bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ANALISA KINERJA MESIN REFRIGERASI RUMAH TANGGA DENGAN VARIASI REFRIGERAN
Authors: Amrullah Amrullah , Djafar Zuryati , Piarah Wahyu Haryadi
Published: August 2018

The most important component in the refrigerator is the refrigerant. The refrigerant absorbs heat from one side and throw it to another side through the mechanism of evaporation and condensation. This research aims to develop a refrigeration machine using different refrigerants that can be observed with the performance of the compressor, evaporator performance and COP, and hoped this research can show the installation as a medium of learning in applying the working principle of refrigerator. The research method was experimental at setting 8 refrigeration machine with data collection for the pressure and temperature of R-12 and R-134a were measured at the compressor inlet and outlet for 300 minutes. Determining the value of the enthalpy at any point by using REFPROP program. The use of different refrigerants in a refrigeration machine indicates that the refrigerant R-134a better than R-12. It can be seen after 300 minutes for R-134a, compressor performance 29.4 kJ / kg, the performance of the evaporator is 144.5 kJ / kg, COP 4.9 while for R-12 compressor performance 21.8 kJ / kg, the performance of the evaporator is 12.3 kJ / kg, COP 4.6.
Analisis Perbedaan Tekanan Fluida pada Ball Valve Kondisi Full Closed dan Full Open dengan Computational Fluid Dynamics
Authors: Rahmi Meri , Canra Delffika , Suliono Suliono
Published: August 2018

Ball valve is one type of rotary motion valve. Ball valve functions as a round disc-shaped ball-like controller. Ball valve is widely used because it is easy to repair and the ability in high pressure and high temperature. The fluid flow in the ball valve does not always flow, sometimes the flow is closed. This will affect the fluid pressure in the valve. Fluid pressure is also affected due to valve open condition. This study aims to analyze the difference of the fluid pressure in ball valve -4 inch ANSI during closed condition and open condition. The method used is Computational Fluid Dynamics with f Flow Simulation Solidworks software. The analysis was performed for two valve conditions with a temperature of 425 °C. Decrease in pressure does not significantly affect the condition of the ball valve, even when the temperature of the fluid is high. The difference of fluid pressure between full closed condition and full open is only 0.01 psi.
Estudio respirométrico de la biodegradación de Diclofenaco
Authors: Rubiano Godoy Julio Cesar , Perdomo María del Pilar , Pramparo Laura Mariela
Published: August 2018

Pseudo-persistent contaminants in wastewater, as pharmaceutical compounds, create a need to study different methods capable to degrade these contaminants in order to reduce its concentration in water sources and treatment plants, since they could generate some problems therein. The biological treatment is often the main treatment in these WWTP. In this study, the analysis of the biological degradation of a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory, as diclofenac, was carried out using respirometric techniques. Different batch experiments were carried out in a respirometer LFS (liquid-flowstatic) type, with activated sludge from a local WWTP to determine the aerobic biodegradation of diclofenac. The initial concentration of diclofenac was in the range 5-100 mg/L. The degradation was analyzed by COD and OD measurements. The profile of OD consumption was obtained for all samples. Removals of 50% were obtained after 285 min of reaction. However, the aerobic degradation increased until 80% of pollutant removal after 24 hours of analysis.
It was observed that the activated sludge was able to consume the pollutant, however the reaction times were very long considering the requirements of the WWTP.
Pasteurizador de leche para la elaboración de suero costeño
Authors: Tirado Armesto Diego Felipe , Yacub Bermudez Bashir , Cajal Barrios Juan Vicente , Murillo Fernández Luis , Leal Betancour Rony Federman , Franco Plata Mónica Yulieth , Escobar Ismael Brahim Miguel , Acevedo Correa Diofanor
Published: August 2018

The pasteurization process consists on heating liquids until a temperature that allows the elimination of pathogenic microorganisms, and in this way, extend the shelf life of the product. The automatic milk pasteurization prototype as the first stage in the production line of sour cream is a contribution for small producers who make sour cream from raw milk, which by established regulations in matters of health and safety have been affected in the commercialization and sale of products that do not comply with the required technical specifications. The objective of this work was to design and build a slow pasteurizing equipment. The prototype was equipped with an agitator motor, solid state temperature sensors (LM35), ultrasonic level sensor (SRF05), control system and system of visualization of the responses emitted by the devices.
Caracterización de propiedades fisicoquímicas y microbiológicas de la gelatina blanca de pata de res
Authors: Dominguez Segovia Vanessa , Ramírez-Navas Juan Sebastián
Published: August 2018

The gelatina blanca de pata de res (GBPR) is a typical handcrafted sweet, of which there is little scientific information. The aim of this research was to characterize the physicochemical and microbiological properties of GBPR, produced in Andalucia (Valle). The methodology was focused on the quantitative determination of these properties according to the Colombian law. The analyzed samples met the microbiological criteria. Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were not detected. However, statistically significant differences were found in the moisture, ash, total nitrogen and protein; as well as in the color parameters (L*, a*, b*). The obtained values of color difference (ΔE > 2.7) among samples provide confirmation that the procedures are not standardized. These results provide important contributions to the handcrafted food industry, highlighting the need to standardize the production and raw materials without compromising long lasting traditions.
Revisión sistemática de técnicas no convencionales para la evaluación de la calidad del agua de ríos contaminados con plaguicidas
Authors: Jurado Eraso Mario Alberto , Mercado Martínez Iván Darío
Published: August 2018

A systematic review about non-conventional evaluation techniques of water quality in rivers contaminated with pesticides was conducted. Some studies carried out of the ecological and chemical state of rivers were evaluated by analyzing multiple parameters in samples of water, sediment and water inter-pore. Likely those methodologies being ideal for establishing complexity of pollution in rivers with less degree of uncertainty and imprecision. Finally, the review reveals opportunities to adapt the methodologies to the local contexts.
Rediseño geométrico del chasis de un patín de carreras sobre ruedas basado en sus esfuerzos dinámicos y análisis de fatiga
Authors: Diosa Juan Gustavo , Bustamante Góez Liliana M. , Villarraga Ossa Junes
Published: August 2018

through the years, speed skating has undergone several transformations, one of them has been the change in the size of the wheels and the variation of the technique used in competition, these changes aff ect the performance of athletes and it has generated changes in the forces applied to the frame skate. This has led to a lifetime reduction of the product, for this reason a study was done with a high performance athlete, a static and a dynamic study was performed about the loads over the skate frame. While the double-push technique is being executed by a professional skater roller, computational models were done for six types of current commercial frames, stress and fatigue safety factors were calculated, these values were used as a starting point for a geometric redesign which optimizes the stress distribution and increases the safety factor. It was possible to obtain a fi nal version of a light frame and an increase of 230 % on the fatigue safety factor.
Integración de estrategias didácticas y neurocientífi cas para mejorar la motivación y el aprendizaje en cursos de química básica
Authors: Gonzáles Alicia , Palomeque Liliam
Published: August 2018

This paper exposes a methodological approach that was designed and developed to facilitate the understanding of the topic chemical equilibrium; a familiar context for students was used. The proposal was applied to an average population of about 16- year-old. The context was the process used to produce yogurt in a lab under the methodological strategy: Teaching for Understanding (TfU). The proposal also relies on neuroscientifi c foundations of learning that take into account the need to generate attention statements prior academic work, to improve understanding of concepts and pitch them to the long-term memory by stimulating multisensorial; this stimulation may improve better synaptic connections. Before starting the academic work, stimulation activities were conducted, which resulted in a state of attention and motivation that allowed students to make observations and analysis at the macroscopic level, to fi nally understand precisely the chemical process lactic fermentation, as a reversible process produced by the action of microorganisms.
Coordinación del abastecimiento en proyectos de ingeniería mediante modelos de optimización
Authors: Zamora Aguas Juan Pablo , Rocha González Jair Eduardo , Adarme Jaimes Wilson
Published: August 2018

A project-scheduling problem (PSP) is addressed to coordinate and program supply in the chain of a company based on projects (PBO - Project Based Organizations). The model fi rstly considered the cost attributable to the use of resources needed for the implementation of such activities, and subsequently programming of the provision of resources and cash fl ow bound to pay suppliers, considering among other limitations the capacity and diversity of resources off ered by suppliers of the project. The results show that after the implementation of the strategy of coordination of shared information, the cost of procurement management could be optimized within projects. The methodology developed can be applied by PBO organizations or companies that eventually carry out projects.
Una mirada a las estrategias y técnicas didácticas en la educación en ingeniería. Caso Ingeniería Industrial en Colombia
Authors: López López Diana Cristina , Mejía Ospina Lura Angélica
Published: August 2018

the teaching and learning process has been transformed in diff erent disciplines. All the same, didactic strategies for engineering have been created. For the Industrial Engineering case, there is concern about the way in which these strategies, accompanied by diff erent didactic techniques, are currently being articulated in the training process. This paper exposes diff erent didactics that are being used in Colombian Industrial Engineering teaching, analyzing its impact on engineering students’ performance, and show specific application cases in two Industrial Engineering areas: Quality Control and Operations Research. Some refl ections about how to integrate diff erent didactic techniques into curricular development are shown, considering the author’s experience, and identifying the techniques that generate a positive impact in students.
Una propuesta de integración de arquitecturas de generación descentralizada en ambientes de micro-redes
Authors: Mina Casaran Juan David , Caicedo Bravo Eduardo Francisco , Lozano Moncada Carlos Arturo
Published: August 2018

In this article a proposal for the integration of decentralized generation architectures in microgrids environments, which includes the contribution of renewable energy sources for both the National Interconnected System and Non-Interconnected Areas is presented. Some aspects on the Colombian Electrical System are considered, the potential of renewable energy sources by regions and the evaluation quality energy in a test microgrid. Load-fl ow simulations were carried out, in which one of the main contributions the microgrids was checked in terms of reducing power losses and improving the voltage profi les.
Reconfiguración de sistemas de distribución para minimizar pérdidas utilizando optimización heurística: Métodos BPSO y DEEPSO
Authors: Acosta Piedrahita Jorge Luis , Alarcón Roa Angel Estefano , Rivera Rodriguez Sergio
Published: August 2018

This article proposes the analysis and application of heuristic algorithms for the reconﬁ guration of distribution systems in order to reduce power losses in these systems. The algorithms used are based on the BPSO (Binary Particle Swarm Optimization) and DEEPSO (Diﬀ erential Particle Swarm Optimization) methods, these are intended to ﬁ nd solutions close to the local optimum, with reduced processing times compared to analytical methods. Additionally, an example of application of each method to two radial distribution systems (distribution networks of 33 and 69 nodes) is shown to compare the results obtained in terms of the eﬃ ciency and eﬀ ectiveness of each algorithm.
Pelaksanaan Standarisasi Pelayanan Pariwisata Halal dalam Pengembangan Pariwisata di Nusa Tenggara Barat
Authors: Hamzana Adrian Adi
Published: August 2018

West Nusa Tenggara Province received 3 (three) awards at The World Halal Tourism Awards 2016. The government then appointed West Nusa Tenggara as one of the national halal tourism destinations and as one of 10 priority destinations that have a vision of "World's Best Halal Tourism and Cruise Destination". Local Government take steps by passing Regional Regulation No. 2 Year 2016 on Halal Tourism. This study is an empirical law study, with a statutory approach, a conceptual approach, and a sociological approach. Based on the results of the research, the implementation of standardization of halal tourism services in West Nusa Tenggara on destinations conducted by the Department of Culture and Tourism through the fulfillment of public facilities according to halal tourism. The standardization of halal tourism industry is done by the Department of Culture and Tourism, the Department of Industry and Commerce and the Health Service, and the Ulema Council of Indonesia-West Nusa Tenggara as the institution authorized to issue halal certificates. Factors affecting the standardization of halal tourism services are legal factors (legislation), legal structure (law enforcement), supporting facilities or factors, community factors and cultural factors.

 

Keywords: Implementation, Standardization, Halal Tourism.
Paradigama Peradilan Agama Sebagai Peradilan Bagi Umat Muslim Di Indonesia
Authors: Bintoro Rahadi Wasi
Published: August 2018

Competence of religious courts increasingly complex, but the more ques-tionable also about the existence of Islamic personality as a principle inherent in the Religious Court.  Therefore this paper discusses the paradigm of Islamic personality in Religious Court. In order to analyze this issue then used the his-torical approach and conceptual approach. Based on the analysis, the exis-tence of religious court is directly proportional to the needs of Muslims and ru-lers in this country. Nevertheless, the Islamic personality has not been fully applicable to the religious court, since it is not yet clear that the policymakers to provide competencies that were previously the competence of other courts.
Keywords: Islam, Islamic law, Islamic personality
Effect of Chlorhexidine Cleansing of Umbilical Cord for Prevention of Infection
Authors: Khairuzzaman Md , Mannan MA , Matin Abdul , Sarker Mst Monjuman Ara , Sarker Nihar Ranjan , Rouf MA , Shahidullah Mohmmad
Published: August 2018

Background: Chlorhexidine cleansing of the cord can reduce neonatal mortality among newborns.Objective: The aim of study was to determine the effect of cord cleansing with chlorhexidine in reduction of umbilical infection among newborns in hospital settings.Methodology: This randomized controlled trial was carried out between April 2013 to July 2014 and 510 newborns were randomly assigned within a tertiary level hospital in Bangladesh to receive 1 of 3 cord care regimens single cord cleansing with 4% chlorhexidine(Group-1), multiple cord cleansing with 4% chlorhexidine (Group-2)  and clean and dry cord care (Group-3 : control).Results: The risk of umbilical cord infection (omphalitis) was significantly reduced in both the single (Relative risk [RR] 0.15 [95% CI] 0.008-0.93) and multiple chlorhexidine cleansing group (RR 0.37 [95% CI] 0.04- 0.99) compared to the dry cord care group.  The risk of omphalitis was not significantly different between multiple and single chlorhexidine cleansing group (RR 3.14 [0.13-76.54]). Conclusion: Chlorhexidine significantly reduce the risk of umbilical infection in both single and multiple cord cleansing neonates.Bangladesh Journal of Infectious Diseases 2017;4(2):35-39
Research of the Vibration Source Tracking in Phase-Sensitive Optical Time-Domain Reflectometry Signals Based by Image Processing Method
Authors: Hu Yanzhu , Wang Song , Ai Xinbo
Published: August 2018

This paper aims to improve the source tracking efficiency of distributed vibration signals generated by phase-sensitive optical time-domain reflectometry (Φ-OTDR). Considering the two dimensions (time and length) of Φ-OTDR signals, the authors saved and processed these signals as images after particle filtering. The filtering method could save 0.1% of hard drive space without sacrificing the original features of the signals. Then, an integrated feature extraction method was proposed to further process the generated image. The method combines three individual extraction methods, namely, texture feature extraction, shape feature extraction and intrinsic feature extraction. Subsequently, the signal of each frame image was recognized to track the vibration source. To verify the effect of the proposed method, several experiments were carried out to compare it with popular and traditional approaches. The results show that: Hard drive space is greatly conserved by saving the distributed vibration signals as images; the proposed particle filter is a desirable way to screen the vibration signals for monitoring; the integrated feature extraction outperforms the individual extraction methods for texture features, shape features and intrinsic features; the proposed method has a better effect than other popular integrated feature extraction methods; and, the signal source tracking method has little impact on the positioning accuracy of the vibration source. The research findings provide important insights into the source tracking of Φ-OTDR signals.
Sliding Suffix Tree
Authors: Brodnik Andrej , Jekovec Matevž
Published: August 2018

We consider a sliding window W over a stream of characters from some alphabet of constant size. We want to look up a pattern in the current sliding window content and obtain all positions of the matches. We present an indexed version of the sliding window, based on a suffix tree. The data structure of size Θ(|W|) has optimal time queries Θ(m+occ) and amortized constant time updates, where m is the length of the query string and occ is its number of occurrences.
A New Type of Generalization on W—Asymptotically

J

λ—Statistical Equivalence with the Number of α
Authors: Gümüş Hafize , Demir Nihal
Published: August 2018

In our paper, by using the concept of W−asymptotically J− statistical equivalence of order α which has been previously defined, we present the definitions of W−asymptotically Jλ−statistical equivalence of order α, W−strongly asymptotically Jλ−statistical equivalence of order α, and W−strongly Cesáro asymptotically J−statistical equivalence of order α where 0<α≤1. We also extend these notions with a sequence of positive real numbers, p=(pk), and we investigate how our results change if p is constant.
Straw Wine Melanoidins as Potential Multifunctional Agents: Insight into Antioxidant, Antibacterial, and Angiotensin-I-Converting Enzyme Inhibition Effects
Authors: Goulas Vlasios , Nicolaou Demetra , Botsaris George , Barbouti Alexandra
Published: August 2018

Numerous studies provide robust evidence for a protective effect of red wine against many diseases. This bioactivity has been mainly associated with phenolic fractions of wines. However, the health effects of melanoidins in red sweet wines has been ignored. The goal of the present work was to unravel the antioxidant, antimicrobial, and angiotensin-I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory properties of straw sweet wine melanoidins. Results demonstrated that melanoidins have a potential antioxidant activity, determined by 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and Ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. The antimicrobial activity of melanoidins was also tested against Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella Enteritidis, and Escherichia coli. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of isolated melanoidins against three bacterial strains ranged from 5 mg mL−1 to 10 mg mL−1. Finally, the ACE inhibitory effect of isolated melanoidins was evaluated, as it is linked with antihypertensive activity. Results showed that they have ACE-inhibitory activity ranging from 58.2 ± 5.4% to 75.3 ± 6.4% at a concentration level of 2 mg mL−1. Furthermore, the chemical properties of isolated melanoidins were determined. Results demonstrated that the skeleton of straw wine melanoidins is mainly composed of carbohydrates, and bear significant numbers of phenolic compounds that may play critical roles in their functional properties. Overall, this study describing the chemical composition and functional properties of melanoidin fractions isolated from a straw wine highlights that they can be exploited as functional agents for multiple purposes. Finally, melanoidins are an unexplored source of bioactive molecules in straw wines except from polyphenols that contribute to the health effects.
Relapsing Polychondritis: An Updated Review
Authors: Borgia Francesco , Giuffrida Roberta , Guarneri Fabrizio , Cannavò Serafinella P.
Published: August 2018

Relapsing polychondritis is an immune-mediated systemic disease characterized by recurrent episodes of inflammation of cartilaginous and proteoglycan-rich tissues, resulting in progressive anatomical deformation and functional impairment of the involved structures. Auricular and nasal chondritis and/or polyarthritis represent the most common clinical features, but potentially all types of cartilage may be involved. Because of the pleomorphic nature of the disease, with non-specific symptoms at the onset, the diagnosis of relapsing polychondritis is often delayed. In this review article we provide a comprehensive look into clinical presentation, laboratory and instrumental investigations, diagnostic criteria, and therapeutic options.
Investigating Information Geometry in Classical and Quantum Systems through Information Length
Authors: Kim Eun-jin
Published: August 2018

Stochastic processes are ubiquitous in nature and laboratories, and play a major role across traditional disciplinary boundaries. These stochastic processes are described by different variables and are thus very system-specific. In order to elucidate underlying principles governing different phenomena, it is extremely valuable to utilise a mathematical tool that is not specific to a particular system. We provide such a tool based on information geometry by quantifying the similarity and disparity between Probability Density Functions (PDFs) by a metric such that the distance between two PDFs increases with the disparity between them. Specifically, we invoke the information length L(t) to quantify information change associated with a time-dependent PDF that depends on time. L(t) is uniquely defined as a function of time for a given initial condition. We demonstrate the utility of L(t) in understanding information change and attractor structure in classical and quantum systems.
Spherical Minimum Description Length
Authors: Herntier Trevor , Ihou Koffi Eddy , Smith Anthony , Rangarajan Anand , Peter Adrian
Published: August 2018

We consider the problem of model selection using the Minimum Description Length (MDL) criterion for distributions with parameters on the hypersphere. Model selection algorithms aim to find a compromise between goodness of fit and model complexity. Variables often considered for complexity penalties involve number of parameters, sample size and shape of the parameter space, with the penalty term often referred to as stochastic complexity. Current model selection criteria either ignore the shape of the parameter space or incorrectly penalize the complexity of the model, largely because typical Laplace approximation techniques yield inaccurate results for curved spaces. We demonstrate how the use of a constrained Laplace approximation on the hypersphere yields a novel complexity measure that more accurately reflects the geometry of these spherical parameters spaces. We refer to this modified model selection criterion as spherical MDL. As proof of concept, spherical MDL is used for bin selection in histogram density estimation, performing favorably against other model selection criteria.
Does Foreign Direct Investment Improve Inclusive Green Growth? Empirical Evidence from China
Authors: Zhu Songping , Ye Azhong
Published: August 2018

Inclusive green growth is a sustainable development mode in pursuit of economic growth, social equity, and environmental protection. At present, a large number of articles have discussed the impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) on economic growth, green growth, and inclusive growth. However, the research about inclusive green growth is mainly descriptive. This paper constructs China’s inclusive green growth index and analyzes the impact of FDI on inclusive green growth in China. Specifically, by constructing a super efficiency slacks-based measure model (which has two undesirable outputs: income disparity and environmental pollution) to calculate the Inclusive green growth index, this paper compares and analyses the differences and regional characteristics of China’s total factor productivity, inclusive total factor productivity, green total factor productivity, and inclusive green total factor productivity. We find that total factor productivity is decreasing after considering undesirable output, and the traditional total factor productivity is higher than the inclusive green total factor productivity by 0.112; at the regional level, the trend of the total factor productivity is gradually decreasing from east to west, which indicates that there are regional differences in inclusive green growth of China, and there is room for improvement. Meanwhile, we construct a panel vector autoregressive model (PVAR) and use generalized impulse response function and variance decomposition to analyse the influence of FDI on China’s inclusive green total factor productivity. The results show that FDI is beneficial to the promotion of inclusive green total factor productivity in China, and environmental pollution in the FDI process is an important factor hindering the inclusive green total factor productivity.
As Symbol as That: Inconsistencies in Symbol Systems of Alleles in Textbooks, and Students’ Justifications for Them
Authors: Livni-Alcasid Gur A. , Haskel-Ittah Michal , Yarden Anat
Published: August 2018

In genetics education, symbols are used for alleles to visualize them and to explain probabilities of progeny and inheritance paradigms. In this study, we identified symbol systems used in genetics textbooks and the justifications provided for changes in the symbol systems. Moreover, we wanted to understand how students justify the use of different symbol systems when solving genetics problems. We analyzed eight textbooks from three different countries worldwide. We then presented a genetics problem to eight 9th-grade students and probed their justifications for the use of different symbol systems. Our findings showed that there is no one conventional symbol system in textbooks; instead, symbol systems are altered along and within textbooks according to the genetic context. More importantly, this alteration is not accompanied by any explicit explanation for the alteration. Student interviews revealed that some students were able to identify the genetic context of each symbol system, whereas others, who were unable to do so, provided justifications based on different non-genetics-related reasons. We discuss the implications of our analysis for how multiple symbol systems should be presented in textbooks, and how they should be introduced in the classroom.
Effects of Peer Tutoring on the Academic Achievement of Students in the Subject of Biology at Secondary Level
Authors: Ullah Irfan , Tabassum Rabia , Kaleem Muhammad
Published: August 2018

The present study is aimed at analyzing the effects of peer tutoring on the academic achievement of students in the subject of biology at secondary level. The objectives of the study were: (1) To find out the effects of peer tutoring on the academic achievement of students in the subject of biology; and (2) To examine the effects of peer tutoring with respect to knowledge, comprehension and application levels in cognitive domain of Bloom Taxonomy. All 433,405 male students at secondary level of 10th grade of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were the population of the study. Forty students were taken as the sample of the study from the Allied National Software Institute (ANSI) Mardan. The Posttest-Only Equivalent Group Design was used. The data collected from pretest and posttest were analyzed through an independent sample t-test. It was found that the mean score of the experimental group was significantly better than that of the control group. It was concluded that peer tutoring enhanced the academic achievement of students in the experimental group significantly as compared to the control group; hence, it was an effective method of instruction for teaching biology at secondary level. It was suggested that peer tutoring may be incorporated along with other teaching methodologies for the subject of biology and it may be given due consideration in all teacher education practices in the country.
Understanding Continuance Usage of Natural Gas: A Theoretical Model and Empirical Evaluation
Authors: Fernández-Guzmán Victor , Bravo Edgardo R.
Published: August 2018

The adoption of natural gas increased notably last years, and there is some recognition that it improves the quality of life of inhabitants. While initial acceptance is an essential first step, the continued use is relevant to the long-term success of any technology. However, the literature on energy has focused on adoption and has devoted less attention to models that explain continuance usage. Accordingly, this study developed a model to explain continuance usage, grounded in Expectation-Confirmation Model (ECM). Unlike adoption models, confirmation of previous expectations and satisfaction with the experience of use have a relevant role in this phenomenon. Data was gathered through a questionnaire to 435 users of the service in a Latin American metropolis, and structural equations model was used for analysis. The results show that constructs of the ECM (perceived usefulness, disconfirmation, and satisfaction) influences on continuance intention. While the price impacts as expected, it is surprising that environmental consciousness strongly impacts the intention. These results may be useful for public agents to foster more comprehensive policies (beyond traditional: price and access), which include environmental and safety issues to consolidate the use of this energy source. Energy companies should develop strategies to manage consumer expectations and loyalty programs based on a high level of satisfaction.
Fairness-Adjusted Laffer Curve: Strategy versus Direct Method
Authors: Umer Hamza
Published: August 2018

This paper reports results from controlled laboratory experiments on the Laffer curve and explores the productivity differences under the strategy method and the direct method. The data collected in Pakistan show no significant productivity difference across the two methods. The paper argues that the Laffer curve is not the result of a simple leisure—income tradeoff; the disutility of work and perceived unfairness of the tax imposed also influence the work decisions. A behavioral model that incorporates these factors induces a “fairness adjusted” Laffer curve with the negative relationship between tax rate and tax revenue showing up after 54% tax rate.
Factors Affecting Secondhand Smoke Avoidance Behavior of Vietnamese Adolescents
Authors: Lee Ja-yin , Ahn Hyunmi , Lee Hyeonkyeong
Published: August 2018

The purpose of this study was to examine the stage of secondhand smoke avoidance behavior of adolescents in rural areas of Vietnam and the related factors affecting such behavior. The participants were recruited from two middle schools located in Hai Thuong and Trieu Trach commune, Vietnam. Data were collected in January 2016 by distributing and collecting a self-administrated questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed (n = 166) using SPSS 21.0 for frequency, percentage, and ordinal logistic regression. The largest proportion of secondhand smoke avoidance behavior was classified in maintenance (41.6%), followed by action (19.9%), preparation (15.1%), pre-contemplation (13.3%), and contemplation (10.2%) stages. The factors related to higher secondhand smoke avoidance behavior were higher self-efficacy (p = 0.003) and more frequent discussion with parents about dangers of smoking (p = 0.001). The findings indicated that self-efficacy of avoiding secondhand smoke and discussion with parents were associated with secondhand smoke avoidance behavior of adolescents. These findings can be used for developing education programs to prevent secondhand smoke for adolescents in Vietnam.
Changing the Approach to Anticoagulant Therapy in Older Patients with Multimorbidity Using a Precision Medicine Approach
Authors: Koverech Angela , Soldati Valeriano , Polidori Vittoria , Pomes Leda Marina , Lionetto Luana , Capi Matilde , Negro Andrea , Simmaco Maurizio , Martelletti Paolo
Published: August 2018

The ageing of the world population has resulted in an increase in the number of older patients with multimorbid conditions receiving multiple therapies. This emerging clinical scenario poses new challenges, which are mostly related to the increased incidence of adverse effects. This translates into poor clinical care, reduced cost-effectiveness of drug therapies, and social isolation of multimorbid patients due to reduced autonomy. A strategy to address these emerging challenges could involve the personalization of therapies based on the clinical, molecular, and genetic characterization of multimorbid patients. Anticoagulation therapy is a feasible model to implement personalized medicine since it generally involves older multimorbid patients receiving multiple drugs. In this study, in patients with atrial fibrillation, the use of the new generation of anticoagulation therapy, i.e., direct oral anti-coagulants (DOACs), is based on a preliminary assessment of the molecular targets of DOACS and any possible drug–drug interactions. Then, the genetic polymorphism of enzymes metabolizing DOACs is studied. After DOAC prescription, its circulating levels are measured. Clinical data are being collected to assess whether this personalized approach improves the safety and efficacy profiles of anticoagulation therapy using DOACs, thereby reducing the costs of healthcare for ageing multimorbid patients.
Data-Driven Hazardous Gas Dispersion Modeling Using the Integration of Particle Filtering and Error Propagation Detection
Authors: Zhu Zhengqiu , Qiu Sihang , Chen Bin , Wang Rongxiao , Qiu Xiaogang
Published: August 2018

The accurate prediction of hazardous gas dispersion process is essential to air quality monitoring and the emergency management of contaminant gas leakage incidents in a chemical cluster. Conventional Gaussian-based dispersion models can seldom give accurate predictions due to inaccurate input parameters and the computational errors. In order to improve the prediction accuracy of a dispersion model, a data-driven air dispersion modeling method based on data assimilation is proposed by applying particle filter to Gaussian-based dispersion model. The core of the method is continually updating dispersion coefficients by assimilating observed data into the model during the calculation process. Another contribution of this paper is that error propagation detection rules are proposed to evaluate their effects since the measured and computational errors are inevitable. So environmental protection authorities can be informed to what extent the model output is of high confidence. To test the feasibility of our method, a numerical experiment utilizing the SF6 concentration data sampled from an Indianapolis field study is conducted. Results of accuracy analysis and error inspection imply that Gaussian dispersion models based on particle filtering and error propagation detection have better performance than traditional dispersion models in practice though sacrificing some computational efficiency.
Recommendations for Improving the Quality of Rare Disease Registries
Authors: Kodra Yllka , Weinbach Jérôme , Posada-de-la-Paz Manuel , Coi Alessio , Lemonnier S. Lydie , Van Enckevort David , Roos Marco , Jacobsen Annika , Cornet Ronald , Ahmed S. Faisal , Bros-Facer Virginie , Popa Veronica , Van Meel Marieke , Renault Daniel , Von Gizycki Rainald , Santoro Michele , Landais Paul , Torreri Paola , Carta Claudio , Mascalzoni Deborah , Gainotti Sabina , Lopez Estrella , Ambrosini Anna , Müller Heimo , Reis Robert , Bianchi Fabrizio , Rubinstein Yaffa R. , Lochmüller Hanns , Taruscio Domenica
Published: August 2018

Rare diseases (RD) patient registries are powerful instruments that help develop clinical research, facilitate the planning of appropriate clinical trials, improve patient care, and support healthcare management. They constitute a key information system that supports the activities of European Reference Networks (ERNs) on rare diseases. A rapid proliferation of RD registries has occurred during the last years and there is a need to develop guidance for the minimum requirements, recommendations and standards necessary to maintain a high-quality registry. In response to these heterogeneities, in the framework of RD-Connect, a European platform connecting databases, registries, biobanks and clinical bioinformatics for rare disease research, we report on a list of recommendations, developed by a group of experts, including members of patient organizations, to be used as a framework for improving the quality of RD registries. This list includes aspects of governance, Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable (FAIR) data and information, infrastructure, documentation, training, and quality audit. The list is intended to be used by established as well as new RD registries. Further work includes the development of a toolkit to enable continuous assessment and improvement of their organizational and data quality.
Transcriptomic Profiles in Zebrafish Liver Permit the Discrimination of Surface Water with Pollution Gradient and Different Discharges
Authors: Zhang Zhou , Liu Wei , Qu Yuanyuan , Quan Xie , Zeng Ping , He Mengchang , Zhou Yanmei , Liu Ruixia
Published: August 2018

The present study aims to evaluate the potential of transcriptomic profiles in evaluating the impacts of complex mixtures of pollutants at environmentally relevant concentrations on aquatic vertebrates. The changes in gene expression were determined using microarray in the liver of male zebrafish (Danio rerio) exposed to surface water collected from selected locations on the Hun River, China. The numbers of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in each treatment ranged from 728 to 3292, which were positively correlated with chemical oxygen demand (COD). Predominant transcriptomic responses included peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR) signaling and steroid biosynthesis. Key pathways in immune system were also affected. Notably, two human diseases related pathways, insulin resistance and Salmonella infection were enriched. Clustering analysis and principle component analysis with DEGs differentiated the upstream and downstream site of Shenyang City, and the mainstream and the tributary sites near the junction. Comparison the gene expression profiles of zebrafish exposed to river surface water with those to individual chemicals found higher similarity of the river water with estradiol than several other organic pollutants and metals. Results suggested that the transcriptomic profiles of zebrafish is promising in differentiating surface water with pollution gradient and different discharges and in providing valuable information to support discharge management.
Pesticides Are an Occupational and Public Health Issue
Authors: Hutter Hans-Peter , Moshammer Hanns
Published: August 2018

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IL-37 Expression Reduces Lean Body Mass in Mice by Reducing Food Intake
Authors: Kuipers Eline N. , Van Dam Andrea D. , Ballak Dov B. , De Wit Ellemiek A. , Dinarello Charles A. , Stienstra Rinke , Van Diepen Janna A. , Rensen Patrick C.N. , Boon Mariëtte R.
Published: August 2018

The human cytokine interleukin (IL)-37 is an anti-inflammatory member of the IL-1 family of cytokines. Transgenic expression of IL-37 in mice protects them from diet-induced obesity and associated metabolic complications including dyslipidemia, inflammation and insulin resistance. The precise mechanism of action leading to these beneficial metabolic effects is not entirely known. Therefore, we aimed to assess in detail the effect of transgenic IL-37 expression on energy balance, including food intake and energy expenditure. Feeding homozygous IL-37 transgenic mice and wild-type (WT) control mice a high-fat diet (HFD; 45% kcal palm fat) for 6 weeks showed that IL-37 reduced body weight related to a marked decrease in food intake. Subsequent mechanistic studies in mice with heterozygous IL-37 expression versus WT littermates, fed the HFD for 18 weeks, confirmed that IL-37 reduces food intake, which led to a decrease in lean body mass, but did not reduce fat mass and plasma lipid levels or alterations in energy expenditure independent of lean body mass. Taken together, this suggests that IL-37 reduces lean body mass by reducing food intake.
STAT3 in Skeletal Muscle Function and Disorders
Authors: Guadagnin Eleonora , Mázala Davi , Chen Yi-Wen
Published: August 2018

Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling plays critical roles in regulating skeletal muscle mass, repair, and diseases. In this review, we discuss the upstream activators of STAT3 in skeletal muscles, with a focus on interleukin 6 (IL6) and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1). We will also discuss the double-edged effect of STAT3 activation in the muscles, including the role of STAT3 signaling in muscle hypertrophy induced by exercise training or muscle wasting in cachectic diseases and muscular dystrophies. STAT3 is a critical regulator of satellite cell self-renewal after muscle injury. STAT3 knock out affects satellite cell myogenic progression by impairing proliferation and inducing premature differentiation. Recent studies in STAT3 signaling demonstrated its direct role in controlling myogenic capacity of myoblasts and satellite cells, as well as the potential benefit in using STAT3 inhibitors to treat muscle diseases. However, prolonged STAT3 activation in muscles has been shown to be responsible for muscle wasting by activating protein degradation pathways. It is important to balance the extent of STAT3 activation and the duration and location (cell types) of the STAT3 signaling when developing therapeutic interventions. STAT3 signaling in other tissues and organs that can directly or indirectly affects skeletal muscle health are also discussed.
Morphological, Mechanical and Mucoadhesive Properties of Electrospun Chitosan/Phospholipid Hybrid Nanofibers
Authors: Mendes Ana C. , Sevilla Moreno Jorge , Hanif Muhammad , E.L. Douglas Timothy , Chen Menglin , Chronakis Ioannis S.
Published: August 2018

This study aimed to develop hybrid electrospun chitosan–phospholipid nanofibers and investigate the effect of phospholipid (P) content and chitosans (Ch) molecular weights (Mw) and degree of acetylation (DA), on the morphological, mechanical and mucoadhesive properties of the nanofibers. Electrospun Ch/P nanofibers exhibited a smooth and uniform surface with average diameters ranging from 300 to 1000 nm, as observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The average diameter of the nanofibers was observed to increase with the increase of the Mw and degree of deacetylation of Ch, and phospholipid content. The elastic and adhesive properties of the nanofibers were determined by atomic force microscopy, and displayed higher values for higher Mw and lower DA Ch used. The elastic modulus of electrospun Ch/P hybrid fibers determined for the different conditions tested was found to be in the range of 500 and 1400 MPa. Furthermore, electrospun Ch/P nanofibers displayed mucoadhesive properties expressed by the work of adhesion calculated after the compression of the nanofibers against a section of pig small intestine. Our results showed that the increase in phospholipid content and DA of Ch decrease the work of adhesion, while the increase of Mw resulted in slightly higher work of adhesion of the nanofibers.
ClusterMI: Detecting High-Order SNP Interactions Based on Clustering and Mutual Information
Authors: Cao Xia , Yu Guoxian , Liu Jie , Jia Lianyin , Wang Jun
Published: August 2018

Identifying single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) interactions is considered as a popular and crucial way for explaining the missing heritability of complex diseases in genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Many approaches have been proposed to detect SNP interactions. However, existing approaches generally suffer from the high computational complexity resulting from the explosion of candidate high-order interactions. In this paper, we propose a two-stage approach (called ClusterMI) to detect high-order genome-wide SNP interactions based on significant pairwise SNP combinations. In the screening stage, to alleviate the huge computational burden, ClusterMI firstly applies a clustering algorithm combined with mutual information to divide SNPs into different clusters. Then, ClusterMI utilizes conditional mutual information to screen significant pairwise SNP combinations in each cluster. In this way, there is a higher probability of identifying significant two-locus combinations in each group, and the computational load for the follow-up search can be greatly reduced. In the search stage, two different search strategies (exhaustive search and improved ant colony optimization search) are provided to detect high-order SNP interactions based on the cardinality of significant two-locus combinations. Extensive simulation experiments show that ClusterMI has better performance than other related and competitive approaches. Experiments on two real case-control datasets from Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium (WTCCC) also demonstrate that ClusterMI is more capable of identifying high-order SNP interactions from genome-wide data.