bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Design of Memorials - The Art of Remembering
Authors: Bojanić Obad Šćitaroci Bojana , Zaninović Tamara , Sargolini Massimo
Published: September 2018

Članak nastavlja istraživanje memorijala, prema postavljenoj tipološkoj identifikaciji iz ranijih istraživanja, u kontekstu problematike obnove razorenog mjesta. Cilj je istražiti na primjerima ‘koncept manipulacije’ putem koreografije kretanja što postaje način stvaranja memorijala.
Urban Area ”Na Andriji” in the Historic Core of Dubrovnik
Authors: Laznibat Zehra , Obad Šćitaroci Mladen
Published: September 2018

This paper is the first complete and systematic study on the spatial and historical development of the urban area Na Andriji in the historic core of Dubrovnik. The history of the monastic complexes of St Andrew and St Mark between the 13th and the 17th century serves as a basis for analysis of their urban setting and structure, subdivision of land, streets and dominant buildings and their effects on the urban fabric. The research results are used in the preservation and revitalization of archaeological heritage.
Izdvajanje postotka graditeljskih investicija za umjetničke intervencije
Authors: Hrastar Tihana
Published: September 2018

Članak proučava propise za izdvajanje postotka graditeljskih investicija za umjetničke intervencije u drugoj polovici 20. stoljeća. U Europi i SAD-u uspostavljene su razne inačice propisa, dok je na području Jugoslavije postojala neobvezujuća Preporuka, koja nije prerasla u zakonski akt. Rad daje pregled sadržaja Preporuke i njene recepcije u stručnoj javnosti, kao i drugih formaliziranih načina podupiranja umjetnosti te strukovnih inicijativa koje su se zalagale za povezivanje umjetnosti i arhitekture.
Arhitektonski programi kao komunikacijske platforme korporacija
Authors: Homadovski Aleksandar
Published: September 2018

Komunikacijske platforme korporacija u okruženju interneta stvari [IoT] predstavljene su istraživanjem studije slučaja za nove fenomene koji utječu na oblikovanje arhitektonskih programa. Radi se o projektnoj diseminaciji kao skupu postupaka kojima se postiže bolja vidljivost namjera i rezultata projekta. Na temeljima arhitektonike informacijskog doba i industrije 4.0 spoznaju se mogućnosti aktivnih sustava dizajna, reafirmiraju aditivne tehnike građenja, istražuju se prirodoslovno-tehnički znanstveni parkovi kao programi projektiranih identiteta mjesta te valoriziraju transformacije mjesta stanovanja, rada, trgovine i transporta s ugrađenim vrijednostima potpune održivosti.
Private Property and the Defiance of Natural Limits. Coastal Flooding in the United States' Largest City
Authors: Steinberg Ted
Published: September 2018

Three cities account for nearly one-third of average annual flood losses and all are located in the United States. One of those cities is New York. New York arrived in this situation because of the advent of property in under water land and the more general establishment of private property, which underwrote the city's surging real estate market. Private property would not exist but for state power and the legal instruments that made it possible. When private property in land entered the world of exchange, problems, such as the loss from coastal flooding, required the intervention of the state, which in New York as well as the United States has been more concerned, especially over the last three decades, with supporting capital at the expense of people and nature. Increased vulnerability to disaster under global capitalism has been the result.
How a Neighbourhood Asserted Its Right to Survive, 1945-1997
Authors: Burtin Zortea Julia
Published: September 2018

In the city of Le Havre, the neighbourhood of Les Neiges (which emerged in the 1920s) has almost disappeared twice: first in the 1940s, the authorities planned not to rebuild the neighbourhood destroyed during the Second World War where only very few owners held a real title deed. The second time in the 1990s the prefecture of Seine-Maritime classified the area as a 'high threshold' industrial risk regulation zone, thus making the neighbourhood non-residential. In both cases, residents organised and protested against these decisions and eventually had them reversed. The history of Les Neiges shows how unstable, precarious and adjustable property is in times of disaster, that is, when a disaster has occurred or is anticipated. Local initiatives influence the implementation of state policies designed to restrict the right to or the use of individual property in the name of reconstruction or prevention. After WWII the inhabitants opposed the zoning policies designed to promote and develop industry. Forty years later, they rose again, using their experience of the post-war land management to oppose the downgrading of their neighbourhood.
The Memory of the 1980 Earthquake and Its Aftermath in Irpinia (Southern Italy): Two Case-Studies
Authors: Moscaritolo Gabriele Ivo
Published: September 2018

The aim of this article is to investigate the relationship between earthquakes and human experience through the study of an affected population's memory regarding both the event and the resulting changes in the local environment. More specifically, the author deals with the earthquake of 23 November 1980 in Irpinia (Campania Region, southern Italy), focusing on the specific cases of two towns, among those most severely affected by the earthquake, which took opposite paths to reconstruction. Sant'Angelo dei Lombardi (eighty per cent of buildings destroyed) opted for a philological reconstruction of the old town centre, whereas Conza della Campania (95 per cent of buildings destroyed) was rebuilt ex novo next to the ancient town, which today has become an archaeological site.

Combining oral history sources and archival records, the author retraces the changes brought on by the earthquake and brings out the point of view of the inhabitants, who were forced to rethink their relationship with their environment. Almost forty years after the earthquake, what path did these two towns follow? Where can we observe signs of catastrophe and reconstruction? To what extent have the future-oriented decisions made after the earthquake been implemented and respected? Above all, how do the direct protagonists of this story interpret and recount all the changes they have been through? What meaning do the locals give to all this? Answering these questions can help us to understand the process whereby important decisions are made, decisions having an impact on the material circumstances and the lives of local populations. It can also shed light on how people reformulate their relationship with the environment.
Familiarisation, reproducibility, sensitivity and joint angle specificity of bilateral isometric force exertions during leg press
Authors: Harden Mellissa , Wolf Alex , Hicks Kirsty M. , Howatson Glyn
Published: September 2018

BACKGROUND:

Strength assessments are used to monitor physical progression and evaluate the impact of training interventions, which is extremely valuable for both athletic performance and clinical populations. For results to be useful, measurements must be relevant, reliable and show sensitivity to change.

OBJECTIVES:

The aim was to establish the practicality of isometric force assessment at two different knee-joint angles; 90[Formula: see text] (ISO[Formula: see text]) and 120[Formula: see text] (ISO[Formula: see text]). More specifically, to address the familiarisation effects, reproducibility and sensitivity of measurements associated with each method of assessment, and the discrepancy in force output when altering the angle at the knee joint.

METHODS:

Thirty-five strength trained males attended three sessions; familiarisation ([Formula: see text]), test ([Formula: see text]) and retest ([Formula: see text]), separated by 7 days. During each session, ISO[Formula: see text] and ISO[Formula: see text] was assessed using an incline leg press device.

RESULTS:

Force output was similar during [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] for ISO[Formula: see text] and ISO[Formula: see text], separately ([Formula: see text] 0.05). Measurements taken from both assessment methods demonstrated good reproducibility (ICC [Formula: see text] 0.96, CV [Formula: see text] 5%) and showed sufficient sensitivity to detect changes in performance. Force output was greater during ISO[Formula: see text] (5153 [Formula: see text] 1446 N) versus ISO[Formula: see text] (2660 [Formula: see text] 597 N, [Formula: see text] 0.001) but the magnitude of the difference in force output showed great intra-subject variability.

CONCLUSION:

Isometric assessment performed on a leg press device requires minimal habituation to demonstrate a good degree of reproducibility and sensitivity to detect small changes in performance. It is a simple and practical method to evaluate strength at different joint angles, which may prove useful in strength diagnosis in performance and clinical contexts.
Shear-Induced Amyloid Formation in the Brain: IV. Effects on Synapses Surrounding Senile Plaque and in Plaque-Free Regions
Authors: Trumbore Conrad N.
Published: September 2018

Amyloid-β oligomers (AβO) have been proposed as neurotoxins in the synaptic dysfunction that precedes Alzheimer’s disease symptoms. Human and animal model studies report that senile plaques contain a halo of AβO molecules surrounding these plaques. A far smaller number of oligomers are distributed widely in plaque-free regions. It has been suggested that oligomers migrate from halos to nearby synapses and are incorporated into both pre- and postsynaptic terminals. These two types of oligomers have two different toxicities when extracted and injected in animal models. This paper proposes a shear-energy based explanation for the data in these studies. Shear hypotheses in the preceding three papers in this series are applied to suggest how the hydrodynamics and resulting shear patterns explain the spatial distribution of both AβO types, the apparent synapse loss in the vicinity of plaque particles, and possible reasons for the differing toxicities. A shear-based mechanism is proposed for the preferential migration of locally shear-excited Aβ molecules into the synaptic cleft. It is proposed that high energy laminar shear generated by the forced diversion of interstitial fluid around the flow-impeding plaque particle is responsible for the formation of AβOs around the plaque. It is suggested that in plaque-free regions, a different type of AβO with different toxicity is generated by lower energy shear flow around synapses, depositing AβO within the synapse from either the neuron membrane surface or by prion-like seeding within the synaptic cleft by locally-sheared Aβ molecules near the synapse entry.
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy and Neurodegeneration in Contact Sports and American Football
Authors: Zuckerman Scott L. , Brett Benjamin L. , Jeckell Aaron , Yengo-Kahn Aaron M. , Solomon Gary S.
Published: September 2018

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by the presence of abnormally phosphorylated tau protein in the depths of one or more cortical sulci. Controversy over the risk of CTE and neurologic disorders later in life among contact sport athletes has taken hold in the public spotlight, most notably in American football. Players, parents, coaches, and legislators have taken action based on the commonly held notion that contact sports invariably lead to neurodegenerative disorders. However, to fully understand the science behind this assumed association, a critical appraisal of the evidence is warranted. With regards to CTE in sports, the objectives of the current report are to: 1) describe the history of CTE, 2) review current CTE definitions, 3) critically evaluate the empiric data, divided into all contact sports and exclusively American football, and 4) summarize notable themes for future research.
Neuropathologic Correlates of Psychiatric Symptoms in Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Ehrenberg Alexander J. , Suemoto Claudia K. , França Resende Elisa de Paula , Petersen Cathrine , Leite Renata Elaine Paraizo , Rodriguez Roberta Diehl , Ferretti-Rebustini Renata Eloah de Lucena , You Michelle , Oh Jun , Nitrini Ricardo , Pasqualucci Carlos Augusto , Jacob-Filho Wilson , Kramer Joel H. , Gatchel Jennifer R. , Grinberg Lea T.
Published: September 2018

Clarifying the relationships between neuropsychiatric symptoms and Alzheimer’s disease (AD)-related pathology may open avenues for effective treatments. Here, we investigate the odds of developing neuropsychiatric symptoms across increasing burdens of neurofibrillary tangle and amyloid-β pathology. Participants who passed away between 2004 and 2014 underwent comprehensive neuropathologic evaluation at the Biobank for Aging Studies from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of São Paulo. Postmortem interviews with reliable informants were used to collect information regarding neuropsychiatric and cognitive status. Of 1,092 cases collected, those with any non-Alzheimer pathology were excluded, bringing the cohort to 455 cases. Braak staging was used to evaluate neurofibrillary tangle burden, and the CERAD neuropathology score was used to evaluate amyloid-β burden. The 12-item neuropsychiatric inventory was used to evaluate neuropsychiatric symptoms and CDR-SOB score was used to evaluate dementia status. In Braak I/II, significantly increased odds were detected for agitation, anxiety, appetite changes, depression, and sleep disturbances, compared to controls. Increased odds of agitation continue into Braak III/IV. Braak V/VI is associated with higher odds for delusions. No increased odds for neuropsychiatric symptoms were found to correlate with amyloid-β pathology. Increased odds of neuropsychiatric symptoms are associated with early neurofibrillary tangle pathology, suggesting that subcortical neurofibrillary tangle accumulation with minimal cortical pathology is sufficient to impact quality of life and that neuropsychiatric symptoms are a manifestation of AD biological processes.
A catalogue associating security patterns and attack steps to design secure applications
Authors: Salva Sébastien , Regainia Loukmen
Published: September 2018

Design Patterns are now widely accepted and used in software engineering; they represent generic and reusable solutions to common problems in software design. Security patterns are specialised patterns whose purpose is to help design applications that should meet security requirements. The enthusiasm surrounding security patterns has made emerge several catalogues listing up to 180 different patterns at the moment. This growing number brings an increased difficulty in choosing the most appropriate patterns for a given design problem. We propose a security pattern classification to facilitate the security pattern choice and a classification method based on data integration. The classification exposes relationships among software attacks, security principles and security patterns. It expresses the pattern combinations that are countermeasures to a given attack. This classification is semi-automatically inferred by means of a data-store integrating disparate publicly available security data. The data-store is also used to generate Attack Defense Trees. In our context, these illustrate, for a given attack, its sub-attacks, steps, techniques and the related defenses given under the form of security pattern combinations. Such trees make the pattern classification more readable even for beginners in security patterns. Finally, we evaluate on human subjects the benefits of using a pattern classification established for Web applications, which covers 215 attacks, 66 security principles and 26 security patterns.
Perspectives of individuals with incomplete spinal cord injury concerning the usability of lower limb exoskeletons: An exploratory study
Authors: Lajeunesse Véronique , Routhier François , Vincent Claude , Lettre Josiane , Michaud François
Published: September 2018

BACKGROUND:

Lower limb exoskeletons have been developed to enable individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) to walk. Currently, they can be used by people with no motor function (SCI ASIA A or B).

OBJECTIVES:

To present the perspectives of individuals with ASIA C or D incomplete SCI concerning the usability of lower limb exoskeletons to R&D engineers and clinicians working in motor rehabilitation.

METHODS:

A qualitative exploratory study was conducted using semi-structured individual interviews with three videos showing exoskeletons.

RESULTS:

The thirteen participants (seven women, mean age [Formula: see text] 50.8 [Formula: see text] 11.7 years) reported both positive and negative perceptions. Three capabilities that can be compensated for and/or improved using an exoskeleton were mentioned, as well as seven life habits. The participants expected lower limb exoskeletons to have 11 technical characteristics.

CONCLUSIONS:

There is an important gap between the expectations of individuals with incomplete SCI and what can be done with existing lower limb exoskeletons in the community. This indicates that the design of future exoskeletons for individuals with incomplete SCI should allow this population to achieve capabilities and facilitate their life habits, besides the ones they already perform using their current assistive technologies.
Increasing physical activity in stroke survivors using STARFISH, an interactive smartphone application: Protocol for a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Paul Lorna , Campbell Evan , Gray Cindy , Brewster Stephen , Ramsay Andrew , Gill Jason M.R. , McFadyen Angus , Dybus Aleksandra
Published: September 2018

BACKGROUND:

Physical activity (PA) in stroke survivors is low however the ubiquitous nature of smartphone technology means smartphone-based interventions could be a feasible and cost-effective approach to increase PA. We developed STARFISH, a group behavioural change intervention delivered via a smartphone app to help increase PA.

OBJECTIVE:

Following the positive results of our pilot study the aim of this single-blind, Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) is to examine the effect of the STARFISH intervention, on PA in stroke survivors, compared to usual care.

METHODS:

One hundred and twenty-eight community dwelling stroke survivors will be recruited, from four NHS boards in Scotland, and randomised to intervention or control groups. The interventional groups will use the STARFISH app. The control group will receive literature on PA post-stroke. Outcome measures will be taken at: baseline, four months (end of the intervention), two months post-intervention. The primary outcome will be objectively measured PA. Secondary outcome measures will be sedentary time, activity profiles, walking speed and endurance, fatigue, anxiety and depression, activities of daily living, quality of life and metabolic health-risk biomarkers.

CONCLUSION:

If improvements are found in the PA and health of stroke survivors then STARFISH could be deployed through app stores to allow implementation at scale.
DISTRIBUIÇÃO DE MERCÚRIO NA FAUNA ESTUARINA DO RIO JAGUARIBE - CE
Authors: Moura Victor Lacerda , Costa Breno Gustavo Bezerra , Lacerda Luiz Drude
Published: September 2018

Modificações na paisagem natural aliadas às mudanças climáticas globais, alteram a hidrodinâmica da Bacia Inferior do rio Jaguaribe, possibilitando maior biodisponibilidade de contaminantes, entre eles o mercúrio (Hg). Análise das concentrações de Hg na fauna estuarina (13 espécies de peixes e 5 de invertebrados) mostraram variações nas concentrações de Hg relacionadas aos hábitos alimentares das espécies. Tanto entre invertebrados quanto nos peixes, as maiores concentrações foram encontradas nas espécies carnívoras. Entretanto, não foram encontradas diferenças significativas entre as concentrações médias entre peixes carnívoros e onívoros, e entre invertebrados carnívoros e filtradores, o que pode estar relacionado as características biológicas específicas, como tamanho, estado de maturação e composição da dieta.
USO DE FRAGMENTOS DE CARAPAÇA PARA MONITORAMENTO DO MERCÚRIO EM DUAS ESPÉCIES DE TARTARUGAS MARINHAS NO NORDESTE DO BRASIL
Authors: Barrios César Augusto , Bezerra Moises Fernandes , Lacerda Luiz Drude
Published: September 2018

Este trabalho compara concentrações de Hg para duas espécies de tartarugas marinhas, Caretta caretta e Chelonia mydas, encontradas na zona costeira do nordeste brasileiro e fazendo uso de fragmentos de carapaça como método não invasivo de monitoramento dos níveis ambientais de Hg. Os resultados não mostraram diferença significativa entre as concentrações de Hg nas duas espécies. Porém, a comparação entre a C. caretta (adultos) e C. mydas (juvenis e subadulto), permitiu observar que a dieta exerce influência na concentração de Hg nesses organismos. Tornando relevante, em futuros estudos, a quantificação de Hg tanto nas espécies em estudo quanto em sua fonte alimentar.
Metode dan Penyajian Pesan dalam Dakwah Islam
Authors: Kholili H.M.
Published: September 2018

The Functional Religion of Islamic Communicator (PAIF) has the duty to provide religious life for the people of Sleman who became the audience of his targeted group. This paper aims: 1). Analyzing and describing how much Da’wah of Information and Da'wah of Extension have an effect on Clear Message of Da'wah and Message of Da'wah that Gives Motivation. 2). Analyze and describe how much the Clear Message of Dakwah and Messages that Give Motivation affects the Effect of Da'wah. Results of survei research indicate that, activity of da’wah of information take effect significantly to clarity of message present and take effect significantly also in generating message motivated. A clear message of da’wah and a message of dakwah that gives motivation have a significant effect on the effect of his da’wah. In other words, the activity of  Da’wah of Information that can affect the effect of da’wah is the activity of Da’wah of Information through the path of a clear message variable and variable Message that Gives Motivation. While Da'wah of Extension has no significant effect because not much effort.
Batik sebagai Media Dakwah dan Pendidikan Karakter Berbasis Kearifan Lokal
Authors: Rusmana Indriya , Zahrotunimah Zahrotunimah
Published: September 2018

Batik is one of the ancestral heritage of Indonesia. As a characteristic of the nation's wealth, batik needs to be positioned strategically, in addition to being a means of community economic development, it can also be implemented as a medium for character building of national identity, batik must also be preserved and developed continuously and reconstructed to characterize the value of identity through Da'wah media. This study aims to (1) Reconstruct the Value of Batik as Da'wah Media Based on the Characteristics of Bogor Ulama Teaching (Motifs of Gentong Symbols, Rice, Rainwater, Rainbow / Katumbiri). This research is a field research, with the type of survey research. The research found, that batik can be reconstructed into da'wah media through, first, the transmission of ulama teachings through the Batik da’wah motif characterized by ulama in Bogor, secondly, the transformation of the teachings of ulama applicative through Muslim fashion is characterized by the value of the teachings of Mama Falak Pagentongan. With the transmission and transformation of the teachings of the clerics, the barrel-shaped pattern means the high degree of human beings due to knowledge.
Komunikasi Politik Muslimat NU dalam Suksesi Pemilihan Umum Kepala Daerah
Authors: Qibtiyah Alimatul
Published: September 2018

The current political activity of women has become a meaningful conversation. Women have shown their existence as an important part of society that has and gives a positive meaning in the development of state and nation. Similarly, presented by Muslimat NU in Tegal District Election of Tegal District, Muslimat NU appear in front of the real to participate politically so that Pemilukada become an important moment in history as proof of their success. Through a gender approach to the theory of political communication, this article attempts to describe what the NU Muslimat motivates in the succession of the Tegal Regency Election of 2013, then how the political communication is built so that the effort succeeds in achieving its targets, as well as what factors are able to build political communication between them. The method used is interview and observation. The results of this study indicate that Umi Azizah, the elected vice-regent with an effective communication approach and his credibility and capital as a community activist for 20 years can take part in the political world substantially and can win the election with no money politics.
An approach in health relation extraction
Authors: Huynh Nghia Huu , Ho Quoc Bao , Nguyen Te An
Published: September 2018

Extracting relations among medical concepts is very important in the medical field. The relations denote the events or the possible relations between the concepts. Information about these relations provides users with a full view of medical problems. This helps physicians and health-care practitioners make effective decisions and minimize errors in the treatment process. This paper collects methods for relations extraction in health texts and presents an approach on one type of specific relation (i.e. template filling). The approach combines methods including rule-based and machine learningbased. The rule-based method uses the relation of semantic dependencies among the concepts to extract the rule set. The machine learning-based method uses the SVM (Support Vector Machine) algorithm and a feature set proposed. The results of the approach were estimated on an accuracy of 0.849.
Factors affecting the reduction range in biddings in Ca Mau province
Authors: Nguyen Hoang Phuoc
Published: September 2018

The objective of this paper is to examine factors affecting the price reduction range in biddings in Ca Mau province by bidding organizers. Based on theory of asymmetric information by Acerola (1970), we employed multiple regression model on data of 500 bid packages in Ca Mau from 2009 to 2016 to test hypotheses. The results indicate the number of participating bidders (N), funds allocated for bid packages (C), owner (O), and the total investment (TI) are positively related to the reduction range (RR). In addition, bid decider (D)and contracting time (CT) are negatively related to the reduction range (RR) while type of project (GP) has no impact. The paper offers some policy implications to improve the efficiency of the bidding activities and suggestions to authorities concerning legal framework on public investment so as to better manage public investment.
A 3 year old girl presented with abdominal distention since birth with developmental delay
Authors: Nahar Luthfun , Karim A. S. M. Bazlul , Biswas Subir Ananda , Mondal Mohuya , Dey Bishnu Pada
Published: September 2018

This article has no abstract. The first 100 words appear below:
A 3 year old girl, 3rd issue of consanguineous parents from the Feni District (south part of Bangladesh) immunized as per EPI schedule presented at the outpatient department with the history of progressive abdominal distension and not growing well since birth. She had also the history of developmental delay and recurrent respiratory tract infection. Still she can not stand without the support and unable to make a sentence completely. Her brother died at 5 months of age with abdominal distention with unknown cause. She had no history of jaundice, hematemesis, melena, convulsion and craving for food.
Channel Estimation Based on Statistical Frames and Confidence Level in OFDM Systems
Authors: Zhou Xiao , Wang Chengyou , Tang Ruiguang , Zhang Mingtong
Published: September 2018

Channel estimation is an important module for improving the performance of the orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) system. The pilot-based least square (LS) algorithm can improve the channel estimation accuracy and the symbol error rate (SER) performance of the communication system. In pilot-based channel estimation, a certain number of pilots are inserted at fixed intervals between OFDM symbols to estimate the initial channel information, and channel estimation results can be obtained by one-dimensional linear interpolation. The minimum mean square error (MMSE) and linear minimum mean square error (LMMSE) algorithms involve the inverse operation of the channel matrix. If the number of subcarriers increases, the dimension of the matrix becomes large. Therefore, the inverse operation is more complex. To overcome the disadvantages of the conventional channel estimation methods, this paper proposes a novel OFDM channel estimation method based on statistical frames and the confidence level. The noise variance in the estimated channel impulse response (CIR) can be largely reduced under statistical frames and the confidence level; therefore, it reduces the computational complexity and improves the accuracy of channel estimation. Simulation results verify the effectiveness of the proposed channel estimation method based on the confidence level in time-varying dynamic wireless channels.
Detection and Classification of Overlapping Cell Nuclei in Cytology Effusion Images Using a Double-Strategy Random Forest
Authors: Win Khin Yadanar , Choomchuay Somsak , Hamamoto Kazuhiko , Raveesunthornkiat Manasanan
Published: September 2018

Due to the close resemblance between overlapping and cancerous nuclei, the misinterpretation of overlapping nuclei can affect the final decision of cancer cell detection. Thus, it is essential to detect overlapping nuclei and distinguish them from single ones for subsequent quantitative analyses. This paper presents a method for the automated detection and classification of overlapping nuclei from single nuclei appearing in cytology pleural effusion (CPE) images. The proposed system is comprised of three steps: nuclei candidate extraction, dominant feature extraction, and classification of single and overlapping nuclei. A maximum entropy thresholding method complemented by image enhancement and post-processing was employed for nuclei candidate extraction. For feature extraction, a new combination of 16 geometrical and 10 textural features was extracted from each nucleus region. A double-strategy random forest was performed as an ensemble feature selector to select the most relevant features, and an ensemble classifier to differentiate between overlapping nuclei and single ones using selected features. The proposed method was evaluated on 4000 nuclei from CPE images using various performance metrics. The results were 96.6% sensitivity, 98.7% specificity, 92.7% precision, 94.6% F1 score, 98.4% accuracy, 97.6% G-mean, and 99% area under curve. The computation time required to run the entire algorithm was just 5.17 s. The experiment results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm yields a superior performance to previous studies and other classifiers. The proposed algorithm can serve as a new supportive tool in the automated diagnosis of cancer cells from cytology images.
Tracing Phase Transformation and Lattice Evolution in a TRIP Sheet Steel under High-Temperature Annealing by Real-Time In Situ Neutron Diffraction
Authors: Yu Dunji , Chen Yan , Huang Lu , An Ke
Published: September 2018

Real-time in situ neutron diffraction was used to characterize the crystal structure evolution in a transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP) sheet steel during annealing up to 1000 °C and then cooling to 60 °C. Based on the results of full-pattern Rietveld refinement, critical temperature regions were determined in which the transformations of retained austenite to ferrite and ferrite to high-temperature austenite during heating and the transformation of austenite to ferrite during cooling occurred, respectively. The phase-specific lattice variation with temperature was further analyzed to comprehensively understand the role of carbon diffusion in accordance with phase transformation, which also shed light on the determination of internal stress in retained austenite. These results prove the technique of real-time in situ neutron diffraction as a powerful tool for heat treatment design of novel metallic materials.
Pinching Theorems for Statistical Submanifolds in Sasaki-Like Statistical Space Forms
Authors: Alkhaldi Ali H. , Aquib Mohd. , Siddiqui Aliya Naaz , Shahid Mohammad Hasan
Published: September 2018

In this paper, we obtain the upper bounds for the normalized δ -Casorati curvatures and generalized normalized δ -Casorati curvatures for statistical submanifolds in Sasaki-like statistical manifolds with constant curvature. Further, we discuss the equality case of the inequalities. Moreover, we give the necessary and sufficient condition for a Sasaki-like statistical manifold to be η -Einstein. Finally, we provide the condition under which the metric of Sasaki-like statistical manifolds with constant curvature is a solution of vacuum Einstein field equations.
Dynamic Rounds Chaotic Block Cipher Based on Keyword Abstract Extraction
Authors: Wang Juan , Ding Qun
Published: September 2018

According to the keyword abstract extraction function in the Natural Language Processing and Information Retrieval Sharing Platform (NLPIR), the design method of a dynamic rounds chaotic block cipher is presented in this paper, which takes into account both the security and efficiency. The cipher combines chaotic theory with the Feistel structure block cipher, and uses the randomness of chaotic sequence and the nonlinearity of chaotic S-box to dynamically generate encrypted rounds, realizing more numbers of dynamic rounds encryption for the important information marked by NLPIR, while less numbers of dynamic rounds encryption for the non-important information that is not marked. Through linear and differential cryptographic analysis, ciphertext information entropy, “0–1” balance and National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST) tests and the comparison with other traditional and lightweight block ciphers, the results indicate that the dynamic variety of encrypted rounds can achieve different levels of encryption for different information, which can achieve the purpose of enhancing the anti-attack ability and reducing the number of encrypted rounds. Therefore, the dynamic rounds chaotic block cipher can guarantee the security of information transmission and realize the lightweight of the cryptographic algorithm.
Overview of the 37th MaxEnt
Authors: Dias Teresa C. M. , Diniz Marcio A. , Pereira Carlos A. de B. , Polpo Adriano
Published: September 2018

The 37th edition of MaxEnt was held in Brazil, hosting several distinguished researchers and students. The workshop offered four tutorials, nine invited talks, twenty four oral presentations and twenty seven poster presentations. All submissions received their first choice between oral and poster presentations. The event held a celebration to Julio Stern’s 60th anniversary and awarded two prizes to young researchers. As customary, the workshop had one free afternoon, in which participants visited the city’s surroundings and experienced Brazilian food and traditions.
Construction and Evaluation of an Instrument to Measure Content Knowledge in Biology: The CK-IBI
Authors: Großschedl Jörg , Mahler Daniela , Harms Ute
Published: September 2018

The teaching process is well described as an interaction between teacher, student, and content. Thus, it seems obvious that teachers must know the content to help students to learn it. Instruments have been developed to measure teachers’ content knowledge (CK) in biology, but few of them have been provided to the scientific community. Furthermore, most of them have a topic-specific approach, so there is a need for a more comprehensive measure. In efforts to meet this need we have developed an instrument called the CK in biology inventory (CK-IBI), which has a broader scope than previously published instruments and covers knowledge of five biological disciplines (i.e., ecology, evolution, genetics and microbiology, morphology, and physiology). More than 700 pre-service biology teachers were enrolled to participate in tests to assess the instrument’s objectivity, reliability, and validity in two cross-sectional evaluations. Item and scale analyses as well as validity checks indicate that the final version of the CK-IBI (37 items; Cronbach’s α = 0.83) can be scored objectively, is unidimensional, reliable, and validly measures pre-service biology teachers’ CK. As the instrument was used in a German context, it has been translated into English to enable its scrutiny and use by international communities.
Possibilities of Increasing the Low Altitude Measurement Precision of Airborne Radio Altimeters
Authors: Labun Ján , Krchňák Martin , Kurdel Pavol , Češkovič Marek , Nekrasov Alexey , Gamcová Mária
Published: September 2018

The paper focuses on the new trend of increasing the accuracy of low altitudes measurement by frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) radio altimeters. The method of increasing the altitude measurement accuracy has been realized in a form of a frequency deviation increase with the help of the carrier frequency increase. In this way, the height measurement precision has been established at the value of ±0.75 m. Modern digital processing of a differential frequency cannot increase the accuracy limitation considerably. It can be seen that further increase of the height measurement precision is possible through the method of innovatory processing of so-called height pulses. This paper thoroughly analyzes the laws of height pulse shaping from the differential frequency presented by the number that represents the information about the measured altitude for this purpose. This paper presents the results of the laboratory experimental altitude measurement with the use of a so-called double-channel method. The application of obtained results could contribute to the increase of air traffic safety, mainly in the phase of the aircraft approaching for landing and landing itself.
Effect of Densification Conditions on Specific Energy Requirements and Physical Properties of Compacts Made from Hop Cone
Authors: Pampuro Niccolò , Busato Patrizia , Cavallo Eugenio
Published: September 2018

Hop cones, due to their essential flavor, are one of the four main ingredients for beer production. The paper reports the results on an investigation of the densification process of hop cones. This experiment investigated (i) the effects of compression pressure in the range of 40 to 80 MPa and pressure application time in the range of 10 to 40 s on the final density and durability of the compacts made from hop cones and ii) the specific compression energy required for the process. The specific compression energy requirements to compact hop cones ranged from 14.20 to 24.48 kJ kg−1. The final compact density values ranged from 515.2 to 876.6 kg m−3, while the durability percentage calculated ranged from 71% to 91%. The obtained results highlighted that compression pressure—in the range of 40–80 MPa—significantly affects the specific compression energy requirements, the final density and the durability of the produced compacts. In this experiment, pressure application time plays a key role in determining compacts density, while did not affect durability and compression energy requirements. Considering the specific compression energy values calculated in this experiment, it can be stated that the pressure agglomeration method described to compact hop cones is more efficient than pelletizing process which is typically characterized by specific energy values ranging from 19 to 90 kJ kg−1.
Aggregator of Demand Response for Renewable Integration and Customer Engagement: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats
Authors: Ponds Kody T. , Arefi Ali , Sayigh Ali , Ledwich Gerard
Published: September 2018

The world is progressing towards a more advanced society where end-consumers have access to local renewable-based generation and advanced forms of information and technology. Hence, it is in a current state of transition between the traditional approach to power generation and distribution, where end-consumers of electricity have typically been inactive in their involvement with energy markets and a new approach that integrates their active participation. This new approach includes the use of distributed energy resources (DER) such as renewable-based generation and demand response (DR), which are being rapidly adopted by end-consumers where incentives are strong. This paper presents the role of the DR aggregator to effectively integrate DER technology as a new source of energy capacity into electricity networks using information communication technology and industry knowledge., Based on DR aggregators, this framework will efficiently facilitate renewable energy integration and customer engagement into the electricity market. To this aim, advantages and disadvantages of DR aggregators are discussed in this paper from political, economic, social, and technological (PEST) points of view. Based on this analysis, a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis for a typical DR aggregator is presented.
The Relationship Between Prices of Various Metals, Oil and Scarcity
Authors: Popp József , Oláh Judit , Farkas Fekete Mária , Lakner Zoltán , Máté Domicián
Published: September 2018

No consensus has been reached on the problem of solving resource depletion. A recognition of the fact that resources are not endless and the Earth is a finite globe reinforces the idea that the vision of continuous economic growth is not sustainable over time. The aim of this paper is to examine the efficacy of real prices as an indicator of metals and oil in consideration of growth tendencies in the Consumer Price Indexes. In addition, enhancing the current literature on commodity price interrelationships, the main contribution of this study is the substitution of different proxies in order to justify the effect of scarcity and crude oil changes on the examined metal group prices. In order to demonstrate the usefulness of scarcity as an indicator of real price deviations, the study has been conducted involving various non-renewable metals, i.e., copper, molybdenum, zinc, gold and platinum group metals. The real price indices and metal prices of the US market are constructed between 1913 and 2015. Moreover, additional econometric analyses are also carried out to discover whether prices of various metals associate with oil prices and scarcity, as the proxy of reserves-to-production ratio. The linear regression results seem to suggest that the effects of the R/P ratios are negatively correlated with each of the examined precious (gold, PGMs), mass consumable (copper, zinc) and doping agent (molybdenum) metals from 1991 to 2015. An increase in oil-prices is positively associated with the price levels of each non-renewable resource in the short-run. The findings of multivariate co-integration and Granger causality tests also suggest that pairwise and direct relationships among these variables seem to arise in the long-run. These findings indicate essential questions that must be addressed by future generations in order to appropriately solve scarcity problems.
FPGA-Based Implementation of MMC Control Based on Sorting Networks
Authors: Ricco Mattia , Mathe Laszlo , Monmasson Eric , Teodorescu Remus
Published: September 2018

In Modular Multilevel Converter (MMC) applications, the balancing of the capacitor voltages is one of the most important issues for achieving the proper behavior of the MMC. The Capacitor Voltage Balancing (CVB) control is usually based on classical sorting algorithms which consist of repetitive/recursive loops. This leads to an increase of the execution time when many Sub-Modules (SMs) are employed. When the execution time of the balancing is longer than the sampling period, the proper operation of the MMC cannot be ensured. Moreover, due to their inherent sequential operation, sorting algorithms are suitable for software implementation (microcontrollers or DSPs), but they are not appropriate for a hardware implementation. Instead, in this paper, Sorting Networks (SNs) are proposed due to their convenience for implementation in FPGA devices. The advantages and the main challenges of the Bitonic SN in MMC applications are discussed and different FPGA implementations are presented. Simulation results are provided in normal and faulty conditions. Moreover, a comparison with the widely used bubble sorting algorithm and max/min approach is made in terms of execution time and performance. Finally, hardware-in-the-loop results are shown to prove the effectiveness of the implemented SN.
Towards Zero Energy Stadiums: The Case Study of the Dacia Arena in Udine, Italy
Authors: Manni Mattia , Coccia Valentina , Nicolini Andrea , Marseglia Guido , Petrozzi Alessandro
Published: September 2018

The environmental impacts of sport events have been growing during the last decades, which has led to the organizing associations developing adequate countermeasures to both reduce carbon emissions due to construction and operational stages compensate for the emissions. This work aims at proposing an approach to stadiums energy enhancement that includes strategies largely recognized as effective and applicable to several building typologies (residential, commercial, academic, etc.). The selected case study is the Dacia Arena in northern Italy that has been recently refurbished and renovated. The proposed workflow has as a goal minimizing the increment of the operational emissions, caused by new heated areas in the stadium. Firstly, the energy consumption was estimated in dynamic state for Scenario 0 (current state) and Scenario 1 (refurbished state) to quantify the new plant’s energy demand. Secondly, two hypothetical system layouts were proposed and evaluated. In the first, the power for lighting, cooling and heating is supplied by a system that couples photovoltaic panels with heat pump. In the second, the same photovoltaic plant is integrated with a biomass plant and an absorption chiller. The comparison highlights the suitability of those interventions and the environmental advantages deriving from their exploitation.
Numerical Simulation and Analysis on Spray Drift Movement of Multirotor Plant Protection Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
Authors: Yang Fengbo , Xue Xinyu , Cai Chen , Sun Zhu , Zhou Qingqing
Published: September 2018

In recent years, multirotor unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have become more and more important in the field of plant protection in China. Multirotor unmanned plant protection UAVs have been widely used in vast plains, hills, mountains, and other regions, and become an integral part of China’s agricultural mechanization and modernization. The easy takeoff and landing performances of UAVs are urgently required for timely and effective spraying, especially in dispersed plots and hilly mountains. However, the unclearness of wind field distribution leads to more serious droplet drift problems. The drift and distribution of droplets, which depend on airflow distribution characteristics of UAVs and the droplet size of the nozzle, are directly related to the control effect of pesticide and crop growth in different growth periods. This paper proposes an approach to research the influence of the downwash and windward airflow on the motion distribution of droplet group for the SLK-5 six-rotor plant protection UAV. At first, based on the Navier-Stokes (N-S) equation and SST k–ε turbulence model, the three-dimensional wind field numerical model is established for a six-rotor plant protection UAV under 3 kg load condition. Droplet discrete phase is added to N-S equation, the momentum and energy equations are also corrected for continuous phase to establish a two-phase flow model, and a three-dimensional two-phase flow model is finally established for the six-rotor plant protection UAV. By comparing with the experiment, this paper verifies the feasibility and accuracy of a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method in the calculation of wind field and spraying two-phase flow field. Analyses are carried out through the combination of computational fluid dynamics and radial basis neural network, and this paper, finally, discusses the influence of windward airflow and droplet size on the movement of droplet groups.