bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Alkyl Chain Combinations on the Structural and Mechanical Properties of Biomimetic Ion Pair Amphiphile Bilayers
Authors: Chen Cheng-hao , Tian Ching-an , Chiu Chi-cheng
Published: October 2017

Ion pair amphiphile (IPA), a lipid-like complex composed of a pair of cationic and anionic surfactants, has great potentials in various pharmaceutical applications. In this work, we utilized molecular dynamics (MD) simulation to systematically examine the structural and mechanical properties of the biomimetic bilayers consist of alkyltrimethyl-ammonium-alkylsulfate (CmTMA+-CnS−) IPAs with various alkyl chain combinations. Our simulations show an intrinsic one-atom offset for the CmTMA+ and CnS− alignment, leading to the asymmetric index definition of ΔC = m − (n + 1). Larger |ΔC| gives rise to higher conformational fluctuations of the alkyl chains with the reduced packing order and mechanical strength. In contrast, increasing the IPA chain length enhances the van der Waals interactions within the bilayer and thus improves the bilayer packing order and mechanical properties. Further elongating the CmTMA+-CnS− alkyl chains to m and n ≥ 12 causes the liquid disorder to gel phase transition of the bilayer at 298 K, with the threshold membrane properties of 0.45 nm2 molecular area, deuterium order parameter value of 0.31, and effective bending rigidity of 20 kBT, etc. The combined results provide molecular insights into the design of biomimetic IPA bilayers with wide structural and mechanical characteristics for various applications.
State of Charge Estimation for Lithium-Ion Battery with a Temperature-Compensated Model
Authors: Yang Shichun , Deng Cheng , Zhang Yulong , He Yongling
Published: October 2017

Accurate estimation of the state of charge (SOC) of batteries is crucial in a battery management system. Many studies on battery SOC estimation have been investigated recently. Temperature is an important factor that affects the SOC estimation accuracy while it is still not adequately addressed at present. This paper proposes a SOC estimator based on a new temperature-compensated model with extended Kalman Filter (EKF). The open circuit voltage (OCV), capacity, and resistance and capacitance (RC) parameters in the estimator are temperature dependent so that the estimator can maintain high accuracy at various temperatures. The estimation accuracy decreases when applied in high current continuous discharge, because the equivalent polarization resistance decreases as the discharge current increases. Therefore, a polarization resistance correction coefficient is proposed to tackle this problem. The estimator also demonstrates a good performance in dynamic operating conditions. However, the equivalent circuit model shows huge uncertainty in the low SOC region, so measurement noise variation is proposed to improve the estimation accuracy there.
On the Energy Efficiency of Dual Clutch Transmissions and Automated Manual Transmissions
Authors: Vacca Fabio , De Pinto Stefano , Hartavi Karci Ahu , Gruber Patrick , Viotto Fabio , Cavallino Carlo , Rossi Jacopo , Sorniotti Aldo
Published: October 2017

The main benefits of dual clutch transmissions (DCTs) are: (i) a higher energy efficiency than automatic transmission systems with torque converters; and (ii) the capability to fill the torque gap during gear shifts to allow seamless longitudinal acceleration profiles. Therefore, DCTs are viable alternatives to automated manual transmissions (AMTs). For vehicles equipped with engines that can generate considerable torque, large clutch-slip energy losses occur during power-on gear shifts and, as a result, DCTs need wet clutches for effective heat dissipation. This requirement substantially reduces DCT efficiency because of the churning and ancillary power dissipations associated with the wet clutch pack. To the knowledge of the authors, this study is the first to analyse the detailed power loss contributions of a DCT with wet clutches, and their relative significance along a set of driving cycles. Based on these results, a novel hybridised AMT (HAMT) with a single dry clutch and an electric motor is proposed for the same vehicle. The HAMT architecture combines the high mechanical efficiency typical of AMTs with a single dry clutch, with the torque-fill capability and operational flexibility allowed by the electric motor. The measured efficiency maps of a case study DCT and HAMT are compared. This is then complemented by the analysis of the respective fuel consumption along the driving cycles, which is simulated with an experimentally validated vehicle model. In its internal combustion engine mode, the HAMT reduces fuel consumption by >9% with respect to the DCT.
Condition Monitoring for Roller Bearings of Wind Turbines Based on Health Evaluation under Variable Operating States
Authors: Fu Lei , Wei Yanding , Fang Sheng , Zhou Xiaojun , Lou Junqiang
Published: October 2017

Condition monitoring (CM) is used to assess the health status of wind turbines (WT) by detecting turbine failure and predicting maintenance needs. However, fluctuating operating conditions cause variations in monitored features, therefore increasing the difficulty of CM, for example, the frequency-domain analysis may lead to an inaccurate or even incorrect prediction when evaluating the health of the WT components. In light of this challenge, this paper proposed a method for the health evaluation of WT components based on vibration signals. The proposed approach aimed to reduce the evaluation error caused by the impact of the variable operating condition. First, the vibration signal was decomposed into a set of sub-signals using variational mode decomposition (VMD). Next, the sub-signal energy and the probability distribution were obtained and normalized. Finally, the concept of entropy was introduced to evaluate the health condition of a monitored object to provide an effective guide for maintenance. In particular, the health evaluation for CM was based on a performance review over a range of operating conditions, rather than at a certain single operating condition. Experimental investigations were performed which verified the efficiency of the evaluation method, as well as a comparison with the previous method.
The Characteristics of Methane Combustion Suppression by Water Mist and Its Engineering Applications
Authors: Pan Rongkun , Xiao Zejun , Yu Minggao
Published: October 2017

To safely mine coal, engineers must prevent gas combustion and explosions, as well as seek feasible and reasonable techniques to control for these types of incidents. This paper analyzes the causes and characteristics of methane combustion and explosions. Water mist is proposed to prevent and control methane combustion in an underground confined space. We constructed an experiment platform to investigate the suppression of methane combustion using water mist for different conditions. The experimental results showed that water mist is highly effective for methane flame inhibition. The flame was extinguished with water mist endothermic cooling. However, the annular regions of water vapor around the fire played a vital role in flame extinction. Water from the evaporating mist replaces the oxygen available to the fuel. Additionally, the time required for fuel ignition is prolonged. For these reasons, the water particle action to flame surface is reinforced and the fuel’s reaction with air is delayed. As a result, flame stretching and disturbances occur, which serve to extinguish the flame. Engineering application tests were carried out in the goaf, drill hole and upper-corner to investigate the prevention and control of methane gas combustion, with the results showing a good application effect.
Position and Speed Estimation of Permanent Magnet Machine Sensorless Drive at High Speed Using an Improved Phase-Locked Loop
Authors: Chen Guan-Ren , Yang Shih-Chin , Hsu Yu-Liang , Li Kang
Published: October 2017

In conventional position sensorless permanent magnet (PM) machine drives, the rotor position is obtained from the phase-locked loop (PLL) with the regulation of spatial signal in estimated back electromotive force (EMF) voltages. Due to the sinusoidal distribution of back-EMF voltages, a small-signal approximation is assumed in the PLL in order to estimate the position. That is, the estimated position is almost equal to the actual position per sample instant. However, at high speed when the ratio of sampling frequency, fsample, over the rotor operating frequency, fe, is low, this approximation might not be valid during the speed and load transient. To overcome this limitation, a position estimation is proposed specifically for the high-speed operation of a PM machine drive. A discrete-time EMF voltage estimator is developed to obtain the machine spatial signal. In addition, an arctangent calculation is cascaded to the PLL in order to remove this small-signal approximation for better sensorless drive performance. By using the discrete-time EMF estimation and modified PLL, the drive is able to maintain the speed closed-loop at 36 krpm with only 4.2 sampling points per electrical cycle on a PM machine, according to experimental results.
Growth and Physiology of Senegalia senegal (L.) Britton Seedlings as Influenced by Seed Origin and Salinity and Fertility Treatments
Authors: Sarr Mame , Seiler John , Sullivan Jay
Published: October 2017

Multipurpose trees such as Senegalia senegal are widespread in arid and semi-arid lands that have natural or induced saline soils and poor soil fertility. Such environmental problems impact growth and have the potential to influence plant physiological adaptations. Identifying superior genotypes better adapted to these environmental stresses will be of great importance for tree selection for reclamation of degraded drylands. The main objective of this study was to examine the growth performance, and physiological and morphological adaptations to salinity, and fertility treatments of different Senegalia senegal families. We used five families (DB16, DB14, K4B19, K17B19, NB1) selected from 60 families of a Senegalia senegal progeny trial in Dahra, Senegal. Seedlings were grown under greenhouse conditions by watering all plants for three weeks and then stopping all watering for three more weeks. In a randomized complete block design, a two-level factorial combination was used for salinity (zero and 183.1 mM NaCl added) and fertility (zero and 100 kg/ha N-P-K added) treatments. A significant family × salt × fertilizer interaction was found for all biomass parameters (leaf dry matter, stem dry matter, root dry matter, and leaf area). The fertilizer application resulted in a significant increase of total biomass of all families, ranging from 63% to 237% for NB1 and K17B19, respectively. In contrast, salt only decreased total biomass of NB1 and K17B19 increased growth. Despite similar net photosynthetic rates before treatment started, fertilizer and salinity induced different effects between families. Prior to drought stress, fertilizer did not affect photosynthesis of DB16, while salt significantly decreased stomatal conductance of all families. DB16 and N1B1, despite significant differences of stomata size and density, significantly decreased transpiration, and thereby increased their intrinsic water use efficiency. Under drought, relative growth rate was significantly decreased. Given that genotype differences were found, these families and salinity and fertilizer treatments need to be explored in field trials.
A Finite Element Method for Incompressible Fluid Flow in a Noninertial Frame of Reference and a Numerical Study of Circular Couette Flow with Varying Angular Speed
Authors: Jog C. S. , Potghan Nilesh
Published: October 2017

In this work, we develop a numerical strategy for analyzing the flows of an incompressible fluid in the gap between an arbitrarily shaped inner boundary that rotates inside a circular outer boundary. Such flows occur very commonly in turbomachinery applications. The numerical strategy is based on a noninertial frame of reference that is fixed to the rotating inner boundary so that Coriolis and angular acceleration effects have to be accounted for in its development. Since this strategy is based on a fixed mesh, it is much more economical and accurate than a general arbitrary Eulerian–Lagrangian strategy, which would typically require remeshing. In addition, we also conduct a numerical study for circular Couette flow with varying angular speed of the inner cylinder in an inertial frame of reference; such a study may prove useful in validating a theoretical stability analysis which currently seems to have been carried out only for the case of constant angular speed.
Organ-on-Chip Technology: Current State and Future Developments
Authors: Kodzius Rimantas , Schulze Frank , Gao Xinghua , Schneider Marlon R.
Published: October 2017

In the early days of pharmacy, the development of new drugs was frequently achieved by restless chemists who worked solitarily, day by day for years [...]
DMRTC2, PAX7, BRACHYURY/T and TERT Are Implicated in Male Germ Cell Development Following Curative Hormone Treatment for Cryptorchidism-Induced Infertility
Authors: Gegenschatz-Schmid Katharina , Verkauskas Gilvydas , Demougin Philippe , Bilius Vytautas , Dasevicius Darius , Stadler Michael B. , Hadziselimovic Faruk
Published: October 2017

Defective mini-puberty results in insufficient testosterone secretion that impairs the differentiation of gonocytes into dark-type (Ad) spermatogonia. The differentiation of gonocytes into Ad spermatogonia can be induced by administration of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist, GnRHa (Buserelin, INN)). Nothing is known about the mechanism that underlies successful GnRHa treatment in the germ cells. Using RNA-sequencing of testicular biopsies, we recently examined RNA profiles of testes with and without GnRHa treatment. Here, we focused on the expression patterns of known gene markers for gonocytes and spermatogonia, and found that DMRTC2, PAX7, BRACHYURY/T, and TERT were associated with defective mini-puberty and were responsive to GnRHa. These results indicate novel testosterone-dependent genes and provide valuable insight into the transcriptional response to both defective mini-puberty and curative GnRHa treatment, which prevents infertility in man with one or both undescended (cryptorchid) testes.
Validation and Assessment of Three Methods to Estimate 24-h Urinary Sodium Excretion from Spot Urine Samples in High-Risk Elder Patients of Stroke from the Rural Areas of Shaanxi Province
Authors: Ma Wenxia , Yin Xuejun , Zhang Ruijuan , Liu Furong , Yang Danrong , Fan Yameng , Rong Jie , Tian Maoyi , Yu Yan
Published: October 2017

Background: 24-h urine collection is regarded as the “gold standard” for monitoring sodium intake at the population level, but ensuring high quality urine samples is difficult to achieve. The Kawasaki, International Study of Sodium, Potassium, and Blood Pressure (INTERSALT) and Tanaka methods have been used to estimate 24-h urinary sodium excretion from spot urine samples in some countries, but few studies have been performed to compare and validate these methods in the Chinese population. Objective: To compare and validate the Kawasaki, INTERSALT and Tanaka formulas in predicting 24-h urinary sodium excretion using spot urine samples in 365 high-risk elder patients of strokefrom the rural areas of Shaanxi province. Methods: Data were collected from a sub-sample of theSalt Substitute and Stroke Study. 365 high-risk elder patients of stroke from the rural areas of Shaanxi province participated and their spot and 24-h urine specimens were collected. The concentrations of sodium, potassium and creatinine in spot and 24-h urine samples wereanalysed. Estimated 24-h sodium excretion was predicted from spot urine concentration using the Kawasaki, INTERSALT, and Tanaka formulas. Pearson correlation coefficients and agreement by Bland-Altman method were computed for estimated and measured 24-h urinary sodium excretion. Results: The average 24-h urinary sodium excretion was 162.0 mmol/day, which representing a salt intake of 9.5 g/day. Three predictive equations had low correlation with the measured 24-h sodium excretion (r = 0.38, p < 0.01; ICC = 0.38, p < 0.01 for the Kawasaki; r = 0.35, p < 0.01; ICC = 0.31, p < 0.01 for the INTERSALT; r = 0.37, p < 0.01; ICC = 0.34, p < 0.01 for the Tanaka). Significant biases between estimated and measured 24-h sodium excretion were observed (all p < 0.01 for three methods). Among the three methods, the Kawasaki method was the least biased compared with the other two methods (mean bias: 31.90, 95% Cl: 23.84, 39.97). Overestimation occurred when the Kawasaki and Tanaka methods were used while the INTERSALT method underestimated 24-h sodium excretion. Conclusion: The Kawasaki, INTERSALT and Tanaka methods for estimation of 24-h urinary sodium excretion from spot urine specimens were inadequate for the assessment of sodium intake at the population level in high-risk elder patients of stroke from the rural areas of Shaanxi province, although the Kawasaki method was the least biased compared with the other two methods.
A Massively Parallel Sequence Similarity Search for Metagenomic Sequencing Data
Authors: Kakuta Masanori , Suzuki Shuji , Izawa Kazuki , Ishida Takashi , Akiyama Yutaka
Published: October 2017

Sequence similarity searches have been widely used in the analyses of metagenomic sequencing data. Finding homologous sequences in a reference database enables the estimation of taxonomic and functional characteristics of each query sequence. Because current metagenomic sequencing data consist of a large number of nucleotide sequences, the time required for sequence similarity searches account for a large proportion of the total time. This time-consuming step makes it difficult to perform large-scale analyses. To analyze large-scale metagenomic data, such as those found in the human oral microbiome, we developed GHOST-MP (Genome-wide HOmology Search Tool on Massively Parallel system), a parallel sequence similarity search tool for massively parallel computing systems. This tool uses a fast search algorithm based on suffix arrays of query and database sequences and a hierarchical parallel search to accelerate the large-scale sequence similarity search of metagenomic sequencing data. The parallel computing efficiency and the search speed of this tool were evaluated. GHOST-MP was shown to be scalable over 10,000 CPU (Central Processing Unit) cores, and achieved over 80-fold acceleration compared with mpiBLAST using the same computational resources. We applied this tool to human oral metagenomic data, and the results indicate that the oral cavity, the oral vestibule, and plaque have different characteristics based on the functional gene category.
Determination of the Values of Critical Ductile Fracture Criteria to Predict Fracture Initiation in Punching Processes
Authors: Wai Myint Phyo , Hagihara Seiya , Tanaka Toru , Taketomi Shinya , Tadano Yuichi
Published: October 2017

Punching processes are widely used for producing automobile parts, mechanical components, and other parts. To produce highly accurate parts, it is important to estimate the ratio of the sheared surface to the cut surface. Many researchers have applied the finite-element method (FEM) to analyze the ratio of the sheared surface to the fracture surface on cut surfaces by using ductile fracture criteria. However, it is difficult to determine the fracture criteria on the cut surface by tensile tests or bending tests because the punching process involves many complicated steps. In this study, FEM was applied to the punching process to determine the values of critical fracture criteria (C) by using the ductile fracture criteria proposed by Cockcroft and Latham, Oyane, and Ayada. The ductile fracture criteria were compared with the boundary between the shear surface and the fracture surfaces using experiments performed with a simple punching system. The values of the ductile fracture criteria for the fracture initiation of the formed cut surface were predicted under various clearances between the punch and the die with various punch diameters. The influence of stress triaxiality and the effect of punch diameter on the sheared surface length are also discussed.
Anti-Diabetic Potential of Ocimum gratissimum Leaf Fractions in Fortified Diet-Fed Streptozotocin Treated Rat Model of Type-2 Diabetes
Authors: Okoduwa Stanley , Umar Isamila , James Dorcas , Inuwa Hajiya
Published: October 2017

Background: Ocimum gratissimum (OG) is used in the traditional management of diabetes in Nigeria. This study investigated the anti-diabetic potential of OG leaf fractions (OGLF) in a rat model of Type-2 diabetes (T2D). Method: Methanol crude extract of OG leaf was fractionated with solvents of increasing order of polarity (n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl-acetate, n-butanol and water). The anti-diabetic potential of the fractions was evaluated in vivo. T2D was induced in Albino Wistar rats and treated with OGLF. Result: The T2D rats showed significant elevation in serum levels of fasting blood glucose (FBG), liver and kidney function biomarkers. At 4-weeks of intervention with OGLF, the untreated diabetic control group maintained severe hyperglycaemia in the presence of 61.7% serum insulin, 17.3% pancreatic β-cell function (HOMA-β) and 51.5% Insulin sensitivity. The glucose tolerance ability was enhanced in the n-butanol-fraction (OGb) treated group. With 74.8% available serum insulin and 38.6% improvement in insulin sensitivity, the OGb treated group had a 63.5% reduction in FBG and it was found to be most effective as it ameliorates a majority of the changes caused in the studied parameters in diabetic rats. Conclusions: The data from this study suggest that OGb fraction is a potential candidate for the development of an effective drug for the management of T2D.
Metals Are Main Actors in the Biological World
Authors: Grasso Giuseppe
Published: October 2017

The word “metallomics” was introduced for the first time in 2004 [1] to describe the emerging scientific field of investigation addressing the role that metal ions have in the biological world, including their trafficking, uptake, transport, and storage.[...]
Effect of High-Pressure Treatment on Catalytic and Physicochemical Properties of Pepsin
Authors: Wang Jianan , Bai Tenghui , Ma Yaping , Ma Hanjun
Published: October 2017

For a long time, high-pressure treatment has been used to destroy the compact structures of natural proteins in order to promote subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis. However, there are few reports evaluating the feasibility of directly improving the catalytic capability of proteases by using high-pressure treatments. In this study, the effects of high-pressure treatment on the catalytic capacity and structure of pepsin were investigated, and the relationship between its catalytic properties and changes in its physicochemical properties was explored. It was found that high-pressure treatment could lead to changes of the sulfhydryl group/disulfide bond content, hydrophobicity, hydrodynamic radius, intrinsic viscosity, and subunit composition of pepsin, and the conformational change of pepsin resulted in improvement to its enzymatic activity and hydrolysis efficiency, which had an obvious relationship with the high-pressure treatment conditions.
Revolutionizing Therapeutic Drug Monitoring with the Use of Interstitial Fluid and Microneedles Technology
Authors: Kiang Tony , Ranamukhaarachchi Sahan , Ensom Mary
Published: October 2017

While therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) that uses blood as the biological matrix is the traditional gold standard, this practice may be impossible, impractical, or unethical for some patient populations (e.g., elderly, pediatric, anemic) and those with fragile veins. In the context of finding an alternative biological matrix for TDM, this manuscript will provide a qualitative review on: (1) the principles of TDM; (2) alternative matrices for TDM; (3) current evidence supporting the use of interstitial fluid (ISF) for TDM in clinical models; (4) the use of microneedle technologies, which is potentially minimally invasive and pain-free, for the collection of ISF; and (5) future directions. The current state of knowledge on the use of ISF for TDM in humans is still limited. A thorough literature review indicates that only a few drug classes have been investigated (i.e., anti-infectives, anticonvulsants, and miscellaneous other agents). Studies have successfully demonstrated techniques for ISF extraction from the skin but have failed to demonstrate commercial feasibility of ISF extraction followed by analysis of its content outside the ISF-collecting microneedle device. In contrast, microneedle-integrated biosensors built to extract ISF and perform the biomolecule analysis on-device, with a key feature of not needing to transfer ISF to a separate instrument, have yielded promising results that need to be validated in pre-clinical and clinical studies. The most promising applications for microneedle-integrated biosensors is continuous monitoring of biomolecules from the skin’s ISF. Conducting TDM using ISF is at the stage where its clinical utility should be investigated. Based on the advancements described in the current review, the immediate future direction for this area of research is to establish the suitability of using ISF for TDM in human models for drugs that have been found suitable in pre-clinical experiments.
Image-Based Analysis to Dissect Vertical Distribution and Horizontal Asymmetry of Conspecific Root System Interactions in Response to Planting Densities, Nutrients and Root Exudates in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Geisler-Lee Jane , Liu Xian , Rang Wei , Raveendiran Jayanthan , Szubryt Marisa , Gibson David , Geisler Matt , Cheng Qiang
Published: October 2017

Intraspecific competition is an important plant interaction that has been studied extensively aboveground, but less so belowground, due to the difficulties in accessing the root system experimentally. Recent in vivo and in situ automatic imaging advances help understand root system architecture. In this study, a portable imaging platform and a scalable transplant technique were applied to test intraspecific competition in Arabidopsis thaliana. A single green fluorescent protein labeled plant was placed in the center of a grid of different planting densities of neighboring unlabeled plants or empty spaces, into which different treatments were made to the media. The root system of the central plant showed changes in the vertical distribution with increasing neighbor density, becoming more positively kurtotic, and developing an increasing negative skew with time. Horizontal root distribution was initially asymmetric, but became more evenly circular with time, and mean direction was not affected by the presence of adjacent empty spaces as initially hypothesized. To date, this is the first study to analyze the patterns of both vertical and horizontal growth in conspecific root systems. We present a portable imaging platform with simplicity, accessibility, and scalability, to capture the dynamic interactions of plant root systems.
On Not Understanding Extraordinary Language in the Buddhist Tantra of Japan
Authors: Payne Richard
Published: October 2017

The question motivating this essay is how tantric Buddhist practitioners in Japan understood language such as to believe that mantra, dhāraṇī, and related forms are efficacious. “Extraordinary language” is introduced as a cover term for these several similar language uses found in tantric Buddhist practices in Japan. The essay proceeds to a critical examination of Anglo-American philosophy of language to determine whether the concepts, categories, and concerns of that field can contribute to the analysis and understanding of extraordinary language. However, that philosophy of language does not contribute to this analysis, as it is constrained by its continuing focus on its founding concepts, dating particularly from the work of Frege. Comparing it to Indic thought regarding language reveals a distinct mismatch, further indicating the limiting character of the philosophy of language. The analysis then turns to examine two other explanations of tantric language use found in religious studies literature: magical language and performative language. These also, however, prove to be unhelpful. While the essay is primarily critical, one candidate for future constructive study is historical pragmatics, as suggested by Ronald Davidson. The central place of extraordinary language indicates that Indic reflections on the nature of language informed tantric Buddhist practice in Japan and are not simply cultural baggage.
Theocentric Love Ethics
Authors: Vacek Edward
Published: October 2017

Joseph Selling proposes a contemporary revision of natural law ethics, making it more person-centered. Earlier James Gustafson insisted that natural law ethics was too egoist or anthropocentric, so his work proposed theocentrism as a corrective. Richard Gula in turn proposed an ethics that centers on imitating God’s relationships. This essay combines the merits of all three with the author’s own love-covenant basis for ethics. It contrasts secular and religious ethics, with the latter incorporating cooperation in communion with God. One strand of Aquinas’s theology indicates that religious discernment is an affective process of union with God, but the typical ways of describing this union court significant dangers of reducing either God to self or self to God.
An Improved Algorithm to Delineate Urban Targets with Model-Based Decomposition of PolSAR Data
Authors: Duan Dingfeng , Wang Yong
Published: October 2017

In model-based decomposition algorithms using polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR) data, urban targets are typically identified based on the existence of strong double-bounced scattering. However, urban targets with large azimuth orientation angles (AOAs) produce strong volumetric scattering that appears similar to scattering characteristics from tree canopies. Due to scattering ambiguity, urban targets can be classified into the vegetation category if the same classification scheme of the model-based PolSAR decomposition algorithms is followed. To resolve the ambiguity and to reduce the misclassification eventually, we introduced a correlation coefficient that characterized scattering mechanisms of urban targets with variable AOAs. Then, an existing volumetric scattering model was modified, and a PolSAR decomposition algorithm developed. The validity and effectiveness of the algorithm were examined using four PolSAR datasets. The algorithm was valid and effective to delineate urban targets with a wide range of AOAs, and applicable to a broad range of ground targets from urban areas, and from upland and flooded forest stands.
Distributed State Estimation Using a Modified Partitioned Moving Horizon Strategy for Power Systems
Authors: Chen Tengpeng , Foo Yi , Ling K.V. , Chen Xuebing
Published: October 2017

In this paper, a distributed state estimation method based on moving horizon estimation (MHE) is proposed for the large-scale power system state estimation. The proposed method partitions the power systems into several local areas with non-overlapping states. Unlike the centralized approach where all measurements are sent to a processing center, the proposed method distributes the state estimation task to the local processing centers where local measurements are collected. Inspired by the partitioned moving horizon estimation (PMHE) algorithm, each local area solves a smaller optimization problem to estimate its own local states by using local measurements and estimated results from its neighboring areas. In contrast with PMHE, the error from the process model is ignored in our method. The proposed modified PMHE (mPMHE) approach can also take constraints on states into account during the optimization process such that the influence of the outliers can be further mitigated. Simulation results on the IEEE 14-bus and 118-bus systems verify that our method achieves comparable state estimation accuracy but with a significant reduction in the overall computation load.
Corporate Social Responsibility Drivers and Barriers According to Managers’ Perception; Evidence from Spanish Firms
Authors: Agudo-Valiente José , Garcés-Ayerbe Concepción , Salvador-Figueras Manuel
Published: October 2017

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is becoming a dominant issue in both research and practice of management. However, the underlying processes in the relationship between the degree of development of CSR in companies and the drivers/barriers that determine this development are still at the center of an intense debate. The purpose of this empirical study is to examine these relationships. We investigate a sample of 416 Spanish firms; based on a multifactorial framework, our study considers both the subjective and objective drivers/barriers, analyzing their joint effect on the final degree of sustainability. A structural equation model is established and a Bayesian approach is used, enabling exact inferences about the model’s parameters and handling missing data with random imputation, thus increasing the study’s reliability. The results show that this degree is related to what managers believe CSR to be (subjective drivers/barriers) and what managers expect it to accomplish or outcomes (objective drivers/barriers).
Hydrophobic Sand Is a Non-Toxic Method of Urine Collection, Appropriate for Urinary Metal Analysis in the Rat
Authors: Hoffman Jessica , Vergara Vernieda , Mog Steven , Kalinich John
Published: October 2017

Hydrophobic sand is a relatively new method of urine collection in the rodent, comparable to the established method using a metabolic cage. Urine samples are often used in rodent research, especially for biomarkers of health changes after internal contamination from embedded metals, such as in a model of a military shrapnel wound. However, little research has been done on the potential interference of hydrophobic sand with urine metal concentrations either by contamination from the sand particulate, or adsorption of metals from the urine. We compare urine collected from rats using the metabolic cage method and the hydrophobic sand method for differences in metal concentration of common urinary metals, and examine physical properties of the sand material for potential sources of contamination. We found minimal risk of internal contamination of the rat by hydrophobic sand, and no interference of the sand with several common metals of interest (cobalt, strontium, copper, and manganese), although we advise caution in studies of aluminum in urine.
Analysis of Calculation Methods for Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions for Road Sector
Authors: Vorobjovas Viktoras , Motiejūnas Algirdas , Ratkevičius Tomas , Zagorskis Alvydas , Danila Vaidotas
Published: October 2017

Climate change is one of the main nowadays problem in the world. The politics and strategies for climate change and tools for reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and green technologies are created and implemented. Mainly it is focused on energy, transport and construction sectors, which are related and plays a significant role in the roads life cycle. Most of the carbon footprint emissions are generated by transport. The remaining emissions are generated during the road life cycle. Therefore, European and other countries use methods to calculate GHG emissions and evaluate the impact of road construction methods and technologies on the environment. Software tools for calculation GHG emissions are complicated, and it is not entirely clear what GHG emission amounts generate during different stages of road life cycle. Thus, the precision of the obtained results are often dependent on the sources and quantities of data, assumptions, and hypothesis. The use of more accurate and efficient calculation-evaluation methods could let to determine in which stages of road life cycle the largest carbon footprint emissions are generated, what advanced road construction methods and technologies could be used. Also, the road service life could be extended, the consumption of raw materials, repair, and maintenance costs could be reduced. Therefore the time-savings could be improved, and the impact on the environment could be reduced using these GHG calculation-evaluation methods.
Evaluation of High-Quality Dolomite Aggregate for Asphalt Wearing Course
Authors: Vorobjovas Viktoras , Šernas Ovidijus , Žilionienė Daiva , Šneideraitienė Lina , Filotenkovas Vilius
Published: October 2017

In Lithuania dolomite is the third most excavated by the amount mineral resource, which is mostly used in subbase layer and hot asphalt mixtures for asphalt binder and base courses. Although, for asphalt wearing layer are often used granite aggregates, but this magmatic rock is imported from foreign countries. In one of the quarries of JSC “Dolomitas” higher quality dolomite is produced, which has similar mechanical properties to granite. To determine changes in mechanical properties of the different type of aggregates while using in the road, high-quality dolomite and two types of granite were chosen for laboratory testing. In this study, for evaluation of physical and mechanical properties of aggregates by laboratory tests for determining resistance to freezing-thawing, resistance to fragmentation, and polished stone value were carried out. Also, according to the results of laboratory testing, high-quality dolomite aggregate showed equal performance comparing to granite aggregates.
Dust-trapping Vortices and a Potentially Planet-triggered Spiral Wake in the Pre-transitional Disk of V1247 Orionis
Authors: Kraus Stefan , Kreplin Alexander , Fukugawa Misato , Muto Takayuki , Sitko Michael L. , Young Alison K. , Bate Matthew R. , Grady Carol , Harries Tim T. , Monnier John D. , Willson Matthew , Wisniewski John
Published: October 2017

The radial drift problem constitutes one of the most fundamental problems in planet formation theory, as it predicts particles to drift into the star before they are able to grow to planetesimal size. Dust-trapping vortices have been proposed as a possible solution to this problem, as they might be able to trap particles over millions of years, allowing them to grow beyond the radial drift barrier. Here, we present ALMA 0.″04 resolution imaging of the pre-transitional disk of V1247 Orionis that reveals an asymmetric ring as well as a sharply confined crescent structure, resembling morphologies seen in theoretical models of vortex formation. The asymmetric ring (at 0.″17 = 54 au separation from the star) and the crescent (at 0.″38 = 120 au) seem smoothly connected through a one-armed spiral-arm structure that has been found previously in scattered light. We propose a physical scenario with a planet orbiting at ∼0.″3 ≈ 100 au, where the one-armed spiral arm detected in polarized light traces the accretion stream feeding the protoplanet. The dynamical influence of the planet clears the gap between the ring and the crescent and triggers two vortices that trap millimeter-sized particles, namely, the crescent and the bright asymmetry seen in the ring. We conducted dedicated hydrodynamics simulations of a disk with an embedded planet, which results in similar spiral-arm morphologies as seen in our scattered-light images. At the position of the spiral wake and the crescent we also observe 12CO(3-2) and H12CO+ (4-3) excess line emission, likely tracing the increased scale-height in these disk regions.
Dry Drowning: Myths and Misconceptions
Authors: Dowd M. Denise
Published: October 2017

Drowning is a leading cause of death in children and is highly preventable. More than 10 people die of drowning in the United States each day, most of them adults. Rates of drowning are highest in children given their developmental vulnerabilities. Drowning incidents that result in cardiopulmonary arrest have a straightforward emergency clinical response, but the management approaches to the more common scenario of brief, nonfatal submersion is less clear. Clinicians must make clinical-care decisions based on evidence to provide safe and effective care in a timely manner and to help families avoid unnecessary anxiety. Such anxiety has been heightened by reports of unanticipated “dry drowning” appearing in the media. This article discusses this concept and provides guidance for clinicians.

[
Pediatr Ann.
2017;46(10):e354–e357.]
Aflibercept in Serous Foveal Detachment in Dome-Shaped Macula: Short-Term Results in a Retrospective Study
Authors: Giacomelli Giovanni , Mencucci Rita , Sodi Andrea , Biagini Ilaria , Abbruzzese Giacomo , Giuntoli Matteo , Rizzo Stanislao , Virgili Gianni
Published: October 2017

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate short-term efficacy of intravitreal aflibercept (Eylea; Regeneron, Tarrytown, NY) in serous foveal detachment (SFD) in dome-shaped macula (DSM).

PATIENTS AND METHODS:

A retrospective, noncomparative case series. Three monthly aflibercept injections were administered. Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), optical coherence tomography central subfield thickness (CST), and subretinal fluid (SRF) at baseline and at 2 months and 4 months after the last injection were considered for statistical analysis.

RESULTS:

The authors reviewed nine eyes affected by SFD in DSM. Mean BCVA improved from 0.42 LogMAR at baseline to 0.33 LogMAR at final follow-up (
P
= .06), and mean CST and SRF reduced from 347 μm to 295 μm (
P
= .09) and from 146 μm to 99 μm (
P
< .01), respectively. None of the considered eyes had resolution of the SRF.

CONCLUSIONS:

Three monthly aflibercept injections may improve BCVA and reduce CST and SRF in SFD of DSM. Further prospective studies are necessary to state the real efficacy of this approach.

[
Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina
. 2017;48:822–828.]
Improvement of Recalcitrant Diabetic Macular Edema After Peritoneal Dialysis
Authors: Ong Sally S. , Thomas Akshay S. , Fekrat Sharon
Published: October 2017

Nephropathy may be an independent and contributory risk factor for diabetic macular edema (DME). A 69-year-old man who had previously been treated with panretinal laser photocoagulation for proliferative diabetic retinopathy as well as with steroid and anti-vascular endothelial growth factor injections for DME declined additional treatment for the DME, which was worse in the right eye. The DME was observed without further treatment for the next 36 months. Despite well-controlled blood sugar, blood pressure, and lipid levels, the DME remained unchanged. Peritoneal dialysis was started due to end-stage renal disease. Three months after commencing dialysis, the DME improved significantly.

[
Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina
. 2017;48:834–837.]
Malicious Application Detection and Classification System for Android Mobiles
Authors: Malik Sapna , Khatter Kiran
Published: October 2017

The Android Mobiles constitute a large portion of mobile market which also attracts the malware developer for malicious gains. Every year hundreds of malwares are detected in the Android market. Unofficial and Official Android market such as Google Play Store are infested with fake and malicious apps which is a warning alarm for naive user. Guided by this insight, this paper presents the malicious application detection and classification system using machine learning techniques by extracting and analyzing the Android Permission Feature of the Android applications. For the feature extraction, the authors of this work have developed the AndroData tool written in shell script and analyzed the extracted features of 1060 Android applications with machine learning algorithms. They have achieved the malicious application detection and classification accuracy of 98.2% and 87.3%, respectively with machine learning techniques.
Drought and Flood Risk, Impacts and Adaptation Options for Resilience in Rural Communities of Uganda
Authors: Lwasa Shuaib
Published: October 2017

Climate change is affecting many rural resource-poor communities unequivocally with differing magnitude, severity and frequency of drought risk from one locale to another especially in Africa. At micro spatial scale of households and villages, climate change risk trends and hazards vary spatially, coupling with social, economic and locational conditions. This paper analyzes vulnerability and impacts of climate change from droughts and floods in a rural community with varied geographies across social, economic and environmental profiles in Uganda. In recent years, studies have shown that droughts have increased form 1 in 10 years to 1 in 6 years and the worst affected area is the semi-arid zone of Uganda that spans from south western through central parts to the north-eastern parts of the country. In the study area of Pallisa, located in the eastern central part of the semi-arid zone, droughts and floods impacts on livelihoods, people and assets are eroding the asset-base for the households. Yet the household assets are important in adaptation and resilience of the community. As a natural resource dependent community like many others, evidence strongly suggests increasing climate risks of droughts and floods the impacts of which are worsening the already grim conditions of community well-being. This paper analyses the climate risks utilizing the vulnerability assessment framework. A scenario-based analysis that integrates community evaluation of vulnerability with climate data to analyze current and future vulnerabilities in a spatial context is conducted to examine spatial differences in vulnerability. Various multi-scale adaptation strategies are analyzed in respect to the climate change risks to assess the resilient capacity of the community to current and future vulnerabilities.
A Framework for Interfacing Unstructured Data Into Business Process From Enterprise Social Networks
Authors: Al-Thuhli Amjed , Al-Badawi Mohammed , Baghdadi Youcef , Al-Hamdani Abdullah
Published: October 2017

The increased number of Enterprise Social Networks (ESN) business applications has had a major impact on organizations' business processes improvements by allowing the involvement of human interactions to these process. However, these applications generate unstructured data which create barriers and challenges to offering the data in the form of web services in a SOA environment, which again impacts negatively the business process. In this context, the authors propose a framework to interface ESN unstructured data into BP using text mining techniques. The Term frequency-inverse document frequency is used as a weighting schema in this framework. After that, the cosine similarity and k-mean are utilized to find similar values from different documents and cluster documents into groups respectively. The result of the evaluation of the framework shows promising results for retrieving social unstructured data. These results can be published into the SOA enterprise service bus using the RESTful web services.
Factors for Success in IT Implementation
Authors: Mohapatra Barada Prasanna , Mahalik Debendra Kumar
Published: October 2017

In the competitive era, Information Technology (IT) is an integral part of the system and Government domain is no exception due to its advantage. Public Distribution System (PDS) is one such application, through which Government in India ensures food security to its citizen. But the traditional systems are being built with short coming resulted in efficient system. The usages of IT in PDS have made transformation to e-PDS. But the success of e-PDS depends on many factors. In our study, we have tried to find out the success factors using Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) and to find their interrelationship, which helps the decision maker to look in to the system effectiveness prospective.