bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
RESPONSES OF JUVENILE AMERICAN ALLIGATORS (ALLIGATOR MISSISSIPPIENSIS) TO CONTACT CALLS
Authors: Bollinger Todd. R.
Published: April 2019

Crocodylians are known for their ability to vocalize throughout their lives in a variety of social and ecological contexts, particularly during their vulnerable juvenile life stage. However, few studies have analyzed juvenile calls in laboratory settings, fewer still have analyzed them across large sample sizes or with respect to sex and body size, and no studies to date have analyzed crocodylian vocalizations with respect to human conditioning in captivity or animal personality profiles. This study tests juvenile American alligators' (Alligator mississippiensis) ability to respond via movement and callback vocalizations to pre-recorded conspecific contact calls across a large sample size (n=36), and tests for relationships between response rates and juvenile body size and sex. Seventeen and sixteen individuals out of a total of thirty-six responded via movement toward the source of pre-recorded vocalizations across the first and second experimental trials, respectively, whereas none responded through movement toward control sounds; 75% of juveniles who vocalized did so only in response to contact calls rather than controls (though the latter difference was not significant given that only four vocalized in Trial 1, and only a single animal vocalized in Trial 2); there was also no significant difference in movement toward recorded vocalizations across size or sex. However, one particularly vocal individual whose upbringing in captivity was known was identified as a possible unique personality profile given its propensity for callback vocalizations in comparison to its fellow study subjects.
MEASURING DISPLACEMENT AND VELOCITY OF A STRIKER USING A RADIO-INTERFEROMETER
Authors: Balandin V. V. , Balandin V. V. , Parkhachev V. V.
Published: April 2019

Investigating impact interaction of solid and deformed bodies with obstacles of various physical natures requires developing experimental methodologies of registering the parameters of the interaction process. In experimental investigations of impact interaction of solids, it is common practice to measure displacement of strikers as a function of time, as well as their velocity and deceleration. To determine the displacement and velocity of a striker, a radio-interferometric methodology of registering the displacement of its rear end is proposed. In contrast with the registration methods based on high-speed filming and pulsed X-ray photography, the method using a millimeter-range radio-interferometer provides continuous high-accuracy registering of the displacement of the rear end of a striker in a wide range of displacement values. To test the effectiveness of the methodology, a series of experiments have been conducted on registering the motion of a cylindrical striker of an aluminum alloy, fired from a 20mm-dia gas gun. The displacement of the striker was also monitored using high-speed filming. The results of measuring using the two methodologies differ within the limits of the error of measurement. Based on the results of the above experiments, it has been concluded that the methodology of determining the displacement and velocity of strikers in a ballistic experiment using a mm-range radio-interferometer makes it possible to measure practically continuously large displacements (100 mm and larger) to a safe accuracy. The present methodology can be used for measuring the displacement and velocity of the rear end of a striker interacting with obstacles of various physical natures (metals, ceramics, soils, concretes, etc.).
STABILITY OF A CYLINDER FROM MURNAGHAN MATERIAL UNDER STRETCHING, COMPRESSION AND INFLATION
Authors: Karyakin M. I. , Obrezkov L. P.
Published: April 2019

The problem of equilibrium and stability of a hollow cylinder subjected to simultaneous uniaxial tension/compression and inflation is considered within the framework of the three-dimensional nonlinear theory of elasticity. To describe the mechanical properties of the material of the cylinder five-constant Murnaghan model is used. By the semi-inverse method the three-dimensional problem is reduced to the study of a nonlinear boundary value problem for an ordinary second-order differential equation. For most sets of material parameters known from the literature, the presence of a falling section in the stretching/inflation diagram, indicating the possible existence of instability zones even in the area of tensile stresses, has been found numerically. The stability analysis was carried out using a bifurcation approach based on linearization of the equilibrium equations in the neighborhood of the constructed solution by means of the method of imposing a small strain on a finite one. The value of a particular deformation characteristic, for which non-trivial solutions of a homogeneous boundary-value problem exist for the equations of neutral equilibrium obtained in the linearization process, was identified with the critical value of the loading parameter, i.e. value at which the system loses stability. As a rule, the coefficient of stretching/shortening of the cylinder and the coefficient of increase/decrease of its internal or external radius were chosen as such parameters. On the plane of the above-mentioned deformation characteristics the areas of stability under tension and compression, as well as under compression by external force and inflation by internal pressure, are constructed. The forms of possible of stability loss depending on the type of stress state are constructed, and the effect on the stability of material and geometric parameters is studied.
ANALYSIS OF SURFACE STRESS INFLUENCE ON THE EFFECTIVE PROPERTIES OF NANOPOROUS PIEZOCOMPOSITES
Authors: Nasedkin A. V.
Published: April 2019

The present paper considers the homogenization problems for mixed piezoelectric composite materials with stochastic distributions of inclusions or pores and with taking into account the mechanical imperfect interphase boundaries. The accepted interface statements correspond to the Gurtin - Murdoch model and give a significant contribution only for nanostructured composites. To determine the effective properties, an integrated approach was used, based on the theory of effective moduli, on the modelling of representative element volumes and on the finite element method. An aggregate of boundary value problems was described, which allow one to find a complete set of effective stiffness moduli, piezomoduli, and dielectric constants for a piezocomposite of arbitrary anisotropy class. The numerical solution of homogenization problems was carried out in the ANSYS finite-element package, which was used both for modelling of representative element volumes and for computation of the effective properties of composite material. The representative volume consisted of a regular cubic array of piezoelectric finite elements with the material properties of the two phases. The contact boundaries between materials of different phases were covered with elastic membrane elements that simulated interface surface stresses.

Specific implementation was performed for nanoporous piezoceramic composites, for which both the initial phases and the homogeneous material were materials of the hexagonal symmetry class, and the pores were considered as piezoelectric material with negligibly small stiffness moduli and piezomoduli. For this composite the membrane elements inherited the anisotropy structure of volume elements on their common edges. As an example, the results of calculations of effective moduli for porous ferroelectric soft piezoceramics PZT-5H were presented. It was noted that the surface stresses on the boundaries of the pores can significantly increase the values of the effective stiffness moduli. However, they had a weak influence on the values of the effective piezomoduli and dielectric constants.
DEVELOPING MARKETING STRATEGY OF MADANA TILES SURABAYA TO ENTER THE NEW MARKET ON SOUTHEAST ASIA
Authors: Marcos Evania Liana , Richardo Reynold
Published: April 2019

Madana Tiles is the first cement tile company in Surabaya city. Due to being produced entirely by hand, the Tile of Madana Tiles is assured of its authenticity and uniqueness. With a periodically supervised production process, it allows us to control the entire process with the best results and competitive pricing.Cement tiles have been used and produced in Indonesia for tens or even hundreds of years, and have become part of Indonesian culture, therefore, the vision of madana tile is to preserve the culture by introducing its products and providing opportunities to the community by opening employment. Of course we also want to work with architects, interior designers, and customers as much as possible so as to enable the creation of innovations in design. Customers can also design their own tile design.

Madana Tiles already has a web, but the web is not yet complete including catalogs. The incomplete Web can make consumers unable to guess what kind of tiles Madana Tiles produces. We from team 21 have some ideas that can help marketing tiles Madana Tiles is by using the catalog as a means of promotion. We will make the catalog in the form of e-catalog (2D) and real catalog (3D). Why do we recommend Madana Tiles to create an e-catalog, because on the web Madana Tiles belom has a complete catalog so that consumers who see the web can not choose the tile design variations. As for the 3D catalog, consumers can see directly the variations, designs and colors of the finished tiles.

Our team chose the Southeast Asia sector because there are several opportunities. Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand. Among its centralized locations, the country wants to expand its trade and investment activities, has abundant natural resources and has advanced technology and economics.
Financial Management Model Village
Authors: Sululing Siswadi , Ode Haruni , Sono Mohammad Gifari
Published: April 2019

This research aims to improve knowledge of the village head and village apparatus about administering and accounting of financial transactions using accounting model village village, this type of research is the research field to the villages of recipients the village Fund, the allocation of funds, and local tax and regional levies in the Regency of Banggai Central Sulawesi Province.

Sampling method was purposive sampling, while the analysis tools used are model villages, using accounting using public cash book, daily maid, cash book bank book, book, book inventory tax village, books supplies, books capital books, accounts receivable, and the book debts.

Results of the study consist of APB Village consists of income of the village, which is a fund transfer from the Central Government, i.e. the village Fund, and the allocation of funds and village tax areas and regional retribution from the local government as well as financial assistance from the Government the counties and provinces,while shopping the village consists of the 56th Government field shopping village, shopping areas of implementation of the development of the village, shopping areas of civic construction, shopping areas, community empowerment and unexpected expenditures. Accounting model villages will produce financial laporaan village consisting of APB Village, reports, reports on the realization of the budget, the early village-owned wealth report, balance sheet and notes to financial statements.
Postradical Hysterectomy Survival Rate in Early Stage Cervical Cancer Patients
Authors: Yeremia Wesley , Rarung Max , Laihad Bismarck J
Published: April 2019

Objective: Determining the survival rate of early stage cervical cancer

patients after radical hysterectomy.

Method: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 24 earlystage

cervical cancer patients who had performed radical hysterectomy

in Prof. dr. R.D. Kandou Hospital Manado during the period

between January 2008 and December 2010. We used Kaplan-Meier

methods to observe the survival rate.

Result: The mean age of patients in this study was 47.8 (33-63)

years old with a median of 45 years old. The largest proportion was

less than 50 years old (66.7%) and stage IIA cervical cancer (66.7%)

as the severity of cancer. Most histopathology type was the squamous

cell carcinoma (50.0%). About 70.8% patients did not have

lymph nodes metastasis and 62.5% patients did not receive adjuvant

therapy. This study revealed that 1-year, 2-year, 3-year, 4-year, and

5-year survival rate were 100.0%, 100.0%, 95.8%, 83.0%, 70.8%;

respectively.

Conclusion: The survival rate of early stage cervical cancer afte[Indones J Obstet Gynecol 2016; 4-3: 164-169]

Keywords: cervical cancer, radical hysterectomy, survival rate
High Sensitivity CReactive Protein (hsCRP) Level on Premature Rupture of Membrane (PROM) at Term Pregnancy
Authors: Manoppo Meily , Tendean Hermie MM , Sondakh Joice MM
Published: April 2019

Objective: To compare the level of high sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hs-CRP) on patients with premature rupture of membranes (PROM) at term pregnancy. Methods: The study was cross-sectional design. The data collection included age, parity, gestational age, birth weight, and APGAR score on 28 pregnant women at term pregnancy consisting of 14 subjects of Premature Rupture of Membrane (PROM) less than 12 hours and the remaining one was equal or more than 12 hours. We took blood samples from the subjects for the examination of hs-CRP level. Data were analyzed using non-parametric statistical test and processed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. Results: The mean hs-CRP level on PROM <12-hour and 12-hour group was 12.9 and 17.8 mg/l. There was not significant difference on hs-CRP level between both of group at term pregnancy (p=0.734). Conclusion: The level of hs-CRP does not have association with the incidence of PROM. [Indones J Obstet Gynecol 2017; 5-1: 12-15] Keywords: high sensitivity C-Reactive Protein, premature ruptures of membranes, term pregnancy
Accuracy of Student Paramedics When Measuring Adult Respiratory Rate: A Pilot Study
Authors: Galka Sarah , Berrell Jessica , Fezai Rami , Shabella Louis , Simpson Paul , Thyer Liz
Published: April 2019

Introduction

Abnormal respiration rate (RR) is commonly undervalued in the out-of-hospital environment despite its use as a predictive marker for physiological decline. The need for paramedicine students to manually measure RR is therefore important. The aims of the study were: 1) to determine the accuracy of manually measured RR when performed by second-year paramedicine students on healthy volunteers in a simulated environment; and 2) to provide data to inform design of a larger study.

Methods

This pilot study utilised a prospective double-blinded observational design, in which neither the participants nor the healthy volunteers knew the specific aim of the study. Paramedicine students manually recorded RR along with a range of vital signs including non-invasive manual blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation, temperature and 4-lead electrocardiogram on healthy volunteers. Capnography was used as the gold standard to confirm observed respiratory rates. Intra-class correlation was used to assess agreement between manual RR and capnography.

Results

Thirty-six complete sets of data were recorded. There was strong agreement between paramedicine student and capnography measurements (ICC 0.77; 95% CI 0.54–0.88). Accuracy of paramedicine students to measure RR of the opposite gender showed no statistical difference when female students (F=0.05, p=0.83) or male students (F=0.04, p=0.84) measured.

Conclusion

The manual RR measured by paramedicine students agreed well with capnography irrespective of the gender of the patient or paramedicine student. These data suggest the two measurements could be used interchangeably, although the difference between statistical and clinical significance should be further investigated.
EDUCATION AND RESEARCH AS COMPONENTS OF INDONESIA DEFENSE DIPLOMACY
Authors: Midhio I Wayan , Priyono Juniawan
Published: April 2019

Defense diplomacy seeks to build partnerships through the use of defense-related programs. The Government of Indonesia develops practical cooperation among regional and extra-regional defense establishments on areas of mutual concern in education and research. Indonesia assigns Indonesia Defense University (IDU) to provide professional graduate education in defense studies with strong practical and area emphasis, conduct relevant research in defense strategy and management, national security and defense technology. Heads of Defense Universities/Colleges/Institutions Meeting (HDUCIM) serves the exchange of information concerning curriculum, defense concepts, and state defense development; it is also possible to conduct cooperation on research. In promoting regional security, defense diplomacy through education and research could play an important role in posing the stability of interstate relations by illustrating the relations between Indonesia-Cambodia and Indonesia-Philippines.  

 
Mutants and weather parameters affecting the population dynamics of three major insect pests of Mungbean
Authors: Khan MMH , Islam MM , Asaduzzaman M , Uddin MN
Published: April 2019

The study was conducted to know the abundance of aphid, flea beetle and pod borer on the mutants viz., MBM-07-Y-1, MBM-07-Y-2, MBM- 656-51-2, MBM-527-114, MBM-07-(S)-2, MBM-347-13, MBM-390-94-Y, MBM-427-87-3, MBM-80 (Local) and a variety BARI moog-6 and the role of weather parameters on the population dynamics of insects at the Agricultural Farm of Patuakhali Science and Technology University from April to June, 2015. Results revealed that the tested mutants did not show resistance against aphid, flea beetle and pod borer. Mutant MBM- 347-13 had the lowest number of flea beetle while mutant MBM-427-87- 3, MBM-80(LCAL) and MBM-527-114 had the highest number of flea beetle indicating higher susceptibility to flea beetle. Mutant MBM-390-94- Y had the lowest abundance of aphid while BARI moog-6 had highest aphid abundance. Mutant MBM-347-13 had lowest number of pod borer and MBM-427-87-3 had highest abundance of pod borer followed by MBM-07(S)-2 and BARI moog-6. Flea beetle abundance gradually increased with decreasing average temperature while aphid and pod borer abundance gradually increased with increasing average temperature. In case of humidity, flea beetle abundance increased very slightly with increasing average humidity but aphid abundance increased very slightly with increasing average humidity. Pod borer abundance was low with high average humidity and then increased slightly due to decrease of humidity and finally declined with increasing humidity.

SAARC J. Agri., 16(2): 1-12 (2018)
О влиянии звуковых волн на процессы горения
Authors: Ильюшонок Александр , Гончаренко Игорь , Лешенюк Николай , Кулешов Владимир , Терешенков Владимир
Published: April 2019

Дан краткий обзор ряда работ, посвященных изучению влияния акустических волн на процесс горения с целью повышения эффективности использования топлива, уменьшения вредных выбросов и тушения локальных возгораний.
Implementasi Kebijakan Program KOTAKU (Kota Tanpa Kumuh) Dalam Upaya Meningkatkan Kesejahteraan Masyarakat
Authors: Nurhasanah Nurhasanah
Published: April 2019

Program KOTAKU (Kota tanpa Kumuh) adalah program penanganan pemukiman kumuh menjadi pemukiman yang layak huni di perkotaan, melalui pembangunan infrastruktur berbasis masyarakat yang memberikan peranan masyarakat yang lebih besar. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah: (1) Untuk mengetahui bagaimana implementasi kebijakan program KOTAKU dalam meningkatkan kesejahteraan masyarakat. (2) untuk mengetahui faktor pendukung dan penghambat yang di hadapi dalam implementasi kebijakan program KOTAKU dalam meningkatkan kesejahteraan masyarakat. Untuk mencapai tujuan tersebut, dalam penelitian ini menggunakan jenis penelitian kualitatif dengan pendekatan deskriptif. Lokasi penelitian ini di laksanakan di Kelurahan Merjosari Kecamatan Lowokwaru Kota Malang. Objek yang diteliti pada penelitian ini adalah Implementasi Kebijakan Program KOTAKU (Kota Tanpa Kumuh). Program ini untuk meningkatkan akses terhadap infrastruktur dan pelayanan dasar di kawasan kumuh perkotaan untuk mendukung terwujudnya pemukiman perkotaan yang layak huni, produktif dan berkelanjutan. Adapun faktor penghambat dari program KOTAKU adalah kurangnya partisipasi masyarakat dalam keikutsertaan dalam pelaksaan kegiatan program KOTAKU. Faktor pendukung dari program KOTAKU masih  ada sebagian masyarakat yang masih ikut berpartisipasi dalam kegiatan program KOTAKU bahkan dengan sukarela memberikan bantuan berupa tenaga maupun materi.
Implementasi Kebijakan Program Kawasan Rumah Pangan Lestari (KRPL) Dalam Meningkatkan Kesejahteraan Masyarakat
Authors: Ayuning Tyas Desy Nafilah
Published: April 2019

Menyadari pentingnya diversifikasi pangan, pemerintah telah mengambil berbagai upaya dan kebijakan, salah satu upaya kebijakan tersebut adalah pelaksanaan program Kawasan Rumah Pangan Lestari (KRPL). Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah: (1) Mengkaji peran aktor dalam melaksanakan pemberdayaan kelompok tani KRPL Kenanga melalui program KRPL, (2) Mengetahui implementasi kebijakan program KRPL, (3) Mengetahui faktor pendukung dan penghambat yang dihadapi dalam melaksanakan pemberdayaan kelompok tani KRPL Kenanga melalui program KRPL di Kelurahan Merjosari. Untuk mencapai tujuan tersebut, peneliti menggunakan jenis penelitian kualitatif dengan pendekatan deskriptif. Lokasi penelitian ini dilaksanakan di Kelurahan Merjosari Kecamatan Lowokwaru Kota Malang. Objek yang diteliti pada penelitian ini adalah Implementasi Kebijakan Program Kawasan Rumah Pangan Lestari (KRPL). Pengumpulan data dilakukan melalui wawancara, observasi dan dokumentasi. Analisis data dilakukan secara deskriptif kualitatif melalui analisis domain, analisis taksonomi, analisis komponensial dan analisis tema budaya. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa peran Dinas Pertanian dan Ketahanan Pangan Kota Malang adalah sebagai dinamisator, sedangkan peran Kelurahan Merjosari adalah sebagai fasilitator. Untuk peran kelompok tani KRPL Kenanga sendiri adalah memberikan kontribusi terhadap keberlangsungan pangan dan peningkatan keberdayaan kelompok. Implementasi program Kawasan Rumah Pangan Lestari (KRPL) di Kelurahan Merjosari Kecamatan Lowokwaru Kota Malang berjalan efektif, namun pelaksanaan di lapangan masih ditemukan kendala. Bentuk kegiatan implementasi program Kawasan Rumah Pangan Lestari (KRPL) adalah melakukan perencanaan program, pelaksanaan program serta monitoring dan evaluasi.Kawasan Rumah Pangan Lestari (KRPL) adalah memberdayakan rumah tangga dan masyarakat dalam penyediaan sumber pangan dan gizi melalui optimalisasi pemanfaatan pekarangan dan lahan sekitar tempat tinggal. Adapun faktor pendukung yang dihadapi dalam melaksanakan pemberdayaan kelompok tani KRPL Kenanga antara lain partisipasi masyarakat dan kesadaran masyarakat. Adapun faktor yang menjadi penghambat adalah sedikitnya pemahaman anggota kelompok mengenai teknologi produksi atau teknik budidaya tanaman serta jarangnya dilakukan kegiatan pendampingan dan pelatihan kepada anggota KRPL Kenanga.
A Comparison of Skin Microbiota under Adhesive Bandages versus Uncovered Adjacent Skin
Authors: Lemire Kendra , Maes Felicia , Ginart Marialis , Braun Tim
Published: April 2019

The skin is the largest organ in the human body and interacts directly with the exterior environment. It is also a habitat for bacteria. We are interested in the perturbing effects of adhesive bandages on the skin’s bacterial populations. We compared covered versus uncovered finger skin using three kinds of over the counter adhesive bandages. We found that skin covered with an adhesive bandage is home to approximately 80 fold more culturable bacteria than is uncovered skin and that type of bandage makes little difference to expansion of the bacterial population. Diversity of bacteria was measured by two different techniques: one culture dependent and one culture independent, both found no significant diversity difference between covered vs. uncovered skin in number of taxa present. The culture dependent analysis found that most samples were dominated by a single bacterium, whereas the culture independent 16S rDNA analysis found more diversity. Evidence of seasonal cycling of dominant culturable skin bacteria was observed.
Drought Stress Tolerance Screening of Elite American Breeding Rice Genotypes Using Low-Cost Pre-Fabricated Mini-Hoop Modules
Authors: Lone Ajaz A. , Jumaa Salah H. , Wijewardana Chathurika , Taduri Shasthree , Redona Edilberto D. , Reddy K. Raja
Published: April 2019

Drought is a major abiotic stress factor affecting the growth and development of plants at all stages. Developing a screening tool for identifying drought stress tolerance during seedling establishment is important in the deployment of rice varieties suited to water-limited growing environments. An experiment was conducted to evaluate 100 rice genotypes, mostly belonging to the tropical japonica subspecies, for drought stress tolerance using low-cost, pre-fabricated mini-hoop structures. The rice seedlings were subjected to two different soil moisture regimes- control pots managed at 100% and drought pots at 50% field capacity, from 12 to 30 days after sowing (DAS). Several morpho-physiological parameters including root traits were measured to assess the response of genotypes to drought stress. Significant moisture stress × genotype interactions were found for most of the parameters measured. A cumulative drought stress response index (CDSRI) was developed by adding the individual response indices of all cultivars. Based on CDSRI and standard deviation values, 5 and 28 genotypes were identified as highly sensitive and sensitive to drought, respectively, and 45 as moderately sensitive. On the other hand, 16 and 6 genotypes were classified as tolerant and highly tolerant to drought, respectively. Cheniere, a released cultivar, and RU1402174, an experimental breeding line, were identified as the least and most tolerant to drought among the 100 genotypes tested. Significant linear correlation coefficients were obtained between CDSRI and root growth parameters (R2 = 0.91, n = 100) and CDSRI with shoot growth parameters (R2 = 0.48, n = 100), revealing the importance of root traits in studying and identifying drought tolerant lines during the seedling establishment stages in rice. The tolerant rice genotypes identified will be valuable for rice scientists in studying the mechanism for early season drought as well as for rice breeders for developing new genotypes best suited under growing environments prone to early-season drought.
CO2 Transcritical Refrigeration Cycle with Dedicated Subcooling: Mechanical Compression vs. Absorption Chiller
Authors: Bellos Evangelos , Tzivanidis Christos
Published: April 2019

The objective of this paper is the comparison of two dedicated subcooling methods, after the gas cooler, in a CO2 transcritical refrigeration system. The use of vapor compression refrigeration with R134a for subcooling is the first method, and the second is the use of an absorption chiller that operates with a LiBr-H2O working pair. The examined systems are compared energetically and exegetically with the reference transcritical CO2 refrigeration cycle without subcooling. The analysis is conducted for different operating scenarios and in every case, the system is optimized by selecting the proper temperature and pressure levels. The analysis is performed with a developed and validated model in Engineering Equation Solver. According to the final results, the use of the absorption chiller is able to decrease the system electricity consumption by about 54% compared to the simple transcritical cycle, while the decrease with the mechanical subcooling is 41%. Both systems with dedicated subcooling are found to have an important increase in the system exergy performance compared to the simple transcritical cycle. However, the system with the mechanical subcooling is found to be the best choice exegetically, with a small difference from the system with the absorption chiller.
Majority Voting Based Multi-Task Clustering of Air Quality Monitoring Network in Turkey
Authors: Tuysuzoglu Goksu , Birant Derya , Pala Aysegul
Published: April 2019

Air pollution, which is the result of the urbanization brought by modern life, has a dramatic impact on the global scale as well as local and regional scales. Since air pollution has important effects on human health and other living things, the issue of air quality is of great importance all over the world. Accordingly, many studies based on classification, clustering and association rule mining applications for air pollution have been proposed in the field of data mining and machine learning to extract hidden knowledge from environmental parameters. One approach is to model a region in a way that cities having similar characteristics are determined and placed into the same clusters. Instead of using traditional clustering algorithms, a novel algorithm, named Majority Voting based Multi-Task Clustering (MV-MTC), is proposed and utilized to consider multiple air pollutants jointly. Experimental studies showed that the proposed method is superior to five well-known clustering algorithms: K-Means, Expectation Maximization, Canopy, Farthest First and Hierarchical clustering methods.
Influence of Burner Nozzle Parameters Analysis on the Aluminium Melting Process
Authors: Dzurňák Róbert , Varga Augustín , Kizek Ján , Jablonský Gustáv , Lukáč Ladislav
Published: April 2019

The paper presents the results of the optimisation of burner nozzle diameters during the combustion of natural gas under the conditions of increasing oxygen concentrations in the oxidizer in aluminium melting processes in drum rotary furnaces. The optimisation of outlet nozzle diameters was performed employing the method of experimental measurements, the results of which can be used for aluminium melting in hearth furnaces. The measurements were carried out using an experimental upstream burner with 13.5 kW input power. The monitored oxygen concentrations in the oxidizer ranged from 21% to 50%. The measurements were performed and evaluated in two variations of the burner configuration (geometry). In the first study, the impact of the enriched oxidizer on the melting of aluminium ingots was evaluated with the defined diameter of the air nozzle, which resulted in a reduction of the aluminium charge melting time by 50% at 45.16% oxygen concentration in the oxidizer, thus achieving savings in the consumption of fuel used for melting. In the second study, the diameter was optimised depending on the combustion rate of the natural gas and oxidizer mixture. The optimisation of the nozzle parameters resulted in the reduction of the charge melting time by 23.66%, while the same 25% enriched oxidizer was used. With the rise of the enrichment level to 35%, further reduction by approximately 12% was observed. The measurement results prove considerable influence of the parameter (geometry) optimisation of the outlet nozzles and oxidizer enrichment. Appropriately selected parameters of the burner can contribute to achieving comparable results at a lower enrichment of the oxidizer. The obtained results demonstrate the intensification of the heat transfer in the current thermal aggregates. The research conclusions confirm that oxygen-enhanced combustion and modification of existing burners reduces the specific energy consumption on the process and reduces CO2 emissions.
Open-Source Tools for Volume Estimation of 3D Multicellular Aggregates
Authors: De Santis Ilaria , Tasnadi Ervin , Horvath Peter , Bevilacqua Alessandro , Piccinini Filippo
Published: April 2019

The volume is one of the most relevant features that define the treatment of an in vivo tumour. When using cancer 3D in vitro models in pre-clinical studies, it becomes important to evaluate the macroscopic effects of drugs and radiotherapy treatments. Depending on the nature of the 3D in vitro model used, different open-source solutions can be used for measuring the volume by starting from microscope-acquired images. In this work, we introduced several open-source tools today available for estimating the volume of 3D multicellular aggregates (e.g., spheroids, organoids), also giving hints for defining the “best software” by analysing characteristics of 3D in vitro models and limits of the tools. Finally, using several cancer organoids imaged by a fluorescent microscope, we compared volume estimations obtained with different tools, besides presenting a new version of the Reconstruction and Visualization from Multiple Sections (ReViMS version 2.0) tool. This work aims to be the reference for researchers interested in estimating the volume of 3D multicellular aggregates through an open-source tool.
Numerical Investigation of Impeller-Vaned Diffuser Interaction in a Centrifugal Compressor
Authors: Bardelli Matteo , Cravero Carlo , Marini Martino , Marsano Davide , Milingi Omar
Published: April 2019

The work presents the results of a CFD campaign to investigate the impeller–diffuser interaction in a centrifugal compressor, taking advantage of experimental data from the open literature. Previous studies on the same turbomachine focused on an experimental investigation to understand the flow interaction between the impeller and the vaned diffuser. These experimental data have been used to validate the simulation approach and discuss its results. Several CFD models with increasing complexity have been developed to take into account different aspects. The steady analysis has been performed to highlight the potentials and limitations of such models and to carry out a first study of the flow. In order to analyze the impeller–diffuser interaction, a further model for the unsteady analysis has been set up. Two different operating points have been investigated: one on the surge limit and another in a more stable working zone. A good agreement with the experimental reference data has been obtained with the unsteady analysis and some insights in the complex flow field are deduced.
Random Forests and Cubist Algorithms for Predicting Shear Strengths of Rockfill Materials
Authors: Zhou Jian , Li Enming , Wei Haixia , Li Chuanqi , Qiao Qiuqiu , Armaghani Danial Jahed
Published: April 2019

The shear strength of rockfill materials (RFM) is an important engineering parameter in the design and audit of geotechnical structures. In this paper, the predictive reliability and feasibility of random forests and Cubist models were analyzed by estimating the shear strength from the relative density, particle size, distribution (gradation), material hardness, gradation and fineness modulus, and confining (normal) stress. For this purpose, case studies of 165 rockfill samples have been applied to generate training and testing datasets to construct and validate the models. Thirteen key material properties for rockfill characterization were selected to develop the proposed models. Validation and comparison of the models have been performed using the root mean square error (RMSE), coefficient of determination (R2), and mean estimation error (MAE) between the measured and estimated values. A sensitivity analysis was also conducted to ascertain the importance of various inputs in the prediction of the output. The results demonstrated that the Cubist model has the highest prediction performance with (RMSE = 0.0959, R2 = 0.9697 and MAE = 0.0671), followed by the random forests model with (RMSE = 0.1133, R2 = 0.9548 and MAE= 0.0665), the artificial neural network (ANN) model with (RMSE = 0.1320, R2 = 0.9386 and MAE = 0.0841), and the conventional multiple linear regression technique with (RMSE = 0.1361, R2 = 0.9345 and MAE = 0.0888). The results indicated that the Cubist and random forests models are able to generate better predictive results of the shear strength of RFM than ANN and conventional regression models. The Cubist model was considered to be more promising for interpreting the complex relationships between the influential properties of RFM and the shear strengths of RFM to some extent, which can be extremely helpful in estimating the shear strength of rockfill materials.
Indole Degradation in a Model System and in Poultry Manure by Acinetobacter spp.
Authors: Tesso Tujuba Ayele , Liu Guohua
Published: April 2019

Indole degradation in a model system and in poultry manure was studied using an enrichment culture of two Acinetobacter species; Acinetobacter toweneri NTA1-2A and Acinetobacter guillouiae TAT1-6A. Degradation of indole was quantified using reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The two strains were capable of degrading initial concentrations of indole ranging from 58.58–300 mg/L. The degradation efficiency was 66.36% (NTA1-2A), 94.87% (TAT1-6A), and 96.00% (mix) in 6 days when the initial concentration <300 mg/L. The strains were tested for enzymatic activity using 120 mg/L indole. The enzyme extracts of NTA1-2A and TAT1-6A from culture medium degraded indole completely, and no appreciable change of indole concentration was witnessed in the control group. The NTA1-2A, TAT1-6A, and the mix of strains were also used for in vivo poultry manure fermentation and removed 78.67%, 83.28%, and 83.70% of indole, respectively in 8 d. The strains showed a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) in indole removal efficiency compared with the control, but no significant difference between the two strains and the mix in indole removal capacity. We concluded that A. toweneri NTA1-2A and A. guillouiae TAT1-6A are promising strains to remove indole and its derivatives to control the notorious odor in poultry and other livestock industries.
Improving RNN Performance by Modelling Informative Missingness with Combined Indicators
Authors: Rodenburg Frans J. , Sawada Yoshihide , Hayashi Nobuhiro
Published: April 2019

Daily questionnaires from mobile applications allow large amounts of data to be collected with relative ease. However, these data almost always suffer from missing data, be it due to unanswered questions, or simply skipping the survey some days. These missing data need to be addressed before the data can be used for inferential or predictive purposes. Several strategies for dealing with missing data are available, but most are prohibitively computationally intensive for larger models, such as a recurrent neural network (RNN). Perhaps even more important, few methods allow for data that are missing not at random (MNAR). Hence, we propose a simple strategy for dealing with missing data in longitudinal surveys from mobile applications, using a long-term-short-term-memory (LSTM) network with a count of the missing values in each survey entry and a lagged response variable included in the input. We then propose additional simplifications for padding the days a user has skipped the survey entirely. Finally, we compare our strategy with previously suggested methods on a large daily survey with data that are MNAR and conclude that our method worked best, both in terms of prediction accuracy and computational cost.
Enhanced Digital Image Correlation Analysis of Ruptures with Enforced Traction Continuity Conditions Across Interfaces
Authors: Tal Yuval , Rubino Vito , Rosakis Ares J. , Lapusta Nadia
Published: April 2019

Accurate measurements of displacements around opening or interfacial shear cracks (shear ruptures) are challenging when digital image correlation (DIC) is used to quantify strain and stress fields around such cracks. This study presents an algorithm to locally adjust the displacements computed by DIC near frictional interfaces of shear ruptures, in order for the local stress fields to satisfy the continuity of tractions across the interface. In the algorithm, the stresses near the interface are extrapolated by local polynomials that are constructed using a constrained inversion. This inversion is such that the traction continuity (TC) conditions are satisfied at the interface while simultaneously matching the displacements produced by the DIC solution at the pixels closest to the center of the subset, where the DIC fields are more accurate. We apply the algorithm to displacement fields of experimental shear ruptures obtained using a local DIC approach and show that the algorithm produces the desired continuous traction field across the interface. The experimental data are also used to examine the sensitivity of the algorithm against different geometrical parameters related to construction of the polynomials in order to avoid artifacts in the stress field.
Heterogeneous Uptake of N2O5 in Sand Dust and Urban Aerosols Observed during the Dry Season in Beijing
Authors: Xia Men , Wang Weihao , Wang Zhe , Gao Jian , Li Hong , Liang Yutong , Yu Chuan , Zhang Yuechong , Wang Peng , Zhang Yujie , Bi Fang , Cheng Xi , Wang Tao
Published: April 2019

The uptake of dinitrogen pentoxide (N2O5) on aerosols affects the nocturnal removal of NOx and particulate nitrate formation in the atmosphere. This study investigates N2O5 uptake processes using field observations from an urban site in Beijing during April–May 2017, a period characterized by dry weather conditions. For the first time, a very large N2O5 uptake rate (k(N2O5) up to ~0.01 s−1) was observed during a sand storm event, and the uptake coefficient (γ(N2O5)) was estimated to be 0.044. The γ(N2O5) in urban air masses was also determined and exhibited moderate correlation (r = 0.68) with aerosol volume to surface ratio (Va/Sa), but little relation to aerosol water, nitrate, and chloride, a finding that contrasts with previous results. Several commonly used parameterizations of γ(N2O5) underestimated the field-derived γ(N2O5). A new parameterization is suggested for dry conditions, which considers the effect of Va/Sa, temperature, and relative humidity.
Impact of Boreal Summer Intra-Seasonal Oscillations on the Heavy Rainfall Events in Taiwan during the 2017 Meiyu Season
Authors: Huang Wan-Ru , Liu Pin-Yi , Chen Jen-Her , Deng Liping
Published: April 2019

During May and June (the Meiyu season) of 2017, Taiwan was affected by three heavy frontal rainfall events, which led to large economic losses. Using satellite observations and reanalysis data, this study investigates the impact of boreal summer intra-seasonal oscillations (BSISOs, including a 30–60 day ISO mode named BSISO1 and a 10–30 day ISO mode named BSISO2) on the heavy rainfall events in Taiwan during the 2017 Meiyu season. Our examinations show that BSISO2 is more important than BSISO1 in determining the formation of heavy rainfall events in Taiwan during the 2017 Meiyu season. The heavy rainfall events generally formed in Taiwan at phases 4–6 of BSISO2, when the enhanced southwesterly wind and moisture flux convergence center propagate northward into the Taiwan area. In addition, we examined the forecast rainfall data (at lead times of one day to 16 days) obtained from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction Global Forecast System (NCEPgfs) and the Taiwan Central Weather Bureau Global Forecast System (CWBgfs). Our results show that the better the model’s capability in forecasting the BSISO2 index is, the better the model’s capability in forecasting the timing of rainfall formation in Taiwan during the 2017 Meiyu season is. These findings highlight the importance of BSISO2 in affecting the rainfall characteristics in East Asia during the Meiyu season.
In Vitro Anticancer Properties of Copper Metallodendrimers
Authors: Hołota Marcin , Magiera Jakub , Michlewska Sylwia , Kubczak Małgorzata , Sanz del Olmo Natalia , García-Gallego Sandra , Ortega Paula , de la Mata Francisco Javier , Ionov Maksim , Bryszewska Maria
Published: April 2019

Newly synthesized carbosilane copper dendrimers (CCD) with chloride and nitrate surface groups seem to be good candidates to be used as gene and drug carriers in anti-cancer therapy, due to their properties such as size and surface charge. Copper attached to the nanoparticles is an important element of many biological processes and recently their anti-cancer properties have been widely examined. Zeta size and potential, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), circular dichroism (CD), analysis of haemolytic activity, and fluorescence anisotropy techniques were used to characterize copper dendrimers. Additionally, their cytotoxic properties toward normal (PBMC) and cancer (1301; HL-60) cells were examined. All tested dendrimers were more cytotoxic against cancer cells in comparison with normal cells.
TRPC3 Regulates the Proliferation and Apoptosis Resistance of Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cells through the TRPC3/RASA4/MAPK Pathway
Authors: Wang Yan , Qi Yan-Xiang , Qi Zenghua , Tsang Suk-Ying
Published: April 2019

Currently, there is no effective molecular-based therapy for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Canonical transient receptor potential isoform 3 (TRPC3) was previously shown to be upregulated in breast cancer biopsy tissues when compared to normal breast tissues. However, the biological role of TRPC3 in breast cancer still remains to be elucidated. In this study, subcellular fractionation followed by Western blot and immunocytochemistry showed that TRPC3 was over-expressed on the plasma membrane of TNBC line MDA-MB-231 when compared to an estrogen receptor-positive cell line MCF-7. TRPC3 blocker Pyr3 and dominant negative of TRPC3 attenuated proliferation, induced apoptosis and sensitized cell death to chemotherapeutic agents in MDA-MB-231 as measured by proliferation assays. Interestingly, Ras GTPase-activating protein 4 (RASA4), a Ca2+-promoted Ras-MAPK pathway suppressor, was found to be located on the plasma membrane of MDA-MB-231. Blocking TRPC3 decreased the amount of RASA4 located on the plasma membrane, with concomitant activation of MAPK pathways. Our results suggest that, in TNBC MDA-MB-231 cells, Ca2+ influx through TRPC3 channel sustains the presence of RASA4 on the plasma membrane where it inhibits the Ras-MAPK pathway, leading to proliferation and apoptosis resistance. Our study reveals the novel TRPC3-RASA4-MAPK signaling cascade in TNBC cells and suggests that TRPC3 may be exploited as a potential therapeutic target for TNBC.
Modeling and Order Reduction for the Thermodynamics of a Diesel Oxidation Catalyst with Hydrocarbon Dosing
Authors: Wu Feng , Zhang Benxi , Yao Dongwei , Yang Yanxiang
Published: April 2019

This paper presents an order reduction for the thermal dynamics of a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) with hydrocarbon (HC) dosing. The original model includes the pyrolysis of diesel droplets and a wall storage process in the upstream of the DOC. The order reduction process is derived from the thermodynamics model of the DOC for further control design. The results are compared with experimental data. It is found that the DOC can be simplified as a second-order model using the HC dosing model, which has more than 94% fitness, reflecting the thermodynamics of the system. According to this research, the DOC thermal dynamics can be considered to be equivalent to a time-varying second-order system for the investigation. The second-order parameters of K, Tw, and ζ are also investigated in this paper.