bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PENEGAKAN HUKUM PERLINDUNGAN KONSUMEN SEBAGAI UPAYA PENINGKATAN MUTU PRODUKSI NASIONAL
Authors: Mansyur Ali , Rahman Irsan
Published: July 2017

As the Consumer Protection Law Enforcement Effort for Quality Improvement National Production outlines that globalization opens free market requires businesses to compete on a competitive basis from the galloping pace of international business competition. Opportunities entry of goods importedfrom abroad should be able to be supported by regulations to safeguard the rights of consumers and businesses nationwide are required to produce a quality prodak capable of fulfilling the rights of consumers and be able to compete competitively in the global market. The research method using normative juridical approach with The data collection methods focus on literature study materials secondary law. research shows that the production quality standardization aims to improve consumerprotection and to realize smooth trade and a healthy business climate, embody the fulfillment of the rights of consumers, and improve the quality of prodak grade; The next responsibility of businesses in ensuring the quality of the production is to provide the fulfillment of the rights of consumers, the conception of the activities prohibited to businesses in the form of regulations to not produce harmful products and are not qualified, and quality standardization efforts of national production; whereasconsumer protection law enforcement efforts in improving the quality of national production is through the efforts of standardizing the quality of production, the preventive consumer protection and dispute settlement, prosecution and sanctioning both on aspects of criminal, civil and administrative.
IMPLEMENTASI MEDIASI PENAL SEBAGAI PERWUJUDAN NILAINILAI PANCASILA GUNA MENDUKUNG SUPREMASI HUKUM DALAM RANGKA PEMBANGUNAN NASIONAL
Authors: Yusriando Yusriando
Published: July 2017

Implementation of Penal Law Mediation important existence out of court settlement to the case. The substance of penal mediation was born, grow, develop and earth excavated fromIndonesia through the local wisdom of indigenous (local wisdom) and the values   of Pancasila. In Indonesia, the national perspective penal mediation is set in a limited and partial in theRegulations and the Letter of the Chief of Police and regulation. From the persp e ctive of practice, penal mediation is done through the discretion of law enforcement officials, customaryjustice, the jurisprudence of the Supreme Court and the District Court’s decisi o n. Necessary to optimize the application of the values   of Pancasila in the law because it values   the life as a whole contained in the principles of Pancasila. If this is done, the law in question is relatively acceptable because people assume that the law reflects the values   of justice, rule of law, orderand contain the benefits to society so as t o support the rule of l aw in the context of  national development.
TINJAUAN HUKUM PEMIDANAAN TERHADAP PELAKU PENYALAHGUNA NARKOTIKA DENGAN SISTEM REHABILITASI
Authors: Laksana Andri Winjaya
Published: July 2017

Narcotics abuse has long been a serious problem in many countries. The conviction of narcotics abusers with imprisonment is an illegal law enforcement, narcotics abusers can be regardedas sick and very unwise when people mix up sick people with other offenders. The approach method used in this research is sociological juridical or socio legal research approach, that isthe way or procedure used to solve the research problem by examining secondary data in the form of legal materials or applicable law regulations then followed by conducting research on data Primary in the field. The result of the research shows that 1) The basis of criminalization of narcotics abuse with rehabilitation system is done with the classification of the Defendant when arrested in the condition of hand caught, 1 (one) day evidence was found with the detail of Law No. 35 of 2009, it was stated positive using narcotics based on Laboratory test letter based on the request of the investigator, Need Certificate from the doctor / soul psychiatrist government appointed by the judge, There is no evidence that the concerned involved in illicit narcotics. 2) The Obstacle of Criminalization Against Narcotics Abuse Culprit with Rehabilitation System due to the conflict between Laws and Regulations on the provision of rehabilitation then becomes the initial trigger for the implementation of rehabilitation in Indonesian punishment system.
PERLINDUNGAN DESAIN INDUSTRI BAGI UMKM YANG BERKEADILAN SOSIAL
Authors: Sukarmi Sukarmi
Published: July 2017

The setting of Industrial Design in Indonesia is the result of transplantation of TRIP’s Agreement and Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property (Paris Convention) the capitalist paradigm. These regulations are difficult to implement optimaly, because of the different of the values   and cultures background. However, due to the juridical and psychological consequences, Indonesia h a s agreed GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) and also agreed framework of the GATT/ WTO (World Trade Organization), Indonesia finally ratified through Law No. 7 Year l994. The great hope of Industrial Design Act can be implemented, but the fact the contrary Law No. 31 of 2000 is still not optimal effect mainly by SMEs. It is evident the longer the number of applicants was even more reduced due to the degradation of Creativity and do not meet the values   of social justice. It is prove that the number of applicants was even more reduced due to the degradation of Creativity and do not meet the values of social justice. Alternative step in bridging is done internalization of the values   of Pancasila into the Industrial Design Act as “a spirit or soul” that is expected to provide justice for the designer (SMEs), further, it can development of creativity.
PENERAPAN BATAS-BATAS WANPRESTASI DAN PERBUATAN MELAWAN HUKUM DALAM PERJANJIAN
Authors: Prayogo Sedyo
Published: July 2017

The Act of the Civil Law makes a clear distinction between the engagement that is born of the agreement and engagement that is born of the legislation. The legal consequences are born of an engagement agreement is desired by the parties, because memng agreement based on the agreement that a rapprochement between the parties will make arrangements. While the legal consequences of an engagement that is born of a statute may not be desired by the parties, but the relationship of law and the legal consequences prescribed by law. Legal issues that arise in case there is a contractual relationship between the parties and the event of default can filed a lawsuit against the law. Based on the identification and analysis, the authors conclude that the draft Civil Code distinguishes between tort lawsuit is based on the contractual relationship between the Plaintiff and the Defendant and tort claims where there is no contractual relationship between the Plaintiff and the Defendant. Developments in the practice of court decisions indicate that a shift in the theory because of the contractual relationship between the Plaintiff and Defendant did not preclude the filing of a lawsuit against the law.
Hydropower development in Nepal: WHAT went WRONG!
Authors: Thanju Rajendra Prasad
Published: July 2017

Not Available. HYDRO Nepal JournalJournal of Water Energy and EnvironmentIssue: 21, July, 2017Page 1-1Upload Date: July 18, 2017
Low-Resource Cross-Domain Product Review Sentiment Classification Based on a CNN with an Auxiliary Large-Scale Corpus
Authors: Wei Xiaocong , Lin Hongfei , Yu Yuhai , Yang Liang
Published: July 2017

The literature [-5]contains several reports evaluating the abilities of deep neural networks in text transfer learning. To our knowledge, however, there have been few efforts to fully realize the potential of deep neural networks in cross-domain product review sentiment classification. In this paper, we propose a two-layer convolutional neural network (CNN) for cross-domain product review sentiment classification (LM-CNN-LB). Transfer learning research into product review sentiment classification based on deep neural networks has been limited by the lack of a large-scale corpus; we sought to remedy this problem using a large-scale auxiliary cross-domain dataset collected from Amazon product reviews. Our proposed framework exhibits the dramatic transferability of deep neural networks for cross-domain product review sentiment classification and achieves state-of-the-art performance. The framework also outperforms complex engineered features used with a non-deep neural network method. The experiments demonstrate that introducing large-scale data from similar domains is an effective way to resolve the lack of training data. The LM-CNN-LB trained on the multi-source related domain dataset outperformed the one trained on a single similar domain.
Optimization of Intelligent Controllers Using a Type-1 and Interval Type-2 Fuzzy Harmony Search Algorithm
Authors: Peraza Cinthia , Valdez Fevrier , Melin Patricia
Published: July 2017

This article focuses on the dynamic parameter adaptation in the harmony search algorithm using Type-1 and interval Type-2 fuzzy logic. In particular, this work focuses on the adaptation of the parameters of the original harmony search algorithm. At present there are several types of algorithms that can solve complex real-world problems with uncertainty management. In this case the proposed method is in charge of optimizing the membership functions of three benchmark control problems (water tank, shower, and mobile robot). The main goal is to find the best parameters for the membership functions in the controller to follow a desired trajectory. Noise experiments are performed to test the efficacy of the method.
Estimating the Availability of Potential Homes for Unwanted Horses in the United States
Authors: Weiss Emily , Dolan Emily , Mohan-Gibbons Heather , Gramann Shannon , Slater Margaret
Published: July 2017

There are approximately 200,000 unwanted horses annually in the United States. This study aimed to better understand the potential homes for horses that need to be re-homed. Using an independent survey company through an Omnibus telephone (land and cell) survey, we interviewed a nationally projectable sample of 3036 adults (using both landline and cellular phone numbers) to learn of their interest and capacity to adopt a horse. Potential adopters with interest in horses with medical and/or behavioral problems and self-assessed perceived capacity to adopt, constituted 0.92% of the total sample. Extrapolating the results of this survey using U.S. Census data, suggests there could be an estimated 1.25 million households who have both the self-reported and perceived resources and desire to house an unwanted horse. This number exceeds the estimated number of unwanted horses living each year in the United States. This study points to opportunities and need to increase communication and support between individuals and organizations that have unwanted horses to facilitate re-homing with people in their community willing to adopt them.
Elastic Wave Measurement Using a MEMS AE Sensor
Authors: Omori Takahiro , Usui Takashi , Watabe Kazuo , Nguyen Minh-Dung , Matsumoto Kiyoshi , Shimoyama Isao
Published: July 2017

In recent years, with the continuing progress of aging social infrastructures such as bridges and tunnels, there has been high demand for the assessment of deterioration of their performance and conditions. Since current inspection methods for those structures have mainly relied on human resources, it is important to reduce their increasing maintenance cost. One of the key methods for achieving effective maintenance without expensive human costs is to use sensors to discriminate between healthy and unhealthy conditions. In this paper, a MEMS (micro electro mechanical systems) wideband frequency sensor, which is referred to as a super acoustic (SA) sensor, is evaluated through the pencil lead break (PLB) test. Due to its wideband frequency characteristics, the SA sensor is expected to be a promising alternative to the existing vibration sensors, including acoustic emission (AE) sensors. Several PLB signals were generated on an aluminum plate (5 mm thick), and propagating Lamb waves were detected by both AE and SA sensors. SA sensors were able to identify the location of PLB sources on the plate by measuring time differences between each sensor. By comparing the wave spectrums of both the AE and SA sensors analyzed by wavelet transform, the applicability of SA sensor for AE measurement is verified.
Measurements of Thermally-Induced Curvatures and Warpages of Printed Circuit Board during a Solder Reflow Process Using Strain Gauges
Authors: Liao Meng-Chieh , Huang Pu-Shan , Lin Yi-Hsien , Tsai Ming-Yi , Huang Chen-Yu , Huang Te-Chin
Published: July 2017

Measurements of the curvatures and warpages of a printed circuit board (PCB) during a thermal solder reflow process using strain gauges are proposed in this study. In the experiments, a shadow moiré is used for measuring the out-of-plane deformations (or warpage) of a bi-material plate and a PCB with dual in-line memory module (DIMM) sockets during solder reflow heating, while the finite element method (FEM) is used to analyze the thermally-induced deformation of the PCB specimen for ensuring the validity of the measurement. Conventional strain gauges are employed to measure the strains (albeit as in-plane strain data) in both specimens during the solder reflow process. The results indicate that the strain gauge-measured strain data from the top and bottom surfaces of both specimens during the solder reflow can be converted into curvature data with specific equations, and even into global out-of-plane deformations or warpages with a proposed simple beam model. Such results are also consistent with those from the shadow moiré and FEM. Therefore, it has been proved that the strain gauge measurement associated with the simple beam model can provide a method for the real-time monitoring of PCB deformations or warpages with different temperatures during the solder reflow process.
The SIC Question: History and State of Play
Authors: Fuchs Christopher , Hoang Michael , Stacey Blake
Published: July 2017

Recent years have seen significant advances in the study of symmetric informationally complete (SIC) quantum measurements, also known as maximal sets of complex equiangular lines. Previously, the published record contained solutions up to dimension 67, and was with high confidence complete up through dimension 50. Computer calculations have now furnished solutions in all dimensions up to 151, and in several cases beyond that, as large as dimension 844. These new solutions exhibit an additional type of symmetry beyond the basic definition of a SIC, and so verify a conjecture of Zauner in many new cases. The solutions in dimensions 68 through 121 were obtained by Andrew Scott, and his catalogue of distinct solutions is, with high confidence, complete up to dimension 90. Additional results in dimensions 122 through 151 were calculated by the authors using Scott’s code. We recap the history of the problem, outline how the numerical searches were done, and pose some conjectures on how the search technique could be improved. In order to facilitate communication across disciplinary boundaries, we also present a comprehensive bibliography of SIC research.
Morphological and Molecular Basis of Cytoplasmic Dilation and Swelling in Cortical Migrating Neurons
Authors: Nishimura Yoshiaki , Nabeshima Yo-ichi , Kawauchi Takeshi
Published: July 2017

During corticogenesis, neuronal migration is an essential step for formation of a functional brain, and abnormal migration is known to cause various neurological disorders. Neuronal migration is not just a simple movement of the cell body, but a consequence of various morphological changes and coordinated subcellular events. Recent advances in in vivo and ex vivo cell biological approaches, such as in utero gene transfer, slice culture and ex vivo chemical inhibitor techniques, have revealed details of the morphological and molecular aspects of neuronal migration. Migrating neurons have been found to have a unique structure, dilation or swelling, at the proximal region of the leading process; this structure is not found in other migrating cell types. The formation of this structure is followed by nuclear deformation and forward movement, and coordination of this three-step sequential morphological change (the dilation/swelling formation, nuclear elongation and nuclear movement) is essential for proper neuronal migration and the construction of a functional brain structure. In this review, we will introduce the morphological features of this unique structure in migrating neurons and summarize what is known about the molecules regulating the dilation/swelling formation and nuclear deformation and movement.
Thermodynamic Analysis of Autothermal Reforming of Synthetic Crude Glycerol (SCG) for Hydrogen Production
Authors: Jimmy Uwem , Mohamedali Mohanned , Ibrahim Hussameldin
Published: July 2017

This study presents the thermodynamic modelling of hydrogen production from autothermal reforming of synthetic crude glycerol using the Peng-Robinson Stryjek-Vera thermodynamic model and Gibbs free energy minimization approach. In order to simulate the typical crude glycerol, a solution was prepared by mixing glycerol, methanol, soap, and fatty acids. The equilibrium compositions of the reforming gas were obtained and the impacts of the operating temperature, steam to crude glycerol ratio (S/SCG), and oxygen to crude glycerol ratio (O/SCG) on hydrogen production were investigated. Under isothermal conditions, the result showed that maximum hydrogen production is favoured at conditions of high temperatures, high S/SCG, and low O/SCG ratio. However, under thermoneutral conditions where no external heat is supplied to the reformer, results indicate that high hydrogen yield is realised at conditions of high temperatures, high S/SCG and high O/SCG ratio. Furthermore, it was concluded that under thermoneutral condition, steam to SCG ratio of 3.6, oxygen to SCG ratio of 0.75, and adiabatic temperature of 927 K yields maximum hydrogen.
The Interplay between Various σ- and π-Hole Interactions of Trigonal Boron and Trigonal Pyramidal Arsenic Triiodides
Authors: Fanfrlík Jindřich , Švec Petr , Růžičková Zdeňka , Hnyk Drahomír , Růžička Aleš , Hobza Pavel
Published: July 2017

Boron and arsenic triiodides (BI3 and AsI3, respectively) are similar molecules that differ mainly in their geometries. BI3 is a planar trigonal molecule with D3h symmetry, while AsI3 exhibits a trigonal pyramidal shape with C3v symmetry. Consequently, the As atom of the AsI3 molecule has three σ-holes, whereas the B atom of the BI3 molecule has two symmetrical π-holes. Additionally, there are σ-holes on the iodine atoms in the molecules studied. In the first step, we have studied σ-hole and π-hole interactions in the known monocrystals of BI3 and AsI3. Quantum mechanical calculations have revealed that the crystal packing of BI3 is dominated by π-hole interactions. In the case of AsI3, the overall contribution of dihalogen bonding is comparable to that of pnictogen bonding. Additionally, we have prepared the [Na(THF)6]+[I(AsI3)6]−(AsI3)2 complex, which can be described as the inverse coordination compound where the iodine anion is the center of the aggregate surrounded by six AsI3 molecules in the close octahedral environment and adjacent two molecules in remote distances. This complex is, besides expected dihalogen and pnictogen bonds, also stabilized by systematically attractive dispersion interactions.
Collaborative Service Selection via Ensemble Learning in Mixed Mobile Network Environments
Authors: Yin Yuyu , Xu Yueshen , Xu Wenting , Gao Min , Yu Lifeng , Pei Yujie
Published: July 2017

Mobile Service selection is an important but challenging problem in service and mobile computing. Quality of service (QoS) predication is a critical step in service selection in 5G network environments. The traditional methods, such as collaborative filtering (CF), suffer from a series of defects, such as failing to handle data sparsity. In mobile network environments, the abnormal QoS data are likely to result in inferior prediction accuracy. Unfortunately, these problems have not attracted enough attention, especially in a mixed mobile network environment with different network configurations, generations, or types. An ensemble learning method for predicting missing QoS in 5G network environments is proposed in this paper. There are two key principles: one is the newly proposed similarity computation method for identifying similar neighbors; the other is the extended ensemble learning model for discovering and filtering fake neighbors from the preliminary neighbors set. Moreover, three prediction models are also proposed, two individual models and one combination model. They are used for utilizing the user similar neighbors and servicing similar neighbors, respectively. Experimental results conducted in two real-world datasets show our approaches can produce superior prediction accuracy.
Soil Erosion and Forests Biomass as Energy Resource in the Basin of the Oka River in Biscay, Northern Spain
Authors: Mateos Esperanza , Edeso José Miguel , Ormaetxea Leyre
Published: July 2017

The aim of this work has been the development of a methodology for the evaluation of residual forest biomass in Biscay, a province in northern Spain. The study area is located in the Oka river basin, an area of great ecological value qualified by UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization) in 1984 as a Biosphere Reserve. The project tries to determine the potential, available and usable as energy resource, residual forests biomass, after the treatments of forest species in the area. Soil erosion was modeled using the USLE (Universal Soil Loss Equation) and MUSLE (Modified USLE) methods by estimating rainfall erosivity factor (R), the soil erodibility factor (K), the topographic factors (L and S), cropping factor (C), and the conservation practice factor (P). By means of these models, it will be possible to determine the current soil erosion rate and its potential evolution due to different forest treatments. Soil erodibility, slope of the terrain and the loss of SOC (Soil Organic Carbon) were the restrictive indicators for the bioenergy use of forest biomass, taking into account principles of sustainability. The amount of residual forestry biomass useable for energy purposes has been estimated at 4858.23 Mg year−1.
Cloning and Characterization of ThSHRs and ThSCR Transcription Factors in Taxodium Hybrid ‘Zhongshanshan 406’
Authors: Wang Zhiquan , Yin Yunlong , Hua Jianfeng , Fan Wencai , Yu Chaoguang , Xuan Lei , Yu Fangyuan
Published: July 2017

Among the GRAS family of transcription factors, SHORT ROOT (SHR) and SCARECROW (SCR) are key regulators of the formation of root tissues. In this study, we isolated and characterized two genes encoding SHR proteins and one gene encoding an SCR protein: ThSHR1 (Accession Number MF045148), ThSHR2 (Accession Number MF045149) and ThSCR (Accession Number MF045152) in the adventitious roots of Taxodium hybrid ‘Zhongshanshan’. Gene structure analysis indicated that ThSHR1, ThSHR2 and ThSCR are all intron free. Multiple protein sequence alignments showed that each of the corresponding proteins, ThSHR1, ThSHR2 and ThSCR, contained five well-conserved domains: leucine heptad repeat I (LHRI), the VHIID motif, leucine heptad repeat II (LHR II), the PFYRE motif, and the SAW motif. The phylogenetic analysis indicated that ThSCR was positioned in the SCR clade with the SCR proteins from eight other species, while ThSHR1 and ThSHR2 were positioned in the SHR clade with the SHR proteins from six other species. Temporal expression patterns of these genes were profiled during the process of adventitious root development on stem cuttings. Whereas expression of both ThSHR2 and ThSCR increased up to primary root formation before declining, that of ThSHR1 increased steadily throughout adventitious root formation. Subcellular localization studies in transgenic poplar protoplasts revealed that ThSHR1, ThSHR2 and ThSCR were localized in the nucleus. Collectively, these results suggest that the three genes encode Taxodium GRAS family transcription factors, and the findings contribute to improving our understanding of the expression and function of SHR and SCR during adventitious root production, which may then be manipulated to achieve high rates of asexual propagation of valuable tree species.
Drought Occurrences and Their Characteristics across Selected Spatial Scales in the Contiguous United States
Authors: Leelaruban Navaratnam , Padmanabhan G.
Published: July 2017

An understanding of drought occurrences and their characteristics such as intensity, duration, frequency, and areal coverage, and their variations on different spatial scales, is crucial to plan for droughts in different regions and in different sized areas. This study investigated the variations of spatio-temporal characteristics of droughts under selected spatial scales: National (Contiguous U.S.), regional (High Plains), state (North Dakota, ND), climatic division (South Central, ND), and county (Grant, ND). Weekly drought area coverage data for the period spanning the years 2000–2014 from the U.S. Drought Monitor of the National Drought Mitigation Center were used. The study captured the areal coverages and occurrence frequency of droughts with different intensity levels for the years 2000 to 2014 for the contiguous U.S. Year to year variability in spatial distribution of the areal coverages of droughts with different intensity levels were also analysed. The study further investigated how the weekly percentage area under different intensity categories varied along time, and extracted the spatio-temporal characteristics of different drought intensity categories at different spatial scales. The study identified areas that are frequently affected by droughts of different intensity categories in the U.S. at the national scale, and reported the spatial scale dependence of drought characteristics.
“Tatters, Bloom’s Cat, and Other Animals in Ulysses”
Authors: Norris Margot
Published: July 2017

Given how few animals appear in the stories of Dubliners and in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, we may be surprised to find a dog and a cat playing small roles in the third and fourth chapters of Ulysses. Their appearance in adjacent episodes is neither coincidental nor entirely casual, however, if one takes a careful look at their presentations. The animals’ circumstances are very different. Stephen Dedalus has been walking along the strand at Sandymount, when he spots a dog running along the sand, followed by its owners, a man and a woman whom he assumes to be cocklepickers. In the next chapter, Leopold Bloom is preparing breakfast for his wife when he hears his cat meowing and pours her some milk in a small bowl. It is particularly worth looking at the narration of these two scenarios because the different human perceptions and responses to animals they present help us analyze the challenges of resisting animal anthropomorphizing and its implications for the limitations and boundaries of preserving the status of animal “otherness” in a work of fiction. Put differently, the narrative strategies in “Proteus” and “Calypso” manage to maintain animal identity as that of “actors” rather than “characters,” while demonstrating what is required to maintain this status for them. I will discuss these two animals, dog and cat, in the order in which they appear in Ulysses, as well as a number of other animals appearing later in the work.
Evaluating Otto the Auto: Does Engagement in an Interactive Website Improve Young Children’s Transportation Safety?
Authors: Schwebel David , Johnston Anna , Shen Jiabin , Li Peng
Published: July 2017

Transportation-related injuries are a leading cause of pediatric death, and effective interventions are limited. Otto the Auto is a website offering engaging, interactive activities. We evaluated Otto among a sample of sixty-nine 4- and 5-year-old children, who participated in a randomized parallel group design study. Following baseline evaluation, children engaged with either Otto or a control website for 2 weeks and then were re-evaluated. Children who used Otto failed to show increases in transportation safety knowledge or behavior compared to the control group, although there was a dosage effect whereby children who engaged in the website more with parents gained safer behavior patterns. We conclude Otto may have some efficacy when engaged by children with their parents, but continued efforts to develop and refine engaging, effective, theory-driven strategies to teach children transportation safety, including via internet, should be pursued.
Evaluation of Fitness and the Balance Levels of Children with a Diagnosis of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: A Pilot Study
Authors: Patti Antonino , Maggio Maria , Corsello Giovanni , Messina Giuseppe , Iovane Angelo , Palma Antonio
Published: July 2017

Background: Juvenile idiopathic arthritis is a main cause of physical disability and has high economic costs for society. The purpose of this study was to assess the fitness levels and the postural and balance deficits with a specific test battery. Methods: Fifty-six subjects were enrolled in this study. Thirty-nine healthy subjects were included in the control group and seventeen in the juvenile idiopathic arthritis group. All subjects were evaluated using a posturography system. The fitness level was evaluated with a battery of tests (Abalakov test, sit-up test, hand grip test, backsaver sit and reach, the toe touch test). An unpaired t-test was used to determine differences. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the correlation between the tests. Results: The battery of tests demonstrated that subjects in the juvenile idiopathic arthritis group have lower fitness levels compared to the control group. The juvenile idiopathic arthritis group showed low postural control with respect to the control group. Pearson analysis of the juvenile idiopathic arthritis group data showed significant correlations between variables. Pearson’s results from the control group data showed a similar trend. Conclusions: The results suggest that the battery of tests used could be an appropriate tool. However, we highlight that these conclusions need to be supported by other studies with a larger population scale.
Using Iron-Manganese Co-Oxide Filter Film to Remove Ammonium from Surface Water
Authors: Zhang Ruifeng , Huang Tinglin , Wen Gang , Chen Yongpan , Cao Xin , Zhang Beibei
Published: July 2017

An iron-manganese co-oxide filter film (MeOx) has been proven to be a good catalyst for the chemical catalytic oxidation of ammonium in groundwater. Compared with groundwater, surface water is generally used more widely and has characteristics that make ammonium removal more difficult. In this study, MeOx was used to remove ammonium from surface water. It indicated that the average ammonium removal efficiency of MeOx was greater than 90%, even though the water quality changed dramatically and the water temperature was reduced to about 6–8 °C. Then, through inactivating microorganisms, it showed that the removal capability of MeOx included both biological (accounted for about 41.05%) and chemical catalytic oxidation and chemical catalytic oxidation (accounted for about 58.95%). The investigation of the characterizations suggested that MeOx was formed by abiotic ways and the main elements on the surface of MeOx were distributed homogenously. The analysis of the catalytic oxidation process indicated that ammonia nitrogen may interact with MeOx as both ammonia molecules and ammonium ions and the active species of O2 were possibly •O and O2−.
Developing and Validating an Age-Independent Equation Using Multi-Frequency Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis for Estimation of Appendicular Skeletal Muscle Mass and Establishing a Cutoff for Sarcopenia
Authors: Yamada Yosuke , Nishizawa Miyuki , Uchiyama Tomoka , Kasahara Yasuhiro , Shindo Mikio , Miyachi Motohiko , Tanaka Shigeho
Published: July 2017

Background: Appendicular skeletal muscle (or lean) mass (ALM) estimated using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is considered to be a preferred method for sarcopenia studies. However, DXA is expensive, has limited portability, and requires radiation exposure. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is inexpensive, easy to use, and portable; thus BIA might be useful in sarcopenia investigations. However, a large variety of models have been commercially supplied by different companies, and for most consumer products, the equations estimating ALM are not disclosed. It is therefore difficult to use these equations for research purposes. In particular, the BIA equation is often age-dependent, which leads to fundamental difficulty in examining age-related ALM loss. The aims of the current study were as follows: (1) to develop and validate an equation to estimate ALM using multi-frequency BIA (MF-BIA) based on theoretical models, and (2) to establish sarcopenia cutoff values using the equation for the Japanese population. Methods: We measured height (Ht), weight, and ALM obtained using DXA and a standing-posture 8-electrode MF-BIA (5, 50, 250 kHz) in 756 Japanese individuals aged 18 to 86-years-old (222 men and 301 women as developing equation group and 97 men and 136 women as a cross validation group). The traditional impedance index (Ht2/Z50) and impedance ratio of high and low frequency (Z250/Z5) of hand to foot values were calculated. Multiple regression analyses were conducted with ALM as dependent variable in men and women separately. Results: We created the following equations: ALM = (0.6947 × (Ht2/Z50)) + (−55.24 × (Z250/Z5)) + (−10,940 × (1/Z50)) + 51.33 for men, and ALM = (0.6144 × (Ht2/Z50)) + (−36.61 × (Z250/Z5)) + (−9332 × (1/Z50)) + 37.91 for women. Additionally, we conducted measurements in 1624 men and 1368 women aged 18 to 40 years to establish sarcopenia cutoff values in the Japanese population. The mean values minus 2 standard deviations of the skeletal muscle mass index (ALM/Ht2) in these participants were 6.8 and 5.7 kg/m2 in men and women, respectively. Conclusion: The current study established and validated a theoretical and age-independent equation using MF-BIA to estimate ALM and provided reasonable sarcopenia cutoff values.
Association between Visual Impairment and Low Vision and Sleep Duration and Quality among Older Adults in South Africa
Authors: Peltzer Karl , Phaswana-Mafuya Nancy
Published: July 2017

This study aims to estimate the association between visual impairment and low vision and sleep duration and poor sleep quality in a national sample of older adults in South Africa. A national population-based cross-sectional Study of Global Ageing and Adults Health (SAGE) wave 1 was conducted in 2008 with a sample of 3840 individuals aged 50 years or older in South Africa. The interviewer-administered questionnaire assessed socio-demographic characteristics, health variables, sleep duration, quality, visual impairment, and vision. Results indicate that 10.0% of the sample reported short sleep duration (≤5 h), 46.6% long sleep (≥9 h), 9.3% poor sleep quality, 8.4% self-reported and visual impairment (near and/or far vision); and 43.2% measured low vision (near and/or far vision) (0.01–0.25 decimal) and 7.5% low vision (0.01–0.125 decimal). In fully adjusted logistic regression models, self-reported visual impairment was associated with short sleep duration and poor sleep quality, separately and together. Low vision was only associated with long sleep duration and poor sleep quality in unadjusted models. Self-reported visual impairment was related to both short sleep duration and poor sleep quality. Population data on sleep patterns may want to include visual impairment measures.
Health Impacts of Climate Change-Induced Subzero Temperature Fires
Authors: Metallinou Maria-Monika , Log Torgrim
Published: July 2017

General fire risk and the special risk related to cold climate cellulosic drying processes are outlined. Four recent subzero temperatures fires are studied with respect to health impacts: a wooden village fire, a single wood structure fire, a wildland urban interface (WUI) fire and a huge wildland fire. The health impacts range from stress related to loss of jobs, psychological effects of lost possessions, exposure to smoke and heat as well as immediate, or delayed, loss of lives. These four fires resulted in 32 fatalities, 385 persons hospitalized for shorter or longer periods, 104 structures lost and 1015 km2 of wildland burned north of, and just south of, the Arctic Circle. It is shown that the combination of subzero temperature dry weather, strong winds, changing agricultural activities and declining snowpack may lead to previously anticipated threats to people and the environment. There are reasons to believe that these fires are a result of the ongoing climate changes. Risk impacts are discussed. Rural districts and/or vulnerable populations seem to be most affected. Training methods to identify and better monitor critical fire risk parameters are suggested to mitigate the health impacts of a possibly increasing number of such fires.
Differential miR-346 and miR-582-3p Expression in Association with Selected Maternal and Fetal Complications
Authors: Tsai Pei-Yin , Li Sheng-Hsiang , Chen Wan-Ni , Tsai Hui-Ling , Su Mei-Tsz
Published: July 2017

Several miRNAs are expressed in human gestational tissue, and some have been shown to be associated with placental dysfunction and complicated pregnancy outcomes. To investigate the roles of miR-346 and miR-582-3p in adverse obstetric events, we analyzed these 2 miRNAs in three samples (maternal blood, umbilical cord blood and placenta) obtained from pregnant women in four groups, including healthy control (n = 60), preeclampsia (n = 31), preterm delivery (n = 29) and small for gestational age (n = 19) patients. The expression levels of miR-346 and miR-582-3p in all included adverse obstetric outcome groups were significantly higher in the maternal plasma samples but lower in the placenta samples (all p value < 0.05). In addition, the miR-346 expression levels in fetal cord blood were also significantly lower in all of the included adverse obstetric outcome groups (all p < 0.05). Multivariate analysis of the three specimens after adjusting for maternal age and gestational age at delivery gave the same results. In conclusion, aberrant miR-346 and miR-582-3p expression level in pregnancy was associated with multiple maternal and fetal complications. Their differential expression in maternal blood, umbilical cord blood and placenta could be potential biomarkers or therapeutic targets for adverse obstetric outcomes
A Lightweight RFID Grouping-Proof Protocol Based on Parallel Mode and DHCP Mechanism
Authors: Shi Zhicai , Zhang Xiaomei , Wang Yihan
Published: July 2017

A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) grouping-proof protocol is to generate an evidence of the simultaneous existence of a group of tags and it has been applied to many different fields. For current grouping-proof protocols, there still exist some flaws such as low grouping-proof efficiency, being vulnerable to trace attack and information leakage. To improve the secure performance and efficiency, we propose a lightweight RFID grouping-proof protocol based on parallel mode and DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) mechanism. Our protocol involves multiple readers and multiple tag groups. During the grouping-proof period, one reader and one tag group are chosen by the verifier by means of DHCP mechanism. When only a part of the tags of the chosen group exist, the protocol can also give the evidence of their co-existence. Our protocol utilizes parallel communication mode between reader and tags so as to ensure its grouping-proof efficiency. It only uses Hash function to complete the mutual authentication among verifier, readers and tags. It can preserve the privacy of the RFID system and resist the attacks such as eavesdropping, replay, trace and impersonation. Therefore the protocol is secure, flexible and efficient. It only uses some lightweight operations such as Hash function and a pseudorandom number generator. Therefore it is very suitable to some low-cost RFID systems.
Analytical Framework for Preliminary Planning of Very High-Speed Digital Subscriber Line Access Networks
Authors: Mazzenga Franco , Giuliano Romeo
Published: July 2017

In this paper, we introduce an analytical framework for the performance evaluation of the VDSL2-based access systems. It allows for the obtaining of approximations of the achievable bit rate per user, taking into account several factors, such as the bit-loading limitation per sub-carrier; interference scenario, including the number and positions of the active interferers along the cable; crosstalk statistics; and vectoring. A closed-form expression for the maximum sub-carrier frequency that can be loaded with the maximum number of allowed bits is also presented. Formulas are obtained assuming log-normal statistics for the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) per sub-carrier. The validity of the proposed formulas has been assessed by computer calculations. A very good agreement between the exact and the approximated bit rates has been obtained. The framework can be used for preliminary design of VDSL2 systems in terms of the bit rate coverage, as well as to analyze performance of other access technologies such as ADSL and G.fast.
Pilot Study Using a Chitosan-Hydroxyapatite Implant for Guided Alveolar Bone Growth in Patients with Chronic Periodontitis
Authors: Vaca-Cornejo Fabiola , Reyes Héctor , Jiménez Sergio , Velázquez Ricardo , Jiménez Judith
Published: July 2017

Periodontitis is an infectious and inflammatory disease associated with significant loss of alveolar crest and soft tissue attached to the teeth. Chitosan and hydroxyapatite are biomaterials used for bone tissue repair because of their biodegradability and biocompatibility in nature. The present study evaluated the effects of chitosan (CH) in combination with hydroxyapatite (HAP) to promote alveolar bone growth. A chitosan implant mixed with hydroxyapatite was implanted into the affected area of 9 patients suffering chronic periodontitis. Patients were evaluated through X-ray images and a millimetric slide over a one year period. The application of CH/HAP produced an average alveolar bone growth of 5.77 mm (±1.87 mm). At the onset of the study, the dental pocket exhibited a depth level (DPDL) of 8.66 mm and decreased to 3.55 mm one year after the implant. Tooth mobility grade was 2.44 mm at the onset and 0.8 mm at the end of the study with a significant difference of p < 0.001. Moreover, the bone density in the affected areas was similar to the density of the bone adjacent to it. This result was confirmed with the software implant viewer from Anne Solutions Company. In conclusion, the CH/HAP implant promoted alveolar bone growth in periodontitis patients.
Simulations on Monitoring and Evaluation of Plasticity-Driven Material Damage Based on Second Harmonic of S0 Mode Lamb Waves in Metallic Plates
Authors: Sun Xiaoqiang , Liu Xuyang , Liu Yaolu , Hu Ning , Zhao Youxuan , Ding Xiangyan , Qin Shiwei , Zhang Jianyu , Zhang Jun , Liu Feng , Fu Shaoyun
Published: July 2017

In this study, a numerical approach—the discontinuous Meshless Local Petrov-Galerkin-Eshelby Method (MLPGEM)—was adopted to simulate and measure material plasticity in an Al 7075-T651 plate. The plate was modeled in two dimensions by assemblies of small particles that interact with each other through bonding stiffness. The material plasticity of the model loaded to produce different levels of strain is evaluated with the Lamb waves of S0 mode. A tone burst at the center frequency of 200 kHz was used as excitation. Second-order nonlinear wave was extracted from the spectrogram of a signal receiving point. Tensile-driven plastic deformation and cumulative second harmonic generation of S0 mode were observed in the simulation. Simulated measurement of the acoustic nonlinearity increased monotonically with the level of tensile-driven plastic strain captured by MLPGEM, whereas achieving this state by other numerical methods is comparatively more difficult. This result indicates that the second harmonics of S0 mode can be employed to monitor and evaluate the material or structural early-stage damage induced by plasticity.
An Advanced Multi-Sensor Acousto-Ultrasonic Structural Health Monitoring System: Development and Aerospace Demonstration
Authors: Smithard Joel , Rajic Nik , Van der Velden Stephen , Norman Patrick , Rosalie Cedric , Galea Steve , Mei Hanfei , Lin Bin , Giurgiutiu Victor
Published: July 2017

A key longstanding objective of the Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) research community is to enable the embedment of SHM systems in high value assets like aircraft to provide on-demand damage detection and evaluation. As against traditional non-destructive inspection hardware, embedded SHM systems must be compact, lightweight, low-power and sufficiently robust to survive exposure to severe in-flight operating conditions. Typical Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) systems can be bulky, costly and are often inflexible in their configuration and/or scalability, which militates against in-service deployment. Advances in electronics have resulted in ever smaller, cheaper and more reliable components that facilitate the development of compact and robust embedded SHM systems, including for Acousto-Ultrasonics (AU), a guided plate-wave inspection modality that has attracted strong interest due mainly to its capacity to furnish wide-area diagnostic coverage with a relatively low sensor density. This article provides a detailed description of the development, testing and demonstration of a new AU interrogation system called the Acousto Ultrasonic Structural health monitoring Array Module+ (AUSAM+). This system provides independent actuation and sensing on four Piezoelectric Wafer Active Sensor (PWAS) elements with further sensing on four Positive Intrinsic Negative (PIN) photodiodes for intensity-based interrogation of Fiber Bragg Gratings (FBG). The paper details the development of a novel piezoelectric excitation amplifier, which, in conjunction with flexible acquisition-system architecture, seamlessly provides electromechanical impedance spectroscopy for PWAS diagnostics over the full instrument bandwidth of 50 KHz–5 MHz. The AUSAM+ functionality is accessed via a simple hardware object providing a myriad of custom software interfaces that can be adapted to suit the specific requirements of each individual application.
Ladder-Shaped Ion Channel Ligands: Current State of Knowledge
Authors: Shmukler Yuri B. , Nikishin Denis A.
Published: July 2017

Ciguatoxins (CTX) and brevetoxins (BTX) are polycyclic ethereal compounds biosynthesized by the worldwide distributed planktonic and epibenthic dinoflagellates of Gambierdiscus and Karenia genera, correspondingly. Ciguatera, evoked by CTXs, is a type of ichthyosarcotoxism, which involves a variety of gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms, while BTXs cause so-called neurotoxic shellfish poisoning. Both types of toxins are reviewed together because of similar mechanisms of their action. These are the only molecules known to activate voltage-sensitive Na+-channels in mammals through a specific interaction with site 5 of its α-subunit and may compete for it, which results in an increase in neuronal excitability, neurotransmitter release and impairment of synaptic vesicle recycling. Most marine ciguatoxins potentiate Nav channels, but a considerable number of them, such as gambierol and maitotoxin, have been shown to affect another ion channel. Although the extrinsic function of these toxins is probably associated with the function of a feeding deterrent, it was suggested that their intrinsic function is coupled with the regulation of photosynthesis via light-harvesting complex II and thioredoxin. Antagonistic effects of BTXs and brevenal may provide evidence of their participation as positive and negative regulators of this mechanism.