bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Smart Sensor Systems for Wearable Electronic Devices
Authors: An Byeong Wan , Shin Jung Hwal , Kim So-Yun , Kim Joohee , Ji Sangyoon , Park Jihun , Lee Youngjin , Jang Jiuk , Park Young-Geun , Cho Eunjin , Jo Subin , Park Jang-Ung
Published: July 2017

Wearable human interaction devices are technologies with various applications for improving human comfort, convenience and security and for monitoring health conditions. Healthcare monitoring includes caring for the welfare of every person, which includes early diagnosis of diseases, real-time monitoring of the effects of treatment, therapy, and the general monitoring of the conditions of people’s health. As a result, wearable electronic devices are receiving greater attention because of their facile interaction with the human body, such as monitoring heart rate, wrist pulse, motion, blood pressure, intraocular pressure, and other health-related conditions. In this paper, various smart sensors and wireless systems are reviewed, the current state of research related to such systems is reported, and their detection mechanisms are compared. Our focus was limited to wearable and attachable sensors. Section 1 presents the various smart sensors. In Section 2, we describe multiplexed sensors that can monitor several physiological signals simultaneously. Section 3 provides a discussion about short-range wireless systems including bluetooth, near field communication (NFC), and resonance antenna systems for wearable electronic devices.
Synthesis of Novel Hyperbranched Polybenzo-Bisthiazole Amide with Donor–Acceptor (D-A) Architecture, High Fluorescent Quantum Yield and Large Stokes Shift
Authors: Hu Xiaobing
Published: July 2017

Two novel highly fluorescent hyperbranched polybenzobisthiazole amides with a donor–acceptor architecture and large Stokes shift were rationally designed and synthesized. The chemical structures of the prepared hyperbranched polymers were characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis, Hydrogen Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1H-NMR) analysis, and Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC) analysis. These two polymers were soluble in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), and their DMSO and DMF solutions emitted strong green light (517–537 nm) with high quantum yields (QYs) and large Stokes shifts. Their relative fluorescence QYs in the DMSO solution were calculated as 77.75% and 81.14% with the Stokes shifts of 137 nm (0.86 eV) and 149 nm (0.92 eV) for HP–COOH and HP–NH2, respectively, using quinine sulfate as the standard. In the DMF solution, the QYs of HP–COOH and HP–NH2 were calculated as 104.65% and 118.72%, with the Stokes shifts of 128 nm (0.79 eV) and 147 nm (0.87 eV), respectively. Their films mainly emitted strong blue light with the maximum emission wavelengths of 436 nm and 480 nm for HP–COOH and HP–NH2, respectively. The Stokes shifts for HP–COOH and HP–NH2 films were 131 nm (0.42 eV) and 179 nm (0.86 eV), respectively. They are promising candidates for luminescent solar concentrators and blue light emitting materials.
A Novel Dual Separate Paths (DSP) Algorithm Providing Fault-Tolerant Communication for Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Tien Nguyen , Kim Semog , Rhee Jong , Park Sang
Published: July 2017

Fault tolerance has long been a major concern for sensor communications in fault-tolerant cyber physical systems (CPSs). Network failure problems often occur in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) due to various factors such as the insufficient power of sensor nodes, the dislocation of sensor nodes, the unstable state of wireless links, and unpredictable environmental interference. Fault tolerance is thus one of the key requirements for data communications in WSN applications. This paper proposes a novel path redundancy-based algorithm, called dual separate paths (DSP), that provides fault-tolerant communication with the improvement of the network traffic performance for WSN applications, such as fault-tolerant CPSs. The proposed DSP algorithm establishes two separate paths between a source and a destination in a network based on the network topology information. These paths are node-disjoint paths and have optimal path distances. Unicast frames are delivered from the source to the destination in the network through the dual paths, providing fault-tolerant communication and reducing redundant unicast traffic for the network. The DSP algorithm can be applied to wired and wireless networks, such as WSNs, to provide seamless fault-tolerant communication for mission-critical and life-critical applications such as fault-tolerant CPSs. The analyzed and simulated results show that the DSP-based approach not only provides fault-tolerant communication, but also improves network traffic performance. For the case study in this paper, when the DSP algorithm was applied to high-availability seamless redundancy (HSR) networks, the proposed DSP-based approach reduced the network traffic by 80% to 88% compared with the standard HSR protocol, thus improving network traffic performance.
High-Temporal-Resolution High-Spatial-Resolution Spaceborne SAR Based on Continuously Varying PRF
Authors: Men Zhirong , Wang Pengbo , Li Chunsheng , Chen Jie , Liu Wei , Fang Yue
Published: July 2017

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) is a well-established and powerful imaging technique for acquiring high-spatial-resolution images of the Earth’s surface. With the development of beam steering techniques, sliding spotlight and staring spotlight modes have been employed to support high-spatial-resolution applications. In addition to this strengthened high-spatial-resolution and wide-swath capability, high-temporal-resolution (short repeat-observation interval) represents a key capability for numerous applications. However, conventional SAR systems are limited in that the same patch can only be illuminated for several seconds within a single pass. This paper considers a novel high-squint-angle system intended to acquire high-spatial-resolution spaceborne SAR images with repeat-observation intervals varying from tens of seconds to several minutes within a single pass. However, an exponentially increased range cell migration would arise and lead to a conflict between the receive window and ‘blind ranges’. An efficient data acquisition technique for high-temporal-resolution, high-spatial-resolution and high-squint-angle spaceborne SAR, in which the pulse repetition frequency (PRF) is continuously varied according to the changing slant range, is presented in this paper. This technique allows echo data to remain in the receive window instead of conflicting with the transmitted pulse or nadir echo. Considering the precision of hardware, a compromise and practical strategy is also proposed. Furthermore, a detailed performance analysis of range ambiguities is provided with respect to parameters of TerraSAR-X. For strong point-like targets, the range ambiguity of this technique would be better than that of uniform PRF technique. For this innovative technique, a resampling strategy and modified imaging algorithm have been developed to handle the non-uniformly sampled echo data. Simulations are performed to validate the efficiency of the proposed technique and the associated imaging algorithm.
Applications Based on Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) in the Field of Home Healthcare
Authors: Avila Karen , Sanmartin Paul , Jabba Daladier , Jimeno Miguel
Published: July 2017

This article makes a literature review of applications developed in the health industry which are focused on patient care from home and implement a service-oriented (SOA) design in architecture. Throughout this work, the applicability of the concept of Internet of Things (IoT) in the field of telemedicine and health care in general is evaluated. It also performs an introduction to the concept of SOA and its main features, making a small emphasis on safety aspects. As a central theme, the description of different solutions that can be found in the health industry is developed, especially those whose goal is health care at home; the main component of these solutions are body sensor networks. Finally, an analysis of the literature from the perspectives of functionalities, security implementation and semantic interoperability is made to have a better understanding of what has been done and which are probable research paths to be studied in the future.
Feminisms and the Hijāb: Not Mutually Exclusive
Authors: Najjaj April
Published: July 2017

The hijab (veil) is the traditional head covering worn by Muslim women throughout the world. In the West, the hijab has come to symbolize an assumed institutionalized oppression of all women in the Muslim world. Many outside Western observers believe that women who wear a veil are forced to wear it, whether by families, husbands, or governments, and examples of the extremes—Afghanistan, Iran, and Saudi Arabia—are often considered the norm for all Muslim countries. In reality, the situation is more complex. Using a survey done at the Gulf University for Science & Technology in Kuwait in 2013 (published as “The Veil in Kuwait, Gender, Fashion, Identity”), not only religious concerns but also social and cultural considerations, personal taste and identity, geographic location, socio-economic level, and occasionally conscious rejections of Western influence can all play a part in the decision whether or not to wear a veil. In this preliminary study, I consider this survey as a case study, together with the theory of post-colonial feminism, to find a more nuanced and realistic understanding about the hijab as well as contributing to the development of less Western-oriented definitions of feminism.
Trend Analysis of Construction Industrial Accidents in Korea from 2011 to 2015
Authors: Jo Byung , Lee Yun , Kim Jung , Khan Rana
Published: July 2017

The purpose of this study is to analyze the results of construction accidents occurred from 2011 to 2015 in Korea. The annual reports from the Ministry of Employment and Labor, Korea (MOEL), and the annual reports from the Statistics Korea were used for the analysis in this study. The gender, age, company size and accident types were chosen as a category to analyze the trend of various occupational accidents. In order to analyze the characteristics of construction accidents, incidence rates (IRs) and mortality rates (MRs) were calculated. Further, T-tests and ANOVA analysis were performed to discover the relationships among IRs, MRs, and chosen categories. Male workers’ IRs and MRs were significantly higher than those of female workers. Construction workers over 40 years of age suffered the most from occupational injuries. In terms of company size, as company size increases, both IRs and MRs tended to decrease. Occupational injuries caused by falls were higher than other accident types each year. This paper will be able to provide information on occupational accidents for establishing strategies to reduce the accident rate in construction sectors of Korea.
A Novel Single-Valued Neutrosophic Set Similarity Measure and Its Application in Multicriteria Decision-Making
Authors: Jiang Wen , Shou Yehang
Published: July 2017

The single-valued neutrosophic set is a subclass of neutrosophic set, and has been proposed in recent years. An important application for single-valued neutrosophic sets is to solve multicriteria decision-making problems. The key to using neutrosophic sets in decision-making applications is to make a similarity measure between single-valued neutrosophic sets. In this paper, a new method to measure the similarity between single-valued neutrosophic sets using Dempster–Shafer evidence theory is proposed, and it is applied in multicriteria decision-making. Finally, some examples are given to show the reasonable and effective use of the proposed method.
Is the Achievement of “Good Status” for German Surface Waters Disproportionately Expensive?—Comparing Two Approaches to Assess Disproportionately High Costs in the Context of the European Water Framework Directive
Authors: Klauer Bernd , Schiller Johannes , Sigel Katja
Published: July 2017

Currently only 8.2% of German surface water bodies have reached the goal of the European Water Framework Directive to bring all water into a “good status”. For all water bodies that presumably will not achieve the objective by 2027, the member states have to justify an exemption by 2021, for example, by arguing that the costs of achieving “good status“ would be “disproportionately high”. In this paper, two approaches for assessing cost-disproportionality of surface water bodies are empirically tested and compared on a set of real-world data from a German federal state. In the first approach, called average cost approach, costs are considered as being disproportionately high if they are significantly higher than what would be a “relatively normal effort”. The core idea of the second, the benchmark approach, is to take the past public expenditures on water management as a basis for comparison. Both approaches include generated utility for determination of a water-body-specific disproportionality threshold. While the benchmarking approach needs less data, the empirical tests indicate that both approaches yield comparable results and are suitable to support authorities in the decision as to which water bodies are to be considered disproportionately expensive such that exemptions are justified.
Relationship between Industrial Water Use and Economic Growth in China: Insights from an Environmental Kuznets Curve
Authors: Gu Alun , Zhang Yue , Pan Bolin
Published: July 2017

Global inequity and the unbalance of water resources has been a critical issue for many years; and the Chinese per capita water resources are only 1/4 of the global average. Meanwhile, as the Chinese economy is growing rapidly, the demand of Chinese industrial water use is also increasing. In this case, it is important to balance the relationship between economic growth and industrial water use. In this study, a reduction model is established for the northeastern, northern coastal, eastern coastal, southern coastal, middle Yellow River, middle Yangtze River, southwestern, and northwestern regions to verify the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) for their respective industrial water use and provide theoretical support for decision making from an economic perspective. It adopts the per capita industrial water use and GDP of the eight economic zones from 2002 to 2014. The unit root test and co-integration test were adopted to analyze the stationarity of the data, and the triple reduction model was used for the fitting of variables. The relationship between per capita industrial water use and GDP showed an inverted U-shaped curve from 2002 to 2014 for China, as well as for the eastern coastal and middle Yangtze River regions, with the coordinates of the turning points being (9.8749, 4.6735), (10.3098, 5.4783), and (9.8184, 5.0622), respectively. The per capita GDP at the turning point of the inverted U-shaped curve is 18,000–30,000 Yuan (at constant prices from 2000). This study provides important thoughts and lessons for collaborative research into the relationship between industrial water consumption and economic development. The central government should focus on the central and western regions when creating policies for water resource management and technological development to improve their industrial water use efficiency.
Regional Correlation between Precipitation and Vegetation in the Huang-Huai-Hai River Basin, China
Authors: Yan Denghua , Xu Ting , Girma Abel , Yuan Zhe , Weng Baisha , Qin Tianling , Do Pierre , Yuan Yong
Published: July 2017

In a context of climate change, precipitation patterns show substantial disturbances and the occurrence of precipitation anomalies has tended to increase in the Huang-Huai-Hai River Basin. These anomalies are likely influencing vegetation dynamics and ecosystem stability. This paper aims to have a comprehensive understanding of vegetation growth response towards the precipitation pattern in the Huang-Huai-Hai River Basin. The study used NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) data and mapped precipitation datasets from 1982 to 2011. NDVI and precipitation show a similar spatial distribution: they decrease from the southeast coast to the northwest inland. Regions with sparse vegetation are mainly distributed in arid and semi-arid areas or densely-populated areas. Vegetation coverage and the regular precipitation pattern show a positive correlation (61.6% of the whole region), while the correlation between vegetation coverage and precipitation anomalies is negative (62.7% for rainless days and 60.3% for rainstorm days). The clustering result shows that abundant vegetation is mainly situated in high precipitation or low anomaly areas. On the contrary, the degraded regions are mainly distributed in low precipitation or high anomaly areas. However, some special regions, mainly located in the Three North Shelterbelt Program region, the Tibetan Plateau, and other regions along the rivers, present improved vegetation cover when precipitation decreases or extreme events occur.
The effect of the electrical double layer on hydrodynamic lubrication: a non-monotonic trend with increasing zeta potential
Authors: Jing Dalei , Pan Yunlu , Wang Xiaoming
Published: July 2017

In the present study, a modified Reynolds equation including the electrical double layer (EDL)-induced electroviscous effect of lubricant is established to investigate the effect of the EDL on the hydrodynamic lubrication of a 1D slider bearing. The theoretical model is based on the nonlinear Poisson–Boltzmann equation without the use of the Debye–Hückel approximation. Furthermore, the variation in the bulk electrical conductivity of the lubricant under the influence of the EDL is also considered during the theoretical analysis of hydrodynamic lubrication. The results show that the EDL can increase the hydrodynamic load capacity of the lubricant in a 1D slider bearing. More importantly, the hydrodynamic load capacity of the lubricant under the influence of the EDL shows a non-monotonic trend, changing from enhancement to attenuation with a gradual increase in the absolute value of the zeta potential. This non-monotonic hydrodynamic lubrication is dependent on the non-monotonic electroviscous effect of the lubricant generated by the EDL, which is dominated by the non-monotonic electrical field strength and non-monotonic electrical body force on the lubricant. The subject of the paper is the theoretical modeling and the corresponding analysis.
Coronal Heating Topology: The Interplay of Current Sheets and Magnetic Field Lines
Authors: Rappazzo A. F. , Matthaeus W. H. , Ruffolo D. , Velli M. , Servidio S.
Published: July 2017

The magnetic topology and field line random walk (FLRW) properties of a nanoflare-heated and magnetically confined corona are investigated in the reduced magnetohydrodynamic regime. Field lines originating from current sheets form coherent structures, called current sheet connected (CSC) regions, which extend around them. CSC FLRW is strongly anisotropic, with preferential diffusion along the current sheets’ in-plane length. CSC FLRW properties remain similar to those of the entire ensemble but exhibit enhanced mean square displacements and separations due to the stronger magnetic field intensities in CSC regions. The implications for particle acceleration and heat transport in the solar corona and wind, and for solar moss formation are discussed.
A Universal Angular Momentum Profile for Dark Matter Halos
Authors: Liao Shihong , Chen Jianxiong , Chu M.-C.
Published: July 2017

The angular momentum distribution in dark matter halos and galaxies is a key ingredient in understanding their formation. Specifically, the internal distribution of angular momenta is closely related to the formation of disk galaxies. In this article, we use halos identified from a high-resolution simulation, the Bolshoi simulation, to study the spatial distribution of specific angular momenta,

. We show that by stacking halos with similar masses to increase the signal-to-noise ratio, the profile can be fitted as a simple function,

, with three free parameters,

, and

. Specifically, j

s
correlates with the halo mass M
vir as

, r

s
has a weak dependence on the halo mass as

, and

is independent of M
vir. This profile agrees with that from a rigid shell model, though its origin is unclear. Our universal specific angular momentum profile

is useful in modeling the angular momenta of halos. Furthermore, by using an empirical stellar mass–halo mass relation, we can infer the average angular momentum distribution of a dark matter halo. The specific angular momentum–stellar mass relation within a halo computed from our profile is shown to share a similar shape as that from the observed disk galaxies.
Pixel Color–Magnitude Diagram Analysis of the Brightest Cluster Galaxies in Dynamically Young and Old Clusters Abell 1139 and Abell 2589
Authors: Lee Joon Hyeop , Oh Sree , Jeong Hyunjin , Yi Sukyoung K. , Kyeong Jaemann , Park Byeong-Gon
Published: July 2017

As a case study to understand the coevolution of Brightest Cluster Galaxies (BCGs) and their host clusters, we investigate the BCGs in dynamically young and old clusters Abell 1139 (A1139) and Abell 2589 (A2589). We analyze the pixel color–magnitude diagrams (pCMDs) using deep g- and r-band images, obtained from the Canada–France–Hawaii Telescope observations. After masking foreground/background objects and smoothing pixels in consideration of the observational seeing size, detailed pCMD features are compared between the two BCGs. (1) Although the overall shapes of the pCMDs are similar to those of typical early-type galaxies, the A2589-BCG tends to have redder mean pixel color and smaller pixel color deviation at given surface brightness than the A1139-BCG. (2) The mean pixel color distribution as a function of pixel surface brightness (pCMD backbone) indicates that the A2589-BCG formed a larger central body (∼2.0 kpc in radius) via major dry mergers at an early epoch than the A1139-BCG (a central body ∼1.3 kpc in radius), whereas they have grown commonly in subsequent minor mergers. (3) The spatial distributions of the pCMD outliers reveal that the A1139-BCG experienced considerable tidal events more recently than the A2589-BCG, whereas the A2589-BCG has an asymmetric compact core, possibly resulting from a major dry merger at an early epoch. (4) The A2589-BCG shows a very large faint-to-bright pixel number ratio, compared to early-type non-BCGs, whereas the ratio for the A1139-BCG is not distinctively large. These results are consistent with the idea that the BCG in the dynamically older cluster (A2589) formed earlier and is better relaxed.
Multiple Stellar Populations of Globular Clusters from Homogeneous Ca-CN Photometry. II. M5 (NGC 5904) and a New Filter System*
Authors: Lee Jae-Woo
Published: July 2017

Using our ingeniously designed new filter systems, we investigate multiple stellar populations of the red giant branch (RGB) and the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) in the globular cluster (GC) M5. Our results are the following. (1) Our

index accurately traces nitrogen abundances in M5, while other color indices fail to do so. (2) We find bimodal CN distributions in both RGB and AGB sequences, with number ratios between CN-weak (CN-w) and CN-strong (CN-s) of n(CN-w):n(CN-s) = 29:71 (±2) and 21:79 (±7), respectively. (3) We also find a bimodal photometric [N/Fe] distribution for M5 RGB stars. (4) Our

–[O/Fe] and

–[Na/Fe] relations show clear discontinuities between the two RGB populations. (5) Although small, the RGB bump of CN-s is slightly brighter,

 = 0.07 ± 0.04 mag. If real, the difference in the helium abundance becomes

 = 0.028 ± 0.016, in the sense that CN-s is more helium enhanced. (6) Very similar radial but different spatial distributions with comparable center positions are found for the two RGB populations. The CN-s RGB and AGB stars are more elongated along the NW–SE direction. (7) The CN-s population shows a substantial net projected rotation, while that of the CN-w population is nil. (8) Our results confirm the deficiency of CN-w AGB stars previously noted by others. We show that it is most likely due to stochastic truncation in the outer part of the cluster. Finally, we discuss the formation scenario of M5.
Detection of a Substantial Molecular Gas Reservoir in a Brightest Cluster Galaxy at z = 1.7
Authors: Webb Tracy M. A. , Lowenthal James , Yun Min , Noble Allison G. , Muzzin Adam , Wilson Gillian , Yee H. K. C. , Cybulski Ryan , Aretxaga I. , Hughes D. H.
Published: July 2017

We report the detection of CO(2–1) emission coincident with the brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) of the high-redshift galaxy cluster SpARCS1049+56, with the Redshift Search Receiver (RSR) on the Large Millimeter Telescope (LMT). We confirm a spectroscopic redshift for the gas of z = 1.7091 ± 0.0004, which is consistent with the systemic redshift of the cluster galaxies of z = 1.709. The line is well fit by a single-component Gaussian with an RSR-resolution-corrected FWHM of 569 ± 63 km s−1. We see no evidence for multiple velocity components in the gas, as might be expected from the multiple image components seen in near-infrared imaging with the Hubble Space Telescope. We measure the integrated flux of the line to be 3.6 ± 0.3 Jy km s−1, and using

 = 0.8 M
⊙ (K km s−1 pc2)−1, we estimate a total molecular gas mass of 1.1 ± 0.1 × 1011
M
⊙ and a M
H2/M
⋆ ∼ 0.4. This is the largest gas reservoir detected in a BCG above z > 1 to date. Given the infrared-estimated star formation rate of 860 ± 130 M
⊙ yr−1, this corresponds to a gas depletion timescale of ∼0.1 Gyr. We discuss several possible mechanisms for depositing such a large gas reservoir to the cluster center—e.g., a cooling flow, a major galaxy–galaxy merger, or the stripping of gas from several galaxies—but conclude that these LMT data are not sufficient to differentiate between them.
Black Hole Growth in Disk Galaxies Mediated by the Secular Evolution of Short Bars
Authors: Du Min , Debattista Victor P. , Shen Juntai , Ho Luis C. , Erwin Peter
Published: July 2017

The growth of black holes (BHs) in disk galaxies lacking classical bulges, which implies an absence of significant mergers, appears to be driven by secular processes. Short bars of sub-kiloparsec radius have been hypothesized to be an important mechanism for driving gas inflows to small scale, feeding central BHs. In order to quantify the maximum BH mass allowed by this mechanism, we examine the robustness of short bars to the dynamical influence of BHs. Large-scale bars are expected to be robust, long-lived structures; extremely massive BHs, which are rare, are needed to completely destroy such bars. However, we find that short bars, which are generally embedded in large-scale outer bars, can be destroyed quickly when BHs of mass

of the total stellar mass (

) are present. In agreement with this prediction, all galaxies observed to host short bars have BHs with a mass fraction less than

. Thus, the dissolution of short inner bars is possible, perhaps even frequent, in the universe. An important implication of this result is that inner-bar-driven gas inflows may be terminated when BHs grow to

. We predict that

is the maximum mass of BHs allowed if they are fed predominately via inner bars. This value matches well the maximum ratio of BH-to-host-galaxy stellar mass observed in galaxies with pseudo-bulges and most nearby active galactic nucleus host galaxies. This hypothesis provides a novel explanation for the lower

in galaxies that have avoided significant mergers compared with galaxies with classical bulges.
Redditi Turchi et potentiarum nobis. Un nuevo testimonio sobre la Cruzada contra el Imperio Otomano a mediados del siglo XV
Authors: López-Mayán Mercedes
Published: July 2017

El examen del códice litúrgico 56-23 de la Biblioteca Capitular de Toledo ha revelado la existencia de un texto de excepcional riqueza, hasta ahora ignorado por los investigadores, que recoge una exhaustiva valoración de la capacidad económica y militar del Turco y de las potencias cristianas, así como de sus virtudes y defectos en combate. A través del análisis de su contenido y de su materialidad, este artículo vincula las circunstancias de origen y uso de dicho escrito con los preparativos del proyecto bélico que Pío II emprendió contra el Imperio otomano en 1458 y lo contextualiza e interpreta en el seno de las numerosas creaciones literarias de cruzada que proliferaron en la Europa humanista tras la conquista otomana de Constantinopla en 1453.
Where's the Grass? Disappearing Submerged Aquatic Vegetation and Declining Water Quality in Lake Mattamuskeet
Authors: Moorman Michelle C. , Augspurger Tom , Stanton John D. , Smith Adam
Published: July 2017

Major threats to aquatic systems such as shallow lakes can include declining water quality, the loss of macrophyte beds, and the occurrence of harmful algal blooms. Often, these changes go unnoticed until a shift from a clear, oligotrophic system dominated by macrophyte beds to a turbid, eutrophic system dominated by phytoplankton and associated harmful algal blooms has occurred. Lake Mattamuskeet, which mostly lies within the boundary of Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge, North Carolina, is a shallow lake that has recently experienced a reduction in water clarity and macrophyte beds, also referred to as submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), and an increase in nutrients, phytoplankton, harmful algal blooms, and cyanotoxin production. At Lake Mattamuskeet, SAV coverage and water clarity declined between the 1980s and 2015. During the same time, significantly increasing trends in nitrogen, phosphorus, turbidity, suspended sediments, chlorophyll a, and pH occurred. Current water-quality conditions (2012–2015) are not conducive to SAV survival and, in some cases, do not meet North Carolina water-quality standards for the protection of aquatic life. Water clarity declines appear to predate the SAV die-offs on the east side. Moving forward, SAV will serve as a primary indicator for lake health; and lake monitoring, research, and management efforts will focus on the restoration of aquatic grasses and water quality at Lake Mattamuskeet.
Role of ABC Analysis in the Process of Efficient Order Fulfillment: Case Study
Authors: Khan Syed Abdul Rehman , Dong Qian Li , Yu Zhang
Published: July 2017

In today’s world, every company is competing to enhance its time-based competitiveness. The time it takes to complete all activities of the order cycle is an important part of customer service. Accurate and fast order processing is a hallmark of high quality of service. This paper addresses the most time-consuming and costly factor of ordering process—order filling. According to the several researchers, order filling is composed of the physical activities for: acquiring products through stock retrieval, purchasing or manufacturing; packing products for consignments; scheduling the consignment for delivery; and preparing shipping documentation. Usually these series of activities in order-filling process need space of warehouses, making them a central part of company’s logistics system. This paper is based on a case study to identify how some simple approaches built in theory can be applied to firm’s current practice to enhance order-filling process. Specifically, a short plan consisting of ABC analysis and relocation of current positions of inventory is tested, and a long-term plan for redesigning the layout of warehouse is proposed.
Piezoresistivity in Micro Carbon Fiber Silicone Composites for Electrical Resistance to Strain Sensing
Authors: Tomás Miguel , Jalali Saíd
Published: July 2017

In order to develop a cost-effective carbon fiber reinforced polymer sensor for compressive strain monitoring, a study was carried out to assess electrical and piezoelectric properties of samples containing five different carbon fiber weight percentages. Testing focused on sensing ability throughout measurement of resistivity: (1) when submitted to uniaxial variable compressive strain; (2) to time prolonged relaxation at constant strain; (3) and influence of environment temperature on measurements. Results enabled the possibility of usage for live monitoring of samples by determining sensitivity values of each sample being tested. Electrical resistance measurements assessment test results, show real time resistivity change in respect to experienced strain. Further piezoelectric properties where determined. An exponential decay function was found in fractional resistance in respect to relaxation due to constant strain testing. The total amount of time needed for measurements to present an error less than 1% at the probes was determined and found to vary up to seven days. Strain reversibility of resistivity measurements varied according weight percentages of carbon fibers used in composite sample being tested. Samples were tested in situ for monitoring of displacement on foundations of a dwelling to be built, placed on foundation’s soil. The main objective here was to assess practical questions such as handling and how measurements could be made safely. Results demonstrated successful monitoring during construction phase with easy deployment on site, sensing each construction phase loading.
Bioceramics and Endodontics: Present and Expectations in Clinical Use
Authors: Iliescu Alexandru Andrei , Tulus Gabriel , Perlea Paula , Gheorghiu Irina Maria , Iliescu Mihaela Georgiana , Manolea Horia Octavian
Published: July 2017

Currently bioceramics are preferentially used in various endodontic treatments such as pulp capping, pulp amputation, apexification, root-end fillings, perforation repair, and pulp regeneration. Additionally, bioceramics started to replace traditional materials still used in root canal fillings. The promising clinical results achieved during last 20 years by mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) promoted in root canal treatments other MTA-like innovative endodontic materials, some of them produced by nanotechnology. Though the newcomers claim to have at least the same efficacy as MTA only rigorous long-term clinical studies might confirm the expectations. Probably the most spectacular effect of using bioceramics in endodontics is mirrored in regenerative treatments. However, are still required proper treatment protocols able to optimize the signaling environment of bioactive molecules for achieving the most efficient pulp regeneration. Pivotal is also the balance between clinical and histological outcomes. As compared to conventional materials used in endodontic treatments bioceramic cements are not only biocompatible but also bioactive as they proved to be involved in controlling the tissue healing and pulp regeneration. MTA or MTA-like cements are already the material of choice in regenerative endodontics, conservative vital pulp therapy and periradicular surgery due to their clinical success rate that spectacularly upraised in recent years. Based on in progress technology of fabrication it is expected that the newcomers belonging to bioceramic cements will overcome some potential clinical and histological downsides. MTA-based endodontic sealers are also promising promoters of improved interfacial bond between the filling material and the dentinal walls of root canal as a guarantee against microinfiltration.
Investigating a Denoising Approach to an Improved Otsu Segmentation on Cell Images
Authors: Oyebode Kazeem Oyeyemi
Published: July 2017

Image denoising provides an opportunity to minimize unwanted signal from any image in order to improve its interpretation by either human or machine. In the medical context, image denoising serves as a critical element of image processing as it helps to improve the quality of data presented for manual or automatic diagnosis. While there exist a number of image denoising methods such as the median, diffusion and Gaussian filtering, selecting a suitable one for cell segmentation may be challenging as one is tasked with ensuring adopted denoising method preserves critical object structures, like boundaries, while at the same time minimizing noise. In this paper, we discuss two popular denoising methods (diffusion filtering and Gaussian filtering) and investigates their significance, in improving the accuracy of segmented cell images, both individually and by their combinations. Experiment carried out on public and private datasets of cell images indicates an improved segmentation accuracy when cell images are first denoised with the combination of diffusion and Gaussian filtering as against individual denoising methods.
Effects of Collagen Concentration Variation toward Characteristics of Bacterial Cellulose-Collagen Biocomposites as Candidate of Artificial Dura Mater
Authors: Paramadini Adanti Wido , Widiyanti Prihartini , Rudyardjo Djoni Izak
Published: July 2017

Traffic accident is the highest cause of head injury. In the field of neurosurgery, it is closely related to the defect of duramater (outer layer of the brain). This study aims to perform artificial duramater synthesis from bacteria cellulose that is composited with collagen in order to find the precise composition. Bacteria cellulose was synthesized by fertilizing Acetobacter xylinum bacteria into coconut water. In addition, bacteria cellulose pellicle membrane immersed into collagen solution with various concentration such as 0.4% w/v, 0.5% w/v, 0.6% w/v and 0.7% w/v. The dried sample was characterized by Fourier Transform Infra Red (FTIR), tensile tester, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and swelling test procedure. Result showed that the best sample was ‘Sample A’ (bacteria cellulose-collagen 0.4% w/v) that obtained 8% elongation and 185 μm for the average thickness. Based on the entire result, the biocomposite of bacteria celluose-collagen has a high potential as a candidate of artificial duramater.
Eco-Friendly and Temperature Dependent Biosynthesis of Gold Nanoparticles Using the Bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa: Characterization and Antibacterial Activity
Authors: Timoszyk Anna , Niedbach Joanna , Śliżewska Paulina , Mirończyk Agnieszka , Kozioł Jacek J.
Published: July 2017

Abstract. In this paper we report the biological synthesis of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) by the reduction of gold ions using a suspension and supernatant of P. aeruginosa. The biosynthesis method was straightforward and yielded good results without using toxic chemicals. The size distribution of the gold nanoparticles synthesized by P. aeruginosa at higher temperatures was larger than that synthesized at lower temperatures. The GNPs morphology was isotropic at various temperatures. With an increase in the temperature, the stability of the GNPs decreased. The absorption and fluorescence spectra accorded well with the size distribution of the particles, with the nanoparticle size increasing as the absorption and fluorescence increased too. The optical properties of the GNPs observed in the study accorded well with the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations. The visible photoluminescence (PL) around 435 nm indicated the possible use of the obtained colloids, which consisted of GNPs and capping biomaterial, in therapeutic applications. Moreover, the synthesized GNPs showed good antibacterial activity toward E. coli indicating their potential in biological applications.
Synthesis and Oxidizability Study on Mn3O4 Nanoparticles
Authors: Hao Xin Li , Zhao Jing Zhe , Song Yue Hong , Huang Zhi Fang
Published: July 2017

Sphere-like Mn3O4 nanoparticles were prepared by a simple aqueous precipitation method at 30 °C for 1.5 h with PEG 6000 involved. The as-prepared Mn3O4 nanoparticles extended sphere-like structures with sizes of around 80 nm. The size and shape could be manipulated by changing the species of alkali. Introduction of PEG6000 in the experiments caused the inhibition of crystal growth. The oxidiability of as-prepared Mn3O4 nanoparticles was evaluated by degradation of rhodamine B (RhB). The pH value of the reaction system was major factors to be assessed in the degradation process. After 120 minutes’ reaction, the degradation efficiency can reach 61.3 %.
Carbon Nanotube Interconnects with Air-Gaps: Effect on Thermal Stability, Delay and Area
Authors: Uma Sathyakam P. , Mallick Partha S.
Published: July 2017

This paper presents single walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) interconnects with air as dielectric medium. We treat CNT interconnects as a discrete (fractal) media for the first time where continuum based differential equations fail to capture the physics at nanoscale and hence, we use discrete partial differential equations in this work. We have analyzed the effect of air gaps (AG) on performance factors like temperature dependent resistance R(T) of CNTs and hence the R(T)C delay of the interconnects. We have first calculated the temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) of CNTs and analyzed the trend of changing resistance at different ambient temperatures. The R(T)C delay shows that CNT/AG interconnects can operate satisfactorily up to 500K. We then compare the R(T)C delay with ITRS predictions from 17nm to 8nm technology nodes. We have also calculated the chip area used by CNT/air-gap interconnects and found that they take up to 83% lesser area than the conventional Cu/low-k interconnects.
Sensing Caffeine and Nicotine with Biphenylene Carbon, α-Graphyne Sheet and Nanotube: A Density Functional Theory Study
Authors: Majidi Roya
Published: July 2017

We have used density functional theory to study adsorption of caffeine and nicotine on carbon based nanostructures. The effect of caffeine and nicotine molecules on the electronic properties of α-graphyne, biphenylene carbon, and (4,0) nanotube based on α-graphyne were studied. It was found that caffeine and nicotine molecules were adsorbed strongly on these sheets and nanotube. The charges were transferred from molecules to the sheets and nanotube. Because of adsorption of these donor molecules, biphenylene carbon, α-graphyne sheet and nanotube become n-type semiconductors. Sensitivity of the electronic properties of these sheets and nanotube to adsorption of caffeine and nicotine indicate the carbon based nanostructures can be used for detection of caffeine and nicotine molecules.
Mechanical Buckling Analysis of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube with Nonlocal Effects
Authors: Ravi Kumar B.
Published: July 2017

In this work Differential Transform Method (DTM) is used to study the buckling behavior of the single walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT). The critical buckling load is being found out up to fourth degree accuracy for different boundary conditions, i.e. Clamped-Clamped, Simply Supported at ends, Clamped Hinged, and Clamped Free. Effect of different nonlocal parameters, different L/d ratio on critical buckling load is being discussed. The DTM is implemented for the nonlocal SWCNT analysis and this yields results with high degree of accuracy. Further, present method can be applied to linear and nonlinear problems.
Hydrothermal Synthesis and Optical Properties of Ellipsoid-Like CeO2 Nanostructures with Rugged Surface and Many Pores
Authors: Niu Xiao Fei
Published: July 2017

The almost monodisperse ellipsoid-like CeO2 nanostructures with rugged surface and many pores have been synthesized by a smart hydrothermal technique. Various techniques have been applied to investigate the CeO2 nanostructures, including XRD, SEM, XPS, Raman scattering, UV-vis and Photoluminescence (PL) spectra. The results showed that the ellipsoid-like CeO2 have a fluorite cubic structure and there are Ce3+ ions and oxygen vacancies existing in surface of samples. It is also found that there is a red-shifting in the band gap of the materials compared to bulk one, which is mainly attributed to the influences of the Ce3+ ions, oxygen vacancies and the morphology of the materials. The photoluminescence measurement indicated that the ellipsoid-like CeO2 samples exhibit excellent optical properties at room temperature, which can be reasonably explained for the influences of the concentration of oxygen vacancies and Ce3+ ions.
Transparencia y diplomacia: nuevas demandas sociales y rutinas profesionales
Authors: Manfredi Sánchez Juan Luis , Herranz de la Casa José María , Calvo Rubio Luis Mauricio
Published: July 2017

Se analiza el impacto de las nuevas demandas de transparencia en la diplomacia. Metodología. Se estudian los tres niveles de gestión de la información diplomática y cómo les afecta la demanda de transparencia ciudadana. Mediante un análisis descriptivo se evalúa el nivel de transparencia en base a los fundamentos de la Open Government Partnership (OGP), se enumeran las tensiones a las que se somete la labor diplomática y se ofrecen aportaciones prácticas de actores internacionales. Resultados y conclusiones. Los resultados evidencian que no puede validarse un modelo único para evaluar la transparencia en materia diplomática pues se encuentra vinculada a los valores, usos y cultura política en la que está inmerso cada actor implicado. La transparencia no es solo un paradigma legal, sino que ha de fomentarse una cultura que permita adaptar la rendición de cuentas a las particularidades de la gestión de los asuntos globales.
Многообходные траектории-утки и их приложения
Authors: Glyzin Sergey Dmitrievich , Kolesov Andrei Yurevich , Rozov Nikolai Khristovich
Published: July 2017

Исследуется случай, когда в двумерной релаксационной системе с цилиндрическим фазовым пространством общим образом пересекаются две различные кривые медленного движения. Устанавливается, что в данной ситуации могут возникать так называемые многообходные траектории-утки. Отличие их от обычных траекторий-уток состоит в том, что процесс перехода с устойчивой кривой медленного движения на неустойчивую сопровождается конечным числом асимптотически быстрых вращений фазовой точки вокруг оси цилиндра. Полученные результаты используются при асимптотическом анализе собственных значений краевой задачи типа Штурма-Лиувилля для сингулярно возмущенного линейного уравнения Шредингера.
Библиография: 26 наименований.
Интегрируемые топологические биллиарды и эквивалентные динамические системы
Authors: Vedyushkina Viktoriya Viktorovna , Fomenko Anatoly Timofeevich
Published: July 2017

Рассмотрен ряд топологических интегрируемых биллиардов и доказана их лиувиллева эквивалентность многим системам динамики твердого тела с помощью теории Фоменко-Цишанга об инвариантах интегрируемых систем. Изучены биллиарды, ограниченные дугами софокусных квадрик, а также их обобщения - обобщенные биллиарды, где движение происходит по локально плоской поверхности, полученной изометричной склейкой нескольких плоских областей вдоль их границ, являющихся дугами софокусных квадрик. Описаны два новых класса интегрируемых билиардов, также ограниченных дугами софокусных квадрик, а именно, некомпактные биллиарды и обобщенные биллиарды, полученные склейкой плоских биллиардов вдоль невыпуклых частей границы. Полностью классифицированы некомпактные биллиарды, ограниченные дугами софокусных квадрик, и исследована их топология с помощью инвариантов Фоменко, описывающих перестройки особых слоев дополнительного интеграла. Исследована топология изоэнергетических поверхностей некоторых невыпуклых обобщенных биллиардов: оказалось, что они обладают экзотическими слоениями Лиувилля, а именно, на некоторых особых слоях интегральные траектории биллиарда не допускают непрерывного продолжения. Оказалось, что такие биллиарды послойно эквивалентны биллиардам, ограниченным дугами софокусных квадрик в метрике Минковского.
Библиография: 34 наименования.
Универсальная адическая аппроксимация, инвариантные меры и масштабированная энтропия
Authors: Vershik Anatolii Moiseevich , Zatitskii Pavel Borisovich
Published: July 2017

Определяется бесконечный градуированный граф упорядоченных пар и каноническое действие группы $\mathbb{Z}$ (адическое действие) и бесконечной суммы групп второго порядка $\mathcal{D}=\sum_1^{\infty} \mathbb{Z}/2\mathbb{Z}$ на пространстве путей этого графа. Доказывается, что эти действия являются универсальными для каждой из групп в следующем смысле: всякое эргодическое действие указанных групп с инвариантной мерой и двучленной образующей, помноженное на некоторое специальное действие ("одометр"), метрически изоморфно каноническому адическому действию на пространстве путей этого графа с некоторой центральной мерой. Рассматривается ряд задач, связанных с этой проблемой.
Библиография: 31 наименование.