bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lepyrodiclis alinihatii (Caryophyllaceae), a new species from Turkey
Authors: Menemen Yusuf , Yalçınkaya Ramazan , Erden Ayşe
Published: March 2021

A new species, Lepyrodiclis alinihatii, is described from the eastern Anatolia region of Turkey. Diagnostic and morphological characteristics that distinguished it from its allied species, L. holosteoides, and an identification key for all Lepyrodiclis species are provided. Lepyrodiclis alinihatii differs from L. holosteoides by its paniculate inflorescence, rarely with terminal cymes, glabrous pedicels, ovate or ovate‐oblong and glabrous sepals with broad scarious margin, large obovate to subcircular, deeply notched petals, turbinate ovary and thick (not thin) stilus. Moreover, L. alinihatii pollen grains differ from those of L. holosteoides by their pore number: 18–20, pore diameter: 3.56–5.00 µm, interporal distance: 6.0–6.5 µm, and number of microechini per sample area of 5 × 5 µm: 15–20.
Underappreciated plant vulnerabilities to heat waves
Authors: Breshears David D. , Fontaine Joseph B. , Ruthrof Katinka X. , Field Jason P. , Feng Xiao , Burger Joseph R. , Law Darin J. , Kala Jatin , Hardy Giles E. St. J.
Published: March 2021

With climate change, heat waves are becoming increasingly frequent, intense and broader in spatial extent. However, while the lethal effects of heat waves on humans are well documented, the impacts on flora are less well understood, perhaps except for crops. We summarize recent findings related to heat wave impacts including: sublethal and lethal effects at leaf and plant scales, secondary ecosystem effects, and more complex impacts such as increased heat wave frequency across all seasons, and interactions with other disturbances. We propose generalizable practical trials to quantify the critical bounding conditions of vulnerability to heat waves. Collectively, plant vulnerabilities to heat waves appear to be underappreciated and understudied, particularly with respect to understanding heat wave driven plant die‐off and ecosystem tipping points.
The joint evolution of learning and dispersal maintains intraspecific diversity in metapopulations
Authors: Liedtke Jannis , Fromhage Lutz
Published: March 2021

The evolution of dispersal tendencies and of cognitive abilities have both been intensely studied. Yet little attention has been given to the question of how these two aspects may relate to each other, as a result of their joint evolution. On the one hand, learning abilities may help dispersers to cope with their new habitat. On the other hand, dispersal may sometimes reduce the need for learning, because local environments may differ in how much there is to learn. To get a better understanding of this relationship, we built an individual‐based simulation in which both learning speed and dispersal tendency were free to evolve. We found that both positive and negative correlations could evolve between these traits, depending on properties both of local patches and of the metapopulation as a whole. We also found that dispersal stabilized the co‐existence of different cognitive types in the metapopulation, underscoring its importance for maintaining biodiversity within species.
The Pathways of Policy Feedback: How Health Reform Influences Political Efficacy and Participation
Authors: Jacobs Lawrence R. , Mettler Suzanne , Zhu Ling
Published: March 2021

How do policy feedback effects occur? A growing number of rigorous empirical studies provide evidence that new policies can, indeed, stimulate new politics, such as increased political participation among citizens, but greater understanding is needed of the underlying mechanisms and long‐term policy feedback effects. This paper puts forth a dynamic theory of the mechanisms through which policy experiences may influence political participation, focusing particularly on political efficacy. We use five waves of panel data collected over 8 years to investigate the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), controlling for pre‐existing ideology and socio‐economic and demographic factors. We analyze the impact of resource and interpretive effects and disentangle direct and indirect effects. We find that the ACA has elevated Americans’ political efficacy and political participation with large and enduring effects, and we show the pathways through which this has occurred.
Gateway to the lungs: Viral entry receptors and susceptibility to COVID‐19
Authors: Farne Hugo , Singanayagam Aran
Published: March 2021

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Economic openness, government efficiency, and urbanization
Authors: Chen Zuocheng , Paudel Krishna P.
Published: March 2021

We develop a theoretical model of the impact of economic openness and government efficiency on urbanization. The theoretical model is supplemented with the Malmquist–Luenberger index of Super‐slack‐based measure with undesirable outputs and dynamic panel data model. The empirical models use data collected from 30 provinces in China from 2004 to 2017. Results indicate that improvement in the level of trade openness in an urban area can increase the urban population. The improvement in government efficiency in an urban area can also increase the urban population. Regional trade openness can effectively promote regional migration. Trade openness has a mediation effect between government efficiency and migration. We also find that trade openness favors female rather than male migration to urban areas.
Timescale dependent sedimentary record during the past 130 kyr from a tropical mixed siliciclastic–carbonate shelf edge and slope: Ashmore Trough (southern Gulf of Papua)
Authors: Mallarino Gianni , Francis Jason M. , Jorry Stephan J. , Daniell James J. , Droxler AndrÉ W. , Dickens Gerald R. , Beaufort Luc , Bentley Samuel J. , Opdyke Bradley N. , Peterson Larry C.
Published: March 2021

In tropical and sub‐tropical mixed siliciclastic–carbonate depositional systems, fluvial input and in situ neritic carbonate interact over space and time. Despite being the subject of many studies, controls on partitioning of mixed sediments remains controversial. Mixed sedimentary records, from Ashmore Trough shelf edge and slopes (southern Gulf of Papua), are coupled with global sea‐level curves and anchored to Marine Isotope Stage stratigraphy to constrain models of sediment accumulation at two different timescales for the past 130 kyr: (i) 100 kyr scale for last glacial cycle; and (ii) millennial scale for last deglaciation. During the last glacial cycle, carbonate production and accumulation were primarily controlled by sea‐level fluctuations. Export of neritic carbonate to the slopes was initiated during re‐flooding of previously exposed reefs and continued during Marine Isotope Stage 5e and 1 interglacial sea‐level highs. Siliciclastic fluxes to the slope were controlled by interplay of sea level, shelf physiography and oceanic currents. Heterogeneous accumulation of siliciclastic mud on the slope, took place during Marine Isotope Stage 5d to Marine Isotope Stage 3 sea‐level fall. Siliciclastics reached adjacent depocentres during Marine Isotope Stage 2. Coralgal reef and oolitic–skeletal sand resumed at the shelf edge during the subsequent stepwise sea‐level rise of the last deglaciation. Contemporaneous, abrupt siliciclastic input from increased precipitation and fluvial discharge illustrates that climate controlled deglacial sedimentation. Siliciclastic input persisted until ca 8.5 ka. Carbonate accumulation waned at the shelf edge after ca 14 ka, whereas it increased on the slopes since ca 11.5 ka, when previously exposed reef and bank tops were re‐flooded. When comparing the last sea‐level cycle sedimentation patterns of the southern Gulf of Papua with other coeval mixed systems, sea level and shelf physiography emerge as primary controls on deposition at the 100 kyr scale. At the millennial scale, siliciclastic input was also controlled by climate change during the unstable atmospheric and oceanic conditions of the last deglaciation.
Public and private pension systems and macroeconomic volatility in OECD countries
Authors: Holzner Mario , Jestl Stefan , Pichler David
Published: March 2021

This paper analyses the impact of public pension expenditures and pension funds' assets as well as its paid‐out benefits on macroeconomic volatility. We use panel data for 35 OECD countries for the period 1980–2018 and apply a set of state‐of‐the‐art econometric estimators. Our results suggest a smoothing effect of public pension expenditures on per capita consumption growth volatility and overall macroeconomic volatility. We however do not find such effects coming from pension funds' paid‐out benefits. In contrast, the effect of pension funds' assets depends crucially on the level of economic development: there is a dampening effect on per capita investment growth volatility in less developed countries; while a volatility‐boosting effect in most developed countries.
Infant motor development and physical activity and sedentary time at midlife
Authors: Karppanen Anna‐Kaisa , Hurtig Tuula , Miettunen Jouko , Niemelä Maisa , Tammelin Tuija , Korpelainen Raija
Published: March 2021

This study investigated whether the timing of infant motor development is associated with self‐reported and accelerometer‐measured physical activity (PA) and sedentary time (ST) in midlife. This population‐based study consisted of 4098 people born in 1966 in Northern Finland (NFBC 1966). Data on nine infant motor developmental milestones included making sounds, holding up the head, grabbing objects, turning from back to tummy, sitting without support, standing with support, walking with support, standing without support, and walking without support. At the age of 46, PA at leisure time and sitting time was self‐reported. PA and ST were also measured with a wrist‐worn Polar Active accelerometer that was instructed to be worn on the non‐dominant hand 24 h/d for 14 days. A multiple linear regression analysis was used to analyze the association between infant motor development and PA and ST in midlife. Later infant motor development was weakly associated with higher accelerometer‐measured light PA, but not with moderate‐to‐vigorous PA. Later infant locomotor development was associated with lower accelerometer‐measured ST (β −0.07,p = 0.012) and lower self‐reported sitting time at work (β −0.06,p = 0.004) in women. In conclusion, later infant motor development was associated with higher light PA and lower sedentary time at middle age. PA is a multifactorial behavior influenced by various factors from early childhood to midlife. Further research is required before more general conclusions can be drawn.
Diversification of myrmecophilous Clavigeritae beetles (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae) and their radiation in New Caledonia
Authors: Hlavá  č Peter , Parker Joseph , Maruyama Munetoshi , Fiká č ek Martin
Published: March 2021

Clavigeritae (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae) comprise a supertribe of specialized myrmecophile rove beetles that display numerous behavioural, chemical and anatomical modifications associated with a socially parasitic lifestyle. Due to the extreme morphological diversity of clavigerites, their systematic relationships, patterns of character evolution and host ant use have been challenging to infer. Here, we resolve deep divergences within Clavigeritae by assembling a molecular dataset encompassing the breadth of tribal diversity. We classify Clavigeritae into six tribes: extinct Protoclavigerini, and recent Tiracerini, Mastigerini sensu nov., Clavigerini sensu nov., Lunillini sensu nov. and Disarthricerini stat. nov. The previously recognized subtribes Clavigerodina, Apoderigerina, Dimerometopina, Hoplitoxenina, Miroclavigerina, Theocerina and Thysdarina are demonstrated as polyphyletic or highly derived internal clades of Clavigerini and are hereby synonymized with the latter. Colilodion – a highly enigmatic taxon proposed to be the earliest‐branching lineage of recent Clavigeritae – is revealed to be unrelated to Clavigeritae and is transferred to Pselaphitae. We provide a systematic treatment of newly‐discovered endemic genera from New Caledonia and infer their phylogenetic affinity to the Australian tribe Tiracerini. The zoogeographic distribution of early‐branching Clavigeritae lineages in India and the Australian region indicates a possible Gondwanan origin of the supertribe. Extant clades diversified from the Eocene onwards, correlated with the rise of modern ants. We present evidence for island radiations of Clavigeritae in both Madagascar and New Caledonia during the Oligocene‐Miocene. Using a newly‐created morphological dataset, we analyse patterns of character evolution and demonstrate widespread convergence in morphology that extends to virtually all traits. Counterintuitively, however, characters postulated to be involved in beetle‐ant communication are amongst the most invariant, and least convergent. The host ant spectrum of many Clavigeritae genera and species is broad, contradicting co‐cladogenesis with hosts and instead implying widespread host switching. We speculate whether morphological variability in Clavigeritae is truly adaptive, as opposed to the product of ‘morphological drift’ of body parts under weak selection inside ant colonies, in species with potentially very small effective population sizes.
Magma dehydration controls the energy of recent eruptions at Mt. Etna volcano
Authors: Zuccarello Francesco , Schiavi Federica , Viccaro Marco
Published: March 2021

Olivine‐hosted melt inclusions (MIs) from tephra of the recent 2013–2018 activity at Mt. Etna were investigated for assessing the chemical evolution of magmas and quantifying their pre‐eruptive volatile budget. Microanalyses revealed two types of MIs present in all investigated eruptions; the inclusions, particularly the less evolved ones, appear to have experienced water loss coupled with SiO2 depletion. Restoration of the original SiO2‐H2O concentrations provides consistency with the thermodynamic modelling of magma evolution. The two types of MIs developed during crystallization of olivine plus clinopyroxene between 200 and 100 MPa, where magmas also experienced CO2 flushing. Degassing processes at these levels are responsible for water depletion in the melt and diffusive water loss from inclusions. Our data suggest that initial water budget is unchanged all over the last 20 years, reflecting therefore a potential in triggering highly explosive eruptions depending on degassing dynamics under open versus closed system conditions at shallow levels.
Plant genome editing: ever more precise and wide reaching
Authors: Sukegawa Satoru , Saika Hiroaki , Toki Seiichi
Published: March 2021

Genome‐editing technologies consisting of targeted mutagenesis and gene targeting enable us to modify genes of interest rapidly and precisely. The discovery in 2012 of CRISPR/Cas9 systems and their development as sequence‐specific nucleases has brought about a paradigm shift in biology. Initially, CRISPR/Cas9 was applied in targeted mutagenesis to knock out a target gene. Thereafter, advances in genome‐editing technologies using CRISPR/Cas9 developed rapidly, with base editing systems for transition substitution using a combination of Cas9 nickase and either cytidine or adenosine deaminase being reported in 2016 and 2017, respectively, and later in 2021 bringing reports of transversion substitution using Cas9 nickase, cytidine deaminase and uracil DNA glycosylase. Moreover, technologies for gene targeting and prime editing systems using DNA or RNA as donors have also been developed in recent years. Besides these precise genome‐editing strategies, reports of successful chromosome engineering using CRISPR/Cas9 have been published recently. The application of genome editing to crop breeding has advanced in parallel with the development of these technologies. Genome‐editing enzymes can be introduced into plant cells, and there are now many examples of crop breeding using genome‐editing technologies. At present, it is no exaggeration to say that we are now in a position to be able to modify a gene precisely and rearrange genomes and chromosomes in a predicted way. In this review, we introduce and discuss recent highlights in the field of precise gene editing, chromosome engineering and genome engineering technology in plants.
Response‐based modification of CHOP chemotherapy for canine B‐cell lymphoma
Authors: Benjamin Sarah E. , Sorenmo Karin U. , Krick Erika L. , Salah Pascale , Walsh Koranda A. , Weinstein Nicole M. , Keuler Nicholas S. , Avery Anne C. , Atherton Matthew J. , Lenz Jennifer A.
Published: March 2021

Despite high initial response rates, a subset of dogs with B‐cell lymphoma responds less robustly to CHOP‐based chemotherapy and experiences shorter survival. One hundred and four dogs with nodal B‐cell lymphoma were treated with a response‐based CHOP (RBCHOP) protocol modified based on response to individual drugs during the first chemotherapy cycle. Dogs achieving complete (CR) or partial response (PR) at week 3, following treatment with vincristine and cyclophosphamide, received RBCHOP 1 (n = 72), a protocol sequentially rotating vincristine, cyclophosphamide, and doxorubicin. Dogs without a detectable response at week 3 that subsequently achieved CR or PR following treatment with doxorubicin received RBCHOP 2 (n = 14), in which four doses of doxorubicin were given consecutively followed by vincristine and cyclophosphamide. Dogs that failed to respond at week 3 and then to doxorubicin at week 5 assessment were offered rescue chemotherapy (RBCHOP 3, n = 18). Median progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival time (OST) were similar between RBCHOP 1 (PFS 210 days, OST 354 days) and RBCHOP 2 (PFS 220 days, OST 456 days), but significantly shorter for RBCHOP 3 (PFS 34 days, OST 80.5 days,P < 0.001). No presenting signalment nor hematologic variable differentiated patient cohort, however, dogs in RBCHOP 2 and RBCHOP 3 were more likely to have a lymphocytosis at diagnosis (P = 0.02 and 0.04, respectively). Protocol modification based on response during the first cycle resulted in similar toxicity profiles and outcomes to previously published variants of CHOP, and prognosis remained poor for dogs failing to respond during the first treatment cycle.
Patterns of the low‐dose dexamethasone suppression test in canine hyperadrenocorticism revisited
Authors: Zeugswetter Florian K. , Carranza Valencia Alejandra , Glavassevich Kerstin , Schwendenwein Ilse
Published: March 2021

Background

The low‐dose dexamethasone suppression test (LDDT) is considered an accurate screening and valuable differentiation test in dogs with suspected hyperadrenocorticism (HAC). A recent study showed that the different response patterns not only provide complementary information about etiology, but also the probability of HAC in these patients.

Objectives

We aimed to determine the diagnostic test performance of LDDT response patterns in a population of dogs from an animal hospital.

Methods

The electronic database was retrospectively searched for dogs suspected of HAC that were given an LDDT. Dogs with acute non‐adrenal illnesses during the test were excluded. Response patterns were classified as complete suppression, lack of suppression, partial suppression, escape, inverse, and increasing patterns. Cortisol concentrations ≥ 27.59 nmol/L (≥1 µg/dL) 8 hours after dexamethasone administration were considered positive results irrespective of the patterns observed. Calculations included likelihood ratios (LRs) and predictive values (PVs).

Results

HAC and non‐adrenal illness were diagnosed in 115 (54%) and 62 (46%) dogs, respectively. The positive (+) LRs (95% CI) for the lack of suppression, partial suppression, escape, and an inverse pattern to diagnose HAC were infinite, 8.09 (2‐32.72), 3.23 (0.75‐14), and 0.2 (0.06‐0.73), respectively.

Conclusions

The study confirms that the “lack of suppression” pattern strongly supports a diagnosis of HAC. It shows that the “partial suppression” pattern moderately increases, and the “inverse” pattern decreases the likelihood of HAC. The fact that the study found no association between the “escape” pattern and a diagnosis of HAC, does not support its integration into decision making.
Treatment of equine sarcoids using recombinant poxviruses expressing feline interleukin‐2
Authors: Loschelder‐Ostrowski Johanna , Winter Judith Christine , Merle Roswitha , Klopfleisch Robert , Gehlen Heidrun
Published: March 2021

Background

Interleukin (IL)‐2 stimulates antitumour immunity and is successfully used for the treatment of different neoplasias.

Hypothesis/Objectives

Canarypox virus locally expressing feline IL‐2 is safe and can be used to treat equine sarcoids.

Animals

Twenty horses of different breeds with a median age of eight years (interquartile range 6.0–13.3 years) and a total number of 59 sarcoids were included in the study.

Methods

In this prospective clinical trial, sarcoids were injected twice seven days apart, with a recombinant canarypox virus expressing feline IL‐2. Complete blood counts (CBC) and fibrinogen levels were measured before treatment and on days 1, 2, 7 and 8.

Results

Complete regression was achieved in eight horses (40%) and partial regression in two horses (10%). No change in sarcoid size was observed in two horses (10%) and the disease progressed in five horses (25%). Sarcoids of three horses (15%) showed initial response followed by tumour growth. There were no significant changes in CBC and fibrinogen levels after either injection. One horse developed a mild fever the day after each injection, which subsided without treatment the following day.

Conclusions

Treatment of equine sarcoids with recombinant canarypox virus expressing feline IL‐2 seems to be a safe therapy option. Although the expression of IL‐2 after vector injection and its biological activity in horses were not proven in this study, the treatment resulted in regression and partial regression in 50% of the cases. Further studies are necessary to verify these findings and to establish a treatment protocol.
Exchange transfusions in severe Rh‐mediated alloimmune haemolytic disease of the foetus and newborn: a 20‐year overview on the incidence, associated risks and outcome
Authors: Ree Isabelle M. C. , Besuden Carolin F. J. , Wintjens Vivianne E. H. J. , Verweij Joanne (E.) J. T. , Oepkes Dick , de Haas Masja , Lopriore Enrico
Published: March 2021

Background and objectives

Guidelines and indications for exchange transfusion in haemolytic disease of the foetus and newborn (HDFN) have changed drastically in the past decades, causing a decline in exchange transfusion rate. This study aims to evaluate the incidence of exchange transfusions (ETs) in neonates with Rh‐mediated HDFN over the past 20 years at our centre, and report potentially ET‐related complications as well as indicators for bilirubin encephalopathy.

Material and methods

In this observational study, 438 neonates were included with HDFN, born ≥ 35 weeks gestational age at the Leiden University Medical Centre between January 2000 and July 2020. The incidence of ET and procedure‐related complications were assessed in three consecutive time periods determined by changes in guidelines and indications for ET.

Results

The incidence of ET in our centre declined from (104/156) 67% (time period 2000–2005), to (39/181) 22% (2006–2015) and to (10/101) 10% (2015–2020, p < 0·001). The maximum bilirubin levels in neonates after birth increased from 13·6 mg/dL (or 233 μmol/L), to 15·0 mg/dL (257 μmol/L) and to 15·3 mg/dL (263 μmol/L). The incidence of complications associated with the use of ET (including sepsis, haematologic disorders and respiratory failure) remained stable throughout the years, and no neonates died during the study period.

Conclusion

Exchange transfusion incidence declined significantly over the past two decades. Decrease in ET incidence, and concomitant decrease in exposure and expertise, was not associated with an increase in procedure‐related complications.
Scale inhibition in industrial water systems using chitosan‐alginate mixture
Authors: Khamis Essam , Abd‐El‐Khalek Dalia E. , Abdel‐Kawi Mervat A. , Anwar Jilan M.
Published: March 2021

The study aims to establishing the possibility of using eco‐friendly natural polymers to formulate scale inhibitor for industrial water applications. The performance of a blend of two natural polymers, chitosan and sodium alginate as scale inhibitor in comparison with a commercially available inhibitor formulation, HEDP (Hydroxyethylidene, 1‐Diphosphonic Acid), is carried out using electrochemical measurements, conductivity and NACE test complemented with crystals morphology characterization using optical and electronic microscopic examination. Overall results show that chitosan is more efficient for the inhibition of calcium carbonate scales formation, whilst it has poor efficiency in the inhibition of sulfate scales, whereas sodium alginate has the highest efficiency in inhibiting calcium sulfate scales. However, the addition of sodium alginate to chitosan, as a package, has a dual control effect on carbonate and sulfate scale formation with good efficiency compared to HEDP. This new phosphorus‐free package represents an effective antiscalant to have green environment.
TOWARDS DEVELOPING A CLASSIFICATION MODEL FOR WATER POTABILITY IN PHILIPPINE RURAL AREAS
Authors: Alipio Melchizedek Ibarrientos
Published: March 2021

In the Philippines, access to safe and sustainable water source is a major problem especially in rural areas. Thus, water monitoring in different water resources has been practiced to ensure safe drinking water. However, manual monitoring of safe drinking water is known to be inconvenient since it requires high operational and transportation costs, and time consuming. This study develops a data-driven water classification model for rural household areas using sensor nodes and machine learning algorithm. Sensor nodes are installed in several water sources in different rural areas to collect water parameters such as pH, turbidity, total dissolved solids, and temperature which are wirelessly transmitted to a base station. The collected sensor data is used to build and train the model to classify water potability using a hard-voting method in ensemble learning. The ensemble learning combined three machine learning algorithms namely k-nearest Neighbor, Naive Bayes, and Classification and Regression Tree. Finally, data are sent to a cloud for data storage and remote monitoring. Results show that the voting classifier model achieves an accuracy of 97% compared with other stand-alone classification algorithms. Furthermore, the model achieves 90% match with conventional industrial laboratory test.
USING FLY ASH AS A PARTIAL REPLACEMENT FOR FINE AGGREGATE IN CONCRETE AND ITS EFFECTS ON CONCRETE PROPERTIES UNDER DIFFERENT CURING TEMPERATURES
Authors: Surangi Maliduwa Liyanage Chamini , Julnipitawong Parnthep , Tangtermsirikul Somnuk , Ohgi Yoshifumi , Ishii Yusuke
Published: March 2021

A shortage of natural fine aggregates has occurred worldwide, especially due to excessive consumption of them in construction activities. For this, the availability of sustainable alternative materials for natural fine aggregate is researched. Fly ash is identified as one such material that can partially replace fine aggregate in concrete. The current study demonstrates the feasibility of using fly ash as a partial fine aggregate replacing material in concrete and its effects on the compressive strength and some significant durability properties when cured under different curing temperatures. Fine aggregate and cement were partially replaced with Class F fly ash in different percentages. The curing methods (used in this study) were isothermal heat curing at 30ºC, 50ºC, and 70ºC, and one-day accelerated heat curing. The compressive strength test, carbonation depth test, rapid chloride penetration test, and surface resistivity test were performed for concrete mixtures with different fly ash replacement levels and curing temperatures. Test results reveal that the use of fly ash as a partial fine aggregate replacing material in concrete gives higher compressive strength than that of concrete with fly ash as a partial cement replacing material at both an early age and a later age. One-day accelerated curing is the most beneficial curing method, regarding the compressive strength at all the tested ages. Moreover, concrete with fine aggregate replacement gives better results for carbonation resistance, chloride penetration resistance, and surface resistivity when compared with the control mixture and mixtures with fly ash as a partial cement replacing material.
STUDY ON THE IMPACT OF INTEGRATED PV UNCERTAINTIES INTO AN OPTIMAL LVAC TOPOLOGY IN A RURAL VILLAGE
Authors: Vai Vannak , Bun Long
Published: March 2021

This paper addresses a comparative study of radial topologies and the impact of the topology with the integration of PV for a rural village considering the shortest line and load balancing improvement. This research paper aims to develop and compare the AC low voltage (LVAC) topology with different developed algorithms. The shortest path (SP) algorithm is developed to search for minimizing the conductor usage in the first step. Two different algorithms, are repeated phase sequence (RPS-ABC) and first fit bin packing (FFBP), which are established in the second step to find out the load balancing in three-phase LVAC topology. Then, the comparative analysis of different methods is investigated considering the energy losses. Next, an impact of integrated photovoltaic (PV) uncertainties in both sitting and sizing into the optimal LVAC topology are performed using the Monte-Carlo (MC) simulation method. In this paper, simulation results obtained confirm the proposed method.
SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF TITANIUM DIOXIDE NANOMATERIALS VIA HORIZONTAL VAPOR PHASE GROWTH (HVPG) TECHNIQUE
Authors: Uon Leapheng , Santos Gil Nonato , Chua Alvin
Published: March 2021

This study aims to synthesize and characterize titanium dioxide nanomaterials via horizontal vapor phase growth (HVPG) technique toward making a sensor for detecting engine oil degradation. The growth temperature was varied at 1000 oC, 1100 oC, and 1200 oC with the fixed baking time of 6 hrs and ramp rate of 10oC/min. The said nanomaterials grown on glass substrate were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) to analyze the surface structure morphology and determine the elemental composition, respectively. Results showed that various sizes of titanium dioxide particles were found on the substrate surface at the proposed growth mechanisms.
EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION ON THE EFFECTS OF SURFACE MECHANICAL ATTRITION TREATMENT ON THE SURFACE OF THE ALUMINUM ALLOY
Authors: Trung Pham Quang , Kha To Dinh
Published: March 2021

Surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT) or ultrasonic shot peening method improves mechanical properties of metallic materials by causing the plastic deformation on their surface layer of the workpiece. In this research, an ultrasonic generator, an ultrasonic booster, a sonotrode, one hundred steel balls with the mean diameter of 1 mm, an optical microscope, an automatic roughness meter, and other supporting accessories are employed to conduct the experiment. The effect of shot peening time of the ultrasonic shot peening method on the surface coverage and the roughness of the treated aluminum sample A7075 is systematically investigated. The study reveals that shot peening time has a significant effect on the coverage and the surface roughness of the treated samples. The surface of sample is rougher with the increasing of shot peening time and the surface is full coverage after shot peening in 35s. The results of this study indicate that the method of surface mechanical attrition (SMAT) or ultrasonic shot peening is an effective method to induce the plastic deformation on the material. It also shows that this is a promising method to investigate the effects of experimental parameters on the microstructure, properties, and fatigue life of the material.
SHEAR PERFORMANCE OF SPECIAL DRY JOINTS FOR PRECAST CONCRETE SEGMENTS
Authors: Smittakorn Watanachai , Prasertsri Tosporn , Pattharakorn Worapon , Jongvivatsakul Pitcha
Published: March 2021

The special dry joints for precast prestressed concrete segments are invented in this study toovercome the limitation of conventional dry joints. Eight specimens of special dry joints were madeand subjected to direct shear test. Test parameters comprise concrete compressive strength (normaland high strength concrete) and steel fiber volume added in the special dry joint (0%, 0.5%, and1.0%). Test results revealed that the inclusion of steel fibers remarkably enhanced the shear capacityand ductility index. Failure mode of specimens was changed from shearing off to concrete crackingaround shear key corners, defined as ductile shearing-off failure. Furthermore, the existing equationsfor predicting shear capacity of keyed joints were validated by the experimental results. Amongavailable equations from literatures, the Turmo’s equation yields better prediction of the shearcapacity for the special dry joint made with normal strength concrete.
DEVELOPMENT OF AN ENERGY AUDIT WORKING PROCEDURE FOR AN ACADEMIC UNIVERSITY OFFICE BUILDING IN THE PHILIPPINES
Authors: Chan Maxine , Arriola Emmanuel , Cuevas III Reynaldo , Reyes Joseph Gerard
Published: March 2021

The Philippine commercial building sector accounts for roughly 10% of the total electricity power consumption. For this research, an energy audit was conducted in an academic office building of a Philippine university. The study focused on eight representative offices within the building to serve as pilot facilities for this research. The study evaluated the performance of existing lighting fixtures to attain the minimum acceptable standard of 300 lux for offices as well as the performance of existing air conditioning units to achieve a recommended room temperature of 24 Celsius. From the results, it is evident that the air conditioning unit makes up majority of energy use in almost all offices, with an average of 63% of total power consumption, followed by lights with 23% and plug-in loads with 14%. For maximum lux values with minimal energy consumption, the use of LED lights is recommended while for temperature, the use of inverter technology is encouraged for long term energy savings.
REDUCING AIR RESISTANCE ACTING ON A SHIP BY USING INTERACTION EFFECTS BETWEEN THE HULL AND ACCOMMODATION
Authors: He Ngo Van , Mizutani Keisuke , Ikeda Yoshiho
Published: March 2021

Nowaday, a study on saving energy as well as reducing resistance acting on a ship is important in maritime transportation. In this study, the authors present a study on reducing air resistance acting on a ship by using interaction effects between the hull and an accommodation. At first, air resistances acting on a hull and an accommodation of the ship are investigated by a commercial Computation Fluid Dynamic (CFD) code. Then, CFD results are compared with those of experimental results to validate the accuracy of the CFD. Secondly, air resistances acting on the ship with an accommodation on its deck are computed to obtain air resistances acting on the whole ships, on the hull and on accommodation. The results demonstrate that the interaction effects between the hull and its accommodation house be also shown how to reduce the total air resistance by using interaction effects between the hull and an accommodation house. The results can be applied in reducing the total resistances acting on a ship.
EFFECTS OF MIX PROPORTION ON ELECTRICAL RESISTIVITY OF CONCRETE WITH FLY ASH
Authors: Hnin Su Wai , Sancharoen Pakawat , Tangtermsirikul Somnuk
Published: March 2021

The aim of this paper is to investigate the effects of mix proportion on electrical resistivity of concrete with fly ash. The electrical resistivity of concrete is measured by using four Wenner probes. The varied parameters in this study were water/binder ratio, fly ash content, and paste content. Electrical resistivity of water-saturated concrete at several different ages was studied and compared with compressive strength and rapid chloride penetration. Based on experimental results, a good relationship was obtained between results of compressive strength and rapid chloride penetration with electrical resistivity of concrete. The results of this study can be applied further to predict electrical resistivity of concrete when mix proportions are provided. According to the results, lower water/binder ratio concrete had higher resistivity than those with higher water/binder ratios. When cement was replaced at 40% by fly ash, electrical resistivity increased four times when compared to that of OPC concrete.
IMPACTS OF RISK FACTORS ON THE PERFORMANCE OF PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS IN VIETNAM
Authors: Sy Do Tien , Likhitruangsilp Veerasak , Onishi Masamitsu , Nguyen Phong Thanh
Published: March 2021

The rapidly increasing demand and the inefficacy of financing transportation infrastructure project investments have contributed to various challenges for Vietnam in recent decades. Since the country’s budget is inadequate for investing in all necessary infrastructure projects, the Vietnam government has been inviting other economic sectors, especially the private sector, to participate in infrastructure development. The cooperation between the government agencies and the private entities, called PublicPrivate Partnership (PPP), must encounter various challenges leading to difficulties in attracting private investors. A main reason is that private investors must deal with critical risks concerning PPP investment environment. It is a challenging task for the government to optimally manage such risks to enhance the attractiveness of PPP projects for private investors. This paper examines the critical risk factors that influence the private sector’s investment decisions on PPP transportation projects in Vietnam. Risk factors inherent in typical PPP projects were compiled by comprehensive literature review. To reflect unique characteristics of PPP projects in Vietnam, the compiled risk factors were reviewed by a group of PPP experts from both the public and private sectors in Vietnam through indepth interviews and questionnaire surveys. In addition, ten PPP project case studies in Vietnam were analyzed to derive the risk profile of PPP transportation projects of the nation. These risk factors were quantitatively assessed based on their probabilities and impact levels. We found that the critical risk factors of PPP infrastructure projects in Vietnam are acquisition/compensation problems, approvals and permits, inadequate feasibility studies, finance market issues, subjective evaluation methods, and change in laws and regulations. By performing factor analysis, these critical risk factors were grouped into four categories: (1) bidding process, (2) finance issues, (3) laws and regulations, and (4) project evaluation issues. These critical risk factors represent the obstacles that repel private investors from PPP transportation projects in Vietnam. Thus, the Vietnam government agencies should meticulously address these issues to attract both domestic and foreign private investors in PPP projects.
OPTIMAL SOLAR POWERED SYSTEM FOR LONG HOUSES IN SARAWAK BY USING HOMER TOOL
Authors: Radzi Mohd Amran Mohd , Rahim Nasrudin Abd. , Che Hang Seng , Ohgaki Hideaki , Farzaneh Hooman , Wong Wallace Shung Hui , Hung Lai Chean
Published: March 2021

Ensuring electricity coverage for rural areas in Malaysia is still a big challenge due to the houses are in deep forest and scattered locations. The estimated coverage in 2015 is only 94% and still depending on conventional fossil-fuel generators. Considering full utilization of renewable source is highly recommended. Therefore, this paper proposes optimal design of full solar powered system for long houses in one selected area in Sarawak, Malaysia. Interestingly, the work has been started with evaluation and estimation of loads with site survey done to the selected area, which is Kampung Sungai Merah. The site visit has been conducted to survey and estimate the loads at the site. The design considers meteorological and climate data, specifications of system, and simulation configuration. HOMER tool is used in this work which comes with the optimization algorithm to search for the least cost system. The simulation results reveal the outcomes by considering three discount rates of 3%, 6% and 12%, and the system is presented with the best design for each rate. Lower discount rate contributes to higher PV and lower battery architectures as compared to higher discount rates. In short, it can be concluded that the system is optimally designed to be fully depended on utilization of solar as solid renewable source, which affects PV and battery architectures as two key design elements. Finally, this work should be able to provide the designer an opportunity to fully consider various options in developing the best renewable and full solar powered system for rural electrification.
IMPROVING SURFACE ROUGHNESS BY ELECTRICAL DISCHARGE MACHINING WITH TUNGSTEN POWDER
Authors: Le Vantao , Banh Tienlong , Tran Xuanthai , Nguyen Thi Hong Minh
Published: March 2021

Electrical discharge machining (EDM) process is widely used to process hard materials in the industry. The process of electrical discharge is changed and called PMEDM when alloy powder is added in the oil dielectric. Studies show that the surface roughness (Ra) obtained by PMEDM is generally better than that by normal EDM. In the current study, the effect of tungsten carbide alloy powder added to the dielectric on the surface roughness status of the workpiece SKD61 after machining is investigated. The experiment shows that at the selected process window, adding the powder has resulted in an improvement of the surface roughness up to 57.98% as compared to the high surface roughness Ra of 0.471 μm by normal EDM.
DESIGN OF LVAC DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM WITH PV AND CENTRALIZED BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE INTEGRATION-A CASE STUDY OF CAMBODIA
Authors: Vai Vannak , Alvarez-Hérault Marie-Cécile , Bun Long , Raison Bertrand
Published: March 2021

This paper studies an optimal design of grid topology and integrated photovoltaic (PV) and centralized battery energy storage considering techno-economic aspect in low voltage distribution systems for urban area in Cambodia. This work aims at searching for an optimal topology including size of the battery energy storage by two different methods over the planning study of 15 years. Firstly, the shortest path algorithm (SPA) and first-fit bin-packing algorithm (FFBPA) are used to find out the topology which minimize the line and the load balancing. Secondly, mixed integer quadratically constrained programming (MIQCP) algorithms are developed to search for a topology which minimize conductor use and the load balancing improvement. Next, Genetic algorithm is developed to size the maximum PV peak power connected into LV network with respected to voltage and current constraints. Then, the size of battery energy storage procedure is established in order to eliminate the reverse power flow going on medium voltage (MV) grid and to improve the autonomous operation time of system. A discounted cost method is used to evaluate the solutions for different methods. Lastly, an urban area in Cambodia is chosen as a case study in this paper. Simulation results confirm the proposed method in this research.
PREDICTING USEFUL LIFE OF COCOPEAT IN A FILTER BED TREATING WASTEWATER WITH HEAVY METALS USING HYDRUS-1D
Authors: Samaniego Jessie , Tanchuling Maria Antonia
Published: March 2021

The effectiveness of cocopeat as an adsorbent for the treatment of wastewater containing heavy metals was reported in previous studies. In this study, cocopeat was used as an adsorbent in a filter bed system treating wastewater from a small scale gold mining (SSGM) ball mill facility. A total of 6,000 L of actual SSGM wastewater collected from a ball mill facility in Paracale, Camarines Norte were used in the experimental runs. The filter bed was evaluated by determining its heavy metal removal efficiencies for 50 days at a flow rate of 40 L/hr. After the experimental runs, HYDRUS1D was used to simulate the transport of lead (Pb) in the filter bed and predict the remaining useful life of cocopeat as a heavy metal adsorbent. Lead was selected for the solute transport modeling in HYDRUS-1D since Pb was the highest concentration in the wastewater and also exceeded the government effluent limit. Measured data from the experimental runs and water flow parameters of cocopeat were used as input values in the simulation with varying cocopeat thickness and initial concentration flux. Results showed that by increasing the thickness of the cocopeat layer, the useful life of cocopeat in the filter bed was extended. By using the actual concentration of Pb (0.0933 mg/L) in the wastewater, HYDRUS-1D was able to simulate Pb transport in the filter and predict that the useful life of cocopeat 50 cm thick treating an actual SSGM wastewater was 2.74 years.
eHealth interventions to support self-management in people with musculoskeletal disorders: a scoping review protocol
Authors: Kelly Marie , Fullen Brona , Martin Denis , McMahon Sinéad , McVeigh Joseph G.
Published: March 2021

Objective:

The objective of this scoping review is to explore existing literature related to the role of eHealth interventions in supporting self-management in those with musculoskeletal disorders in order to investigate and chart the evidence, and identify any gaps within the literature.

Introduction:

Musculoskeletal disorders are one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. Self-management interventions are consistently recommended as a core component of treatment for people with musculoskeletal disorders. Given limited health care resources, there is increasing interest in the potential role of eHealth interventions to support self-management in this population.

Inclusion criteria:

Studies that include adult participants (older than 18 years) with a musculoskeletal disorder will be considered. Studies that include participants with pain of specific pathological origin (eg, infection, malignancy, osteoporosis, inflammatory disease, fracture), those who are pregnant, or individuals following surgery will be excluded. The concept is eHealth interventions that support self-management conducted in any setting and geographical location. All settings and locations will be included.

Methods:

The following electronic databases will be searched with no limit on publication date: MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Embase, Scopus and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. A structured search of the gray literature will also be conducted. Studies will be limited to those published in English. Two reviewers will undertake title and abstract screening, followed by full-text screening. Data extraction will be conducted utilizing a standardized form for included studies, and a narrative summary will accompany the charted results and will describe how the results relate to the review's objective.

Systematic review registration:

Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/29rd6)