bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
History of shipbuilding in the South of the Ukrainian SSR in 1945–1991: theoretical and methodological principles of the research
Authors: Kondratiuk Oleksandr
Published: December 2019

Coverage of the past requires, first of all, researcher’s understanding of the essence of the historical knowledge, skills on the principles of epistemology and historical science, using necessary scientific methods, objective reconstruction of the course of events. That is, he must know the ways of research and the ways of learning the past, in other words, he must be knowledgeable about the methodology of the historical science.
The modern methodology of history is characterized by diverse, sometimes opposite approaches to the study of the historical past due to, first of all, differences in historians’ worldview and their understanding of a historical reality. All this leads to the formation of a polyvariant, pluralistic, nonlinear methodology.
Starting a research, a historian must understand what theoretical principles he will rely on, from which point of view he will consider events and phenomena. At the same time, each researcher has the right to choose his own methodological foundations for comprehension of historical existence, to use logical constructions, principles and methods which, in his opinion, are most optimal for solving a specific scientific
problem. Investigating the development of shipbuilding in the South of Ukraine in 1945–1991, the author supports the dialectical understanding of history, believing that dialectics captures (reflects) the most characteristic features of the development.
Choosing dialectics and the theory of modernization as the main philosophical approaches, the principles of objectivity, historicism, systematicity, pluralism and modern methodological tools makes it possible to solve the tasks and achieve the goal of a concrete historical research of the development of shipbuilding in the South of Ukraine in 1945–1991.
Displey of the protestant movement in periodical «eparchial journal» (1907-1914)
Authors: Plevako Kateryna
Published: December 2019

Periodicals significantly enrich the source base of the history of the Protestant movement in Ukraine.
As part of the study periodicals of the parish and monastic clergy are analyzed by archdioceses, informative potential is characterized, the data on manifestations of Protestantism in the Ukrainian provinces are teased out including in Volynska, Katerynoslavska, Kyivska, Poltavska, Kharkavska, Khersonska.
The chronological frameworks of the study are responsible for the events of the revolutionary wave of 1905-1907, which became a certain catalyst for social tension and changes in the religious outlook of Ukrainians and the outbreak of І World War. The weakening of social stability determined the Protestants to cohesion and strengthen of their ideological movement.
The methodological foundation is based on the principle of historicism and objectivity. The method of source analysis, method of analysis and synthesis, in particular, thematic and structural types of content analysis are used in the research.
The eparchial periodicals of the selected period are significant part of the source base of the study of religious life in the Ukrainian area, which illustrate the theoretical basis of the Protestant movement.
The relevance of this study is due to: firstly, the need to cover the eparchial journal as a source of the history of the Protestant movement in Ukraine, since they contain important factual material; secondly, the disclosure of the informative potential of this journal will provide grounds for the creation of new research topics; and, thirdly, in the wake of a renewed scientific interest in religious issues in recent years, need to
explore the attitude of Russian state authorities to Protestantism, policy on manifestations and the spread of the Protestant dogma.
The sources, which were analyzed, give meaningful information about the Protestant centers in the Ukrainian territory, reflect the general opinion of governmental bodies, officials and clergy on the activities of the Protestants in the period 1907-1914, and analyze their participation in the process of changes of social and political life, which caused by the revolutionary events in the Russian Empire.
Two brothers, two shares: Alexander and Andrei Potebni
Authors: Sofyak Natalia
Published: December 2019

The article deals with the activities of brothers Alexander and Andriy Poteben. The work of the prominent Ukrainian philosopher, linguist and public figure - Alexander Potebni, is covered. His contribution to the development of Ukrainian science is analyzed. The most important scientific achievements of the scientist and their influence on the further development of Ukrainian philosophical thought are mentioned. The scholar's attitude and opinions regarding the Ukrainian language in the context of the current sociopolitical situation are shown. Among other things, his views on Ukrainian-Polish and Ukrainian-Russian relations in the historical past are highlighted.
The article analyzes the life and activities of another brother, Andrew Potebni. The period of his stay and study in the Polotsk Cadet Corps is covered. Some aspects of friendship with cadets of Polish, Belarusian and Lithuanian origin are considered. Some of them later became members of the Polish uprising of 1863 against the Russian Empire. The character of A. Potebna and the formation of the outlook of a future participant of revolutionary events in the territory of the Polish lands are characterized. He is referred to his transfer to the 16th Schlossburg Infantry Regiment of the 4th Infantry Division, localized in Warsaw.
A. Potebni's participation in the revolutionary struggle and his role during the January Polish uprising of 1863–1864 was demonstrated. The article considers the attitude of the newspaper's editorial staff to it and its struggle against the Russian autocracy. Personal relationships and friendships between A. Potebnei and O. Herzen and M. Ogarev are characterized. The activities of the Committee of Russian Officers in Poland are covered. The article discusses the versions of the attempt on O. Lieders, who held the position of
governor of the Kingdom of Poland. The participation of other family members - Nicholas and Peter Potebni - is partially covered. They also joined the Polish armed struggle to restore the Commonwealth.
Loss of Phosphatase and Tensin Homologue (PTEN) Expression Associated with Higher Risk Grade Group Gleason Prostate Adenocarcinoma in Sanglah Hospital Denpasar
Authors: Kristiana Tjandra , Dewi I Gusti Ayu Sri Mahendra , Maker Luh Putu Iin Indrayani , Saputra Herman , Sriwidyani Ni Putu , Muliarta I Made
Published: December 2019

Background: Prostate cancer is the second most common malignancy in men and the fifth most common cause of death worldwide. In Asia, 59.3% of patients come for the advanced stage treatment. PTEN inactivation is identified in about 20% of primary prostate tumors in radical prostatectomy and the loss of PTEN is associated with poor clinical and pathological outcomes. The purpose of this study is to prove that there is an association between PTEN expression and risk grade group Gleason prostate adenocarcinoma in Sanglah Public Hospital, Denpasar.Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. The sample size of this study was 35 paraffin blocks. These samples were selected by proportional stratified random sampling from hematoxylin-eosin preparation. Prostate adenocarcinoma was regrouped into 3 categories based on NCCN risk stratification: low risk grade group Gleason (Gleason score ≤ 6), intermediate risk grade group Gleason (Gleason score 7), and high-risk grade group Gleason (Gleason score 8–10). Immunohistochemistry examination of PTEN was performed and the expression was evaluated by scoring method. The data were analyzed by Chi-square and logistic regression.Results: The analysis result showed that there is an association between PTEN expression and risk grade group Gleason that is statistically significant. The loss of PTEN expression associated with higher risk grade group Gleason is of the higher proportion with p=0.001; PR 3.339; 95% CI: 1.296–8.599, but there is no association between the proportion loss of PTEN expression heterogeneously or homogeneously and the risk grade group Gleason with p=0.742; PR 0.663; 95% CI: 0.179–2.457.Conclusions: This study has proved that PTEN expression is associated with higher risk grade group Gleason prostate adenocarcinoma.
Fe-enhanced primary sedimentation, acidogenic sludge fermentation and electrodialysis for resource recovery from domestic wastewater
Authors: Lin Lin , Li Xiaoyan
Published: December 2019

In this study, a new chemical-biological process has been developed for municipal wastewater treatment. The new process utilises iron-based chemically enhanced primary sedimentation (CEPS) to concentrate organics and phosphorus (P) into sludge and hence reduces the load of pollutants on the downstream treatment process. A side-steam module for acidogenic sludge fermentation was applied to convert wastes in CEPS sludge to valuable resources. Results showed that over 70% of total organic carbon (TOC) and 83% of total phosphorus (TP) were removed by CEPS with an addition of 20 mg-Fe/L of FeCl3 while the total nitrogen (TN) removal efficiency was limited. Acidogenic fermentation of Fe-sludge under the mesophilic condition produced volatile fatty acids (VFAs) at a ratio of 137.7 mg-C/g-volatile solids (VS) with 12% of TP dissolution. With 1 g/L of starch addition for co-fermentation, the VFAs yield and P dissolution increased significantly to 201.3 mg-C/g-VS and 60%, respectively. However, the addition of peptones did not improve the P dissolution, due to the higher ammonium release that prevented the pH drop and acidification in the fermenter. Through the electrodialysis (ED) treatment in a five-chamber cell, 50% of ammonium in the fermented sludge liquor was concentrated into catholyte, while 35%-43% of phosphate, acetate (Ac) and propionate (Pr) were separated into anolyte.
Low temperature economiser in enhancing coal-fired power plant performance
Authors: Chan Richard Siu Chung , Ho Tsz Sum , Ho Antony Wai Ip , Pang Aaron Hong Lun
Published: December 2019

With the increasingly stringent restrictions on the air emission of coal-fired power plant in China and Hong Kong, the measures to reduce air emission deserve an intensive study to conform respective emission limits. Low temperature economiser (LTE), in consequence, becomes one of the solutions in enhancing coal-fired power plant performance to reduce pollution brought to the planet. The evaluation of effectiveness as well as challenges and solutions for the installation of LTE are also explored.
Automated assessment of reinforced concrete slabs using a pseudo-lower bound
method: Case studies
Authors: De Filippo Michele , Kuang J S
Published: December 2019

Despite the widespread usage of reinforced concrete slabs in construction industry, nowadays disasters due to sudden failure of such structures still occur. Assessment analyses of reinforced concrete slabs can nowadays be performed with a multitude of techniques, but many such methods are computationally too onerous, non-automated or overconservative. This paper proposes applications of a novel pseudo-lower bound method for evaluating the load-bearing capacity of slabs and estimating the most critical collapse mechanism. Such applications compare the results of analytical
solutions, experiments and other bound methods with those obtained with the proposed pseudo-lower bound method. The case studies show evidence that great accuracy is achieved in terms of both estimation of load-bearing capacity and
detection of collapse mechanism. The analysed case studies include different geometries, boundary conditions, loads and reinforcement layouts. Such numerical applications are presented in order to benchmark the accuracy and usefulness of the method.
Sporcularda Uyku Kalitesi ve Beslenme Yaklaşımları
Authors: Helvacı Gizem , Yabancı Ayhan Nurcan
Published: December 2019

Sporcular için kaliteli
bir uyku optimum performans için önemlidir. Sporcunun yeterli süre ve kalitede
uyuması antrenman sonrası iyileşme sürecinin hızlanması, yaralanma riskinin en
aza indirilmesi ve bağışıklık sisteminin güçlü tutulmasını sağlar. Sporcuların
müsabakalar için sık sık seyahat etmesi, yarışma öncesi yaşadıkları endişe ve
stres, antrenmana bağlı vücut sıcaklığı, kan basıncı ve hormon düzeylerinde
meydana gelen değişiklikler uyku sorunlarına yol açabilmektedir. Uyku
sorunlarını tetikleyen faktörlerin ortadan kaldırılması sporcunun uygun vücut
bileşiminin korunması, motivasyonunun artması ve performansının en üst düzeye
çıkartılması için gereklidir. Sessiz, karanlık ve rahat bir uyku ortamıyla
birlikte uygun bir beslenme programı uyku kalitesi üzerinde etkilidir. Bu
derleme makalede güncel literatür eşliğinde sporcularda melatonin takviyesi, B
grubu vitaminleri, çinko ve magnezyum mineralleri, alkol ve kafeinin
uyku-uyanıklık döngüsü üzerine etkileri açıklanmıştır.
Mega Spor Etkinlikleri ve Sürdürülebilirlik
Authors: Er Batuhan , Güzel Pınar
Published: December 2019

Bu çalışmanın amacı mega spor etkinliklerinin
sürdürülebilirlik kavramı ile birlikte ekonomi alt boyutunda ele alınması
olarak belirlenmiştir. Araştırmada nitel araştırma yöntemlerinden doküman
analizi tekniği uygulanmıştır. Yazılı ve görsel materyaller seçilerek veriler
toplanmış ve betimsel analiz yöntemi ile ele alınmıştır. Bu yöntem ile mega
spor etkinlikleri ekonomi alt boyutu yönünden incelenmiştir. Çalışmanın özgün
yönü, dünyada coğrafi ve demografik özellikler olarak farklı noktalarda
gerçekleştirilen mega etkinliklerin ekonomik verileri, negatif ve pozitif
yönleri ile spesifik özelliklerinin incelenerek, gelecekte yapılacak
etkinliklerin teklif, etkinlik ve etkinlik sonrası süreçlerine yarar
sağlayabileceği düşünülmesidir. Bu kapsamda son yıllarda farklı coğrafi
bölgelerde gerçekleştirilen mega etkinliklerin ekonomik verileri ele
alınmıştır. Mega etkinliklerin ekonomik sürdürülebilirliği boyutunda,
organizasyonlara ev sahipliği yapmanın Uluslararası Olimpiyat Komitesi (IOC) ya
da Uluslararası Futbol Federasyonları Birliği (FIFA) gibi kurumlar tarafından
istenilen belirli yükümlülükleri vardır. Son yıllarda ülkemiz açısından çeşitli
mega etkinliklere adaylık süreçleri gelişmiş olup, organizasyona ev sahipliği
yapmak için belirli çalışmalar yapılmıştır. Bu çalışma ile geçmişte yapılan
etkinlik deneyimlerinin ekonomik boyutlarının sürdürülebilirlik kavramıyla
birlikte incelenerek, ülkemiz ya da uluslararası alanda mega etkinliklere
adaylık süreçleri ev sahipliği için çalışmalar yapan ülkeler açısından yararlı
olabileceği düşünülmektedir.
Концепція прямої електронної демократії як доцільний напрям розвитку України
Authors: КУФТИРЄВ ПАВЛО
Published: December 2019

Криза парламентаризму, параліч багатьох публічних правових механізмів, колапс у діяльності певних конституційних інституцій, деградація вихідних засад конституціоналізму знову і знову обумовлюють пошук найбільш оптимальних та ефективних шляхів вирішення викликів, які ставить час перед існуючим конституційно-правовим режимом України. Одними з доцільних шляхів удосконалення системи народовладдя в Україні можуть стати інструменти прямої електронної демократії, які знову перебувають на порядку денному сучасного політикуму й нині активно дискутуються громадськістю. Метою статті стало прагнення автора продемонструвати зріз підходів до прямої електронної демократії, які наразі побутують у світі, академічних колах, серед мислителів, практиків запровадження демократичних електронних інструментів. Демонстрування основних підходів дає змогу більш глибинно опанувати юридичну природу цього складного явища, що зародилося й існує на межі конституційного права, політології, соціології, інформаційно-технічних знань. Основні результати дослідження полягають у виокремленні та систематизації головних концептів електронної демократії та їх вимірі у конституційно-правовій парадигмі, адже пряма електронна демократія була генерована інтернет-спільнотою як явище саморегуляції цифрового суспільства і не була штучно розроблена науковцями-конституціоналістами. Досі пряма електронна демократія не знайшла своєї точної індексації у категорійному апараті конституційного права і перебуває у стадії розробки й осмислення як особлива форма політико-правового режиму чи як його підвид, особлива форма. Основними висновками з цієї публікації є умовиводи про доцільність осмисленого, поступового, належним чином розробленого інструментарію прямої електронної демократії у практику реалізації конституційних прав народовладдя.
Exploring Self-Mention in The Yemeni EFL Argumentative Writing Across Three Proficiency Levels
Authors: Alward Ali
Published: December 2019

Self-mention used by university-level Yemeni writers is regarded as a challenging task. The overuse use of this feature is often considered as less formal and objective in academic writing. Despite the significance of this feature in academic writing, previous studies were mostly conducted in the Western cultural context. Research on self-mention produced by EFL learners of Arabic cultural background seems to be overlooked. Therefore, this study aimed to explore and compare the use of the first-person pronouns across three proficiency levels in an argumentative paragraph written by 80 third-year undergraduate students. Data were collected, assessed by ELT specialists, and then quantitatively analyzed. The results revealed that Yemeni EFL learners make extensive use of the first-person pronouns in their argumentative paragraphs. Differences were found in the occurrences of the first-person pronouns across three proficiency levels. The results also indicated that learners with a high proficiency level tend to use the first-person pronouns less than learners at low and intermediate proficiency levels. Since low-proficient learners rely more on the use of the first-person pronouns than those at higher levels, learners need to be exposed to a variety of strategies of how they can project their voice appropriately in their written texts.
Comparative Analysis of Different Model-Based Controllers Using Active Vehicle Suspension System
Authors: Shahid Yumna , Wei Minxiang
Published: December 2019

This paper deals with the active vibration control of a quarter-vehicle suspension system. Damping control methods investigated in this paper are: higher-order sliding mode control (HOSMC) based on super twisting algorithm (STA), first-order sliding mode control (FOSMC), integral sliding mode control (ISMC), proportional integral derivative (PID), linear quadratic regulator (LQR) and passive suspension system. Performance comparison of different active controllers are analyzed in terms of vertical displacement, suspension travel and wheel deflection. The theoretical, quantitative and qualitative analysis verify that the STA-based HOSMC exhibits better performance as well as negate the undesired disturbances with respect to FOSMC, ISMC, PID, LQR and passive suspension system. Furthermore, it is also robust to intrinsic bounded uncertain dynamics of the model.
Development of Rapid Extra Virgin Olive Oil Quality Assessment Procedures Based on Spectroscopic Techniques
Authors: Baltazar Paola , Hernández-Sánchez Natalia , Diezma Belén , Lleó Lourdes
Published: December 2019

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of developing multivariate models to estimate physico-chemical characteristics and antioxidant content of extra virgin olive oil from fluorescence spectra obtained at specific excitation wavelengths. Six replicates of each extra virgin olive oil sample were contained in clear glass bottles. Two replicates were subjected to four weeks of natural indirect light; two bottles for two days; and the third couple were kept it in darkness as a control. For each pair, one bottle was used for spectroscopic measurements and the other was sent to an accredited external laboratory to obtain physico-chemical measurements: acidity, peroxide index, K270, K232, total tocopherols, α-tocopherol, β-tocopherol and γ-tocopherol. Fluorescence emission spectra were acquired at different excitation wavelengths: 326 nm, 350 nm and 365 nm and partial least squares regression (PLSR) models were developed. The highest R2 values were found for excitation at 350 nm, reaching almost 0.9 in most of the parameters.
Continuous Monitoring of Pigs in Fattening Using a Multi-Sensor System: Behavior Patterns
Authors: Garrido-Izard Miguel , Correa Eva-Cristina , Requejo José-María , Diezma Belén
Published: December 2019

In this work, a complete fattening period (81 days) of a total of 30 Landrace pigs housed in two pens of a nucleus in Villatobas (Castilla-La Mancha, Spain) were supervised. The ear skin temperature of each animal was recorded every three minutes. The body weight, the date, the duration, and the amount of feed consumed per animal was monitored via an electronic feeding station. The objective was the identification of animals with different behaviors based on the integration of their thermal and intake patterns. The ear skin temperatures of the animals showed a negative relationship between the mean and the standard deviation (r = 0.83), distinguishing animals with different thermal patterns: individuals with high-temperature values show less thermal variability and vice versa. Feeding parameters showed differences in the feeding strategies of animals, identifying fast-eating animals with a high rate feed intake (60 g/min) and slow eaters (30 g/min). The correlation between the change in the rate of feed intake along with animal growth and feed efficiency reached a significant negative value (−0.57), indicating that animals that do not alter their rate of feed intake along breeding showed higher efficiencies. The difference in temperature of an animal with respect to the averaged group value has allowed us to identify animals with differentiated feeding patterns.
Effect of Soybean Oil and Fish Oil on Lipid-Related Transcripts in Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue of Dairy Cows
Authors: Vargas-Bello-Pérez Einar , Bionaz Massimo , Garrido-Sartore Macarena , Cancino-Padilla Nathaly , Morales María , Romero Jaime , Leskinen Heidi , Garnsworthy Philip , Loor Juan
Published: December 2019

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of long-term supplementation of unsaturated oil on lipid metabolism and transcription of genes involved in lipid metabolism in subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) of mid-lactating dairy cows. The objective was achieved by supplementing dairy cows with soybean oil (SO; high in linoleic acid) or fish oil (FO; high in EPA and DHA) for 63 days (nine weeks). Cows were fed a control diet with no added lipid, or diets containing SO or FO (n = 5 cows/group). At the onset of the experiment (day 0) and on days 21, 42, and 63 of supplementation, blood and SAT samples were collected from each animal. Oil supplementation increased cholesterol and NEFA in plasma, with a greater effect of SO compared to FO. Concentration of BUN was lower in SO compared to control and FO at the end of the trial. Transcription of few genes was affected by dietary lipids: FABP4 had lowest expression in FO followed by SO and control. ACACA and FASN had higher expression in FO. Transcription of SCAP was higher but expression of INSIG1 was lower in SO. Overall, results revealed that compared to control, SO and FO had lipogenic effect in SAT.
Dietary Supplementation with Chitosan Oligosaccharides Alleviates Oxidative Stress in Rats Challenged with Hydrogen Peroxide
Authors: Lan Ruixia , Chang Qingqing , An Lilong , Zhao Zhihui
Published: December 2019

Oxidative stress is induced by excessive oxidative radicals, which directly react with biomolecules, and damage lipids, proteins and DNA, leading to cell or organ injury. Supplementation of antioxidants to animals can be an effective way to modulate the antioxidant system. Chitosan oligosaccharides (COS) are the degraded products of chitosan or chitin, which has strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immune-enhancing competency. Therefore, the current study was conducted to evaluate the hypothesis that dietary supplementation with COS alleviates the damage caused by oxidative stress in Sprague Dawley rats challenged with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The rats were randomly divided into three groups: CON, control group, in which rats were fed a basal diet with normal drinking water; AS, H2O2 group, in which rats were fed the basal diet and 0.1% H2O2 in the drinking water; ASC, AS + COS group, in which rats were fed the basal diet with 200 mg/kg COS, and with 0.1% H2O2 in the drinking water. In vitro, COS exhibited better radical scavenging capacity of 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), superoxide anion (O2−), H2O2, and ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) than butylated hydroxy anisole (BHA). In vivo, dietary supplementation with COS alleviated the H2O2-induced oxidative damage, evidenced by comparatively increasing activity of SOD, CAT, GSH-Px, GSH, and T-AOC, and comparatively decreasing level of MDA in serum, liver, spleen, and kidney. COS also comparatively alleviated the H2O2-induced inflammation. In conclusion, COS supplementation reduced lipid peroxidation and restored antioxidant capacity in Sprague Dawley rats, which were challenged with H2O2.
Nanoantioxidants: Recent Trends in Antioxidant Delivery Applications
Authors: Khalil Ibrahim , Yehye Wageeh A. , Etxeberria Alaitz Etxabide , Alhadi Abeer A. , Dezfooli Seyedehsara Masoomi , Julkapli Nurhidayatullaili Binti Muhd , Basirun Wan Jefrey , Seyfoddin Ali
Published: December 2019

Antioxidants interact with free radicals, terminating the adverse chain reactions and converting them to harmless products. Antioxidants thus minimize the oxidative stress and play a crucial role in the treatment of free radicals-induced diseases. However, the effectiveness of natural and/or synthetic antioxidants is limited due to their poor absorption, difficulties to cross the cell membranes, and degradation during delivery, hence contributing to their limited bioavailability. To address these issues, antioxidants covalently linked with nanoparticles, entrapped in nanogel, hollow particles, or encapsulated into nanoparticles of diverse origin have been used to provide better stability, gradual and sustained release, biocompatibility, and targeted delivery of the antioxidants with superior antioxidant profiles. This review aims to critically evaluate the recent scientific evaluations of nanoparticles as the antioxidant delivery vehicles, as well as their contribution in efficient and enhanced antioxidant activities.
Chemopreventive Effect of β-Cryptoxanthin on Human Cervical Carcinoma (HeLa) Cells Is Modulated through Oxidative Stress-Induced Apoptosis
Authors: Gansukh Enkhtaivan , Nile Arti , Sivanesan Iyyakkannu , Rengasamy Kannan R. R. , Kim Doo-Hwan , Keum Young-Soo , Saini Ramesh Kumar
Published: December 2019

The present study was aimed to assess cellular and molecular events involved in the chemopreventive activities of β-cryptoxanthin derived from mandarin oranges (Citrus unshiu Marc.) on human cervical carcinoma (HeLa) cells. In vitro experiments established that β-cryptoxanthin significantly inhibited the proliferation of HeLa cells with the IC50 value of 4.5 and 3.7 µM after 24 and 48 h of treatments, respectively. β-cryptoxanthin-treated HeLa cells exhibited enhanced levels of oxidative stress correlated with significant downregulation of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2, and upregulation of pro-apoptotic Bax mRNA expression. Moreover, β-cryptoxanthin triggered nuclear condensation and disruption of the integrity of the mitochondrial membrane, upregulated caspase-3, -7, and -9 mRNA, and enhanced activation of caspase-3 proteins, resulting in nuclei DNA damage and apoptosis of HeLa cells. Remarkably, TUNEL assay carried out to detect nuclei DNA damage showed 52% TUNEL-positive cells after treatment with a physiological concentration of β-cryptoxanthin (1.0 μM), which validates its potential as an anticancer drug of natural origin.
A Novel Technology for Recovery and Separation of Vanadium and Chromium from Vanadium-Chromium Reducing Residue
Authors: Peng Hao , Yang Liu , Chen Ya , Guo Jing
Published: December 2019

This paper was to develop an efficient process for efficient recovery and separation of vanadium and chromium. The vanadium-chromium reducing residue was conducted by oxidation acidic leaching with MnO2, followed by selective adsorption of vanadium and precipitation of chromium, respectively. The results showed that 97.93% vanadium was leached out and then adsorbed by melamine at pH 1.8 at 90 °C for 60 min. Almost all chromium was leached out and efficiently recovered as Cr2O3. The leaching process was mainly controlled by surface chemical reaction, and its kinetic behaviors fitted well with the shrink core model. The apparent activation energy for vanadium and chromium leaching out wascalculated as 19.93 kJ·mol−1 and 21.26 kJ·mol−1, respectively.
Methodology to Determine Photovoltaic Inverter Conversion Efficiency for the Equatorial Region
Authors: Ab. Rahman Azhan , Salam Zainal , Shaari Sulaiman , Ramli Mohd Zulkifli
Published: December 2019

Photovoltaic inverter conversion efficiency is closely related to the energy yield of a photovoltaic system. Usually, the peak efficiency (ηmax) value from the inverter data sheet is used, but it is inaccurate because the inverter rarely operates at the peak power. The weighted efficiency is a preferable alternative as it inherently considers the power conversion characteristics of the inverter when subjected to varying irradiance. However, since the weighted efficiency is influenced by irradiance, its value may not be appropriate for different climatic conditions. Based on this premise, this work investigates the non-suitability of the European weighted efficiency (ηEURO) for inverters installed in the Equatorial region. It utilizes a one year data from the Equatorial irradiance profile to recalculate the value of ηEURO (ηEURO_recal) and to compare it with the original ηEURO. Furthermore, a new weighted efficiency formula for the Equatorial climate (ηEQUA) is proposed. Validation results showed that calculated energy yield with ηEQUA closely matched the real energy yield of 3 kW system with only 0.16% difference. It is envisaged that the usage of ηEQUA instead of ηmax or ηEURO will results in a more accurate energy yield and return of investment calculations for PV systems installed in Equatorial regions.
Segmentation of Multiple Tree Leaves Pictures with Natural Backgrounds using Deep Learning for Image-Based Agriculture Applications
Authors: Giménez-Gallego Jaime , González-Teruel Juan D. , Jiménez-Buendía Manuel , Toledo-Moreo Ana B. , Soto-Valles Fulgencio , Torres-Sánchez Roque
Published: December 2019

The crop water stress index (CWSI) is one of the parameters measured in deficit irrigation and it is obtained from crop canopy temperature. However, image segmentation is required for non-leaf region exclusion in temperature measurement, as it is critical to obtain the temperature values for the calculation of the CWSI. To this end, two image-segmentation models based on support vector machine (SVM) and deep learning have been studied in this article. The models have been trained with different parameters (encoder depth, optimizer, learning rate, weight decay, validation frequency and validation patience), and several indicators (accuracy, precision, recall and F1 score/dice coefficient), as well as prediction, training and data preparation times are discussed. The results of the F1 score indicator are 83.11% for SVM and 86.27% for deep-learning models. More accurate results are expected for the deep-learning model by increasing the dataset, whereas the SVM model is worthwhile in terms of reduced data preparation times.
Efficient Computation Offloading in Multi-Tier Multi-Access Edge Computing Systems: A Particle Swarm Optimization Approach
Authors: Huynh Luan N. T. , Pham Quoc-Viet , Pham Xuan-Qui , Nguyen Tri D. T. , Hossain Md Delowar , Huh Eui-Nam
Published: December 2019

In recent years, multi-access edge computing (MEC) has become a promising technology used in 5G networks based on its ability to offload computational tasks from mobile devices (MDs) to edge servers in order to address MD-specific limitations. Despite considerable research on computation offloading in 5G networks, this activity in multi-tier multi-MEC server systems continues to attract attention. Here, we investigated a two-tier computation-offloading strategy for multi-user multi-MEC servers in heterogeneous networks. For this scenario, we formulated a joint resource-allocation and computation-offloading decision strategy to minimize the total computing overhead of MDs, including completion time and energy consumption. The optimization problem was formulated as a mixed-integer nonlinear program problem of NP-hard complexity. Under complex optimization and various application constraints, we divided the original problem into two subproblems: decisions of resource allocation and computation offloading. We developed an efficient, low-complexity algorithm using particle swarm optimization capable of high-quality solutions and guaranteed convergence, with a high-level heuristic (i.e., meta-heuristic) that performed well at solving a challenging optimization problem. Simulation results indicated that the proposed algorithm significantly reduced the total computing overhead of MDs relative to several baseline methods while guaranteeing to converge to stable solutions.
A Nested Ensemble Filtering Approach for Parameter Estimation and Uncertainty Quantification of Traffic Noise Models
Authors: Huang Kai , Fan Yurui , Dai Liming
Published: December 2019

In this study, a nested ensemble filtering (NEF) approach is advanced for uncertainty parameter estimation and uncertainty quantification of a traffic noise model. As an extension of the ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) and particle filter methods, the proposed NEF method improves upon the ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) method by incorporating the sample importance resampling (SIR) procedures into the EnKF update process. The NEF method can avoid the overshooting problem (abnormal value (e.g., outside the predefined ranges, complex values) in parameter or state samples) existing in the EnKF update process. The proposed NEF method is applied to the traffic noise prediction on the Trans-Canada Highway in the City of Regina to demonstrate its applicability. The results indicate that: (a) when determining parameters in the traffic noise prediction model, the NEF method provides accurate estimation; (b) the model parameters can be recursively corrected with the NEF method whenever a new measurement becomes available; (c) the uncertainty in the traffic noise model (should be the noise itself) can be well reduced and quantified through the proposed NEF approach.
An Ensemble Model for Multi-Level Speech Emotion Recognition
Authors: Zheng Chunjun , Wang Chunli , Jia Ning
Published: December 2019

Speech emotion recognition is a challenging and widely examined research topic in the field of speech processing. The accuracy of existing models in speech emotion recognition tasks is not high, and the generalization ability is not strong. Since the feature set and model design of effective speech directly affect the accuracy of speech emotion recognition, research on features and models is important. Because emotional expression is often correlated with the global features, local features, and model design of speech, it is often difficult to find a universal solution for effective speech emotion recognition. Based on this, the main research purpose of this paper is to generate general emotion features in speech signals from different angles, and use the ensemble learning model to perform emotion recognition tasks. It is divided into the following aspects: (1) Three expert roles of speech emotion recognition are designed. Expert 1 focuses on three-dimensional feature extraction of local signals; expert 2 focuses on extraction of comprehensive information in local data; and expert 3 emphasizes global features: acoustic feature descriptors (low-level descriptors (LLDs)), high-level statistics functionals (HSFs), and local features and their timing relationships. A single-/multiple-level deep learning model that meets expert characteristics is designed for each expert, including convolutional neural network (CNN), bi-directional long short-term memory (BLSTM), and gated recurrent unit (GRU). Convolutional recurrent neural network (CRNN), based on a combination of an attention mechanism, is used for internal training of experts. (2) By designing an ensemble learning model, each expert can play to its own advantages and evaluate speech emotions from different focuses. (3) Through experiments, the performance of various experts and ensemble learning models in emotion recognition is compared in the Interactive Emotional Dyadic Motion Capture (IEMOCAP) corpus and the validity of the proposed model is verified.
Cascaded Nonlinear-Optical Loop Mirror-Based All-Optical PAM Regenerator
Authors: Guo Biao , Wu Baojian , Wen Feng , Qiu Kun
Published: December 2019

An all-optical regeneration scheme based on cascaded nonlinear-optical loop mirrors (NOLMs) for pulse amplitude modulation (PAM) signals is proposed. The optimal working point (WP) of every NOLM can be set by means of the normalized power transfer function (NPTF) and normalized differential gain (NDG). As examples, the PAM-4 and PAM-8 regenerations based on cascaded two-NOLMs are demonstrated by optimizing the splitting ratios of the optical couplers and the gain coefficient of the inter-stage matching amplifier, achieving the Q-factor improvements of 25.32dB and 21.18dB, respectively. Compared to the conventional regenerator scheme, a 1.69dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) gain is achieved due to the flat power response within the regenerative range.
Prediction of Friction Resistance for Slurry Pipe Jacking
Authors: Ye Yichao , Peng Limin , Zhou Yang , Yang Weichao , Shi Chenghua , Lin Yuexiang
Published: December 2019

Friction resistance usually constitutes one of the two main components for the calculation of required jacking force. This paper provides a new approach to predict the friction resistance of slurry pipe jacking. First, the existing prediction equations and their establishment methods and essential hypotheses used were carefully summarized and compared, providing good foundations for the establishment of the new model. It was found that the friction resistance can be uniformly calculated by multiplying an effective friction coefficient and the normal force acting on the external surface of the pipe. This effective friction coefficient is introduced to reflect the effect of contact state of pipe-soil-slurry, highly affected by the effect of lubrication and the interaction of pipe-soil-slurry. The critical quantity of pipe-soil contact angle (or width) involved may be calculated by Persson’s contact model. Then, the equation of normal force was rederived and determined, in which the vertical soil stress should be calculated by Terzaghi’s silo model with parameters proposed by the UK Pipe Jacking Association. Different from the existing prediction models, this new approach has taken into full consideration the effect of lubrication, soil properties (such as internal friction angle, cohesion, and void ratio), and design parameters (such as buried depth, overcut, and pipe diameter). In addition, four field cases and a numerical simulation case with various soils and design parameters were carefully selected to check out the capability of the new model. There was greater satisfaction with the measured data as compared to the existing models and the numerical simulation approach, indicating that the new approach not only has higher accuracy but is also more flexible and has a wider applicability. Finally, the influence of buried depth, overcut, and pipe diameter on the friction resistance and lubrication efficiency were analyzed, and the results can be helpful for the future design.
UAV-Based GNSS-R for Water Detection as a Support to Flood Monitoring Operations: A Feasibility Study
Authors: Imam Rayan , Pini Marco , Marucco Gianluca , Dominici Fabrizio , Dovis Fabio
Published: December 2019

Signals from global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) can be utilized as signals of opportunity in remote sensing applications. Geophysical properties of the earth surface can be detected and monitored by processing the back-scattered GNSS signals from the ground. In the literature, several airborne GNSS-based passive radar experiments have been successfully demonstrated. With the advancements in small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and their applications for environmental monitoring, we want to investigate whether GNSS-based passive radar can provide valuable geospatial information from such platforms. Low-cost GNSS reflectometry sensors, developed using commercial of the shelf components, can be mounted onboard UAVs and flown to sense environmental parameters. This paper presents the results of a preliminary study to investigate the feasibility of utilizing data collected by UAV-based GNSS-R sensors to detect surface water for a potential application in supporting flood monitoring operations. The study was conducted in the area surrounding the Avigliana lakes in Northern Italy. The results show the possibility of detecting small water surfaces with few tens of meters resolution, and estimating the area of the lake surface with 92% accuracy. Furthermore, it is proved through simulations that the use of multi-GNSS increases this accuracy to about 99%.
Model of Predictive Maintenance of Machines and Equipment
Authors: Stodola Petr , Stodola Jiří
Published: December 2019

This paper presents selected possibilities for mathematical models in predictive maintenance of equipment. This model includes automatic classification of machines by labor intensity, determination of labor intensity standards, and drawing up monthly and yearly maintenance plans for manufacturing lines and technical equipment in an engineering company. This model reduces human error, clarifies accounting and operational records of machines, evaluates the actual maintenance labor intensity, eliminates routine administrative work, enables the use of cloud storages, and includes automatic reporting of problems in the case of on-board diagnostic systems. It is based on differentiated machine care, can be an effective tool for the overall optimization of maintenance processes, and is a part of the digitization of these processes in engineering companies.
Mechanical and Durability Properties of Concrete with Coarse Recycled Aggregate Produced with Electric Arc Furnace Slag Concrete
Authors: Tamayo Pablo , Pacheco Joao , Thomas Carlos , de Brito Jorge , Rico Jokin
Published: December 2019

The search for more sustainable construction materials, capable of complying with quality standards and current innovation policies, aimed at saving natural resources and reducing global pollution, is one of the greatest present societal challenges. In this study, an innovative recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) is designed and produced based on the use of a coarse recycled aggregate (CRA) crushing concrete with electric arc furnace slags as aggregate. These slags are a by-product of the steelmaking industry and their use, which avoids the use of natural aggregates, is a new trend in concrete and pavement technology. This paper has investigated the effects of incorporating this type of CRA in concrete at several replacement levels (0%, 20%, 50% and 100% by volume), by means of the physical, mechanical and durability characterization of the mixes. The analysis of the results has allowed the benefits and disadvantages of these new CRAs to be established, by comparing them with those of a natural aggregate concrete (NAC) mix (with 0% CRA incorporation) and with the data available in the literature for concrete made with more common CRA based on construction and demolition waste (CDW). Compared to NAC, similar compressive strength and tensile strength values for all replacement ratios have been obtained. The modulus of elasticity, the resistance to chloride penetration and the resistance to carbonation are less affected by these CRA than when CRA from CDW waste is used. Slight increases in bulk density over 7% were observed for total replacement. Overall, functionally good mechanical and durability properties have been obtained.
Secure D2D Communication for 5G IoT Network Based on Lightweight Cryptography
Authors: Seok Byoungjin , Sicato Jose Costa Sapalo , Erzhena Tcydenova , Xuan Canshou , Pan Yi , Park Jong Hyuk
Published: December 2019

Device-to-device (D2D) communication is a direct means of communication between devices without an intermediate node, and it helps to expand cell coverage and to increase radio frequency reuse in a 5G network. Moreover, D2D communication is a core technology of 5G vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, which is an essential technology for autonomous driving. However, typical D2D communication in an 4G network which is typical telecommunication network has various security challenges including impersonation, eavesdropping, privacy sniffing, free-riding attack, etc. Moreover, when IoT technology emerges with 5G networks in massive machine type communication (mMTC) and ultra-reliable low latency communication (URLLC) application scenarios, these security challenges are more crucial and harder to mitigate because of the resource-constrained nature of IoT devices. To solve the security challenges in a 5G IoT environment, we need a lightweight and secure D2D communication system that can provide secure authentication, data confidentiality/integrity and anonymity. In this paper, we survey and analyze existing results about secure D2D communication systems in terms of their security considerations and limitations. Then, we lastly propose a secure D2D communication system to address the aforementioned security challenges and the limitations of the existing results. The proposed secure D2D communication was designed based on elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) and lightweight authenticated encryption with associated data (AEAD) ciphers to cover resource-constrained IoT devices.
High-Frequency Deep Sclerotomy, A Minimal Invasive Ab Interno Glaucoma Procedure Combined with Cataract Surgery: Physical Properties and Clinical Outcome
Authors: Pajic Bojan , Cvejic Zeljka , Mansouri Kaweh , Resan Mirko , Allemann Reto
Published: December 2019

Background: The efficiency and safety of primary open-angle glaucoma with high-frequency deep sclerotomy (HFDS) combined with cataract surgery has to be investigated. Methods: Right after cataract surgery, HFDS was performed ab interno in 205 consecutive patients with open angle glaucoma. HFDS was performed with a custom-made high-frequency disSection 19 G probe (abee tip 0.3 × 1 mm, Oertli Switzerland). The bipolar current with a frequency of 500 kHz is applied. The nasal sclera was penetrated repetitively six times through the trabecular meshwork and consecutively through Schlemm’s canal. Every time, a pocket of 0.3 mm high and 0.6 mm width was created. Results: Mean preoperative intraocular pressure (IOP) was 24.5 ± 2.1 mmHg (range 21 to 48 mmHg). After 48 months, the follow up average IOP was 15.0 ± 1.7 mmHg (range 10 to 20 mmHg). Postoperative IOP has been significantly reduced compared to preoperative IOP for all studied cases (p < 0.001). After 48 months, the target IOP less than 21 mmHg reached in 84.9%. No serious complications were observed during the surgical procedure itself and in the postoperative period. Conclusions: HFDS is a minimally invasive procedure. It is a safe and efficacious surgical technique for lowering IOP combined with cataract surgery.