bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Production of SnS2 Nanostructure as Improved Light-Assisted Electrochemical Water Splitting
Authors: Song Haizeng , Wu Han , Gao Yuan , Wang Ka , Su Xin , Yan Shancheng , Shi Yi
Published: September 2019

Tin disulfide (SnS2) has gained a lot of interest in the field of converting solar energy into chemical fuels in light-assisted electrochemical water splitting due to its visible-light band gap and high electronic mobility. However, further decreasing the recombination rate of electron-hole pairs and increasing the density of active states at the valence band edge of the photoelectrodes were a critical problem. Here, we were successful in fabricating the super-thin SnS2 nanostructure by a hydrothermal and solution etching method. The super-thin SnS2 nanostructure as a photo-electrocatalytic material exhibited low overpotential of 0.25 V at the current density of −10 mA·cm−2 and the potential remained basically unchanged after 1000 cycles in an H2SO4 electrolyte solution, which was better than that of the SnS2 nanosheet and SnS/SnS2 heterojunction nanosheet. These results show the potential application of super-thin SnS2 nanostructure in electrochemical/photo-electrocatalytic field.
Virgin Olive Oil and Health: Summary of the III International Conference on Virgin Olive Oil and Health Consensus Report, JAEN (Spain) 2018
Authors: Gaforio José J. , Visioli Francesco , Alarcón-de-la-Lastra Catalina , Castañer Olga , Delgado-Rodríguez Miguel , Fitó Monserrat , Hernández Antonio F. , Huertas Jesús R. , Martínez-González Miguel A. , Menendez Javier A. , Osada Jesús de la , Papadaki Angeliki , Parrón Tesifón , Pereira Jorge E. , Rosillo María A. , Sánchez-Quesada Cristina , Schwingshackl Lukas , Toledo Estefanía , Tsatsakis Aristidis M.
Published: September 2019

The Mediterranean diet is considered as the foremost dietary regimen and its adoption is associated with the prevention of degenerative diseases and an extended longevity. The preeminent features of the Mediterranean diet have been agreed upon and the consumption of olive oil stands out as the most peculiar one. Indeed, the use of olive oil as the nearly exclusive dietary fat is what mostly characterizes the Mediterranean area. Plenty of epidemiological studies have correlated that the consumption of olive oil was associated with better overall health. Indeed, extra virgin olive oil contains (poly)phenolic compounds that are being actively investigated for their purported biological and pharma-nutritional properties. On 18 and 19 May 2018, several experts convened in Jaen (Spain) to discuss the most recent research on the benefits of olive oil and its components. We reported a summary of that meeting (reviewing several topics related to olive oil, not limited to health) and concluded that substantial evidence is accruing to support the widespread opinion that extra virgin olive oil should, indeed, be the fat of choice when it comes to human health and sustainable agronomy.
Phenolic Plant Extracts Versus Penicillin G: In Vitro Susceptibility of Staphylococcus aureus Isolated from Bovine Mastitis
Authors: Gomes Fernanda , Rodrigues Maria , Martins Natália , Ferreira Isabel , Henriques Mariana
Published: September 2019

Antibiotics are the elective drugs in bovine mastitis (BM) treatment, despite their low rates of efficiency and effectiveness and increasing risk of pathogen resistance. In this sense, it is urgent to discover new and effective antimicrobial agents to apply in BM control and even treatment. Plant extracts have been widely recognized as a rich source of phytochemicals with antimicrobial potential. Thus, the present work aims to compare the bioactivity of Eucalyptus globulus and Juglans regia extracts against Staphylococcus aureus bovine mastitis strains with penicillin G. At non-toxic concentrations, E. globulus exerted a bacteriostatic effect in planktonic cells and J. regia had no antimicrobial activity. Penicillin G, at minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), demonstrated bactericidal activity, but just for S. aureus 3, 5, 6 and ATCC 25923, while the other strains seem to have acquired resistance. On the other hand, E. globulus and penicillin G in combination demonstrated synergy, being the most effective approach against S. aureus 1, 2 and 4. Thus, penicillin alone and in combination with E. globulus or J. regia seems to be promissory strategies to control bovine mastitis infections.
Therapeutic Applications of Pretargeting
Authors: Verhoeven Marjolein , Seimbille Yann , Dalm Simone U.
Published: September 2019

Targeted therapies, such as radioimmunotherapy (RIT), present a promising treatment option for the eradication of tumor lesions. RIT has shown promising results especially for hematologic malignancies, but the therapeutic efficacy is limited by unfavorable tumor-to-background ratios resulting in high radiotoxicity. Pretargeting strategies can play an important role in addressing the high toxicity profile of RIT. Key to pretargeting is the concept of decoupling the targeting vehicle from the cytotoxic agent and administrating them separately. Studies have shown that this approach has the ability to enhance the therapeutic index as it can reduce side effects caused by off-target irradiation and thereby increase curative effects due to higher tolerated doses. Pretargeted RIT (PRIT) has been explored for imaging and treatment of different cancer types over the years. This review will give an overview of the various targeted therapies in which pretargeting has been applied, discussing PRIT with alpha- and beta-emitters and as part of combination therapy, plus its use in drug delivery systems.
An Injectable Click-Crosslinked Hydrogel that Prolongs Dexamethasone Release from Dexamethasone-Loaded Microspheres
Authors: Heo Ji Yeon , Noh Jung Hyun , Park Seung Hun , Ji Yun Bae , Ju Hyeon Jin , Kim Da Yeon , Lee Bong , Kim Moon Suk
Published: September 2019

Our purpose was to test whether a preparation of injectable formulations of dexamethasone (Dex)-loaded microspheres (Dex-Ms) mixed with click-crosslinked hyaluronic acid (Cx-HA) (or Pluronic (PH) for comparison) prolongs therapeutic levels of released Dex. Dex-Ms were prepared using a monoaxial-nozzle ultrasonic atomizer with an 85% yield of the Dex-Ms preparation, encapsulation efficiency of 80%, and average particle size of 57 μm. Cx-HA was prepared via a click reaction between transcyclooctene (TCO)-modified HA (TCO-HA) and tetrazine (TET)-modified HA (TET-HA). The injectable formulations (Dex-Ms/PH and Dex-Ms/Cx-HA) were fabricated as suspensions and became a Dex-Ms-loaded hydrogel drug depot after injection into the subcutaneous tissue of Sprague Dawley rats. Dex-Ms alone also formed a drug depot after injection. The Cx-HA hydrogel persisted in vivo for 28 days, but the PH hydrogel disappeared within six days, as evidenced by in vivo near-infrared fluorescence imaging. The in vitro and in vivo cumulative release of Dex by Dex-Ms/Cx-HA was much slower in the early days, followed by sustained release for 28 days, compared with Dex-Ms alone and Dex-Ms/PH. The reason was that the Cx-HA hydrogel acted as an external gel matrix for Dex-Ms, resulting in the retarded release of Dex from Dex-Ms. Therefore, we achieved significantly extended duration of a Dex release from an in vivo Dex-Ms-loaded hydrogel drug depot formed by Dex-Ms wrapped in an injectable click-crosslinked HA hydrogel in a minimally invasive manner. In conclusion, the Dex-Ms/Cx-HA drug depot described in this work showed excellent performance on extended in vivo delivery of Dex.
Analysis of Bending-Induced Degradation of Orbital Angular Momentum Modes in Optical Fibers
Authors: Lee In Joon , Song Joohyung , Kim Sangin
Published: September 2019

In this work, bending-induced deterioration of orbital angular momentum (OAM) modes in ring core fiber (RCF), photonic crystal fiber (PCF), and vortex fiber (VF) was theoretically investigated: Bending losses, coupling losses, and intermodal crosstalk at the interface between straight and bent optical fibers were investigated from the modal analysis of those three types of OAM mode fibers. In addition, the degradation of a topological charge number of an OAM mode due to the bending-induced birefringence and horizontal mode asymmetry was also investigated. Our investigation revealed that, in all aspects, the PCF is most robust to bending among the three types of optical fibers, and the most serious bending-induced problem in the VF and the RCF is the degradation of the topological charge number. The allowed minimum bending radii of VF and RCF appeared to be ~15 and ~45 mm, respectively, for the specific structures considered in this work. We expect that the methodology and results of our quantitative analysis on bending-induced degradation of OAM modes will be of great use in the design of OAM mode fibers for practical use.
Tolerance of Eugenia dysenterica to Aluminum: Germination and Plant Growth
Authors: Almeida Rodrigues Arthur , Carvalho Vasconcelos Filho Sebastião , Müller Caroline , Almeida Rodrigues Douglas , de Fátima Sales Juliana , Zuchi Jacson , Carlos Costa Alan , Lino Rodrigues Cássia , Alves da Silva Adinan , Pereira Barbosa Danilo
Published: September 2019

Native Cerrado plants are exposed to soils with low pH and high availability of Al. In this study, we measured the Al content in adult plants, and investigated the effects of various Al doses on germination and early development of Eugenia dysenterica plants. For germination tests, the seeds were soaked in Al solution and evaluated for twenty days in growth chambers. In a second experiment, young plants were cultivated in hydroponic systems with various Al concentrations to evaluate the morphological, anatomical and physiological characteristics of E. dysenterica. Anatomical changes and low germinative vigor were observed in seeds germinated in 600 and 800 μmol Al3+ L−1. In the hydroponic system, 200 μmol Al3+ L−1 stimulated root growth in young plants. The activity of antioxidant enzymes and the accumulation of phenolic compounds were greatest at the highest Al doses, preventing changes in gas exchange and chlorophyll a fluorescence. Starch grain accumulation was noted in plant cells exposed to 200 and 400 μmol Al3+ L−1. Adult E. dysenterica trees also accumulated Al in leaves, bark and seeds. These data suggest that E. dysenterica is tolerant to Al.
SpitWorm, a Herbivorous Robot: Mechanical Leaf Wounding with Simultaneous Application of Salivary Components
Authors: Li Guanjun , Bartram Stefan , Guo Huijuan , Mithöfer Axel , Kunert Maritta , Boland Wilhelm
Published: September 2019

Induction of jasmonate-mediated plant defense against insect herbivory is initiated by a combination of both mechanical wounding and chemical factors. In order to study both effects independently on plant defense induction, SpitWorm, a computer-controlled device which mimics the damage pattern of feeding insect larvae on leaves and, in addition, can apply oral secretions (OS) or other solutions to the ‘biting site’ during ‘feeding,’ was developed and evaluated. The amount of OS left by a Spodoptera littoralis larva during feeding on Phaseolus lunatus (lima bean) leaves was estimated by combining larval foregut volume, biting rate, and quantification of a fluorescent dye injected into the larvae’s foregut prior to feeding. For providing OS amounts by SpitWorm equivalent to larval feeding, dilution and delivery rate were optimized. The effectiveness of SpitWorm was tested by comparing volatile organic compounds (VOC) emissions of P. lunatus leaves treated with either SpitWorm, MecWorm, or S. littoralis larvae. Identification and quantification of emitted VOCs revealed that SpitWorm induced a volatile bouquet that is qualitatively and quantitatively similar to herbivory. Additionally, RT-qPCR of four jasmonic acid responsive genes showed that SpitWorm, in contrast to MecWorm, induces the same regulation pattern as insect feeding. Thus, SpitWorm mimics insect herbivory almost identically to real larvae feeding.
Optimal Stopping and Utility in a Simple Modelof Unemployment Insurance
Authors: Anquandah Jason S. , Bogachev Leonid V.
Published: September 2019

Managing unemployment is one of the key issues in social policies. Unemployment insurance schemes are designed to cushion the financial and morale blow of loss of job but also to encourage the unemployed to seek new jobs more proactively due to the continuous reduction of benefit payments. In the present paper, a simple model of unemployment insurance is proposed with a focus on optimality of the individual’s entry to the scheme. The corresponding optimal stopping problem is solved, and its similarity and differences with the perpetual American call option are discussed. Beyond a purely financial point of view, we argue that in the actuarial context the optimal decisions should take into account other possible preferences through a suitable utility function. Some examples in this direction are worked out.
The Value of Sentinel-2 Spectral Bands for the Assessment of Winter Wheat Growth and Development
Authors: Revill Andrew , Florence Anna , MacArthur Alasdair , Hoad Stephen , Rees Robert , Williams Mathew
Published: September 2019

Leaf Area Index (LAI) and chlorophyll content are strongly related to plant development and productivity. Spatial and temporal estimates of these variables are essential for efficient and precise crop management. The availability of open-access data from the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Sentinel-2 satellite—delivering global coverage with an average 5-day revisit frequency at a spatial resolution of up to 10 metres—could provide estimates of these variables at unprecedented (i.e., sub-field) resolution. Using synthetic data, past research has demonstrated the potential of Sentinel-2 for estimating crop variables. Nonetheless, research involving a robust analysis of the Sentinel-2 bands for supporting agricultural applications is limited. We evaluated the potential of Sentinel-2 data for retrieving winter wheat LAI, leaf chlorophyll content (LCC) and canopy chlorophyll content (CCC). In coordination with destructive and non-destructive ground measurements, we acquired multispectral data from an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)-mounted sensor measuring key Sentinel-2 spectral bands (443 to 865 nm). We applied Gaussian processes regression (GPR) machine learning to determine the most informative Sentinel-2 bands for retrieving each of the variables. We further evaluated the GPR model performance when propagating observation uncertainty. When applying the best-performing GPR models without propagating uncertainty, the retrievals had a high agreement with ground measurements—the mean R2 and normalised root-mean-square error (NRMSE) were 0.89 and 8.8%, respectively. When propagating uncertainty, the mean R2 and NRMSE were 0.82 and 11.9%, respectively. When accounting for measurement uncertainty in the estimation of LAI and CCC, the number of most informative Sentinel-2 bands was reduced from four to only two—the red-edge (705 nm) and near-infrared (865 nm) bands. This research demonstrates the value of the Sentinel-2 spectral characteristics for retrieving critical variables that can support more sustainable crop management practices.
An EMI-Based Clustering for Structural Health Monitoring of NSM FRP Strengthening Systems
Authors: Perera Ricardo , Torres Lluis , Ruiz Antonio , Barris Cristina , Baena Marta
Published: September 2019

The use of fiber-reinforced polymers (FRP) in civil construction applications with the near-surface mounted (NSM) method has gained considerable popularity worldwide and can produce confident strengthening and repairing systems for existing concrete structures. By using this technique, the FRP reinforcement is installed into slits cut into the concrete cover using cement mortar or epoxy as bonding materials, yielding an attractive method to strengthen concrete structures as an advantageous alternative to the external bonding of FRP sheets. However, in addition to the two conventional failure modes of concrete beams, sudden and brittle debonding failures are still likely to happen. Due to this, a damage identification technology able to identify anomalies at early stages is needed. In this work, some relevant cluster-based methods and their adaptation to electromechanical impedance (EMI)-based damage detection in NSM-FRP strengthened structures are developed and validated with experimental tests. The performance of the proposed clustering approaches and their evaluation in comparison with the experimental observations have shown a strong potential of these techniques as damage identification methodology in an especially complex problem such as NSM-FRP strengthened concrete structures.
A System for Weeds and Crops Identification—Reaching over 10 FPS on Raspberry Pi with the Usage of MobileNets, DenseNet and Custom Modifications
Authors: Chechliński Łukasz , Siemiątkowska Barbara , Majewski Michał
Published: September 2019

Automated weeding is an important research area in agrorobotics. Weeds can be removed mechanically or with the precise usage of herbicides. Deep Learning techniques achieved state of the art results in many computer vision tasks, however their deployment on low-cost mobile computers is still challenging. The described system contains several novelties, compared both with its previous version and related work. It is a part of a project of the automatic weeding machine, developed by the Warsaw University of Technology and MCMS Warka Ltd. Obtained models reach satisfying accuracy (detecting 47–67% of weed area, misclasifing as weed 0.1–0.9% of crop area) at over 10 FPS on the Raspberry Pi 3B+ computer. It was tested for four different plant species at different growth stadiums and lighting conditions. The system performing semantic segmentation is based on Convolutional Neural Networks. Its custom architecture combines U-Net, MobileNets, DenseNet and ResNet concepts. Amount of needed manual ground truth labels was significantly decreased by the usage of the knowledge distillation process, learning final model which mimics an ensemble of complex models on a large database of unlabeled data. Further decrease of the inference time was obtained by two custom modifications: in the usage of separable convolutions in DenseNet block and in the number of channels in each layer. In the authors’ opinion, the described novelties can be easily transferred to other agrorobotics tasks.
Neural Activities Classification of Human Inhibitory Control Using Hierarchical Model
Authors: Chikara Rupesh Kumar , Ko Li-Wei
Published: September 2019

Human inhibitory control refers to the suppression of behavioral response in real environments, such as when driving a car or riding a motorcycle, playing a game and operating a machine. The P300 wave is a neural marker of human inhibitory control, and it can be used to recognize the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in human. In addition, the P300 neural marker can be considered as a stop command in the brain-computer interface (BCI) technologies. Therefore, the present study of electroencephalography (EEG) recognizes the mindset of human inhibition by observing the brain dynamics, like P300 wave in the frontal lobe, supplementary motor area, and in the right temporoparietal junction of the brain, all of them have been associated with response inhibition. Our work developed a hierarchical classification model to identify the neural activities of human inhibition. To accomplish this goal phase-locking value (PLV) method was used to select coupled brain regions related to inhibition because this method has demonstrated the best performance of the classification system. The PLVs were used with pattern recognition algorithms to classify a successful-stop versus a failed-stop in left-and right-hand inhibitions. The results demonstrate that quadratic discriminant analysis (QDA) yielded an average classification accuracy of 94.44%. These findings implicate the neural activities of human inhibition can be utilized as a stop command in BCI technologies, as well as to identify the symptoms of ADHD patients in clinical research.
Gender Inequalities in Early Career Trajectories and Parental Leaves: Evidence from a Nordic Welfare State
Authors: Kuitto Kati , Salonen Janne , Helmdag Jan
Published: September 2019

Parental leaves are, besides unemployment, the main reason for career breaks in early career. Despite the progress in recent decades towards more equal sharing of childcare between mothers and fathers, the labour market risk due to parenting remains mainly with women. In this article, we analyse how parental leaves relate to early career trajectories of young Finnish men and women. Using longitudinal register data for 2005–2016 from the Finnish Centre for Pensions, we perform a multi-trajectory analysis of the labour market attachment of a cohort born in 1980. Based on working days and earnings, we find five distinct career trajectories for both men and women, with the majority being well attached to the labour market by their mid-30s. While men and women on average have similar employment lengths, the gender gap in earnings is already 30 per cent in this early career phase. One of the causes may be found in the highly unequal division of family-related career breaks; the duration of mothers’ family-related leaves in this cohort was 13 times longer than fathers’ leave spells. Long home care leaves were particularly common among mothers with low education levels and weak attachment to the labour market. Efforts towards a more equal division of parental leaves are needed in order to combat gender inequalities that already emerge in early career and potentially cause life-long disadvantages for women’s careers, earnings and pensions.
Comparing “Leaf-to-Root”, “Nose-to-Tail” and Other Efficient Food Utilization Options from a Consumer Perspective
Authors: Nitzko Sina , Spiller Achim
Published: September 2019

The efficient use of natural raw materials is a key element of sustainable development and is also gaining importance in the food sector. Consumers are increasingly realizing that food is too valuable to be used only partially. However, consumer acceptance is an important precondition for establishing efficient food utilization options. A total of 470 German consumers were surveyed through an online-questionnaire where they had to evaluate three options each for the efficient use of plant-based foods as well as animal-based foods with respect to eight different criteria. The results show that the six options differed significantly regarding consumer acceptance. The efficient use of plant-based foods (especially non-standard fruits/vegetables and the “leaf-to-root” principle) was more accepted than the efficient utilization of animal-based foods. Furthermore, it can be seen that options using the by-products in a natural form were considered more acceptable than those which subject the by-products to some form of processing. These results provide an insight into the views of consumers on food waste reduction strategies, which are frequently debated in the sustainability discussion.
Noether-Type First Integrals Associated with Autonomous Second-Order Lagrangians
Authors: Treanţă Savin
Published: September 2019

In this paper, the analysis is centered on Noether-type first integrals in Lagrange-Hamilton dynamics based on autonomous second-order Lagrangians. More precisely, by using the classical Noether’s theorem and a non-standard Legendrian duality, the single-time and multi-time versions of Noether’s result are investigated for autonomous second-order Lagrangians. A correspondence is established between the invariances under flows and the first integrals for autonomous second-order Lagrangians. In this way, our results extend, unify and improve several existing theorems in the current literature.
Optimization of the Auxiliary-Beam System in Railway Bridge Vibration Mitigation Using FEM Simulation and Genetic Algorithms
Authors: Baldonedo Jacobo , López-Campos José A. , López Marcos , Casarejos Enrique , Fernández José R.
Published: September 2019

In this paper, we present the optimization of a vibration mitigation system for railway bridges. These structures are subjected to significant moving loads, whose dynamic characteristics may produce resonance effects, compromising the integrity of the bridge and the security of the passengers if the speed or the load of the train is not controlled. The study focuses on the Auxiliary Beam system. It consists of a beam located under the bridge and connected to the slab by viscous dampers. The symmetry of the problem allowed for the use of a 2D Finite Element model of the system. This model was used together with a genetic algorithm in order to evaluate the behaviour of different candidates and to optimize the design parameters: the inertia of the beam and the damper coefficient. The goal of the optimization process is to minimize the acceleration of the bridge while adding the lightest mitigation system possible. The combination of a Finite Element Model and Genetic Algorithm helps to address the complex problem and to find an optimized set of structural parameters. The system finally shows good behaviour for optimal parameters.
Faraday and Resonant Waves in Dipolar Cigar-Shaped Bose-Einstein Condensates
Authors: Vudragović Dušan , Balaž Antun
Published: September 2019

Faraday and resonant density waves emerge in Bose-Einstein condensates as a result of harmonic driving of the system. They represent nonlinear excitations and are generated due to the interaction-induced coupling of collective oscillation modes and the existence of parametric resonances. Using a mean-field variational and a full numerical approach, we studied density waves in dipolar condensates at zero temperature, where breaking of the symmetry due to anisotropy of the dipole-dipole interaction (DDI) plays an important role. We derived variational equations of motion for the dynamics of a driven dipolar system and identify the most unstable modes that correspond to the Faraday and resonant waves. Based on this, we derived the analytical expressions for spatial periods of both types of density waves as functions of the contact and the DDI strength. We compared the obtained variational results with the results of extensive numerical simulations that solve the dipolar Gross-Pitaevskii equation in 3D, and found a very good agreement.
Effect of a Commercial Air Valve on the Rapid Filling of a Single Pipeline: a Numerical and Experimental Analysis
Authors: Coronado-Hernández Óscar E. , Besharat Mohsen , Fuertes-Miquel Vicente S. , Ramos Helena M.
Published: September 2019

The filling process in water pipelines produces pressure surges caused by the compression of air pockets. In this sense, air valves should be appropriately designed to expel sufficient air to avoid pipeline failure. Recent studies concerning filling maneuvers have been addressed without considering the behavior of air valves. This work shows a mathematical model developed by the authors which is capable of simulating the main hydraulic and thermodynamic variables during filling operations under the effect of the air valve in a single pipeline, which is based on the mass oscillation equation, the air–water interface, the polytropic equation of the air phase, the air mass equation, and the air valve characterization. The mathematical model is validated in a 7.3-m-long pipeline with a 63-mm nominal diameter. A commercial air valve is positioned in the highest point of the hydraulic installation. Measurements indicate that the mathematical model can be used to simulate this phenomenon by providing good accuracy.
Application of Cold Region Regenerable Biomass in Phosphorus Adsorption in Reclaimed Water
Authors: Wu Jinghui , Li Xiangyu , Ying Zhian , Wang Chi , Yang Wu , Huo Mingxin , Lay Chyi-How , Wang Xianze
Published: September 2019

In order to enhance the using efficiency of the adsorbent and decrease production costs, reclaimed saturation Lanthanum modified pine needles (LH pine needles) have been studied as a possible solution. Pine needles gathered from the woods of Northeast China area were used as raw material for generating LH pine needles by alkali-isopropanol treatment and chemical precipitation. To explore the utilization of LH pine needles as a recycling adsorbent in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and laboratory water distribution. Results show that removal effective of phosphorus (P) by LH pine needles in low concentration reclaimed water of WWTPs was 41% and up to more than 92% in its adding standard. In the wide pH range, LH pine has an effective adsorption capacity for phosphorus; pH can also interfere with the adsorption capacity of LH pine as there is a negative correlation between them. The adsorption of phosphorus by LH pine needles is divided into three stages with a pH ranging from 3~11. Ligand exchange reaction, electrostatic reaction and Lewis acid reaction are PO43− adsorption mechanism. The analysis of the recycling efficiency of LH pine needles proved that LH pine needles have good regeneration performance. After being eluted by NaOH regeneration agent for more than 10 times, the adsorption efficiency of phosphorus can still be stable at over 90% in seven cycles.
Comparisons of Local Scouring for Submerged Square and Circular Cross-Section Piles in Steady Currents
Authors: Du Shengtao , Liang Bingchen
Published: September 2019

The local scouring that occurs around submerged vertical piles in steady currents was studied experimentally in this paper. Three experiments were carried out for square cross-section (SC) piles and a circular cross-section (CC) pile with the same width. The key point scour depths, including the center of the upstream boundary point (KC) and the two upstream corners (KM), were observed over time. The two-dimensional profiles and the three-dimensional topography around each pile were measured using a Seatek. The different scouring characteristics of the SC and CC piles were investigated. The experiment results show that the scour depth at KC is much smaller than that of KM. The equilibrium scour depth of the CC pile is far less than that of the SC piles. The scour and deposition distributions were different between the CC and SC piles. The maximum scour depth was found at the lateral rear of the CC pile, and the maximum deposition was observed in sections of the SC piles. The evolutions of the scour depths at KM are predicted using a developed exponential equation.
Enhanced Flocculation Using Drinking Water Treatment Plant Sedimentation Residual Solids
Authors: Poleneni Sandhya Rao , Inniss Enos , Shi Honglan , Yang John , Hua Bin , Clamp Joseph
Published: September 2019

Inefficient removal of total organic carbon (TOC) leads to the formation of carcinogenic disinfection by-products (DBPs) when a disinfectant is added. This study is performed in an effort to develop a simple, non-invasive, and cost-effective technology that will effectively lower organic precursors by having water utilities reuse their treatment residual solids. Jar tests are used to simulate drinking water treatment processes with coagulants—aluminum sulfate (alum), poly-aluminum chloride (PACl), and ferric chloride and their residual solids. Ten coagulant-to-residual (C/R) ratios are tested with water from the Missouri River at Coopers Landing in Columbia, MO versus alluvial ground waters. This treatment results in heavier floc formation and leads to improved sedimentation of organics and additional removal of aluminum and iron. An average of 21%, 28%, and 33% additional TOC removal can be achieved with C/R ratios <1 with alum, PACl, and ferric chloride, respectively.
Modelling of Flow Parameters through Subsurface Drainage Modules for Application in BIOECODS
Authors: Sa’id Abdurrasheed Abdurrasheed , Wan Yusof Khamaruzaman , Hamid Hussein Alqadami Ebrahim , Takaijudin Husna , Ab. Ghani Aminuddin , Muhammad Muhammad Mujahid , Sholagberu Abdulkadir Taofeeq , Zainalfikry Muhammad Kashfy , Osman Manal , Shihab Patel Mohammed
Published: September 2019

The flow resistance of the existing modules in the bio-ecological drainage system (BIOECODS) is high and may lead to flood instead of its mitigation. As part of efforts to enhance the performance of the system, the river engineering and urban drainage research center (REDAC) module was developed. This study modelled the hydrodynamics of flow through this module using FLOW-3D and laboratory experiments for two cases of free flow without module (FFWM) and flow with a module (FWM) to understand and visualize the effects of the module. With less than 5% error between the numerical and experimental results, REDAC module altered the flow pattern and created resistance by increasing the Manning’s roughness coefficient at the upstream, depth-averaged flow velocity (43.50 cm/s to about 46.50 cm/s) at the downstream and decreasing water depth (7.75–6.50 cm). These variations can be attributed to the complex nature of the module pattern with further increase across the porous openings. Therefore, the technique used herein can be applied to characterize the behavior of fluids in larger arrangments of modules and under different flow conditions without the need for expensive laboratory experiments.
The Influence of Urban Flooding on Residents’ Daily Travel: A Case Study of Macau with Proposed Ameliorative Strategies
Authors: Li Kehong , Zhou Long
Published: September 2019

Climate change has resulted in more extreme weather events in coastal cities, and understanding how daily life is impacted is crucial to make effective adaptation measures. Using Macau as a testbed, this research describes examines the impacts of flooding caused by storm surges on residents’ daily travel and proposes measures to ameliorate disaster risks. Spatial extents of urban floods were modelled through inundation simulations using geographical information data. An analysis of the travel distance increases from residents’ homes to common types of destinations was performed both under normal conditions and during flood events in GIS (Geographic Information System) to assess the influence of urban flooding on residents’ daily travel. The results show that one third of the land is threatened by floods in Macau. People’s average travel distance increases as the warning levels escalate, and travel distance is predicted to rise by up to 64.5%. Based on the findings, the study proposes mitigation strategies to minimize urban flooding’s impacts. It suggests that the area more densely populated is not necessarily the one requiring the deployment of preventative measures with the highest priority, as a traffic analysis is identified as the key area which demands disaster prevention measures.
“The Silk Road” via subarachnoid cisterns
Authors: Cucu A. I. , Turliuc Mihaela Dana , Costea Claudia Florida , Costăchescu B. , Ghiciuc Cristina Mihaela , Dobrovăț B. , Bogdănici Camelia Margareta , Tănase Daniela Maria , Dumitrescu Gabriela Florența , Sava Anca , Poeată I.
Published: September 2019

Meningiomas are generally slow-growing extra-axial benign tumours and in rare cases they can metastasize both neural and extra-neural. Intracranial meningiomas with leptomeningeal dissemination are extremely rare and the exact pathogenesis still remains unknown. The aim of this review is to analyse the pathways of intracranial and spinal metastatic spread of intracranial meningiomas and to discuss their particular clinical and pathological features. We highlight the fact that there is a possibility of leptomeningeal dissemination, even if cerebrospinal fluid cytology is negative, in patients with a medical history of a resected meningioma. We identified three possible ways of dissemination: haematogenous, through the CSF, or during surgery. From a histopathological point of view, the more malignant the meningioma, the more likely its leptomeningeal dissemination.
Spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea in a patient with Pallister–Hall syndrome
Authors: Mihajlo Milicevic , Vuk Aleksic , Rosanda Ilic , Vuk Scepanovic , Aleksandar Stanimirovic , Aleksandra Paunovic , Marina Milic , Zarko Nedeljkovic , Sacco Matteo , Danica Grujicic
Published: September 2019

Pallister-Hall syndrome (PHS) is extremely rare autosomal dominant disorder with typical clinical features such as presence of polydactyly, hypothalamic hamartoma, bifid epiglottis, anal, renal, genitourinary and pulmonary abnormalities, mainly located in the midline of the body. Spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea is also a rare condition, and it is used to describe nasal discharge of CSF unrelated to previous trauma, localized tumour, surgery, or previous radiation therapy. The exact cause is not yet fully understood.

We report a case of adult female patient previously diagnosed with PHS and late onset of spontaneous nasal liquorrhea, due to defect in the anterior skull base. Although it can be incidental finding, we believe that described defect in the body midline can be another presentation of congenital craniofacial abnormality which are common in PHS.
Spinal epidural angiolipoma causing spinal cord compression
Authors: Khelifa A. , Assoumane I. , Bachir S. , Berchiche L. , Morsli A.
Published: September 2019

Background. Spinal angiolipoma (SAL) is a rare tumour with double component mature adipose tissue and proliferating abnormal blood vessels, which result in spinal cord compression requiring an urgent surgical removal. We report a case of woman with spinal angiolipoma.

Case presentation. The patient is a 26 years old woman with past medical history of a low grade urothelial bladder carcinoma removed 4 months before she consults at our department, 2 months later the patient presented a lower limbs weakness. The clinical exam at the admission found a patient with paraparesis, hypoesthesia at the level of Th4 and urinary urgency. The spinal MRI objectified a spinal cord compression by a lesion located at the epidural space from Th2 to Th4. The patient was operated and a fatty well vascularized tumour distinct from the epidural fat was removed through a Th2 to Th4 laminectomy. The pathology study was in favour of an angiolipoma. Days after the operation the patient recovered totally, the weakness and the urinary urgency disappeared. The patient is flowed since 24 months she got pregnant.

Conclusion. Spinal angiolipoma is a rare tumour with a clinic of spinal cord compression, MRI is the gold standard in diagnosis it shows a fatty lesion with a large enhancement, surgery is the perfect treatment with good outcome and exceptional recurrence.
Overview of neurosurgical capacity in St. Lucia
Authors: Zhalmukhamedov Emil , Magloire Christopher , Maidyrov E. , Soans Aleric , Elijio Latisha , Nossov Nikita , Mahbub Shameea
Published: September 2019

When we talk about the most scenic Caribbean islands, St. Lucia is one of those islands that certainly come into our mind. It is a beautiful tourist destination and the place of post-volcanic paradise on earth. However, just like many remote Caribbean islands, St. Lucians (name for local population) used to have its own difficulties of obtaining on demand basic neurosurgical services in their homeland. This beautiful Caribbean island, socioeconomically falls in the same category as most low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) and unfortunately echoes the same unmet surgical and anaesthesia needs as the rest of them.
De la rencontre à la vie commune. La construction conjugale par les pratiques alimentaires quotidiennes
Authors: Fouquet Angèle
Published: September 2019

Comment le jeune couple se construit-il autour d’activités alimentaires quotidiennes et, inversement, comment la conjugalité naissante modifie-t-elle les habitudes des partenaires ? Cet article, par le prisme de l’alimentation de dix-huit jeunes couples des catégories moyennes et supérieures sans enfant, interrogés par entretien de 2016 à 2018, étudie la chronologie de l’interaction entre la construction conjugale et la redéfinition des pratiques alimentaires individuelles, en lisant la rencontre alimentaire conjugale comme celle d’individus aux socialisations familiales, appartenances sociales et sexuées distinctes. Aux premiers temps de la rencontre amoureuse prévaut l’ouverture à l’alimentation du partenaire. L’ajustement plus quotidien des alimentations, lié à la cohabitation, redéfinit les pratiques et les préceptes au nom d’une unité alimentaire conjugale, réactivant des injonctions publiques ou parentales. L’inscription de la relation dans la durée fait parfois rejaillir des enjeux alimentaires contraires, menaçant le repas conjugal.
Comparative studies to model bioavailability of pesticides in distinctive soil types
Authors: Virág Diána , Kiss Attila
Published: September 2019

Bioavailability of pesticides is determined by two major factors: soil characteristics and pesticides’ chemical feature. These factors result in a definite adsorption capability whose extent varies on a large scale. By revealing interactions between pesticides and soils it is of high interest to model bioavailability of widely used pesticides, as it is a key element in terms of prospective toxicological aspects. Our work signifies steps forward improving pesticide soil mobility prediction models as we created model systems representing correctly natural relations. Comparison of different solvent extraction methods proved to be an efficient tool to gain information on the bioavailability of some widely used pesticides as well as to model actual environmental processes.Comprehensive comparison has been made between different experimental methods by applying 5 extraction models showing diverse efficiency in extracting capability of pesticides. In some cases chloroform excelled in mobilizing pesticides from soil, however mostly application of humic acid solution as extraction model was found to be at least as efficient as methanol, chloroform or CaCl2-solution.Four chemically much different pesticide (simazine, acetochlor, chlorpyrifos and diuron) were applied to two soil types (both sandy and brown forest). The extracted amounts were determined by GC/MS technique. Adsorption coefficients (Kd) were also calculated for the examined samples.Obtained results for Kd indicated that chemical feature of pesticides seemed to be of utmost importance in terms of soil binding capability preceding the relevance of soil characteristics. Adsorption capability of chlorpyrifos proved to be the most pronounced preceding simazine and the least prone to bind to soil acetochlor and diuron
Post-control of agricultural subsidies provided by EU
Authors: Ficzere Nagymihály Kornélia , Czencz László
Published: September 2019

The greatest part of the incomes (nearly fifty percent) of the European Union is spend on the agriculture and the agricultural policy is the most complex field among the common policies. In Hungary the payments from Guarantee Section of EAGGF are carried out by one Paying Agency (Agricultural and Rural Development Agency), the post audit of payments are carried out by Investigation Network of Hungarian Customs and Finance Guard on the base of Council Regulation No. 4045/89. A full co-operation of the business operators is expected during the audit, which means the presentation of the complete accounting file related to subsidies. To avoid declarations on irregularities during the audit and the following order on repayment of the subsidy, all requirements of gaining subsidies have to be kept. The state authorities, in present case the customs authority should pay special attention to the risk analysis activity, and its harmonising with the proposals and guidelines of the Commission. Getting acquainted and using in practice the actual requirements and proposals of the Commission’s guidelines is expected at all levels of the control service of the HCFG, but primarily the Special Service has to continue its present practice in this field. The measures mentioned above, respectively the effective period taken under analysis teens from the date of accession until June 2005.
Template for Preparing an Article
Authors: Knop Luciana
Published: September 2019

This article will guide the author to prepare the paper to submit to JBTH.
Evaluation of PPC / mBio Inc.’s Biochip Reader Integrated Circuit Reader System for Diagnosis of HIV / HCV Infection: Preliminary Method
Authors: Knop Luciana , Roberto Badaro  , Chris Myat
Published: September 2019

The technological advances of recent decades in immunodiagnostic techniques have enabled the development of methods capable of detecting the antigen-antibody complex with high efficiency and reliability. However, the cost of such procedures has remained high; they are not easy to handle for an unskilled professional, nor provide immediate results for multiple samples. Precision Photonics Corporation (PPC), with m/Bio Inc. and in partnership with the University of San Diego (UCSD), USA, created an integrated circuit reader (Biochip Reader), which is low cost, fast and easy to handle, based on an optical systems and multiplex arrangements for the detection of biological multi-markers at the same time. This study aimed to evaluate the operation of the integrated circuit reader system (Biochip Reader), the protocols and the results of the multiplex tests for antibodies against HIV and HCV in partnership with the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA). We tested a total of 65 samples in the Biochip reader, and they showed 100% of sensitivity and specificity when compared to the results obtained by ELISA for HIV and HCV. Nevertheless, the protocols and the results obtained in Bahia presented slide instability, such as the formation of crystals and trehalose residues, unnecessary steps and manipulation of the slides. This fact led to changing the protocol and improving the prototype. However, more tests with new biomarkers are needed to validate the method.
THE IMPACT AND THE ROLE OF THE SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES ON THE EMPLOYMENT IN THE REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA
Authors: Bardarova Snezana , Magdincheva-Shopova Marija , Markovska Monika , Milenkovski Bozhidar
Published: September 2019

Current developments in the global and national economics point to a number of problems faced by real entities in the real sector, and as a special area of interest for the scientific public there is a need to provide conditions for the smooth running of the reproduction processes in the enterprise and the realization the positive results of the operation. Enterprises are drivers of inclusive economic growth in the Republic of Macedonia and in creating productive and sustainable jobs.The new conception of the small enterprise as a carrier and engine of economic development is quite persuasive with its economic logic and reaffirms the small enterprise as a significant economic sector. The activities within the small enterprises are aimed at intensifying the results of the work by achieving a balance between objective possibilities and good working principles. The monitoring of the small enterprise, through the prism of its influence on economic growth and development, rejects the traditional view for small enterprises as security guards.The SME sector is a driver of inclusive economic growth in Macedonia and the creation of sustainable jobs increasing productivity. It also does not agree with the notion that small enterprises are economically inefficient organisms.With the third technological revolution in the countries with a developed market economy, the domination of the so-called. small economy, that is, the sector of small and medium enterprises. Today, small enterprises have a growing number of supporters who believe that small enterprises are carriers of innovation and entrepreneurship and are able to react quickly to changes in the environment. For years, the Republic of Macedonia has faced a high rate (29%, June 2013) of general unemployment, which remains a key challenge for stabilizing the economic and social development of the country. The subject of research in this paper is focused on conducting analysis of the active enterprises in the Republic of Macedonia by size, by sector and by number of employees, as well as analysis of the activity of the population and employment by sectors and by type of ownership of the enterprise in the period from 2013-2017.