bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MODELAGEM HIPSOMÉTRICA DE Eucalyptus grandis W. HILL EX MAIDEN. NO SUDESTE DO ESTADO DE GOIÁS
Authors: Soares Kálita Luis , Costa Lidiomar Soares da , Araújo Matheus da Silva , Calixto Júnior José Eduardo Dias , Interamnense Márcio Torreão
Published: September 2018

A mensuração da altura é considerada difícil, exigindo um maior tempo para sua determinação. Por isso, em trabalhos de inventários em florestas equiâneas normalmente são mensuradas as alturas de poucas árvores em cada parcela e as alturas das demais árvores do povoamento são estimadas por meio de relações hipsométricas. O presente trabalho objetivou avaliar o ajuste e selecionar modelos hipsométricos para estimar a altura total de povoamento clonal de Eucalyptus grandis W. Hill ex Maiden. no sudeste do Estado de Goiás. O trabalho foi desenvolvido em um plantio florestal clonal de Eucalyptus grandis W. Hill ex Maiden. de um povoamento com área total de 76 hectares. Os dados utilizados no ajuste dos modelos foram provenientes da medição do diâmetro a 1,30 m de altura (DAP) e da altura total de 60 árvores. Foram ajustados os modelos hipsométricos de Assmann, Curtis, Henriksen, Stofel e Trorey e, a seleção do modelo mais adequado baseou-se no coeficiente de determinação ajustado (R²aj), erro padrão da estimativa absoluto (Syx) e relativo (Syx%) e na análise gráfica dos resíduos. O modelo de Stofel (Ln(Ht) = 1,75335 + 0,54334 * Ln(DAP) + ε) produz estimativas mais precisas e, portanto, é o mais adequado para a descrição da altura das árvores de Eucalyptus grandis W. Hill ex Maiden. no sudeste do Estado de Goiás.
ESTRESSE HÍDRICO SIMULADO EM GENÓTIPOS DE FEIJÃO, MILHO E SOJA
Authors: Viçosi Karen Andreon , Ferreira Aparecido Alves Serafim , Oliveira Luis Augusto Batista de , Rodrigues Fabrício
Published: September 2018

O trabalho teve como objetivo simular condições de déficit hídrico, em laboratório, por meio do manitol, para avaliação do desempenho fisiológico de sementes de cultivares de feijão, milho e soja. As sementes foram submetidas à germinação sob condições de estresse hídrico, com os níveis 0, -0,6, -1,2, -1,8 e -2,4 MPa de potencial osmótico, simulados com soluções de manitol (C6H14O6), nas doses: 0; 44; 58; 89,17; 133,75 g L-1. Para cada espécie, foi utilizada quatro repetições por tratamento, composta de 50 sementes colocadas em três folhas de papel Germitest, umedecida com solução de manitol correspondente a 2,5 sua massa, e levadas a uma câmara de germinação por 10 dias. O feijão foi a cultura com maior sensibilidade ao déficit hídrico, com redução da germinação, comprimento do hipocótilo e da radícula a -0,6 MPa, enquanto o milho e soja tiveram sua germinação afetada em potencias abaixo de -1,2 MPa. A redução no potencial hídrico afetou negativamente o comprimento da radícula e do hipocótilo para as três culturas em potencial de -0,6 MPa. A germinação e comprimento do hipocótilo e da radícula para feijão, milho e soja são reduzidos sob condições de estresse hídrico e salino induzidos por manitol e existe comportamento diferenciado das espécies estudadas quanto à tolerância à condição de déficit hídrico.
ENVELHECIMENTO ACELERADO TRADICIONAL E ALTERNATIVO EM SEMENTES DE MELANCIA
Authors: Ribeiro Duarte Rafaelle , Silva Borges Renato , Silva  da Costa Geany Giovana , Da Silva Eliamara Marques , Dos Santos Jessica Morgana
Published: September 2018

Este trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar a qualidade inicial das sementes de melancia submetidas aos testes de envelhecimento acelerado tradicional e alternativo. Foram empregados dois procedimentos para o envelhecimento acelerado: tradicional (40 ml de água destilada) e método alternativo [solução saturada de NaCl (40 g do sal/100 mL de água)], sob temperatura de 42 ºC durante 24, 48, 72, e 96 horas. O delineamento utilizado foi inteiramente casualizado, em esquema fatorial (2x4) com quatro repetições. Ao término de cada período, as sementes foram submetidas ao teste de germinação e a avaliação da porcentagem de plântulas normais foi realizada aos cinco dias após a semeadura. Os dados da contagem de germinação foram submetidos à análise de variância e as médias foram comparadas pelo teste de Tukey (P<0,05). O teste de envelhecimento acelerado tradicional no período de 24 horas obteve maiores médias de germinação (80%); não houve diferença significativa na porcentagem de sementes germinadas no tratamento alternativo, independente do período de envelhecimento. Observa-se que o uso da solução tradicional é mais eficiente para avaliar o vigor em sementes de melancia.
ANÁLISE FITOSSOCIOLÓGICA E ESTRUTURA FLORÍSTICA DE UMA FLORESTA ESTACIONAL DECIDUAL
Authors: Bambolim Amauri , Donde Abilene Rodrigues , Wojciechowsk Júlio César
Published: September 2018

A análise fitossociológica bem como a composição florística de florestas naturais é de grande valor para compreensão da dinâmica das comunidades florestais. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo analisar uma área de floresta estacional decidual localizada no município de Santa Tereza no estado do Rio Grande do Sul. Foram instaladas 100 parcelas de 10 x 10 demarcadas em um hectare no interior da floresta, onde foram medidos e identificados todos os indivíduos com circunferência à altura do peito (CAP) ≥ 30 cm. O levantamento foi realizado adotando-se o método de parcelas contíguas, seguindo a metodologia de Muller-Dombois e Ellemberg (1974). A densidade total de 875 indivíduos por hectare, sendo 56 espécies, 46 gêneros e 30 famílias. As famílias Fabaceae e Euphorbiaceae apresentaram o maior número de espécies. A espécie Lonchocarpus campestres, apresentou o maior índice de valor de importância (IVI) e maior índice de valor de cobertura (IVC). O índice de diversidade de Shannon (H’) foi de 3,34 nats/ind. e o índice de equabilidade de Pielou (J) foi de 0,83. A maior parte dos indivíduos estão em classe de altura entre 8 e 10 m e classe de diâmetro entre 9 e 15 cm.
EXTRAÇÃO E EXPORTAÇÃO DE NITROGÊNIO, FÓSFORO E POTÁSSIO PELO MILHO ADUBADO COM DEJETOS DE SUÍNOS
Authors: Scherrer Menezes June Faria , Da Silva Berti Mariana Pina , Vieira Júnior Valter Divino , Ribeiro Rênystton de Lima , Berti Christian Luis Ferreira
Published: September 2018

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a extração de nitrogênio (N), fósforo (P) e potássio (K) pela cultura do milho adubada com dejetos líquidos de suínos (DLS). O experimento foi conduzido no período de outubro de 2013 a abril de 2014, na Fazenda Fontes do Saber, localizada na Universidade de Rio Verde, Goiás. O experimento foi conduzido em um Latossolo Vermelho distroférrico de textura argilosa (540 g kg-1), e os tratamentos constituíram da aplicação ou não de DLS na dose de 30 m3 ha-1. Após a aplicação dos dejetos na superfície do solo foi feita a semeadura do milho e a partir das análises foliares avaliaram-se a extração de N, P e K pelas plantas de milho, em oito épocas, com intervalos médios de 15 dias, durante o ciclo de crescimento e desenvolvimento da cultura. Os resultados apontaram que o uso de DLS aumentou a produtividade de grãos do milho comparado ao tratamento controle (sem aplicação). A dose de 30 m3 ha-1 de DLS com densidade de 1.013 g cm-3 é suficiente para resultar em produtividade de grãos acima de 9.000 kg ha-1. A extração dos macronutrientes primários pela cultura do milho segue as seguintes ordens decrescente de absorção: K>N>P e N>K>P, respectivamente, para o período vegetativo e reprodutivo.
PRODUCCIÓN BABY LEAF DE BERRO DE TIERRA CULTIVADO EN DIFERENTES AMBIENTES Y MARCOS DE PLANTACIÓN
Authors: Espíndola Jhone Souza , Otto Rosana Fernandes , Beruski Gustavo Castilho , Ohse Silvana
Published: September 2018

Baby leaf es un tipo de hortícola que llama la atención de los consumidores por el pequeño tamaño de las hojas y la posibilidad de ser comercializada con una mezcla de hojas para ensalada. El trabajo se realizó en Ponta Grossa– PR (Brasil) y tuvo como objetivo evaluar los ambientes de cultivo y la densidad plantas en la producción de baby leaf de berros de tierra. Los tratamientos fueron 03 ambientes de cultivo (TA - túnel agrotextil; TP - túnel plástico; AL– Aire Libre) y 03 marcos de plantación (E1- 15 x 10 cm; E2- 15 x 7 cm; E3- 10 x 7 cm).Los ambientes TP y TA, de manera independiente, proporcionaron altura y número de hojas de plantas superiores al cultivo en AL, así como valores mayores de biomasas fresca (BF) y seca (BS) y del índice de área foliar (IAF).Los rendimientos totales de las plantas cultivadas bajo protección (TP y TA) fueron hasta 50% superiores a los resultados encontrados en AL. Con relación a lo marco de plantación se encontró respuestas significativas para IAF, BF, BS y rendimiento total (RT). Las plantas se presentaran firmes y tiernas en todos los marcos de plantación evaluados, manteniendo la calidad comercial. La producción de baby leaf de berros de tierra fue viable bajo túneles cubiertos con agrotextil (TA) o plástico (TP) para la época primavera, utilizando el marco de plantación 10 x 7 cm (E3) entre plantas.
ANÁLISE DA ACESSIBILIDADE EM ESCOLAS PÚBLICAS DE TEMPO INTEGRAL NO NORDESTE DO BRASIL: COMPATIBILIDADE COM A NBR 9050
Authors: Gonzaga Bruno de Sousa , Santos Gabrielle Diniz dos , Luckwü Dayse , Braga Mirella de Almeida
Published: September 2018

A acessibilidade vem sendo bastante comentada de acordo com a crescente preocupação com a inclusão social na sociedade atual. Sendo percebido como um tema de combate a segregação social, fato este de extrema importância em todos os patamares da sociedade, inclusive dentro das escolas, locais formadores de cidadãos e que devem ser de livre acesso para que todos tenham educação de forma igualitária. Sendo assim, este trabalho teve como objetivo analisar o quesito acessibilidade nas áreas de circulação em duas escolas de tempo integral da cidade de João Pessoa, e assim, comparar o que existe com o que é exigido pela norma NBR 9050. Para a análise dos dados foi produzido um estudo de campo, ou seja, visitas às escolas para perceber a acessibilidade, produzindo material para compor a presente pesquisa. Foi observado que a partir dos resultados foi possível compreender o universo que as duas escolas possuem e seus elementos de acessibilidade, porém alguns já depreciados ou alocados de forma errada os quais fogem do que rege a normativa NBR 9050. Assim, conclui-se que existe muito a ser melhorado dentro do sistema de ensino quando se trata de acessibilidade, sugerindo sempre a regulamentação da norma dentro dos ambientes de ensino.
ANÁLISE HISTÓRICA DO CLIMA EM UMA CIDADE DO NORDESTE BRASILEIRO
Authors: Souza Márcia Rosângela de , Ferreira Edivaldo Galdino , Araújo Nadja Helaine de , Furtado Gil Dutra
Published: September 2018

O estudo do clima urbano representa um dos importantes temas emergentes socioambientais para a sociedade. O presente trabalho realizou o estudo do clima na cidade de João pessoa (Paraíba, Brasil), no período de 1963 a 1970 e 2001 a 2015, a partir das observações de temperatura do ar, umidade relativa e pluviosidade. A presente pesquisa utilizou o subsistema Termodinâmico e Hidrometeórico, onde seus canais de percepção são utilizados como subsídio teórico para a compreensão de eventos climáticos com efeitos geradores de impactos no âmbito social e ambiental. Os resultados obtidos mostraram que na cidade estudada o processo de urbanização tem alterado o clima, ressaltando a fragilidade do planejamento urbano. A partir dos resultados analisados, observou-se variações entre dois períodos diferentes, onde em alguns anos ocorreram aumentos significativos.
ABUNDANCE OF TREES USED AS FOOD BY PRIMATES IN FRAGMENTS OF ATLANTIC FOREST
Authors: Silva Valdecir da , Silva Vera Lúcia da , Silva Válter da , Costa Dimítri de Araújo , Silva Francisco de Assis da , Silva Geuba Maria Bernardo da , Christoffersen Martin Lindsey
Published: September 2018

Forest fragmentation favours the propagation of some arboreal primate species that can alter the floristic composition of a community. This process may be associated with the loss of seed dispersants. In this work we propose to identify if the presence of frugivorous primates of medium and large size (Sapajus flavius and Alouatta belzebul) can influence forest diversity and structure. Further, we ask if the size of the fragment affects the availability of resources for these primates. Three fragments were studied in the Atlantic Forest of the State of Paraíba, Brazil, located in the municipalities of Sapé, Mamanguape, Rio Tinto, and Mataraca. In each area 25 plots of 50 x 4 m were delimited, randomly distributed along trails and transects. All trees with chest-high circumferences (CAP) above 12 cm found within the plots were marked with ribbons, and numbered continuously. A total of 114 plant species were documented in the Pacatuba Forest, 79 in the Asplan Forest, and 97 in the “Guaribas” (Sema III) Biological Reserve (REBIO) Forest. According to the Chao and Jacknife estimators, the REBIO Guaribas Forest can present more species than recorded in the present investigation. Species Tapirira guianensis, Protium giganteum and Protium heptaphyllum are the most abundant in the Asplan, Pacatuba and Sema III Forests, respectively. In the REBIO Guaribas Forest, the Shannon diversity index was (H') = 3.75, the Alpha-Fisher index was = 26.57 and the Simpson index (1-D) was = 0.90. Pacatuba was the forest fragment with the highest index of diversity (H') = 375, Alpha-Fischer = 33.74 and Simpson (1-D) = 0.95. Pacatuba and REBIO Guaribas Forsts possess greater Beta diversity. The results suggest that local and historical factors possibly increase Beta diversity, contributing to the increase in resources used as food by primates. Therefore, the presence of primates of medium and large size in the Pacatuba Forest may affect the diversity of resources, contributing to the dispersion of large fruits and seeds. The presence of primates of medium and large size can thus contribute to the preservation of floristic diversity in forest fragments.
O PROGRAMA “BOLSA FAMÍLIA” E SUA IMPORTÂNCIA PARA AS FAMÍLIAS EM SITUAÇÃO DE VULNERABILIDADE SOCIAL
Authors: Souza Fabíola Santos Carvalho de , Costa Dimítri de Araújo , Silva Francisco de Assis da
Published: September 2018

Esse estudo buscou verificar, por meio de levantamento bibliográfico, os aspectos gerais do programa “Bolsa Família” e se ocorreu de fato a melhoria das condições de vida. Foi verificado também o acesso aos serviços básicos como saúde e educação, além de refletir se os aspectos quantitativos foram suficientes para expandir suas capacidades e ter acesso a melhores oportunidades de vida e proporcionar melhorias aos beneficiários no futuro. Este programa constitui uma política pública de alta relevância em todo o território brasileiro, promovendo a redução da pobreza em famílias com vulnerabilidade socioeconômica. Esta política pública deve ser aprimorada e ampliada para reduzir os efeitos da desigualdade social, buscando inserir os beneficiários no contexto econômico, juntamente com incentivos para a geração de emprego e renda.
Rahu – of Indian origin and the changes in the Southern Khmer culture
Authors: Phan Tu Anh
Published: September 2018

Rahu is a god of darkness that originates from the myth of Churning Milky Ocean (Samudra Mantha) of Hinduism. However, when entering the Southern Khmer culture in Vietnam, Rahu’s name, beliefs and legends were reformed. The paper focuses on researching Rahu’s origin, analyzing and valuing the changes in the Southern Khmer culture and in the nations located in the sphere of Theravada Buddhism.
PENDIDIKAN BERBASIS BUDAYA (Presfektif Pemikiran H.A.R. Tilaar)
Authors: DJIBRAN AGUNG KURNIAWAN
Published: September 2018

AbstractH.A.R. Tilaar emphasizes to the importance of education based on culture, because education is process of culture. Therefore, between the education and culture has been greatly relation, because the education is not able to be separated from culture that has reflected and grown up dynamically in Indonesian society.The purpose of this research is to determine how the education based on culture according to H.A.R. Tilaar’s perspective. The object of this research was H.A.R. Tilaar’s Perspective which concerns to the education based on culture.The approach of this research was literature review. The source of the data were a text book written by H.A.R. Tilaar and other literatures related to this research. The technique of analyzing data were the content analysis of the text book written by H.A.R. Tilaar and other literatures.The result of this research are : (a) H.A.R. Tilaar conceptualizes the education as an culturing processes; (b) the education process is an culturing process through the interactive process between teachers and students; (c) it is necessary to the Government of Indonesia to correct the National education concept by proposing several aspects such as ; (1) the basic value of education; (2) to notice the function of sociological education; (3) the relation between culture and education; (4) the education as The Agent ofChange, and (5) to get the equalization of education opportunity; and (d) to grow up the creative and adaptive thinking toward education phenomenawhich always move dynamically in the environment of the Indonesian community which has its complexity.Keyword: Education, Culture.
PENGARUH MODEL PEMBELAJARAN KOOPERATIF TIPE TWO STAY TWP STRAY DAN TIPE GIVING QUESTION AND GETTING ANSWER TERHADAP KEAKTIFAN DAN HASIL BELAJAR SISWA PADA MATERI SISTEM EKSKRESI
Authors: DJURAMANG RISNAYANTI R
Published: September 2018

The research aimed at investigating the influence of cooperative learning model type two stay two stray and type giving question and getting answer toward the activeness and learning achievement of student on excretion system. The method of research was quasi experimental research. The data were collected through test result and observation. The objects of this research were students at class VIIIA, VIIIB, VIIIC, and VIIID at SMPN 3 Paguyaman. The research result showed that cooperative learning model type two stay two stray, type giving question and getting answer, and the combination between cooperative learning model type two stay two stray and type giving question and getting answer influenced students’ activeness. Meanwhile, cooperative learning model type two stay two stray, type giving question and getting answer, and the combination between cooperative learning model type two stay two stray and type giving question and getting answer also influenced students’ learning achievement which was showed by significance value as 0,000 lower than alpha value as 0,05.
The Garter Robes on the Effigy of Charles II at Westminster Abbey
Authors: Wilcox David
Published: September 2018

In Westminster Abbey there are a number of effigies, some of wax, some of wood, many of which have survived for centuries. Some of these effigies had a significant role in the funeral obsequies that followed the death of a monarch. Others were used simply to memorialize a monarch or a public individual. One such effigy is that of Charles II. In 2016, during the conservation of this figure, there was an opportunity to examine the clothing that survives on this wax effigy. The figure is dressed in the robes of a Knight of the Order of the Garter, in ceremonial clothing of the late seventeenth century. This article examines the clothing in some detail, including pattern-cutting diagrams, and discusses the garments in relation to known others and to fashions of the period.
From Film Practice to Data Process
Authors: Atkinson Sarah
Published: September 2018

From Film Practice to Data Process critically examines the practices of independent digital feature filmmaking in contemporary Britain. The business of conventional feature filmmaking is like no other, in that it assembles a huge company of people from a range of disciplines on a temporary basis, all to engage in the collaborative endeavour of producing a unique, one-off piece of work. The book explicitly interrogates what is happening at the frontiers of contemporary ‘digital film’ production at a key transitional moment in 2012, when both the film industry and film-production practices were situated between the two distinct medium polarities of film and digital. With an in-depth case study of Sally Potter’s 2012 film Ginger & Rosa, drawing upon interviews with international film industry practitioners, From Film Practice to Data Process is an examination of film production in its totality, in a moment of profound change.
On the Margins of Modernism
Authors: Rosenmeier Christopher
Published: September 2018

Xu Xu and Wumingshi were among the most widely read authors in China during and after the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945). Despite being an integral part of the Chinese literary scene, their bestselling fiction has, however, been given scant attention in histories of Chinese writing. This book is the first extensive study of Xu Xu and Wumingshi in English or any other Western language and it re-establishes their importance within the popular Chinese literature of the 1940s. Their romantic novels and short stories were often set abroad and featured a wide range of stereotypes, from pirates, spies and patriotic soldiers to ghosts, spirits and exotic women who confounded the mostly cosmopolitan male protagonists. Christopher Rosenmeier’s detailed analysis of these popular novels and short stories shows that such romances broke new ground by incorporating and adapting narrative techniques and themes from the Shanghai modernist writers of the 1930s, notably Shi Zhecun and Mu Shiying. The study thereby contests the view that modernism had little lasting impact on Chinese fiction, and it demonstrates that the popular literature of the 1940s was more innovative than usually imagined, with authors, such as those studied here, successfully crossing the boundaries between the popular and the elite, as well as between romanticism and modernism, in their bestselling works.
The Politics of Repressed Guilt
Authors: Leeb Claudia
Published: September 2018

Through a critical appropriation of Hannah Arendt, and a more sympathetic engagement with Theodor W. Adorno and psychoanalysis, this book develops a new theoretical approach to understanding Austrians’ repression of their collaboration with National Socialist Germany. Drawing on original, extensive archival research, from court documents on Nazi perpetrators to public controversies on theater plays and museums, the book exposes the defensive mechanisms Austrians have used to repress individual and collective political guilt, which led to their failure to work through their past. It exposes the damaging psychological and political consequences such failure has had and continues to have for Austrian democracy today—such as the continuing electoral growth of the right-wing populist Freedom Party in Austria, which highlights the timeliness of the book. However, the theoretical concepts and practical suggestions the book introduces to counteract the repression of individual and collective political guilt are relevant beyond the Austrian context. It shows us that only when individuals and nations live up to guilt are they in a position to take responsibility for past crimes, show solidarity with the victims of crimes, and prevent the emergence of new crimes. Combining theoretical insights with historical analysis, The Politics of Repressed Guilt is an important addition to critical scholarship that explores the pathological implications of guilt repression for democratic political life.
The Temptation of Graves in Salafi Islam
Authors: Beránek Ondrej , Tupek Pavel
Published: September 2018

In various parts of the Islamic world over the past decades, virulent attacks have targeted Islamic funeral and sacral architecture. Rather than being random acts of vandalism, these are associated with the idea of performing one’s religious duty as attested to in the Salafi/Wahhabi tradition and texts. Graves, shrines and tombs are regarded by some Muslims as having the potential to tempt a believer to polytheism. Hence the duty to level the graves to the ground (taswiyat al-qubūr). In illuminating the ideology behind these acts, this book explains the current destruction of graves in the Islamic world and traces the ideological sources of iconoclasm in their historical perspective, from medieval theological and legal debates to contemporary Islamist movements including ISIS. The authors look at the destruction of graves in various parts of the Islamic world including the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia, and trace the ideological roots of Salafi iconoclasm and its shifts and mutations in an historical perspective. The book contains case studies, among others, on Ibn Taymiyya, Muhammad ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhab, the Saudi religious establishment, Nasir al-Din al-Albani, and ISIS and the destruction of monuments.
Human Rights and Community-led Development
Authors: Cislaghi Ben
Published: September 2018

How can we best empower people living in the most economically disadvantaged areas of the world to improve their lives in ways that matter to them? This book investigates work of the NGO Tostan as a working model of human development. The study is grounded in the ethnographic study of the actual change that happened in one West African village. The result is a powerful mix of theory and practice that questions existing approaches to development and that speaks to both development scholars and practitioners. Divided into three parts, the book firstly assesses why top-down approaches to education and development are unhelpful and offers a theoretical understanding of what constitutes helpful development. Part two examines Tostan's community-based participatory approach as an example of a helpful development intervention, and offers qualitative evidence of its effectiveness. Part three builds a model of how community-led development works, why it is helpful, and what practitioners can do to help people at the grassroots level lead their own human development.
Language on Display
Authors: Lunde Ingunn
Published: September 2018

This volume spans a number of theoretical fields including language variation, language policy and literary stylistics and provides a coherent way of triangulating these fields by the introduction and elaboration of the notion of performative metalanguage. This volume as a whole offers insight into the role of writers in the broader social and political context of language culture in contemporary Russia and into the various ways in which the linguistic and aesthetic practices of literary art can engage in questions related to the negotiation of linguistic norms.
Flow Visualization around a Flapping-Wing Micro Air Vehicle in Free Flight Using Large-Scale PIV
Authors: Del Estal Herrero Alejandro , Percin Mustafa , Karasek Matej , Van Oudheusden Bas
Published: September 2018

Flow visualizations have been performed on a free flying, flapping-wing micro air vehicle (MAV), using a large-scale particle image velocimetry (PIV) approach. The PIV method involves the use of helium-filled soap bubbles (HFSB) as tracer particles. HFSB scatter light with much higher intensity than regular seeding particles, comparable to that reflected off the flexible flapping wings. This enables flow field visualization to be achieved close to the flapping wings, in contrast to previous PIV experiments with regular seeding. Unlike previous tethered wind tunnel measurements, in which the vehicle is fixed relative to the measurement setup, the MAV is now flown through the measurement area. In this way, the experiment captures the flow field of the MAV in free flight, allowing the true nature of the flow representative of actual flight to be appreciated. Measurements were performed for two different orientations of the light sheet with respect to the flight direction. In the first configuration, the light sheet is parallel to the flight direction, and visualizes a streamwise plane that intersects the MAV wings at a specific spanwise position. In the second configuration, the illumination plane is normal to the flight direction, and visualizes the flow as the MAV passes through the light sheet.
Automatic Identification of Center Pivot Irrigation Systems from Landsat Images Using Convolutional Neural Networks
Authors: Zhang Chenxiao , Yue Peng , Di Liping , Wu Zhaoyan
Published: September 2018

Being hailed as the greatest mechanical innovation in agriculture since the replacement of draft animals by the tractor, center pivot irrigation systems irrigate crops with a significant reduction in both labor and water needs compared to traditional irrigation methods, such as flood irrigation. In the last few decades, the deployment of center pivot irrigation systems has increased dramatically throughout the United States. Monitoring the installment and operation of the center pivot systems can help: (i) Water resource management agencies to objectively assess water consumption and properly allocate water resources, (ii) Agro-businesses to locate potential customers, and (iii) Researchers to investigate land use change. However, few studies have been carried out on the automatic identification and location of center pivot irrigation systems from satellite images. Growing rapidly in recent years, machine learning techniques have been widely applied on image recognition, and they provide a possible solution for identification of center pivot systems. In this study, a Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) approach was proposed for identification of center pivot irrigation systems. CNNs with different structures were constructed and compared for the task. A sampling approach was presented for training data augmentation. The CNN with the best performance and less training time was used in the testing area. A variance-based approach was proposed to further locate the center of each center pivot system. The experiment was applied to a 30-m resolution Landsat image, covering an area of 20,000 km2 in North Colorado. A precision of 95.85% and a recall of 93.33% of the identification results indicated that the proposed approach performed well in the center pivot irrigation systems identification task.
Yield and Quality Characteristics of Different Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) Cultivars Grown under Field Conditions in Southwestern Germany
Authors: Präger Achim , Munz Sebastian , Nkebiwe Peteh Mehdi , Mast Benjamin , Graeff-Hönninger Simone
Published: September 2018

Due to its highly nutritive compounds, the demand for quinoa, a small grain originating from the Andean region of South America, increased rapidly over the last years. However, the main producing countries Bolivia and Peru cannot cover the growing demand. Therefore, the interest of European farmers in cultivating quinoa as a profitable source of income rose very fast. Thanks to a broad genetic diversity an adaption to various climatic conditions is possible. The objective of this study was to evaluate the stability of agronomic performance in two consecutive growing periods (2015 and 2016) of four European quinoa cultivars (Puno, Titicaca, Jessie, Zeno), originating from different genepools to identify a suitable cultivar to grow in southwestern Germany. Measurements included grain yield, thousand kernel weight (TKW), saponin content, protein content, crude fat content, amino acid profile and fatty acid profile. This study demonstrated the possibility of an economic production of quinoa under the environmental conditions in southwestern Germany, combining competitive yields (1.73–2.43 Mg ha−1) with a high grain quality regarding protein content (11.9–16.1%), essential amino acid content (20.35–30.02 g 100 g−1 crude protein), fat content (5.5–7.5%) and fatty acid profile (consists of 60% linoleic acid). Depending on cultivar, the investigated yield (TKW and protein content)-and quality ((semi-)essential amino acids)-traits varied more or less sensitive, which was attributed to lower precipitation and higher temperatures in 2015. Furthermore, best yield- and quality-characteristics were not combined in one cultivar, wherefore the selection of a specific quinoa cultivar has to be aligned with the production aim.
Healthcare Students’ Ethical Considerations of Care Robots in The Netherlands
Authors: Van Kemenade Margo A. M. , Hoorn Johan F. , Konijn Elly A.
Published: September 2018

Background: Older adults are a rapidly growing group world-wide, requiring an increasing amount of healthcare. Technological innovations such as care robots may support the growing demand for care. However, hardly any studies address those who will most closely collaborate with care robots: the (trainee) healthcare professional. Methods: This study examined the moral considerations, perceptions of utility, and acceptance among trainee healthcare professionals toward different types of care robots in an experimental questionnaire design (N = 357). We also examined possible differences between participants’ intermediate and higher educational levels. Results: The results show that potential maleficence of care robots dominated the discussion in both educational groups. Assisting robots were seen as potentially the most maleficent. Both groups deemed companion robots least maleficent and most acceptable, while monitoring robots were perceived as least useful. Results further show that the acceptance of robots in care was more strongly associated with the participants’ moral considerations than with utility. Conclusions: Professional care education should include moral considerations and utility of robotics as emerging care technology. The healthcare and nursing students of today will collaborate with the robotic colleagues of tomorrow.
Visualization and Interpretation of Convolutional Neural Network Predictions in Detecting Pneumonia in Pediatric Chest Radiographs
Authors: Rajaraman Sivaramakrishnan , Candemir Sema , Kim Incheol , Thoma George , Antani Sameer
Published: September 2018

Pneumonia affects 7% of the global population, resulting in 2 million pediatric deaths every year. Chest X-ray (CXR) analysis is routinely performed to diagnose the disease. Computer-aided diagnostic (CADx) tools aim to supplement decision-making. These tools process the handcrafted and/or convolutional neural network (CNN) extracted image features for visual recognition. However, CNNs are perceived as black boxes since their performance lack explanations. This is a serious bottleneck in applications involving medical screening/diagnosis since poorly interpreted model behavior could adversely affect the clinical decision. In this study, we evaluate, visualize, and explain the performance of customized CNNs to detect pneumonia and further differentiate between bacterial and viral types in pediatric CXRs. We present a novel visualization strategy to localize the region of interest (ROI) that is considered relevant for model predictions across all the inputs that belong to an expected class. We statistically validate the models’ performance toward the underlying tasks. We observe that the customized VGG16 model achieves 96.2% and 93.6% accuracy in detecting the disease and distinguishing between bacterial and viral pneumonia respectively. The model outperforms the state-of-the-art in all performance metrics and demonstrates reduced bias and improved generalization.
Live Load Distribution Factors for Skew Stringer Bridges with High-Performance-Steel Girders under Truck Loads
Authors: Mohseni Iman , Cho Yong Kwon , Kang Junsuk
Published: September 2018

Because the methods used to compute the live load distribution for moment and shear force in modern highway bridges subjected to vehicle loading are generally constrained by their range of applicability, refined analysis methods are necessary when this range is exceeded or new materials are used. This study developed a simplified method to calculate the live load distribution factors for skewed composite slab-on-girder bridges with high-performance-steel (HPS) girders whose parameters exceed the range of applicability defined by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)’s Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) specifications. Bridge databases containing information on actual bridges and prototype bridges constructed from three different types of steel and structural parameters that exceeded the range of applicability were developed and the bridge modeling verified using results reported for field tests of actual bridges. The resulting simplified equations for the live load distribution factors of shear force and bending moment were based on a rigorous statistical analysis of the data. The proposed equations provided comparable results to those obtained using finite element analysis, giving bridge engineers greater flexibility when designing bridges with structural parameters that are outside the range of applicability defined by AASHTO in terms of span length, skewness, and bridge width.
Malware Collusion Attack against SVM: Issues and Countermeasures
Authors: Chen Hongyi , Su Jinshu , Qiao Linbo , Xin Qin
Published: September 2018

Android has become the most popular mobile platform, and a hot target for malware developers. At the same time, researchers have come up with numerous ways to deal with malware. Among them, machine learning based methods are quite effective in Android malware detection, the accuracy of which can be as high as 98%. Thus, malware developers have the incentives to develop more advanced malware to evade detection. This paper presents an adversary attack scenario (Collusion Attack) that will compromise current machine learning based malware detection methods, especially Support Vector Machines (SVM). The malware developers can perform this attack easily by splitting malicious payload into two or more apps. Meanwhile, attackers may hide their malicious behavior by using advanced techniques (Evasion Attack), such as obfuscation, etc. According to our simulation, 87.4% of apps can evade Linear SVM by Collusion Attack. When performing Collusion and Evasion Attack simultaneously, the evasion rate can reach 100% at a low cost. Thus, we proposed a method to deal with this issue. This approach, realized in a tool, called ColluDroid, can identify the collusion apps by analyzing the communication between apps. In addition, it can integrate secure learning methods (e.g., Sec-SVM) to fight against Evasion Attack. The evaluation results show that ColluDroid is effective in finding out the collusion apps and ColluDroid-Sec-SVM has the best performance in the presence of both Collusion and Evasion Attack.
SambotII: A New Self-Assembly Modular Robot Platform Based on Sambot
Authors: Tan Wenshuai , Wei Hongxing , Yang Bo
Published: September 2018

A new self-assembly modular robot (SMR) SambotII is developed based on SambotI, which is a previously-built hybird type SMR that is capable of autonomous movement and self-assembly. As is known, SambotI only has limited abilities of environmental perception and target recognition, because its STM-32 processor cannot handle heavy work, like image processing and path planning. To improve the computing ability, an x86 dual-core CPU is applied and a hierarchical software architecture with five layers is designed. In addition, to enhance its perception abilities, a laser-camera unit and a LED-camera unit are employed to obtain the distance and angle information, respectively, and the color-changeable LED lights are used to identify different passive docking surfaces during the docking process. Finally, the performances of SambotII are verified by docking experiments.
Mechanisms Underlying the Action and Synergism of Trastuzumab and Pertuzumab in Targeting HER2-Positive Breast Cancer
Authors: Nami Babak , Maadi Hamid , Wang Zhixiang
Published: September 2018

Human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER) 2 (HER2) is overexpressed in 20–30% of breast cancers. HER2 is a preferred target for treating HER2-positive breast cancer. Trastuzumab and pertuzumab are two HER2-targeted monoclonal antibodies approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to use as adjuvant therapy in combination with docetaxel to treat metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer. Adding the monoclonal antibodies to treatment regimen has changed the paradigm for treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer. Despite improving outcomes, the percentage of the patients who benefit from the treatment is still low. Continued research and development of novel agents and strategies of drug combinations is needed. A thorough understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the action and synergism of trastuzumab and pertuzumab is essential for moving forward to achieve high efficacy in treating HER2-positive breast cancer. This review examined and analyzed findings and hypotheses regarding the action and synergism of trastuzumab and pertuzumab and proposed a model of synergism based on available information.
Molecular-Level Understanding of Selectively Photocatalytic Degradation of Ammonia via Copper Ferrite/N-Doped Graphene Catalyst under Visible Near-Infrared Irradiation
Authors: Zhang Hang , Zhou Yang , Liu Shou-Qing , Gu Qin-Qin , Meng Ze-Da , Luo Li
Published: September 2018

Developing photocatalysts with molecular recognition function is very interesting and desired for specific applications in the environmental field. Copper ferrite/N-doped graphene (CuFe2O4/NG) hybrid catalyst was synthesized and characterized by surface photovoltage spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, UV–Vis near-infrared diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The CuFe2O4/NG catalyst can recognize ammonia from rhodamine B (RhB) in ammonia-RhB mixed solution and selectively degrade ammonia under visible near-infrared irradiation. The degradation ratio for ammonia reached 92.6% at 6 h while the degradation ratio for RhB was only 39.3% in a mixed solution containing 100.0 mg/L NH3-N and 50 mg/L RhB. Raman spectra and X-ray photoelectron spectra indicated ammonia adsorbed on CuFe2O4 while RhB was adsorbed on NG. The products of oxidized ammonia were detected by gas chromatography, and results showed that N2 was formed during photocatalytic oxidization. Mechanism studies showed that photo-generated electrons flow to N-doped graphene following the Z-scheme configuration to reduce O2 dissolved in solution, while photo-generated holes oxidize directly ammonia to nitrogen gas.
Determination of Uric Acid in Co-Presence of Dopamine and Ascorbic Acid Using Cuprous Oxide Nanoparticle-Functionalized Graphene Decorated Glassy Carbon Electrode
Authors: Ning Jingheng , He Quanguo , Luo Xin , Wang Min , Liu Donglin , Wang Jianhui , Li Guangli , Liu Jun
Published: September 2018

Cuprous oxide nanoparticles (Cu2O NPs) were dispersed into a graphene oxide (GO) solution to form a homogeneous Cu2O-GO dispersion. After this, the cuprous oxide nanoparticles were functionalized to electrochemically reduce the graphene oxide decorated glassy carbon electrode (Cu2O-ErGO/GCE). This was prepared by coating the Cu2O-GO dispersion onto the surface of the glassy carbon electrode (GCE), which was followed by a potentiostatic reduction process. An irreversible two-electron reaction of uric acid (UA) was observed at the voltammetric sensor. Moreover, the high concentrations of dopamine (DA) and ascorbic acid (AA) hardly affected the peak current of UA, which suggested that Cu2O-ErGO/GCE have excellent selectivity for UA. This is probably because the response peaks of the three compounds are well-separated from each other. The oxidation peak current was proportional to the concentration of UA in the ranges of 2.0 nM−0.6 μM and 0.6 μM−10 μM, respectively, with a low limit of detection (S/N = 3, 1.0 nM) after an accumulation time of 120 s. Cu2O-ErGO/GCE was utilized for the rapid detection of UA in human blood serum and urine samples with satisfactory results.
Expression of Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein-5 (IGFBP5) Reverses Cisplatin-Resistance in Esophageal Carcinoma
Authors: Chan Dessy , Zhou Yuanyuan , Chui Chung Hin , Lam Kim Hung , Law Simon , Chan Albert Sun-chi , Li Xingshu , Lam Alfred King-yin , Tang Johnny Cheuk On
Published: September 2018

Cisplatin (CDDP) is one of the front-line chemotherapeutic drugs used in the treatment of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Occurrence of resistance to CDDP has become one of the main challenges in cancer therapy. In this study, the gene expression profile of CDDP-resistant ESCC cells was investigated and molecular approaches were explored in an attempt to reverse the CDDP resistance. A CDDP-resistant SLMT-1/CDDP1R cell line was established from SLMT-1 cells by subculturing in the medium containing an increasing concentration of CDDP (0.1–1μg/mL). Mitochondrial (MTS) cytotoxicity assay, cell proliferation assay and cell morphology were used to assess the acquisition of cisplatin-resistance. The most differentially expressed gene in SLMT-1/CDDP1R cells was identified by cDNA microarray analysis compared with the parental SLMT-1 cells and validated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Association between expression of the most differentially expressed target gene to cisplatin-resistance was verified by RNA interference. An attempt to reversecisplatin-resistance phenotypes was made by using the vector expressing the most downregulated target gene in the CDDP-resistant cells. A CDDP-resistant ESCC cell line, SLMT-1/CDDP1R, was established with 2.8-fold increase CDDP-resistance (MTS50 = 25.8 μg/mL) compared with the parental SLMT-1 cells. cDNA microarray analysis revealed that IGFBP5 showed the highest level of downregulation in SLMT-1/CDDP1R cells compared with the parental SLMT-1 cells. Suppression of IGFBP5 mediated by IGFBP5-targeting siRNA in parental SLMT-1 cells confirmed that IGFBP5 suppression in ESCC cells would induce CDDP-resistance. More importantly, upregulation of IGFBP5 using IGFBP5 expression vector reduced cisplatin-resistance in SLMT-1/CDDP1R cells by 41%. Thus, our results demonstrated that IGFBP5 suppression is one of the mechanisms for the acquisition of cisplatin-resistance in ESCC cells. Cisplatin-resistance phenotype can be reversed by increasing the expression level of IGFBP5. The overall findings of this study thus offered a new direction for reversing the CDDP resistance in ESCC and possibly in other cancer types with further investigations in future.
Thymosin Beta-4 and Ciprofloxacin Adjunctive Therapy Improves Pseudomonas aeruginosa-Induced Keratitis
Authors: Carion Thomas W , Ebrahim Abdul Shukkur , Kracht David , Agrawal Aditya , Strand Eliisa , Kaddurah Omar , McWhirter Cody R. , Sosne Gabriel , Berger Elizabeth A.
Published: September 2018

With increasing multidrug resistance and contraindication for corticosteroid use, the goal of this study was to develop thymosin beta-4 (Tβ4) as an adjunctive therapy to antibiotics for the treatment of bacterial keratitis that effectively promotes enhanced wound healing, host defense, and inflammation resolution. Disease outcome was assessed by clinical score, slit lamp photography, and histopathology. Cytokine profile, bacterial load, PMN infiltration, and Griess and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were determined. Adjunct Tβ4 treatment resulted in a significant improvement compared to PBS, Tβ4, and most remarkably, ciprofloxacin, correlating with changes in mediators of inflammation and wound healing. Collectively, these data provide evidence that wound healing is an essential aspect in the development of new therapies to treat corneal infection. Use of adjunctive Tβ4 provides a more efficacious approach for bacterial keratitis by addressing both the infectious pathogen and deleterious host response.