Sodium Selenite to Soybeans (Glycine max): Lipid Composition and Oil Stability
Authors: Escalante-Valdez María José , Guardado-Félix Daniela , Serna-Saldívar Sergio O. , Barrera-Arellano Daniel , Chuck-Hernández Cristina
Published: November 2019

This study aimed at determining whether applying selenium to soybean plants affected composition and oil oxidative stability of the seeds. Soybean was cultivated and sodium selenite (Selenite) added by foliar application (0, 200, or 300 g Selenite/Ha). Physical and chemical characterization was performed on the harvested seeds (thousand seed weight, bulk and true densities, fat, fiber, ash, protein, nitrogen free extract and selenium content). Soybean oil was tested in terms of Oxidation Induction Time (OIT), fatty acid, tocopherols, phytosterols, density, refractive index and saponification and iodine values. All seeds showed similar composition: crude fat (around 20%) and crude fiber (from 8.4 to 9.3%). Control seeds and those treated with 200 g Selenite/Ha contained higher protein concentration (37%), compared to the 300 g treatment (35.9%). All seeds showed similar ash content (7%). OIT values for both treatments were slightly lower (from 39.1 to 43.7 min) compared with 45.02 min in the control. Polyunsaturated fatty acids were higher for the 300 g Se/Ha (50.2%) compared with 48.2 to 49.4%of the other treatments. All samples showed similar phytosterols and tocopherols concentrations. Results showed that OIT values maintained an inverse relationship with selenium content, suggesting that foliar fertilization enhanced oil oxidation or acted as a pro-oxidant at the applied rates.
Combined Use of Deep Eutectic Solvents, Macroporous Resins, and Preparative Liquid Chromatography for the Isolation and Purification of Flavonoids and 20-Hydroxyecdysone from Chenopodium quinoa Willd
Authors: Zeng Jia , Shang Xianchao , Zhang Peng , Wang Hongwei , Gu Yanlong , Tan Jia-Neng
Published: November 2019

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) were used in combination with macroporous resins to isolate and purify flavonoids and 20-hydroxyecdysone from Chenopodium quinoa Willd by preparative high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The extraction performances of six DESs and the adsorption/desorption performances of five resins (AB-8, D101, HPD 400, HPD 600, and NKA-9) were investigated using the total flavonoid and 20-hydroxyecdysone extraction yields as the evaluation criteria, and the best-performing DES (choline chloride/urea, DES-6) and macroporous resin (D101) were further employed for phytochemical extraction and DES removal, respectively. The purified extract was subjected to preparative HPLC, and the five collected fractions were purified in a successive round of preparative HPLC to isolate three flavonoids and 20-hydroxyecdysone, which were identified by spectroscopic techniques. The use of a DES in this study significantly facilitated the preparative-scale isolation and purification of polar phytochemicals from complex plant systems.
Electrochemical Engineering of Nanoporous Materials for Photocatalysis: Fundamentals, Advances, and Perspectives
Authors: Lim Siew Yee , Law Cheryl Suwen , Liu Lina , Markovic Marijana , Hedrich Carina , Blick Robert H. , Abell Andrew D. , Zierold Robert , Santos Abel
Published: November 2019

Photocatalysis comprises a variety of light-driven processes in which solar energy is converted into green chemical energy to drive reactions such as water splitting for hydrogen energy generation, degradation of environmental pollutants, CO2 reduction and NH3 production. Electrochemically engineered nanoporous materials are attractive photocatalyst platforms for a plethora of applications due to their large effective surface area, highly controllable and tuneable light-harvesting capabilities, efficient charge carrier separation and enhanced diffusion of reactive species. Such tailor-made nanoporous substrates with rational chemical and structural designs provide new exciting opportunities to develop advanced optical semiconductor structures capable of performing precise and versatile control over light–matter interactions to harness electromagnetic waves with unprecedented high efficiency and selectivity for photocatalysis. This review introduces fundamental developments and recent advances of electrochemically engineered nanoporous materials and their application as platforms for photocatalysis, with a final prospective outlook about this dynamic field.
Placental Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Promote Myelin Regeneration in an Animal Model of Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Clark Kaitlin , Zhang Sheng , Barthe Sylvain , Kumar Priyadarsini , Pivetti Christopher , Kreutzberg Nicole , Reed Camille , Wang Yan , Paxton Zachary , Farmer Diana , Guo Fuzheng , Wang Aijun
Published: November 2019

Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) display potent immunomodulatory and regenerative capabilities through the secretion of bioactive factors, such as proteins, cytokines, chemokines as well as the release of extracellular vesicles (EVs). These functional properties of MSCs make them ideal candidates for the treatment of degenerative and inflammatory diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS). MS is a heterogenous disease that is typically characterized by inflammation, demyelination, gliosis and axonal loss. In the current study, an induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) murine model of MS was utilized. At peak disease onset, animals were treated with saline, placenta-derived MSCs (PMSCs), as well as low and high doses of PMSC-EVs. Animals treated with PMSCs and high-dose PMSC-EVs displayed improved motor function outcomes as compared to animals treated with saline. Symptom improvement by PMSCs and PMSC-EVs led to reduced DNA damage in oligodendroglia populations and increased myelination within the spinal cord of treated mice. In vitro data demonstrate that PMSC-EVs promote myelin regeneration by inducing endogenous oligodendrocyte precursor cells to differentiate into mature myelinating oligodendrocytes. These findings support that PMSCs’ mechanism of action is mediated by the secretion of EVs. Therefore, PMSC-derived EVs are a feasible alternative to cellular based therapies for MS, as demonstrated in an animal model of the disease.
Biofabrication of Cell-Derived Nanovesicles: A Potential Alternative to Extracellular Vesicles for Regenerative Medicine
Authors: Ilahibaks Nazma F. , Lei Zhiyong , Mol Emma A. , Deshantri Anil K. , Jiang Linglei , Schiffelers Raymond M. , Vader Pieter , Sluijter Joost P.G.
Published: November 2019

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are mediators of intercellular communication by transferring functional biomolecules from their originating cells to recipient cells. This intrinsic ability has gained EVs increased scientific interest in their use as a direct therapeutic in the field of regenerative medicine or as vehicles for drug delivery. EVs derived from stem cells or progenitor cells can act as paracrine mediators to promote repair and regeneration of damaged tissues. Despite substantial research efforts into EVs for various applications, their use remains limited by the lack of highly efficient and scalable production methods. Here, we present the biofabrication of cell-derived nanovesicles (NVs) as a scalable, efficient, and cost-effective production alternative to EVs. We demonstrate that NVs have a comparable size and morphology as EVs, but lack standard EV (surface) markers. Additionally, in vitro uptake experiments show that human fetal cardiac fibroblast, endothelial cells, and cardiomyocyte progenitor cells internalize NVs. We observed that cardiac progenitor cell-derived NVs and EVs are capable of activating mitogen-activated protein kinase 1/2 (MAPK1/2)-extracellular signal-regulated kinase, and that both NVs and EVs derived from A431 and HEK293 cells can functionally deliver Cre-recombinase mRNA or protein to other cells. These observations indicate that NVs may have similar functional properties as EVs. Therefore, NVs have the potential to be applied for therapeutic delivery and regenerative medicine purposes.
Thermoelectric Properties of Zinc-Doped Indium Tin Oxide Thin Films Prepared Using the Magnetron Co-Sputtering Method
Authors: Lee Ho Yun , Yang Im Jeong , Yoon Jang-Hee , Jin Sung-Ho , Kim Seohan , Song Pung Keun
Published: November 2019

The thermoelectric properties of In−Sn−O (ITO) thin films were estimated in relation to microstructures with various zinc concentrations. The zinc-doped ITO (ITO:Zn) thin films were amorphized with increasing zinc concentration. The carrier density (n) of the thin films decreased as the zinc content increased, which could be attributed to a decline in oxygen vacancies. The highest Seebeck coefficient (S, 64.91 μV/K) was obtained with an ITO film containing 15.33 at.% of Zn due to the low n value, which also exhibited the highest power factor (234.03 μW K−2 m−1). However, the highest thermoelectric figure of merit value (0.0627) was obtained from the film containing 18.26 at.% of Zn because of both low n and the lowest thermal conductivity (κ) (1.085 W m−1·K−1). The total κ decreased as increasing zinc concentration in the thin films. It was confirmed that the decrease of total κ was dominated by electron κ rather than lattice κ.
Supramolecular Architecture in a Ni(II) Complex with a Weakly Bonded N,N′-(1,4-phenylenedi- carbonyl)Diglycinate Counter-Anion: Crystal Structure Investigation and Hirshfeld Surface Analysis
Authors: Pook Niels-Patrick
Published: November 2019

In this work, we describe the structural investigation of a Ni(II) complex, [Ni(C12H8N2)2(H2O)2]2·(C12H10N2O6)·(NO3)2·10H2O, with phenanthroline ligands, a deprotonated aromatic dicarboxylic acid, N,N′-(1,4-phenylenedicarbonyl)diglycine, and a nitrate as counter-anions, as well as water molecules. Noncovalent interactions, such as π–π stacking, lone-pair···π, and C–H···π between the phenanthrolines of the cationic complex, [Ni(C12H8N2)2(H2O)2]2+, and counter-anions are observed. Moreover, the solvated and noncoordinating counter-anion, N,N′-(1,4-phenylenedicarbonyl)diglycinate, is embedded in classical and nonclassical hydrogen-bonding interactions with water molecules and phenanthrolines. The two water molecules coordinated by the NiII atom and hydrogen bonded to the carboxylate of the N,N′-(1,4-phenylenedicarbonyl)diglycinate show attractive secondary electrostatic interactions, and a DD/AA hydrogen bonding pattern is formed. The noncovalent interactions of the cationic complex and the solvated N,N′-(1,4-phenylenedicarbonyl)diglycinate counter anion were explored with a Hirshfeld surface analysis, and related contributions to crystal cohesion were determined. The results of the N,N′-(1,4-phenylenedicarbonyl)diglycinate counter anion were compared to those of a solvated N,N′-(1,4-phenylenedicarbonyl)diglycine molecule of a previously described copper(II) complex.
Diversity of Species and Susceptibility Phenotypes toward Commercially Available Fungicides of Cultivable Fungi Colonizing Bones of Ursus spelaeus on Display in Niedźwiedzia Cave (Kletno, Poland)
Authors: Dyląg Mariusz , Sawicki Artur , Ogórek Rafał
Published: November 2019

Underground ecosystems are one of the most inhospitable places for microorganism development and function. Therefore, any organic matter located in these areas can stimulate fungal growth. The main purpose of this study was to find the best solution to effectively preserve (without relapses) paleolithic bones of cave bear (Ursus spelaeus) exhibited in cave without any negative influence on the cave environment. To achieve this aim, unambiguous identification of fungal species and its susceptibility tests toward fungicidal preparations were performed. Fungi were identified based on phenotypic tests and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region analysis. The antifungal activity of three preparations (Pufmax, Boramon and Devor Mousse) was evaluated by microdilution assay (protocol M38-A2) and spot tests assay. Phenotypic and molecular research showed that bones were colonized by 11 fungal species: Absidia glauca, Aspergillus fumigatus, Chrysosporium merdarium, Fusarium cerealis, Mortierella alpina, Mucor aligarensis, M. plumbeus, Penicillium chrysogenum, P. expansum, Sarocladium strictum and Scopulariopsis candida. All of the tested preparations were the most active against C. merdarium. In turn, M. plumbeus, M. aligarensis, M. alpina and A. glauca were the least susceptible. The highest antifungal activity was shown for Pufmax (minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal fungicidal concentration (MFC) values were in the range of 0.16–0.63% and 1.25–2.50%, respectively). The lowest fungicidal effect was observed for Boramon (MICs and MFCs in the range of 2.5–10% and 5–20%, respectively). Devor Mousse and Pufmax preparations showed fungicidal activity at the concentrations in the range of 1.25–5%. Susceptibility profiles were also confirmed based on spot tests assay. Our study allows for unambiguously identifying isolated fungi and assessing their susceptibility to commercially available fungicides, to prevent fungal outbreak.
Performance Analysis of IEEE 802.11p for Continuous Backoff Freezing in IoV
Authors: Wu Qiong , Xia Siyang , Fan Qiang , Li Zhengquan
Published: November 2019

With the rapid development of cloud computing and big data, traditional Vehicular Ad hoc Networks (VANETs) are evolving into the Internet of Vehicles (IoV). As an important communication technology in IoV, IEEE 802.11p protocols have been studied by many experts and scholars. In IEEE 802.11p, a node’s backoff counter will be frozen when the channel is detected as busy. However, most studies did not consider the possibility of continuous backoff freezing when calculating delay. Thus, in this paper, we focus on the performance analysis of IEEE 802.11p for continuous backoff freezing. Specifically, we establish an analytical model to analyze the broadcast performance in the highway scene where vehicles can obtain traffic density from roadside units through Vehicle to Infrastructure (V2I) communications. We first calculate the relationship between vehicle density and the number of vehicles. Then, we derive the relationship between the number of vehicles and packet delay according to Markov chains. Next, we utilize the probability generating function (PGF) to transform traditional Markov chains into z domain under the situation of non-saturation. Finally, we employ the Mason formula to derive packet delay. As compared with the performance without considering the continuous backoff freezing, the simulation results have demonstrated that our analytical model is more reasonable.