bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Türkiye'deki Büyükşehir Belediyeli Şehirlerde Kentsel Yayılma
Authors: KARABACAK Kerime
Published: June 2020

Hızlı nüfus artışı ve teknoloji ile birlikte dünyada kentlerde yaşayan kişi sayısı gün geçtikçe atmaktadır. Artan şehirleşme hareketleri doğal kaynaklar üzerindeki baskıyı giderek artırmakta, kentlerin mekânda kontrolsüz, plansız bir şekilde yayılmasına neden olmaktadır. Kentsel yayılma pek çok çevresel, sosyal ve ekonomik problemlere yol açmaktadır. Bu nedenle bu çalışmada Türkiye'deki büyükşehir belediye örgütlü şehirler arasında kentsel yayılmanın düşük ve yüksek olduğu alanları tespit etmek amaçlanmıştır. Belirtilen amaç doğrultusunda Avrupa Çevre Ajansı'nın geliştirdiği şehir atlası (urban atlas) veri tabanının 2012 yılı verileri kullanılmıştır. Şehir atlası Avrupa Birliği'ne üye ve aday ülkelerdeki nüfusu 100 binin üzerindeki şehirlere ait ayrıntılı arazi örtüsü/kullanım veri seti sağlamaktadır. Kentsel alanlar için 20 farklı sınıfın tanımlandığı veri tabanında kentsel dokuyu tanımlayan 6 sınıf kentsel yayılma yoğunluğunu tespit etmede ana değişken olarak kullanılmıştır. Şehirlerin nüfus büyüklükleri bir diğer değişkeni oluşturmuş, ayrıca mekânsal metriklerden biri olan kentsel doku sınıflarının yama büyüklükleri de incelenerek yayılmanın yoğunluğu, nerelerde fazla olduğu ortaya konulmuştur. Çalışma sonucunda kentsel yayılma ile nüfus büyüklüğü arasında önemli bir ilişki olduğu saptanmıştır. Büyükşehir belediye örgütünün kuruluşunun daha eskiye dayandığı şehirlerde de kentsel yayılmanın daha yoğun olduğu görülmüştür. Kentsel yoğunluğun yüksek olduğu arazi sınıfları genellikle kent merkezinde veya merkeze yakın yerlerde bulunmakta, bu araziler büyük metropollerde daha fazla alan kaplamaktadır.
MOTIVATION TO LEARN NATURAL SCIENCES IN THE CONTEXT OF A TRAINING OF TEACHERS COURSE
Authors: Gomes de Freitas Renata Texeira , Tolentino Cicuto Camila Aparecida , Pazinato Maurícius Selvero
Published: June 2020

The present research verified the role motivational factors play in the learning process, using an undergraduate Natural Sciences course. The overall aim was to evaluate the motivation of these students, determine if motivation varied with the number of years of university attended and identify which motivational factors influence the learning of Natural Sciences. In total, 73 students, during different course offerings from 2012 to 2017, participated in the research, which corresponded to 56.5% of the total enrollment from that time frame. A questionnaire, which was organized into two parts, was employed for data collection, and scored using the Likert scale. In the first part, the following motivational factors were assessed: intrinsic motivation, self-determination, career motivation, self-efficacy and grade motivation. In the second part, the teaching strategies and activities utilized during the course were evaluated with regards to their motivational character. It was found that a majority of students were motivated and that the level of motivation increased throughout the course, being driven by intrinsic factors, that indicated that the students were trying harder to learn scientific concepts, rather than seeking approval and rewards. Furthermore, it was found that participation in projects was the most motivational activity, followed by the academic week and internships. Keywords: career motivation, motivational factors, motivation for grades, students self-determination, self-efficacy.
ECONOMICS TEACHERS’ USE OF TOPIC SPECIFIC PEDAGOGICAL CONTENT KNOWLEDGE IN TEACHING MARKET DYNAMICS
Authors: Ogbonnaya Ijeoma Chidinma , Mji Andile , Mafa-Theledi Oliva Neo , Ngulube Beatrice
Published: June 2020

The poor learners’ understanding of specific topic ‘Market Dynamics’ (MD) is a concern in South Africa secondary schools and so it is globally. Many researchers and education stakeholders in South Africa point to the need to use TS-PCK to improve learners’ understanding of MD. This research aimed to examine economics teachers’ teaching of Market Dynamics (MD) in order to understand how the teaching and learning of MD could be improved using topic Specific PCK. Using Mavhunga’s TS-PCK as the theoretical framework. Two TS-PCK components were examined in the research namely, content knowledge (What is that makes a topic difficult to teach?) and representations were used to gain an in–depth understanding of teachers’ use of TS-PCK in teaching MD. It was a descriptive case study design. Purposeful samples of three economics teachers of 10th, 11th and 12th grade were selected. A semi-structured interview consisting of 18 items was used to generate data for the research while a qualitative data analysis technique, namely thematic analysis was used to analyze the data generated. The results showed that the three economics teachers sampled for the research were able to use their TS-Content Knowledge adequately in different Content Knowledge domains to understand what makes a topic difficult to teach or learn. The result also showed that the participating teachers identified difficult areas that are challenging to teach in the topic of MD but were unable to explain and give cogent reasons why those areas were challenging for learners to understand. Further results on teachers’ use of TS-PCK based on ‘representations’ revealed that the teachers effectively used analogies and examples in teaching market dynamics but struggled to find activities to illustrate some of the concepts of market dynamics. The research recommends that economics teachers should be provided with more structured opportunities to help develop their topic specific pedagogical content knowledge of the school level content as part of their professional development. Keywords: content knowledge, economics teachers, pedagogical content Knowledge, topic specific pedagogical content knowledge, market dynamics.
PRESCHOOL TEACHERS’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS CHILDREN’S GENDER ROLES: THE EFFECTS OF SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS AND PERSONAL EXPERIENCES OF GENDER DISCRIMINATION
Authors: Rogošić Silvia , Maskalan Ana , Krznar Tomislav
Published: June 2020

In line with the theory of planned behaviour, different factors influencing the formation of attitudes and beliefs indirectly affect the intentions that determine an individual’s behaviour. Hence, it is important to examine the factors affecting the attitudes of preschool teachers towards children’s gender roles considering that their own understanding of gender roles influences their behaviour towards children in kindergarten (which can be in agreement with the egalitarian or stereotypical attitudes of preschool teachers). Therefore, a quantitative research was conducted in Zagreb (Croatia) on a sample of 481 preschool teachers. The research was aimed at determining the effects of socio-demographic characteristics, religious (non)affiliation and personal experiences of gender discrimination during childhood on the attitudes of preschool teachers towards children’s gender roles and on the frequency of noticing unequal treatment of boys and girls in kindergarten by other preschool teachers. The findings revealed that preschool teachers who have identified themselves as non-religious or religiously non-affiliated who were brought up in larger cities, with a personal experience of gender discrimination in childhood, more frequently notice unequal treatment of boys and girls in kindergarten (by other preschool teachers). Among the mentioned variables, the strongest effect on noticing unequal treatment of boys and girls in kindergarten has the variable experience of gender discrimination during childhood which confirms greater awareness of gender discrimination among persons who experienced such discrimination.
Keywords: children’s gender roles, gender equality, preschool education, preschool teachers’ attitudes.
The influence of inhaled corticosteroids on asthma control test in smokers and non-smokers with asthma
Authors: Arsovski Zoran , Breshkovska Gorica , Dokic Dejan , Ј. Janeva Elena , Arsovska Anita , Isjanovski Viktor
Published: June 2020

Smoking in asthmatics is responsible for the worsening of asthma symptoms, more frequent asthma exacerbations and hospitalizations and lowered quality of life. In smoking asthmatics the designated doses of the inhaled corticosteroid treatment are usually insufficient to accomplish total asthma control. Out of 54 screened adult patients up to 50 years old with mild asthma, 38 were involved in the study. They were divided in two groups: smokers and non-smokers. They received a total daily dosage of 500 µg of inhaled fluticasone propionate. A rescue medication, a short-acting ß2 agonist (salbutamol) in a dosage of 0.1 mg/per inhaled dose, was used when needed. Asthma was diagnosed by a positive metacholine provocation test and/or a positive bronchodilatator response. An asthma control test i.e. the ACT-TM questionnaire was performed before the beginning of the study and 6 weeks after the treatment
with fluticasone propionate of the previous corticosteroid-naive patients. A statistically positive response (p<0.05) was reached in favor of non-smoking asthmatics. It can be concluded that ACT is a reliable tool to assess the effect of the topical corticosteroid treatment in non-smoking and smoking asthmatics. An achievement of better asthma control could be expected among both of the examined groups, but the effect of the intervention in the therapy is estimated to be more expressed within the group of asthmatic non-smokers. In smoking asthmatics there is a need for other therapeutic modalities such as increasing the dosage of inhaled corticosteroids, usage
of combination therapy and/or adding low doses of aminophylline.
A study of off-label and unlicensed medicines use in neonatal units
Authors: Zisovska Elizabeta , Koshi Blerina , Slaveska-Raichki Renata
Published: June 2020

Despite all efforts to improve the on-label use of licensed medicines for neonates, there is still high percentage and demands of offlabel and unlicensed medicines use in neonatal therapy. Therefore, the general objective of this survey is to provide a description of off-label and unlicensed medicines use within the neonatal therapeutic areas in a Department of Neonatology, University Clinic for Gynecology and Obstetrics, in Skopje, Republic of Macedonia. All analyzed prescriptions were given in accordance with the Evidence Based Guidelines applied in the Department. During the three months’ period in 2015, there were given 1595 prescriptions, comprising 3.99 prescriptions per newborn during the hospital stay. Out of them, 532 (33.3%) were on-label medicine uses, 1052 (66%) were off-label medicines, and 11 prescriptions (0.7%) were unlicensed medicines. The results from this study show the high level of off-label medicine use in neonatal therapy. These results present only the “top of the iceberg” and require more comprehensive analysis that will gradually evolve in a National Guideline on off-label use areas in pediatric medicine, especially for critically ill newborns who are prescribed much more life-saving medicines.
Development and validation of a new HPLC method for valproic acid determination in human plasma and its application to a therapeutic drug monitoring study
Authors: Dural Emrah , Çelebi Seniha , Bolayır Aslı , Çiğdem Burhanettin
Published: June 2020

The aim of this study was to develop a new, simple and reliable high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for analysis of valproic acid (VPA) in human plasma and apply to it to a therapeutic drug monitoring study. Also, the relationship between plasma-VPA concentrations and the amount of VPA used by patients was aimed to be evaluated.
Plasma samples (0.25 mL) were precipitated with the same volume of acetonitrile and after centrifugation, aliquots were applied to a C18 column (250 mm x 4.6 mm). Mobile phase was prepared with phosphate buffer and acetonitrile (47.5:52.5, v/v). The flow-rate was 1.2 mL/min.
Accuracy was between -2.9 and 3.2% and precision was ≤6.6%. Method was specific and sensitive with a detection limit of 2.2 µg/mL and the average recovery was 94.3%. Calibration curve was linear (r2>0.9968) from 10 to 150 µg/mL. Plasma-VPA levels of the epileptic patient population (n=33) treated with VPA between 0.5 and 1.5 g/day were also determined.
Patient plasma-VPA concentrations ranged from 2.9 to 166.4 µg/g/mL (56.3±38.8). High RSD% (68.8%) was observed in dose-rated plasma-VPA results. Moreover, VPA plasma levels were found to be outside the recommended treatment range in 30.3% of the patients examined. The procedure described was found to be relatively simple, precise, and applicable for routine therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) especially in neurology clinics or in toxicology reference laboratories.
The high standard deviation (SD) observed in the dose depended plasma-VPA values of the volunteers proved the importance of TDM during the use of this drug. The results showed that for rational drug use, it is important to identify individual polymorphisms in the CYP2C9, CYP2A6 and CYP2B6 subtypes responsible for VPA metabolism, and to rearrange drug doses taking these enzyme activities into account.
THE EFFECT OF USING CONSTRASTIVE METHOD IN TEACHING ENGLISH NOUN PHRASES
Authors: Sihabuddin Sihabuddin
Published: June 2020

The aim of this study was to find out the effect of contrastive method toward students’ English noun phrases ability, the reflection of students comprehension toward the phrases and the students’ perception toward the method in teaching English noun phrases. The object of this study was students at MTS Negeri 3 Mataram grade VIIIA. This study was quasi-experimental that applied mix method: quantitative and qualitative research method.  The instruments for collecting data in this study were a test, questionnaire, and interview guide. The result of this study showed that the method had a positive effect on students’ ability in constructing English noun phrases, and the preception of the students toward the method was positive as well. The method affects the students' ability in constructing English noun phrases correctly.
THE EFFECT OF RECIPE DEMONSTRATION TECHNIQUE ON STUDENTS’ WRITING COMPETENCE IN PROCEDURAL TEXT
Authors: Alviana Valia
Published: June 2020

This study was aimed at finding the effect of recipe demonstration technique towards students' writing skill in the procedural text at the food and beverage department. It was found that the students of SMK Negeri 1 Batulayar have problems in implementation writing procedural texts, thus the researcher conducted a quasi-experimental class. This research involved 62 students at grade tenth of SMK Negeri 1 Batulayar. The purpose of this research was to find out the effect of recipe demonstration toward students’ writing skill in procedural text. In collecting the data, the researcher conducted all procedures of data collection, starting from pre-test, treatments, and ended up with post-test. The quantitative data was obtained through the result of post-test of the experimental and control class. The analysis method used was independent sample t-test to find out the effect of using recipe demonstration toward students writing skill in procedural text. While the qualitative data was obtained through observation, the researcher acts as the main instrument in identifying the selected students' worksheet through a desk study within five aspects assessed in a procedural text. In this research, the researcher used the technique of data analysis which is involving three steps:  (1) data reduction, (2) data display, and (3) conclusion drawing/verification. The researcher got the result by using SPSS analyses, and the score of t-test indicated that the Sig-2 tailed< 0.05 and the t-test shows > t-table, that is the result of the t-test is 3.562 while t-table is 1.66, and it can be concluded that the hypothesis that the researcher set is accepted. In conclusion, the implementation of recipe demonstration is effective to increase students' writing competence in the procedural text of students' at F & b department SMK Negeri 1 Batulayar.
GALLERY WALK+PEER TALK IN LANGUAGE TESTING AND ASSESSMENT: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES
Authors: Sarwanti Sri
Published: June 2020

A useful conceptual understanding of ZPD can benefit the students from having  talks with others in increasing their capability of knowing something. This idea of social constructivism underpins the need for opportunities for collaboration and support, and for learning. Individuals are required to construct self-knowledge and develop new perspectives, by engaging in hands-on activities rather than using structured information. If peer talk is combined with gallery walk where the students have the opportunity to share ideas, the combination bears such an active class activity. This study reveals the students’ achievements on how they negotiate their problems through conversing with each other. The problem-based conversation plays among students themselves in their initial academic development. This study supports theory highlighting the importance of talk in social interaction as a prerequisite for increasing students’ achievement. The results of this study show that the combination of gallery walk-peer talk able to improve the students’ achievements and also the students’ participation in class. The results also uncovers why they enjoy learning by doing gallery walk-peer talk.
THE EFFECT OF TEAM PRODUCT TO IMPROVE STUDENTS’ CREATIVITY IN WRITING AT SMPN 1 JONGGAT
Authors: Prayati Zukhairatunniswah
Published: June 2020

This study investigated the effect of team product to improve students’ creativity in writing at the 8th-grade students of SMPN 1 Jonggat, Central Lombok in the academic year 2018/2019. The research was designed as quasi experiment research. The students were divided into the experimental group and control group. The experimental group was treated using the team product method while the control group was subjected to a conventional method. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential analysis. The data in this research was taken from the mean scores of students’ achievement and the score percentages. The subject of this research was the 8th-grade students of SMPN 1 Jonggat, which consisted of 54 students. The instruments of this research were tests and questionnaires. The mean score of students’ creativity in the experimental group was 75 and the writing skill was 76. It was higher than the students in the control group. It can be concluded that the team product had a positive effect on students’ writing skills in relation to creativity at SMPN 1 Jonggat.
IDENTIFYING READING COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS OF NATIONAL EXAMINATION FOR SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
Authors: Daeli Nurul Hayati , Hutapea Yenni Julia Ningsih , Ningsih Gea Fitri Dian , Lestari Indah , Saragih Erikson
Published: June 2020

Reading is the complex cognitive process of decoding symbols to derive meaning. It is a form of language processing. Success in this process is measured as reading comprehension. The aim of the researcher is to identify the types of question reading comprehension of the national examination of the textbook. The form of this research is descriptive by analyzing the reading question in the Sonar Eksplorasi USBN/UNBK’s book 2019. Indicators data are grouped based on qualitative. To maintain the results of research carried out to collect data using descriptive qualitative. Then the data can be seen means out of reading comprehension questions into five types, namely question of literal comprehension, a question involving reorganization or reinterpretation, the question of inference, the question of evaluation and question of personal responses. The question of literal comprehension gets 5 data (5,05%). The next types are the question involving reorganization or reinterpretation it gets 6 data (6, 06%). The question of inference gets 5 data (5,05%). The question of evaluation gets 4 data (4, 04%). The last type is the question of personal responses which gets 10 (10, 10%).  Data obtained through book evaluation text by looking at the form and level of questions.  Based on this result, it can be concluded that the dominant type of used test is multiple-choice items in testing the reading comprehension.
EXAMINING THINK TALK WRITE (TTW) STRATEGY IN STUDENTS’ VOCABULARY MASTERY
Authors: Qomariyah Siti Syafiatul , Nafisah Bq Zuhrotun
Published: June 2020

This research aimed at finding out the effect of Think-Talk-Write (TTW) in students’ vocabulary mastery. This research was conducted in the first-grade students of Junior High School 5 Praya in the academic year 2019/2020. This research used an experimental design in which it employed two groups pre-test and post-test. The experimental group was treated by using TTW, while the control group was treated by using Acrostic strategy. The two classes were chosen as the samples in this research which consist of 46 students. In analyzing the data, researchers applied statistical analysis. The result of the research showed that there was a significant effect of Think-Talk-Write (TTW) in students’ vocabulary mastery. The finding shows that the t-test value was higher than the t-table (8.693>1.680). Therefore, it comes to the conclusion that the hypothesis set is accepted (Ha).
THE IMPACT OF DISREGARDING FORMULAIC COMPETENCE IN DEVELOPING SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH TEXTBOOKS IN INDONESIA
Authors: Sukur Silvester Goridus
Published: June 2020

This research aims to uncover the impact of disregarding the formulaic competence in designing electronic English textbooks for SMA students in Indonesia. This research belongs to qualitative content analysis one, conducted by using content analysis research method in Indonesia from 2018 to 2019. NVivo 12 Plus was applied to manage and analyze the data that had been stored in this qualitative research software. The data were obtained from three SMA English textbooks for SMA students nationwide as the data sources. The aforesaid textbooks are Bahasa Inggris X by Widiati, U. et al., Bahasa Inggris XI by Bashir, M.; and Bahasa Inggris XII by Widiati, U. et al., all of which were issued by the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture in 2017 and 2018 respectively. One of the techniques applied to achieve the trustworthiness of this study was by using Kappa statistic reliability test in NVivo 12 Plus, the result of which gained the value of reliability agreement level of data > 0.75, which means that it was in excellent category. The research result demonstrated that the three chosen SMA English textbooks lacked the topics for the students to promote their formulaic competence. The impact of this point made the students unable to learn such formulaic-competence-related materials. This case would make them find it hard to improve their communicative competence and reading comprehension skill. Therefore, it is suggested that, for the future revised edition, the writers of the textbooks for SMA students all around Indonesia develop the content of the textbooks comprehensively including the materials for formulaic competence. Keywords: textbook, formulaic competence, communicative competence
Oxylipins Associated to Current Diseases Detected for the First Time in the Oxidation of Corn Oil as a Model System of Oils Rich in Omega-6 Polyunsaturated Groups. A Global, Broad and in-Depth Study by 1H NMR Spectroscopy
Authors: Alberdi-Cedeño Jon , Ibargoitia María L. , Guillén María D.
Published: June 2020

For the first time, an important number of oxylipins have been identified and quantified in corn oil submitted to mild oxidative conditions at each time of their oxidation process. This oil can be considered as a model system of edible oils rich in polyunsaturated omega-6 groups. The study was carried out using 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H NMR), which does not require chemical modification of the sample. These newly detected oxylipins include dihydroperoxy-non-conjugated-dienes, hydroperoxy-epoxy-, hydroxy-epoxy- and keto-epoxy-monoenes as well as E-epoxy-monoenes, some of which have been associated with several diseases. Furthermore, the formation of other functional groups such as poly-formates, poly-hydroxy and poly-ether groups has also been proven. These are responsible for the polymerization and increased viscosity of the oil. Simultaneously, monitoring of the formation of well-known oxylipins, such as hydroperoxy-, hydroxy-, and keto-dienes, and of different kinds of oxygenated-alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes such as 4-hydroperoxy-, 4-hydroxy-, 4-oxo-2E-nonenal and 4,5-epoxy-2E-decenal, which are also related to different degenerative diseases, has been carried out. The provided data regarding the compounds identification and their sequence and kinetics of formation constitute valuable information for future studies in which lipid oxidation is involved, both in food and in other scientific fields.
Methodology for Forensics Data Reconstruction on Mobile Devices with Android Operating System Applying In-System Programming and Combination Firmware
Authors: da Silveira Claudinei Morin , T. de Sousa Jr Rafael , de Oliveira Albuquerque Robson , Amvame Nze Georges D. , de Oliveira Júnior Gildásio Antonio , Sandoval Orozco Ana Lucila , García Villalba Luis Javier
Published: June 2020

This paper proposes a new forensic analysis methodology that combines processes, techniques, and tools for physical and logical data acquisition from mobile devices. The proposed methodology allows an overview of the use of the In-System Programming (ISP) technique with the usage of Combination Firmware, aligned with specific collection and analysis processes. The carried out experiments show that the proposed methodology is convenient and practical and provides new possibilities for data acquisition on devices that run the Android Operating System with advanced protection mechanisms. The methodology is also feasible in devices compatible with the usage of Joint Test Action Group (JTAG) techniques and which use Embedded Multimedia Card (eMMC) or Embedded Multi-Chip Package (eMCP) as main memory. The techniques included in the methodology are effective on encrypted devices, in which the JTAG and Chip-Off techniques prove to be ineffective, especially on those that have an unauthorized access protection mechanism enabled, such as lock screen password, blocked bootloader, and Factory Reset Protection (FRP) active. Studies also demonstrate that data preservation and integrity are maintained, which is critical to a digital forensic process.
Wind Turbines Optimal Operation at Time Variable Wind Speeds
Authors: Ancuti Mihaela-Codruta , Musuroi Sorin , Sorandaru Ciprian , Dordescu Marian , Erdodi Geza Mihai
Published: June 2020

The wind turbine’s operation is affected by the wind speed variations, which cannot be followed by the wind turbine due to the large moment of the power plant’s inertia. The method proposed in this paper belongs to the wind turbine power curves (WTPC) approach, which expresses the power curve of the permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG) by a set of mathematical equations. The WTPC research papers published before now have not taken into consideration the total power plant inertia at time-variable wind speeds, when the wind turbine’s optimal operation is very difficult to be reached, and its efficiency is thus threatened. The study is based on a wind turbine having a large moment of total inertia, and demonstrates, through extensive simulation results, that the optimal values of the PMSG’s power can be determined based on the kinetic motion equation. This PMSG’s optimal power represents an ideal time-varying curve, and the wind turbine should be controlled so as to closely follow it. For this purpose, proportional integral (PI) and proportional integral derivative (PID) type-based control methods were implemented and analyzed, so that the PMSG’s power oscillations could be reduced, and the PMSG’s angular speed value made comparable to the optimal one, meaning that the wind turbine operates within the optimal operation area, and is efficient. The simulations are actually the numerical solutions obtained by using the Scientific Workplace simulation environment, and they are based on the wind speed measurements collected from a wind farm located in Dobrogea, Romania.
Hybrid NOMA/OMA-Based Dynamic Power Allocation Scheme Using Deep Reinforcement Learning in 5G Networks
Authors: Giang Hoang Thi Huong , Hoan Tran Nhut Khai , Thanh Pham Duy , Koo Insoo
Published: June 2020

Non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) is considered a potential technique in fifth-generation (5G). Nevertheless, it is relatively complex when applying NOMA to a massive access scenario. Thus, in this paper, a hybrid NOMA/OMA scheme is considered for uplink wireless transmission systems where multiple cognitive users (CUs) can simultaneously transmit their data to a cognitive base station (CBS). We adopt a user-pairing algorithm in which the CUs are grouped into multiple pairs, and each group is assigned to an orthogonal sub-channel such that each user in a pair applies NOMA to transmit data to the CBS without causing interference with other groups. Subsequently, the signal transmitted by the CUs of each NOMA group can be independently retrieved by using successive interference cancellation (SIC). The CUs are assumed to harvest solar energy to maintain operations. Moreover, joint power and bandwidth allocation is taken into account at the CBS to optimize energy and spectrum efficiency in order to obtain the maximum long-term data rate for the system. To this end, we propose a deep actor-critic reinforcement learning (DACRL) algorithm to respectively model the policy function and value function for the actor and critic of the agent (i.e., the CBS), in which the actor can learn about system dynamics by interacting with the environment. Meanwhile, the critic can evaluate the action taken such that the CBS can optimally assign power and bandwidth to the CUs when the training phase finishes. Numerical results validate the superior performance of the proposed scheme, compared with other conventional schemes.
Kalman Filter and Wavelet Cross-Correlation for VHF Broadband Interferometer Lightning Mapping
Authors: Alammari Ammar , Alkahtani Ammar A. , Ahmad Mohd Riduan , Noman Fuad , Mohd Esa Mona Riza , Sabri Muhammad Haziq Mohammad , Mohammad Sulaiman Ali , Al-Khaleefa Ahmed Salih , Kawasaki Zen , Agelidis Vassilios
Published: June 2020

Lightning mapping systems based on perpendicular crossed baseline interferometer (ITF) technology have been developed rapidly in recent years. Several processing methods have been proposed to estimate the temporal location and spatial map of lightning strikes. In this paper, a single very high frequency (VHF) ITF is used to simulate and augment the lightning maps. We perform a comparative study of using different processing techniques and procedures to enhance the localization and mapping of lightning VHF radiation. The benchmark environment involves the use of different noise reduction and cross-correlation methods. Moreover, interpolation techniques are introduced to smoothen the correlation peaks for more accurate lightning localization. A positive narrow bipolar event (NBE) lightning discharge is analyzed and the mapping procedure is confirmed using both simulated and measured lightning signals. The results indicate that a good estimation of lightning radiation sources is achieved when using wavelet denoising and cross-correlations in wavelet-domain (CCWD) with a minimal error of 3.46°. The investigations carried out in this study confirm that the ITF mapping system could effectively map the lightning VHF radiation source.
Investigation on an Improved Household Refrigerator for Energy Saving of Residential Buildings
Authors: Cao Jingyu , Wang Qiliang , Hu Mingke , Ren Xiao , Liu Weixin , Su Yuehong , Pei Gang
Published: June 2020

The efficiency improvement of household refrigerators is of significance to electricity consumption reduction of residential buildings. The cold loss recovery in household refrigerators is a promising development direction. In this study, a refrigerator improved by heat pipes is designed to reduce the cold loss at freezer walls to enhance the overall efficiency of the refrigerator. A complete steady-state mathematical model is built for characterizing its overall energy saving behaviors by introducing the real structural parameters of a Midea BCD-111 refrigerator and measured temperature boundary conditions. The performances of the improved refrigerator are investigated with typical operating states, variable ambient temperature, and heat pipe design. The simulative results indicate that the cold loss of the freezer of the improved refrigerator can be reduced by 8.3–16.5%, and the energy saving capability is relatively reliable. Results verify that the cold loss recovery of the improved refrigerator is feasible in various operating conditions.
Remediation of a Petroleum Hydrocarbon-Contaminated Site by Soil Vapor Extraction: A Full-Scale Case Study
Authors: Labianca Claudia , De Gisi Sabino , Picardi Francesco , Todaro Francesco , Notarnicola Michele
Published: June 2020

Spills, leaks, and other environmental aspects associated with petroleum products cause hazards to human health and ecosystems. Chemicals involved are total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), solvents, pesticides, and other heavy metals. Soil vapor extraction (SVE) is one of the main in-situ technologies currently employed for the remediation of groundwater and vadose zone contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The performance of an SVE remediation system was examined for a petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated site with attention to remediation targets and final performance. The study assessed: (1) the efficiency of a full-scale remediation system and (2) the influence of parameters affecting the treatment system effectiveness. Results showed how VOC concentration in soil was highly reduced after four year treatment with a global effectiveness of 73%. Some soil samples did not reach the environmental threshold limits and, therefore, an extension of the remediation period was required. The soil texture, humidity, permeability, and the category of considered pollutants were found to influence the amount of total extracted VOCs.
Ionization Cross Sections in the Collision between Two Ground State Hydrogen Atoms at Low Energies
Authors: Atawneh Saed J. Al , Asztalos Örs , Szondy Borbála , Pokol Gergő I. , Tőkési Károly
Published: June 2020

The interaction between two ground state hydrogen atoms in a collision was studied using the four-body classical trajectory Monte Carlo method. We present the total cross sections for the dominant channels, namely for the single ionization of the target, the ionization of the projectile, resulting from pure ionization, and also from the electron transfer (capture or loss) processes. We also present cross sections for the complete break of the system, resulting in the final channel for four free particles. The calculations were carried out at low energies, relevant to the interest of fusion research. We present our cross sections in the projectile energy range between 2.0 keV and 100 keV and compare them with previously obtained theoretical and experimental results.
Investigating Pervaporation as a Process Method for Concentrating Formic Acid Produced from Carbon Dioxide
Authors: Kaczur Jerry J. , McGlaughlin Liam J. , Lakkaraju Prasad S.
Published: June 2020

New methods in lowering energy consumption costs for evaporation and concentration are needed in many commercial chemical processes. Pervaporation is an underutilized, low-energy processing method that has a potential capability in achieving lower energy processing costs. A recently developed new electrochemical process that can generate a 5–25 wt% pure formic acid (FA) from the electrochemical reduction of CO2 requires a low-energy process for producing a more concentrated FA product for use in both on-site and commercial plant applications. In order to accomplish this, a 25 cm2 membrane area pervaporation test cell was constructed to evaluate the FA-H2O system separation performance of three distinct types of membrane candidates at various FA feed concentrations and temperatures. The selection included one cation ion exchange, two anion ion exchange, and two microporous hydrophobic membranes. The permeation flux rates of FA and H2O were measured for FA feed concentrations of 10, 20, 40, and 60 wt% at corresponding temperatures of 22, 40, and 60 °C. The separation performance results for these particular membranes appeared to follow the vapor liquid equilibrium (VLE) characteristics of the vapor phase in the FA-H2O system as a function of temperature. A Targray microporous hydrophobic high-density polyethylene (HDPE) membrane and a Chemours Nafion® N324 membrane showed the best permeation selectivities and mass flux rates FA feed concentrations, ranging from 10 to 40 wt%. The cation and anion ion exchange membranes evaluated were found not to show any significant enhancements in blocking or promoting the transport of the formate ion or FA through the membranes. An extended permeation cell run concentrated a 10.12% FA solution to 25.38% FA at 40 °C. Azeotropic distillation simulations for the FA-H2O system using ChemCad 6.0 were used to determine the energy requirement using steam costs in processing FA feed concentrations ranging from 5 to 30 wt%. These experimental results indicate that pervaporation is a potentially useful unit process step with the new electrochemical process in producing higher concentration FA product solutions economically and at lower capital costs. One major application identified is in on-site production of FA for bioreactors employing new types of microbes that can assimilate FA in producing various chemicals and bio-products.
Chemical and Temperature Sensors Based on Functionalized Reduced Graphene Oxide
Authors: Araya-Hermosilla Esteban , Minichino Matteo , Mattoli Virgilio , Pucci Andrea
Published: June 2020

In this work, we investigated the functionalization of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) with 2-(dodecen-1-yl) succinic anhydride (TPSA) to increase the rGO effective interactions with organic solvents both in liquid and vapor phases. Thermogravimetric analysis, STEM, XPS, FTIR-ATR, and Raman spectroscopy confirmed the effective functionalization of rGO with about the 30 wt% of grafted TPSA without affecting the structural characteristics of graphene but successfully enhancing its dispersibility in the selected solvent except for the apolar hexane. Solid TPSA-rGO dispersions displayed a reproducible semiconducting (activated) electrical transport with decreased resistance when heated from 20 °C to 60 °C and with a negative temperature coefficient of 10−3 K−1, i.e., comparable in absolute value with temperature coefficient in metals. It is worth noting that the same solid dispersions showed electrical resistance variation upon exposure to vapors with a detection limit in the order of 10 ppm and sensitivity α of about 10−4 ppm−1.
Current Status and Challenges of Safety Education for Children, Including Those Requiring Medical Care, in Japanese General Schools: Focusing on Disasters
Authors: Yamamoto Tomoko
Published: June 2020

This paper discusses school safety mainly in relation to safety education and examines measures for the comprehensive development of systems to ensure the safety of children at school, including those requiring medical care. The number of children requiring medical care is increasing in general schools following the promotion of inclusive education. The government of Japan has established the School Health and Safety Act and Guidelines on School Curricula. Municipalities have developed education systems that cover the safety education specified in disaster preparedness plans for schools. Safety education has been promoted through problem-oriented and experience-based methods as well as other methods of learning to date. Considering the outcomes of these systems and approaches, it is expected that safety management systems in schools, especially general schools that include children requiring medical care, will also develop in combination with safety education.
Characterization of Bioactive Glass Synthesized by Sol-Gel Process in Hot Water
Authors: Dang Tan Hiep , Bui Thi Hoa , Guseva Elena V. , Ta Anh Tuan , Nguyen Anh Tien , Hoang Thi Trong Hoa , Bui Xuan Vuong
Published: June 2020

Bioactive glass 70SiO2-30CaO (mol.%) was successfully synthesized by modified sol–gel in hot water without using an acid catalyst. TG-DSC analysis showed that the amorphous glass could be synthesized by sintering the sample at 700 °C for three hours. The N2 adsorption/desorption and TEM investigations highlighted that the synthetic glass had a mesoporous structure, consisting of spherical particles with sizes in the range of 11–20 nm. The specific surface area, pore volume, and average pore diameter of synthetic glass were 150.13 m2/g, 0.37 cm3/g, and 11.84 nm, respectively. Moreover, synthetic bioactive glass presented interesting bioactivity and good biocompatibility after in vitro experiments in simulated body fluid (SBF) and in cellular medium.
A Database for the Radio Frequency Fingerprinting of Bluetooth Devices
Authors: Uzundurukan Emre , Dalveren Yaser , Kara Ali
Published: June 2020

Radio frequency fingerprinting (RFF) is a promising physical layer protection technique which can be used to defend wireless networks from malicious attacks. It is based on the use of the distinctive features of the physical waveforms (signals) transmitted from wireless devices in order to classify authorized users. The most important requirement to develop an RFF method is the existence of a precise, robust, and extensive database of the emitted signals. In this context, this paper introduces a database consisting of Bluetooth (BT) signals collected at different sampling rates from 27 different smartphones (six manufacturers with several models for each). Firstly, the data acquisition system to create the database is described in detail. Then, the two well-known methods based on transient BT signals are experimentally tested by using the provided data to check their solidity. The results show that the created database may be useful for many researchers working on the development of the RFF of BT devices.
Mammographic Breast Density and Urbanization: Interactions with BMI, Environmental, Lifestyle, and Other Patient Factors
Authors: Perry Nick , Moss Sue , Dixon Steve , Milner Sue , Mokbel Kefah , Lemech Charlotte , Arkenau Hendrik-Tobias , Duffy Stephen , Pinker Katja
Published: June 2020

Mammographic breast density (MBD) is an important imaging biomarker of breast cancer risk, but it has been suggested that increased MBD is not a genuine finding once corrected for age and body mass index (BMI). This study examined the association of various factors, including both residing in and working in the urban setting, with MBD. Questionnaires were completed by 1144 women attending for mammography at the London Breast Institute in 2012–2013. Breast density was assessed with an automated volumetric breast density measurement system (Volpara) and compared with subjective radiologist assessment. Multivariable linear regression was used to model the relationship between MBD and residence in the urban setting as well as working in the urban setting, adjusting for both age and BMI and other menstrual, reproductive, and lifestyle factors. Urban residence was significantly associated with an increasing percent of MBD, but this association became non-significant when adjusted for age and BMI. This was not the case for women who were both residents in the urban setting and still working. Our results suggest that the association between urban women and increased MBD can be partially explained by their lower BMI, but for women still working, there appear to be other contributing factors.
Carotid Stenosis Assessment with Vector Concentration before and after Stenting
Authors: Brandt Andreas Hjelm , Nguyen Tin-Quoc , Gutte Henrik , Frederik Carlsen Jonathan , Moshavegh Ramin , Jensen Jørgen Arendt , Bachmann Nielsen Michael , Hansen Kristoffer Lindskov
Published: June 2020

Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) is considered the reference method for the assessment of carotid artery stenosis; however, the procedure is invasive and accompanied by ionizing radiation. Velocity estimation with duplex ultrasound (DUS) is widely used for carotid artery stenosis assessment since no radiation or intravenous contrast is required; however, the method is angle-dependent. Vector concentration (VC) is a parameter for flow complexity assessment derived from the angle independent ultrasound method vector flow imaging (VFI), and VC has shown to correlate strongly with stenosis degree. The aim of this study was to compare VC estimates and DUS estimated peak-systolic (PSV) and end-diastolic velocities (EDV) for carotid artery stenosis patients, with the stenosis degree obtained with DSA. Eleven patients with symptomatic carotid artery stenosis were examined with DUS, VFI, and DSA before and after stent treatment. Compared to DSA, VC showed a strong correlation (r = −0.79, p < 0.001), while PSV (r = 0.68, p = 0.002) and EDV (r = 0.51, p = 0.048) obtained with DUS showed a moderate correlation. VFI using VC calculations may be a useful ultrasound method for carotid artery stenosis and stent patency assessment.
Deep Learning Classification of 2D Orthomosaic Images and 3D Point Clouds for Post-Event Structural Damage Assessment
Authors: Liao Yijun , Mohammadi Mohammad Ebrahim , Wood Richard L.
Published: June 2020

Efficient and rapid data collection techniques are necessary to obtain transitory information in the aftermath of natural hazards, which is not only useful for post-event management and planning, but also for post-event structural damage assessment. Aerial imaging from unpiloted (gender-neutral, but also known as unmanned) aerial systems (UASs) or drones permits highly detailed site characterization, in particular in the aftermath of extreme events with minimal ground support, to document current conditions of the region of interest. However, aerial imaging results in a massive amount of data in the form of two-dimensional (2D) orthomosaic images and three-dimensional (3D) point clouds. Both types of datasets require effective and efficient data processing workflows to identify various damage states of structures. This manuscript aims to introduce two deep learning models based on both 2D and 3D convolutional neural networks to process the orthomosaic images and point clouds, for post windstorm classification. In detail, 2D convolutional neural networks (2D CNN) are developed based on transfer learning from two well-known networks AlexNet and VGGNet. In contrast, a 3D fully convolutional network (3DFCN) with skip connections was developed and trained based on the available point cloud data. Within this study, the datasets were created based on data from the aftermath of Hurricanes Harvey (Texas) and Maria (Puerto Rico). The developed 2DCNN and 3DFCN models were compared quantitatively based on the performance measures, and it was observed that the 3DFCN was more robust in detecting the various classes. This demonstrates the value and importance of 3D datasets, particularly the depth information, to distinguish between instances that represent different damage states in structures.