bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Phantasmagoria of the global learner: unlikely global learners and the hierarchy of learning
Authors: Doerr Neriko Musha
Published: August 2017

Though the concept ‘global learner’ has become a buzzword in education, few have critically analysed it. This article examines three types of ‘unlikely global learners’ who are not usually considered global learners even though they could be, according to a current definition: Ma¯ori–English bilingual students in Aotearoa/New Zealand; an American student who studied abroad in the U.K. in ways not valued in the dominant study-abroad discourse of immersion; and immigrant English-as-a-Second-Language students in the U.S. I analyse what their erasure as global learners tells us, arguing that the notion of global learner acts as what Walter Benjamin calls a phantasmagoria that masks the power relations involved. Though critical of ‘global learners’ as a globalist concept, I call for expanding the notion in order to engage with current transformations in education.
Analysis of Ghost Driver Hazard of Road Junctions by Graph Technique
Authors: Krausz Nikol , Barsi Árpád
Published: August 2017

Due to the increased traffic, improving road safety is one of the major issues in the transportation policies of most countries. Our primary goal is to locate possible spots where vehicle travel against the traffic direction is possible. Vehicle driving on the wrong side of the road also known as ghost driver. This paper presents a technique in junctions based on graph analysis to locate possible ghost driver spots. The paper demonstrates a safety technical application in the case of different type of road crossings and gives an overview about the thematic data modelling and the applied technology.
Multifunctional Signal Generator for Calibration System of Jet Engine Exhaust Gas Temperature Measurement
Authors: Janu Premysl , Doan Sang Van
Published: August 2017

One of the most important systems of an aircraft jet engine is exhaust gas temperature measurement system that ensure right function of the engine. Temperature of the gas flowing from the engine turbine is quite high. There is one way, how to measure high temperature and it is by thermocouple. So the main aim of the paper is to describe creation and correct function analysis of a thermocouple simulator. Thermocouple generates very low voltage depending on a temperature that ranges from units micro-volts to several tens of millivolts. Generating of such low voltage using simulator is not easy, because this voltage may move at levels of noise. Voltage generation is performed by digital-analogue converter, which is controlled by a microcontroller via SPI bus. The generated voltage is further reduced to a level corresponding to the voltage output of the thermocouple. Several calibration waveforms are performed belonging to appropriate thermocouple type for multifunctional use. Only positive temperatures are generated, because exhaust gas temperature measurement system is aimed at high temperatures. The power supply circuit offers two options. It is supply from accumulator for its portability or from the laboratory power supply. Surface mounted devices are selected in terms of module miniaturization. The newest device base is chosen for modern design of the module. The temperature waveform is generated by the way of polynomial approximation with correction. Dependence of real generated voltage on the voltage, which is defined by appropriate thermocouple type standard and errors evaluation, is used as a proof of proper function.
Using Video to Validate Vehicle Speed Uncertainty in Vertical Side Collisions
Authors: Yang Jianjun , Dong Dawei , Li Pingfei , Liang Tao , Zhang Zhiyong
Published: August 2017

Vehicle speed access is an important part of road traffic accidents. Many factors affect the speed of the vehicle in vertical side collisions. Uncertainty in speed calculations related to vehicle collision was researched. The main parameters which have a greater impact on the speed of calculation results were discussed. And speed calculation methods based on uncertainty factors have been analyzed. By use of the vehicle vertical side collisions case, the speed of uncertainty has been carried out. Combined with accident surveillance video, the video picture computed speed and uncertainty factors obtained speed were compared. The results showed that selected road adhesion coefficient, vehicle weight and other parameters as the uncertainty factors, the use of uncertainty obtained speed with high reliability of forensic, which can be used in accident reconstruction.
Post-Processing Partitions to Identify Domains of Modularity Optimization
Authors: Weir William , Emmons Scott , Gibson Ryan , Taylor Dane , Mucha Peter
Published: August 2017

We introduce the Convex Hull of Admissible Modularity Partitions (CHAMP) algorithm to prune and prioritize different network community structures identified across multiple runs of possibly various computational heuristics. Given a set of partitions, CHAMP identifies the domain of modularity optimization for each partition—i.e., the parameter-space domain where it has the largest modularity relative to the input set—discarding partitions with empty domains to obtain the subset of partitions that are “admissible” candidate community structures that remain potentially optimal over indicated parameter domains. Importantly, CHAMP can be used for multi-dimensional parameter spaces, such as those for multilayer networks where one includes a resolution parameter and interlayer coupling. Using the results from CHAMP, a user can more appropriately select robust community structures by observing the sizes of domains of optimization and the pairwise comparisons between partitions in the admissible subset. We demonstrate the utility of CHAMP with several example networks. In these examples, CHAMP focuses attention onto pruned subsets of admissible partitions that are 20-to-1785 times smaller than the sets of unique partitions obtained by community detection heuristics that were input into CHAMP.
NBTI and Power Reduction Using an Input Vector Control and Supply Voltage Assignment Method
Authors: Sun Peng , Yang Zhiming , Yu Yang , Li Junbao , Peng Xiyuan
Published: August 2017

As technology scales, negative bias temperature instability (NBTI) becomes one of the primary failure mechanisms for Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) circuits. Meanwhile, the leakage power increases dramatically as the supply/threshold voltage continues to scale down. These two issues pose severe reliability problems for complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) devices. Because both the NBTI and leakage are dependent on the input vector of the circuit, we present an input vector control (IVC) method based on a linear programming algorithm, which can co-optimize circuit aging and power dissipation simultaneously. In addition, our proposed IVC method is combined with the supply voltage assignment technique to further reduce delay degradation and leakage power. Experimental results on various circuits show the effectiveness of the proposed combination method.
A Parallel Two-Stage Iteration Method for Solving Continuous Sylvester Equations
Authors: Xiao Manyu , Lv Quanyi , Xing Zhuo , Zhang Yingchun
Published: August 2017

In this paper we propose a parallel two-stage iteration algorithm for solving large-scale continuous Sylvester equations. By splitting the coefficient matrices, the original linear system is transformed into a symmetric linear system which is then solved by using the SYMMLQ algorithm. In order to improve the relative parallel efficiency, an adjusting strategy is explored during the iteration calculation of the SYMMLQ algorithm to decrease the degree of the reduce-operator from two to one communications at each step. Moreover, the convergence of the iteration scheme is discussed, and finally numerical results are reported showing that the proposed method is an efficient and robust algorithm for this class of continuous Sylvester equations on a parallel machine.
Hybrid Electric Aircraft Propulsion Case Study for Skydiving Mission
Authors: Glassock Richard , Galea Michael , Williams Warren , Glesk Tibor
Published: August 2017

This paper describes a case study for applying innovative architectures related to electrified propulsion for aircraft. Electric and hybrid electric propulsion for aircraft has gained widespread and significant attention over the past decade. The driver for industry interest has principally been the need to reduce emissions of combustion engine exhaust products and noise, but increasingly studies revealed potential for overall improvement in energy efficiency and mission flexibility of new aircraft types. In this work, a conceptual new type for a skydiver lift mission aircraft is examined. The opportunities which electric hybridisation offers for this role is analysed in comparison with conventional legacy type propulsion systems. For a conventional commercial skydiving mission, an all-electric propulsion system is shown as viable, and a hybrid-electric system is shown to reduce aircraft fuel costs and CO2 emissions whilst maintaining conventional aero-engine operational benefits. The new paradigm for aircraft development which hybrid electric propulsion enables has highlighted significant issues with aircraft certification practices as they exist today. The advancement of aircraft design and production to harness the value of new propulsion systems may require adaption and development of certification standards to cater for these new technologies.
Impacts of Fertilization Type on Soil Microbial Biomass and Nutrient Availability in Two Agroecological Zones of Ghana
Authors: Omari Richard , Sarkodee-Addo Elsie , Fujii Yoshiharu , Oikawa Yosei , Bellingrath-Kimura Sonoko
Published: August 2017

The decline in soil productivity amidst efforts to increase crop yield in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) has made it imperative to assess the current fertilization management approaches. This study was conducted in two agroecological zones (i.e., Guinea Savannah (GS) and Deciduous forest (DF)) of Ghana to evaluate how different fertilization schemes in the long term (>5 years) impacted the soil biochemical properties. Soil samples under four fertilization schemes (inorganic fertilizer only, low-to-medium organic residues only, inorganic fertilizers plus low-to-medium organic residues, and no fertilization) from 20 farmers’ field were sampled from March to April 2015. Soil biochemical quality indicators were determined using standard procedures. Overall, the average chemical and microbial biomass contents for most indicators were significantly higher in DF compared to GS. Relative to the reference sites, soil quality improvement were observed under inorganic fertilization in both agroecologies in contrast to significant soil deterioration (26.5%) under sole organic residue application in GS. Furthermore, the results showed that increased inorganic fertilization rate alone or combination with organic residues improved soil quality relative to the reference. The present results suggest the need to raise the current fertilizer application rates, especially in GS in order to enhance optimum soil productivity.
Superoxide Dismutases in Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Wilkes Justin , Alexander Matthew , Cullen Joseph
Published: August 2017

The incidence of pancreatic cancer is increasing as the population ages but treatment advancements continue to lag far behind. The majority of pancreatic cancer patients have a K-ras oncogene mutation causing a shift in the redox state of the cell, favoring malignant proliferation. This mutation is believed to lead to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase activation and superoxide overproduction, generating tumorigenic behavior. Superoxide dismutases (SODs) have been studied for their ability to manage the oxidative state of the cell by dismuting superoxide and inhibiting signals for pancreatic cancer growth. In particular, manganese superoxide dismutase has clearly shown importance in cell cycle regulation and has been found to be abnormally low in pancreatic cancer cells as well as the surrounding stromal tissue. Likewise, extracellular superoxide dismutase expression seems to favor suppression of pancreatic cancer growth. With an increased understanding of the redox behavior of pancreatic cancer and key regulators, new treatments are being developed with specific targets in mind. This review summarizes what is known about superoxide dismutases in pancreatic cancer and the most current treatment strategies to be advanced from this knowledge.
Silver Nanoparticles-Loaded Exfoliated Graphite and Its Anti-Bacterial Performance
Authors: Hou Shiyu , Li Jihui , Huang Xiaochuan , Wang Xiaomao , Ma Liqiang , Shen Wanci , Kang Feiyu , Huang Zheng-Hong
Published: August 2017

One antibacterial material was prepared from exfoliated graphite (EG) decorated with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). The EG was prepared by the graphite intercalated compound process, AgNPs were prepared by chemical reduction of AgNO3 in the presence of NaBH4. The AgNPs-loaded EG (Ag-EG) composite was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), nitrogen adsorption, mercury intrusion porosimetry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The antibacterial effect of the Ag-EG was evaluated by using the zone of inhibition method. The loaded AgNPs were highly dispersed on EG sheets and most of them have a size less than 10 nm. The Ag loading slightly increased the surface area of EG. It is shown that the Ag-EG had antibacterial activity and anti-adhesion properties against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. It suggests that Ag-EG composites could be used in a variety of industrial applications that require an antibacterial effect.
Design, Analysis and Fabrication of a Novel Transverse Flux Permanent Magnet Machine with Disk Rotor
Authors: Azarinfar Hosein , Aghaebrahimi Mohammad
Published: August 2017

The purpose of this paper is to propose a novel design for the transverse flux permanent magnet (TFPM) disk-rotor generator with E and I-shaped cores (TFPMDEIG). Disk-shape structure increases the machine’s power factor, allows for high rotational speeds, decreases centrifugal force over permanent magnets, and is employed in wind turbines, due to its compact structures. As for other advantages for this structure, one can point to the fact that there are as many windings as machine’s pole pairs; these windings become parallel by observing the polarity. In other words, the total power of this machine is distributed between pole pairs, increasing the overall reliability of the machine. In this paper, first, the initial design algorithm and the basic formulas governing the behavior of the proposed structure using the equivalent magnetic circuit for each pole are provided, and the three-dimensional finite element method (3D-FEM) is used for verification of the algorithm. To validate the simulation results (3D-FEM), then, a prototype has been fabricated and experienced. The experimental results are in good agreement with simulation results.
Reviews on Chinese Patents Regarding the Nickel/Metal Hydride Battery
Authors: Young Kwo-Hsiung , Cai Xiaojuan , Chang Shiuan
Published: August 2017

Both the patents issued and applications filed in China regarding nickel/metal hydride (Ni/MH) battery technology are reviewed in the article. Selective works from 39 battery manufactures, 9 metal hydride alloy suppliers, 13 Ni(OH)2 suppliers, 20 hardware suppliers, 19 system integrators, universities, and 12 research institutes are included. China being the country that produces the most Ni/MH batteries is relatively weak in the innovation part of intellectual properties when compared to the US and Japan. However, it produces very many patents in the areas of cell structure optimization and production processes. Designs of high-capacity, high-power, and low-cost cells are compared from different manufacturers.
In Their Own Words: How Family Carers of People with Dementia Understand Resilience
Authors: O’Dwyer Siobhan , Moyle Wendy , Taylor Tara , Creese Jennifer , Zimmer-Gembeck Melanie
Published: August 2017

There is a growing body of research on resilience in family carers of people with dementia, but carers’ voices are noticeably absent from it. The aim of this study was to explore carers’ definitions of resilience and their opinions on the factors associated with resilience. Twenty-one in-depth interviews were conducted in Australia with people who were currently, or had previously been, caring for a family member with dementia. Transcripts were analysed thematically and three themes emerged: the presence of resilience, the path to resilience, and characteristics of the resilient carer. Although carers struggled to define resilience, the vast majority considered themselves resilient. Carers identified a range of traits, values, environments, resources, and behaviours associated with resilience, but there was no consensus on the relative importance or causal nature of these factors. Carers also considered resilience to be domain- and context-specific, but did not agree on whether resilience was a trait or a process. These findings highlight both the importance of including carers’ voices in resilience research and the limitations of the extant literature. There is much to be done to develop a field of carer resilience research that is theoretically sound, methodologically rigorous, and reflects the lived experience of carers. A model is provided to prompt future research.
Enzymatic Synthesis of S-Adenosylmethionine Using Immobilized Methionine Adenosyltransferase Variants on the 50-mM Scale
Authors: Niu Weining , Cao Shanshan , Yang Menglin , Xu Le
Published: August 2017

S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), an important metabolite in all living organisms, has been widely used to treat various diseases. To develop a simple and efficient method to produce SAM, an engineered variant of the methionine adenosyltransferase (MAT) from Escherichia coli was investigated for its potential use in the enzymatic synthesis of SAM due to its significantly decreased product inhibition. The recombinant I303V MAT variant was successfully produced at a high level (~800 mg/L) with approximately four-fold higher specific activity than the wild-type MAT. The recombinant I303V MAT was covalently immobilized onto the amino resin and epoxy resin in order to obtain a robust biocatalyst to be used in industrial bioreactors. The immobilized preparation using amino resin exhibited the highest activity coupling yield (~84%), compared with approximately 3% for epoxy resin. The immobilized enzyme was more stable than the soluble enzyme under the reactive conditions, with a half-life of 229.5 h at 37 °C. The KmATP value (0.18 mM) of the immobilized enzyme was ca. two-fold lower than that of the soluble enzyme. Furthermore, the immobilized enzyme showed high operational stability during 10 consecutive 8 h batches, with the substrate adenosine triphosphate (ATP) conversion rate above 95% on the 50-mM scale.
Spatio-Temporal Variability of Soil Water Content under Different Crop Covers in Irrigation Districts of Northwest China
Authors: Wang Sufen , Singh Vijay
Published: August 2017

The relationship between soil water content (SWC) and vegetation, topography, and climatic conditions is critical for developing effective agricultural water management practices and improving agricultural water use efficiency in arid areas. The purpose of this study was to determine how crop cover influenced spatial and temporal variation of soil water. During a study, SWC was measured under maize and wheat for two years in northwest China. Statistical methods and entropy analysis were applied to investigate the spatio-temporal variability of SWC and the interaction between SWC and its influencing factors. The SWC variability changed within the field plot, with the standard deviation reaching a maximum value under intermediate mean SWC in different layers under various conditions (climatic conditions, soil conditions, crop type conditions). The spatial-temporal-distribution of the SWC reflects the variability of precipitation and potential evapotranspiration (ET0) under different crop covers. The mutual entropy values between SWC and precipitation were similar in two years under wheat cover but were different under maize cover. However, the mutual entropy values at different depths were different under different crop covers. The entropy values changed with SWC following an exponential trend. The informational correlation coefficient (R0) between the SWC and the precipitation was higher than that between SWC and other factors at different soil depths. Precipitation was the dominant factor controlling the SWC variability, and the crop efficient was the second dominant factor. This study highlights the precipitation is a paramount factor for investigating the spatio-temporal variability of soil water content in Northwest China.
Thermal and Exergetic Analysis of the Goswami Cycle Integrated with Mid-Grade Heat Sources
Authors: Demirkaya Gokmen , Padilla Ricardo , Fontalvo Armando , Lake Maree , Lim Yee
Published: August 2017

This paper presents a theoretical investigation of a combined Power and Cooling Cycle that employs an Ammonia-Water mixture. The cycle combines a Rankine and an absorption refrigeration cycle. The Goswami cycle can be used in a wide range of applications including recovering waste heat as a bottoming cycle or generating power from non-conventional sources like solar radiation or geothermal energy. A thermodynamic study of power and cooling co-generation is presented for heat source temperatures between 100 to 350 °C. A comprehensive analysis of the effect of several operation and configuration parameters, including the number of turbine stages and different superheating configurations, on the power output and the thermal and exergy efficiencies was conducted. Results showed the Goswami cycle can operate at an effective exergy efficiency of 60–80% with thermal efficiencies between 25 to 31%. The investigation also showed that multiple stage turbines had a better performance than single stage turbines when heat source temperatures remain above 200 °C in terms of power, thermal and exergy efficiencies. However, the effect of turbine stages is almost the same when heat source temperatures were below 175 °C. For multiple turbine stages, the use of partial superheating with Single or Double Reheat stream showed a better performance in terms of efficiency. It also showed an increase in exergy destruction when heat source temperature was increased.
A Sparse Multiwavelet-Based Generalized Laguerre–Volterra Model for Identifying Time-Varying Neural Dynamics from Spiking Activities
Authors: Xu Song , Li Yang , Huang Tingwen , Chan Rosa
Published: August 2017

Modeling of a time-varying dynamical system provides insights into the functions of biological neural networks and contributes to the development of next-generation neural prostheses. In this paper, we have formulated a novel sparse multiwavelet-based generalized Laguerre–Volterra (sMGLV) modeling framework to identify the time-varying neural dynamics from multiple spike train data. First, the significant inputs are selected by using a group least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) method, which can capture the sparsity within the neural system. Second, the multiwavelet-based basis function expansion scheme with an efficient forward orthogonal regression (FOR) algorithm aided by mutual information is utilized to rapidly capture the time-varying characteristics from the sparse model. Quantitative simulation results demonstrate that the proposed sMGLV model in this paper outperforms the initial full model and the state-of-the-art modeling methods in tracking performance for various time-varying kernels. Analyses of experimental data show that the proposed sMGLV model can capture the timing of transient changes accurately. The proposed framework will be useful to the study of how, when, and where information transmission processes across brain regions evolve in behavior.
A Comprehensive Study of Key Electric Vehicle (EV) Components, Technologies, Challenges, Impacts, and Future Direction of Development
Authors: Un-Noor Fuad , Padmanaban Sanjeevikumar , Mihet-Popa Lucian , Mollah Mohammad , Hossain Eklas
Published: August 2017

Electric vehicles (EV), including Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV), Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV), Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV), Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV), are becoming more commonplace in the transportation sector in recent times. As the present trend suggests, this mode of transport is likely to replace internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles in the near future. Each of the main EV components has a number of technologies that are currently in use or can become prominent in the future. EVs can cause significant impacts on the environment, power system, and other related sectors. The present power system could face huge instabilities with enough EV penetration, but with proper management and coordination, EVs can be turned into a major contributor to the successful implementation of the smart grid concept. There are possibilities of immense environmental benefits as well, as the EVs can extensively reduce the greenhouse gas emissions produced by the transportation sector. However, there are some major obstacles for EVs to overcome before totally replacing ICE vehicles. This paper is focused on reviewing all the useful data available on EV configurations, battery energy sources, electrical machines, charging techniques, optimization techniques, impacts, trends, and possible directions of future developments. Its objective is to provide an overall picture of the current EV technology and ways of future development to assist in future researches in this sector.
Do the Different Exergy Accounting Methodologies Provide Consistent or Contradictory Results? A Case Study with the Portuguese Agricultural, Forestry and Fisheries Sector
Authors: Manso Ricardo , Sousa Tânia , Domingos Tiago
Published: August 2017

Three exergy accounting approaches are used to evaluate exergy efficiency: the Energy Resources Exergy Accounting (EREA), the Natural Resources’ Exergy Accounting (NREA) and the Extended Exergy Accounting (EEA). To test the consistency of the results provided by these methodologies, we apply them to evaluate the Portuguese agricultural, forestry and fisheries (AFF) sector, from 2000 to 2012. EREA shows an increase of 30% in the efficiency of the Portuguese AFF sector, while NREA and EEA methodologies increases of 27% and 43%, respectively. Although the results are consistent for the AFF sector, the same does not happen in the fisheries subsector, whose exergetic efficiency increases 14% with the EREA but decreases 42% with the NREA approach. The ratio of output to useful exergy reveals that a better thermodynamic efficiency is not translated into a higher energy service efficiency because fishing vessels have to travel more to get the same fish. Thus, results provided by the EREA and NREA approaches are complementary and both are needed to provide a realistic picture of exergy efficiency. On the other hand, results obtained by the EEA approach are dominated by capital and environmental impacts, revealing the disproportionality between material and immaterial inputs in this methodology.
Quantifying Cathode Water Transport via Anode Relative Humidity Measurements in a Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell
Authors: Battrell Logan , Trunkle Aubree , Eggleton Erica , Zhang Lifeng , Anderson Ryan
Published: August 2017

A relative humidity (RH) measurement based on pressure drop analysis is presented as a diagnostic tool to experimentally quantify the amount of excess water on the cathode side of a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). Ex-situ pressure drop calibration curves collected at fixed RH values, used with a set of well-defined equations for the anode pressure drop, allows for an estimate of in-situ relative humidity values. During the in-situ test, a dry anode inlet stream at increasing flow rates is used to create an evaporative gradient to drive water from the cathode to the anode. This combination of techniques thus quantitatively determines the changing net cell water flux. Knowing the cathodic water production rate, the net water flux to the anode can explain the influence of liquid and vapor transport as a function of GDL selection. Experimentally obtained quantified values for the water removal rate for a variety of cathode gas diffusion layer (GDL) setups are presented, which were chosen to experimentally vary a range of water management abilities, from high to low performance. The results show that more water is transported to the anode when a GDL with poor water management capabilities is used, due to the higher levels of initial saturation occurring on the cathode. At sufficiently high concentration gradients, the anode removes more water than is produced by the reaction, allowing for the quantification of excess water saturating the cathode. The protocol is broadly accessible and applicable as a quantitative diagnostic tool of water management in PEMFCs.
Best Practices for Recovering Rural Abandoned Towers through the Installation of Small-Scale Biogas Plants
Authors: Manni Mattia , Coccia Valentina , Cavalaglio Gianluca , Nicolini Andrea , Petrozzi Alessandro
Published: August 2017

The massive and continuous development of renewable energy systems is making it possible to achieve the European goals regarding environment and sustainability. On the other hand, it leads to the progression of significant problems such as low renewable energy density (i), social acceptability (ii), and non-programmability of renewable energy sources (iii). The rural architecture, which is largely present in the countryside of central Italy, is generally equipped with several annexes such as dovecotes (i), grain stores (ii), and tobacco drying kilns (iii). Nowadays, those towers appear in decay because of the decline of agricultural activities, although they are classed as Environmental and Historical Heritage sites. The present work aims to propose a methodology for improving the energy grid in the countryside, while reusing abandoned buildings by modifying their function and maintaining their aspect as much as possible. The proposed workflow was applied to a rural silo, which has fallen into disuse, in Sant’Apollinare (Marsciano, Perugia) by converting it into a mini-biogas plant. The function of the annex which was chosen as the case study changes from agricultural use to energy production: it becomes an on-site renewable energy-based electric grid that can produce clean energy from agricultural and forestry residues. The project turns out to be sustainable not only in terms of energy and the environment, but also from an economic point of view as a result of the recent regulations and incentives for renewable energy production.
An All-Electric-Aircraft Tailored SiC-Based Power Factor Correction Converter with Adaptive DC-Link Regulator
Authors: Brando Gianluca , Dannier Adolfo , Del Pizzo Andrea , Coppola Marino
Published: August 2017

In recent years the aerospace industry has made a growing effort to develop a quieter and more environmentally friendly aircraft. In particular, several research activities have been focused on innovative solutions aimed at the design/optimization of an on-board electric system fully compatible with this new approach. A first important step in the evolution towards an All Electric Aircraft (AEA) is the replacement of the hydraulic actuators with fully electric ones. The transition process is not easy to carry out, since weight, size and reliability represent highly critical issues for aircraft applications. In this context, the significant improvements in semiconductor technologies can be exploited as a critical means to overcome the constraints mentioned. Indeed, this work proposes a Silicon Carbide (SiC) based Power Factor Correction (PFC) converter, whose design and control have been tailored in order to properly supply a wide range of on-board Electro-Mechanical Actuators (EMA). In particular, while the adopted circuit topology allows for power factor correction and bi-directional power flow, the SiC technology, thanks to the higher efficiency with respect to other semiconductor-based technologies, leads to a significant reduction in the overall system weight/volume. Furthermore, to meet the strict requirements in terms of dynamic and steady state performance imposed by the application, a novel adaptive regulator is conceived. A reduced-scale laboratory prototype of the SiC-based converter (3 kVA) is realized in order to verify the effectiveness of the proposed design and control approach.
Extended Kalman Filter-Based State of Charge and State of Power Estimation Algorithm for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Li-Po Battery Packs
Authors: Jung Sunghun , Jeong Heon
Published: August 2017

Customer requirements for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with long flight times are increasing exponentially in the personal, commercial, and military use areas. Due to their limited payload, large numbers of on-board battery packs cannot be used and this is the main reason behind the need for battery management software (BMS) packages with state of charge (SOC) estimation functions to increase the flight time. At the same time, as the UAV application range has extended widely, the size of UAVs has increased and heavy-duty UAVs are slowly appearing. As a result, the system operating power of the UAVs has been increased tremendously and their safe system power operation has become an issue. This is the main reason for the need of BMS having state of power (SOP) estimation functions. In this work a 6 S Li-Po battery pack is simulated with two ladder equivalent circuit models (ECMs) considering an impedance effect whose parameters are found using hybrid pulse power characterization (HPPC) current patterns with parameter determination using the table-based linear interpolation (TBLI) method. Two state estimation methods, including the current integration method and the extended Kalman filter (EKF) method are developed and the estimation accuracies of SOC and SOP are compared. Results show that the most accurate SOC estimation turns out to be 0.1477% (indoor test with HPPC), 0.1324% (outdoor test with 0 kg payload), and 0.2021% (outdoor test with 10 kg payload). Also, the most accurate SOP estimation error turns out to be 1.2% (indoor test with HPPC), 3.6% (outdoor test with 0 kg payload), and 4.2% (outdoor test with 10 kg payload).
Ethmalosa fimbriata (Bowdich 1825), a Clupeid Fish That Exhibits Elevated Batch Fecundity in Hypersaline Waters
Authors: Döring Julian , Tiedemann Maik , Stäbler Moritz , Sloterdijk Hans , Ekau Werner
Published: August 2017

Little is known about the concerted influence of temperature and salinity on the fecundity of clupeid fishes. Due to a globally changing climate, both physical parameters might act as stressors, severely affecting the reproductive potential of clupeid fish populations inhabiting tropical estuaries. Differences in relative batch fecundities, the gonado-somatic index, and the condition index of bonga shad (Ethmalosa fimbriata) were analysed in individual females sampled at the Senegalese coast and inside the inverse Sine Saloum estuary, where salinity increases upstream in all seasons. Multiple linear regression models on fecundity and gonadal energy storage show that clupeids can adapt towards increasing their reproductive investment at temperatures (26–30 °C) and salinities (42–51), which by far exceed marine conditions, in an effort to maximize recruitment success. This reproductive strategy, however, is accompanied by a trade-off between reproductive effort and somatic growth, which ultimately limits the species’ reproductive potential inside the estuary. The observed high variability in batch fecundities might be a viable mechanism to adjust to fluctuating and rather extreme environmental conditions. Understanding the spawning biology of exploited clupeid fishes in drastically changing environments is crucial for evaluating the reproductive potential of stocks at the outer reach of their physiological performance curve.
Water Balance Analysis over the Niger Inland Delta-Mali: Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of the Flooded Area and Water Losses
Authors: Ibrahim Moussa , Wisser Dominik , Ali Abdou , Diekkrüger Bernd , Seidou Ousmane , Mariko Adama , Afouda Abel
Published: August 2017

The Niger Inland Delta (NID) wetland comprises a large flooded area that plays an important role in the ecosystem services. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of the NID’s hydro-climatological functioning using water balance approach. After a clear description of the water budget’s elements specific to the NID catchment, a spatial and temporal dynamics of the annual flood across the NID over the period 2000–2009 was performed using data from satellite QuickSCAT and its associated sensor SeaWinds. The estimated areas were used along with observed discharge and remotely-sensed climatic data to quantitatively evaluate each water balance component. The results indicate: (i) a clear spatiotemporal of the flooded areas varied between 25,000 km2 in wet periods and 2000 km2 in dry periods; (ii) an average evapotranspiration loss of 17.31 km3 (43% of the total inflow) was assessed in the catchment; (iii) precipitation’s contribution to the NID’s budget totals 5.16 km3 (12.8% of the total inflow); and (iv) the contribution of return flow from irrigated fields totals 1.8 km3 (4.5% of the total inflow, among which 1.2 km3 are from Office du Niger) to the flooded areas, refined the NID’s water balance estimates. Knowledge gained on NID’s water balance analysis will be used to develop and calibrate hydrological models in the Niger Inland Delta of the basin.
Quality of Vegetables Based on Total Phenolic Concentration Is Lower in More Rural Consumer Food Environments in a Rural American State
Authors: Ahmed Selena , Byker Shanks Carmen
Published: August 2017

While daily consumption of fruits and vegetables (FVs) is widely recognized to be associated with supporting nutrition and health, disparities exist in consumer food environments regarding access to high-quality produce based on location. The purpose of this study was to evaluate FV quality using total phenolic (TP) scores (a phytochemical measure for health-promoting attributes, flavor, appearance, and shelf-life) in consumer food environments along a rural to urban continuum in the rural state of Montana, United States. Significant differences were found in the means of the FV TP scores (p < 0.0001) and vegetable TP scores (p < 0.0001) on the basis of rurality, while no significant difference was found for fruit TP scores by rurality (p < 0.2158). Specifically, FV TP scores and vegetable TP scores were highest for the least rural stores and lowest for the most rural stores. Results indicate an access gap to high-quality vegetables in more rural and more health-disparate consumer food environments of Montana compared to urban food environments. Findings highlight that food and nutrition interventions should aim to increase vegetable quality in rural consumer food environments in the state of Montana towards enhancing dietary quality and food choices. Future studies are called for that examine TP scores of a wide range of FVs in diverse food environments globally. Studies are further needed that examine linkages between FV quality, food choices, diets, and health outcomes towards enhancing food environments for public health.
Urinary Levels of 4-Nonylphenol and 4-t-Octylphenol in a Representative Sample of the Korean Adult Population
Authors: Park Hyejin , Kim Kisok
Published: August 2017

4-Nonylphenol (4-NP) and 4-t-octylphenol (4-t-OP) are xenoestrogen compounds to which humans are exposed via contaminated food, water, and air. This study assessed the body burden of 4-NP and 4-t-OP in Koreans aged 18–69 years using data from the Korean National Human Biomonitoring Survey conducted in 2009. Based on data from 1865 representative Koreans, 83.2% and 91.8% had urinary 4-NP and 4-t-OP concentrations >0.05 ng/mL (limit of detection). Of the Korean adult population, the geometric mean urinary concentrations of 4-NP and 4-t-OP were 3.70 ng/mL (95% confidence interval (CI) = 3.20–4.27) and 0.60 ng/mL (95% CI = 0.55–0.66), respectively. Urine 4-NP concentrations were significantly associated with place of residence and smoking status, whereas urine 4-t-OP concentrations were not correlated with any of the demographic factors. These findings suggest that most Koreans have detectable levels of 4-NP and 4-t-OP in their urine and that the body burden of 4-NP, but not 4-t-OP, varies according to some demographic factors.
An Experiment Assessing Punitive versus Wellness Framing of a Tobacco-Free Campus Policy on Students’ Perceived Level of University Support
Authors: Lee Joseph , Purcell Christopher , Chaney Beth
Published: August 2017

The objective of this study was to examine how different ways of describing a hypothetical tobacco-free campus policy would impact college students’ perceived level of support from the college. In the spring of 2016, we randomized 1885 undergraduate students in a required course to three message conditions in an online survey: control (no message), wellness (emphasizing promoting health and quitting support), and punitive (emphasizing consequences for violating the policy). The dependent variable was perceived organizational support. We selected items previously shown to be relevant for college students (alpha = 0.92 in our data). Given significant non-normality, we used non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis tests with pairwise comparisons to examine differences in perceived organizational support across the three conditions. We examined results by smoking status and if the participant correctly reported the message they received. We found no significant difference in perceived organizational support among students exposed to different tobacco-free campus policy announcements (p = 0.75). We also found no significant difference among smokers (p = 0.66). However, among smokers who correctly reported the message they received, we found significantly lower perceived university support (p = 0.01). Messages about tobacco-free campus policies should focus on the role of policy in supporting a healthy environment instead of punitive enforcement. Campus administrators should use caution when using message frames focusing on consequences of violating newly adopted policies.
Grip Strength and Its Relationship to Police Recruit Task Performance and Injury Risk: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Orr Robin , Pope Rodney , Stierli Michael , Hinton Benjamin
Published: August 2017

Suitable grip strength is a police occupational requirement. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between grip strength, task performance and injury risk in a police population. Retrospective data of police recruits (n = 169) who had undergone basic recruit training were provided, including handgrip strength results, occupational task performance measures (consisting of police task simulations [SIM], tactical options [TACOPS] and marksmanship assessments) and injury records. Left hand grip strength (41.91 ± 8.29 kg) measures showed a stronger correlation than right hand grip strength (42.15 ± 8.53 kg) with all outcome measures. Recruits whose grip strength scores were lower were significantly more susceptible to failing the TACOPS occupational task assessment than those with greater grip strength scores, with significant (p ≤ 0.003) weak to moderate, positive correlations found between grip strength and TACOPS performance. A significant (p < 0.0001) correlation was found between grip strength, most notably of the left hand, and marksmanship performance, with those performing better in marksmanship having higher grip strength. Left hand grip strength was significantly associated with injury risk (r = −0.181, p = 0.018) but right hand grip strength was not. A positive association exists between handgrip strength and police recruit task performance (notably TACOPS and marksmanship) with recruits who scored poorly on grip strength being at greatest risk of occupational assessment task failure.
Burn Eschar Stimulates Fibroblast and Adipose Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Proliferation and Migration but Inhibits Endothelial Cell Sprouting
Authors: Monsuur Hanneke , Van den Broek Lenie , Jhingoerie Renushka , Vloemans Adrianus , Gibbs Susan
Published: August 2017

The majority of full-thickness burn wounds heal with hypertrophic scar formation. Burn eschar most probably influences early burn wound healing, since granulation tissue only forms after escharotomy. In order to investigate the effect of burn eschar on delayed granulation tissue formation, burn wound extract (BWE) was isolated from the interface between non-viable eschar and viable tissue. The influence of BWE on the activity of endothelial cells derived from dermis and adipose tissue, dermal fibroblasts and adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (ASC) was determined. It was found that BWE stimulated endothelial cell inflammatory cytokine (CXCL8, IL-6 and CCL2) secretion and migration. However, BWE had no effect on endothelial cell proliferation or angiogenic sprouting. Indeed, BWE inhibited basic Fibroblast Growth Factor (bFGF) induced endothelial cell proliferation and sprouting. In contrast, BWE stimulated fibroblast and ASC proliferation and migration. No difference was observed between cells isolated from dermis or adipose tissue. The inhibitory effect of BWE on bFGF-induced endothelial proliferation and sprouting would explain why excessive granulation tissue formation is prevented in full-thickness burn wounds as long as the eschar is still present. Identifying the eschar factors responsible for this might give indications for therapeutic targets aimed at reducing hypertrophic scar formation which is initiated by excessive granulation tissue formation once eschar is removed.
Bioinformatics Analysis of Phylogeny and Transcription of TAA/YUC Auxin Biosynthetic Genes
Authors: Poulet Axel , Kriechbaumer Verena
Published: August 2017

Auxin is a main plant growth hormone crucial in a multitude of developmental processes in plants. Auxin biosynthesis via the tryptophan aminotransferase of arabidopsis (TAA)/YUCCA (YUC) route involving tryptophan aminotransferases and YUC flavin-dependent monooxygenases that produce the auxin indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) from tryptophan is currently the most researched auxin biosynthetic pathway. Previous data showed that, in maize and arabidopsis, TAA/YUC-dependent auxin biosynthesis can be detected in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) microsomal fractions, and a subset of auxin biosynthetic proteins are localized to the ER, mainly due to transmembrane domains (TMD). The phylogeny presented here for TAA/TAR (tryptophan aminotransferase related) and YUC proteins analyses phylogenetic groups as well as transmembrane domains for ER-membrane localisation. In addition, RNAseq datasets are analysed for transcript abundance of YUC and TAA/TAR proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana. We show that ER membrane localisation for TAA/YUC proteins involved in auxin biosynthesis is already present early on in the evolution of mosses and club mosses. ER membrane anchored YUC proteins can mainly be found in roots, while cytosolic proteins are more abundant in the shoot. The distribution between the different phylogenetic classes in root and shoot may well originate from gene duplications, and the phylogenetic groups detected also overlap with the biological function.