bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PECULIARITY OF REPRODUCTION OF HISTORICAL AND POLITICAL REALIA IN MEMOIR-AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL PROSE BY M. V. ISAKOVSKY
Authors: Tovsultanova Dzhamilya Salavdievna , Khadzhieva Leila Lechevna
Published: June 2018

The article examines the features of literary and documentary interpretation and reproduction of historical and political realia in memoir-autobiographical prose by M. V. Isakovsky, a classic of the Soviet-era song poetry. The aim is to study his “autobiographical notes” in “In the Land of Elnin”, the main forms and stages of professional and philosophical “maturation” of the poet. The work focuses on the features of the psychological portrait of a personality in the turning-point epoch. The conclusion is made about the topicality and productivity of M. Isakovsky’s autobiographical prose.
Improving Writing Ability of the Eleventh Year Students of Man 1 Parepare by Using Dice Game
Authors: Amzah Amzah
Published: June 2018

This research is based on two major points namely fulfilling the students’ need regards English writing ability and on how to attract the students to be active in learning process by using media. The objectives of the research are to find out whether or not the use of dice game can improve the writing ability of the eleventh year students of MAN 1Parepare and to know the use of Dice Game as learning media in improving the activeness of the eleventh year students of MAN 1Parepare in English learning process. Besides, this research is expected can be useful reference for those who want to use media in their teaching and learning process.

In this research the researcher applied class action research method, with two cycles design. In one cycle consist of three meetings. The samples of the research were 17 students from Class XI IIS.2MAN 1Parepare.

After analyzing the research data of students’ writing ability where the data were analyzed by using writing ability assessment from Jacob in Wiggle’s book. Meanwhile the data of students’ activeness during the studying process were analyzed by using Formula from Tiro’s book. The result of the data analysis shows the improvement of students’ writing mastery. It was showed by the mean score in cycle I (63) and in cycle II (83.18). Besides, the improvement of students’ activeness in learning English was shown by the data of observation sheet. The data of observation checklist showed that the students’ activeness in joining the learning process. From the data analysis, it is concluded that dice game can bear positive change and improvement toward students’ English writing, especially for the students of MAN 1 Parepare.
ARCHETYPE OF THE PLACE IN ARCHITECTONIC OF THE ENVIRONMENT OF PUBLIC POLICY
Authors: Deliіa Oksana Viktorivna
Published: June 2018

The review of the concept of public policy environment in the modern public-management scientific discourse is actualized due to the lack of systematic and comprehensive studies on this problem. The results of consideration of the state policy environment as a place through the application of the archetypal paradigm are presented. The connection between archetypal ideas about the place and the modern course of state policy is also outlined and highlighted. The evaluation of the environment as a “place” is historically connected with the statement of the existence of a thing or phenomenon and lies in the plane of spatial terminology. The place, within the framework of the approach, is considered as a part of the space occupied by a person or an object, while the place is given the value of the minimum limit, and the space is given a maximum limit. Within the framework of the research, other approaches are highlighted that disclose the category of place in disciplinary and interdisciplinary contexts: sociological-behavioral, phenomenological, systemic, etc. Іt is noted that the spatial revolution in the structure of cognition determined the analysis of state policy in spatial categories, which substantiated modern interdisciplinary measurements of the environment of state policy. Аnd — the appearance in the thesaurus public policy topological and metric features reality: location periphery, a center, location and interaction “places”, theme composition state policy, etc. Therefore, the category “place” confers on the environment of state policy a social and cognitive entity, which, in particular, is defined in the concept of identity and leads to the emergence of new approaches to the analysis of identity: regional, local identities, identification with a place, environment or residence.
ARCHETYPICAL ANALYSIS OF THE INNOVATION DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES OF EUROPEAN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATIVE SPACE (COMPARATIVE APPROACH)
Authors: Omelyanenko Vitalii Anatoliyovych
Published: June 2018

The actualization of innovation problems in the field of public administration is explained by the fact that in recent years improving of its effectiveness, improving the quality of public functions implementation and public services providing are priority tasks in the public administration reforming process. A consequence of this is a number of significant changes that affect not only the organizational structure of the public sector, but also the principles of organization, functioning of public management space and the evaluation of public administration effectiveness. It is shown that comparative analysis provides an opportunity to analyze the mechanisms that are implemented by developed countries and implement their organic implementation in the existing institutional matrix of Ukraine, which is based on a unique set of archetypes. It is proved that it is also necessary to identify innovations that directly influence the development of new solutions (innovation for innovation). This requires accumulated knowledge of innovation, which provides a comparative approach, as well as some favorable environment for their distribution, the analysis of which becomes possible due to the archetypal methodology.According to the certain types of innovations, innovation development resources are proposed to be considered as potential opportunities (reserve capabilities, means of development, source) of certain qualities that are not yet developed. Then we can proceed to study of evolutionary factors of development: innovative processes and systems are specific and develop under the influence of national features of economic and socio-political, as well as historical development of the country. In the study it is justified that the basis for the formation and use of innovation development resources should be the identification of the directions of the innovation process, taking into account national needs, the trends of innovation development and basic technologies of the technological structure, they have projections for public administration, as well as ensuring the expanded reproduction of innovative resources based on nonlinear models of the innovation process.
Oil-In-Water Microemulsions as Hosts for Benzothiophene-Based Cytotoxic Compounds: An Effective Combination
Authors: Theochari Ioanna , Papadimitriou Vassiliki , Papahatjis Demetris , Assimomytis Nikos , Pappou Efthimia , Pratsinis Harris , Xenakis Aristotelis , Pletsa Vasiliki
Published: June 2018

Targeted delivery of chemotherapeutics in order to overcome side effects and enhance chemosensitivity remains a major issue in cancer research. In this context, biocompatible oil-in-water (O/W) microemulsions were developed as matrices for the encapsulation of DPS-2 a benzothiophene analogue, exhibiting high cytotoxicity in various cancer cell lines, among them the MW 164 skin melanoma and Caco-2 human epithelial colorectal adenocarcinoma cell lines. The microemulsion delivery system was structurally characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. The effective release of a lipophilic encapsulated compound was evaluated via confocal microscopy. The cytotoxic effect, in the presence and absence of DPS-2, was examined through the thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide (MTT) cell proliferation assay. When encapsulated, DPS-2 was as cytotoxic as when dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). Hence, the oil cores of O/W microemulsions were proven effective biocompatible carriers of lipophilic bioactive molecules in biological assessment experiments. Further investigation through fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis, comet assay, and Western blotting, revealed that DPS-2, although non-genotoxic, induced S phase delay accompanied by cdc25A degradation and a nonapoptotic cell death in both cell lines, which implies that this benzothiophene analogue is a deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) replication inhibitor.
Constitutive Activation of STAT3 in Myeloma Cells Cultured in a Three-Dimensional, Reconstructed Bone Marrow Model
Authors: Huang Yung-Hsing , Molavi Ommoleila , Alshareef Abdulraheem , Haque Moinul , Wang Qian , Chu Michael P. , Venner Christopher P. , Sandhu Irwindeep , Peters Anthea C. , Lavasanifar Afsaneh , Lai Raymond
Published: June 2018

Malignant cells cultured in three-dimensional (3D) models have been found to be phenotypically and biochemically different from their counterparts cultured conventionally. Since most of these studies employed solid tumor types, how 3D culture affects multiple myeloma (MM) cells is not well understood. Here, we compared MM cells (U266 and RPMI8226) in a 3D culture model with those in conventional culture. While the conventionally cultured cells were present in single cells or small clusters, MM-3D cells grew in large spheroids. We discovered that STAT3 was the pathway that was more activated in 3D in both cell lines. The active form of STAT3 (phospho-STAT3 or pSTAT3), which was absent in MM cells cultured conventionally, became detectable after 1–2 days in 3D culture. This elevated pSTAT3 level was dependent on the 3D environment, since it disappeared after transferring to conventional culture. STAT3 inhibition using a pharmacological agent, Stattic, significantly decreased the cell viability of MM cells and sensitized them to bortezomib in 3D culture. Using an oligonucleotide array, we found that 3D culture significantly increased the expression of several known STAT3 downstream genes implicated in oncogenesis. Since most primary MM tumors are naturally STAT3-active, studies of MM in 3D culture can generate results that are more representative of the disease.
Relationship between Ocean-Atmospheric Climate Variables and Regional Streamflow of the Conterminous United States
Authors: Bhandari Swastik , Kalra Ajay , Tamaddun Kazi , Ahmad Sajjad
Published: June 2018

Understanding the interconnections between oceanic-atmospheric climate variables and regional streamflow of the conterminous United States may aid in improving regional long lead-time streamflow forecasting. The current research evaluates the time-lagged relationship between streamflow of six geographical regions defined from National Climate Assessment and sea surface temperature (SST), 500-mbar geopotential height (Z500), 500-mbar specific humidity (SH500), and 500-mbar east-west wind (U500) of the Pacific and the Atlantic Ocean using singular value decomposition (SVD). The spatio-temporal correlation between streamflow and SST was developed first from SVD and thus obtained correlation was later associated with Z500, SH500, and U500 separately to evaluate the coupled interconnections between the climate variables. Furthermore, the associations between regional streamflow and the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Pacific Decadal Oscillation, and Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation were evaluated using the derivatives of continuous wavelet transform. Regional SVD analysis revealed significant teleconnection between several regions and climate variables. The warm phase of equatorial SST had shown a stronger correlation with the majority of streamflow. Both SVD and wavelet analyses concluded that the streamflow variability of the regions in close proximity to the Pacific Ocean was strongly associated with the ENSO. Improved knowledge of teleconnection of climate variables with regional streamflow variability may help in regional water management and streamflow prediction studies.
Cavernous angiomas: An uncontrolled clinical study of 87 surgically treated patients
Authors: Bernotas Giedrimantas , Rastenytė Daiva , Deltuva Vytenis , Matukevičius Algis , Jaškevičienė Vanda , Tamašauskas Arimantas
Published: June 2018

Background. Cerebral cavernous angiomas remain as one of the most negotiable and controversial topics in neurological and neurosurgical practice. We present statistical evaluation of initial presentation, preoperative neurological findings, surgical complications, and outcome of surgically treated patients with intracerebral cavernous angiomas. Methods. During 1997 to 2004, 87 patients (41 men, 46 women) with intracerebral cavernous angiomas underwent surgical treatment in the tertiary referral center, and these were included into the present uncontrolled clinical study. The mean age of the patients at the time of operation was 42.4 years, and the mean duration of illness was 120.5 days. All patients underwent preoperative magnetic resonance imaging, and pre- and postoperative clinical examination. The clinical course was documented using the Karnofski performance scale. A simplified version of Engel’s classification of the outcome of the patients with chronic seizures was applied. Results. The most common clinical presentation of cavernous angiomas was seizures, significant part of which was chronic. No association was found between lesion location by cerebral lobes and clinical presentation by seizures. No significant differences in the likelihood of presenting with hemorrhage between supratentorial and subtentorial lesions were detected. In addition, no associations were found between size of cavernoma and the initial presentation of cavernoma by an extralesional hemorrhage or chronic seizures. In the group of patients presenting with headache, sporadic seizures, or intracerebral hemorrhage, good postoperative outcome was achieved in 83% of the patients. Of the patients who underwent operation for seizure control, significant seizure reduction or elimination after surgery was observed in 79% of the patients. Conclusions. Microsurgical removal of cavernous angiomas and surrounding hemosiderin plate tends to significant reduction or elimination of epileptic seizures and improved postoperative neurological status.
Health of Roma children in Vilnius and Ventspils
Authors: Kanapeckienė Virginija , Valintėlienė Rolanda , Beržanskytė Aušra , Kėvalas Rimantas , Supranowicz Piotr
Published: June 2018

According to the literature data, Roma health and living conditions in Central and Eastern Europe are poorer than of the rest of population. However, the more detailed information about Roma health is lacking. The aim of the study was to evaluate morbidity, health self-assessment, and prevalence of addictions among Roma children in Vilnius and Ventspils and to compare with health indicators of non-Roma children. Participants and methods. A descriptive epidemiological study was carried out, anonymously questioning all volunteer Roma children – 59 in Vilnius (Lithuania) and 31 in Ventspils (Latvia) schools. Results were compared with identical study, carried out in five Vilnius schools (reference group, 640). Results. The appliance rate of Roma children to doctor did not differ from reference group – half of all questioned children visited doctor 1–3 times during the last year. However, more Roma children (74.6% from Vilnius and 64.6% from Ventspils) considered their health as poor and very poor as compared to reference group (4.3%). The proportion of children indicating somatic symptoms often and very often did not differ statistically significantly among groups with exception of vomiting and nausea, which was most prevalent among Vilnius Roma and Ventspils Roma. The proportion of children indicating emotional symptoms often and very often differed significantly in all groups and was the biggest in Ventspils Roma group. The proportion of daily alcohol, drug users, and smokers was higher in Vilnius Roma and Ventspils Roma groups, although the differences among all three groups were not statistically significant. Conclusion. Although the morbidity of Vilnius Roma and Ventspils Roma groups did not differ from reference group, essential discrepancy was found in health self-assessment – more Roma children considered their health as poor and very poor.
Formation of Branched and Chained Alginate Microfibers Using Theta-Glass Capillaries
Authors: Nishimura Keigo , Morimoto Yuya , Mori Nobuhito , Takeuchi Shoji
Published: June 2018

This study proposes a microfluidic spinning method to form alginate microfibers with branched and chained structures by controlling two streams of a sodium alginate solution extruded from a theta-glass capillary (a double-compartmented glass capillary). The two streams have three flow regimes: (i) a combined flow regime (single-threaded stream), (ii) a separated flow regime (double-threaded stream), and (iii) a chained flow regime (stream of repeating single- and double-threaded streams). The flow rate of the sodium alginate solution and the tip diameter of the theta-glass capillary are the two parameters which decide the flow regime. By controlling the two parameters, we form branched (a Y-shaped structure composed of thick parent fiber and permanently divided two thin fibers) and chained (a repeating structure of single- and double-threaded fibers with constant frequency) alginate microfibers with various dimensions. Furthermore, we demonstrate the applicability of the alginate microfibers as sacrificial templates for the formation of chain-shaped microchannels with two inlets. Such microchannels could mimic the structure of blood vessels and are applicable for the research fields of fluidics including hemodynamics.
Effects of Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) Consumption on Markers of CVD Risk
Authors: Li Liangkui , Lietz Georg , Bal Wendy , Watson Anthony , Morfey Ben , Seal Chris
Published: June 2018

A number of epidemiological studies have suggested that diets rich in whole grains are linked to lower cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and mortality. Quinoa, a pseudo-cereal, is included in the “whole grain” category but the effects of quinoa consumption in humans is not widely studied. Our aim was to undertake a dietary intervention study to investigate the effects of daily consumption of quinoa-enriched bread (providing 20 g quinoa flour) on CVD risk markers compared with a 100% refined wheat bread control. Thirty-seven healthy overweight men (35–70 years, body mass index >25 kg/m2) completed a 4-week cross-over intervention, separated by a 4-week washout period. Fasting blood samples were collected at the beginning and end of each intervention period. Continuous glucose monitoring was undertaken at the end of each intervention period. After 4 weeks of intervention, blood glucose and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol were significantly lower than baseline in both groups but there was no difference between quinoa and control. Anthropometric measures and other blood metabolites were not different between the two treatments. The cumulative area under the blood glucose curve for the last 4 days of the quinoa intervention tended to be lower than the first 4 days of wash-out (p = 0.054), and was significantly lower than the corresponding period of the wheat treatment (p = 0.039). In conclusion, daily consumption of quinoa in this short-term intervention appears to modify glucose response, but has minimal effects on other CVD risk biomarkers.
A Numerical and Experimental Study on a Pre-Twisted Ring Spinning System
Authors: Wang Keyi , Xue Wenliang , Cheng Longdi
Published: June 2018

The ring spinning process is the most widely used method in the spinning industry. Nowadays, the labor cost become more and more expensive, and it is essential to improve productivity. For increasing the productivity, a modification of adding a pre-twister and holding roller on the traditional ring spinning system have been discussed in this paper. The computational fluid dynamics (CFD) are introduced to study the effects of pre-twister and spinning tests are implemented for verification. The numerical simulations show that the cavity conical degree and nozzle numbers of the pre-twister are the key parameters which affect the airflow fluctuation in the cavity, and have obvious effects on the resultant yarn twist. By contrast, the axial angle and tangential angle of the nozzle have less effect on the resultant yarn twist. When the fiber bundles pass by the front nip, they are affected by the vortex and result in a partially strengthened and wrapped structure which could be subsequently twisted less by the traveler and ring, so the productivity could be potentially increased. According to the spinning tests, an evident productivity increase by nearly 30% for medium cotton yarns can be achieved, and the yarns have an acceptable reduction in nearly all properties.
Critical Point Drying: An Effective Drying Method for Direct Measurement of the Surface Area of a Pretreated Cellulosic Biomass
Authors: Kang Kyu-Young , Hwang Kyung-Ran , Park Ji-Yeon , Lee Joon-Pyo , Kim Jun-Seok , Lee Jin-Suk
Published: June 2018

The surface area and pore size distribution of Eucalyptus samples that were pretreated by different methods were determined by the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) technique. Three methods were applied to prepare cellulosic biomass samples for the BET measurements, air, freeze, and critical point drying (CPD). The air and freeze drying caused a severe collapse of the biomass pore structures, but the CPD effectively preserved the biomass morphology. The surface area of the CPD prepared Eucalyptus samples were determined to be 58–161 m2/g, whereas the air and freeze dried samples were 0.5–1.3 and 1.0–2.4 m2/g, respectively. The average pore diameter of the CPD prepared Eucalyptus samples were 61–70 Å. The CPD preserved the Eucalyptus sample morphology by replacing water with a non-polar solvent, CO2 fluid, which prevented hydrogen bond reformation in the cellulose.
Preparation of Compositional Gradient Polymeric Films Based on Gradient Mesh Template
Authors: Teng Honglei , Li Jing , Hou Zhaosheng , Yan Xilu , Han Linru , Xu Jing , Li Tianduo
Published: June 2018

In this paper, a template-filling method was found to prepare composition gradient gelatin films by incorporating α-[3-(2,3-epoxypropoxy) propyl]-ω-butyl-polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS–E) grafted gelatin (PGG) into a gradient gelatin mesh template. The method can be used to prepare other composition gradient biopolymer films. Gradient mesh template prepared by the methacrylic anhydride cross-linked gelatin under temperature gradient field. The porosity of the template decreased from 89 to 35% which was accompanied by decrease in average pore size from 160 to 50 µm. Colloidal particles about 0.9~10 µm were formed from PGG after adding them to a mixed solvent system of 9:1 (v/v) of ethanol/water, which were filled in the mesh template under vacuum (0.06 MPa). A gradient film was obtained after drying at room temperature for 48 h. The results of scanning electron microscope-energy dispersive X-ray combined with freezing microtome and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy suggested that the distribution of the Si element along the thickness showed a typical gradient pattern, which led to hydrophilic/hydrophobic continuous changing along the thickness of film. The water vapor permeability, thermal gravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic mechanical tensile results show that the gradient films had excellent water vapor permeability and flexibility, and hence could be used as biomimetic materials and leather finishing agents.
Remote Sensing of Leaf Area Index from LiDAR Height Percentile Metrics and Comparison with MODIS Product in a Selectively Logged Tropical Forest Area in Eastern Amazonia
Authors: Qu Yonghua , Shaker Ahmed , Silva Carlos Alberto , Klauberg Carine , Pinagé Ekena Rangel
Published: June 2018

Leaf area index (LAI) is an important parameter to describe the capacity of forests to intercept light and thus affects the microclimate and photosynthetic capacity of canopies. In general, tropical forests have a higher leaf area index and it is a challenge to estimate LAI in a forest with a very dense canopy. In this study, it is assumed that the traditional Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR)-derived fractional vegetation cover (fCover) has weak relationship with leaf area index in a dense forest. We propose a partial least squares (PLS) regression model using the height percentile metrics derived from airborne LiDAR data to estimate the LAI of a dense forest. Ground inventory and airborne LiDAR data collected in a selectively logged tropical forest area in Eastern Amazonia are used to map LAI from the plot level to the landscape scale. The results indicate that the fCover, derived from the first return or the last return, has no significant correlations with the ground-based LAI. The PLS model evaluated by the leave-one-out validation shows that the estimated LAI is significantly correlated with the ground-based LAI with an R2 of 0.58 and a root mean square error (RMSE) of 1.13. A data comparison indicates that the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) LAI underestimates the landscape-level LAI by about 22%. The MODIS quality control data show that in the selected tile, the cloud state is not the primary factor affecting the MODIS LAI performance; rather, the LAI from the main radiative transfer (RT) algorithm contributes much to the underestimation of the LAI in the tropical forest. In addition, the results show that the LiDAR-based LAI has a better response to the logging activities than the MODIS-based LAI, and that the leaf area reduction caused by logging is about 13%. In contrast, the MODIS-based LAI exhibits no apparent spatial correlation with the LiDAR-based LAI. It is suggested that the main algorithm of MODIS should be improved with regard to tropical forests. The significance of this study is the proposal of a framework to produce ground-based LAI using forest inventory data and determine the plot-level LAI at the airborne and satellite scale using LiDAR data.
Improving Geometric Performance for Imagery Captured by Non-Cartographic Optical Satellite: A Case Study of GF-1 WFV Imagery
Authors: Xu Kai , Zhang Guo , Deng Mingjun , Zhang Qingjun , Li Deren
Published: June 2018

Numerous countries have established their own Earth observing systems (EOSs) for global change research. Data acquisition efforts are generally only concerned with the completion of the mission regardless of the potential to expand into other areas, which reduces the application effectiveness of Earth observation data. This paper explores the cartographic possibility of images being not initially intended for surveying and mapping, and a novel method is proposed to improve the geometric performance. First, the rigorous sensor model (RSM) is recovered from the rational function model (RFM), and then the system errors of the non-cartographic satellite’s imagery are compensated by using the conventional geometric calibration method based on RSM; finally, a new and improved RFM is generated. The advantage of the method over traditional ones is that it divides the errors into static errors and non-static errors for each image during the improvement process. Experiments using images collected with the Gaofen-1 (GF-1) wide-field view (WFV) camera demonstrate that the orientation accuracy of the proposed method is within 1 pixel for both calibration and validation images, and the obvious high-order system errors are eliminated. Moreover, a block adjustment test shows that the vertical accuracy is improved from 21 m to 11 m with four ground control points (GCPs) after compensation, which can fulfill requirements for 1:100,000 stereo mapping in mountainous areas. Generally, the proposed method can effectively improve the geometric potential for images captured by non-cartographic satellite.
Climatic Changes and Their Relation to Weather Types in a Transboundary Mountainous Region in Central Europe
Authors: Hoy Andreas , Feske Nils , Štěpánek Petr , Skalák Petr , Schmitt Andreas , Schneider Petra
Published: June 2018

A first-time common cross-border assessment of observed climatic changes in the Saxon–Bohemian region was the aim of the German–Czech climate cooperation INTERKLIM. This paper focuses on the observed changes of temperature and precipitation averages and extremes within the period 1961–2010, investigating how variations of a range of climate indices were regionally shaped by changes in frequency and character of weather types. This investigation serves to enhance our understanding of the regional climate characteristics to develop transboundary adaptation strategies and focuses on the classification of the “Grosswetterlagen” using the parameters of air temperature and precipitation. Climate data were quality controlled and homogenized by a wide range of methods using the ProClimDB software with a subsequent comprehensive regional visualization based on Geographical Information Systems. Trends for the temperature averages showed increasing trend values mainly from January to August, especially for high temperature extremes. Precipitation trends displayed regionally varying signals, but a strong spatially uniform decrease from April to June (early growing season) and a distinctive increase from July to September (late growing season). Climatic changes were supported by frequency changes of weather types, e.g., the drying from April to June was related to a decrease/increase in patterns causing rather wet/dry conditions, while from July to September opposite trends were observed. Our results represent regional climatic changes in a complex topography and their dependency on variations in atmospheric circulation peculiarities.
Energy Management for Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle Based on Adaptive Simplified-ECMS
Authors: Zeng Yuping , Cai Yang , Kou Guiyue , Gao Wei , Qin Datong
Published: June 2018

When searching for the optimal solution, Equivalent Consumption Minimum Strategy (ECMS) has to calculate and compare the total equivalent fuel rate of huge candidates covered all over the control domain for each time instant. Therefore, this strategy still has a heavy computation burden problem; it is a challenge for ECMS to be implemented online for real-time control. To reduce ECMS’s calculation load, this paper proposes an adaptive Simplified-ECMS-based strategy for a parallel plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). A convex piecewise function is applied to fit the total equivalent fuel rate with respect to the motor torque, which is the control variable. Then, the ECMS problem is simplified to calculate and compare only five candidates’ total equivalent fuel rate to determine the optimal torque distribution. Particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is applied to optimize the equivalent factor, and the MAPs of this factor under different driving cycles, driving distances and initial SOC are obtained. Based on this, the adaptive Simplified-ECMS-based strategy is proposed. Simulations were performed, and the results show that the Simplified-ECMS-based strategy can obviously shorten the calculation time compared to ECMS-based strategy, and the adaptive Simplified-ECMS-based strategy can decrease fuel consumption of plug-in hybrid electric vehicle by 16.43% under the testing driving cycle, compared to CD-CS-based strategy. A road test on the prototype vehicle is conducted and the effectiveness of the Simplified-ECMS-based strategy is validated by the test data.
Vibration Suppression of a Single-Cylinder Engine by Means of Multi-objective Evolutionary Optimisation
Authors: Sleesongsom Suwin , Bureerat Sujin
Published: June 2018

This paper presents a new design strategy for the passive vibration suppression of a single-cylindrical engine (SCE) through multi-objective evolutionary optimisation. The vibration causes machine damages and human pain, which are unsustainable problemsthat need to be alleviated. Mathematical forced vibration analyses of a single-cylinder engine, including dynamic pressure force due to ignition combustion, are presented. A multi-objective design problem is set to find the shape and size variables of the crank and connecting rod of the engine. The objective functions consist of the minimisation of the crank and connecting rod mass, and the minimisation of vibration response while the SCE is subject to inertial force and pressure force. Moreover, design constraints include crank and rod safety. The design problem is tackled by using an adaptation of a hybrid of multi-objective population-based incremental learning and differential evolution (RPBIL-DE). The optimum results found that the proposed design strategy is a powerful tool for the vibration suppression of SCE.
Intestinal Microbiota Ecological Response to Oral Administrations of Hydrogen-Rich Water and Lactulose in Female Piglets Fed a Fusarium Toxin-Contaminated Diet
Authors: Zheng Weijiang , Ji Xu , Zhang Qing , Yao Wen
Published: June 2018

The objective of the current experiment was to explore the intestinal microbiota ecological response to oral administrations of hydrogen-rich water (HRW) and lactulose (LAC) in female piglets fed a Fusarium mycotoxin-contaminated diet. A total of 24 individually-housed female piglets (Landrace × large × white; initial average body weight, 7.25 ± 1.02 kg) were randomly assigned to receive four treatments (six pigs/treatment): uncontaminated basal diet (negative control, NC), mycotoxin-contaminated diet (MC), MC diet + HRW (MC + HRW), and MC diet + LAC (MC + LAC) for 25 days. Hydrogen levels in the mucosa of different intestine segments were measured at the end of the experiment. Fecal scoring and diarrhea rate were recorded every day during the whole period of the experiment. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) profiles in the digesta of the foregut and hindgut samples were assayed. The populations of selected bacteria and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) profiles of total bacteria and methanogenic Archaea were also evaluated. Results showed that Fusarium mycotoxins not only reduced the hydrogen levels in the caecum but also shifted the SCFAs production, and populations and communities of microbiota. HRW treatment increased the hydrogen levels of the stomach and duodenum. HRW and LAC groups also had higher colon and caecum hydrogen levels than the MC group. Both HRW and LAC protected against the mycotoxin-contaminated diet-induced higher diarrhea rate and lower SCFA production in the digesta of the colon and caecum. In addition, the DGGE profile results indicated that HRW and LAC might shift the pathways of hydrogen-utilization bacteria, and change the diversity of intestine microbiota. Moreover, HRW and LAC administrations reversed the mycotoxin-contaminated diet-induced changing of the populations of Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Bifidobacterium in ileum digesta and hydrogen-utilizing bacteria in colon digesta.
Viral Determinants of Virulence in Tick-Borne Flaviviruses
Authors: Kellman Eliza M. , Offerdahl Danielle K. , Melik Wessam , Bloom Marshall E.
Published: June 2018

Tick-borne flaviviruses have a global distribution and cause significant human disease, including encephalitis and hemorrhagic fever, and often result in neurologic sequelae. There are two distinct properties that determine the neuropathogenesis of a virus. The ability to invade the central nervous system (CNS) is referred to as the neuroinvasiveness of the agent, while the ability to infect and damage cells within the CNS is referred to as its neurovirulence. Examination of laboratory variants, cDNA clones, natural isolates with varying pathogenicity, and virally encoded immune evasion strategies have contributed extensively to our understanding of these properties. Here we will review the major viral determinants of virulence that contribute to pathogenesis and influence both neuroinvasiveness and neurovirulence properties of tick-borne flaviviruses, focusing particularly on the envelope protein (E), nonstructural protein 5 (NS5), and the 3′ untranslated region (UTR).
Pseudomonas PB1-Like Phages: Whole Genomes from Metagenomes Offer Insight into an Abundant Group of Bacteriophages
Authors: Watkins Siobhan C. , Sible Emily , Putonti Catherine
Published: June 2018

Despite the abundance, ubiquity and impact of environmental viruses, their inherent genomic plasticity and extreme diversity pose significant challenges for the examination of bacteriophages on Earth. Viral metagenomic studies have offered insight into broader aspects of phage ecology and repeatedly uncover genes to which we are currently unable to assign function. A combined effort of phage isolation and metagenomic survey of Chicago’s nearshore waters of Lake Michigan revealed the presence of Pbunaviruses, relatives of the Pseudomonas phage PB1. This prompted our expansive investigation of PB1-like phages. Genomic signatures of PB1-like phages and Pbunaviruses were identified, permitting the unambiguous distinction between the presence/absence of these phages in soils, freshwater and wastewater samples, as well as publicly available viral metagenomic datasets. This bioinformatic analysis led to the de novo assembly of nine novel PB1-like phage genomes from a metagenomic survey of samples collected from Lake Michigan. While this study finds that Pbunaviruses are abundant in various environments of Northern Illinois, genomic variation also exists to a considerable extent within individual communities.
Transcriptomic Analysis of the Campylobacter jejuni Response to T4-Like Phage NCTC 12673 Infection
Authors: Sacher Jessica C. , Flint Annika , Butcher James , Blasdel Bob , Reynolds Hayley M. , Lavigne Rob , Stintzi Alain , Szymanski Christine M.
Published: June 2018

Campylobacter jejuni is a frequent foodborne pathogen of humans. As C. jejuni infections commonly arise from contaminated poultry, phage treatments have been proposed to reduce the C. jejuni load on farms to prevent human infections. While a prior report documented the transcriptome of C. jejuni phages during the carrier state life cycle, transcriptomic analysis of a lytic C. jejuni phage infection has not been reported. We used RNA-sequencing to profile the infection of C. jejuni NCTC 11168 by the lytic T4-like myovirus NCTC 12673. Interestingly, we found that the most highly upregulated host genes upon infection make up an uncharacterized operon (cj0423–cj0425), which includes genes with similarity to T4 superinfection exclusion and antitoxin genes. Other significantly upregulated genes include those involved in oxidative stress defense and the Campylobactermultidrug efflux pump (CmeABC). We found that phage infectivity is altered by mutagenesis of the oxidative stress defense genes catalase (katA), alkyl-hydroxyperoxidase (ahpC), and superoxide dismutase (sodB), and by mutagenesis of the efflux pump genes cmeA and cmeB. This suggests a role for these gene products in phage infection. Together, our results shed light on the phage-host dynamics of an important foodborne pathogen during lytic infection by a T4-like phage.
Biochemical and Functional Characterization of Mouse Mammary Tumor Virus Full-Length Pr77Gag Expressed in Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells
Authors: Chameettachal Akhil , Pillai Vineeta Narayana , Ali Lizna Mohamed , Pitchai Fathima Nuzra Nagoor , Ardah Mustafa Taleb , Mustafa Farah , Marquet Roland , Rizvi Tahir Aziz
Published: June 2018

The mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) Pr77Gag polypeptide is an essential retroviral structural protein without which infectious viral particles cannot be formed. This process requires specific recognition and packaging of dimerized genomic RNA (gRNA) by Gag during virus assembly. Most of the previous work on retroviral assembly has used either the nucleocapsid portion of Gag, or other truncated Gag derivatives—not the natural substrate for virus assembly. In order to understand the molecular mechanism of MMTV gRNA packaging process, we expressed and purified full-length recombinant Pr77Gag-His6-tag fusion protein from soluble fractions of bacterial cultures. We show that the purified Pr77Gag-His6-tag protein retained the ability to assemble virus-like particles (VLPs) in vitro with morphologically similar immature intracellular particles. The recombinant proteins (with and without His6-tag) could both be expressed in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells and had the ability to form VLPs in vivo. Most importantly, the recombinant Pr77Gag-His6-tag fusion proteins capable of making VLPs in eukaryotic cells were competent for packaging sub-genomic MMTV RNAs. The successful expression and purification of a biologically active, full-length MMTV Pr77Gag should lay down the foundation towards performing RNA–protein interaction(s), especially for structure-function studies and towards understanding molecular intricacies during MMTV gRNA packaging and assembly processes.
Quantification of Seasonal Precipitation over the upper Chao Phraya River Basin in the Past Fifty Years Based on Monsoon and El Niño/Southern Oscillation Related Climate Indices
Authors: Kinouchi Tsuyoshi , Yamamoto Gakuji , Komsai Atchara , Liengcharernsit Winai
Published: June 2018

For better water resources management, we proposed a method to estimate basin-scale seasonal rainfall over selected areas of the Chao Phraya River Basin, Thailand, from existing climate indices that represent variations in the Asian summer monsoon, the El Niño/Southern Oscillation, and sea surface temperatures (SST) in the Pacific Ocean. The basin-scale seasonal rainfall between 1965 and 2015 was calculated for the upper Ping River Basin (PRB) and the upper Nan River Basin (NRB) from a gridded rainfall dataset and rainfall data collected at several gauging stations. The corresponding climate indices, i.e., the Equatorial-Southern Oscillation Index (EQ-SOI), Indian Monsoon Index (IMI), and SST-related indices, were examined to quantify seasonal rainfall. Based on variations in the rainfall anomaly and each climate index, we found that IMI is the primary variable that can explain variations in seasonal rainfall when EQ-SOI is negative. Through a multiple regression analysis, we found that EQ-SOI and two SST-related indices, i.e., Pacific Decadal Oscillation Index (PDO) and SST anomalies in the tropical western Pacific (SSTNW), can quantify the seasonal rainfall for years with positive EQ-SOI. The seasonal rainfall calculated for 1975 to 2015 based on the proposed method was highly correlated with the observed rainfall, with correlation coefficients of 0.8 and 0.86 for PRB and NRB, respectively. These results suggest that the existing indices are useful for quantifying basin-scale seasonal rainfall, provided a proper classification and combination of the climate indices are introduced. The developed method could forecast seasonal rainfall over the target basins if well-forecasted climate indices are provided with sufficient leading time.
Effects of the Notch Angle, Notch Length and Injection Rate on Hydraulic Fracturing under True Triaxial Stress: An Experimental Study
Authors: Chen Yulong , Meng Qingxiang , Zhang Jianwei
Published: June 2018

This study focused on the effects of the notch angle, notch length, and injection rate on hydraulic fracturing. True triaxial hydraulic fracturing experiments were conducted with 300 × 300 × 300 mm cement mortar blocks. The test results showed that the fracture initiation pressure decreased as the notch length and injection rate increased, whereas, the fracture initiation pressure decreased as the notch angle decreased. Furthermore, the direction of the hydraulic fracture was always along the direction of the maximum principle stress.
Delineation of Suitable Zones for the Application of Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) in Coastal Aquifers Using Quantitative Parameters and the Analytical Hierarchy Process
Authors: Kazakis Nerantzis
Published: June 2018

Coastal aquifer salinization is usually related to groundwater overexploitation and water table decline. Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) can be applied as a measure to reverse and prevent this phenomenon. A detailed literature review was performed to identify the various methods and parameters commonly used to determine suitable sites of MAR application. Based on the review results, a new multi-criteria index (SuSAM) that is compatible to coastal aquifers was developed to delineate suitable zones for MAR application. New parameters were introduced into the index, such as distance from the shore and hydraulic resistance of the vadose zone, while factor weights were determined using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and single sensitivity analysis. The applicability of the new index was examined in the coastal aquifer of the Anthemountas basin located in northern Greece. The most suitable areas for MAR application cover 28% of the aquifer’s surface area, while 16% of the area was characterized as non-suitable for MAR application. The new method constitutes the first step of the managed aquifer recharge concept for the delineation of MAR-suitable zones in coastal aquifers.
Discovery of OH Absorption from a Galaxy at z ∼ 0.05: Implications for Large Surveys with SKA Pathfinders
Authors: Gupta N. , Momjian E. , Srianand R. , Petitjean P. , Noterdaeme P. , Gyanchandani D. , Sharma R. , Kulkarni S.
Published: June 2018

We present the first detection of OH absorption in diffuse gas at z > 0, along with another eight stringent limits on OH column densities for cold atomic gas in galaxies at 0 < z < 0.4. The absorbing gas detected toward Q0248+430 (z

q
 = 1.313) originates from a tidal tail emanating from a highly star-forming galaxy G0248+430 (z

g
 = 0.0519) at an impact parameter of 15 kpc. The measured column density is N(OH) = (6.3 ± 0.8) × 1013

cm−2, where

and T
ex are the covering factor and the excitation temperature of the absorbing gas, respectively. In our Galaxy, the column densities of OH in diffuse clouds are of the order of N(OH) ∼ 1013–14 cm−2. From the incidence (number per unit redshift; n
21) of H i 21 cm absorbers at 0.5 < z < 1 and assuming no redshift evolution, we estimate the incidence of OH absorbers (with log N(OH) > 13.6) to be n
OH = 

at z ∼ 0.1. Based on this we expect to detect

such OH absorbers from the MeerKAT Absorption Line Survey (MALS). Using H i 21 cm and OH 1667 MHz absorption lines detected toward Q0248+430, we estimate (ΔF/F) = (5.2 ± 4.5) × 10−6, where

, α is the fine structure constant, μ is the electron–proton mass ratio, and g

p
is the proton gyromagnetic ratio. This corresponds to Δα/α(z = 0.0519) = (1.7 ± 1.4) × 10−6, which is among the stringent constraints on the fractional variation of α.