bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Importance of the “Local” in Walkability
Authors: Carlson Cynthia , Aytur Semra , Gardner Kevin , Rogers Shannon
Published: October 2015

Transportation infrastructure and transportation behaviors consume significant natural resources and are costly to municipalities, states, and the federal government. Small cities, in particular, may find themselves with high costs. Although transportation has been extensively investigated, methods that may enable small cities to act are still lacking. To investigate the influence that neighborhood-level built environment characteristics have on adult personal transportation decisions within small cities, this study combined community-based research, a multi-level analysis of residents, and a case study approach in two (North-Eastern United States) New Hampshire cities, Portsmouth and Manchester. Neighborhood-level physical characteristics were determined using Geographic Information Systems and visual surveys. Resident-level characteristics and behaviors were determined by survey of adult residents. Data were supplemented with input from and collaboration with city representatives. The results showed significant relationships between self-reported destination walking and built environment characteristics in the neighborhoods studied. Furthermore, the results showed variability between neighborhoods, underscoring the importance of local factors and behaviors. The results suggested that small cities and their regional planning organizations can make changes to specific existing neighborhoods to remove barriers to walking and allow more residents to choose walking as a transportation mode, but the changes that are most effective vary by neighborhood.
New Nanomaterials and Luminescent Optical Sensors for Detection of Hydrogen Peroxide
Authors: Burmistrova Natalia , Kolontaeva Olga , Duerkop Axel
Published: October 2015

Accurate methods that can continuously detect low concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) have a huge application potential in biological, pharmaceutical, clinical and environmental analysis. Luminescent probes and nanomaterials are used for fabrication of sensors for H2O2 that can be applied for these purposes. In contrast to previous reviews focusing on the chemical design of molecular probes for H2O2, this mini-review highlights the latest luminescent nanoparticular materials and new luminescent optical sensors for H2O2 in terms of the nanomaterial composition and luminescent receptor used in the sensors. The nanomaterial section is subdivided into schemes based on gold nanoparticles, polymeric nanoparticles with embedded enzymes, probes showing aggregation-induced emission enhancement, quantum dots, lanthanide-based nanoparticles and carbon based nanomaterials, respectively. Moreover, the sensors are ordered according to the type of luminescent receptor used within the sensor membranes. Among them are lanthanide complexes, metal-ligand complexes, oxidic nanoparticles and organic dyes. Further, the optical sensors are confined to those that are capable to monitor the concentration of H2O2 in a sample over time or are reusable. Optical sensors responding to gaseous H2O2 are not covered. All nanomaterials and sensors are characterized with respect to the analytical reaction towards H2O2, limit of detection (LOD), analytical range, electrolyte, pH and response time/incubation time. Applications to real samples are given. Finally, we assess the suitability of the nanomaterials to be used in membrane-based sensors and discuss future trends and perspectives of these sensors in biomedical research.
An Efficient Model for NPD Performance Evaluation Using DEMATEL and Fuzzy ANP—Applied to the TFT-LCD Touch Panel Industry in Taiwan
Authors: Chen Wen-Chin , Chang Hui-Pin , Lin Kuan-Ming , Kan Neng-Hao
Published: October 2015

As the competitive market nowadays shortens the life cycle of products, new products should be designed to meet the customer’s demand under a dynamic marketing environment so as to efficiently enhance the product strength of new products with maximization of profit. Hence, the key solution for enterprises to succeed will be the precise evaluation of new product development (NPD) performance, particularly for those who manage to survive in the intensely competitive market in Taiwan. This study is to identify the thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) touch panel industry and then establish an integrated model of NPD performance evaluation for enterprises. Firstly, literature review and interviews with experts are conducted to select the four aspects and 15 criteria as the main factors affecting NDP performance evaluation. Secondly, Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) is employed to identify the interrelationships among those factors. Finally, a Fuzzy theory is applied to resolve the linguistic hedges and an Analytic Network Process (ANP) is adopted to obtain the weights of all factors. A case study is performed to validate the proposed model in a Taiwanese TFT-LCD company. It not only provides the decision maker with a guidance system but also increases the competitive advantages for the TFT-LCD industry to design new products in the future.
Assessing 62 Chinese Fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) Breeding Parents in a 12-Year Grafted Clone Test
Authors: Zheng Huiquan , Hu Dehuo , Wang Runhui , Wei Ruping , Yan Shu
Published: October 2015

Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook) is one of the major commercial conifer species in China. The present study concentrated on the assessment of growth, wood property traits, and strobili number in a 12-year grafted clone test of 62 Chinese fir breeding parents, aiming to describe the variation and correlations between these traits and to identify parent clones with the highest potential for future breeding. The results indicate that all of the growth (height, diameter at breast height, stem volume, crown-width) and wood property (wood basic density and hygroscopicity) traits varied significantly (p < 0.01) among clones, with coefficients of variation ranging from 7.6% to 30.6%. Furthermore, these traits consistently had a moderate to high (0.39–0.87) repeatability estimate (broad-sense heritability). Remarkable clonal differences were also observed for the production of male and female strobili. Phenotypic correlations among growth traits were strong (p < 0.01) and positive. Significantly negative correlations (p < 0.01 or 0.05) were found between wood basic density and growth (except for height) and hygroscopicity. The production of male and female strobili appeared to be significantly (p < 0.01) positively correlated with each other. A notable number of faster-growing parent clones were identified (n = 30); 11 of these had higher density wood with an average realized gain of 10.5% in diameter, and a 5.4% gain in wood basic density. When selection was made for growth and strobili, 10 faster-growing parent clones with medium to high production of female strobili were identified.
Risk Aversion and Engagement in the Sharing Economy
Authors: Santana Jessica , Parigi Paolo
Published: October 2015

The sharing economy is a new online community that has important implications for offline behavior. This study evaluates whether engagement in the sharing economy is associated with an actor’s aversion to risk. Using a web-based survey and a field experiment, we apply an adaptation of Holt and Laury’s (2002) risk lottery game to a representative sample of sharing economy participants. We find that frequency of activity in the sharing economy predicts risk aversion, but only in interaction with satisfaction. While greater satisfaction with sharing economy websites is associated with a decrease in risk aversion, greater frequency of usage is associated with greater risk aversion. This analysis shows the limitations of a static perspective on how risk attitudes relate to participation in the sharing economy.
Analysis of Codon Usage Patterns in Herbaceous Peony (Paeonia lactiflora Pall.) Based on Transcriptome Data
Authors: Wu Yanqing , Zhao Daqiu , Tao Jun
Published: October 2015

Codon usage bias, which exists in many genomes, is mainly determined by mutation and selection. To elucidate the genetic features and evolutionary history of herbaceous peony (Paeonia lactiflora), a well-known symbol of prosperity in China, we examined synonymous codon usage in 24,216 reconstructed genes from the P. lactiflora transcriptome. The mean GC content was 44.4%, indicating that the nucleotide content of P. lactiflora genes is slightly AT rich and GC poor. The P. lactiflora genome has a wide range of GC3 (GC content at the third synonymous codon position) distribution, with a significant correlation between GC12 and GC3. ENC (effective number of codons) analysis suggested that mutational bias played a major role in shaping codon usage. Parity Rule 2 (PR2) analysis revealed that GC and AU were not used proportionally. We identified 22 “optimal codons”, most ending with an A or U. Our results suggested that nucleotide composition mutation bias and translational selection were the main driving factors of codon usage bias in P. lactiflora. These results lay the foundation for exploring the evolutionary mechanisms and heterologous expression of functionally-important proteins in P. lactiflora.
Screening for Familial Hypercholesterolemia in Children: What Can We Learn From Adult Screening Programs?
Authors: Henneman Lidewij , McBride Colleen , Cornel Martina , Duquette Debra , Qureshi Nadeem
Published: October 2015

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), an autosomal dominant atherosclerotic disease, is a common monogenic subtype of cardiovascular disease. Patients with FH suffer an increased risk of early onset heart disease. Early identification of abnormally elevated cholesterol signpost clinicians to interventions that will significantly decrease risk of related morbidity and mortality. Cascade genetic testing can subsequently identify at-risk relatives. Accordingly, a number of screening approaches have been implemented for FH in countries including the UK and the Netherlands. However, incomplete identification of cases remains a challenge. Moreover, the potential for early intervention is now raising questions about the value of implementing universal cholesterol screening approaches that focus on children. In this report, we briefly discuss the potential benefit of such screening. Additionally, we submit that ever increasing genome technological capability will force a discussion of including genetic tests in these screening programs. We discuss the opportunities and challenges presented by such an approach. We close with recommendations that the success of such screening endeavors will rely on a better integrated practice model in public health genomics that bridges stakeholders including practitioners in primary care, clinical genetics and public health.
Novel Electrokinetic Microfluidic Detector for Evaluating Effectiveness of Microalgae Disinfection in Ship Ballast Water
Authors: Maw Myint , Wang Junsheng , Li Fabo , Jiang Jinhu , Song Younan , Pan Xinxiang
Published: October 2015

Ship ballast water treatment methods face many technical challenges. The effectiveness of every treatment method usually is evaluated by using large scale equipment and a large volume of samples, which involves time-consuming, laborious, and complex operations. This paper reports the development of a novel, simple and fast platform of methodology in evaluating the efficiency and the best parameters for ballast water treatment systems, particularly in chemical disinfection. In this study, a microfluidic chip with six sample wells and a waste well was designed, where sample transportation was controlled by electrokinetic flow. The performance of this microfluidic platform was evaluated by detecting the disinfection of Dunaliella salina (D. salina) algae in ballast water treated by sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) solution. Light-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (LICF) intensity was used to determine the viability of microalgae cells in the system, which can be operated automatically with the dimension of the detector as small as 50 mm × 24 mm × 5 mm. The 40 µL volume of sample solution was used for each treatment condition test and the validity of detection can be accomplished within about five min. The results show that the viability of microalgae cells under different treatment conditions can be determined accurately and further optimal treatment conditions including concentrations of NaClO and treatment time can also be obtained. These results can provide accurate evaluation and optimal parameters for ballast water treatment methods.
The Role of Plant–Microbe Interactions and Their Exploitation for Phytoremediation of Air Pollutants
Authors: Weyens Nele , Thijs Sofie , Popek Robert , Witters Nele , Przybysz Arkadiusz , Espenshade Jordan , Gawronska Helena , Vangronsveld Jaco , Gawronski Stanislaw
Published: October 2015

Since air pollution has been linked to a plethora of human health problems, strategies to improve air quality are indispensable. Despite the complexity in composition of air pollution, phytoremediation was shown to be effective in cleaning air. Plants are known to scavenge significant amounts of air pollutants on their aboveground plant parts. Leaf fall and runoff lead to transfer of (part of) the adsorbed pollutants to the soil and rhizosphere below. After uptake in the roots and leaves, plants can metabolize, sequestrate and/or excrete air pollutants. In addition, plant-associated microorganisms play an important role by degrading, detoxifying or sequestrating the pollutants and by promoting plant growth. In this review, an overview of the available knowledge about the role and potential of plant–microbe interactions to improve indoor and outdoor air quality is provided. Most importantly, common air pollutants (particulate matter, volatile organic compounds and inorganic air pollutants) and their toxicity are described. For each of these pollutant types, a concise overview of the specific contributions of the plant and its microbiome is presented. To conclude, the state of the art and its related future challenges are presented.
ClRTL1 Encodes a Chinese Fir RNase III–Like Protein Involved in Regulating Shoot Branching
Authors: Li Xia , Su Qian , Zheng Renhua , Liu Guangxin , Lu Ye , Bian Liming , Chen Jinhui , Shi Jisen
Published: October 2015

Identification of genes controlling shoot branching is crucial for improving plant architecture and increasing crop yield or biomass. A branching mutant of Chinese fir named “Dugansha” (Cunninghamia lanceolata var. dugan.) has been isolated in our laboratory. We chose the cDNA-AFLP technique and an effective strategy to screen genes that potentially regulate shoot branching in Chinese fir using this mutant. An RNase III-like1 cDNA fragment named ClRTL1 was identified as a potential positive regulator. To investigate the function of ClRTL1 in regulating shoot branching, we cloned the full-length cDNA sequence from C. lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook, deduced its secondary structure and function, and overexpressed the coding sequence in Arabidopsis. The ClRTL1 cDNA is 1045 bp and comprises an open reading frame of 705 bp. It encodes a protein of 235 amino acids. The deduced secondary structure of the ClRTL1 indicates that it is a mini-RNase III-like protein. The expression analysis and phenotypes of 35S: ClRTL1 in A. thaliana implies that ClRTL1 plays a role in promoting shoot branching in Chinese fir.
Viral and Bacterial Epibionts in Thermally-Stressed Corals
Authors: Nguyen-Kim Hanh , Bouvier Thierry , Bouvier Corinne , Bui Van , Le-Lan Huong , Bettarel Yvan
Published: October 2015

The periodic rise in seawater temperature is one of the main environmental determinants of coral bleaching. However, the direct incidence of these episodic thermal anomalies on coral-associated microbiota and their subsequent effects on coral health are still not completely understood. In this study, we investigated the dynamics of three main microbial communities of the coral holobiont (e.g., Symbiodinium, bacteria and viruses), during an experimental thermal stress (+4 °C) conducted on the scleractinian Fungia repanda. The heat-treatment induced coral bleaching after 11 days and resulted in a final elevation of ca. 9, 130 and 250-fold in the abundance of mucosal viruses, bacteria, and Symbiodinium, respectively. On the contrary, the proportion of actively respiring bacterial cells declined by 95% in heat-stressed corals. The community composition of epibiotic bacteria in healthy corals also greatly differed from bleached ones, which also exhibited much higher production rates of viral epibionts. Overall, our results suggest that the shift in temperature induced a series of microbial changes, including the expulsion and transfer of Symbiodinium cells from the coral polyps to the mucus, the collapse of the physiological state of the native bacterial associates, a substantial alteration in their community structure, and accompanied by the development of a cortege of highly active virulent phages. Finally, this study provides new insights into the environmentally-driven microbial and viral processes responsible for the dislocation of the coral holobiont.
The RNA World: 4,000,000,050 years old
Authors: Lehman Niles
Published: October 2015

The RNA World is now some four billion years behind us, but only recently turned 50 as a human hypothesis. [...]
Cell Death Inducing Microbial Protein Phosphatase Inhibitors—Mechanisms of Action
Authors: Kleppe Rune , Herfindal Lars , Døskeland Stein
Published: October 2015

Okadaic acid (OA) and microcystin (MC) as well as several other microbial toxins like nodularin and calyculinA are known as tumor promoters as well as inducers of apoptotic cell death. Their intracellular targets are the major serine/threonine protein phosphatases. This review summarizes mechanisms believed to be responsible for the death induction and tumor promotion with focus on the interdependent production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and activation of Ca2+/calmodulin kinase II (CaM-KII). New data are presented using inhibitors of specific ROS producing enzymes to curb nodularin/MC-induced liver cell (hepatocyte) death. They indicate that enzymes of the arachidonic acid pathway, notably phospholipase A2, 5-lipoxygenase, and cyclooxygenases, may be required for nodularin/MC-induced (and presumably OA-induced) cell death, suggesting new ways to overcome at least some aspects of OA and MC toxicity.
Microstructures and Wear Performance of PTAW Deposited Ni-Based Coatings with Spherical Tungsten Carbide
Authors: Deng Dewei , Zhang Lin , Niu Tingting , Liu Haiying , Zhang Hongchao
Published: October 2015

The Ni-based coatings with different content of spherical tungsten carbide were deposited by plasma transfer arc welding (PTAW) method on 304 austenitic stainless steel sheets in this study. The microstructure and wear property of spherical tungsten carbide particle reinforced composite coatings were investigated by means of optical microscope, scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) and sliding wear test. It is shown that the fraction of spherical tungsten carbides has an important influence on microstructure of Ni-based overlay. The Ni40 overlay consists of γ-Ni dendrites with interdendritic Ni-based eutectics, borides and carbides improving the wear resistance. In the case of composite coatings with different content of tungsten carbide, many new phases are observed, such as Ni2W4C and NiW. In addition, there are a large number of irregular structures in composite coatings, such as acicular structure and irregular stripe organization. The results of sliding wear test indicate that the mass loss of coatings is influenced by the content of tungsten carbide. The mass loss decreases with the increase of tungsten carbide fraction. At high load, the abrasive resistance of composite coating with 60 wt. % tungsten carbide is improved about 50-fold compared to that of Ni40 overlay.
A Self-Adaptive Steered Molecular Dynamics Method Based on Minimization of Stretching Force Reveals the Binding Affinity of Protein–Ligand Complexes
Authors: Gu Junfeng , Li Hongxia , Wang Xicheng
Published: October 2015

Binding affinity prediction of protein–ligand complexes has attracted widespread interest. In this study, a self-adaptive steered molecular dynamics (SMD) method is proposed to reveal the binding affinity of protein–ligand complexes. The SMD method is executed through adjusting pulling direction to find an optimum trajectory of ligand dissociation, which is realized by minimizing the stretching force automatically. The SMD method is then used to simulate the dissociations of 19 common protein–ligand complexes which are derived from two homology families, and the binding free energy values are gained through experimental techniques. Results show that the proposed SMD method follows a different dissociation pathway with lower a rupture force and energy barrier when compared with the conventional SMD method, and further analysis indicates the rupture forces of the complexes in the same protein family correlate well with their binding free energy, which reveals the possibility of using the proposed SMD method to identify the active ligand.
Antimycobacterial Activities of Endolysins Derived From a Mycobacteriophage, BTCU-1
Authors: Lai Meng-Jiun , Liu Chih-Chin , Jiang Shinn-Jong , Soo Po-Chi , Tu Meng-Hsuan , Lee Jen-Jyh , Chen Ying-Huei , Chang Kai-Chih
Published: October 2015

The high incidence of Mycobacterium infection, notably multidrug-resistant M. tuberculosis infection, has become a significant public health concern worldwide. In this study, we isolate and analyze a mycobacteriophage, BTCU-1, and a foundational study was performed to evaluate the antimycobacterial activity of BTCU-1 and its cloned lytic endolysins. Using Mycobacterium smegmatis as host, a mycobacteriophage, BTCU-1, was isolated from soil in eastern Taiwan. The electron microscopy images revealed that BTCU-1 displayed morphology resembling the Siphoviridae family. In the genome of BTCU-1, two putative lytic genes, BTCU-1_ORF7 and BTCU-1_ORF8 (termed lysA and lysB, respectively), were identified, and further subcloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. When applied exogenously, both LysA and LysB were active against M. smegmatis tested. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that LysA and LysB caused a remarkable modification of the cell shape of M. smegmatis. Intracellular bactericidal activity assay showed that treatment of M. smegmatis—infected RAW 264.7 macrophages with LysA or LysB resulted in a significant reduction in the number of viable intracellular bacilli. These results indicate that the endolysins derived from BTCU-1 have antimycobacterial activity, and suggest that they are good candidates for therapeutic/disinfectant agents to control mycobacterial infections.
Influence of Parenting Practices on Eating Behaviors of Early Adolescents during Independent Eating Occasions: Implications for Obesity Prevention
Authors: Reicks Marla , Banna Jinan , Cluskey Mary , Gunther Carolyn , Hongu Nobuko , Richards Rickelle , Topham Glade , Wong Siew
Published: October 2015

Among early adolescents (10–14 years), poor diet quality along with physical inactivity can contribute to an increased risk of obesity and associated biomarkers for chronic disease. Approximately one-third of United States (USA) children in this age group are overweight or obese. Therefore, attention to factors affecting dietary intake as one of the primary contributors to obesity is important. Early adolescents consume foods and beverages during eating occasions that occur with and without parental supervision. Parents may influence eating behaviors of early adolescents during eating occasions when they are present or during independent eating occasions by engaging in practices that affect availability of foods and beverages, and through perceived normative beliefs and expectations for intake. Therefore, the purpose of this article was to describe the influence of parenting practices on eating behaviors in general and when specifically applied to independent eating occasions of early adolescents. This information may be helpful to inform parenting interventions targeting obesity prevention among early adolescents focusing on independent eating occasions.
Performance of Very Small Robotic Fish Equipped with CMOS Camera
Authors: Zhao Yang , Fukuhara Masaaki , Usami Takahiro , Takada Yogo
Published: October 2015

Underwater robots are often used to investigate marine animals. Ideally, such robots should be in the shape of fish so that they can easily go unnoticed by aquatic animals. In addition, lacking a screw propeller, a robotic fish would be less likely to become entangled in algae and other plants. However, although such robots have been developed, their swimming speed is significantly lower than that of real fish. Since to carry out a survey of actual fish a robotic fish would be required to follow them, it is necessary to improve the performance of the propulsion system. In the present study, a small robotic fish (SAPPA) was manufactured and its propulsive performance was evaluated. SAPPA was developed to swim in bodies of freshwater such as rivers, and was equipped with a small CMOS camera with a wide-angle lens in order to photograph live fish. The maximum swimming speed of the robot was determined to be 111 mm/s, and its turning radius was 125 mm. Its power consumption was as low as 1.82 W. During trials, SAPPA succeeded in recognizing a goldfish and capturing an image of it using its CMOS camera.
Investigating Bi-Temporal Hyperspectral Lidar Measurements from Declined Trees—Experiences from Laboratory Test
Authors: Junttila Samuli , Kaasalainen Sanna , Vastaranta Mikko , Hakala Teemu , Nevalainen Olli , Holopainen Markus
Published: October 2015

Global warming is posing a threat to the health and condition of forests as the amount and length of biotic and abiotic disturbances increase. Most methods for detecting disturbances and measuring forest health are based on multi- and hyperspectral imaging. We conducted a test with spruce and pine trees using a hyperspectral Lidar instrument in a laboratory to determine the capability of combined range and reflectance measurements to investigate forest health. A simple drought treatment was conducted by leaving the harvested trees outdoors without a water supply for 12 days. The results showed statistically significant variation in reflectance after the drought treatment for both species. However, the changes differed between the species, indicating that drought-induced alterations in spectral characteristics may be species-dependent. Based on our results, hyperspectral Lidar has the potential to detect drought in spruce and pine trees.
Modeling Microwave Emission from Short Vegetation-Covered Surfaces
Authors: Xie Yanhui , Shi Jiancheng , Lei Yonghui , Li Yunqing
Published: October 2015

Owing to the temporal and spatial variability of the emissivity spectra, problems remain in the interpretation and application of satellite passive microwave data over vegetation-covered surfaces. The commonly used microwave land emissivity model, developed by Weng et al. (2001) and implemented into the community radiative transfer model (CRTM), treats vegetation-covered surfaces as a three-layer medium. This simplification comes at the cost of accuracy. In this study, to reduce bias in the modeling of microwave emissions from short vegetation-covered surfaces, two modifications are made. First, vegetation was considered as a multilayered medium including leaves and stems to simulate volumetric absorption and scattering. The results suggest that the calculated brightness temperatures well agree with field experiments under different incidence angles for low soil moisture and sparse crop cover. On the other hand, large errors from the measurements are found for high soil moisture content and dense crop cover. Second, the advanced integral equation model (AIEM) was also used to improve the simulation of reflectivity from rough soil surfaces. Comparisons with field experimental data show that the determination coefficient between the calculated and measured brightness temperatures significantly increased and the root-mean-square errors remarkably decreased. The average improvement using the proposed approach is about 80% and 59% in accuracy for the vertical and horizontal polarization, respectively.
Visual Tracking Based on Extreme Learning Machine and Sparse Representation
Authors: Wang Baoxian , Tang Linbo , Yang Jinglin , Zhao Baojun , Wang Shuigen
Published: October 2015

The existing sparse representation-based visual trackers mostly suffer from both being time consuming and having poor robustness problems. To address these issues, a novel tracking method is presented via combining sparse representation and an emerging learning technique, namely extreme learning machine (ELM). Specifically, visual tracking can be divided into two consecutive processes. Firstly, ELM is utilized to find the optimal separate hyperplane between the target observations and background ones. Thus, the trained ELM classification function is able to remove most of the candidate samples related to background contents efficiently, thereby reducing the total computational cost of the following sparse representation. Secondly, to further combine ELM and sparse representation, the resultant confidence values (i.e., probabilities to be a target) of samples on the ELM classification function are used to construct a new manifold learning constraint term of the sparse representation framework, which tends to achieve robuster results. Moreover, the accelerated proximal gradient method is used for deriving the optimal solution (in matrix form) of the constrained sparse tracking model. Additionally, the matrix form solution allows the candidate samples to be calculated in parallel, thereby leading to a higher efficiency. Experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed tracker.
Seismic Performance Evaluation of Multistory Reinforced Concrete Moment Resisting Frame Structure with Shear Walls
Authors: Seo Junwon , Hu Jong , Davaajamts Burte
Published: October 2015

This paper is intended to evaluate the seismic performance of a twelve-story reinforced concrete moment-resisting frame structure with shear walls using 3D finite element models according to such seismic design regulations as Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) guideline and seismic building codes including Los Angeles Tall Building Structural Design Council (LATBSDC) code. The structure is located in Seismic Zone 4, considered the highest-seismic-risk classification established by the U.S. Geological Survey. 3D finite element model was created in commercially available finite element software. As part of the seismic performance evaluation, two standard approaches for the structure seismic analysis were used; response spectrum analysis and nonlinear time-history analysis. Both approaches were used to compute inter-story drift ratios of the structure. Seismic fragility curves for each floor of the structure were generated using the ratios from the time history analysis with the FEMA guideline so as to evaluate their seismic vulnerability. The ratios from both approaches were compared to FEMA and LATBSDC limits. The findings revealed that the floor-level fragility mostly decreased for all the FEMA performance levels with an increase in height and the ratios from both approaches mostly satisfied the codified limits.
Differential Adsorption of Ochratoxin A and Anthocyanins by Inactivated Yeasts and Yeast Cell Walls during Simulation of Wine Aging
Authors: Petruzzi Leonardo , Baiano Antonietta , De Gianni Antonio , Sinigaglia Milena , Corbo Maria , Bevilacqua Antonio
Published: October 2015

The adsorption of ochratoxin A (OTA) by yeasts is a promising approach for the decontamination of musts and wines, but some potential competitive or interactive phenomena between mycotoxin, yeast cells, and anthocyanins might modify the intensity of the phenomenon. The aim of this study was to examine OTA adsorption by two strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (the wild strain W13, and the commercial isolate BM45), previously inactivated by heat, and a yeast cell wall preparation. Experiments were conducted using Nero di Troia red wine contaminated with 2 μg/L OTA and supplemented with yeast biomass (20 g/L). The samples were analyzed periodically to assess mycotoxin concentration, chromatic characteristics, and total anthocyanins over 84 days of aging. Yeast cell walls revealed the highest OTA-adsorption in comparison to thermally-inactivated cells (50% vs. 43% toxin reduction), whilst no significant differences were found for the amount of adsorbed anthocyanins in OTA-contaminated and control wines. OTA and anthocyanins adsorption were not competitive phenomena. Unfortunately, the addition of yeast cells to wine could cause color loss; therefore, yeast selection should also focus on this trait to select the best strain.
Special Issue: Honey Bee Viruses
Authors: Gisder Sebastian , Genersch Elke
Published: October 2015

Pollination of flowering plants is an important ecosystem service provided by wild insect pollinators and managed honey bees. Hence, losses and declines of pollinating insect species threaten human food security and are of major concern not only for apiculture or agriculture but for human society in general. Honey bee colony losses and bumblebee declines have attracted intensive research interest over the last decade and although the problem is far from being solved we now know that viruses are among the key players of many of these bee losses and bumblebee declines. With this special issue on bee viruses we, therefore, aimed to collect high quality original papers reflecting the current state of bee virus research. To this end, we focused on newly discovered viruses (Lake Sinai viruses, bee macula-like virus), or a so far neglected virus species (Apis mellifera filamentous virus), and cutting edge technologies (mass spectrometry, RNAi approach) applied in the field.
A blended learning framework for curriculum design and professional development
Authors: Mirriahi Negin , Alonzo Dennis , Fox Bob
Published: October 2015

The need for flexibility in learning and the affordances of technology provided the impetus for the rise of blended learning (BL) globally across higher education institutions. However, the adoption of BL practices continues at a low pace due to academics’ low digital fluency, various views and BL definitions, and limited standards-based tools to guide academic practice. To address these issues, this paper introduces a BL framework, based on one definition and with criteria and standards of practice to support the evaluation and advancement of BL in higher education. The framework is theoretically underpinned by the extant literature and supported by focus group discussions. The evidence supporting the criteria and standards are discussed with suggestions for how they can be used to guide course design, academic practice, and professional development.Keywords: digital literacy; criteria; standards; academic development; curriculum design(Published: 26 October 2015)Citation: Research in Learning Technology 2015, 23: 28451 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/rlt.v23.28451
Total synthesis of panicein A2
Authors: Yeung Lili , Pilkington Lisa I , Cadelis Melissa M , Copp Brent R , Barker David
Published: October 2015

The first total synthesis of the unusual aromatic sesquiterpene panicein A2 is reported and the structure of the natural product has been confirmed. When tested by the NCI against a range of human cancer cell lines, it was found that panicein A2 exhibits very little antiproliferative activity at 10 μM – an observation that is at odds with the earlier report that stated panicein A2 exhibits in vitro cytotoxicity against a number of tumour cell lines.
APPLICATION OF MULTIPLE-CRITERIA DECISION-MAKING TECHNIQUES AND APPROACHES TO EVALUATING OF SERVICE QUALITY: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
Authors: Mardani Abbas , Jusoh Ahmad , Zavadskas Edmundas Kazimieras , Khalifah Zainab , Nor Khalil Md
Published: October 2015

The main purpose of this paper is to present a systematic review of multiple- criteria decision-making (MCDM) techniques used in the assessment of service qual- ity. This study reviewed a total of 79 articles from 51 journals, published from 2001 to 2015. Articles were classified into 10 application areas and scopes. Furthermore, articles were categorised based on an author, year, application area, the nationality of the author, ‏technique, a number of criteria, research purpose, gap and research problem, results and outcome. The best criteria were determined in each article. The results of this study re- vealed that more papers on MCDM were published in 2011 than in any other year. Inte- grated techniques, analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and fuzzy AHP methods, were ranked as first and second methods in use, respectively. Finally, the airline industry was ranked as the first application area, in which previous studies applied MCDM techniques for the evaluation of the service quality. This research contributes to the existing literature on the service quality and MCDM. The research outputs are valuable to academics scholars and leaders of organisations and industries in the field of service quality evaluation.
An Efficient Extreme Learning Machine Based on Fuzzy Information Granulation
Authors: LV Xia-fu , CHEN Jun-peng , LIU Lei , WANG Bo-hua , WANG Yong
Published: October 2015

In order to improve learning efficiency and generalization ability of extreme learning machine (ELM), an efficient extreme learning machine based on fuzzy information granulation (FIG) is put forward. Firstly, using FIG to get rid of redundant information in the original data set and then ELM is used to do train granulated data for prediction. This method not only improves the speed of basic ELM algorithm that contains many hidden nodes, but also overcomes the weakness of basic ELM of low learning efficiency and generalization ability by getting rid of redundant information in the observed values. The experimental results show that the proposed method is effective and can produce desirable generalization performance in most cases based on a few regression and classification problem.
The Influence of ECAP Geometry on the Effective Strain Distribution
Authors: Kočiško Robert , Kvačkaj Tibor , Kováčová Andrea , Zemko Michal
Published: October 2015

Equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) is one of the most well-known severe plastic deformation (SPD) method for formation the UFG (ultrafine-grained) structures. This method provides very high strains leading to the extreme work hardening and microstructural refinement. To increase the efficiency of ECAP method, there is necessary to design the geometry of ECAP die with focus on high degree of plastic deformation homogeneity. The present study deals with the influence of channel angle on the deformation behavior and strain homogeneity in the transverse direction of sample after two ECAP passes. This analysis was carried out through finite element simulations in the Deform program. In the simulation, three main factors such as an intersecting angle of Ф = 90°, 100°, 110° a 120°, outer corner angle R (ψ) and inner corner angle (r) were being varied. The equation describing the dependence of R and r on average value of the effective plastic strain for different channel angles was established. Moreover, strain inhomogeneity index (Ci) in the transverse direction of sample was also calculated. The results from simulations have indicated that if the outer corner angle increases, mean effective strain decreases. After two ECAP passes (route C), there was seen the increase in strain homogeneity of the sample's cross section.
Aluminium Alloys Measurement in Quenching Dilatometer and Application of the Data
Authors: Kövér Michal , Sláma Peter
Published: October 2015

Thermal expansion is an important material property. From change of this quantity phase transformations can be evaluated. Therefore dilatometry is a common tool for construction of transformation diagrams in steel and prediction of material structure according to the performed heat treatment. However there are some restrictions for quenching dilatometers, such as magnetic properties of the material or weldability of the controlling and measuring thermocouple. In this article the quenching dilatometry is proposed for evaluation of precipitation during continuous cooling from solution annealing temperature. Aluminium alloy EN AW 6082 was chosen as the experimental material. Due to poor weldability of the experimental material new sample geometry was introduced.
Effect of Precipitation Aging Conditions on Microstructural Refurbishment in Cast Nickel Base Superalloy GTD-111
Authors: Wangyao Panyawat , Phansri Luksawee , Hirisatja Piyalak , Saelor Kritsayanee , Zrník Jozef , Novy Zbysek
Published: October 2015

This research study has an aim to evaluate and investigate the effect of various rejuvenation heat treatments on microstructure of long-term serviced cast nickel base superalloy grade GTD-111 used as turbine blade material. The evaluated reheat treatment programs consist of solution treatment at 1195°C for 2, 3, 4 and 5 hours then following with primary aging at 1120◦C for 2 hours and secondary aging at 845°C for 25, 50, 75 and 100 hours, respectively. All reheat treated microstructures were examined and analyzed by SEM and image analyzer. From all obtained results, it was found that the most proper solution treatment duration was 5 hours to provide the most uniform microstructural characteristics, which consist of the uniform distribution of very dense gamma prime particles in the matrix as well as its highest hardness value. Furthermore, when increasing the duration at secondary aging at 845◦C over than 25 hours (which is according to standard heat treatment), such microstructure provided the most gamma prime phase stability comparing to those of other reheat treatment programs.
Capabilities of Thixoforming of Steels
Authors: Novy Zbysek , Opatová Kateřina
Published: October 2015

Thanks to innovative processing routes, even conventional materials which have been around for years can be manipulated to obtain unconventional microstructures with specific mechanical and physical properties. This also holds for various semi-solid forming processes, which represent a dynamically developing field. Yet, these processes are still under development due to their technological complexity. One of the innovative methods of semi-solid processing is mini-thixoforming. As it focuses on very small-size products, it offers very steep heating curves and extremely high solidification and cooling rates, unlike conventional thixoforming. These features have profound impact on the evolution of microstructure and the resulting properties of the product. As in the conventional thixoforming process, complex-shaped products can be manufactured with high precision, using a single forming step. The potential and capabilities of the process were explored using the ledeburitic X210Cr12 steel as the experimental material. Once the optimum conditions were found, other tool steels were used for trials as well. Thanks to closely-controlled temperature field, mini-thixoforming was successfully used on a steel with a freezing range of a mere 15 °C. The microstructure evolution in the mini-thixoforming process is an issue of its own. The final microstructure of X210Cr12 after processing consisted of more than 90 % of austenite and chromium carbides. Semi-solid processing of a steel with a high vanadium content led to a microstructure comprising MA matrix and globular vanadium carbides. In a low-alloyed steel, martensitic microstructure was obtained.Keywords: thixoforming, mini-thixoforming, semi-solid processing, tool steels
Meeting the Challenges of Power Generation on Offshore Heavy Oilfields
Authors: Welch M. , Larsson S.
Published: October 2015

There are many physical and financial factors that determine the optimum power generation solution on an Offshore installation - space requirements, weight, reliability, and maintenance requirements to name a few. On top of these factors, environmental impacts must be considered, such as emissions of Nitrous Oxides (NOx) and Carbon Dioxide (CO2), and visible pollution like flaring.

Whereas in ‘conventional’ offshore oilfields, there is usually associated gas available to provide the fuel for power generation, Heavy Oilfields provide an additional challenge: they tend to be gas deficient, with insufficient associated gas over field life to fully fuel a power plant. This requires the import of fuel, such as diesel or Heavy Fuel Oil, as these are easily transportable and storable, but importing fuels, and especially premium refined liquid fuels, increases operational costs. Therefore it may be necessary to look at using the produced crude oil itself as the fuel for power generation, and this in itself requires careful consideration by the providers of the different potential power generation technologies.

Liquid fuels also produce more NOx when burned, and are more carbon intensive than most gas fuels, increasing CO2 emissions. Heavy oil facilities usually need more heat for production and processing purposes than lighter crude oils, requiring combustion of more fuel to provide the process heat required and increasing CO2 emissions still further.

This paper looks at the types of liquid fuels, especially crude oil, and alternative power generation technologies that can be considered, and the potential advantages and disadvantages of these technologies in an Offshore application. It also looks at ways of reducing combustion emissions such as NOx and using Cogeneration as a means of reducing CO2 emissions by maximising overall energy efficiency.
A New Method of Producing Mechanically Lined Pipe Including Large Diameters
Authors: Heigl G. , Pavlyk V. , Aretov I. , McCann S.
Published: October 2015

Many offshore oil & gas reservoirs contain unwanted components that complicate the safe transportation of the hydro carbons to onshore refineries. Over time these unfavorable constituents corrode unprotected carbon steel pipelines. In 2013 a pipeline failed in the Caspian Sea within weeks under operational conditions. This high profile failure has already caused many oil companies to rethink their established methodology for pipe lines. Using cladded pipes is a method to safely transport contaminated oil & gas from the well to the cleaning facility. There are various ways to clad pipes with a variety of corrosion resistant alloys (CRA). One category of methods is based on cladding a plate which subsequently is formed to a pipe. The hot roll bonding process is the most dominant route. The second common category of methods is a pipe in pipe solution which is referred to as mechanically cladded pipe. Both groups of methods have their benefits as well as disadvantages but both are industrially proven.

There is a third way to produce clad pipes which can be classified between the two aforementioned categories above. This method starts with a carbon steel plate and CRA strip material so the cladding forms part of the pipe forming process. As this new technique produces a clad pipe product which, from a technical perspective, is situated between the established clad pipe methods, it is called Hybrid Clad®. The resulting bonding strength between the carbon steel and the CRA layer is significantly above that of existing mechanically cladded solutions but lower than metallurgical bonded clad variants.

This paper will provide details of clad pipe manufacture using this new method of production whilst emphasizing the key steps which influence product quality. Secondly, the main benefits and disadvantages of the established clad pipe production methods will be compared with each other and the Hybrid Clad® solution. This comparison is intended to identify the preferred clad pipe product to provide a solution to transportation problems.