bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spectroscopic Determination of Leaf Nitrogen Concentration and Mass Per Area in Sweet Corn and Snap Bean
Authors: Yuan Mingwei , Couture John J. , Townsend Philip A. , Ruark Matthew D. , Bland William L.
Published: August 2016

Rapid nondestructive measurements at leaf level of nitrogen concentration (%N) and leaf mass per area (LMA) are needed to improve crop simulation model development and calibration, and better understanding of in‐season N management. Many contact reflectance‐based techniques for %N and LMA estimations require calibration across species, cultivars, growing stages, and cultural practices. Narrowband (hyperspectral) reflectance spectroscopy, in combination with partial least square regression (PLSR) models, offers improved performance over vegetation indices derived from standard linear regression analysis with simple ratios or combined formulas. Little research on the application of contact spectroscopy data and PLSR techniques has been conducted for sweet corn (Zea mays L.) and snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). In this study, we sought to determine the optimum wavelength ranges for %N and LMA estimations and to develop and evaluate spectroscopic models in estimating %N and LMA in the two species. Best PLSR predictions utilized 1500 to 2400 nm for %N estimations and 450 to 2400 nm for LMA estimations in both species, with high averaged coefficient of determination (R2) values (0.90–0.95 for cross‐validation, 0.52–0.71 for external validation) and low root mean square error (RMSE, reported as percentage of sample data range) (4.59–5.67% for cross‐validation, 9.50–18.46% for external validation). The results indicate that narrowband reflectance spectroscopy (450–2500 nm) combined with PLSR analysis is a promising method for rapid and nondestructive estimates of %N and LMA at leaf level in sweet corn and snap bean across growth stages, N management, and years.

Core Ideas

Spectroscopy combined with partial least square regression models is useful for estimates of leaf nitrogen concentration and leaf mass per area.

The optimum spectra for nitrogen concentration and leaf mass per area estimations were 1500 to 2400 and 450 to 2400 nm.

Spectroscopy appears appropriate for routine agronomic research field experiments.
Effect of Metal Ions on the Formation of Trichloronitromethane during Chlorination of Catechol and Nitrite
Authors: Gan Guojuan , Mei Rongwu , Qiu Lin , Hong Huachang , Wang Qingjun , Mazumder Asit , Wu Shikai , Pan Xiangliang , Liang Yan
Published: August 2016

Catechol, nitrite, and dissolved metals are ubiquitous in source drinking water. Catechol and nitrite have been identified as precursors for halonitromethanes (HNMs), but the effect of metal ions on HNM formation during chlorination remains unclear. The main objective of this study was to investigate the effect of metal ions (Fe3+, Ti4+, Al3+) on the formation of trichloronitromethane (TCNM) (the most representative HNM species in disinfected water) on chlorinating catechol and nitrite. Trichloronitromethane was extracted by methyl tert‐butyl ether and detected by gas chromatography. The results show that metal ions promoted the formation of TCNM and that the enhancement efficiency followed the order of Fe3+ > Ti4+ > Al3+. Trichloronitromethane formation increased greatly within 2 h, and a basic condition (pH 8–9) favored TCNM formation more than acidic or neutral conditions. The conjoint effect of the metal–ion mixtures was shown to be similar to that of the single metal ion having the highest promoting effect on TCNM formation. Our results strongly suggest that metal ions play a significant role in enhancing TCNM formation.

Core Ideas

Metal ions increased TCNM formation during chlorination of catechol and nitrite.

Type and concentration of metal ions affected TCNM yield.

Effect of metal ions on the formation of TCNM varied with pH.

Conjoint effect of metal ions on TCNM formation was not obvious.
A Comprehensive Analysis of the Variably Saturated Hydraulic Behavior of a Green Roof in a Mediterranean Climate
Authors: Brunetti Giuseppe , Šimůnek Jirka , Piro Patrizia
Published: August 2016

Core Ideas

A comprehensive numerical analysis of hydrological processes in a green roof was conducted.

The substrate of the green roof demonstrated bimodal behavior.

The validated model accurately describes the hydraulic behavior of the green roof.

The soil moisture governs the performance of the green roof during precipitation.

Low‐impact developments (LIDs), such as green roofs, have proven to be valuable alternatives for stormwater management and hydrological restoration. Mechanistic models are reliable and accurate tools for analysis of the hydrologic behavior of LIDs, yet only a few studies provide a comprehensive numerical analysis of the hydrological processes involved and test their model predictions against field‐scale data. Moreover, more research is needed to determine the unsaturated hydraulic properties of the substrates used in LIDs. For these reasons, the aim of this study was to provide a comprehensive description of the hydrological behavior of an extensive green roof installed at the University of Calabria. The soil hydraulic properties were determined by using the simplified evaporation method. Both unimodal and bimodal soil hydraulic functions were used in the analysis. The estimated parameters were then used in the HYDRUS‐3D model to simulate a 2‐mo‐long period. Precipitation, irrigation, evaporation, and root water uptake processes were included in the numerical analysis. The values of 0.74 and 0.8 of the Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency index for the model predictions using unimodal and bimodal functions, respectively, confirmed the good agreement between the modeled and measured outflows. The bimodal model was able to both accurately reproduce the hydrographs in both dry and wet periods and account for daily fluctuations of soil moisture. Finally, the validated model was used to carry out a hydrological analysis of the green roof and its hydrological performance during the entire simulated period as well as during single precipitation events.
Removal of chromium from synthetic wastewater using MFI zeolite membrane supported on inexpensive tubular ceramic substrate
Authors: Vinoth Kumar R. , Pugazhenthi G.
Published: August 2016

A mordenite framework inverted (MFI) type zeolite membrane was produced on inexpensive tubular ceramic substrate through hydrothermal synthesis and applied for the removal of chromium from synthetic wastewater. The fabricated ceramic substrate and membrane was characterized by diverse standard techniques such as X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscope, porosity, water permeability and pore size measurements. The porosity of the ceramic substrate (53%) was reduced by the deposition of MFI (51%) zeolite layer. The pore size and water permeability of the membrane was evaluated as 0.272 μm and 4.43 × 10–7 m3/m2s.kPa, respectively, which are lower than that of the substrate pore size (0.309 μm) and water permeability (5.93 × 10–7 m3/m2s.kPa) values. To identify the effectiveness of the prepared membrane, the applied pressure of the filtration process and initial chromium concentration and cross flow rate were varied to study their influence on the permeate flux and percentage of removal. The maximum removal of chromium achieved was 78% under an applied pressure of 345 kPa and an initial feed concentration of 1,000 ppm. Finally, the efficiency of the membrane for chromium removal was assessed with other membranes reported in the literature.
Assessing the success of floodwater spreading projects using a fuzzy approach
Authors: Mostafaei Abazar , Kalantari Nasrollah , Zarkesh Mirmasoud Kheirkhah
Published: August 2016

Floodwater spreading (FWS) is an important multi-objective technology in soil–water resources management, particularly to utilize excess runoff. More than 37 such schemes have been implemented in Iran. To measure the success of FWS projects, the factors influencing their performance is a prerequisite. Experienced professionals were asked to participate in a poll to identify the key factors that govern project success; a total of 50 researchers ultimately participated in the study. Seven factors were identified as key success factors governing the effectiveness of FWS in Iran. Fuzzy logic formalism was used to determine the success of FWS projects by integrating the factors into a single number that demonstrates the overall degree of success. Evaluation of the developed fuzzy index showed that the Tasuj FWS performed better than the other FWS projects investigated in 2009.
Pyrolysis of Dried Wastewater Biosolids Can Be Energy Positive
Authors: McNamara Patrick J. , Koch Jon D. , Liu Zhongzhe , Zitomer Daniel H.
Published: August 2016

Pyrolysis is a thermal process that converts biosolids into biochar (a soil amendment), py‐oil and py‐gas, which can be energy sources. The objectives of this research were to determine the product yield of dried biosolids during pyrolysis and the energy requirements of pyrolysis. Bench‐scale experiments revealed that temperature increases up to 500 °C substantially decreased the fraction of biochar and increased the fraction of py‐oil. Py‐gas yield increased above 500 °C. The energy required for pyrolysis was approximately 5‐fold less than the energy required to dry biosolids (depending on biosolids moisture content), indicating that, if a utility already uses energy to dry biosolids, then pyrolysis does not require a substantial amount of energy. However, if a utility produces wet biosolids, then implementing pyrolysis may be costly because of the energy required to dry the biosolids. The energy content of py‐gas and py‐oil was always greater than the energy required for pyrolysis.
Ösztönzési módszerek hagyományos és Lean szemléletű termelésben
Authors: Nagy Erzsébet Zsuzsanna
Published: August 2016

A lean menedzsmenttel számos kutatás foglalkozik, de elsősorban a tevékenységmenedzsment témaköréhez kapcsolódóan. A szerző tanulmányának célja, hogy megvizsgálja a lean termelésben megtalálhatóak-e olyan ösztönzők, amelyek a piac megváltozott igényeit támogatják. A munkaerő piaci kitekintést követően, ami segítségünkre lehet megérteni a téma aktualitását, az ösztönzési módszerek csoportosítása a Hay Group modellje alapján történik. Valamint összegyűjtésre kerülnek a szakirodalom alapján a lean-módszerek is. Azonosíthatók olyan különbségek a lean és hagyományos termeléshez kapcsolódó ösztönzők csoportosítása során, melyek esetenként jobban támogatják a munkavállalók elkötelezettségét a vállalatok felé.
¡Ya Campeador en buen ora Çinxiestes la Espada!: um estudo UM acerca das masculinidades em Castelano século XIII através do "Poema de Mio Cid"
Authors: Álvaro Bruno Gonçalves
Published: August 2016

Neste artigo analisaremos a construção das masculinidades de alguns personagens por nós selecionados no Poema de Mio Cid à luz dos estudos de gênero. Cabe salientar que este estudo busca especificidades dentro da referida região e nossas conclusões aqui apresentadas baseiam-se na comparação de personagens literários criados por um autor que viveu no âmbito do reino de Castela no século XIII. Além disso, defendemos a premissa de que a construção tipológica de seus personagens estava em consonância com sua vivência cotidiana e com o que ele defendia ser certo ou errado naquele momento. O clérigo-poeta, em seu discurso, resgata um personagem histórico de Castela e isso se deu por via literária: o autor reconstrói o Cid que viveu no século XI, utilizando-se de adjetivações e substantivações que, como veremos em nossa análise, oferecia a sociedade do momento um padrão ideal de masculinidade a ser seguida.
A morte nos Ervais de "Selva Trágica", de Hernâni Donato
Authors: Marin Jérri Roberto
Published: August 2016

O artigo analisa a morte e atitudes diante dela na obra Selva Trágica, de Hernâni Donato. A morte e os ritos funerários não eram uma cerimônia pública, não seguiam nenhum protocolo e nem tinham caráter dramático ou gestos de emoção excessivos. A morte representava uma ruptura, ao libertar o homem do mundo irracional, violento e cruel. Por ser frequente e sua presença sempre iminente, não era apavorante nem obsessiva. Era familiar, o destino de todos os homens, apesar de não ser desejável morrer nos ervais.
Apresentação
Authors: Marques Ana Maria , Silva Janine Gomes da , Parente Temis Gomes
Published: August 2016

Texto de apresentação do dossiê temático "Memórias, narrativas e fronteiras de gênero"
Narrativas e Memórias de uma Área Rural
Authors: Silva Janine Gomes da , Esteves Valéria König
Published: August 2016

Este artigo apresenta algumas abordagens sobre memória e patrimônio a partir do cotidiano e da gastronomia da Estrada Bonita, distrito de Pirabeiraba, em Joinville/SC. Cabe mencionar que as entrevistas analisadas foram aplicadas com o Grupo deDesenvolvimento da Mulher Rural, coordenado pela Fundação Municipal de Desenvolvimento Rural 25 de Julho, e com as produtoras que fazem parte do roteiro turístico da Estrada Bonita.
Conhecer e Amar na "Carta a Albergati" de Nicolau de Cusa
Authors: Nogueira Maria Simone Marinho
Published: August 2016

Propomos, para este artigo, apresentar a Carta de Nicolau de Cusa endereçada a Nicolau Albergati. Esta Carta é considerada por muitos uma espécie de testamento filosófico-religioso de Nicolau de Cusa, não só porque foi escrita quase no fim da sua vida, como também porque retoma muitos dos temas dos seus escritos teológico-filosóficos.  Neste texto procuramos refletir as relações entre conhecer e amar, destacando, também as relações entre scientia amoris e scientia laudis.
Menos é mais. O Homem ao lado
Authors: Theodoro Janice
Published: August 2016

O artigo discute o filme argentino “O Homem ao Lado”, dirigido por Mariano Cohn e Gastón Duprat. O foco da análise concentra-se nas dificuldades de comunicação, diferenciação social e linguagens na sociedade contemporânea. A trama se desenrola em uma casa, cujo projeto foi elaborado por Le Corbusier, na década de 40 do século passado. Os personagens centrais são um designer e seu vizinho, de extração social mais baixa, envolvidos em uma querela: a abertura de uma janela no muro que separa uma casa da outra.
Saúde e enfermidades femininas nos escritos médicos (Séculos XIII e XIV)
Authors: Santos Dulce O. Amarantes dos
Published: August 2016

O principal foco deste texto constitui-se na análise da produção do conhecimento médico teórico e prático sobre os males e as aflições do corpo feminino ligados à reprodução. Para tal meta selecionou-se dois textos médicos gerados no cenário da escolástica na Europa, nos séculos XIII e XIV: De Secretis mulierum, atribuído ao Pseudo Alberto Magno, literatura de segredo (secreta mulierum) que especula sobre os mistérios que envolvem o processo da reprodução humana; e o Thesaurus Pauperum, atribuído ao físico Pedro Hispano, um receituário de practica medica para todos os males e aflições direcionado aos praticantes leigos.
A peste bubônica no Rio de Janeiro e as estratégias públicas no seu combate (1900-1906)
Authors: Nascimento Dilene Raimundo do , Silva Matheus Alves Duarte da
Published: August 2016

Esse artigo analisa a epidemia de peste bubônica ocorrida na cidade do Rio de Janeiro, no período de 1900 a 1906, a partir das estratégias públicas para o seu combate. Se no inicio, o governo tomou medidas conservadoras já utilizadas para debelar epidemias, foram a reformulação das leis sanitárias, o saneamento da cidade e, especialmente, a caça aos ratos que lograram êxito na extinção da peste bubônica na Capital Federal. As fontes principais para essa análise são os relatórios da Diretoria Geral de Saúde Publica e do Ministério da Justiça e Negócios Interiores.
A ciência das perguntas gerais e das respostas particulares: entrevista com Giovanni Levi
Authors: Alves Liete
Published: August 2016

Entrevista com Giovanni Levi.
A oposição na “literatura stronista” e a opinião pública na ditadura do general Alfredo Stroessner (Paraguai, 1954-1989)
Authors: Silva Paulo Renato da
Published: August 2016

O objetivo deste artigo é analisar representações da oposição na “literatura stronista”, caracterizada pela exaltação dos “feitos” do general e ditador paraguaio Alfredo Stroessner (1954-1989). O forte controle do espaço público pela ditadura não eliminou o dissenso na sociedade paraguaia, o que repercutia na opinião pública. As representações dos opositores no discurso stronista visavam criar um “inimigo” que justificasse a repressão, mas a permanência do dissenso também fez com que o discurso stronista precisasse se apropriar de princípios, demandas e processos ligados à oposição, como indica a análise da “literatura stronista”.
A presença de Gilberto Freyre na obra de Richard Morse
Authors: Domingues Beatriz Helena
Published: August 2016

É sabido que o historiador norte-americano Richard Morse (1922-2001) tinha grande apreço pela obra do pensador brasileiro Gilberto Freyre (1900-1987). Este ensaio tenta mostrar que, além da admiração, houve uma notável e crescente presença de ideias e teses de Gilberto Freyre na carreira acadêmica de Morse, desde os escritos da juventude até aqueles da maturidade.
Mosteiros cistercienses, religiosidade e santidade (León, Espanha, séc. XII-XIII)
Authors: Coelho Maria Filomena
Published: August 2016

Este artigo propõe uma análise da religiosidade e da santidade dos mosteiros cistercienses do antigo Reino de León (Espanha), desde a fundação a meados do século XIII, numa perspectiva que procura ir além das abordagens que se filiam à História da Religião e à História da Igreja. Pretende-se sublinhar a necessidade de interpretar a santidade na perspectiva da História Política, de forma a compreendê-la em conjunto.
Entrevista com Sylvie Guillaume
Authors: Rodrigues Cândido , Clavel Isabelle
Published: August 2016

Entrevista com Sylvie Guillaume
Gênese, construções e delimitação da fronteira Brasil-França: da conquista do território à fronteira tardia
Authors: Porto Jadson Luís Rebelo , Caldas Yurgel Pantoja
Published: August 2016

Este artigo visa refletir sobre a construção da fronteira franco-brasileira, tendo por diretriz os diversos usos que essa fronteira foi manifestando historicamente, sua temporalidade e a sua inserção na economia-mundo. Para atender a tal objetivo, as reflexões aqui tecidas estão inseridas nos seguintes tópicos: o primeiro discute a atuação francesa na formação da fronteira amapaense; o segundo analisa a importância do Território Federal para a formação desta fronteira; enquanto o terceiro tópico aborda a inserção da fronteira amapaense na fronteira-rede global.Palavras-chave: Amapá; fronteira; fronteira Brasil-França.
Optimizing the characteristics of calcium sulfate dihydrate in the flue gas desulfurization process: Investigation of the impurities in slurry-Cl-, Fe3+, Mn2+
Authors: Lv Lina , Yang Jianbin , Shen Zhigang , Zhou Yanbo , Lu Jun
Published: August 2016

The effects of limestone, Cl-, Fe3+ and Mn2+ in slurry on the characteristics of calcium sulfate dehydrate (DH) in flue gas desulfurization (FGD) process were investigated. The moisture content, particle size distribution, and crystal morphology were considered as end use characteristics of DH. As a result, the number of needle-like DH crystals was increased with increasing total contents of MgCO3, Al2O3 and Fe2O3 in limestone. Cl ions were reported to distort the crystal structure and change the crystals from orthorhombic to irregular. Mn2+ can increase the desulfurization efficiency by catalyzing the oxidation of SO2. Finally, Fe3+ will inhibit crystal growth of all faces, except {011} and {111}.
Validation and application of a GC-MS method for the determination of haloacetic acids in drinking water
Authors: Chiavelli Lucas , Figueiredo Luana , Almeida Rafaela , Claus Thiago , Maruyama Swami , Costa Willian
Published: August 2016

Usually, water treatment plants employ chlorine or sodium hypochlorite during
the disinfection process, ensuring that there are not any pathogenic
microorganisms in water. However, chlorine might react with natural organic
matter and lead to formation of potentially carcinogenic by-products
regarding human health, such as haloacetic acids (HAAs). Several countries
regulate the levels of these acids in drinking water. Therefore, their
concentrations must be monitored with the greatest accuracy as possible. In
order to achieve this goal, a method through gas chromatography coupled with
mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was validated and applied to the determination of
HAAs in samples of water destined to the public water service provision from
the city of Maring?, Paran? State, Brazil. Measurements between two periods
have close recovery values, indicating that the method has good accuracy
during the same day. The limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ)
were satisfactory, with LOD 0.42 ?g L-1 and LOQ 1.40 ?g L-1 for
dichloro-acetic acid (DCAA) analysis. Recovery values obtained for the nine
haloace-tics acids (HAA9) corresponded to 69.9-107.3 % for samples. The
repeatability performed for two periods presented close relative standard
deviation (RSD) values, indicating that the method has good accuracy during
the same day.
Advanced UV Absorbers for the Protection of Human Skin
Authors: Hüglin Dietmar
Published: August 2016

The increasing awareness of the damaging effects of UV radiation to human skin triggered the market introduction of new cosmetic UV absorbers. This article summarizes the outcome of a multi-year research program, in which the author contributed to the development of different new UV
filters. First of all, the molecular design and the basic properties of bis-ethylhexyloxyphenol methoxyphenyl triazine (BEMT) will be presented. This oil-soluble filter, which today is widely used in both beach products and skin care products, exhibits inherent photostability and strong broad-spectrum
UV-A+B absorbance. Based on the concept of micronized organic UV absorbers, the UV-B filter tris biphenyl triazine (TBPT) will be introduced. At present TBPT exhibits the highest efficacy of all cosmetic UV absorbers in the market (measured by area under the UV spectrum). Finally, the concept
of liposomogenic UV absorbers will be featured. This approach was developed to create water-resistant UV filters, as liposomogenic structures are thought to integrate into the lipids of the horny layer. Due to prohibitively high costs, this technology did not result in a commercial product
so far.
Daring the Challenge and Thinking Big: The Value of Early Process R&D
Authors: Abele Stefan , Funel Jacques-Alexis , Schmidt Gunther , Moessner Christian , Schwaninger Mischa , Marti Roger
Published: August 2016

The production of the L/T channel blocker ACT-280778 required the enantiomerically pure 5-phenylbicyclo[2.2.2]oct-5-en-2-one (1) as key building block. As the published routes towards 1 are very low yielding (
Le Livre du ciel et du monde de Nicole Oresme : La traduction commentée comme « lieu de passage »
Authors: Lambert-Taffoureau Pauline
Published: August 2016

Résumé

Cet article examine certaines caractéristiques du Livre du ciel et du monde de Nicole Oresme (la traduction du De caelo d’Aristote qu’il effectua en 1377 à la demande de Charles V) afin de repenser les relations entre traduction et commentaire, adaptation et vulgarisation du savoir. En effet, si l’importance des gloses qui accompagnent cette traduction a été soulignée à plusieurs reprises par la critique pour le domaine de l’histoire des sciences, une analyse précise de certaines d’entre elles permettra d’envisager le texte comme un lieu de passage de la langue, de la culture et du savoir. Ce point de vue permet de montrer la profonde transformation épistémologique que subit le savoir dans le texte et de souligner à quel point Oresme révolutionne le concept de traduction.
Liquidity Risk Management: A Comparative Study between Conventional and Islamic Banks in Bangladesh
Authors: Rahman Md Lutfor , Banna SM Hasanul
Published: August 2016

Liquidity risk may arise from diverse operations of financial intermediaries, facilitators and supporters as they are fully liable to make available liquidity when required by the third party. Incase of Islamic Banks additional efforts are required for scaling liquidity management due to their unique characteristics and conformity with Shariah principles. The objective of this study is to look into the liquidity risk associated with the solvency of the financial institutions, with a purpose to evaluate liquidity risk management (LRM) through a comparative analysis between conventional and Islamic banks of Bangladesh. This paper investigates the significance of Size of the Firm, Net Working Capital, Return on Equity, Capital Adequacy and Return on Assets (ROA), on Liquidity Risk Management in conventional and Islamic banks in Bangladesh. The study has taken six mid-size banks- three conventional and three Islamic banks as samples. It is based on secondary data which are collected from the selected banks annual reports, covering a period of 2007-2011. Independent variables that have positive but insignificant relation are; size of the bank and net working capital to liquidity risk in Islamic banks and in case of conventional banks size of bank is negatively related with the liquidity risk. Only return on assets is positively affecting the liquidity risk at 10% level in case of conventional banks, but in Islamic banks the relationship is insignificant. The other variables are found to be insignificant in affecting the liquidity risk for both the conventional and Islamic banks in BangladeshJournal of Business and Technology (Dhaka) Vol.10(2) 2015; 18-35
Sibling Mixed Systems: Reviewing South African/Scottish Comparative Law
Authors: Miller David Carey
Published: August 2016

In this article, the late Professor David Carey Miller examines the influence of South African private law on the development of the private law of Scotland, taking certain aspects of property law as a case study, and considering in particular the roles played by T B Smith and Lord Rodger in introducing South African legal material to Scottish legal audiences.
Effect of the Aerosol Type Selection for the Retrieval of Shortwave Ground Net Radiation: Case Study Using Landsat 8 Data
Authors: Bassani Cristiana , Manzo Ciro , Zakey Ashraf , Cuevas-Agulló Emilio
Published: August 2016

This paper discusses the aerosol radiative effects involved in the accuracy of shortwave net radiation, R n . s w , with s w ∈ (400–900) nm, retrieved by the Operational Land Imager (OLI), the new generation sensor of the Landsat mission. Net radiation is a key parameter for the energy exchange between the land and atmosphere; thus, R n . s w retrieval from space is under investigation by exploiting the increased spatial resolution of the visible and near-infrared OLI data. We adopted the latest version of the Second Simulation of a Satellite Signal in the Solar Spectrum (6SV) atmospheric radiative transfer model implemented in the atmospheric correction algorithm (OLI Atmospherically-Corrected Reflectance Imagery (OLI@CRI)) developed specifically for OLI data. The values of R n . s w were obtained by varying the microphysical properties of the aerosol during the OLI@CRI retrieval of both the OLI surface reflectance, ρ p x l o l i , and the incoming solar irradiance at the surface. The analysis of the aerosol effects on the R n . s w was carried out on a spectrally-homogeneous desert area located in the southwestern Nile Delta. The results reveal that the R n . s w available for energy exchange between the land and atmosphere reduces the accuracy (NRMSE ≃ 14%) when the local aerosol microphysical properties are not considered during the processing of space data. Consequently, these findings suggest that the aerosol type should be considered for variables retrieved by satellite observations concerning the energy exchange in the natural ecosystems, such as Photosynthetically-Active Radiation (PAR). This will also improve the accuracy of land monitoring and of solar energy for power generation when space data are used.
High Temperature Corrosion Studies of a Zirconia Coating: Implications for Waste-to-Energy (WTE) Plants
Authors: Müller Dirk , Wöllmer Silke , Aßbichler Donjá , Murer Martin , Heuss-Aßbichler Soraya , Rieger Konrad , Hill Horst , Härtel Carsten , Masset Patrick
Published: August 2016

Corrosion of functional parts within waste-to-energy (WTE) plants significantly reduces their efficiency with respect to maintenance costs. Currently, nickel-based alloy claddings, several millimeters thick, are the state of the art as anti-corrosion coating. Another approach is to utilize thermally sprayed multilayer coatings with a zirconia top-coat. Lab-scale experiments under simulated WTE plant conditions and in situ tests within a WTE plant revealed a partially reduced porosity of the zirconia top-coat after the experiments, enabling the coating to act as a barrier against aggressive gases. In a lab-scale experiment sample the pores are filled up with zirconia, while the pores of the in situ samples are filled up with newly formed metal (Cr, Ni, Fe) oxides.
Exergy Analysis of a Syngas-Fueled Combined Cycle with Chemical-Looping Combustion and CO2 Sequestration
Authors: Urdiales Montesino Álvaro , Jiménez Álvaro Ángel , Rodríguez Martín Javier , Nieto Carlier Rafael
Published: August 2016

Fossil fuels are still widely used for power generation. Nevertheless, it is possible to attain a short- and medium-term substantial reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere through a sequestration of the CO2 produced in fuels’ oxidation. The chemical-looping combustion (CLC) technique is based on a chemical intermediate agent, which gets oxidized in an air reactor and is then conducted to a separated fuel reactor, where it oxidizes the fuel in turn. Thus, the oxidation products CO2 and H2O are obtained in an output flow in which the only non-condensable gas is CO2, allowing the subsequent sequestration of CO2 without an energy penalty. Furthermore, with shrewd configurations, a lower exergy destruction in the combustion chemical transformation can be achieved. This paper focus on a second law analysis of a CLC combined cycle power plant with CO2 sequestration using syngas from coal and biomass gasification as fuel. The key thermodynamic parameters are optimized via the exergy method. The proposed power plant configuration is compared with a similar gas turbine system with a conventional combustion, finding a notable increase of the power plant efficiency. Furthermore, the influence of syngas composition on the results is investigated by considering different H2-content fuels.
Description of Seizure Process for Gas Dynamic Spray of Metal Powders from Non-Equilibrium Thermodynamics Standpoint
Authors: Gershman Iosif , Gershman Eugeniy , Fox-Rabinovich German , Veldhuis Stephen
Published: August 2016

The seizure process has been considered from the non-equilibrium thermodynamics and self-organization theory standpoints. It has been testified that, for the intensification of powder mix particles seizing with the substrate during spraying, it is required that relatively light components of the powder mix should be preferably transferred into the friction zone. The theory inferences have been experimentally confirmed, as exemplified by the gas dynamic spray of copper-zinc powders mix.
Stationary Stability for Evolutionary Dynamics in Finite Populations
Authors: Harper Marc , Fryer Dashiell
Published: August 2016

We demonstrate a vast expansion of the theory of evolutionary stability to finite populations with mutation, connecting the theory of the stationary distribution of the Moran process with the Lyapunov theory of evolutionary stability. We define the notion of stationary stability for the Moran process with mutation and generalizations, as well as a generalized notion of evolutionary stability that includes mutation called an incentive stable state (ISS) candidate. For sufficiently large populations, extrema of the stationary distribution are ISS candidates and we give a family of Lyapunov quantities that are locally minimized at the stationary extrema and at ISS candidates. In various examples, including for the Moran and Wright–Fisher processes, we show that the local maxima of the stationary distribution capture the traditionally-defined evolutionarily stable states. The classical stability theory of the replicator dynamic is recovered in the large population limit. Finally we include descriptions of possible extensions to populations of variable size and populations evolving on graphs.
Multilevel Index Decomposition of Energy-Related Carbon Emissions and Their Decoupling from Economic Growth in Northwest China
Authors: Dong Jie-Fang , Deng Chun , Wang Xing-Min , Zhang Xiao-Lei
Published: August 2016

Rapid economic growth in Northwest China has been accompanied by a dramatic increase in carbon emissions. Based on the two-level Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) method, this study decomposes changes in energy-related carbon emissions in Northwest China during 1995–2012 from the regional and provincial perspectives. Further, by constructing an expanded decomposition model of the decoupling index, this paper quantitatively analyzes delinking indicators of economic activity and environmental pressure in Northwest China. The results indicate that: (1) at both regional and provincial levels, economic activity effects play a crucial role in increasing carbon emissions, whereas improvements of energy efficiency appear as the main factor in curbing carbon missions; (2) the significance of influencing factors of CO2 emissions varies across provinces. The role of economic activity in Shannxi is more pronounced compared to that of the other four provinces, as well as the role of population in Xinjiang; (3) when the decoupling relationship is considered, “relative decoupling” and “no decoupling” are the main characteristics under investigation during the examined period. Whereas “strong decoupling” was only identified in 2007 and 2009; (4) the current extensive pattern of economic growth in Northwest China poses a serious threat to the decoupling process. Furthermore, the coal-based energy structure also hinders the decoupling process. According to these results, some policy recommendations are proposed.
Supporting Elderly People by Ad Hoc Generated Mobile Applications Based on Vocal Interaction
Authors: Francese Rita , Risi Michele
Published: August 2016

Mobile devices can be exploited for enabling people to interact with Internet of Things (IoT) services. The MicroApp Generator [1] is a service-composition tool for supporting the generation of mobile applications directly on the mobile device. The user interacts with the generated app by using the traditional touch-based interaction. This kind of interaction often is not suitable for elderly and special needs people that cannot see or touch the screen. In this paper, we extend the MicroApp Generator with an interaction approach enabling a user to interact with the generated app only by using his voice, which can be very useful to let special needs people live at home. To this aim, once the mobile app has been generated and executed, the system analyses and describes the user interface, listens to the user speech and performs the associated actions. A preliminary analysis has been conducted to assess the user experience of the proposed approach by a sample composed of elderly users by using a questionnaire as a research instrument.
Scalar Flux Kinematics
Authors: Pratt Larry , Barkan Roy , Rypina Irina
Published: August 2016

The first portion of this paper contains an overview of recent progress in the development of dynamical-systems-based methods for the computation of Lagrangian transport processes in physical oceanography. We review the considerable progress made in the computation and interpretation of key material features such as eddy boundaries, and stable and unstable manifolds (or their finite-time approximations). Modern challenges to the Lagrangian approach include the need to deal with the complexity of the ocean submesoscale and the difficulty in computing fluxes of properties other than volume. We suggest a new approach that reduces complexity through time filtering and that directly addresses non-material, residual scalar fluxes. The approach is “semi-Lagrangian” insofar as it contemplates trajectories of a velocity field related to a residual scalar flux, usually not the fluid velocity. Two examples are explored, the first coming from a canonical example of viscous adjustment along a flat plate and the second from a numerical simulation of a turbulent Antarctic Circumpolar Current in an idealized geometry. Each example concentrates on the transport of dynamically relevant scalars, and the second illustrates how substantial material exchange across a baroclinically unstable jet coexists with zero residual buoyancy flux.
A Panchromatic View of Relativistic Jets in Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 Galaxies
Authors: D’Ammando Filippo , Orienti Monica , Finke Justin , Larsson Josefin , Giroletti Marcello , Raiteri Claudia
Published: August 2016

The discovery by the Large Area Telescope on board Fermi of variable γ-ray emission from radio-loud narrow-line Seyfert 1 (NLSy1) galaxies revealed the presence of a possible third class of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) with relativistic jets in addition to blazars and radio galaxies. Considering that NLSy1 are usually hosted in spiral galaxies, this finding poses intriguing questions about the nature of these objects and the formation of relativistic jets. We report on a systematic investigation of the γ-ray properties of a sample of radio-loud NLSy1, including the detection of new objects, using 7 years of Fermi-LAT data with the new Pass 8 event-level analysis. In addition we discuss the radio-to-very-high-energy properties of the γ-ray emitting NLSy1, their host galaxy, and black hole mass in the context of the blazar scenario and the unification of relativistic jets at different scales.
Bioaugmentation: An Emerging Strategy of Industrial Wastewater Treatment for Reuse and Discharge
Authors: Nzila Alexis , Razzak Shaikh , Zhu Jesse
Published: August 2016

A promising long-term and sustainable solution to the growing scarcity of water worldwide is to recycle and reuse wastewater. In wastewater treatment plants, the biodegradation of contaminants or pollutants by harnessing microorganisms present in activated sludge is one of the most important strategies to remove organic contaminants from wastewater. However, this approach has limitations because many pollutants are not efficiently eliminated. To counterbalance the limitations, bioaugmentation has been developed and consists of adding specific and efficient pollutant-biodegrading microorganisms into a microbial community in an effort to enhance the ability of this microbial community to biodegrade contaminants. This approach has been tested for wastewater cleaning with encouraging results, but failure has also been reported, especially during scale-up. In this review, work on the bioaugmentation in the context of removal of important pollutants from industrial wastewater is summarized, with an emphasis on recalcitrant compounds, and strategies that can be used to improve the efficiency of bioaugmentation are also discussed. This review also initiates a discussion regarding new research areas, such as nanotechnology and quorum sensing, that should be investigated to improve the efficiency of wastewater bioaugmentation.
Pigs in Space: Determining the Environmental Justice Landscape of Swine Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) in Iowa
Authors: Carrel Margaret , Young Sean , Tate Eric
Published: August 2016

Given the primacy of Iowa in pork production for the U.S. and global markets, we sought to understand if the same relationship with traditional environmental justice (EJ) variables such as low income and minority populations observed in other concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) studies exists in the relationship with swine CAFO densities in Iowa. We examined the potential for spatial clustering of swine CAFOs in certain parts of the state and used spatial regression techniques to determine the relationships of high swine concentrations to these EJ variables. We found that while swine CAFOs do cluster in certain regions and watersheds of Iowa, these high densities of swine are not associated with traditional EJ populations of low income and minority race/ethnicity. Instead, the potential for environmental injustice in the negative impacts of intensive swine production require a more complex appraisal. The clustering of swine production in watersheds, the presence of antibiotics used in swine production in public waterways, the clustering of manure spills, and other findings suggest that a more literal and figurative “downstream” approach is necessary. We document the presence and location of antibiotics used in animal production in the public waterways of the state. At the same time, we suggest a more “upstream” understanding of the structural, political and economic factors that create an environmentally unjust landscape of swine production in Iowa and the Upper Midwest is also crucial. Finally, we highlight the important role of publicly accessible and high quality data in the analysis of these upstream and downstream EJ questions.
Evaluating Temporal Analysis Methods Using Residential Burglary Data
Authors: Boldt Martin , Borg Anton
Published: August 2016

Law enforcement agencies, as well as researchers rely on temporal analysis methods in many crime analyses, e.g., spatio-temporal analyses. A number of temporal analysis methods are being used, but a structured comparison in different configurations is yet to be done. This study aims to fill this research gap by comparing the accuracy of five existing, and one novel, temporal analysis methods in approximating offense times for residential burglaries that often lack precise time information. The temporal analysis methods are evaluated in eight different configurations with varying temporal resolution, as well as the amount of data (number of crimes) available during analysis. A dataset of all Swedish residential burglaries reported between 2010 and 2014 is used (N = 103,029). From that dataset, a subset of burglaries with known precise offense times is used for evaluation. The accuracy of the temporal analysis methods in approximating the distribution of burglaries with known precise offense times is investigated. The aoristic and the novel aoristic e x t method perform significantly better than three of the traditional methods. Experiments show that the novel aoristic e x t method was most suitable for estimating crime frequencies in the day-of-the-year temporal resolution when reduced numbers of crimes were available during analysis. In the other configurations investigated, the aoristic method showed the best results. The results also show the potential from temporal analysis methods in approximating the temporal distributions of residential burglaries in situations when limited data are available.
The Socio-Spatial Distribution of Leisure Venues: A Case Study of Karaoke Bars in Nanjing, China
Authors: Cui Can , Wang Jiechen , Wu Zhongjie , Ni Jianhua , Qian Tianlu
Published: August 2016

With the development of service industry and cultural industry, urban leisure and entertainment services have become an important symbol of the city and the driving force of economic and social development. Karaoke, a typical form of urban entertainment, is immensely popular throughout China, and the number of karaoke bars is expected to keep growing in the future. However, little is known about their spatial distribution in the urban space and their association with other location-specific factors. Based on the geospatial entity data and business statistics data, we demonstrate a clustered pattern of 530 karaoke bars in Nanjing by means of point pattern analysis and cluster analysis in GIS. Furthermore, we identify the distribution of population, transportation network, and commercial centers as the three determinants underlying the formation of the pattern.
Highly Accurate Prediction of Protein-Protein Interactions via Incorporating Evolutionary Information and Physicochemical Characteristics
Authors: Li Zheng-Wei , You Zhu-Hong , Chen Xing , Gui Jie , Nie Ru
Published: August 2016

Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) occur at almost all levels of cell functions and play crucial roles in various cellular processes. Thus, identification of PPIs is critical for deciphering the molecular mechanisms and further providing insight into biological processes. Although a variety of high-throughput experimental techniques have been developed to identify PPIs, existing PPI pairs by experimental approaches only cover a small fraction of the whole PPI networks, and further, those approaches hold inherent disadvantages, such as being time-consuming, expensive, and having high false positive rate. Therefore, it is urgent and imperative to develop automatic in silico approaches to predict PPIs efficiently and accurately. In this article, we propose a novel mixture of physicochemical and evolutionary-based feature extraction method for predicting PPIs using our newly developed discriminative vector machine (DVM) classifier. The improvements of the proposed method mainly consist in introducing an effective feature extraction method that can capture discriminative features from the evolutionary-based information and physicochemical characteristics, and then a powerful and robust DVM classifier is employed. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first time that DVM model is applied to the field of bioinformatics. When applying the proposed method to the Yeast and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) datasets, we obtain excellent prediction accuracies of 94.35% and 90.61%, respectively. The computational results indicate that our method is effective and robust for predicting PPIs, and can be taken as a useful supplementary tool to the traditional experimental methods for future proteomics research.
Regulatory Cell Populations in Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (RRMS) Patients: Effect of Disease Activity and Treatment Regimens
Authors: Rodi Maria , Dimisianos Nikolaos , De Lastic Anne-Lise , Sakellaraki Panagiota , Deraos George , Matsoukas John , Papathanasopoulos Panagiotis , Mouzaki Athanasia
Published: August 2016

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS) of autoimmune etiology that results from an imbalance between CNS-specific T effector cells and peripheral suppressive mechanisms mediated by regulatory cells (RC). In this research, we collected blood samples from 83 relapsing remitting MS (RRMS) patients and 45 healthy persons (HC), to assess the sizes of their RC populations, including CD4+CD25highFoxp3+ (nTregs), CD3+CD4+HLA−G+, CD3+CD8+CD28−, CD3+CD56+, and CD56bright cells, and how RC are affected by disease activity (acute phase or remission) and types of treatment (methylprednisolone, interferon, or natalizumab). In addition, we isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and cultured them with peptides mapping to myelin antigens, to determine RC responsiveness to autoantigens. The results showed decreased levels of nTregs in patients in the acute phase ± methylprednisolone and in remission + natalizumab, but HC levels in patients in remission or receiving interferon. Patients + interferon had the highest levels of CD3+CD4+HLA−G+ and CD3+CD8+CD28− RC, and patients in the acute phase + methylprednisolone the lowest. Patients in remission had the highest levels of CD3+CD56+, and patients in remission + natalizumab the highest levels of CD56bright cells. Only nTregs responded to autoantigens in culture, regardless of disease activity or treatment. The highest suppressive activity was exhibited by nTregs from patients in remission. In conclusion, in RRMS disease activity and type of treatment affect different RC populations. nTregs respond to myelin antigens, indicating that it is possible to restore immunological tolerance through nTreg induction.