bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ÖZGECAN ASLAN VAK‘ASININ İNSAN HAKLARI BAĞLAMINDA BİR DEĞERLENDİRMESİ VE TARTIŞMALI BİR ÖNERİ: TEDBİREN HAPİS
Authors: ERTEN Murat
Published: February 2020

Dede Cöngî Efendi vali ile kâdının yetkileri arasındaki farkları sıralarken, bir tedbiren hapis cezasından söz eder ve bunun adalet arayışı sürecinde suçu önleyici uygulamalardan biri olduğunu vurgular. Buna göre henüz suç işlememiş veya bir suçu işlemeyi alışkanlık edinmiş bir kimse, yeni bir suçu işleyip yeni mağdurlar yaratmadan evvel devlet gözetimine alınır, kişisel masrafları devlet tarafından karşılanır ve gözetim altında tutulduğu süre içerisinde ahlâken düzelmesi beklenir. Fakat suç fiili henüz işlenmemiştir ve işlenmemiş bir suç için öngörülecek bu hükmün ortaya çıkaracağı insan hakları problemleri bir yana, toplu taşım aracındayken kaçırılan, saldırıya uğrayan, öldürülen ve öldükten sonra yakılarak ortadan kaldırılmaya çalışılan Özgecan Aslan ve benzeri şiddet vak‘aları ortaya çıktıkça, toplum güvenliği açısından bu türden tedbir mekanizmalarına ne denli ihtiyaç olduğu görülmektedir. İnsan hakları açısından bakıldığında, şüpheli şahısların yargı ve ceza sürecinde sahip olduğu haklar kadar, mağdurların da yaşama, güvende olma, serbestçe seyahat etme ve toplumunsa genel anlamda huzurlu yaşam hakları vardır. Özellikle psikolojik problemleri ve madde bağımlılığı olan kimselerin çeşitli kanallardan takip edilmesi ve isimleri, onurları ve diğer kişilik hakları zedelenmeden gözetim altında tutulmaları, toplum huzuru açısından önem arz etmektedir. Dolayısıyla Dede Cöngî Efendi’nin bu tedbir önerisi tartışmalı olduğu kadar düşündürücüdür.
Optimasi Kondisi Pelarutan Logam Au Dalam Endapan Placer Dengan Proses Hidrometalurgi
Authors: Muhammad Irpan , Triantoro Agus , Novianti Yuniar Siska
Published: February 2020

Emas diperoleh dengan cara mengisolasinya dari batuan bijih emas. Proses hidrometalurgi dengan Aqua Regia sebagai pereaksi digunakan untuk mengisolasi emas dari endapan alluvialnya. Penelitian ini dilakukan untuk mengetahui hasil ekstraksi Au menggunakan Aqua Regia dan waktu optimum dari proses hidrometalurgi serta seberapa besar massa logam Au yang terlarut. Dalam penelitian ini sampel diambil di tiga titik berbeda yang berada Sungai Katingan Kalimantan Tengah dengan masing-masing kedalaman sampel 3 meter dari permukaan air, kemudian sampel dilindi menggunakan Aqua Regia dengan rentang waktu 5, 10, 20, 60, 100 dan 120 menit. Data yang digunakan berupa data konsentrasi logam Au yang didapatkan dari sampel yang telah dilindi sebelumnya dan dianalisis dengan menggunakan instrument AAS (Atomic Absorption Spectrometry) kemudian diolah dengan menggunakan kurva x dan y untuk mendapatkan waktu optimum serta massa logam Au terlarut didapatkan dengan menggunakan persamaan. Data hasil penelitian menghasilkan konsentrasi Au pada waktu pelindian dengan rentang waktu 5, 10, 20, 60, 100 dan 120 menit pada masing-masing sampel disetiap lokasi secara berurutan pada lokasi 1 adalah 11,07Mg/L, 10,68Mg/L, 11,02Mg/L, 11,23Mg/L, 2,21Mg/L, 0,51Mg/L dengan massa Au terlarut 1,27x10-3gr, 1,22x10-3gr, 1,26x10-3gr, 1,12x10-3gr, 2,54x10-4gr dan 5,87x10-5gr. Lokasi 2 adalah 656Mg/L, 587Mg/L, 584Mg/L, 625Mg/L, 645Mg/L, 210Mg/L dengan massa Au terlarut 7,54x10-2gr, 6,75x10-2gr, 6,71x10-2gr, 7,18x10-2gr, 7,41x10-2gr dan 2,41x10-2gr. Lokasi 3 adalah 261Mg/L, 931Mg/L, 625Mg/L, 631Mg/L, 639Mg/L, 915Mg/L dengan massa Au terlarut 3x10-2gr, 1,07x10-1gr, 7,18x10-2gr, 7,25x10-2gr, 7,34x10-2gr dan 1,05x10-1gr. Dari hasil tersebut memperlihatkan waktu yang paling optimal untuk proses hidrometalurgi pada endapan alluvial berada pada waktu 5 menit karena menghasilkan konsentrasi logam dan massa Au yang paling optimal dalam kondisi Aqua Regia yang masih stabil.
Analisis Kandungan Fly Ash Sebagai Alternatif Bahan Penetral Dalam Penanggulangan Air Asam Tambang
Authors: Said Moh Salman , Nurhawaisyah Sitti Ratmi , Juradi Muhammad Idris , Asmiani Nur , Kusuma Ginting Jalu
Published: February 2020

Air Asam Tambang (AAT) merupakan dampak lingkungan penting dari kegiatan pertambangan, baik tambang bijih maupun tambang batubara yang terokdidasi dengan mineral sulfida. Isu ini menjadi semakin penting apabila penanganan Air Asam Tambang tidak dilakukan dengan baik maka akan menjadi beban pada masa pascatambang. Material yang digunakan dalam proses pengolahan air asam tambang adalah bahan yang memiliki alkalinitas seperti batu gamping namun fly ash atau abu sisa pembakaran batubara berpotensi memiliki kadar alkalinitas dan selama ini hanya dianggap sebagai limbah B3 karena bisa menjadi kontaminan pencemar, maka dari itu dilakukan penelitian untuk mengkaji lebih dalam mengenai potensi pemanfaatan fly ash sebagai bahan penetral. Pada penelitian ini fly ash digunakan sebagai bahan utama, studi ini bertujuan untuk melakukan analisis kandungan fly ash untuk proses penetralan air asam tambang dan untuk mengkaji karakteristik dari fly ash berkaitan denga kandungannya. Percobaan ini menganalisis kandungan fly ash dengan bebeberapa pengujian yaitu uji sifat fisik ( distribusi ukuran partikel, SEM-EDS) dan pengujian sifat kimia (XRF, XRD, Uji Statik). Hasil penilitian ini menunjukan fly ash dapat dijadikan salah satu alternatif bahan penetral asam karena memiliki nilai ANC yang tinggi 337,88 kgH2SO4/ton dan kandungan Total Sulfur yang rendah 0,37%. Nilai pH paste dan NAG pH menunjukan bahwa fly ash sangat reaktif dan ukuran butir fly ash yang kecil menunjukan bahwa semakin kecil ukuran butir, maka semakin besar luas permukaan sampel untuk kontak dengan air asam tambang. Hal ini menyebabkan sampel fly ash semakin reaktif atau sangat mudah bereaksi dengan air asam tambang yang digunakan dalam proses penetralan. Dari hasil pengujian mineral dan unsur dengan keterdapatan kandungan alumunium oksida, gypsum dan mineral yang mengandung kapur diindikasikan fly ash memiliki sifat alkalinitas.
UPAYA MENINGKATKAN HASIL BELAJAR ILMU PENGETAHUAN SOSIAL MELALUI PEMBELAJARAN KOOPERATIF
Authors: Amsunardi Amsunardi
Published: February 2020

This study aims to improve student learning outcomes at SDN 07 Indralaya Utara Ogan Ilir Regency through cooperative learning models. This study uses a classroom action research method with the subject of research is the fifth grade students of SDN 07 Indralaya Utara, Ogan Ilir Regency. The results of this study indicate that the ability of students in subject matter fractions, each cycle has increased. Cycle I, the percentage of completeness 58.33%, students who reach the minimum completeness criteria of seven students. Cycle II with a percentage of completeness 83.33%, students who reached the minimum completeness criteria were ten students. From the two cycles applied, there was an increase in students' abilities in the subject matter of Ethnic Diversity in Indonesia. Based on indicators of success in cycle II, that applied cooperative learning can improve students abilities in the subject matter of Ethnic Diversity in Indonesia.
KELAYAKAN BUKU TEKS BAHASA INDONESIA TERBITAN BALITBANG KEMDIKBUD DENGAN KURIKULUM 2013 REVISI 2016
Authors: Muchti Andina , Dewi Yuni Citra
Published: February 2020

Media and learning resources are the core components of teaching activities. Learning resources is related to textbooks as learning materials for students and teachers to provide additional knowledge. This study aims to see the feasibility of buku teks Bahasa Indonesia Class VII published by Balitbang Kemdikbud with the kurikulum 2013 revision  2016, which is to determine whether the book is really qualified so worthy to be used as a source of learning. The feasibility is reviewed in terms of content and language . From the analsys the aspect of content, the material is in accordance with KI and KD in  the curriculum 2013. While viewed from the aspect of language, textbooks Indonesian Class VII Curriculum 2013 Revision 2016 is good and not complicated language, careful choice of words, language which is used easily understood, but  there is a vocabulary that does not conform to the general rules of Ejaan Bahasa Indonesia.
Plukdymo poveikis kūdikių motorinei raidai ir fizinei sveikatai
Authors: Budrienė Lina , Pūtytė Ugnė , Strukčinskaitė Vaiva , Radzevič Veslava , Dudonienė Vilma
Published: February 2020

Tyrimo pagrindimas. Kūdikių motorikos sutrikimai ir sulėtėjęs judesių tobulinimo etapas yra opios šiuolaikinės visuomenės problemos. Viena iš pagrindinių to priežasčių – vaiko fizinė sveikata, nes kūdikystėje organizmas yra jautresnis lengvai plintančioms ligoms. Remiantis per pastarąjį šimtmetį sukaupta moksline literatūra, efektyviausia reabilitacijos priemonė, skirta imuninės sistemos stiprinimui ir sutrikusiai motorinei raidai koreguoti, yra individuali fizinė Tikslas – įvertinti plukdymo poveikį kūdikių motorinei raidai ir fizinei Metodai. Buvo tiriami 34 kūdikiai (6–18 mėn. amžiaus), neturintys įgimtų sveikatos sutrikimų ar įgytų traumų. Pirmą tiriamųjų grupę sudarė 17 kūdikių, lankiusių plukdymo užsiėmimus daugiau nei 3 mėnesius, antrą – 17 kūdikių, nelankiusių baseino. Tyrimo metu buvo vertinama kūdikių motorika pagal Peabody motorinės raidos skalę ir analizuojama fizinės sveikatos būklė naudojantis anketinės apklausos Rezultatai. Lyginant abiejų grupių surinktų procentilių, amžiaus ekvivalento, amžiaus ekvivalento ir chronologinio amžiaus vidurkių skirtumus, pasiskirstymą pagal atitinkamas reikšmes, apibūdinančias tiriamojo motorinę raidą, pastebėta, kad pirmos grupės, lankiusios plukdymo užsiėmimus, rodikliai yra statistiškai reikšmingai geresni nei antros (p < 0,05). Išanalizavus sergamumo dažnio pasiskirstymą tarp grupių nustatyta, kad pirmoje grupėje yra statistiškai reikšmingai daugiau nė karto nesirgusių tiriamųjų nei antroje, abiejose grupėse buvo vienodas skaičius tiriamųjų, sirgusių 1–2 kartus, antroje grupėje buvo daugiau tiriamųjų, sirgusių 3–4 kartus (p < Išvada. Tiriamųjų, lankiusių plukdymo užsiėmimus, motorinio išsivystymo lygio ir fizinės sveikatos būklės rodikliai buvo statistiškai reikšmingai geresni nei tiriamųjų, kuriems plukdymo užsiėmimai nebuvo taikomi.Raktažodžiai: kūdikiai, plukdymas, motorinė raida, fizinė sveikata.
Multi-Loop Model Reference Proportional Integral Derivative Controls: Design and Performance Evaluations
Authors: Alagoz Baris Baykant , Tepljakov Aleksei , Petlenkov Eduard , Yeroglu Celaleddin
Published: February 2020

Due to unpredictable and fluctuating conditions in real-world control system applications, disturbance rejection is a substantial factor in robust control performance. The inherent disturbance rejection capacity of classical closed loop control systems is limited, and an increase in disturbance rejection performance of single-loop control systems affects the set-point control performance. Multi-loop control structures, which involve model reference control loops, can enhance the inherent disturbance rejection capacity of classical control loops without degrading set-point control performance; while the classical closed Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) control loop deals with stability and set-point control, the additional model reference control loop performs disturbance rejection control. This adaptive disturbance rejection, which does not influence set-point control performance, is achieved by selecting reference models as transfer functions of real control systems. This study investigates six types of multi-loop model reference (ML-MR) control structures for PID control loops and presents straightforward design schemes to enhance the disturbance rejection control performance of existing PID control loops. For this purpose, linear and non-linear ML-MR control structures are introduced, and their control performance improvements and certain inherent drawbacks of these structures are discussed. Design examples demonstrate the benefits of the ML-MR control structures for disturbance rejection performance improvement of PID control loops without severely deteriorating their set-point performance.
Requirements Engineering for an Industrial Symbiosis Tool for Industrial Parks Covering System Analysis, Transformation Simulation and Goal Setting
Authors: Lütje Anna , Wohlgemuth Volker
Published: February 2020

Industrial Symbiosis (IS) is a collaborative cross-sectoral approach to connect the resource supply and demand of various industries in order to optimize the resource use through exchange of materials, energy, water and human resources across different companies, while generating ecological, technical, social and economic benefits. One of the main goals of IS is the set-up of advanced circular/cascading systems, in which the energy and material flows are prolonged for multiple utilization within industrial systems in order to increase resource productivity and efficiency, while reducing the environmental load. Many Information Communication Technology (ICT) tools have been developed to facilitate IS, but they predominantly focus on the as-is analysis of the IS system, and do not consider the development of a common desired target vision or corresponding possible future scenarios as well as conceivable transformation paths from the actual to the defined (sustainability) target state. This gap shall be addressed in this paper, presenting the software requirements engineering results for a holistic IT-supported IS tool covering system analysis, transformation simulation and goal-setting. This new approach goes beyond system analysis and includes the use of expert systems, system dynamics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques, which turn the IT-supported IS tool to be developed into a comprehensive and holistic instrument with which future scenarios and transformation paths can be simulated.
Cropping System Redesign for Improved Weed Management: A Modeling Approach Illustrated with Giant Ragweed (Ambrosia trifida)
Authors: Liebman Matt , Nichols Virginia A.
Published: February 2020

Weeds present important challenges to both conventional farmers who rely on herbicides and organic farmers who rely on cultivation. Data from field experiments indicate that diversifying crop sequences with additional species can improve weed suppression when either herbicides or cultivation serve as primary control tactics. Here, we report the results of modeling analyses that investigated how cropping system diversification would affect the population dynamics of giant ragweed (Ambrosia trifida L.), an annual dicotyledonous species that is problematic in the central U.S. for both conventional and organic farmers. We found that to prevent an increase in giant ragweed density, the minimum control efficacy needed from herbicides or cultivation used in corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) would be 99.0% in a 2-year corn–soybean system, but 91.4% in a 5-year corn–soybean–rye (Secale cereale L.)–alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) system. Thus, the diversified rotation would be better buffered against less-than-perfect weed control during corn and soybean phases. Further modeling analyses indicated that the weed suppression effect associated with greater rotation length was attributable not only to increased crop species richness but also to greater temporal variation in planting dates. A planting interval variation index (PIVI), calculated as the coefficient of variation in months between planting activities, was strongly associated with the weed suppressive ability of the rotations we modeled and may be a useful metric for designing other cropping systems. Overall, our results indicate that diversified rotation systems that include both annual and perennial crops are likely to be valuable for managing problematic weed species.
Effects of Post-Anthesis Heat Waves on the Grain Quality of Seven European Wheat Varieties
Authors: Tomás Diana , Viegas Wanda , Silva Manuela
Published: February 2020

Wheat is undoubtedly one of the most important crops worldwide and it is essential to study how the distinct varieties answer to heat waves associated with climatic changes, in order to design adequate wheat breeding strategies. To assess high temperature (HT) impact in wheat grain characteristics, seven commercial varieties, which have been recommended for production in Portugal, were submitted for one-week HT treatment ten days after anthesis. Firstly, predicted grain technological quality was determined by giving high scores for all varieties studied, based on the allelic compositions of genes encoding high molecular weight glutenins, granule-bound starch synthase and puroindolines. The effects of HT on transcription levels of those genes were, for the first time, evaluated in distinct wheat genotypes, in comparison with control plants. Finally, protein fraction content in mature grains were also estimated in untreated and treated plants. Immature grains from plants, maintained in control conditions, showed significant intervarietal differences in transcription levels of genes associated with grain quality traits, a variability that was significantly reduced in grains from HT treated plants. On the other hand, the influence of HT in mature grain protein-fractions and in gliadin/glutenin ratios revealed intervarietal diversity, even with opposite effects in some varieties. The present study, therefore, discloses marked variability in parameters associated with flour quality between the wheat varieties analyzed, which are differentially affected by HT treatments, similar to heat waves frequently observed in climate change scenarios.
In Vitro Antimicrobial Activity of Various Cefoperazone/Sulbactam Products
Authors: Sheu Ming-Jen , Chen Chi-Chung , Lu Ying-Chen , Su Bo-An , Zhang Chun-Cheng , Wang Shu-Shen , Chuang Yin-Ching , Tang Hung-Jen , Lai Chih-Cheng
Published: February 2020

This study aims to assess the in vitro activity of different samples of cefoperazone/sulbactam (CFP/SUL) against multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs). Clinical isolates of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-Escherichia coli, ESBL-Klebsiella pneumoniae, carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CR-AB), and carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CR-PA) were collected. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and time-killing methods were used to assess and compare the in vitro activities of different samples of cefoperazone/sulbactam (CFP/SUL) against these MDROs. For ESBL-E. coli, ESBL-K. pneumoniae, and CR-PA, product C had smaller variations than product A and B (p < 0.05). For CR-AB, product B had the largest variation compared to the other two products (p < 0.05). In the time-killing studies, significant differences among the products when used at 16/16 µg/mL were noted for ESBL-E. coli, ESBL-K. pneumoniae, and CR-AB isolates. In conclusion, this study demonstrated the significantly different activity of different products of CFP/SUL against MDROs.
Characterization and Antimicrobial Activity of the Teleost Chemokine CXCL20b
Authors: Xiao Xun , Zhang Yanqi , Liao Zhiwei , Su Jianguo
Published: February 2020

Fish are a potential source of diverse organic compounds with a broad spectrum of biological activities. Many fish-derived antimicrobial peptides and proteins are key components of the fish innate immune system. They are also potential candidates for development of new antimicrobial agents. CXCL20b is a grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) CXC chemokine strongly transcribed at the early stage of bacterial infections, for which the immune role had not been reported to date. In the present study, we found that CXCL20b is a cationic amphipathic protein that displays potent antimicrobial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The results of DiOC2(3) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) assays indicated that CXCL20b could induce bacterial membrane depolarization and disruption in a short time. By performing further structure-activity studies, we found that the antimicrobial activity of CXCL20b was mainly relative to the N-terminal random coil region. The central part of this cytokine representing β-sheet region was insoluble in water and the C-terminal α-helical region did not show an antimicrobial effect. The results presented in this article support the poorly understood function of CXCL20b, which fulfills an important role in bony fish antimicrobial immunity.
Ib-M6 Antimicrobial Peptide: Antibacterial Activity against Clinical Isolates of Escherichia coli and Molecular Docking
Authors: Flórez-Castillo J. M. , Rondón-Villareal P. , Ropero-Vega J. L. , Mendoza-Espinel S. Y. , Moreno-Amézquita J. A. , Méndez-Jaimes K. D. , Farfán-García A. E. , Gómez-Rangel S. Y. , Gómez-Duarte Oscar Gilberto
Published: February 2020

The Ib-M6 peptide has antibacterial activity against non-pathogenic Escherichia coli K-12 strain. The first part of this study determines the antibacterial activity of Ib-M6 against fourteen pathogenic strains of E. coli O157:H7. Susceptibility assay showed that Ib-M6 had values of Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) lower than streptomycin, used as a reference antibiotic. Moreover, to predict the possible interaction between Ib-M6 and outer membrane components of E. coli, we used molecular docking simulations where FhuA protein and its complex with Lipopolysaccharide (LPS–FhuA) were used as targets of the peptide. FhuA/Ib-M6 complexes had energy values between −39.5 and −40.5 Rosetta Energy Units (REU) and only one hydrogen bond. In contrast, complexes between LPS–FhuA and Ib-M6 displayed energy values between −25.6 and −40.6 REU, and the presence of five possible hydrogen bonds. Hence, the antimicrobial activity of Ib-M6 peptide shown in the experimental assays could be caused by its interaction with the outer membrane of E. coli.
The Implication of Chemotypic Variation on the Anti-Oxidant and Anti-Cancer Activities of Sutherlandia frutescens (L.) R.Br. (Fabaceae) from Different Geographic Locations
Authors: Zonyane Samkele , Fawole Olaniyi A. , la Grange Chris , Stander Maria A. , Opara Umezuruike L. , Makunga Nokwanda P.
Published: February 2020

Extracts of Sutherlandia frutescens (cancer bush) exhibit considerable qualitative and quantitative chemical variability depending on their natural wild origins. The purpose of this study was thus to determine bioactivity of extracts from different regions using in vitro antioxidant and anti-cancer assays. Extracts of the species are complex and are predominantly composed of a species-specific set of triterpene saponins (cycloartanol glycosides), the sutherlandiosides, and flavonoids (quercetin and kaempferol glycosides), the sutherlandins. For the Folin-Ciocalteu phenolics test values of 93.311 to 125.330 mg GAE/g DE were obtained. The flavonoids ranged from 54.831 to 66.073 mg CE/g DE using the aluminum chloride assay. Extracts from different sites were also assayed using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH•) radical scavenging method and ferric reducing anti-oxidant power (FRAP) methods. This was followed by an in vitro Cell Titer-Glo viability assay of various ecotypes using the DLD-1 colon cancer cell line. All test extracts displayed anti-oxidant activity through the DPPH• radical scavenging mechanism, with IC50 values ranging from 3.171 to 7.707 µg·mL−1. However, the degree of anti-oxidant effects differed on a chemotypic basis with coastal plants from Gansbaai and Pearly Beach (Western Cape) exhibiting superior activity whereas the Victoria West inland group from the Northern Cape, consistently showed the weakest anti-oxidant activity for both the DPPH• and FRAP methods. All extracts showed cytotoxicity on DLD-1 colon cancer cells at the test concentration of 200 µg·mL−1 but Sutherlandia plants from Colesburg (Northern Cape) exhibited the highest anti-cancer activity. These findings confirm that S. frutescens specimens display variability in their bioactive capacities based on their natural location, illustrating the importance of choosing relevant ecotypes for medicinal purposes.
Linear 2-Ethylhexyl Imidophosphoric Esters as Effective Rare-Earth Element Extractants
Authors: Bredov Nikolay S. , Gorlov Mikhail V. , Esin Andrey S. , Bykovskaya Anna A. , Kireev Vyacheslav V. , Sinegribova Oksana A. , Ryabochenko Maria D.
Published: February 2020

Imidophosphoric organic esters containing phosphoryl groups are potential polydentate ligands and promising extractants of rare-earth elements. For their preparation, a monophosphazene salt [PCl3=N−PCl3]+[PCl6]− and short phosphazene oligomers of the general formula [Cl–(PCl2=N)n–PCl3]+[PCl6]−, where n = 4–7, were synthesized via living cationic polymerization of Cl3P=NSiMe3 and used as starting compounds. All phosphazenes were reacted with 2-ethylhexanol to obtain the corresponding esters of imidophosphoric acids (EIPAs). The formation of imidophosphoric acids occurs due to the phosphazene-phosphazane rearrangement of –P(OR)2=N– or –P(OH)(OR)=N– units, where R = 2-ethylhexyl. The prepared EIPAs were characterized by 1H, 31P NMR, and MALDI-TOF analyses and their extractive capacity towards lanthanide ions in aqueous solutions of nitric acid was examined. The EIPAs are mixtures of mono-, di-, and trifunctional compounds of the type HxA, where x = 1–3, which can form chelate complexes of lanthanide ions [Ln(A)z], where z = 3–6, depending on the chain length. The longer chain EIPAs are more suitable for collective rare-earth elements extraction. A comparison of the extraction properties of the EIPAs with the industrially used polyalkylphosphonitrilic acid (PAPNA) was drawn.
Fatigue Performance of Different Rib-To-Deck Connections Using Traction Structural Stress Method
Authors: Yang Haibo , Wang Ping , Qian Hongliang , Dong Pingsha
Published: February 2020

The fatigue performance of an orthotropic steel bridge deck is significantly influenced by the type of the rib-to-deck connection considering the crossbeam. Fatigue fracture of the weld seam at the rib-to-deck connection has been a serious problem in such decks. In this paper, numerical models are developed for the orthotropic steel bridge decks and are analyzed for the fatigue behavior. The traction structural stress method is proven to be more accurate and effective in predicting the fatigue life. Fatigue behavior of three typical rib-to-deck connections are obtained by using traction structural stress method and by considering the effect of crossbeams. Compared to the bridge deck with weld seam of a large root, the fatigue performance of the deck with single-sided weld seam is much better with lower equivalent structural stress. The results indicate that the weld seam size should be strictly controlled for better fatigue resistance. The fatigue performance of the bridge deck with double-sided seam is significantly better than that of the bridge deck with single-sided weld seam. An increase in the thickness of the inner weld seam in the rib-to-deck connection optimizes the distribution of the equivalent structural stress and shifts the fatigue failure location from the weld root of the outer weld seam to the weld toe of the inner weld seam thus demonstrating the effect of the crossbeam. The trends of equivalent structural stress with geometric parameters of the weld seam in the rib-to-deck connection are obtained in this study. The fatigue behavior of the components and the equivalent structural stress are significantly influenced by the bridge deck thickness.
Investigation of Rain-On-Snow Floods under Climate Change
Authors: Sezen Cenk , Šraj Mojca , Medved Anže , Bezak Nejc
Published: February 2020

Rain-on-snow (ROS) floods can cause economic damage and endanger human lives due to the compound effect of rainfall and snowmelt, especially under climate change. In this study, possible future changes of seasonality, magnitude and frequency characteristics of ROS floods were investigated for the selected catchments in Slovenia, Europe. For this purpose, five global/regional climate models (GCM/RCM) combinations were applied using the RCP4.5 climate scenario for the period 1981–2100. To determine ROS floods’ characteristics in the future, a lumped conceptual hydrological model Génie Rural à 6 paramètres Journalier (GR6J) with snow module CemaNeige was applied. The results indicate that the number of ROS floods could increase in the future. Moreover, also the magnitudes of extreme ROS floods could increase, while a slight decrease in the median values of ROS flood magnitudes was observed. The strength of seasonality for a high-altitude catchment could decrease in the future. A slight shift in the average ROS floods’ timing could be expected. Furthermore, a catchment located in a temperate continental climate could have a different response to the climate change impact in comparison to a catchment located in a mountain climate with alpine characteristics. Additionally, differences among investigated climate models show a large variability.
Discrimination of Severity of Alzheimer’s Disease with Multiscale Entropy Analysis of EEG Dynamics
Authors: Hsu Chang Francis , Chao Hsuan-Hao , Yang Albert C. , Yeh Chih-Wei , Hsu Long , Chi Sien
Published: February 2020

Multiscale entropy (MSE) was used to analyze electroencephalography (EEG) signals to differentiate patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) from healthy subjects. It was found that the MSE values of the EEG signals from the healthy subjects are higher than those of the AD ones at small time scale factors in the MSE algorithm, while lower than those of the AD patients at large time scale factors. Based on the finding, we applied the linear discriminant analysis (LDA) to optimize the differentiating performance by comparing the resulting weighted sum of the MSE values under some specific time scales of each subject. The EEG data from 15 healthy subjects, 69 patients with mild AD, and 15 patients with moderate to severe AD were recorded. As a result, the weighted sum values are significantly higher for the healthy than the patients with moderate to severe AD groups. The optimal testing accuracy under five specific scales is 100% based on the EEG signals acquired from the T4 electrode. The resulting weighted sum value for the mild AD group is in the middle of those for the healthy and the moderate to severe AD groups. Therefore, the MSE-based weighted sum value can potentially be an index of severity of Alzheimer’s disease.
Zebrafish Larvae Phenotype Classification from Bright-field Microscopic Images Using a Two-Tier Deep-Learning Pipeline
Authors: Shang Shang , Lin Sijie , Cong Fengyu
Published: February 2020

Classification of different zebrafish larvae phenotypes is useful for studying the environmental influence on embryo development. However, the scarcity of well-annotated training images and fuzzy inter-phenotype differences hamper the application of machine-learning methods in phenotype classification. This study develops a deep-learning approach to address these challenging problems. A convolutional network model with compressed separable convolution kernels is adopted to address the overfitting issue caused by insufficient training data. A two-tier classification pipeline is designed to improve the classification accuracy based on fuzzy phenotype features. Our method achieved an averaged accuracy of 91% for all the phenotypes and maximum accuracy of 100% for some phenotypes (e.g., dead and chorion). We also compared our method with the state-of-the-art methods based on the same dataset. Our method obtained dramatic accuracy improvement up to 22% against the existing method. This study offers an effective deep-learning solution for classifying difficult zebrafish larvae phenotypes based on very limited training data.
Analysis of Low Cost Communication Technologies for V2I Applications
Authors: Martínez Alejandro , Cañibano Esteban , Romo Javier
Published: February 2020

The automated and connected vehicle will be a great technology development and it will change mobility habits. The two main positive effects of its integration are the improvement of road safety and the reduction of pollutant emissions of the vehicles. But first, the technology must be available. With the arrival of 5G (Fifth Generation), it will be a reality. However, the 5G could have some operation failures which could isolate the vehicle from the rest of the infrastructure. So, a solution is required which can improve communication reliability such that, if the 5G would fail, the short/middle range technology integrated will lead the vehicle with V2I communication. This integration would provide a reliable and strong solution. In this work, an analysis of different available communication technologies was carried out with a short/middle range, the selection criteria being lower cost and easy integration with 5G. To contrast the technologies, a validation methodology was developed, which enabled us to evaluate the performance ofV2I applications. We observed a comparatively higher performance of the module nRF24L01+ for V2I communication.
Diversity Balancing for Two-Stage Collaborative Filtering in Recommender Systems
Authors: Zhang Liang , Wei Quanshen , Zhang Lei , Wang Baojiao , Ho Wen-Hsien
Published: February 2020

Conventional recommender systems are designed to achieve high prediction accuracy by recommending items expected to be the most relevant and interesting to users. Therefore, they tend to recommend only the most popular items. Studies agree that diversity of recommendations is as important as accuracy because it improves the customer experience by reducing monotony. However, increasing diversity reduces accuracy. Thus, a recommendation algorithm is needed to recommend less popular items while maintaining acceptable accuracy. This work proposes a two-stage collaborative filtering optimization mechanism that obtains a complete and diversified item list. The first stage of the model incorporates multiple interests to optimize neighbor selection. In addition to using conventional collaborative filtering to predict ratings by exploiting available ratings, the proposed model further considers the social relationships of the user. A novel ranking strategy is then used to rearrange the list of top-N items while maintaining accuracy by (1) rearranging the area controlled by the threshold and by (2) maximizing popularity while maintaining an acceptable reduction in accuracy. An extensive experimental evaluation performed in a real-world dataset confirmed that, for a given loss of accuracy, the proposed model achieves higher diversity compared to conventional approaches.
Superpixel Segmentation of Hyperspectral Images Based on Entropy and Mutual Information
Authors: Lin Lianlei , Zhang Shanshan
Published: February 2020

Superpixel segmentation (SS) methods have been proven to be feasible in improving the performance of hybrid algorithms on hyperspectral images (HSIs). In this paper, a superpixel segmentation algorithm based on the information measures with color histogram driving (IM-CHD) was proposed. First, Shannon entropy was applied to measure the image information and preliminarily select spectral bands. Mutual information (MI) is derived from the concept of entropy and measures the statistical dependence between two random variables. Also, MI can effectively identify the redundant spectral bands. Therefore, in this paper, both MI and color matching functions (CMF) were used to select the most useful spectral bands. Second, the selected spectral bands were combined into a false color image containing the main spectral information. A local optimization algorithm named “hill climbing” was used to achieve the superpixel segmentation. Finally, parameter selection experiments and comparative experiments were performed on two hyperspectral data sets. The experimental results showed that the IM-CHD method was more efficient and accurate than other state-of-the-art methods.
A State of Charge Estimation Method of Lithium-Ion Battery Based on Fused Open Circuit Voltage Curve
Authors: Wang Yipeng , Zhao Lin , Cheng Jianhua , Zhou Junfeng , Wang Shuo
Published: February 2020

The open circuit voltage (OCV) and model parameters are critical reference variables for a lithium-ion battery management system estimating the state of charge (SOC) accurately. However, the polarization effect reduces the accuracy of the OCV test, and the model parameters coupled to the polarization voltage increase the non-linearity of the cell model, all challenging SOC estimation. This paper presents an OCV curve fusion method based on the incremental and low-current test. Fusing the incremental test results without polarization effect and the low current test results with non-linear characteristics of electrodes, the fusion method improves the OCV curve’s accuracy. In addition, we design a state observer with model parameters and SOC, and the unscented Kalman filter (UKF) method is employed for co-estimation of SOC and model parameters to eliminate the drift noise effects. The SOC estimation root mean square error (RMSE) of the proposed method achieves 0.99% and 1.67% in the pulse constant current test and dynamic discharge test, respectively. Experimental results and comparisons with other methods highlight the SOC estimation accuracy and robustness of the proposed method.
Input-to-State Stability of Variable Impedance Control for Robotic Manipulator
Authors: Park Junho , Choi Youngjin
Published: February 2020

Variable impedance control has been required to perform a variety of interactive tasks in contact with environments. In some cases, the time-varying stiffness matrix of the impedance model can be used to achieve high performance for uneven contact tasks. In the paper, two sufficient conditions are proposed to ensure the input-to-state stability (ISS) irrespective of time-varying stiffness. Furthermore, the update rule of the stiffness is also suggested in such a way that the asymptotic stability is guaranteed under certain region conditions. Even when the update rule is not applied, the ISS is at least assured. In other words, the error is always bounded only if the external force/torque is bounded. In detail, two sufficient conditions offer the lower bound of stiffness and the upper bound of its time derivative. Simulation results show that the ISS of variable impedance control is achieved if the proposed sufficient conditions are satisfied. Also, we can confirm the asymptotic behavior in the simulation when the stiffness is updated according to the given rule.
The Construction of the Great Synagogue in Stockholm, 1860–1870: A Space for Jewish and Swedish-Christian Dialogues
Authors: Hultman Maja
Published: February 2020

The construction of the Great Synagogue in Stockholm during the 1860s initiated Jewish communal debates on the position and public presence of Jews in the Swedish pre-emancipatory society. An investigation into the construction process not only reveals various Jewish opinions on the sacred building, but also the pivotal role of Swedish-Christian actors in shaping the synagogue’s location, architecture, and the way it was presented in the public narrative. The Jewish community’s conceptualization and the Swedish society’s reception of the new synagogue turned it into a space on the ‘frontier.’ Conceptually situated in-between the Jewish community and the Swedish-Christian society, it encouraged cross-border interactions and became a physical product of the Jewish and Swedish-Christian entangled relationship. Non-Jewish architect Fredrik Wilhelm Scholander, historical figures prominent in the Swedish national narrative, and local and national newspapers were incorporated by the Jewish lay leadership into the creative process, and they influenced and circulated the community’s self-understanding as both Swedish citizens and Jews of a modern religion. The construction process and final product strategically communicated Jewish belonging to the Swedish nation during the last decade of social and legal inequality, thus adding to the contemporary political debate on Jewish emancipation.
Long-Term Variations of Air Quality Influenced by Surface Ozone in a Coastal Site in India: Association with Synoptic Meteorological Conditions with Model Simulations
Authors: C T Resmi , T Nishanth , M K Satheesh Kumar , M Balachandramohan , K T Valsaraj
Published: February 2020

Atmospheric ozone (O3) in the surface level plays a central role in determining air quality and atmospheric oxidizing capacity. In this paper, we review our comprehensive results of simultaneous measurements of surface ozone (O3) and its precursor gas (NOx) and weather parameters that were carried out continuously for a span of six years (January 2013–December 2018) at a typical rural coastal site, Kannur (11.9° N, 75.4° E) in South India. Surface O3 concentration reached its maximum during daytime hours and minimum during the night time. The influence of solar radiation and water content on variations of O3 are discussed. A Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) artificial neural network technique has been used to understand the effect of atmospheric temperature on the increase in O3 over the past six years. This has been found that temperature has been a major contributor to the increase in O3 levels over the years. The National Centre for Atmospheric Research- Master Mechanism (NCAR-MM) Photochemical box model study was conducted to validate the variations of O3 in different seasons and years, and the results were shown to be in good agreement with observed trends.
Study of Realistic Urban Boundary Layer Turbulence with High-Resolution Large-Eddy Simulation
Authors: Auvinen Mikko , Boi Simone , Hellsten Antti , Tanhuanpää Topi , Järvi Leena
Published: February 2020

This study examines the statistical predictability of local wind conditions in a real urban environment under realistic atmospheric boundary layer conditions by means of Large-Eddy Simulation (LES). The computational domain features a highly detailed description of a densely built coastal downtown area, which includes vegetation. A multi-scale nested LES modelling approach is utilized to achieve a setup where a fully developed boundary layer flow, which is also allowed to form and evolve very large-scale turbulent motions, becomes incident with the urban surface. Under these nonideal conditions, the local scale predictability and result sensitivity to central modelling choices are scrutinized via comparative techniques. Joint time–frequency analysis with wavelets is exploited to aid targeted filtering of the problematic large-scale motions, while concepts of information entropy and divergence are exploited to perform a deep probing comparison of local urban canopy turbulence signals. The study demonstrates the utility of wavelet analysis and information theory in urban turbulence research while emphasizing the importance of grid resolution when local scale predictability, particularly close to the pedestrian level, is sought. In densely built urban environments, the level of detail of vegetation drag modelling description is deemed most significant in the immediate vicinity of the trees.
Early Detection of Atrial Fibrillation Based on ECG Signals
Authors: Ahmed Nuzhat , Zhu Yong
Published: February 2020

Atrial fibrillation, often called AF is considered to be the most common type of cardiac arrhythmia, which is a major healthcare challenge. Early detection of AF and the appropriate treatment is crucial if the symptoms seem to be consistent and persistent. This research work focused on the development of a heart monitoring system which could be considered as a feasible solution in early detection of potential AF in real time. The objective was to bridge the gap in the market for a low-cost, at home use, noninvasive heart health monitoring system specifically designed to periodically monitor heart health in subjects with AF disorder concerns. The main characteristic of AF disorder is the considerably higher heartbeat and the varying period between observed R waves in electrocardiogram (ECG) signals. This proposed research was conducted to develop a low cost and easy to use device that measures and analyzes the heartbeat variations, varying time period between successive R peaks of the ECG signal and compares the result with the normal heart rate and RR intervals. Upon exceeding the threshold values, this device creates an alert to notify about the possible AF detection. The prototype for this research consisted of a Bitalino ECG sensor and electrodes, an Arduino microcontroller, and a simple circuit. The data was acquired and analyzed using the Arduino software in real time. The prototype was used to analyze healthy ECG data and using the MIT-BIH database the real AF patient data was analyzed, and reasonable threshold values were found, which yielded a reasonable success rate of AF detection.
Exclusion Criteria Used in Early Behavioral Intervention Studies for Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Yazdani Sahr , Capuano Angela , Ghaziuddin Mohammad , Colombi Costanza
Published: February 2020

This literature review evaluated early behavioral intervention studies of Autism Spectrum disorder (ASD) based on their participant exclusion criteria. The studies included were found through searching PsycINFO and PubMed databases, and discussed behavioral interventions for children up to 5 years of age with ASD and utilized a group research design. Studies reviewed were categorized into three groups: Restrictive exclusion criteria, loosely defined exclusion criteria, and exclusion criteria not defined. Results indicated that studies that used restrictive exclusion criteria demonstrated greater differences in terms of outcomes between experimental and control groups in comparison to studies that used loosely defined exclusion criteria and/or did not define any exclusion criteria. We discussed implications for the generalizability of the studies’ outcomes in relationship to exclusion criteria.
Acute Physiological Responses Following a Bout of Vigorous Exercise in Military Soldiers and First Responders with PTSD: An Exploratory Pilot Study
Authors: Speer Kathryn E , Semple Stuart , McKune Andrew J
Published: February 2020

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a prevalent and debilitating condition associated with psychological conditions and chronic diseases that may be underpinned by dysfunction in the autonomic nervous system (ANS), the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and chronic systemic low-grade inflammation. The objective of this pilot study was to determine psychological, ANS [heart rate variability (HRV)], HPA (salivary cortisol) and inflammatory (salivary C-Reactive Protein) responses to a bout of vigorous exercise in male first responders, military veterans and active duty personnel with (n = 4) and without (n = 4) PTSD. Participants (50.1 ± 14.8 years) performed a thirteen-minute, vigorous intensity (70%–80% of heart rate max), one-on-one boxing session with a certified coach. Physiological and psychological parameters were measured before, during, immediately after to 30 min post-exercise, and then at 24 h and 48 h post. The effect sizes demonstrated large to very large reductions in HRV that lasted up to 48 h post-exercise in the PTSD group compared with unclear effects in the trauma-exposed control (TEC) group. There were unclear effects for depression, anxiety and stress as well as salivary biomarkers for both groups at all time-points. Findings may reflect stress-induced changes to the ANS for PTSD sufferers.
Erratum: Ribeiro, M. H. L. et al. Lipoaminoacids Enzyme-Based Production and Application as Gene Delivery Vectors. Catalysts 2019, 9, 977
Authors: Ribeiro Maria H. L. , Carvalho Patricia , Martins Tiago Santos , Faustino Célia M. C.
Published: February 2020

The authors wish to make the following erratum to this paper [...]
Correction: Péres, W. E., et al. The Association between Air Temperature and Mortality in Two Brazilian Health Regions. Climate, 2020, 8, 1
Authors: Péres Wolmir Ercides , Ribeiro Andreia F. S. , Russo Ana , Nunes Baltazar
Published: February 2020

The authors wish to make the following correction to this paper [...]