bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Responses of Concrete Using Steel Slag as Coarse Aggregate Replacement under Splitting and Flexure
Authors: Nguyen Thi-Thuy-Hang , Mai Hong-Ha , Phan Duc-Hung , Nguyen Duy-Liem
Published: June 2020

Experimental tests were performed to investigate the responses of coarse steel slag concrete under splitting and flexure. The name of coarse steel slag concrete (CSC) here refers to concrete using industrial byproduct steel slag as natural coarse aggregate replacement. Three CSC types were examined in this investigation as follows: CSC1, CSC2, and CSC3, having a water/cement ratio of 0.57, 0.50, and 0.45, respectively. In the compositions of the three studied CSCs, the water content by weight remained constant and other partial materials were changed, but the ratio of coarse steel slag/fine river sand was still fixed. Under splitting, three types of test methods were conducted including a cylinder splitting test, side-cube splitting test, and diagonal-cube splitting with the same sizes: the diameter of the cylinder and side of the cube were 100 mm. The orders of splitting test methods were observed for CSC2 as follows: cylinder > side-cube > diagonal-cube in terms of maximum applied load, and, cylinder > diagonal-cube > side-cube in terms of splitting strength. Additionally, there were clear size effects on the splitting strengths of CSC2 with different sizes as follows: 70 mm, 100 mm, 150 mm for cylindrical diameter, and/or cubic side. Under flexure, there was a strong co-relationship between compressive strength and flexural resistance of CSCs. The flexural engineering parameters were examined then assessed for plain CSCs, using a rectangular prism with the size of 100 × 100 × 300 mm (width × height × span-length), and, for steel-reinforced beams using CSCs with the size of 200 × 300 × 3000 mm (width × height × span-length).
Determining the Market Uptake of Demand Responsive Transport Enabled Public Transport Service
Authors: Saxena Neeraj , Rashidi Taha , Rey David
Published: June 2020

Demand responsive transport (DRT) alternatives offer improved mobility to travellers through station-to-destination or door-to-transit operations. In particular, door-to-transit DRT service acts as a feeder to major public transport hubs, making public transport more accessible and attractive to travellers. This work aims to study the mode choice behaviour of travellers between their current modes and a new service, which is a combination of DRT and public transport. The study is conducted in the Northern Beaches area of Sydney, Australia where DRT is expected to serve as a feeder to the newly introduced express bus service called B-Line. A stated preference (SP) experiment is designed where multiple-choice scenarios involving two modes, status quo (SQ) and the new service (combined DRT and public transit), are presented to the participants. The survey uses trip specific information obtained from Google API to form the attributes for the new service. The collected data are analysed using a latent class choice model (LCCM), which segments the observed sample into distinct groups where each group has its own taste and preferences towards the new service option. Results from the study reveal that one of the identified user segments shows 96 percent uptake towards the new service option, while the other user segment shows an uptake of 44 percent. Results also show that individuals making work trips are more likely to opt for the new service. Findings from this study can provide information to urban planners regarding the market uptake of DRT services. Furthermore, the findings can also help planners in implementing segment specific policies aimed at further improving uptake towards DRT along with public transport.
Unified Fundamental Formulas for Static Analysis of Pin-Jointed Bar Assemblies
Authors: Zhang Pei , Xiong Huiting , Chen Junsheng
Published: June 2020

The initial axial forces of members—whatever caused by prestress or external loads—may strongly change the mechanical properties of pin-jointed bar assemblies, to enhance, or even establish their structural stiffness. The structural responses under external disturbance cannot be calculated accurately if the influence of initial axial forces has not been considered appropriately. In this paper, an analytic theory considering the effect of initial internal forces is developed on the basis of linear elasticity hypothesis. The fundamental formulas proposed finally include generalized equilibrium equations and generalized compatibility equations, both of which have square coefficient matrices of full rank being transposed with each other. Generally, this method can be regarded as an extended version of a traditional force method considering the stiffening effect of initial internal forces. Compared with the matrix force method, it has a wider application scenario since few redundant simplifications are employed in the derivation of the formulas. In comparison with the displacement-based algorithm, the proposed method has the inherent advantages of the force method—the physical concepts of each item in equations are fairly explicit; and the combination coefficients of self-stress states and mechanisms are determined simultaneously in solving the structural responses. Thus, it is very helpful for us to essentially comprehend the principle that the pin-jointed bar assemblies resist the external loads.
HCDA: Efficient Pairing-Free Homographic Key Management for Dynamic Cross-Domain Authentication in VANETs
Authors: Tan Haowen , Xuan Shichang , Chung Ilyong
Published: June 2020

Emerging as the effective strategy of intelligent transportation system (ITS), vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs) have the capacity of drastically improving the driving experience and road safety. In typical VANET scenarios, high mobility and volatility of vehicles result in dynamic topology of vehicular networks. That is, individual vehicle may pass through the effective domain of multiple neighboring road-side-units (RSUs) during a comparatively short time interval. Hence, efficient and low-latency cross-domain verification with all the successive RSUs is of significance. Recently, a lot of research on VANET authentication and key distribution was presented, while the critical cross-domain authentication (CDA) issue has not been properly addressed. Particularly, the existing CDA solutions mainly reply on the acquired confidential keying information from the neighboring entities (RSUs and vehicles), while too much trustworthiness is granted to the involved RSUs. Please note that the RSUs are distributively located and may be compromised or disabled by adversary, thus vital vehicle information may be revealed. Furthermore, frequent data interactions between RSUs and cloud server are always the major requisite so as to achieve mutual authentication with cross-domain vehicles, which leads to heavy bandwidth consumption and high latency. In this paper, we address the above VANET cross-domain authentication issue under the novel RSU edge networks assumption. Please note that RSUs are assumed to be semi-trustworthy entity in our design, where critical vehicular keying messages remain secrecy. Homomorphic encryption design is applied for all involved RSUs and vehicles. In this way, successive RSUs could efficiently verify the cross-domain vehicle with the transited certificate from the neighbor RSUs and vehicle itself, while the identity and secrets of each vehicle is hidden all the time. Afterwards, dynamic updating towards the anonymous vehicle identity is conducted upon validation, where conditional privacy preserving is available. Moreover, pairing-free mutual authentication method is used for efficiency consideration. Formal security analysis is given, proving that the HCDA mechanism yields desirable security properties on VANET cross domain authentication issue. Performance discussions demonstrate efficiency of the proposed HCDA scheme compared with the state-of-the-art.
Analysis of Key Elements of Truss Structures Based on the Tangent Stiffness Method
Authors: Feng Jian , Li Changtong , Xu Yixiang , Zhang Qian , Wang Fang , Cai Jianguo
Published: June 2020

In recent years, the topic of progressive structural collapse has received more attention around the world, and the study of element importance is the key to studying progressive collapse resistance. However, there are many elements in truss structures, making it difficult to predict their importance. The global stiffness matrix contains the specific information of the structure and singularity of the matrix can reflect the safety status of the structure, so it is useful to evaluate the key elements based on the global stiffness matrix for truss structures. In this paper, according to the tangent stiffness-based method for the element importance, the square pyramid grid was chosen as an example, and the distribution rules of key elements under different support conditions, stiffness distributions, and geometric parameters were studied. Then, three common symmetric grid forms, i.e., diagonal square pyramid grids, biorthogonal lattice grids, and biorthogonal diagonal lattice grids, were selected to investigate their importance indices of elements. The principle in this work can be utilized in progressive collapse analysis and safety assessment for spatial truss structures.
Transformations of Selected Fusarium Toxins and Their Modified Forms During Malt Loaf Production
Authors: Bryła Marcin , Ksieniewicz-Woźniak Edyta , Waśkiewicz Agnieszka , Yoshinari Tomoya , Szymczyk Krystyna , Podolska Grażyna , Gwiazdowski Romuald , Kubiak Krzysztof
Published: June 2020

An increasing number of studies have found that modified mycotoxins, such as free mycotoxins, naturally occur in food, and severely impact food safety. The present study investigated concentrations of trichothecenes nivalenol (NIV), deoxynivalenol (DON), and zearalenone (ZEN), together with their modified forms, nivalenol-3-glucoside (NIV-3G), deoxynivalenol-3-glucoside (DON-3G), and zearalenone-14-glucoside (ZEN-14G) and zearalenone-14-sulfate (ZEN-14S), respectively, at successive stages of malt loaf production (flour, dough kneading/fermentation, loaf baking). Toxins in bakery products originate in flour produced from wheat grain that is naturally contaminated with Fusarium culmorum. Mycotoxin concentrations were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry, and did not significantly change during the successive stages of bread production. After the dough kneading/fermentation stage, concentrations of NIV-3G and DON-3G were slightly increased, whereas those of ZEN and ZEN-14S were slightly decreased. The largest average decrease (21%) was found in ZEN-14G. After the baking stage, the average concentrations of NIV-3G, DON-3G, ZEN-14S, and ZEN-14G in the loaf crumb and crust decreased by 23%, 28%, 27%, and 20%, respectively, compared with those in the dough. During this technical process, the concentration of ZEN-14G in loaf crumb significantly decreased by an average of 48%, and those of ZEN, ZEN-14S, and ZEN-14G in loaf crust decreased by an average of 29%, 42%, and 48%, respectively. Considering the possibility of modified mycotoxins degradation to free forms, as well as the ability to synthesize them from free forms during technological processes, it would be prudent to consider them together during analysis.
Involvement of the Endothelin Receptor Type A in the Cardiovascular Inflammatory Response Following Scorpion Envenomation
Authors: Sifi Amina , Adi-Bessalem Sonia , Laraba-Djebari Fatima
Published: June 2020

Elevated levels of endothelin-1 (ET-1) were recorded in sera of scorpion sting patients. However, no studies focused on the mechanism of ET-1 involvement in the pathogenesis of scorpion envenomation, particularly in the cardiovascular system which is seriously affected in severe cases of scorpion stings. Inflammation induced by Androctonus australis hector (Aah) scorpion venom in the heart together with the aorta was studied in mice pretreated with a specific endothelin A receptor (ETA-R) inhibitor. ETA-R inhibition resulted in the attenuation of the high amounts of cytokine (tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-17 (IL-17)) recorded in the sera of envenomed mice. The recovery of the oxidative stress marker balance and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) expression were also observed, concomitantly with the reduction of tissular neutrophil infiltration. Additionally, the cardiac and the aortic tissue alterations, and the metabolic enzymes (creatine kinase (CK) and muscle–brain isoform creatine kinase (CK-MB)) overspread into sera were significantly attenuated. Obtained results suggest the implication of endothelin throughout its ETA receptors in the inflammatory response observed in the cardiovascular components during scorpion envenomation. Further knowledge is needed to better understand the implication of the endothelin axis and to improve the therapeutic management of severe scorpion sting cases.
Drugs Commonly Applied to Kidney Patients May Compromise Renal Tubular Uremic Toxins Excretion
Authors: Mihaila Silvia M. , Faria João , Stefens Maurice F. J. , Stamatialis Dimitrios , Verhaar Marianne C. , Gerritsen Karin G. F. , Masereeuw Rosalinde
Published: June 2020

In chronic kidney disease (CKD), the secretion of uremic toxins is compromised leading to their accumulation in blood, which contributes to uremic complications, in particular cardiovascular disease. Organic anion transporters (OATs) are involved in the tubular secretion of protein-bound uremic toxins (PBUTs). However, OATs also handle a wide range of drugs, including those used for treatment of cardiovascular complications and their interaction with PBUTs is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the interaction between commonly prescribed drugs in CKD and endogenous PBUTs with respect to OAT1-mediated uptake. We exposed a unique conditionally immortalized proximal tubule cell line (ciPTEC) equipped with OAT1 to a panel of selected drugs, including angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs: captopril, enalaprilate, lisinopril), angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs: losartan and valsartan), furosemide and statins (pravastatin and simvastatin), and evaluated the drug-interactions using an OAT1-mediated fluorescein assay. We show that selected ARBs and furosemide significantly reduced fluorescein uptake, with the highest potency for ARBs. This was exaggerated in presence of some PBUTs. Selected ACEIs and statins had either no or a slight effect at supratherapeutic concentrations on OAT1-mediated fluorescein uptake. In conclusion, we demonstrate that PBUTs may compete with co-administrated drugs commonly used in CKD management for renal OAT1 mediated secretion, thus potentially compromising the residual renal function.
Botulinum Toxin Paves the Way for the Treatment of Functional Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction
Authors: Kuo Hann-Chorng
Published: June 2020

Botulinum toxin A (BoNT-A) is a potent protein that can selectively modulate neurotransmission from nerve endings, resulting in the blocking of neurotransmitter releases and causing muscular paralysis [...]
Quantile Analysis of Long-Term Trends of Near-Surface Chlorophyll-a in the Pearl River Plume
Authors: Gao Na , Ma Yi , Zhao Mingli , Zhang Li , Zhan Haigang , Cai Shuqun , He Qingyou
Published: June 2020

The concentration of chlorophyll-a (CHL) is an important proxy for the amount of phytoplankton biomass in the ocean. Characterizing the variability of CHL in the Pearl River Plume (PRP) is therefore of great importance for the understanding of the changes in oceanic productivity in the coastal region. By applying quantile regression analysis on 21-year (1998–2018) near-surface CHL data from satellite observations, this study investigated the long-term trend of CHL in the PRP. The results show decreasing trends (at an order of 10−2 mg m−3 year−1) for all percentiles of the CHL in the PRP, suggesting a decrease in productivity in the past two decades. The trends differ fundamentally from those in the open regions of the northern South China Sea with mixed signs and small magnitudes (10−4 mg m−3 year−1). The magnitudes of the trends in high quantiles (>80th) are larger than those in low quantiles (<50th) in the PRP, indicative of a decrease in the variance of the CHL. The area with apparent decreasing trends is restricted to the PRP in summer and extends to the entire coastal region in winter. This decrease in CHL is possibly attributed to the decrease in nutrient input from the river runoff and the weakening of wind-forced mixing rather than the changes in sea surface temperature. This study extends our knowledge on the variability of CHL in the PRP and provides references to the investigation of the changes of the coastal ecological environment.
Stability Analysis of Expansive Soil Slope Considering Seepage Softening and Moistening Expansion Deformation
Authors: Zhao Siyi , Shi Zhenming , Peng Ming , Bao Yanni
Published: June 2020

Expansive soil is a kind of clay soil that expands rapidly after being immersed in water and shrinks significantly after losing water. The expansive soil slopes exposed to the atmosphere are in the process of continuous dry and wet cycles and are extremely unstable under the conditions of rainfall. Based on saturated-unsaturated seepage theory, the unsaturated seepage process and humidification process of the expansive soil slope under rainfall were simulated, and a related FORTRAN language program was developed. The effects of matrix suction changes, seepage softening, and moistening expansion during the seepage process were considered. The effects of strength attenuation, seepage softening, and moistening expansion on the overall stability of the expansive soil slope were analyzed. The results show that under the action of rainfall, the failure mode of the expansive soil slope after multiple dry-wet cycles is shallow collapse, and the failure surface is located in the weathered area, which is quite different from the traction landslide of the homogeneous expansive soil slope. After considering the moistening expansion and softening effects, the maximum displacement of the slope increased by an order of magnitude, and the safety factor decreased significantly. The significant increase in the horizontal stress of the lower half slope is the main reason for the landslide. The research results well explain the special tractive and shallow properties of typical expansive soil landslides.
Reasons of Acceptance and Barriers of House Onsite Greywater Treatment and Reuse in Palestinian Rural Areas
Authors: Thaher Rehab , Mahmoud Nidal , Al-Khatib Issam , Hung Yung-Tse
Published: June 2020

In the last twenty years, house onsite wastewater management systems have been increasing in the West Bank’s rural areas. The aim of this research was to reveal, in the context of providing onsite Grey Water Treatment Plants (GWTPs) for wastewater management in the rural communities in Palestine, the local population’s perceptions, in the sense of acceptance of and barriers towards such a type of wastewater management, so as to figure out successes, failures and lessons. The data collection tool was a questionnaire that targeted the households served with GWTPs. The findings show that 13% of the total constructed treatment plants were not operative. The most important barrier as mentioned by 66.5% is odor emission and insect infestation. Then, 25.1% of the implementing agencies never monitor or check the treatment plants, and 59.3% of them monitor and check the plants only during the first 2–3 months. The next barrier is inadequate beneficiary experience in operation and maintenance. Health concerns regarding quality of crops irrigated by treated grey water were another barrier. The results revealed that the reuse of treated grey water in irrigation was the main incentive for GWTPs as stated by 88.0% of beneficiaries. The second incentive was the saving of cesspit discharge frequency and its financial consequences, as stated by 71.3%. Finally, 72.5% of the beneficiaries stated that they had a water shortage before implementing GWTPs, and the GWTPs contributed to solving it. The highest percentage (82.6%) of beneficiaries accepted the treatment units because of their willingness to reuse treated water for irrigation and agricultural purposes. Education level has an impact on GWTP acceptance, with 73% of not educated beneficiaries being satisfied and 58.8% of educated people being satisfied. Islamic religion is considered a driver for accepting reuse of treated grey water in irrigation, according to the majority of people (70%). Women play a major role on GWTP management; 68.9% of the treatment systems are run by men side-by-side with women (fathers and mothers), and 24% are run completely by women. The majority of GWTP beneficiaries (70.4%) are satisfied with GWTPs. Little effort is required for operation and maintenance, with only an average of 0.4 working hours per week. Therefore, house onsite grey water management systems are acceptable in rural communities, but attention should be given to the reasons of acceptance and barriers highlighted in this research.
The Straightening of a River Meander Leads to Extensive Losses in Flow Complexity and Ecosystem Services
Authors: Zhou Tian , Endreny Theodore
Published: June 2020

To assist river restoration efforts we need to slow the rate of river degradation. This study provides a detailed explanation of the hydraulic complexity loss when a meandering river is straightened in order to motivate the protection of river channel curvature. We used computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling to document the difference in flow dynamics in nine simulations with channel curvature (C) degrading from a well-established tight meander bend (C = 0.77) to a straight channel without curvature (C = 0). To control for covariates and slow the rate of loss to hydraulic complexity, each of the nine-channel realizations had equivalent bedform topography. The analyzed hydraulic variables included the flow surface elevation, streamwise and transverse unit discharge, flow velocity at streamwise, transverse, and vertical directions, bed shear stress, stream function, and the vertical hyporheic flux rates at the channel bed. The loss of hydraulic complexity occurred gradually when initially straightening the channel from C = 0.77 to C = 0.33 (i.e., the radius of the channel is three-times the channel width), and additional straightening incurred rapid losses to hydraulic complexity. Other studies have shown hydraulic complexity provides important riverine habitat and is positively correlated with biodiversity. This study demonstrates how hydraulic complexity can be gradually and then rapidly lost when unwinding a river, and hopefully will serve as a cautionary tale.
A Case Study on Settling Process in Inclined-Tube Gravity Sedimentation Tank for Drip Irrigation with the Yellow River Water
Authors: Wang Keyuan , Li Yunkai , Ren Shumei , Yang Peiling
Published: June 2020

A sedimentation tank which can remove fine sediment with low cost and high efficiency is of great significance for the wide application of drip irrigation techniques with the Yellow River water. In this study, the settling process of an inclined-tube gravity sedimentation tank which has high removal efficiency for fine particles in practice was thoroughly investigated. The sediment concentration distribution in the tank was measured by an optical back-scattering turbidimeter. The sediment thickness at the tank bottom was also measured. In addition, the size grading of sediment deposited at different positions on the tank bottom and at different heights in the inclined tubes was also measured by a laser particle size analyzer. It was found that the removal efficiency of fine sediment was 64.7–69.7% in the inclined-tube gravity sedimentation tank, which was higher than that of the sedimentation tank without inclined tubes (with a sediment removal rate of 20.7–32%). The sediment was mainly deposited in the flow adjustment area and settlement area with inclined tubes. A suitable height for the inclined tubes was 70–90 cm. In addition, the water inlet, baffle, and overflow weir in the tank negatively affected the fine sediment settling in two experiment cases. The experimental results enhance our understanding of the sedimentation characteristics in the tank, and indicate the direction for the subsequent structural optimization of the tank.
System Dynamics Applied to Terraced Agroecosystems: The Case Study of Assaragh (Anti-Atlas Mountains, Morocco)
Authors: Boselli Vladimiro , Ouallali Abdessalam , Briak Hamza , Houssni Mhammad , Kassout Jalal , El Ouahrani Abdeltif , Michailidi Eleni Maria
Published: June 2020

Terraced agroecosystems (TAS)—apart from being an important cultural heritage element—are considered vital for sustainable water resource management and climate change adaptation measures. However, this traditional form of agriculture, with direct implications in food security at a local scale, has been suffering from abandonment or degradation worldwide. In light of this, the need to fully comprehend the complex linkage of their abandonment with different driving forces is essential. The identification of these dynamics makes possible an appropriate intervention with local initiatives and policies on a larger scale. Therefore, the main aim of this paper is to introduce a comprehensive multidisciplinary framework that maps the dynamics of the investigated TAS’s abandonment, by defining cause–effect relationships on a hydrogeological, ecological and social level, through tools from System Dynamics studies. This methodology is implemented in the case of Assaragh TAS, a traditional oasis agroecosystem in the Moroccan Anti-Atlas, characterized by data scarcity. Through field studies, interviews, questionnaires and freely accessible databases, the TAS’s abandonment, leading to a loss in agrobiodiversity, is linked to social rather than climatic drives. Additionally, measures that can counteract the phenomenon and strengthen the awareness of the risks associated with climate change and food security are proposed.
Removal of Arsenic(III) Ion from Aqueous Media Using Complex Nickel-Aluminum and Nickel-Aluminum-Zirconium Hydroxides
Authors: Ogata Fumihiko , Nagai Noriaki , Toda Megumu , Otani Masashi , Saenjum Chalermpong , Nakamura Takehiro , Kawasaki Naohito
Published: June 2020

The technology of wastewater treatment involving removal of heavy metals using complex metal hydroxides is reported. In this study, complex nickel-aluminum (NA11 and NA12) and nickel-aluminum-zirconium (NAZ1 and NAZ2) hydroxides were prepared for the removal of arsenite ions, As(III), from aqueous solution. The characteristics of each adsorbent were evaluated, and the adsorption capacity and adsorption mechanism were determined. The adsorption capacity of As(III) on NAZ1 (15.3 mg g−1) was greater than that on NA11 (9.3 mg g−1). Coverage is directly related to the specific surface area with a correlation coefficient of 0.921. Ion exchange involving sulfate ions in the interlayer of the adsorbent also plays a role in the mechanism of As(III) adsorption as demonstrated by correlation coefficients of 0.797 and 0.944 for the NA11 and NAZ1, respectively. The results demonstrate the usefulness of NAZ1 in removing As(III) from aqueous media.
Urban Mountain Waterscapes: The Transformation of Hydro-Social Relations in the Trans-Himalayan Town Leh, Ladakh, India
Authors: Müller Judith , Dame Juliane , Nüsser Marcus
Published: June 2020

Socio-economic processes and climate change impact the socio-hydrology of many small towns in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH), such as Leh in Ladakh. The rapidly urbanising town experienced a shift from agricultural livelihoods towards incomes mainly relying on the tourism sector. As results of this research show, the limited water resources essential to the everyday life of urban citizens have become increasingly important for the tourism sector and the urbanisation process. This study aims to understand the transformation of the urban mountain waterscape and the role of different actors involved. The waterscape approach frames hydro-social relations in a specific spatial context and additionally captures diverging hydromentalities within local actor constellations. Related discourses are materialised as water governance impacting the everyday life of urban citizens. A combination of quantitative, qualitative and participatory methods allows for a differentiated picture of current developments. Based on 312 household questionnaires, 96 semi-structured interviews, and a participatory photography workshop, this study provides evidence that urban restructuring induced by development imaginaries produces uneven water citizenships in Leh. Along with socio-economic shifts, the community-managed water regulation system is replaced by a technocratic scheme, centralising water supply and sanitation. While some of Leh’s citizens benefit from urban restructurings, others are confronted with environmental and social costs, such as a deteriorating water quality and a further reduction in quantity.
CHNS Modeling for Study and Management of Human–Water Interactions at Multiple Scales
Authors: Ponnambalam Kumaraswamy , Mousavi S. Jamshid
Published: June 2020

This paper presents basic definitions and challenges/opportunities from different perspectives to study and control water cycle impacts on society and vice versa. The wider and increased interactions and their consequences such as global warming and climate change, and the role of complex institutional- and governance-related socioeconomic-environmental issues bring forth new challenges. Hydrology and integrated water resources management (IWRM from the viewpoint of an engineering planner) do not exclude in their scopes the study of the impact of changes in global hydrology from societal actions and their feedback effects on the local/global hydrology. However, it is useful to have unique emphasis through specialized fields such as hydrosociology (including the society in planning water projects, from the viewpoint of the humanities) and sociohydrology (recognizing the large-scale impacts society has on hydrology, from the viewpoint of science). Global hydrological models have been developed for large-scale hydrology with few parameters to calibrate at local scale, and integrated assessment models have been developed for multiple sectors including water. It is important not to do these studies with a silo mindset, as problems in water and society require highly interdisciplinary skills, but flexibility and acceptance of diverse views will progress these studies and their usefulness to society. To deal with complexities in water and society, systems modeling is likely the only practical approach and is the viewpoint of researchers using coupled human–natural systems (CHNS) models. The focus and the novelty in this paper is to clarify some of these challenges faced in CHNS modeling, such as spatiotemporal scale variations, scaling issues, institutional issues, and suggestions for appropriate mathematical tools for dealing with these issues.
Effect of Open Boundary Conditions and Bottom Roughness on Tidal Modeling around the West Coast of Korea
Authors: Nguyen Van Thinh , Lee Minjae
Published: June 2020

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of open boundary conditions and bottom roughness on the tidal elevations around the West Coast of Korea (WCK) using an open-source computational fluids dynamics tool, the TELEMAC model. To obtain a detailed tidal forcing at open boundaries, three well-known assimilated tidal models—the Finite Element Solution (FES2014), the Oregon State University TOPEX/Poseidon Global Inverse Solution Tidal Model (TPXO9.1) and the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAO.99Jb)—have been applied to interpolate the offshore tidal boundary conditions. A number of numerical simulations have been performed for different offshore open boundary conditions, as well as for various uniform and non-uniform bottom roughness coefficients. The numerical results were calibrated against observations to determine the best fit roughness values for different sub-regions within WCK. In order to find out the dependence of the tidal elevation around the WCK on the variations of open boundary forcing, a sensitivity analysis of coastal tide elevation was carried out. Consequently, it showed that the tidal elevation around the WCK was strongly affected by local characteristics, rather than by the offshore open boundary conditions. Eventually, the numerical results can provide better quantitative and qualitative tidal information around the WCK than the data obtained from assimilated tidal models.
Acquisition of Post-Depositional Effects on Stable Isotopes (δ18O and δD) of Snow and Firn at Dome A, East Antarctica
Authors: Ma Tianming , Li Li , Shi Guitao , Li Yuansheng
Published: June 2020

Water stable isotopes (δ18O and δD) in Antarctic snow pits and ice cores are extensively applied in paleoclimate reconstruction. However, their interpretation varies over some climate change processes that can alter isotope signals after deposition, especially at sites with a low snow accumulation rate (<30 mm w.e. year−1). To investigate post-depositional effects during the archival processes of snow isotopes, we first analyzed δ18O and δD variations in summer precipitation, surface snow and snow pit samples collected at Dome A. Then, the effects of individual post-depositional processes were evaluated from the results of field experiments, spectral analysis and modeling simulations. It was found that the sublimation–condensation cycle and isotopic diffusion were likely the dominant processes that modified the δ18O at and under the snow–air interface, respectively. The sublimation–condensation cycle can cause no significant isotopic modification of δ18O from field experiments with ~3 cm snow. The diffusion process can significantly erase the original seasonal variation of δ18O driven by atmospheric temperature, leading to an apparent cycle of ~20 cm average wavelength present in the δ18O profile. Through the comparison with the artificial isotopic profile, the noise input from the diffusion process was the dominant component in the δ18O signal. Although some other processes (such as drifting, ventilation and metamorphism) were not fully considered, the quantitative understanding for the sublimation–condensation and diffusion processes will contribute to the paleoclimate construction using the ice core water isotope records at Dome A.
Effects of Land Use Changes on Streamflow and Sediment Yield in Atibaia River Basin—SP, Brazil
Authors: Mendonça dos Santos Franciane , Proença de Oliveira Rodrigo , Augusto Di Lollo José
Published: June 2020

The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) is often used to evaluate the impacts of different land use scenarios on streamflow and sediment yield, but there is a need for some clear recommendations on how to select the parameter set that defines a given land use scenario and on what is the most appropriate methodology to change the selected parameters when describing possible future conditions. This paper reviews the SWAT formulation to identify the parameters that depend on the land use, performs a sensitivity analysis to determine the ones with larger impacts on the model results and discusses ways to consider future land use conditions. The case study is the Atibaia river basin, with 2838 km2 (São Paulo, Brazil). The parameters identified by sensitivity analysis with the largest impacts on streamflow and sediment yield were the initial curve number for moisture condition II (CN), maximum canopy storage for each land use (CANMX) and the cover and management factor (USLE_C). The identification and appropriate parameter change can provide real estimates of the magnitudes in the land use changes, which were verified in this study. Such information can be used as an instrument for proposing improvements in the basin’s environmental quality and management.
Patient Safety Concerns in COVID-19–Related Events: A Study of 343 Event Reports From 71 Hospitals in Pennsylvania
Authors: Taylor Matthew , Kepner Shawn , Gardner Lea Anne , Jones Rebecca
Published: June 2020

COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) was declared a pandemic and has had a profound impact on healthcare systems, which may increase the risk of patient harm. We conducted a query of the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Reporting System (PA-PSRS) database to identify COVID-19–related events submitted by acute care hospitals between January 1 and April 15, 2020. We identified 343 relevant event reports from 71 hospitals and conducted a descriptive study to identify the prevalence of and relationships between 13 categories of associated factors and 6 categories of event outcomes. We found that 36% (124 of 343) of events had more than one associated
factor and 24% (83 of 343) had more than one outcome. The most frequently identified factors were Laboratory Testing (47%; 161 of 343), Process/Protocol (25%; 87 of 343), and Isolation Integrity (22%; 74 of 343). The two most frequent outcomes were Exposure to COVID-19 Positive or Suspected Positive Patient (50%; 173 of 343) and Missed/Delayed Test or Result (31%; 108 of 343). Finally, the findings showed that seven of the associated factors had a notable impact on the frequency of Exposure to COVID-19 Positive or Suspected Positive Patient outcome. Overall, we anticipate that the results can be used to identify areas of greatest need and risk, which could help to guide allocation of resources to mitigate risk of patient harm.
The ABCs of HPV and LGBTQ
Authors: Gallagher Brandon , Adkins JoAnn , Roberts Terri Lee
Published: June 2020

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a group of more than 200 viruses. These are small, nonenveloped viruses that infect the skin or mucous membranes. Approximately
40 of these subtypes are spread through sexual contact, making HPV the most common sexually transmitted disease. Approximately 79 million Americans are infected with
HPV. This infection usually occurs in the late teens and early twenties, often with the first sexual encounter. HPV infections typically are asymptomatic and resolve on their own,
but unresolved infections caused by certain subtypes can result in other medical conditions, including genital warts, recurrent respiratory papillomatosis, and cancer.
Custom OCR for Identity Documents:OCRXNet
Authors: Arora Kawal , Bist Ankur Singh , Prakash Roshan , Chaurasia Saksham
Published: June 2020

Recent advancements in the area of Optical Character Recognition (OCR) using deep learning techniques made it possible to use for real world applications with good accuracy. In this paper we present a system named as OCRXNet. OCRXNetv1, OCRXNetv2 and OCRXNetv3 are proposed and compared on different identity documents. Image processing methods and various text detectors have been used to identify best fitted process for custom ocr of identity documents. We also introduced the end to end pipeline to implement OCR for various use cases.
Perceptions on an EFL Teacher Education Program: Voices from Teacher Candidates
Authors: SÜRÜÇ ŞEN Nur , İPEK Hülya
Published: June 2020

The present study aims to discover the perceptions of teacher candidates about a teacher education program, which is a reflection of the overall education system, in a foundation university based in Turkey. Since teacher candidates are part of the system of teacher education, it might be crucial to gather their insights about the program that they are provided with. In this light, this study examines teacher candidates (n=33) perceptions through a questionnaire, which has been prepared by using Peacock’s (2009) evaluation model. In addition to the questionnaire, semi-structured interviews (n=3) have been held to gather in-depth qualitative data. This study might have implications for the evaluation of the ELT program from teacher candidates’ point of view. The findings of the study indicate the participants’ perceptions on the harmony among courses, balance of teacher and student centeredness, effectiveness of training on the usage and adaptation of materials, transferability of skills to the local context, etc. The teacher candidates also have revealed their thoughts on the strengths and weaknesses of the program while they come up with suggestions to overcome the weaknesses.
An Evaluation of the English Preparatory Program at İstanbul Medeniyet University
Authors: ATAR Cihat , KIR Elif , DENKCİ AKKAŞ Ferdane
Published: June 2020

At Turkish universities, schools of foreign languages provide compulsory and voluntary language education for college students before they start their programs. This study aims to evaluate the program implemented for the English preparatory classes at Istanbul Medeniyet University, School of Foreign Languages during 2016-2017 academic year. This study has a mixed approach. 131 students and four instructors evaluated the program in terms of aspects such as the course materials, course contents, testing methods, assignments and the instructors. The data were collected via a questionnaire and semi-structured interview questions. The analysis of the questionnaire data was conducted via descriptive statistics and a descriptive analysis was carried out with the data from the interviews. The findings revealed that the participant students were indecisive about the effectiveness of the language program in general. Moreover, it was seen that the mean scores of the female students, the intermediate level students and the ones attending the program voluntarily were higher when compared with the males, the elementary level students and the ones attending the program obligatorily.
Identifying Issues and Challenges in Industrial Training among Psychology Undergraduates
Authors: HAMDAN Iman Najihah , RAHMAN Shukran Abdul
Published: June 2020

Among the initiatives to provide effective all-encompassing learning experience is by including internship or industrial training programmes for undergraduates. While it is expected to equip students with important work-related skills, it too could result in negative impacts if it is not being properly managed. This article presents the findings of a study which identified issues and challenges faced by Psychology undergraduates in Malaysia while completing their industrial training. Using qualitative research design, the study gathered information from nine participants who responded to standardized open-ended interviews. 11 major themes, categorised in three different issues and challenges have been identified, namely departmental-related, workplace/organisational-related and personal-related matters. The findings are expected to help scope the underlying issues and challenges of industrial training programme in local universities. The findings can inform the context of each problem which can be further understood and acknowledged by university officials, useful for them to design necessary interventions such as workshops to discuss the ways to improve industrial training system for university students.
The Toxic Effects of Commonly Used Antibiotics in Turkey on Aquatic Organisms
Authors: SÖNMEZ V. Zülal , SİVRİ Nüket
Published: June 2020

Antibiotic pollution has the potential to directly affect the health of people, animals and the ecosystem. The presence of antibiotics in the environment can impede the structure of microbial community, having both acute and chronic effects on microbial and planktonic communities. In Turkey, the three most prevalent antibiotics detected in aquatic environment are Amoxicillin, Tetracycline and Nitrofurantoin, but there is almost no information on their toxicity on natural microbial communities. Particularly, there is no data available for marine microorganisms. While the amount of toxicity levels for humans is well known, there is less knowledge about toxic concentration in wildlife, especially smaller and more vulnerable organisms. Consequently, the purpose of this current study is to evaluate the acute toxicity of Amoxicillin, Tetracycline and Nitrofurantoin to the natural water ecosystem, a complex ecological group comprising a variety of bacterial and planktonic species. It is seen that antibiotics are practically non-toxic (>100 mg/L) in the classification of acute toxicity according to Daphnia magna. It is not possible to mention about toxicity in this case, but when considering the toxicity of antibiotics among themselves, the ranking is like Tetracycline > Nitrofurantoin > Amoxicillin. The same toxicity ranking is encountered in the acute toxicity test made with Vibrio fischeri. However, in the acute toxicity test made with Vibrio fischeri, the results are toxic for Tetracycline (2.53 mg/L), Nitrofurantoin (15.67 mg/L) and Amoxicillin (56.23 mg/L). While antibiotics have an acute effect on bacterial structures, they tend to have a chronic effect and bioaccumulation properties on Daphnids.
Influence of Lead and Applied Singly and in Mixture with Chitosan on Tissue Accumulation of Clarias gariepinus
Authors: TUNÇSOY Mustafa , DURAN Servet
Published: June 2020

Clarias gariepinus was exposed to 1 ppm Pb singly and in mixture with 75 ppm chitosan (CT) and the levels of Pb in gill, liver, spleen, kidney and muscle tissues were determined after 1, 7 and 15 days. Lead accumulation increased in gill tissue compared to control when exposed to Pb alone and in mixture on 7th day. A significant decrease, however, was observed in gill level on exposure to Pb+CT mixture on day 15. Exposure to Pb alone increased the level in liver significantly after 15 days compared to control fish. Exposure to Pb alone and to mixture had no effect on kidney accumulation. Pb accumulation increased in spleen tissue compared to control when exposed to Pb alone on 1st and 7th days, it decreased when exposed to Pb+CT mixture at these exposure periods. Muscle Pb accumulation was higher in fish exposed to Pb only as compared to controls and in fish exposed to Pb+CT mixture on 1st day. The studied lead concentrations caused alterations in the metal accumulation especially gill and liver tissues. Chitosan seemed to decrease the harmful effects of Pb on long term exposures.
Sistem Keselamatan Sepeda Motor Untuk Menghindari Kecelakaan Berbasis Mikrokontroler
Authors: Sugianto M. , Amri Hikmatul
Published: June 2020

Kecelakaan lalu lintas adalah kejadian dimana sebuah kendaraan bermotor bertabrakan dengan benda lain yang menyebabkan kerusakan dan kerugian materil. Tujuan dari penelitian ini merancang sistem pengereman secara otomatis yang mampu memberi peringatan dengan alarm dan memberhentikan laju kendaraan sehingga laju kendaraan akan terhenti sebelum terjadi tabrakan. Pada perancangannya sensor MB1010 LV-MaxSonar-EZ1 Sonar Range Finder akan mendeteksi adanya benda atau penghalang yang berada di depan, maka sistem akan memberi peringatan suara buzzer dan menyalakan lampu LED. Sensor mendeteksi jarak 645,16 cm, LED hijau aktif/menyala sedangkan LED kuning dan merah tidak aktif begitu juga dengan buzzer. Sensor mendeteksi jarak 96,62 cm, LED hijau dan LED kuning tidak aktif. Sedangkan LED merah dan buzzer aktif yang menandakan jarak tidak aman sekaligus relay aktif dan mematikan laju sepeda motor. Sensor mendeteksi jarak 144,74 cm, keadaan LED hijau dan LED kuning tidak aktif. Sedangkan LED merah dan buzzer aktif yang menandakan jarak tidak aman sekaligus relay aktif dan mematikan laju sepeda motor.
Desain dan Implementasi Pengaturan Kecepatan Motor BLDC Melalui Pengaturan Fluks
Authors: Qudsi Ony Asrarul , Nugraha Syechu Dwitya
Published: June 2020

This journal presents the design and implementation of BLDC motor speed control. Speed control of the BLDC motor can be done by controlling the flux produced by the BLDC motor coil. The current reading by the sensor will be processed in the flux estimator to get the flux value in the motor. By using the PI controller, the flux value generated by the coil will be controlled so that it is equal to the setpoint value that has been determined. Flux values that have the same setpoint will be converted to PWM values which will be used as input signals on the six step inverter. The test results by providing disturbance form the additional load on the motor, shows that the motor is able to maintain its speed according to the value of the speed provided. Thus, the proposed speed regulation method can work well.