bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MITOS SANGBIDANG: RASIONALISASI DALAM SASTRA LISAN TORAJA
Authors: Mustafa Mustafa Mustafa
Published: December 2018

Tulisan ini bertujuan untuk mengkaji kearifan-kearifan lokal yang terdapat dalam mitos Sangbidang. Mitos Sangbidang adalah salah satu bentuk sastra lisan Toraja yang hingga kini masih dihayati oleh masyarakat berlatar belakang bahasa dan budaya Toraja yang berfungsi sebagai alat perekat hubungan antar individu dan sumber hukum serta peraturan yang mampu mengetuk hati, pikiran dan memerintahkan orang untuk berlaku jujur, berperilaku sopan santun, tahu adat istiadat, dan tata krama dalam hidup bermasyarakat. Tulisan ini menggambarkan kearifan lokal budaya Toraja yang hingga kini masih terpelihara dan masih terjaga dengan baik dalam masyarakat Toraja. Pendekatan yang digunakan dalam kajian ini menggunakan dua teori yaitu, pendekatan sosiologi sastra. Metode dan teknik yang digunakan dalam kajian ini adalah metode deskriptif, yaitu memaparkan sebagaimana adanya. Pengumpulan data, digunakan teknik pencatatan, wawancara, perekaman, dan studi pustaka. Hasil penelitian menyimpulkan bahwa mitos Sangbidang dapat mengandung kearifan lokal tentang kejujuran. Rsionalisasi mitos Sangbidang berisi landasan pokok dalam menjalin hubungan antar sesama, keteguhan, memberikan gambaran dari tingkah laku sehari-hari seseorang yang memiliki harga diri yang tinggi, tegas, tangguh, setia pada keyakinan, dan taat asas.
MODAL SOSIAL DALAM MEMBINGKAI KERUKUNAN UMAT BERAGAMA DI SURAKARTA (Studi Kasus di Kecamatan Serengan dan Jebres)
Authors: Nuriyanto Lilam Kadarin
Published: December 2018

Surakarta dan sekitarnya merupakan daerah yang keadaan sosial keagamaannya sangat dinamis, dimana semua agama dan beberapa aliran kepercayaan ada. Hal tersebut merupakan modal sosial dalam membentuk kerukunan umat beragama. Penelitian ini mengambil seting di Kecamatan Serengan dan Kecamatan Jebres sebagai representatif tingkat kepadatan penduduk yang tingi dan rendah. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode kuantitatif untuk menggambarkan tingkat nilai modal sosial dan kerukunan umat beragama, serta hubungan keduanya. Besaran tingkat nilainya dicari dengan perhitungan rerata, sedangkan hubungan keduanya menggunakan alat analisis regresi sederhana. Hasil perhitungan menunjukan tingkat nilai modal sosial dan kerukunan umat beragama masuk kategori tinggi yaitu  70.17 dan 67.19. Sedangkan pengaruh Modal Sosial terhadap Kerukunan Umat Beragama digambarkan dengan persamaan Y = a + bX atau 38,662 + 0,123X, yang berarti konstanta sebesar 38.662 menyatakan bahwa jika tidak ada nilai Modal Sosial maka nilai Kerukunan Umat Beragama sebesar 38.662, dan koefisien regresi X sebesar 0.123 menyatakan bahwa setiap penambahan 1 nilai Modal Sosial, maka nilai Kerukunan Umat Beragama bertambah sebesar 0.123.
BUDAYA KERJA DALAM PENGEMBANGAN KINERJA GURU MTs DI KABUPATEN DEMAK
Authors: Miyono Noor , Murniati Ngurah Ayu Nyoman
Published: December 2018

ABSTRACTThe Principal of Madrasah have a great responsibility in creating good teaching and learning situations. A good work culture can foster how quality and performance are carried out by a teacher who is in the unit of the work organization unit. The population of this study was MTs teachers in Demak Regency with a sample of 135 teachers selected with purposive random sampling quota. Data collection through questionnaires, data processing and single regression test and multiple regression using SPSS. The results show that respondents perceive the role of madrasah heads in good categories, perceived work culture and teacher performance are also good categories. Regression test results showed (1) the role of madrasah heads had a significant effect on the performance of madrasah teachers by 55.5% (2) work culture had a significant effect on teacher performance by 69.2% (3) the role of madrasah heads and work culture jointly influential significant to teacher performance by 54.8%, regression equation with positive coefficient koefisien = 14.025 + 0.584 X1 + 0.637 X2.�Keywords: work culture and teacher performance
PEMETAAN KUALITAS MADRASAH ALIYAH DI KABUPATEN KOLAKA
Authors: Arsyad Abd. Rahman
Published: December 2018

Penelitian ini� menelusuri tingkat capaian standar nasional pendidikan pada madrasah aliyah di Kabupaten Kolaka, dengan melihat delapan komponen SNP. Jenis Penelitian survey dengan menggunakan metode kuantitatif, adapun tehnik pengumpulan data, yaitu: angket, wawancara, observasi dan dokumentasi.Tingkat capaian madrasah aliyah bervariatif dalam pemenuhan kualitas, terutama pada aspek ciri khas (penambahan materi agama yang relevan dengan mata pelajaran umum dan fasilitas kegiatan ekstrakurikuler), Guru dan staf (pengembangan SDM, pengrekrutan, penempatan), serta sarana dan prasarana (ruang, fasilitas dan media pembelajaran). Manajemen pengelolaan madrasah, sepenuhnya merujuk pada kebijakan yayasan. Sehingga inovasi dan kreatifitas pengelola kurang menguat dalam mengembangkan madrasah, terutama membangun kerjasama pada semua elemen dalam pemenuhan operasional pembelajaran.
AMBIENTES PROTEGIDOS E SUBSTRATOS PARA MUDAS DE BOCAIÚVA ORIUNDAS DO CAMPO
Authors: Ascoli Alexandre de Araújo , Pereira Amanda Casagrande , Costa Edilson , Jorge Marçal Henrique Amici , Maruyama Wilson Itamar
Published: December 2018

A bocaiuva é espécie promissora para produção de alimentos e biodiesel; tecnologias de formação de mudas ajudam toda a cadeia produtiva desta espécie. O objetivo foi avaliar  o pegamento e o crescimento de mudas de bocaiuva oriundas do campo, em diferentes substratos e ambientes protegidos. Foram avaliados dois ambientes: telado agrícola com tela aluminizada na cobertura e laterais com tela preta; telado agrícola com tela preta em toda sua extensão. Foram testados os substratos Bioplant®; 0% de esterco bovino + 70% de solo + 30% de areia; 10% de esterco bovino + 60% de solo + 30% de areia; 20% de esterco bovino + 50% de solo + 30% de areia; 30% de esterco bovino + 40% de solo + 30% de areia. Foi adotado o delineamento inteiramente casualizado com 4 repetições de 10 plantas. Aos 90 e 150 dias após o transplante foi avaliada a porcentagem de sobrevivência. Aos 150 dias também foram avaliadas as fitomassas secas. Foram alcançados níveis de pegamento de 81,25% das mudas de bocaiuva oriundas do campo. Todos os substratos testados foram propícios ao pegamento e ao crescimento das mudas. O ambiente de tela aluminizada na cobertura e tela preta nas laterais formaram as melhores mudas.
QUALIDADE FISIOLÓGICA DE SEMENTES DE SOJA ESVERDEADAS EM DIFERENTES TAMANHOS
Authors: Pardo Fábio Faustini , Binotti Flávio Ferreira da Silva , Cardoso Eliana Duarte , Costa Edilson
Published: December 2018

O tamanho da semente e o estágio de maturação podem influenciar a qualidade fisiológica das sementes. O objetivo foi avaliar a influência da semente esverdeada e tamanho das sementes na qualidade fisiológica de sementes de soja. O presente trabalho foi desenvolvido na Universidade Estadual do Mato Grosso do Sul na Unidade Universitária de Cassilândia, localizada no município de Cassilândia – MS. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente casualizado em esquema fatorial 2x2, constituído por tamanhos (peneiras 5,75 mm e 6,5 mm) e tipos de sementes (normais e esverdeadas), com cinco repetições cada. Realizaram-se avaliações de vigor e germinação. Sementes de soja esverdeadas apresentam menor potencial fisiológico e na mesma quanto menor o tamanho menor será a sua qualidade fisiológica.
Physical Activity and Perceived Health: Can Time Diary Measures of Momentary Well-Being Inform the Association?
Authors: Hofferth Sandra L. , Flood Sarah M. , Carr Deborah , Lee Yoonjoo
Published: December 2018

The association between physical activity and health is well documented, yet prior research has largely ignored the context of physical activity, including its specific type and the emotions experienced while engaged in that activity. This study used interview-based time diary data on 24,016 individuals who participated in the American Time Use Survey well-being modules in 2010, 2012, and 2013 to examine the associations between sedentary and moderately vigorous activities and self-reported health, and the extent to which momentary well-being modifies that association. Respondents who engaged in housework, leisure, or play with children reported better health whereas those who engaged in sedentary activity reported worse self-rated health. Respondents who spent more time in housework reported better health, but this was not the case for leisure or playing with children. Greater positive mood and fewer somatic symptoms while engaged in activity were associated with better self-rated health, with more consistent associations for symptoms than mood. Respondent reports of momentary well-being did not explain the link between activities and perceived or actual health.
Budd-chiari syndrome due to segmental obstruction of the inferior vena cava successfully managed with endovascular stenting
Authors: Uyen Vo Pham Phuong , Duc Quach Trong , Luan Dang Minh , Thao Le Hieu , Luan Nguyen Dinh
Published: December 2018

Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS), a rare and life-threatening disorder due to hepatic venous outflow obstruction, is occasionally associated with hypoproteinemia. We herein report the first case of BCS with segmental obstruction of the intrahepatic portion of inferior venacava (IVC) and hepatic veins (HVs) successfully treated by endovascular stenting in Vietnam. A 32-year-old female patient presented with a 2-month history of massive ascites and leg swelling. She refused history of oral contraceptives use. Hepatosplenomegaly without tenderness was noted. Laboratory data showed polycythemia, mild hypoalbuminemia and hypoproteinemia, slightly high total bilirubin and normal transaminase level. The serum ascites albumin gradient was 1.9 g/ dL and ascitic protein level was 1.1 g/dL. The other data were normal. BCS was suspected because of the discrepancy between mild liver failure and massive ascites; and the presence of hepatosplenomegaly and polycythemia. On abdominal magnetic resonance imaging, the segmental obstruction of three HVs and IVC was 2-3 cm long without thrombus. Cavogram revealed the severe segmental stenosis of intrahepatic portion of IVC with no visualized HV and extensive collateral veins. A Protégé stent was deployed to IVC. Leg swelling and ascites were completely resolved within 3 days after stenting. During 1-year follow-up, edema was not recurred and repeated laboratory results were all normal.
Translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the Vietnamese version of the Diabetes Distress Scale
Authors: Thinh Ong Phuc , Anh Huynh Ngoc Van , Tung Do Thanh , Kien To Gia
Published: December 2018

The Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS) is a valid instrument to measure diabetes distress included in American Diabetes Association and Canadian Diabetes Association guidelines but not available in Vietnamese. This study translated and culturally adapted the DDS to assess diabetes distress of Vietnamese type 2 diabetics and evaluated its internal consistency, face and content validity.

The translation process followed standard guidelines for adaptation of an instrument: forward translation, back translation, synthesis, evaluation by an expert panel and pretest. The expert panel included three English specialists as linguistic experts and six content experts in multidisciplinary areas relevant to the study. The pretest was conducted on a sample of 31 type 2 diabetics in the Endocrinology outpatient clinic at Trung Vuong hospital. Content validity was determined based on experts’ concurrence using content validity index for items (I-CVI). Face validity is assessed by participants in pretest. Internal consistency was measured using Cronbach’s alpha.

Final version was equivalent with the original English version and easy to understand. I-CVI of 17 items were 1.00 in linguistic experts and greater than 0.83 in content experts. All 31 participants involved in the pretest commented that the items were very clear and acceptable regarding their socioeconomic background. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.76 – 0.93 for each subscale and 0.94 for the overall.

Vietnamese version of the DDS was reliable, face and content-valid to assess diabetes distress in type 2 diabetics among Vietnamese.
Ekmek Fırını Çalışanları Üzerine Keşifsel Bir Araştırma: Mersin Örneği
Authors: UNUR Kamil , ATÇI Dilek , ŞANLI Sabahat Ceylin , ALBAYRAK Zeynep
Published: December 2018

Araştırmanın amacı ekmek fırını çalışanlarının işyaşam dengeleri, iş tatminleri ve işten ayrılma niyetlerini incelemektir. Bu amaçla Mart-Haziran 2017 tarihleri arasında Mersin il merkezinde faaliyet gösteren ekmek fırını çalışanlarına anket uygulanmıştır. Kullanılabilir 370 anket üzerinden frekans analizi ve betimsel analiz yapılmıştır. Analizler sonucunda ekmek fırını çalışanlarının iş yaşamlarının özel yaşamlarını etkilediği, ancak buna rağmen çalışanların işlerinden tatmin oldukları ve ayrılmayı düşünmedikleri sonucuna ulaşılmıştır.
Outcome of External Dacryocysto-Rhinostomy (DCR) Operation Without Silicone Tube Intubation
Authors: Khan Md Anwar Hossain , Biswas AHM Zahirul Islam , Hossain Md Mosharraf
Published: December 2018

Background: Dacryocysto-rhinostomy (DCR) is a bypass surgery in which an anastomosis is made between the medial wall of the lacrimal sac & the lateral wall of the nasal mucosa by cutting the intervening bone at the level of middle meatus to restore the flow of tears when the obstruction is beyond the common canaliculus. The aim of this study was to evaluate the surgical intervention of conventional external DCR without silicon tube intubation.Methods: This study was conducted at Jahurul Islam Medical College Hospital, Kishoregonj, from July 2016 to January 2018. Fifty cases with chronic dacryocystitis were selected for the study. The operation was done under local anaesthesia. The patients were followed up for 3 months.Result: The mean age of the patient at the time of surgery was 40.9±13.1 years ranged from 16 to 65 years. Male to female ratio was 1:2.1. There were three patients with reactionary haemorrhage, one wound infection, two with wound gap, one epicanthal fold and one granuloma formation. There were no failed DCR in this series.Conclusion: Conventional DCR is the most common oculoplastic surgery performed for managing epiphora due to nasolacrimal duct obstruction.Anwer Khan Modern Medical College Journal Vol. 9, No. 2: Jul 2018, P 121-123
Clinico-Pathological Profile and Management Outcome of Fournier’s Gangrene in a Tertiary Care Hospital
Authors: Ullah Mahmud Ekram , Faruk Amreen , Talukder Rajibul Haque , Farukuzzaman - , Alam Noor A
Published: December 2018

Background: Fournier’s gangrene is a vascular disaster of infective origin occurring about male external genitalia. Diabetes Mellitus is an important predisposing factor. A good number of patients of this rare clinical entity are admitted frequently in our centre. Till now the disease has the potential for significant morbidity and also mortality.Objective: The study was designed to be conducted among patients suffering from Fournier’s gangrene to identify the possible source of sepsis, to denote pattern and extent of area involvement and microorganisms isolated and to observe the treatment course and outcome.Methods: This prospective observational study was carried out in BIRDEM General Hospital, Dhaka among 60 patients of Fournier’s gangrene admitted under surgery department during the period of October 2016 to January 2018 using purposive sampling method.Result: The results of this study suggest that majority of the study population were in 51 to 60 years (Mean 52±4.9) age group. All the patients were diabetic with grossly elevated blood glucose level (Mean RBS=17.3 mmol/dl). In addition to scrotum, perineum, penis, buttock and lower abdomen were also affected to variable extent (73.3%). All patients required major debridement which had to be repeated in 68.3% cases. Steptococcus pyogens was the most common organism isolated (43.3%) followed by Eschericia coli (35%) and majority were of polymicrobial type (61.6%). Mortality rate was 8.3%.Conclusion: The diagnosis and treatment of Fournier’s gangrene is enigmatic and challenging to the physician. Urgent surgical debridement along with other appropriate supportive measures can reduce morbidity and mortality.Anwer Khan Modern Medical College Journal Vol. 9, No. 2: Jul 2018, P 124-130
Identification of Small Peptides that Inhibit NADPH Oxidase (Nox2) Activation
Authors: Fisher Aron B. , Dodia Chandra , Feinstein Sheldon I.
Published: December 2018

Nicotinamide adenine phosphate (NADPH) oxidase type 2 (Nox2), a major source of reactive oxygen species in lungs, plays an important role in tissue damage associated with acute inflammatory diseases. The phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activity of peroxiredoxin 6 (Prdx6), called aiPLA2, is required for Nox2 activation through its role in the cellular generation of Rac, a key cytosolic component of the activation cascade. Lung surfactant protein A (SP-A) binds to Prdx6, inhibits its aiPLA2 activity, and prevents activation of Nox2. Based on protein docking software, we previously identified a 16 amino acid (aa) peptide derived from rat SP-A as the Prdx6 binding motif. We now identify the minimal effective sequences of rat/mouse and human SP-A as 9-aa sequences that we have called PLA2-inhibitory peptide (PIP).These sequences are PIP-1, rat/mouse; PIP-2, human; and PIP-3, a hybrid of PIPs 1&2. aiPLA2 activity in vitro was inhibited by 50% with ~7–10 µg PIP/µg Prdx6. Inhibition of the aiPLA2 activity and Nox2 activation of lungs in vivo was similar for intratracheal (IT) and intravenous (IV) administration of PIP-2, but required its incorporation into liposomes as a delivery vehicle; tissue ½ time for decrease of the in vivo inhibition of aiPLA2 activity after PIP-2 administration was ~50 h. These properties suggest that PIP-2 could be an effective therapeutic agent to prevent tissue injury associated with lung inflammation.
Performance Analysis of Satellite-to-Ground Coherent Optical Communication System with Aperture Averaging
Authors: Li Hongwei , Huang Yongmei , Wang Qiang , He Dong , Peng Zhenming , Li Qing
Published: December 2018

The satellite-to-ground optical communication system suffers from atmosphere turbulence severely. It is well-known that the coherent detection can increase the receiver sensitivity and performing aperture averaging can reduce the scintillation caused by the atmosphere turbulence. In this paper, the bit error rate, the outage probability and the average capacity of a coherent satellite-to-ground optical communication downlink with aperture averaging are analyzed. The Log-normal atmosphere turbulence model and BPSK (Binary Phase Shift Keying) modulation is employed. The analyzing focuses on the improvement of aperture averaging with different atmospheric conditions and zenith angles of the satellite. The bit error rate performance based on measuring data is given too. The results demonstrate the bit error rate and the outage probability can be reduced and the average capacity can be improved by aperture averaging efficiently. When the turbulence is stronger and the zenith angle is larger, the effect of aperture averaging is more obvious. The aperture averaging effect on BER (Bit Error Rate) is better than the effect on average capacity.
Tongue–Computer Interface Prototype Design Based on T-Type Magnet Localization for Smart Environment Control
Authors: Shen Hui-Min , Yue Yang , Lian Chong , Ge Di , Yang Geng
Published: December 2018

The interactions between paralyzed individuals with severe physical disabilities and smart infrastructure need to be facilitated, and the tongue–computer interface (TCI) provides an efficient and feasible solution. By attaching a permanent magnet (PM) on the apex of the tongue, the real-time tongue motion tracking can be switching to solve a nonlinear inverse magnetic problem. This paper presents a proof-of-concept prototype TCI system utilizing a combined T-type PM marker for potential environment control. The introduction of the combined T-type PM promotes the anisotropy of the magnetic field distribution. A comprehensive calibration method for the sensing system is proposed to figure out the bias in the magnetic moment of the PM marker and the sensing axis rotation of the sensors. To address the influence of initialization in solving the overdetermined inverse magnetic problem, an adaptive Levenberg–Marquardt algorithm is designed utilizing real-time measurements. Bench-top experiments were carried out based on a high-precision three-dimensional (3D) translation platform, and the feasibility of the proposed TCI system in magnetic localization accuracy and efficiency is fully assessed. The mean localization error is 1.65 mm with a mean processing time of 65.7 ms, and a mean improvement of 54.7% can be achieved compared with a traditional LM algorithm.
Influence of Calcium Sulfate Type on Evolution of Reaction Products and Strength in NaOH- and CaO-Activated Ground Granulated Blast-Furnace Slag
Authors: Yoon Seyoon , Park Hyeoneun , Yum Woo Sung , Suh Jung-Il , Oh Jae Eun
Published: December 2018

This study investigated the influences of CaSO4 type (i.e., anhydrite vs. gypsum) on strength development and reaction products in the activation of ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBFS) when different activators (i.e., CaO vs. NaOH) and sources of GGBFS were used. In the CaO-activation, the addition of calcium sulfates greatly enhanced 28-day strengths, regardless of the choice of CaSO4 or GGBFS source, through increasing the quantities of reaction products and reducing pore volume and size. However, in the NaOH-activation, the use of calcium sulfates showed the complex dependency of strength on the choice of CaSO4 type and GGBFS source, and it barely produced beneficial effects on the quantity of reaction products and reduction of pore volume and size. Thus, the results in this study indicate that the combination of CaO-activation and calcium sulfates is a more effective means of activating GGBFS to gain enhanced strength and significant quality control than the use of gypsum with NaOH-activation.
A Multitask-Based Neural Machine Translation Model with Part-of-Speech Tags Integration for Arabic Dialects
Authors: Baniata Laith H. , Park Seyoung , Park Seong-Bae
Published: December 2018

The statistical machine translation for the Arabic language integrates external linguistic resources such as part-of-speech tags. The current research presents a Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (Bi-LSTM)—Conditional Random Fields (CRF) segment-level Arabic Dialect POS tagger model, which will be integrated into the Multitask Neural Machine Translation (NMT) model. The proposed solution for NMT is based on the recurrent neural network encoder-decoder NMT model that has been introduced recently. The study has proposed and developed a unified Multitask NMT model that shares an encoder between the two tasks; Arabic Dialect (AD) to Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) translation task and the segment-level POS tagging tasks. A shared layer and an invariant layer are shared between the translation tasks. By training translation tasks and POS tagging task alternately, the proposed model can leverage the characteristic information and improve the translation quality from Arabic dialects to Modern Standard Arabic. The experiments are conducted from Levantine Arabic (LA) to MSA and Maghrebi Arabic (MA) to MSA translation tasks. As an additional linguistic resource, the segment-level part-of-speech tags for Arabic dialects were also exploited. Experiments suggest that translation quality and the performance of POS tagger were improved with the implementation of multitask learning approach.
A Theoretical Study of Surface Mode Propagation with a Guiding Layer of GaN/Sapphire Hetero-Structure in Liquid Medium
Authors: Mohd Razip Wee M. F. , Jaafar Muhammad Musoddiq , Faiz Mohd Syafiq , Dee Chang Fu , Yeop Majlis Burhanuddin
Published: December 2018

Gallium Nitride (GaN) is considered as the second most popular semiconductor material in industry after silicon. This is due to its wide applications encompassing Light Emitting Diode (LED) and power electronics. In addition, its piezoelectric properties are fascinating to be explored as electromechanical material for the development of diverse microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) application. In this article, we conducted a theoretical study concerning surface mode propagation, especially Rayleigh and Sezawa mode in the layered GaN/sapphire structure with the presence of various guiding layers. It is demonstrated that the increase in thickness of guiding layer will decrease the phase velocities of surface mode depending on the material properties of the layer. In addition, the Q-factor value indicating the resonance properties of surface mode appeared to be affected with the presence of fluid domain, particularly in the Rayleigh mode. Meanwhile, the peak for Sezawa mode shows the highest Q factor and is not altered by the presence of fluid. Based on these theoretical results using the finite element method, it could contribute to the development of a GaN-based device to generate surface acoustic wave, especially in Sezawa mode which could be useful in acoustophoresis, lab on-chip and microfluidics applications.
One Step Ahead of Active Shooters: Are Our University Buildings Ready?
Authors: Kellom Kristy , Nubani Linda
Published: December 2018

Active shooter incidents typically transpire quickly. Research reveals that 70 percent of active shooter incidents end in less than 5 min, and that a majority of incidents are over before law enforcement arrive on scene. This study analyzes the level of preparedness among a sample of faculty members on executing “Run, Hide, Fight” in two university buildings that range in layout complexity. It also analyzes design challenges impacting response time for a sample of police officers. A visibility graph analysis (VGA), a new architectural based simulation tactic, was conducted to measure visual exposure and access, the legibility of layouts, and the ease of wayfinding within these two buildings. The findings showed that VGA measures explained the perceived level of preparedness among faculty members, and the importance of visibility to the police when they clear the building room by room. These measures may have the ability to identify the risk of exposure to shooters while attempting to run or hide, and to identify potential hidden spots in any floor plan.
Vector Generation of Quantum Contextual Sets in Even Dimensional Hilbert Spaces
Authors: Pavičić Mladen , Megill Norman D.
Published: December 2018

Recently, quantum contextuality has been proved to be the source of quantum computation’s power. That, together with multiple recent contextual experiments, prompts improving the methods of generation of contextual sets and finding their features. The most elaborated contextual sets, which offer blueprints for contextual experiments and computational gates, are the Kochen–Specker (KS) sets. In this paper, we show a method of vector generation that supersedes previous methods. It is implemented by means of algorithms and programs that generate hypergraphs embodying the Kochen–Specker property and that are designed to be carried out on supercomputers. We show that vector component generation of KS hypergraphs exhausts all possible vectors that can be constructed from chosen vector components, in contrast to previous studies that used incomplete lists of vectors and therefore missed a majority of hypergraphs. Consequently, this unified method is far more efficient for generations of KS sets and their implementation in quantum computation and quantum communication. Several new KS classes and their features have been found and are elaborated on in the paper. Greechie diagrams are discussed.
Anomaly Detection in Paleoclimate Records Using Permutation Entropy
Authors: Garland Joshua , Jones Tyler R. , Neuder Michael , Morris Valerie , White James W. C. , Bradley Elizabeth
Published: December 2018

Permutation entropy techniques can be useful for identifying anomalies in paleoclimate data records, including noise, outliers, and post-processing issues. We demonstrate this using weighted and unweighted permutation entropy with water-isotope records containing data from a deep polar ice core. In one region of these isotope records, our previous calculations (See Garland et al. 2018) revealed an abrupt change in the complexity of the traces: specifically, in the amount of new information that appeared at every time step. We conjectured that this effect was due to noise introduced by an older laboratory instrument. In this paper, we validate that conjecture by reanalyzing a section of the ice core using a more advanced version of the laboratory instrument. The anomalous noise levels are absent from the permutation entropy traces of the new data. In other sections of the core, we show that permutation entropy techniques can be used to identify anomalies in the data that are not associated with climatic or glaciological processes, but rather effects occurring during field work, laboratory analysis, or data post-processing. These examples make it clear that permutation entropy is a useful forensic tool for identifying sections of data that require targeted reanalysis—and can even be useful for guiding that analysis.
Assessing English: A Comparison between Canada and England’s Assessment Procedures
Authors: Marshall Bethan , Gibbons Simon
Published: December 2018

English as a subject used to be assessed using course-based or portfolio assessments but now it is increasingly examined through terminal tests. Canada is an exception to this rule. This paper compares the way English is assessed in England and Canada and looks to the ways in which the kind of assessment undertaken affects the practices of English teachers both in the teaching of summative and formative assessment.
Learning the Metric of Task Constraint Manifolds for Constrained Motion Planning
Authors: Zha Fusheng , Liu Yizhou , Guo Wei , Wang Pengfei , Li Mantian , Wang Xin , Li Jingxuan
Published: December 2018

Finding feasible motion for robots with high-dimensional configuration space is a fundamental problem in robotics. Sampling-based motion planning algorithms have been shown to be effective for these high-dimensional systems. However, robots are often subject to task constraints (e.g., keeping a glass of water upright, opening doors and coordinating operation with dual manipulators), which introduce significant challenges to sampling-based motion planners. In this work, we introduce a method to establish approximate model for constraint manifolds, and to compute an approximate metric for constraint manifolds. The manifold metric is combined with motion planning methods based on projection operations, which greatly improves the efficiency and success rate of motion planning tasks under constraints. The proposed method Approximate Graph-based Constrained Bi-direction Rapidly Exploring Tree (AG-CBiRRT), which improves upon CBiRRT, and CBiRRT were tested on several task constraints, highlighting the benefits of our approach for constrained motion planning tasks.
Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring Based on Novel Transient Signal in Household Appliances with Low Sampling Rate
Authors: Le Thi-Thu-Huong , Kim Howon
Published: December 2018

Nowadays climate change problems have been more and more concerns and urgent in the real world. Especially, the energy power consumption monitoring is a considerate trend having positive effects in decreasing affecting climate change. Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring (NILM) is the best economic solution to solve the electrical consumption monitoring issue. NILM captures the electrical signals from the aggregate energy consumption, feature extraction from these signals and then learning and predicting the switch ON/OFF of appliances used these feature extracted. This paper proposed a NILM framework including data acquisition, data feature extraction, and classification model. The main contribution is to develop a new transient signal in a different aspect. The proposed transient signal is extracted from the active power signal in the low-frequency sampling rate. This transient signal is used to detect the event of household appliances. In household appliances event detection, we applied to Decision Tree and Long Short-Time Memory (LSTM) models. The average accuracies of these models achieved 92.64% and 96.85%, respectively. The computational and result experiments present the solution effectiveness for the accurate transient signal extraction in the electrical input signals.
Electrochemical Energy Storage Potentials of Waste Biomass: Oil Palm Leaf- and Palm Kernel Shell-Derived Activated Carbons
Authors: Nasir Salisu , Hussein Mohd Zobir , Zainal Zulkarnain , Yusof Nor Azah , Mohd Zobir Syazwan Afif
Published: December 2018

In this study, activated carbons (ACs) were produced from oil palm leaves (OPL) and palm kernel shells (PKS) using different concentrations (0%, 11%, and 33%) of H3PO4 as the activating agent. The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) results indicated that surface area decreases with the decreasing of the concentration of the H3PO4 in the following order: AC from oil palm leaves was (OPLAC-0% H3PO4) < (OPLAC-11% H3PO4) < (OPLAC-33% H3PO4), with the BET surface area values of 37, 760, and 780 m2/g, respectively. Similarly, the PKS-derived AC followed the same trend of (PKSAC-0% H3PO4) < (PKSAC-11% H3PO4) < (PKSAC-33% H3PO4), with the BET surface area values of 3, 52, and 1324 m2/g, respectively. Based on this finding, it was observed that H3PO4 had exhibited an influential role on enhancing the surface properties of the AC. On the contrary, it slightly decreased the graphitic trait of the AC by considering their IG/ID trends, which were generated from the Raman spectral analysis. The energy storage capacity of the AC was further tested using cyclic voltammetry. Three of the samples were found to have high capacitance values of 434 F g−1, 162 F g−1, and 147 F g−1 at 5 mVs−1. The first (434 F g−1) is much higher than the specific capacitance value (343 F g−1) of the only oil palm leaf-derived porous carbon nanoparticles ever reported in the literature.
Rotordynamic Analysis of the AM600 Turbine-Generator Shaftline
Authors: Mudau Tshimangadzo , Field Robert Murray
Published: December 2018

The AM600 represents the conceptual design and layout of a Nuclear Power Plant Turbine Island intended to address challenges associated with emerging markets interested in nuclear power. When coupled with a medium sized nuclear reactor plant, the AM600 is designed with a unit capacity that aligns with constraints where grid interconnections and load flows are limiting. Through design simplification, the baseline turbine-generator shaftline employs a single low-pressure turbine cylinder, a design which to date has not been offered commercially at this capacity. Though the use of a ‘stiffer’ design, this configuration is intended to withstand, with a margin, the damage potential of torsional excitation from the grid-machine interface, specifically due to transient disturbances and negative sequence currents. To demonstrate the robust nature of the design, torsional rotordynamic analysis is performed for the prototype shaftline using three dimensional finite element modelling with ANSYS® software. The intent is to demonstrate large separation of the shaftline natural frequencies from the dominant frequencies for excitation. The analysis examined both welded drum and monoblock type Low Pressure Turbine rotors for single cylinder and double cylinder configurations. For each, the first seven (7) torsional natural frequencies (ranging from zero–190 Hz) were extracted and evaluated against the frequency exclusion range (i.e., avoidance of 1× and 2× grid frequency). Results indicate that the prototype design of AM600 shaftline has adequate separation from the dominant excitation frequencies. For verification of the ANSYS® modelling of the shaftline, a simplified lumped mass calculation of the natural frequencies was performed with results matching the finite element analysis values.
Exhaust Emissions and Physicochemical Properties of n-Butanol/Diesel Blends with 2-Ethylhexyl Nitrate (EHN) or Hydrotreated Used Cooking Oil (HUCO) as Cetane Improvers
Authors: Zahos-Siagos Iraklis , Karathanassis Vlasios , Karonis Dimitrios
Published: December 2018

Currently, n-butanol is a promising oxygenate (potentially of renewable origin) to be used in blends with conventional diesel fuel in compression ignition engines. However, its poor ignition quality can drastically deteriorate the cetane number (CN) of the blend. In the present work, the effects of adding n-butanol to ultra-low-sulfur diesel (ULSD) were assessed, aiming at simultaneously eliminating its negative effect on the blend’s ignition quality. Concentrations of 10% and 20% (v/v) n-butanol in ULSD fuel were studied. As cetane-improving agents, a widely used cetane improver (2-ethylhexyl nitrate—EHN) and a high-CN, bio-derived paraffinic diesel (hydrotreated used cooking oil—HUCO) were used. The initial investigation of ignition quality improvement with the addition of either EHN or HUCO produced four “ignition quality response curves” that served as mixing guides in order to create four blends of identical ignition quality as the baseline ULSD fuel. These four blends (10% and 20% v/v n-butanol in ULSD fuel, with the addition of either EHN or HUCO, at the cost of ULSD volume share only) were evaluated comparatively to the baseline ULSD fuel and a 10% (v/v) n-butanol/90% ULSD blend with regards to their physicochemical properties and the effect on the operation and exhaust emissions of a stationary diesel engine.
Research into an Efficient Energy Equalizer for Lithium-Ion Battery Packs
Authors: Liu Hongrui , Li Bo , Guo Yixuan , Du Chunfeng , Chen Shilong , Lu Sizhao
Published: December 2018

An efficient multi-mode energy equalizer for lithium-ion battery packs is proposed and energy balance strategies are studied in this paper. The energy balance strategies include the selection of the controlled object in the battery’s different working states and the current form of the controlled object. During the energy balancing process, the strongest single cell or the weakest single cell is selected as the controlled object according to the different working states of the battery, and the balanced current of the controlled object is continuous. Therefore, the energy equalizer proposed in this paper has a fast balancing speed, an improved balancing effect, and an excellent balancing reliability. According to the energy equalizer, the relevant experimental platform was built, and balance experiments in the battery’s different working states using a battery pack composed of four serially-connected lithium iron phosphate batteries were completed. Finally, the experimental results proved the effectiveness of the energy equalizer.
Gene-Based Nonparametric Testing of Interactions Using Distance Correlation Coefficient in Case-Control Association Studies
Authors: Guo Yingjie , Wu Chenxi , Guo Maozu , Liu Xiaoyan , Keinan Alon
Published: December 2018

Among the various statistical methods for identifying gene–gene interactions in qualitative genome-wide association studies (GWAS), gene-based methods have recently grown in popularity because they confer advantages in both statistical power and biological interpretability. However, most of these methods make strong assumptions about the form of the relationship between traits and single-nucleotide polymorphisms, which result in limited statistical power. In this paper, we propose a gene-based method based on the distance correlation coefficient called gene-based gene-gene interaction via distance correlation coefficient (GBDcor). The distance correlation (dCor) is a measurement of the dependency between two random vectors with arbitrary, and not necessarily equal, dimensions. We used the difference in dCor in case and control datasets as an indicator of gene–gene interaction, which was based on the assumption that the joint distribution of two genes in case subjects and in control subjects should not be significantly different if the two genes do not interact. We designed a permutation-based statistical test to evaluate the difference between dCor in cases and controls for a pair of genes, and we provided the p-value for the statistic to represent the significance of the interaction between the two genes. In experiments with both simulated and real-world data, our method outperformed previous approaches in detecting interactions accurately.
Hydrolysis and Photolysis Kinetics, and Identification of Degradation Products of the Novel Bactericide 2-(4-Fluorobenzyl)-5-(Methylsulfonyl)-1,3,4-Oxadiazole in Water
Authors: Meng Xingang , Chen Lingzhu , Zhang Yuping , Hu Deyu , Song Baoan
Published: December 2018

Hydrolysis and photolysis kinetics of Fubianezuofeng (FBEZF) in water were investigated in detail. The hydrolysis half-lives of FBEZF depending on pH, initial concentration, and temperature were (14.44 d at pH = 5; 1.60 d at pH = 7), (36.48 h at 1.0 mg L−1; 38.51 h at 5.0 mg L−1; and 31.51 h at 10.0 mg L−1), and (77.02 h at 15 °C; 38.51 h at 25 °C; 19.80 h at 35 °C; and 3.00 h at 45 °C), respectively. The photolysis half-life of FBEZF in different initial concentrations were 8.77 h at 1.0 mg L−1, 8.35 h at 5.0 mg L−1, and 8.66 h at 10.0 mg L−1, respectively. Results indicated that the degradation of FBEZF followed first-order kinetics, as the initial concentration of FBEZF only had a slight effect on the UV irradiation effects, and the increase in pH and temperature can substantially accelerate the degradation. The hydrolysis Ea of FBEZF was 49.90 kJ mol−1, which indicates that FBEZF belongs to medium hydrolysis. In addition, the degradation products were identified using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with an Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometer. One degradation product was extracted and further analyzed by 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, 19F-NMR, and MS. The degradation product was identified as 2-(4-fluorobenazyl)-5-methoxy-1,3,4-oxadiazole, therefore a degradation mechanism of FBEZF in water was proposed. The research on FBEZF can be helpful for its safety assessment and increase the understanding of FBEZF in water environments.
The Peer Context of Dieting: The Relationship between Young Adults’ Dieting Frequency and Their Friends’ Weight-Related Characteristics
Authors: Miething Alexander , Rostila Mikael , Edling Christofer , Rydgren Jens
Published: December 2018

Previous research found that weight-related behaviors and body weight tends to be similar between individuals and peers. Rather little is known how different domains of weight-related behaviors co-evolve in peer networks. Hence, this study explores how young adults’ self-reported dieting relates to perceived body weight and weight control behaviors of their peers. A Swedish two-wave panel survey with ego-centric network data was analyzed with negative binomial regression models. Nineteen-year-old men and women in the first wave, and 23-year-olds in the follow-up sample were examined. Men at age 19 showed an increased dieting propensity when being exposed to underweight peers. Compared to men, women’s dieting at age 19 was more strongly related to their own body image concerns, and peers’ weight-related behaviors like physical exercising and unhealthy eating. The associations between dieting and peers’ weight-related characteristics for men and women deteriorated from age 19 to age 23. The findings suggest that women’s dieting—in comparison to dieting in men—is more strongly related to the peer context. The decrease in associations between men’s and women’s dieting and peers’ weight-related characteristics from age 19 to age 23 may reflect a weakened importance of the peer context in early adulthood.
Characterizing Sphingosine Kinases and Sphingosine 1-Phosphate Receptors in the Mammalian Eye and Retina
Authors: Porter Hunter , Qi Hui , Prabhu Nicole , Grambergs Richard , McRae Joel , Hopiavuori Blake , Mandal Nawajes
Published: December 2018

Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) signaling regulates numerous biological processes including neurogenesis, inflammation and neovascularization. However, little is known about the role of S1P signaling in the eye. In this study, we characterize two sphingosine kinases (SPHK1 and SPHK2), which phosphorylate sphingosine to S1P, and three S1P receptors (S1PR1, S1PR2 and S1PR3) in mouse and rat eyes. We evaluated sphingosine kinase and S1P receptor gene expression at the mRNA level in various rat tissues and rat retinas exposed to light-damage, whole mouse eyes, specific eye structures, and in developing retinas. Furthermore, we determined the localization of sphingosine kinases and S1P receptors in whole rat eyes by immunohistochemistry. Our results unveiled unique expression profiles for both sphingosine kinases and each receptor in ocular tissues. Furthermore, these kinases and S1P receptors are expressed in mammalian retinal cells and the expression of SPHK1, S1PR2 and S1PR3 increased immediately after light damage, which suggests a function in apoptosis and/or light stress responses in the eye. These findings have numerous implications for understanding the role of S1P signaling in the mechanisms of ocular diseases such as retinal inflammatory and degenerative diseases, neovascular eye diseases, glaucoma and corneal diseases.
Role of Endoglin (CD105) in the Progression of Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Anti-Angiogenic Therapy
Authors: Kasprzak Aldona , Adamek Agnieszka
Published: December 2018

The liver is perfused by both arterial and venous blood, with a resulting abnormal microenvironment selecting for more-aggressive malignancies. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most frequent primary liver cancer, the sixth most common cancer globally, and the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. HCC is characterized by its hypervascularization. Improving the efficiency of anti-angiogenic treatment and mitigation of anti-angiogenic drug resistance are the top priorities in the development of non-surgical HCC therapies. Endoglin (CD105), a transmembrane glycoprotein, is one of the transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) co-receptors. Involvement of that protein in angiogenesis of solid tumours is well documented. Endoglin is a marker of activated endothelial cells (ECs), and is preferentially expressed in the angiogenic endothelium of solid tumours, including HCC. HCC is associated with changes in CD105-positive ECs within and around the tumour. The large spectrum of endoglin effects in the liver is cell-type- and HCC- stage-specific. High expression of endoglin in non-tumour tissue suggests that this microenvironment might play an especially important role in the progression of HCC. Evaluation of tissue expression, as well as serum concentrations of this glycoprotein in HCC, tends to confirm its role as an important biomarker in HCC diagnosis and prognosis. The role of endoglin in liver fibrosis and HCC progression also makes it an attractive therapeutic target. Despite these facts, the exact molecular mechanisms of endoglin functioning in hepatocarcinogenesis are still poorly understood. This review summarizes the current data concerning the role and signalling pathways of endoglin in hepatocellular carcinoma development and progression, and provides an overview of the strategies available for a specific targeting of CD105 in anti-angiogenic therapy in HCC.