bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Roads on Ecological Corridors Used for Wildlife Movement in a Natural Heritage Site
Authors: Shi Hui , Shi Tiange , Yang Zhaoping , Wang Zhi , Han Fang , Wang Cuirong
Published: August 2018

Roads are the link between geographic space and human socio-economic activities, promoting local economic development, and simultaneously causing various negative effects, such as segmentation, interference, destruction, degradation, and pollution. In China, the construction of roads is rapid, which might affect wildlife movement, landscape pattern, and land use change, thereby, affecting the conservation of heritage sites. In the present study, the minimum cumulative resistance model, along with geographic information system technology, was adopted to compute the ecological corridor for wildlife movement between the source patches and to analyze ecological corridor changes under two conditions (road presence/absence) at two time points in Kanas, nominated as a World Natural Heritage site. The relationships between the ecological corridor changes and various factors, including the cutting index of the ‘road-effect zones’, terrain, and road geometric characteristics, were examined using the geographical detector model to identify the influencing factors and mechanisms of the corridor changes, in order to rationally simulate the potential ecological corridors. In addition, the detached and fragmented ecological patches can be connected to effectively protect the biodiversity, biological habitats, and species, which are important means to achieve regional sustainable development and ecological construction.
It’s Not a Fad: Smart Cities and Smart Villages Research in European and Global Contexts
Authors: Visvizi Anna , Lytras Miltiadis D.
Published: August 2018

Research on smart cities matures and new interdisciplinary approaches to the study of smart cities are proposed. At the same time, problems pertinent to communities inhabiting rural areas tend to be addressed, as if by the way, i.e., as a part of discussions in neighboring fields of research, be it environmental studies, sociology, or agriculture. Arguably, the concept of ‘the village’ has been largely absent in the academic debate, even if rural areas and countryside communities have been a subject of concern for robust policy frameworks, such as the European Union’s Cohesion Policy and Common Agricultural Policy. As a result, when advances in sophisticated information and communication technology (ICT) led to the emergence of a rich body of research on smart cities, the application and usability of ICT in the context of a village remained underdiscussed in the literature. Through this Special Issue, and the Editors’ earlier research on this topic, the Editors hope that the idea of the ‘smart village’ will be introduced into the debate. Against this backdrop, the objective of this opening review is three-fold: (i) to outline the conceptual boundaries of the term smart village, (ii) to highlight the thrust of the challenge inherent in smart villages research, and (iii) to shed light on the smart village research agenda as it unfolds. The relevance and validity of these claims are supported by references to research submitted to the Special Issue titled “Sustainable Smart Cities and Smart Villages Research”.
Developmental Trajectories in Electrical Steel Technology Using Patent Information
Authors: You Donghyun , Park Hyunseok
Published: August 2018

Recently there has been growing demand for low-electricity consuming transformers and electric vehicles due to global trend of reducing use of fossil fuels and the role of electrical steel became important. Tracing and analyzing research trend and development of electrical steel will give insight for development of R&D direction and strategies. We used patent citation network and GBFP (Genetic Backward-Forward Path analysis) to identify technological trajectories of electrical steel domain and patent contents with other papers to qualitatively analyze research trend of the domain. As a result, we found that some sub-domains of electrical steel domain had close technological relationship to each other in their developmental paths and suggested further R&D direction in the electrical steel technology.
Assessment of Postural Load during Melon Cultivation in Mediterranean Greenhouses
Authors: Gómez-Galán Marta , Pérez-Alonso José , Callejón-Ferre Ángel-Jesús , Sánchez-Hermosilla-López Julián
Published: August 2018

Health and safety at work directly influence the development of sustainable agriculture. In the agricultural sector, many farm workers suffer musculoskeletal disorders caused by forced posture. The objective of this research is to assess working postures during melon cultivation in Almería-type greenhouses. The Ovako Working Posture Assessment System (OWAS) has been used with pictures of the tasks. The variables studied by multiple correspondence analysis were as follows: Subtask, Posture code, Back, Arms, Legs, Load, Risk, and Risk combination. The OWAS analysis showed that 47.57% of the postures were assessed as risk category 2, 14.32% as risk category 3, 0.47% as risk category 4, and the rest as risk category 1. Corrective measures should be implemented immediately, as soon as possible, or in the near future, depending on the risks detected.
SentiFlow: An Information Diffusion Process Discovery Based on Topic and Sentiment from Online Social Networks
Authors: Carrera Berny , Jung Jae-Yoon
Published: August 2018

In this digital era, people can become more interconnected as information spreads easily and quickly through online social media. The rapid growth of the social network services (SNS) increases the need for better methodologies for comprehending the semantics among the SNS users. This need motivated the proposal of a novel framework for understanding information diffusion process and the semantics of user comments, called SentiFlow. In this paper, we present a probabilistic approach to discover an information diffusion process based on an extended hidden Markov model (HMM) by analyzing the users and comments from posts on social media. A probabilistic dissemination of information among user communities is reflected after discovering topics and sentiments from the user comments. Specifically, the proposed method makes the groups of users based on their interaction on social networks using Louvain modularity from SNS logs. User comments are then analyzed to find different sentiments toward a subject such as news in social networks. Moreover, the proposed method is based on the latent Dirichlet allocation for topic discovery and the naïve Bayes classifier for sentiment analysis. Finally, an example using Facebook data demonstrates the practical value of SentiFlow in real world applications.
Sustainability Assessment of Bioenergy from a Global Perspective: A Review
Authors: Wang Jianliang , Yang Yuru , Bentley Yongmei , Geng Xu , Liu Xiaojie
Published: August 2018

Bioenergy, as a renewable energy resource, is expected to see significant development in the future. However, a key issue that will affect this trend is sustainability of bioenergy. There have been many studies on this topic but mainly focusing on only one or two-dimensions of the issue and also with much of the literature directed at studies of European regions. To help understand the wider scope of bioenergy sustainability, this paper reviews a broad range of current research on the topic and places the literature into a multi-dimensional framework covering the economic, environmental and ecological, social and land-related aspects of bioenergy sustainability, as well as a geographical analysis of the areas for which the studies have been carried out. The review indicates that it is hard to draw an overall conclusion on the sustainability of bioenergy because of limited studies or contradictory results in some respects. In addition, this review shows that crop-based bioenergy and forest bioenergy are seen as the main sources of bioenergy and that most studies discuss the final utilization of bioenergy as being for electricity generation. Finally, research directions for future study are suggested, based on the literature reviewed here.
A Knowledge Discovery Education Framework Targeting the Effective Budget Use and Opinion Explorations in Designing Specific High Cost Product
Authors: Chi Li-Pin , Zhuang Zheng-Yun , Fu Chen-Hua , Huang Jen-Hung
Published: August 2018

For an R&D institution to design a specific high investment cost product, the budget is usually ‘large but limited’. To allocate such budget on the directions with key potential benefits (e.g., core technologies) requires, at first and at least, a priority over the involved design criteria, as to discover the relevant decision knowledge for a suitable budgeting plan. Such a problem becomes crucial when the designed product is relevant to the security and military sustainability of a nation, e.g., a next generation fighter. This study presents a science education framework that helps to obtain such knowledge and close the opinion gaps. It involves several main tutorial phases to construct and confirm the set of design criteria, to establish a decision hierarchy, to assess the preferential structures of the decision makers (DMs) (individually or on a group basis), and to perform some decision analyses that are designed to identify the homogeneity and heterogeneity of the opinions in the decision group. The entire framework has been applied in a training course hold in a large R&D institution, while after learning the staff successfully applied these knowledge discovery processes (for planning the budget for the fighter design works and for closing the opinion gaps present). With the staffs’ practical exercises, several empirical findings except for the budgeting priority (e.g., the discrimination between ‘more important criteria’ against the less important ones) are also interesting. For some examples (but not limited to these), it is found that the results from using two measures (statistical correlation vs. geometrical cosine similarity) to identify the opinion gaps are almost identical. It is found that DMs’ considerations under various constructs are sometimes consistent, but often hard to be consistent. It is also found that the two methods (degree of divergence (DoD) vs. number of observed subgroups (NSgs)) that are used to understand the opinions’ diversity under the constructs are different. The proposed education framework meets the recent trend of data-driven decision-making, and the teaching materials are also some updates to science education.
Energy and Ecological Sustainability: Challenges and Panoramas in Belt and Road Initiative Countries
Authors: Rauf Abdul , Liu Xiaoxing , Amin Waqas , Ozturk Ilhan , Rehman Obaid Ur , Sarwar Suleman
Published: August 2018

Innovation and globalization fosters a tendency towards multiparty collaboration and strategic contacts among nations. A similar path was followed by the Chinese administration in 2013, with its “Belt and Road Initiative” (BRI). The most important objective of the present fact-finding study was to demonstrate the links between economic growth, energy consumption, urbanization, gross fixed capital formation, trade openness, financial development and carbon emissions (ecological degradation) from a panel of 47 BRI economies, over a time span of 1980 to 2016. Dynamic panel estimations (dynamic ordinary least square (DOLS) and fully modified ordinary least square (FMOLS)) were engaged to examine the long-run links between the subjected variables. Synchronized outcomes for the full panel show that energy consumption, gross fixed capital formation, economic growth, financial development, and urbanization unfavorably led to environmental degradation (CO2 emissions). However, trade openness is negatively correlated with emissions. Furthermore, pairwise panel Granger causative estimations justified bi-directional links from all regressors towards CO2 emissions, except for trade openness, which had unidirectional ties with environmental quality. In cross-country, long-run assessments, different results were found, with CO2 emissions being greatly increased by economic growth in all countries and energy consumption in 30 countries; other predictors testified to some mixed interactions with CO2 emissions in the country-level examination. The reported investigation provides some noteworthy guiding principles and policy inferences aimed at governments and ecological supervisory administrations, suggesting assertive moves towards truncated used of carbon fossil fuels and dependency on renewable energy, establishing waste and water treatment plants, familiarizing themselves with the concept of a green economy, and making the general public aware of eco-friendly investments in BRI economies.
Mapping Agroecology in Europe. New Developments and Applications
Authors: Wezel Alexander , Bellon Stéphane
Published: August 2018

Agroecology has gradually developed in recent decades, but has only recently been more strongly promoted by different movements, organizations, institutions, farmer groups, and scholars[...]
On Special Kinds of Involute and Evolute Curves in 4-Dimensional Minkowski Space
Authors: Hanif Muhammad , Hou Zhong Hua , Nisar Kottakkaran Sooppy
Published: August 2018

Recently, extensive research has been done on evolute curves in Minkowski space-time. However, the special characteristics of curves demand advanced level observations that are lacking in existing well-known literature. In this study, a special kind of generalized evolute and involute curve is considered in four-dimensional Minkowski space. We consider (1,3)-evolute curves with respect to the casual characteristics of the (1,3)-normal plane that are spanned by the principal normal and the second binormal of the vector fields and the (0,2)-evolute curve that is spanned by the tangent and first binormal of the given curve. We restrict our investigation of (1,3)-evolute curves to the (1,3)-normal plane in four-dimensional Minkowski space. This research contribution obtains a necessary and sufficient condition for the curve possessing the generalized evolute as well as the involute curve. Furthermore, the Cartan null curve is also discussed in detail.
Fundamental Homomorphism Theorems for Neutrosophic Extended Triplet Groups
Authors: Çelik Mehmet , Shalla Moges Mekonnen , Olgun Necati
Published: August 2018

In classical group theory, homomorphism and isomorphism are significant to study the relation between two algebraic systems. Through this article, we propose neutro-homomorphism and neutro-isomorphism for the neutrosophic extended triplet group (NETG) which plays a significant role in the theory of neutrosophic triplet algebraic structures. Then, we define neutro-monomorphism, neutro-epimorphism, and neutro-automorphism. We give and prove some theorems related to these structures. Furthermore, the Fundamental homomorphism theorem for the NETG is given and some special cases are discussed. First and second neutro-isomorphism theorems are stated. Finally, by applying homomorphism theorems to neutrosophic extended triplet algebraic structures, we have examined how closely different systems are related.
Botulinum Toxin Induced Atrophy: An Uncharted Territory
Authors: Salari Mehri , Sharma Soumya , Jog Mandar S.
Published: August 2018

Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) produce local chemo-denervation by cleaving soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor activating protein receptor (SNARE) proteins. Botulinum neurotoxins are therapeutically indicated in several neurological disorders and have been in use for three decades. The long-term efficacy, safety, and side effects of BoNTs have been well documented in the literature. However, the development of muscle atrophy following chronic exposure to BoNTs has not received sufficient attention. Muscle atrophy is not only cosmetically distressing, but also has an impact on future injections. An extensive literature search was conducted on atrophy and mechanisms of atrophy. Five hundred and four relevant articles in the English language were reviewed. This review revealed the surprising lack of documentation of atrophy within the literature. In addition, as demonstrated in this review, the mechanisms and the clinical factors that may lead to atrophy have also been poorly studied. However, even with this limited information it is possible to indicate factors that could modify the clinical approach to botulinum toxin injections. This review highlights the need for further study of atrophy following BoNT injections.
Cushing Syndrome due to Inappropriate Corticosteroid Topical Treatment of Undiagnosed Scabies
Authors: Estrada-Chávez Guadalupe , Estrada Roberto , Engelman Daniel , Molina Jesus , Chávez-López Guadalupe
Published: August 2018

The uncontrolled sale of topical corticosteroids has become an important risk factor for the development of iatrogenic Cushing syndrome in children, especially in countries where medications are sold over the counter. This is exacerbated by the lack of information for both the patients and pharmacists. This report documents a series of eight cases of iatrogenic Cushing syndrome secondary to an inappropriate use of topical steroids, due to a misdiagnosis of scabies.
A Virus in American Blackcurrant (Ribes americanum) with Distinct Genome Features Reshapes Classification in the Tymovirales
Authors: Thekke-Veetil Thanuja , Ho Thien , Postman Joseph D. , Martin Robert R. , Tzanetakis Ioannis E.
Published: August 2018

A novel virus with distinct genome features was discovered by high throughput sequencing in a symptomatic blackcurrant plant. The virus, tentatively named Ribes americanum virus A (RAVA), has distinct genome organization and molecular features bridging genera in the order Tymovirales. The genome consists of 7106 nucleotides excluding the poly(A) tail. Five open reading frames were identified, with the first encoding a putative viral replicase with methyl transferase (MTR), AlkB, helicase, and RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) domains. The genome organization downstream of the replicase resembles that of members of the order Tymovirales with an unconventional triple gene block (TGB) movement protein arrangement with none of the other four putative proteins exhibiting significant homology to viral proteins. Phylogenetic analysis using replicase conserved motifs loosely placed RAVA within the Betaflexiviridae. Data strongly suggest that RAVA is a novel virus that should be classified as a species in a new genus in the Betaflexiviridae or a new family within the order Tymovirales.
Mutation and Epistasis in Influenza Virus Evolution
Authors: Lyons Daniel M. , Lauring Adam S.
Published: August 2018

Influenza remains a persistent public health challenge, because the rapid evolution of influenza viruses has led to marginal vaccine efficacy, antiviral resistance, and the annual emergence of novel strains. This evolvability is driven, in part, by the virus’s capacity to generate diversity through mutation and reassortment. Because many new traits require multiple mutations and mutations are frequently combined by reassortment, epistatic interactions between mutations play an important role in influenza virus evolution. While mutation and epistasis are fundamental to the adaptability of influenza viruses, they also constrain the evolutionary process in important ways. Here, we review recent work on mutational effects and epistasis in influenza viruses.
Inequality in Access to Drinking Water and Subsidies between Low and High Income Households in Mexico City
Authors: Morales-Novelo Jorge A. , Rodríguez-Tapia Lilia , Revollo-Fernández Daniel A.
Published: August 2018

Economic and population growth in Mexico City (CDMX) is the main cause of an increase in water demand against a naturally limited endowment, which increases the gap between water demand and supply. In a water scarcity environment, households are facing pressure to maintain their involvement in the city’s only operating body, the Water System of Mexico City (SACMEX) total supply. The objective of this work is to measure the inequality in the distribution of drinking water and water subsidies between households connected to the public network of CDMX in order to generate objective indicators of the phenomenon. Having such information provides a baseline scenario of the problem and allows for the delineation of a policy covering the minimum levels of well-being in the supply of drinking water that is appropriate for the most important city in the country. The method consists of measuring inequality through continuous variables estimating the Lorenz curve, the Gini coefficient, the targeting coefficient and elasticity in water consumption and in water subsidies among households in CDMX. Data comes from a household survey carried out in 2011, Consumption Habits, Service and Quality of Water by Household in Mexico City (EHCSCA). Results show that drinking water and subsidies present a regressive distribution, benefit high-income households and, to a lesser degree, the poorest households in the city and highlight the urgency and importance for SACMEX to redefine its policy on water distribution, fees and subsidies. The present study’s scope can contribute to the monitoring of the distribution of drinking water and of subsidies among household groups. The study justifies that the indicators employed in this work can be used and are recommended as a valuable tool in water management, especially in a dynamic environment.
Evaluating Energy and Cost Requirements for Different Configurations of Off-Grid Rainwater Harvesting Systems
Authors: Rose Heather S. , Upshaw Charles R. , Webber Michael E.
Published: August 2018

The goal of this analysis was to evaluate energy and cost requirements for different configurations of a rainwater harvesting (RWH) system in conjunction with a solar PV and energy storage system for an off-grid house. Using models in fluid mechanics, we evaluated energy and power requirements for four different system configurations: 1. An On-Demand System containing a single speed pump (OD-SS), 2. An On-Demand System containing a variable speed pump (OD-VS), 3. A Pressurized Storage System where water is pumped once during the day into a large pressurized tank for later consumption and treated on demand via UV light (PS-AOT), and 4. A Pressurized Storage System where water is treated once per day via UV light and then stored for later consumption (PS-TO). Our analysis showed that the OD-SS system model requires 2.63 kWh per day, the OD-VS system model requires a total energy of 1.65 kWh per day, and the PS-AOT requires 1.67–1.69 kWh per day depending on the pump size, and the PS-TO system requires 0.19–0.36 kWh per day depending on the pump size. When comparing estimated cost between systems, we found the OD-SS system to be the most expensive. With the OD-SS system as a base for system costs, we found the OD-VS system to be 39% less expensive, the PS-AOT system to be 21% less expensive, and the PS-TO system to be 60% less expensive than the base OD-SS system.
Cropland Soil Salinization and Associated Hydrology: Trends, Processes and Examples
Authors: Nachshon Uri
Published: August 2018

While global food demand and world population are rapidly growing, land potential for cropping is steadily declining due to various soil degradation processes, a major one of them being soil salinization. Currently, approximately 20% of total cropland and 33% of irrigated agricultural land are salinized as a result of poor agricultural practices and it is expected that by 2050, half of the croplands worldwide will become salinized. Thus, there is a real need to better understand soil salinization processes and to develop agricultural practices that will enable production of the needed amount of food to feed humanity, while minimizing soil salinization and other degradation processes. The major sources of solutes in agricultural environments are: (i) the soil itself, and the parent geological material; (ii) shallow and salt rich groundwater; and (iii) salt rich irrigation water. The salinization of soil is a combination of transport of solutes towards the root zone to replenish evaporation and transpiration and limited washing of the soil by rain or irrigation. Therefore, most salinized soils are present in arid and semi-arid environments where precipitation is low and evaporation is high. In this manuscript, examples of soil salinization processes from croplands around the world will be presented and discussed to bring attention to this important topic, to present the latest scientific insights and to highlight the gaps that should be filled, from both scientific and practical perspectives.
The R-Process Alliance: Discovery of the First Metal-poor Star with a Combined r- and s-process Element Signature*
Authors: Gull Maude , Frebel Anna , Cain Madelyn G. , Placco Vinicius M. , Ji Alexander P. , Abate Carlo , Ezzeddine Rana , Karakas Amanda I. , Hansen Terese T. , Sakari Charli , Holmbeck Erika M. , Santucci Rafael M. , Casey Andrew R. , Beers Timothy C.
Published: August 2018

We present a high-resolution (R ∼ 35,000), high signal-to-noise ratio (S/N > 200) Magellan/MIKE spectrum of the star RAVE J094921.8−161722, a bright (V = 11.3) metal-poor red giant star with [Fe/H] = −2.2, identified as a carbon-enhanced metal-poor (CEMP) star from the RAVE survey. We report its detailed chemical abundance signature of light fusion elements and heavy neutron-capture elements. We find J0949−1617 to be a CEMP star with s-process enhancement that must have formed from gas enriched by a prior r-process event. Light neutron-capture elements follow a low-metallicity s-process pattern, while the heavier neutron-capture elements above Eu follow an r-process pattern. The Pb abundance is high, in line with an s-process origin. Thorium is also detected, as expected from an r-process origin, as Th is not produced in the s-process. We employ nucleosynthesis model predictions that take an initial r-process enhancement into account, and then determine the mass transfer of carbon and s-process material from a putative more massive companion onto the observed star. The resulting abundances agree well with the observed pattern. We conclude that J0949−1617 is the first bonafide CEMP-r + s star identified. This class of objects has previously been suggested to explain stars with neutron-capture element patterns that originate from neither the r- nor the s-process alone. We speculate that J0949−1617 formed in an environment similar to those of ultra-faint dwarf galaxies like Tucana III and Reticulum II, which were enriched in r-process elements by one or multiple neutron star mergers at the earliest times.
Characterization of the White-light Brightness of the F-corona between 5° and 24° Elongation
Authors: Stenborg Guillermo , Howard Russell A. , Stauffer Johnathan R.
Published: August 2018

The white-light F-corona arises from light scattered by circumsolar dust. Using weekly models of the eastern side of the F-corona between 5° and 24° elongation, we analyzed the elongation and time dependence of the brightness of its photometric axis. The models were constructed from STEREO-A SECCHI/HI-1 images taken between 2007 December and 2014 March. We found that the brightness profiles can be approximated by power laws, with the coefficients of the models depending upon the observer’s ecliptic longitude. Their variation is not symmetric with respect to the orbital nodes of the dust plane, nor is the behavior similar in the two halves of the spacecraft orbit delimited by the line of nodes. The exponents range between −2.31 and −2.35, the former occurring when the observer is at the nodes. The asymmetry observed in the behavior of the proportionality constant is indicative of the projected center of the dust cloud being offset from the Sun’s center by ∼0.4 R
⊙. The coefficients exhibit a secular variation correlated with the location of the barycenter of the solar system. We also used the HI-1 frames obtained during STEREO-A calibration rolls to model the 360° F-corona. We found that (1) its flattening index (

f
=

R

eq

/

R

pol

−
1

) decreases from ∼0.66 to ∼0.46 with decreasing elongation and (2) the isophotes’ shape can be approximated by a series of superellipses, with the superellipse index n increasing (nonlinearly) with brightness (

∼
1.54
<
n
<
∼
1.65

). Cubic extrapolation of the results below 5° elongation points to a circular F-corona below 1° elongation.
Metallicity and Kinematics of the Galactic Halo from the LAMOST Sample Stars
Authors: Liu Shuai , Du Cuihua , Newberg Heidi Jo , Chen Yuqin , Wu Zhenyu , Ma Jun , Zhou Xu , Cao Zihuang , Hou Yonghui , Wang Yuefei , Zhang Yong
Published: August 2018

We study the metallicity distribution and kinematic properties of 4680 A/F/G/K-type giant stars with

5 kpc selected from the LAMOST spectroscopic survey. The metallicity distribution of giant stars with

kpc can be described by a three-peak Gaussian model with peaks at [Fe/H] ∼ −0.6 ± 0.1, −1.2 ± 0.3 and −2.0 ± 0.2, corresponding to the ratio of 19%, 74%, and 7%, respectively. The [α/Fe] is used to associate the three peaks with the thick-disk, inner-halo and outer-halo components of the Galaxy. The metallicity distribution of these giant stars, which is fit with Gaussians corresponding to the three components, show a growing fraction of inner-halo components and declining fraction of the thick-disk components with increasing distance from the Galactic plane. Adopting a galaxy potential model, we also derive the orbital parameters of the sample stars, such as orbit eccentricity and rotation velocity. The peak values of derived orbital eccentricity for stars covering different metallicity regions maintain e ∼ 0.75, independent of height above the plane, within the range

15 kpc. By comparing the MDFs of stars in different rotation velocity intervals, we find that the majority of the retrograde stars are more metal-poor than the prograde stars.
Molluscan fauna of the lower reaches of the Syoyakha River (Yamal Peninsula)
Authors: Bespalaya Yuliya V. , Aksenova Olga , Zubriy Natalia
Published: August 2018

The molluscan fauna of the Syoyakha (Zelenaya) River remain poorly explored even though the Syoyakha is one of the biggest rivers on the Yamal Peninsula. The Syoyakha River is remarkable for its high fish stocking capacity and it plays an important role in the seasonal distribution and migration of commercial fish species. Freshwater mollusks are known to be a major component of freshwater ecosystems and they make up a part of the diet of many commercially important fish species. The species composition of the mollusks inhabiting the lower reaches of the Syoyakha River has been studied. Five bivalve species of the family Sphaeriidae were found, namelySphaeriumcorneum(Linnaeus, 1758),Pisidiumcasertanum(Poli, 1791),P.globulare(Clessin in Westerlund, 1873),P.lilljeborgi(Clessin in Esmark et Hoyer, 1886) andP.dilatatum(Westerlund, 1897). In general, the molluscan fauna of the lower reaches of the Syoyakha River are taxonomically poor, which can be considered typical of freshwater invertebrate communities living at high latitudes. Another reason for the decline in species diversity may lie in the absence of any large transit watercourse in the basin in question allowing northward dispersion of the mollusks. The average density of mollusks in the watercourse stretch under study varied from 98.9 ind./m2to 620.5 ind./m2.P.globularesettlements had the highest recorded density of 1,442.9 ind./m2. The mollusks are confined to clayey, silty and sandy substrates with remnants of vegetation. The fauna is basically formed by widespread Palearctic and Holarctic mollusk species that have adapted to the extreme conditions of the Arctic. The findings may be used for hydrobiological and fishery characterization of the watercourse given that the recorded species ofS.corneum,P.globulare,P.lilljeborgi, andP.dilatatumare a major food item for important fish species, such as cisco, vendace, char, muksun, etc.
Efficacy and Safety of Low-to-Moderate Dose Oral Corticosteroid Treatment in Ocular Myasthenia Gravis
Authors: Lee Yoon Gon , Kim Ungsoo Samuel
Published: August 2018

Purpose:

To evaluate the response to corticosteroid therapy as a primary treatment for ocular myasthenia gravis.

Methods:

Patients diagnosed as having ocular myasthenia gravis by an acetylcholine receptor binding antibody test between January 2011 and September 2015 were included in the study and started receiving treatment with a corticosteroid. Patients with a blowout fracture, hyperthyroidism, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, or history of strabismus surgery were excluded. Disappearance of diplopia and ptosis were considered a response to treatment.

Results:

Methylprednisolone therapy was administered to 29 patients (19 men and 10 women; average age: 49 ± 16.5 years) as an initial treatment. A total of 6 patients were lost to follow-up. Twenty-three of 29 patients (82.6%) were regarded as having presented a response to treatment. The average treatment duration was 3 weeks for patients responding to primary treatment. Eight patients complained of adverse effects from steroid therapy such as heartburn, insomnia, weight gain, and myalgia.

Conclusions:

A corticosteroid could be considered as an initial treatment for patients diagnosed as having ocular myasthenia gravis by an acetylcholine receptor binding antibody test.

[
J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus
. 2018;55(5):339-342.]
Congenital Monocular Strabismus Fixus
Authors: Wang Kai Jie , Chang Qing Lin , Man Feng Yuan , Ding Juan , Wang Jing Hui , Xian Jun Fang , Jiao Yong Hong
Published: August 2018

Purpose:

To investigate the clinical characteristics and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of the extraocular muscle and ocular motor nerves in congenital monocular strabismus fixus.

Methods:

The retrospective observational case series of three patients with congenital monocular strabismus fixus were reviewed between January 1, 2006, and December 31, 2016. Ophthalmologic examination and thin-sectioned MRI of the ocular motor nerve and the orbit were performed on the three patients.

Results:

Three patients presented with unilateral non-progressive strabismus fixus with marked limitations of movement in all directions since birth. Of the three patients, one presented with esotropia, one with a large degree of exotropia and hypertropia, and one with an almost normal primary position. All three patients had normal ocular motor nerves, but adherences among the extraocular muscles, posterior Tenon's capsule, and the globe within the muscle cone on MRI. Two patients underwent strabismus surgery, but there were no postoperative improvements in the primary position and eye movements.

Conclusions:

Extensive adherences among the extraocular muscles, posterior Tenon's capsule, and globe may partially explain the cause of congenital monocular strabismus fixus and why strabismus surgery was ineffective. The findings further highlight the importance of MRI in detecting and characterizing atypical forms of strabismus.

[J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 2018;55(6):363–368.]
Successful use of a combination of two long-acting basal insulin analogs for the treatment of marked insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes unresponsive to standard therapy
Authors: Abouglila Kamal
Published: August 2018

Insulin resistance is a major management challenge in patients with Type 2 diabetes (T2DM). A 62-year-old female patient with T2DM caused by insulin resistance is reported. Her hyperglycemia did not respond to conventional combinations of insulin therapy. However, she responded very well to a unconventional use of the combination of two basal insulin analogs with additional short-acting insulin. This approach needs confirmation and elucidation for a potential role in these not very uncommon cases.
The profile of eye disease in palestine: An 8-year experience at St. John Eye Hospital, Hebron
Authors: Banayot Riyad
Published: August 2018

Objectives: We aimed to profile the spectrum of eye conditions and document the change in cases presenting at St John Eye Tertiary Hospital, Hebron, Palestine. Patients and Methods: Charts of all new patients who presented to St. John Eye Hospital, Hebron, Palestine, between 2006 and 2013 were reviewed retrospectively. Age at presentation, sex, and clinical diagnosis were extracted from medical records. Data were stored and analyzed. Results: The records of 33,183 patients were included in the study. Female:male ratio was 1:1. Patients aged 10–19 years were the largest group (18%–24%). Refractive errors were the most common disorders seen (22%–32%). This was followed by followed by conjunctival diseases (20%–24%) and cataract (8%–13%). Diabetic patients represented 7% of the total. Proliferative and nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy increased over the study period. Refractive errors and cataract were more frequent in females than males, while ocular trauma was more prominent in males than females. Conclusions: The most common cause of ocular morbidity in this study was refractive errors. Most of the morbidities seen in this study were either treatable or preventable. Programs that raise the capacity of health providers and screening programs should be conducted regularly and preferably in partnership with all health service providers.
Use of donors at age extremes for simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplant
Authors: Akateh Clifford , Elkhammas Elmahdi , Pelletier Ronald , Rajab Amer , Henry Mitchell , El-Hinnawi Ashraf
Published: August 2018

Introduction: There is a shortage of optimal pancreatic donors for simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplant (SPKT), as such there is interest in utilizing donors at extremes of age to expand the donor pool. We sought to evaluate outcomes in SPKT from pediatric donors (PDs) to older donors (ODs). Patients and Methods: We identified patients who underwent simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplant at a single, high-volume institution from 1988–2013. We evaluated for differences in transplant organ function (estimated glomerular filtration rate [GFR], serum glucose, and urine amylase), early (technical) graft loss, and patient and graft survival. Results: A total of 729 SPKT were performed during the study, with 32 PDs, 652 standard donors (SDs), and 45 ODs. Renal function was slightly worse in OD. Otherwise, graft function was similar between all three groups at up to 5 years. There was no difference in censored survival analyses for both kidney and pancreas allografts. There was comparable short-term and long-term patient survival among all groups. Conclusions: Overall, the use of pancreas from pediatric and ODs for SPKT has comparable outcome to SDs. Kidneys from donors above 50 may have lower GFR, but otherwise, have comparable long-term patient and graft survival.
Impact of generation mix flexibility on the integration of variable renewable energies
Authors: Abdelzaher M.M. , Mahmoud H.M. , Abdelaziz A.Y. , Mekhamer S.F. , Badr M.A.L.
Published: August 2018

Worldwide, renewable energies are witnessing a huge expansion especially for power generation driven by different factors including the increased demand on fossil fuels and the depletion of its resources, the increase in its cost and the need to preserve the environment. Variable Renewable Energies (VRE) especially depending on wind and solar resources are intermittent by nature and this intermittency can have severe impacts on the operation of the power systems. Power systems are thus required to have a sufficient degree of flexibility to deal with this intermittency especially in the generation side. This paper introduces a hybrid Flexibility Enhanced Priority List-Mixed Integer Linear Programming (FEPL-MILP) method to solve the Unit Commitment (UC) problem and study the impact of the generation mix flexibility on the integration of renewable energies. Results show that, increasing the flexibility of the thermal energy mix used for power generation will have positive technical and economic impacts on the integration of renewable energies into the power system.Keywords: Intermittency, Generation Mix, Flexibility, Unit Commitment
Investigation of reliability, maintainability and availability of a paper machine in an integrated pulp and paper mill
Authors: Rajaprasad S.V.S.
Published: August 2018

Continuous production of an integrated pulp and paper mill depends on the availability of paper machines. Reliability and maintainability are essential for accomplishing the availability of paper machines. This study investigates the reliability, availability and maintainability (RAM) characteristics of a 120 tonnes per day paper machine from a paper mill in southern region of India. The paper machine is divided into five subsystems for failure analysis. The data was analyzed for trend and serial correlation tests for validating the inference of independent and identical distribution of failure and repair information before each sub system is best fitted to the theoretical probability distributions. Reliability and maintainability of the paper machine has been evaluated at various times which are useful for establishing the preventive maintenance schedules for improving availability of the paper machine. Wire part is found to be more critical subsystem from all points of view and require improvement by 4% and 1.5% in maintainability and availability point of view. The results of the analysis are presented to maintenance department for their active consideration.Keywords: Paper machine, reliability, maintainability, availability, mean time between failures (MTBF), mean time to repair(MTTR), independent and identically distributed(IID)
AVALIAÇÃO DA ABSORÇÃO POR CAPILARIDADE DE ARGAMASSAS PARA REVESTIMENTO COM DIFERENTES ADITIVOS IMPERMEABILIZANTES
Authors: Vieira de Santana Bruna , Venâncio Aleixo Isabella , De Azevedo Lima Joffily Irene
Published: August 2018

Existem, no mercado da construção civil, vários aditivos que servem para impermeabilizar as argamassas de revestimentos, porém, não se sabe, ao certo, se eles são realmente eficientes. No Brasil, ainda se faz muito uso do método tradicional de construções, por isso estudos nessa área ainda são válidos e necessários para garantirem um melhor conhecimento da área. Assim, o objetivo deste estudo foi verificar a eficiência de três diferentes aditivos impermeabilizantes quando associados à argamassa de revestimento e uma argamassa impermeável pronta com relação à absorção por capilaridade e se apresentam resultado dentro do previsto pela NBR 16072 que regulamenta os requisitos para argamassa impermeável. Para tanto, foram realizados ensaios de compressão, absorção de água por capilaridade, consistência, índice de vazios, massa específica e resistência, utilizando cinco argamassas, uma de referência, sem aditivo, outras três acrescidas de aditivos impermeabilizantes e uma última argamassa impermeável pronta. Verificou-se com esse trabalho que, ao adicionar os aditivos, a consistência das argamassas não sofreu grandes alterações. Em relação à resistência, duas argamassas (A e D) não atenderam aos requisitos da norma, a argamassa B não teve grandes alterações, já C apresentou um aumento na resistência. A ascensão capilar foi menor tanto na argamassa A quanto na C, de acordo com os ensaios de capilaridade e do cachimbo. As reduções das absorções por capilaridade das argamassas A e C foram de 28,6% e 26,4% quando comparadas com a argamassa de referência, enquanto as duas com menor desempenho, B e D, a redução foi de apenas 5,5% e 6,6%, respectivamente. No ensaio de absorção, índice de vazios e massa específica, A teve a maior absorção devido à incorporação de ar e as demais argamassas ficaram com os resultados próximos à de referência. Como resultado, infere-se com este estudo, que a argamassa impermeável pronta (A) teve a menor absorção de água por capilaridade, possivelmente devido à maior incorporação de ar, entretanto nenhuma das argamassas impermeabilizantes testadas atendeu aos requisitos da norma NBR 16072
ESTUDO DE PARÂMETROS EM LABORATÓRIO DE MISTURA SOLO-LIGNOSULFONATO PARA ESTABILIDADE DE TALUDE PARA BARRAGENS DE PEQUENO PORTE
Authors: Pedro Ferreira Lisboa de Almeida João , Dougllas Novaes dos Santos Romário , Furtado Nogueira Jairo
Published: August 2018

Nesta pesquisa, tem como objetivo apresentar os fatores de segurança para aterros compactados com solo residual típico do Distrito Federal classificado como pedregulho areno-siltoso, com adição de 2% e 4% de lignosulfonato como solução de solo melhorado com lignina e 6% e 8% como mistura solo-lignosulfonato e sem adição (solo natural) conforme o Manual de pavimentação do Departamento Nacional de Infra-Estrutura de Transportes - DNIT, na qual verificou-se após realizações de ensaios de resistência de cisalhamento direto o percentual de 8% apresentou melhores resultados se comparado com as outras adições e ao solo natural sem mistura. Conforme estudos realizados por Rezende at all. (2015) para a simulação das condições de baixo controle de compactação, foram estudados os todos os teores de umidade e da ótima no processo de compactação do solo e para todas as adições de lignosulfonato já citadas. Os resultados obtidos demonstraram que a variação da estabilidade dos aterros estudados, de acordo com a umidade, densidade de compactação, parâmetros de resistência (coesão e ângulo de atrito) e das inclinações de taludes sugeridas pela literatura foram verificados pelos valores dos fatores de segurança, onde os maiores fatores encontrados foram para os melhores resultados ensaiados
IMPACTO DO RUÍDO AERONAÚTICO NO PREÇO DE IMÓVEIS RESIDENCIAIS: ESTUDO DE CASO DO AEROPORTO INTERNACIONAL DE BRASÍLIA
Authors: Da Silva Boitrago Renata , Rodrigues Pereira Lopes Izabela , Benício de Carvalho Júnior Edson
Published: August 2018

O ruído aeronáutico é um dos principais problemas relacionados à atividade aeroportuária com efeitos adversos sobre a saúde e qualidade do sono em populações residentes próximos a aeródromos, uma outra externalidade devido ao ruído que atinge a comunidade é a depreciação no valor dos imóveis situados na região de influência da operação aeroportuária. No Brasil, poucas pesquisas são desenvolvidas com foco na avaliação dos efeitos do ruído aeronáutico no valor de imóveis. Desse modo, o presente trabalho possui por objetivo principal avaliar o efeito do ruído aeronáutico sobre o preço de imóveis residenciais em áreas no entorno do Aeroporto Internacional de Brasília. Essa avaliação foi determinada por meio do Método de Preços Hedônicos (HPM). Com uso do HPM foi determinado o Índice de Depreciação por Sensibilidade ao Ruído (NSDI). Esse índice indica as mudanças nos preços dos imóveis, devido à exposição ao ruído aeronáutico, para a região objeto de análise. Para a realização desse estudo, admitiu-se a existência de atributos relacionados ao preço do imóvel, características do imóvel, da cidade e ambientais. O banco de dados é composto por um total de 400 imóveis. A análise realizada foi pelo modelo log-linear para o preço do imóvel. O R2 obtido foi 0,54, ou seja, 54% do total da variância da variável dependente é explicada pelas variáveis independentes. Realizou-se o teste de multicolinearidade e foi observado o parâmetro de significância das variáveis. Com base nos resultados da regressão realizada determinou-se uma redução de 1,9% per dB. Esse resultado é expressivo e alerta para os impactos negativos causados pelo ruído aeronáutico