bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
DIFFERENCE SCHEMES OF HIGH ORDER ACCURACY FOR MATHEMATICAL PHYSICS PROBLEMS IN ARBITRARY DOMAINS
Authors: Matus P. P. , Zyl A. N.
Published: April 2019

In the present paper the difference schemes of high order accuracy for two‐dimensional equations of mathematical physics in an arbitrary domain are constructed. The computational domain is covered by a uniform rectangular grid. The second order accuracy of local approximation by spatial variables is achieved near‐boundary nodes. No increase of a standard grid scheme template is required. A priori estimates of the stability are obtained.
MULTICOMPONENT ITERATIVE METHOD FOR SOLVING TWO‐DIMENSIONAL HEAT TRANSFER EQUATION ON MOVING GRIDS
Authors: Sytova S.
Published: April 2019

A multicomponent iterative method of domain decomposition on adaptive grids for solution of two‐dimensional heat transfer equation is proposed. The adaptive grid is constructed in curvilinear space where Cartesian grid is non‐stationary and depends on the solution behavior. In curvilinear space the initial two‐dimensional heat transfer equation is converted to the system of nonlinear parabolic equations with mixed derivatives, a source and convective transfer.
RELIABILITY MODEL AND CRITICAL FACTORS IDENTIFICATION OF CONSTRUCTION SAFETY MANAGEMENT BASED ON SYSTEM THINKING
Authors: Zhang Wei , Zhang Xiao , Luo Xiaowei , Zhao Tingsheng
Published: April 2019

Safety is a key objective of construction management, but construction safety management is complex due to various types of technical and management factors. If critical factors can be identified and corresponding measurements can be adopted, it will be more direct and effective to improve safety performance. In this paper, by using the system thinking method, construction safety management is considered as a system and decomposed into six subsystems and related management factors. The fuzzy fault tree analysis method was used to build a reliability analysis model and reveal the failure probabilities of factors in the safety organization management subsystem. Through a questionnaire survey conducted in Wuhan, China, the pivotal importance degrees and average occurrence probabilities of basic factors are figured out. On the basis of that, nine critical factors of the safety organization management subsystem are identified and corresponding improvement measurements are proposed. More, a case study of Hangzhou underground railway tunnel collapse accident in 2008 is conducted, which verifies that the framework of construction safety management based on system thinking can be a useful tool for identifying faults or failure reasons of construction safety management.
The first record of Cucullia umbratica (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) from Japan
Authors: Noguchi Soichiro , Ochiai Takahiro
Published: April 2019

Cuculliaumbraticais known from Europe (from Spain to southern Fennoscandia), Russia, Afghanistan, Turkestan and Mongolia, in the Palearctic. In addition, introduction of this species to Canada has been reported recently.

We report this species from Japan for the first time, from two locations at Hokkaidō. The earliest record is from 2015.
Development and Validation of a New Short-Form Health Literacy Instrument (HLS-SF12) for the General Public in Six Asian Countries
Authors: Duong Tuyen V. , Aringazina Altyn , Kayupova Gaukhar , Nurjanah  , Pham Thuc V. , Pham Khue M. , Truong Tien Q. , Nguyen Kien T. , Oo Win Myint , Su Tin Tin , Majid Hazreen Abdul , Sørensen Kristine , Lin I-Feng , Chang Yuwen , Yang Shwu-Huey , Chang Peter W. S.
Published: April 2019

Background:

No comprehensive short-form health literacy (HL) survey tool has been available for general use across Asia.

Objective:

This study aimed to develop and validate a short-form HL instrument derived from the 47-item European Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q47).

Methods:

A population survey (
N
= 10,024) was conducted from 2013 to 2015 using the HLS-EU-Q47 in 1,029 participants from Indonesia, 1,845 from Kazakhstan, 462 from Malaysia, 1,600 from Myanmar, 3,015 from Taiwan, and 2,073 from Vietnam. Validation of the short form was evaluated by principle component analysis, internal consistency, Pearson correlation, and regression analysis.

Key Results:

Based on responses from six countries, a 12-item short-form HL questionnaire (HLS-SF12) was developed, retaining the conceptual framework of the HLS-EU-Q47 and accounting for the high variance of the full-form (i.e., 90% in Indonesia, 91% in Myanmar, 93% in Malaysia, 94% in Taiwan, and 95% in both Kazakhstan and Vietnam). The HLS-SF12 was demonstrated to have adequate psychometric properties, including high reliability (Cronbach's alpha = .85), good criterion-related validity, a moderate and high level of item-scale convergent validity, no floor or ceiling effect, and good model-data-fit throughout the populations in these countries.

Conclusions:

The HLS-SF12 was shown to be a valid and reliable tool for HL surveys in the general public in six Asian countries.

[
HLRP: Health Literacy Research and Practice
. 2019;3(2):e90–e102.]

Plain Language Summary:

A health literacy survey was conducted from 2013 to 2015 in six Asian countries using the European Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q47). The collected data were used to develop and validate a comprehensive short-form questionnaire. A health literacy questionnaire with 12 items (HLS-SF12) that retains the original conceptual framework of the HLS-EU-Q47 was demonstrated to be reliable and valid.
Cloud-Based Global Online Marketplaces Review on Trust and Security
Authors: Ghazali Osman , Yang Leow Chun , Qaiser Shahzad , Pattabiraman Nanthini , Vasuthevan Sathiyaroobaa , Abdusalam Eman Mohamed , M. Barakat Mustafa
Published: April 2019

Customer disposition to data, nature of the information on site, protection concerns, trust, security concerns, and the notoriety of organization efficaciously affect the trust of Internet shoppers in the site. Two noteworthy and basic issues for e-commerce sites and consumers are trust as well as security. A belief that someone is good and honest and will not harm you, or something is safe and reliable is called trust; while security is an attempt to safeguard the data from unauthorized access. Information security is a vital management as well as technical requirement over the internet for effective and secure payment transaction activities. The safety of e-commerce resources from use, destruction, unauthorized access and alteration is known as E-commerce security so there is an urgent need to study its dimensions such as authenticity, integrity, availability, privacy, confidentiality and non-repudiation. This paper reports a review of four popular online marketplaces which are Alibaba, Amazon, eBay andTaoBao as case study on two main criteria namely building trust among users and ensuring security on the platform. Furthermore, we discuss the methods being used by each online marketplace to build trust and their unique way ofimproving the security. Finally, different ways of building trust and technique to ensure the security is presented in a tabular form for each online marketplace.
IoT Light Weight (LWT) Crypto Functions
Authors: Nabeel Nubila , Habaebi Mohamed Hadi , Che Mustapha Nurul Arfah , Islam Md Rafiqul
Published: April 2019

We are in the era of IoT and 5G technologies. IoT has wide range of applications in Smart Home, Smart cities, Agriculture, Health etc. Due to that, the number of connected sensor devices become increased. Along with that security of these devices become a challenging issue. By the next year there would be a great increase in the number of connected sensor devices. For the power constrained devices like sensors and actuators, they requires lightweight security mechanism. There are several Lightweight (LW) energy efficient Hashing techniques are available. They are photon, quark, spongent, Lesamnta-LW etc. These all are fixed length block sized and key sized LW hashing techniques. All transformation methods used today in LW hash function only support fixed block size and key size and requires high hardware requirements too. In this paper, we compare different types of LW hash families in terms of their design and introduce the possibility of variable length hash function using Mersenne number based transform.
Investigation on the Access Log Pattern of the Corporate Social Responsibility UUMWiFi among Changlun’s Community
Authors: Mohamad Mohsin Mohamad Farhan , Abdul Hamid Mohd Noor , Ahmad Mustaffa Nurakmal , Ramli Razamin , Abdullah Kamarudin
Published: April 2019

CSR UUMWiFi is a CSR project under Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) that provides unlimited free internet connection for the Changlun community. Launched in 2015, the service has accumulated a huge number of users with diverse background and interest. This paper aims to uncover interesting service users’ behavior by mining the usage data. To achieve that, the access log for 3 months with 24,000 online users were downloaded from the Wi-Fi network server, pre-process and analyzed. The finding reveals that there were many loyal users who have been using this service on a daily basis since 2015 and the community spent 20-60 minutes per session. Besides that, the social media and leisure based application such YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, chatting applications, and miscellaneous web applications were among the top applications accessed by the Changlun community which contributes to huge data usage. It is also found that there were few users have used the CSR UUM WiFi for academic or business purposes. The identified patterns benefits the management team in providing a better quality service for community in future and setting up new policies for the service.
Motivating Low-Achieving Learners to Use Mobile Assistive Courseware through Signaling Principle
Authors: AM Ariffin , Zulaiha A.Siti , Jelani S. Ahmad
Published: April 2019

Developing a courseware is easy. However, making a courseware usable for its target user requires a scientific process. As a response to that, a study has been carried out in making courseware usable for low-achieving learners. As part of the study, this paper aims to describe the application of signaling principles in the developed courseware specifically for low-achieving learners. The prototype has been developed through user-centered approach. It involved users during the designing and development process. Then, it was delivered to users. Their experience dealing with the developed prototype was observed in their natural context with assistance of their teachers. Eventually, it was found that they were highly motivated to use the courseware.
Towards Designing Tools for Universities’ R&D Performance Measurement on Mobile Platform
Authors: Faizal Omar Mohd , Ahmad Roshidi Siti Rasifah , Mohd. Jamil Jastini , Kamal Fazillah Mohmad , Mohd Nawi Mohd Nasrun , Radzuan Kamaruddin
Published: April 2019

At the moment, there is a great interest in most universities to achieve higher ranking for better international standings and visibility. With shrinking resources such as financial and infrastructures, there is also a huge demand for the university to move forward and perform better in Research and Development (R&D) in each evaluation year. Key Performance Indicator (KPI) is an excellent tool to enculturate research in a Higher Education Institution (HEI). The culture must be built upon HEI’s strength and weaknesses. Hence, the right decision making tool must be develop to priorities different agendas such as QSWUR, THE, etc. Mobile platform provide an efficient way to engage with stakeholders particularly to measure HEI performance on R&D. There are three main activities involves for developing a decision support tool for measuring R&D impact in HEIs i.e. development of decision model using multi criteria decision making, dashboard prototype development including and UI/UX for mobile platform. This paper describe the importance of measuring the impact of R&D, prioritization technique and the process of prototype development. It is anticipates that our work could mitigate the gaps and improve the research ecosystem in HEIs.
An Ability of WhatsApp Usage in Industrialised Building System (IBS) Construction Project
Authors: Ahmad Pozin Mohd Affendi , Mohd Nawi Mohd Nasrun , Othuman Mydin Md Azree , Mehdi Riazi Salman Riazi , Imran Ayub Ilfandy
Published: April 2019

In this article, we discuss about WhatsApp application practise around project managers in managing IBS construction projects. The WhatsApp application offera great advantages, especially in collecting, managing information and data in a timely manner. Previous study highlighted effective communication become as a bridge between practitioners to share a knowledge, information and integration. Unfortunately, there is still a lack of empirical studies on how efficiencies of WhatsApp application overcome the communication barriers while managing distributed project teams on construction project. Thus this study seeks to explore communication performance perceived through WhatsApp application. The semi-structured interview methodology was used to gain in-depth knowledge from several project managers who have experiences in managing construction projects virtually through WhatsApp application. The finding from this study revealed that WhatsApp application has become an effective communication channel to overcome the barriers of communication while managing distributed teams and allowing timely information sharing.
Thinking the Obvious
Authors: STAVRIANAKIS Anthony
Published: April 2019

This article traces the steps taken by a particular person, Peter, towards an assisted voluntary death, in Switzerland, in order to grasp and analyse the negotiations that accompany such an undertaking, as well as the carrying out of such a contemporary manner of dying. Two moments in particular are observed, which reveal two distinct and interconnected concerns. The first moment is that of medical examination, one step of the process through which the manifest justifications for requesting assistance with voluntary death are evaluated. The article takes up the “obviousness” of the demand, considering that its multiple significations, contextualized within Peter’s life history, can more soundly be apprehended with the help of Roland Barthes’s idea of the “Neutral”, or “desire for Neutral”, characterised as the search for a mode of semiotic engagement that eludes or thwarts signifying oppositions. The second moment is that of the assisted suicide itself, in which the particular sequence of gestural movements during dying are grasped by way of a double iconographic tradition, that of compassion and lamentation, so as to make available their ethical and aesthetic stakes.
Cultural Indoctrination and Management Education Curriculum
Authors: Christiansen Bryan
Published: April 2019

As organizations are increasingly confronted with the need to engage with stakeholders from a variety of different cultural backgrounds, the need to understand the ways in which cultural imperatives play into individual and collective performances becomes increasingly important. These cultural traditions exert immense influence on business issues ranging from consumer behavior to management. This article examines the need for management education to establish an introductory course on cultural indoctrination (CI) for business students in an era of global hypercompetition. CI is defined as the process of inculcating ideas, attitudes, and cognitive strategies during the transfer of cultural traditions from one generation to the next with the expectation that such traditions will not be questioned in the future. This article introduces the CI concept and subsequently suggests how it should be incorporated into a university curriculum focusing on factors that promote convergence in international management contexts.
Structural Effects of Trust in E-Filing Software on E-Filing Acceptance in Services Sector
Authors: Mas'ud Abdulsalam , Umar Mohammed Abdullahi
Published: April 2019

Digitalizing tax collection systems through electronic tax filing (e-filing) could have the potential of maximizing revenues to concerned authorities as it blocks leakages that undermine collection efforts. In this article, the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) is expanded to explain the structural effects of trust in e-filing software on e-filing acceptance intention among micro-entrepreneurs in the services sector. A quantitative research design was adopted with data collected from 158 micro-entrepreneurs in five services sectors which was analyzed through PLS-SEM. From the analyses, it was found that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and social influence significantly influence both trust in e-filing software and e-filing acceptance intention. Interestingly, the results revealed significant structural mediating effects of trust in e-filing among the three variables. These findings expand the explanatory power of UTAUT in relation to structural effects of trust in e-filing in the services sector. Equally, it will benefit policymakers in designing e-filing software in such a way to meet the users' requirements relating to language and compatibility.
Semantics of Social Media
Authors: Troussov Alexander , Maruev Sergey
Published: April 2019

The presented article is focused on the comprehensive study of the issues connected with text processing on social media. First and foremost, the standpoint of the so-called ordinary language philosophy is examined. It holds the view of the meaningfulness of words in sentences as being primarily determined by the ways in which they were put to use in the practical activity and the role they played in a broader context of the lifestyle. The contemporary lifestyle is inherent in social media with its virtual discourse which is determined not only by the words used but also by the relationships between the actors that generate the content. Second, the linguistic aspects of this issue are discussed. The modeling covering the structure of social media as well as users' texts are examined with regard to computational approaches to the broadening of the context concept in Frege's contextual principle. The examples of successful mining of such model both for traditional linguistic tasks and for the use in information filtering are provided. However, it is necessary to know how to broaden and narrow down the context. This aspect is examined by the example of clustering of the largest European social network VK
Lightweight Opportunistic Mobile Data Offloading
Authors: Dash Sanjit Kumar , Pradhan Aiswaryalaxmi , Mishra Sasmita , Mishra Jibitesh
Published: April 2019

Current cellular networks are overloaded due to the increasing number of smartphones and demands for bandwidth-eager multimedia content. Upgrading the existing infrastructure of the cellular system is the most straight forward solution to meet the growing demand. Apart from this, offloading mobile data through Wi-Fi can be a feasible solution. Mobile offloading via Wi-Fi is the latest emerging trend in research and industry. In this article, the authors have proposed a framework for mobile data offloading for both cellular and Wi-Fi networks. The authors have introduced a daemon process-based approach to make the entire process lightweight by using a suitable offloading decision algorithm. This article then formulates a mathematical model to evaluate its feasibility and accuracy for achieving optimum performance.
Impact of Excessive Access Permissions and Insider Threat Opportunity in the Financial Industry
Authors: Quispe Azucena
Published: April 2019

The purpose of this qualitative, exploratory research study was to gain insights into the correlations between: (a) security threats related to the dangers of excessive access permissions in information systems (IS); and (b) the potential risk exposure to insider threat in the financial sector. The study examined the vulnerability risk to insider threats from the view of the possible connection to excessive access permissions which represent a gap in the literature. The central research question of the study was: What are the determinants that influence the applicability of internal security controls such as segregation of duties (SoD), the least privilege principle, the need-to-know concept and the relationship between access permissions and insider threat in IS? A sample of 15 financial sector professionals that included business users, IT personnel, and certified fraud examiners were interviewed to answer the central research question.
The Contribution of ICTs to Sustainable Urbanization and Health in Urban Areas in Cameroon
Authors: Eteme Adolphe Ayissi , Ngossaha Justin Moskolai
Published: April 2019

The uncontrolled urbanization in African cities with inadequate access to urban domestic waste, housing and sanitation management services (DWHSMS) generates landscapes that become places of the spread of many pathologies leading to many public health problems. The city of Yaoundé (Cameroon) is not an exception in this situation which exposes an urban population to the most recurrent diseases. The situation become more complex in the fact that, the performance of the policies and the actions undertaken implied in developing countries, is not known in a precisely. The information sources are dispersed, old and not coordinated. ICT can, at the service of the great causes like the sustainable urbanization and/or environmental health, constitute the irreplaceable ones and essential decision-making tools. For this purpose, integrated and interoperable YUSIIP platform has proposed and deployed. The objective of this article is to present this Domestic platform and to show its contribution in (DWHSMS).
Impact of Oil Additive Characteristics on Biofuel Engine Wear Using Electron Microscopy and Confocal Microscopy
Authors: Rungsritanapaisan Panyakorn , Karin Preechar , Tanprayoon Dhritti , Tongsri Ruangdaj , Hanamura Katsunori
Published: April 2019

Soot particles are produced during combustion process in the diesel engine. These particles will later exhaust into the thermosphere and part of them will contaminate the engine oil. When the lubricant is contaminated with soot, diesel engine abrasion or in a worst-case scenario lubricant starvation occurs. This situation will eventually lead into engine ware. High volume of soot also raises acid level of the area. If this state co-occurs with high temperature of the engine and volatile gases during operation, engine corrosion may also be produced. This research study the effect of additive volume on the dispersion of soot in engine oil and effect of additive on size and volume of soot which affect to mechanism of ware in metal by tribology four-ball tester, image analysis by scanning electron microscope and particle size analysis by laser diffraction technique.
Effect of Substrate-Target Distance on the Structure of TiCrN Films Deposited from Mosaic Target by Reactive DC Magnetron Sputtering
Authors: Witit-Anun Nirun , Buranawong Adisorn
Published: April 2019

Titanium chromium nitride (TiCrN) thin films were deposited on Si substrates by reactive DC unbalanced magnetron sputtering from the Ti-Cr mosaic target. The effect of substrate-to-target distances (dst) on the structure of TiCrN thin films were investigated. The crystal structure, microstructure, thickness, roughness and chemical composition were characterized by glancing angle X-ray diffraction (GAXRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) technique, respectively. The results showed that, all the as-deposited films were formed as a (Ti,Cr)N solid solution. The as-deposited films exhibited a nanostructure with a crystal size less than 65 nm. The crystal size of all plane were in the range of 36.3 – 65.7 nm. The lattice constants were in the range of 4.169 Å to 4.229 Å. The thickness and roughness decrease from 500 nm to292 nm and 3.6 nm to 2.2 nm, respectively, with increasing the substrate-to-target distance. The chemical composition, Ti, Cr and N contents, of the as-deposited films were varied with the substrate-to-target distance. The as-deposited films showed compact columnar and dense morphology as a result of increasing the substrate-to-target distance.
Effect of Binder Content on the Slip Rheology and Green Properties of Slip Cast Alumina
Authors: Somton Kritkaew , Laoratanakul Pitak , McCuiston Ryan
Published: April 2019

The rheology of A96% alumina slips and the physical and mechanical properties of slip cast samples were studied. The slips had a constant solids loading of 40 wt% alumina and a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) content of 0-3 wt%, as a binder. The rheological behavior and viscosity of the slips were examined to determine the flowability of the slips necessary for the casting process. The slips were prepared by ball milling and the bend bar samples were cast in plaster molds. The green densities and the flexural strength of the bars were measured, and the fracture surfaces were examined by scanning electron microscopy. It was found that the slip viscosity increased with an increase of PVA content. The green flexural strength also increased to a maximum value of 0.52 MPa with increasing PVA up to 2 wt%. The further addition of PVA decreased the flexural strength. The green density did not significantly change with the PVA content, however the samples produced using 3 wt% PVA showed the lowest percentage of theoretical density of 41%. The fracture surface of the 3 wt% PVA sample showed numerous large pores compared with the other samples. Therefore, in this study it was concluded that there is in optimal amount of PVA to produce the highest green density and flexural strength of cast samples. Excess PVA reduced the flowability of the slip and resulted in excess porosity, which decreased the green density and deteriorated the flexural strength.
Effect of Ferric Oxide Nanoparticles Incorporation on Structure and Electrical Properties of Modified BNKT Ceramics
Authors: Jaita Pharatree , Manotham Supalak , Sanjoom Ratabongkot , Lertcumfu Narumon , Tunkasiri Tawee
Published: April 2019

The BNKBST30 + 3 vol% Fe2O3 ceramic was fabricated via a solid-state mixed oxide and sintered 1125°C for 2 h. The effects of ferric oxide nanoparticles (Fe2O3) additive on phase evolution, microstructure and electrical properties, i.e. dielectric, ferroelectric and electric field-induced strain, of BNKBST30 ceramic was investigated. The obtain ceramic was well sintered and densely with high density of 5.78 g/cm3. X-ray diffraction pattern and Raman spectra analysis showed a single perovskite with a mixed rhombohedral (R3c) and tetragonal (P4bm) phases. The obtained ceramic had a cubic-like grain shape with an average grain size of 0.82 µm. The dielectric constant as a function of temperature curves exhibited broad transition peaks at maximum temperature (Tm). The ceramic also showed good dielectric (er = 1085, tan d = 0.0496, er,max = 6099, Tm = 296 °C), ferroelectric (Pr = 27.18 µC/cm2, Ec = 20.32 kV/cm, Rsq = 0.95), and electric field-induced strain properties (Smax = 0.22 %, Sneg = - 0.08 %, d*33 = 440 pm/V). The obtained results indicated that the studied ceramic is considered as candidate for lead-free electromechanical applications.
Influence of Thermal Treatment Temperature on Phase Formation and Bioactivity of Glass-Ceramics Based on the SiO2-Na2O-CaO-P2O5 System
Authors: Kantha Puripat , Barnthip Naris , Pengpat Kamonpan , Tunkasiri Tawee , Pisitpipathsin Nuttapon
Published: April 2019

In this work, the thermal treatment temperature effect on phase formation and bioactivity of glass-ceramics based on the SiO2-Na2O-CaO-P2O5 system has been studied. The chemical composition of the system is 45 wt.% SiO2, 24.5 wt.% Na2O, 24.5 wt.% CaO and 6 wt.% P2O5 (45S5). The rice husk ash is used as the natural raw materials instead of commercial SiO2. All of the investigated compositions were prepared by melting the glass mixtures at 1350°C for 3 h. The resulting glass samples were heated at different thermal treatment temperatures ranging from 750 to 1050°C with fixed dwell-time for 4 h for crystallization. Phase identification of the 45S5 glass ceramics was carried out by X-Ray diffraction (XRD). Moreover, the physical properties such as density, porosity and mechanical properties were systematically investigated. It was found that, the increasing of heat treatment temperature led to the increasing of the Na2Ca2Si3O9 phase and obtaining better bioactive behavior after incubation of glass-ceramics in simulated body fluid (SBF) for 7 days. The maximum hardness value of 4.02 GPa was achieved after heating at 1050°C for 4 h. However, the density value has slightly changed with various heat treatment temperatures.
Effects of Bituminous Coal Ash Addition in Pottery Products
Authors: Wonghom Yannawut , Nilpairach Siripan , Mongkolkachit Charusporn , Pornphatdetaudom Thanataon , Wasanapiarnpong Thanakorn
Published: April 2019

Bituminous coal ash, fly ash (FA) and bottom ash (BA), from coal power plant were studied in this research for utilizations in ceramic and pottery industries. Both fly ash and bottom ash mixed with four different ball clays from two kinds of ceramic pottery products such as flowerpot and construction brick, Ratchaburi, Chantaburi, Angthong and Chonburi ball clay. The mixtures were varying ratio between ashes and clays depend on clay sources. After mixing, the bodies were formed to test pieces and were then fired at 800-1200 °C. The results indicated that, added fly ash 0-40 wt% significantly decreased water absorption and increased bending strength when fired at 1150 °C or above. For color effect, CIE L*a*b* color space, both fly ash and bottom ash revealed the samples less lightness, more red and yellow appearance. These results are obvious when fired at 1150oC or above. Following the results, fly ash is possible to be used in ceramic pottery industries replaced with other addition such as sand and pottery stone.
Characterization and Properties of Lampang Kaolinite Clay for Standard Clay
Authors: Mulinta Soravich , Thiansem Sakdiphon
Published: April 2019

The aim of this study was to study and characterize the properties of raw material for standard clay, Lampang province. The raw materials used in the study are from local sources. They are Lampang kaolin clay (WC-1) and Lampang kaolin residual (WC-2). The characterization of raw material was analyzed by particle analyzer, X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The mixing ratio of standard clay as an addition Lampang kaolin clay 50-90% and Lampang kaolin residual 10-50% on physical-mechanical properties of standard clay. The properties of standard clay after firing at temperature at 1200°C were studied. The shrinkage, water absorption and bending strength of standard clay were tested. The results showed that the chemical components of 60%lampang kaolinite clay and 40% Lampang kaolin residual included of large amount of 67.47wt% Silicon oxide and 20.92wt%Aluminum oxide. The physical properties of standard clay had a shrinkage of 11.2%, water absorption of 1.9 % and bending strength of 659 kg/cm2. The standard clay produced fulfilled the requirements of Thai industrial standard (TIS 485-2542).
Influence of Pre-Stretching Levels on the Forming Limit Strain and Stress Curves of High Strength Steel Sheet
Authors: Laokor Korkiat , Chongthairungruang Bunyong , Panich Sansot
Published: April 2019

In this work, Forming Limit Curves (FLCs) of the conventional and pre-stretched High Strength Steel (HSS) sheet grade 440 (SCGA440-45) were investigated. The conventional forming limit curve was experimentally determined by using the Nakajima stretching test. Subsequently, the non-linear strain path FLCs were precisely developed through the Nakajima stretching test after the specimens were pre-stretched in biaxial direction up to several levels on the Marciniak In-plane stretching test. The gained non-linear strain path FLCs were compared with the conventional FLC.Additionally, the experimental Forming Limit Stress Curve (FLSCs) were calculated using the experimental FLC and non-linear strain path FLCs data from investigated steel sheet. The yield criterion Hill’48 was employed in combination with the Swift strain hardening law to describe anisotropic deformation and plastic flow behavior of the HSS sheet, respectively. Hereby, the influence of pre-stretching levels on the experimentally determined the FLCs and FLSCs were examined. The results prove a significant influence of the pre-stretching levels on the both FLCs and FLSCs of the investigated HSS sheet. For a low pre-stretching in biaxial loading the FLCs demonstrated a reduced formability and the FLSCs exhibited the limited stress levels depending on the experimental FLC data.
Improvement of the Electrical Properties in Ba(Ti0.92Sn0.08)O3 Lead-Free Ceramics by Ca Addition and Sintering Profile
Authors: Bomlai Pornsuda , Kongthong Naruepon
Published: April 2019

(Ba1-xCax)(Ti0.92Sn0.08)O3lead-free ceramics were prepared using two different sintering methods: a conventional sintering (CS) and a two-step sintering (TSS) techniques. It was considered the different sintering temperatures and profiles can be used to optimize the density, microstructure and electrical properties. The effects of Ca content on phase formation, densification, microstructure, and electrical properties were investigated. Tetragonal structure perovskite was obtained in all samples. Hence, Ca content and sintering profile did not affect the crystal structure. Compositional analysis is ascribed to the occupancy of some Ca2+to the Ti4+sites. Thex= 0 sample sintered by a two-step sintering achieved the highest density of 5.73 ± 0.01 g/cm3(95% theoretical density). The grain size decreased when the Ca content and sintering temperature increased. Scanning electron micrographs showed that the two-step sintering produced a smaller grain size than those of the conventional ones, resulted from lower the holding temperature. It also got that the two-step sintering and Ca addition improved electrical properties of samples. At 1 kHz, thex= 0.04 exhibited the highest room-temperature dielectric constant reaching to 4,250 with a relatively low dielectric loss. The increasing of Ca content and the holding temperature affected the increasing of Curie temperature. AC complex impedance spectroscopy technique was also used to acquire the electrical properties of (Ba1-xCax)(Ti0.92Sn0.08)O3ceramics. Sample withx= 0.04 sintered by conventional sintering achieved the best piezoelectric charge constant (d33) of 262.0 pC/N. The (Ba0.96Ca0.04)(Ti0.92Sn0.08)O3lead-free ceramic has a potential application in piezoelectric energy harvester and can be applied in modern low-power electronic products.
The Effects of Biochar Additive on the Properties of Geopolymer Materials
Authors: Khamlue Phitchayanin , Lertcumfu Narumon , Jaita Pharatree , Manotham Supalak , Tunkasiri Tawee , Malasri Pruchya , Rujijanagul Gobwute
Published: April 2019

In this research, the effects of biochar additive on the properties of geopolymer materials were investigated. Normally, the geopolymer can be used for adsorption materials due to good ion exchange capacity. Biochar also has the application as an adsorption material for pollutant removal. Biochar particles were prepared from waste materials in pyrolysis condition. The geopolymer materials were prepared by mixing metakaolin and aluminium oxide in alkaline activator solutions of Na2SiO3and NaOH. Biochar was mixed with geopolymer by 0, 10, 20, and 30 % weight of binder. A NaOH concentration of 15 M, and Na2SiO3/NaOH ratios of 1.5 by weight were used. The density, porosity, and water absorption were measured. The phase formation, microstructure, and bonds of the sample were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The adsorption capacity of each sample was determined by methylene blue adsorption tests. The result of the removal efficiency of all samples shows high adsorption capacity (60-70 %). It should be interesting alternative materials used for remove of aqueous solution.
Poly(Butylene Succinate) and Recycled Poly(Ethylene Terephthalate) Blends Adding GMA as Compatibilizer: Mechanical Properties and Chemical Resistance to Household Chemicals
Authors: Hongsriphan Nattakarn , Samangain Supakorn , Siriteeraphan Yuttanawee , Yangcheepyuenyoodee Nattakarn
Published: April 2019

Recycled poly(ethylene terephthalate) (rPET) from post-consumer drinking bottles was added into poly(butylene succinate) (PBS), which aimed to improve chemical resistance and also reduce cost. PBS and rPET with the weight ratios of 100/0, 90/10, 80/20, 70/30, 60/40, and 50/50 wt% were melt blended using glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) of 0, 3, and 5 phr as a compatibilizer and dicumyl peroxide (DCP) of 0.5 phr as an initiator. It was found that increasing rPET content enhanced Young’s modulus of the blends. However, tensile strength, and elongation at break of the blends were reduced due to phase separation. Incorporating GMA improved chemical compatibility resulting the PBS/rPET blends to have higher tensile strength and elongation at break. Compared to pure PBS, blending rPET improved chemical resistance to household chemicals such as bathroom cleaning liquid (hydrochloric acid based) and bleaching liquid, which the blends adding GMA showed even better chemical resistance.
Synthesis of Modified Chitosan with Thiamine Hydrochloride as the Adsorbent for Calcium (II) Ion Removal
Authors: Sananmuang Ratana
Published: April 2019

Water quality is very important to food processing industry. Water hardness caused by calcium ions in water can affect the properties of food including aroma, texture, flavor and appearance. Chitosan has amino functional groups that can remove metal ions from aqueous solution. However, chitosan can give more effective removal of calcium ions if it is modified with functionalized substance such as thiamine hydrochloride. therefore, the objectives of this study were to synthesize the modified chitosan with thiamine hydrochloride (MCTH) and to determine its efficiency for removal of calcium ion in solution. Chitosan was prepared from crab shells and modified with thiamine hydrochloride at 30 °C. The morphology of both crab-shell chitosan (CSC) and MCTH was characterized by SEM, FTIR and NMR techniques. Batch adsorption experiments were conducted as a function of pH, contacted time and initial concentration of calcium (II) ions. The desorption of calcium(II) ion from both adsorbents was also investigated. The concentration of calcium in solution was measured by FAAS technique. The results indicated that the optimum pH for adsorption was 6.0 for both CSC and MCTH. The adsorption capacity for MCTH (48.31 mg g-1) was greater than that of CSC (1.52 mg g-1). The isotherm showed that the adsorption process of calcium (II) ions onto MCTH was fitted to Langmuir isotherm model. Calcium desorption from MCTH was lower than that of CSC.
Shear Bond Strength of Resin Cement to Saliva-Contaminated Metal Alloys after Various Surface Treatments
Authors: Surintanasarn Atikom , Thamrongananskul Niyom
Published: April 2019

The bonding ability of resin cement to metal alloys of conventional dental restorations is critical for the retention and long-term survival rate. Contaminated saliva during try-in process which is resistant to simple water rinsing could reduce bond strength. Surface treatment before cementation might have an important role in optimizing resin-metal bond strength. The purpose of this study was to study the effect of surface pretreatment on the shear bond strength of dental base metal alloys after saliva contamination using a self-adhesive resin cement. Forty dental wax patterns (7-mm diameter) were made and cast with dental base metal alloy (Argeloy N.P. (V)). Cast metal specimens were embedded in PVC tube using self-curing acrylic resin and then flattened with 600-grit silicon carbide paper. PVC tube holders were specifically designed for the shear bond strength test device. Forty resin composite specimens were prepared in plastic mold (diameter of 3 mm and depth of 3 mm). The resin composite specimens were treated with sandblasting. Fifty-μm aluminum oxide particle was blasted for 10 seconds from the distance of approximately 5 mm perpendicular to the bonding surface. Metal alloy specimens were immersed in artificial saliva for 1 minute and rinsed with water-spray for 15 seconds. The specimens were also air-dried for 15 seconds. Specimens were divided into four groups, which received one of the following surface treatments: (1) No surface treatment (Control), (2) 37% phosphoric acid, (3) 37% phosphoric acid and then rinsed with 70% ethyl alcohol, and (4) 70% ethyl alcohol. After rinsing and drying, the resin composite specimens were cemented with Panavia SA Cement (Kuraray Noritake Dental Inc., Okayama, Japan) at the center of metal alloy specimens followed by the manufacturer’s instruction. Before testing, the specimens were stored in distilled water at 37oC for 24 hours. For testing, specimens were dried and mounted to universal testing machine (EZ-S, Shimadzu Co., Kyoto, Japan) at the crosshead speed of 1 mm/minute. Failure loads was recorded in Newton (N) and then analyzed to Mega Pascal (MPa). The highest shear bond strength was observed for group 2 and 3. The failure mode in all the materials was adhesive failure which occurred at the resin-metal interface. Within the limitations of this study, phosphoric acid was effective in removing saliva contamination and enhancing bond strength at the resin-dental base metal interface.
A Study of Sericin-Thunbergia Laurifolia Electrospun Fibre for Wound Healing Applications
Authors: White Pattarinee , Chooprajong Sirinat , Pankaew Piyapong
Published: April 2019

Thunbergia laurifolia is a Thai herb that possesses outstanding wound healing properties. In addition, Sericin, obtained from the Bombyx mori silkworm, is also a potential candidate for wound healing applications. This is due to its moisture content and hydrophilic and antimicrobial properties. In this research, an electrospinning technique using Sericin and Thunbergia laurifolia was studied for wound healing purposes. Sericin solution was prepared by boiling Bombyx mori silkworm at 80 °C and Thunbergia laurifolia solution was prepared by boiling Thunbergia laurifolia leaves in distilled water at 100°C. The Sericin-Thunbergia laurifolia (STL) solution was mixed at the ratios of 1:9, 2:8, 3:7, 4:6, 5:5, 6:4, 7:3, 8:2 and 9:1 respectively. After mixing the solution of STL at the various ratios, all STL solutions were blended with 9 wt% PVA for the electrospinning process. The ratios of Sericin and Thunbergia laurifolia, the applied voltage and the distance between the needle tip to the target and the size of the needle were all optimized in this study. The fibre morphology was examined through SEM images. The electrospun PVA–STL fibre was found to have an average diameter in the range of 100-530 nm. The result from the SEM images showed the optimum ratio of Sericin and Thunbergia laurifolia to be 5:5. A suitable applied voltage, the distance between the needle tip to target and the size of the needle were 15 kV, 10 cm and an 18 gauge needle, respectively.
Flight phenology and trap selection for monitoring potential viral vector Aphididae and Aleyrodidae (Hemiptera) in strawberry (Rosaceae) fields of Québec, Canada
Authors: Bonneau Phanie , Brisson Jean Denis , Tellier Stéphanie , Fournier Valérie
Published: April 2019

Strawberry decline disease, predominantly viral in origin, was a serious threat to the strawberry (Fragaria x ananassaDuchesne ex Rozier; Rosaceae) fields of Québec, Canada, between 2012 and 2014. Our aim was to monitor the abundance and activity of the main insect vectors: the strawberry aphid,Chaetosiphon fragaefolii(Cockerell) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) and the greenhouse whitefly,Trialeurodes vaporariorumWestwood (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae). First, we compared the effectiveness of two trapping techniques, the yellow sticky trap and the yellow pan trap. Results showed that the sticky traps are more effective in capturing alates in flight. Second, we determined the peak flight period for each of the two vectors in several locations within the province of Québec. Results suggest that the peak abundance of wingedC. fragaefoliiis during the first two weeks of August, while the peak abundance ofT. vaporariorumis in the last two weeks of September. Overall trap captures also found 53 different species of winged aphids, and we documented a new distribution record on commercial strawberry fields in Québec,Aleyrodes spiraeoides(Quaintance) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae). Species composition and significant information of flight periods will be useful for the management of virus-transmitting insects associated with strawberry decline disease in Québec.
The Angiotensin Receptor Blocker Losartan Suppresses Growth of Pulmonary Metastases via AT1R-Independent Inhibition of CCR2 Signaling and Monocyte Recruitment
Authors: Regan Daniel P. , Coy Jonathan W. , Chahal Kirti Kandhwal , Chow Lyndah , Kurihara Jade N. , Guth Amanda M. , Kufareva Irina , Dow Steven W.
Published: April 2019

Inflammatory monocytes have been shown to play key roles in cancer metastasis through promotion of tumor cell extravasation, growth, and angiogenesis. Monocyte recruitment to metastases is mediated primarily via the CCL2–CCR2 chemotactic axis. Thus, disruption of this axis represents an attractive therapeutic target for the treatment of metastatic disease. Losartan, a type I angiotensin II receptor (AT1R) antagonist, has been previously shown to have immunomodulatory actions involving monocyte and macrophage activity. However, the exact mechanisms accounting for these effects have not been fully elucidated. Therefore, we investigated the effects of losartan and its primary metabolite on CCL2-mediated monocyte recruitment and CCR2 receptor function using mouse tumor models and in vitro human monocyte cultures. We show, in this study, that losartan and its metabolite potently inhibit monocyte recruitment through the noncompetitive inhibition of CCL2-induced ERK1/2 activation, independent of AT1R activity. Studies in experimental metastasis models demonstrated that losartan treatment significantly reduced the metastatic burden in mice, an effect associated with a significant decrease in CD11b+/Ly6C+-recruited monocytes in the lungs. Collectively, these results indicate that losartan can exert antimetastatic activity by inhibiting CCR2 signaling and suppressing monocyte recruitment and therefore suggest that losartan (and potentially other AT1R blocker drugs) could be repurposed for use in cancer immunotherapy.
Bach2 Negatively Regulates T Follicular Helper Cell Differentiation and Is Critical for CD4+ T Cell Memory
Authors: Geng Jianlin , Wei Hairong , Shi Bi , Wang Yin-Hu , Greer Braxton D. , Pittman Melanie , Smith Emily , Thomas Paul G. , Kutsch Olaf , Hu Hui
Published: April 2019

T follicular helper (Tfh) cells are essential for germinal center B cell responses. The molecular mechanism underlying the initial Tfh cell differentiation, however, is still incompletely understood. In this study, we show that in vivo, despite enhanced non–Tfh cell effector functions, the deletion of transcription factor Bach2 results in preferential Tfh cell differentiation. Mechanistically, the deletion of Bach2 leads to the induction of CXCR5 expression even before the upregulation of Ascl2. Subsequently, we have identified a novel regulatory element in the murine CXCR5 locus that negatively regulates CXCR5 promoter activities in a Bach2-dependent manner. Bach2 deficiency eventually results in a collapsed CD4+ T cell response with severely impaired CD4+ T cell memory, including Tfh cell memory. Our results demonstrate that Bach2 critically regulates Tfh cell differentiation and CD4+ T cell memory.