bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Standalone hybrid power system using homer software optimal case sizing of ferraguig (North West of Algeria)
Authors: Afif B. , Merabet B. , Benhamou A. , Chaker A.
Published: January 2020

Rural areas suffer from high costs of grid extensions obliging institutions to provide for other remedies for consumers, like using generators (GE) diesel often considered as economic and reliable solutions, but at the detriment of some order environment pollution and users convenience. Furthermore, the continuous decline in GEs prices based on a renewable energy (RE) and the increasing reliability of these systems have lead to a greater use of renewable energy sources for power generation in remote areas. A property which limits the use of renewable energy is related to the variability of resources. Fluctuations in load according to annual or daily periods are not necessarily correlated to the resources. In remote areas, the preferred option is the coupling between multiple sources, such as wind turbines and solar panels, this coupling is called hybrid power system. Algeria’s geographic location presents several advantages for the development and use of renewable energy, namely, solar energy and wind energy. In addition, Algeria has huge deposits of natural gas, 98% electricity comes from gas. Therefore, currently, the production of electricity from renewable energies primarily depends on their competitiveness with economic gas. Studied technological feasibility and economic viability of the hybrid system (PV/fuel) electrification project in a school located in Ferraguig succeed to reduce high costs, energy dependence, fuel supply problem, complicated/expensive maintenance, low lifetime, impossibility of 24 hours electricity production and waste oil management issues, by using renewable energy. HOMER model is used here to size a proposed system and determine an optimum configuration.
Recovery and Prediction of Dynamic Precision Grip Force Control After Stroke
Authors: Pennati Gaia Valentina , Plantin Jeanette , Carment Loïc , Roca Pauline , Baron Jean-Claude , Pavlova Elena , Borg Jörgen , Lindberg Påvel G.
Published: January 2020

Background and Purpose—

Dexterous object manipulation, requiring generation and control of finger forces, is often impaired after stroke. This study aimed to describe recovery of precision grip force control after stroke and to determine clinical and imaging predictors of 6-month performance.

Methods—

Eighty first-ever stroke patients with varying degrees of upper limb weakness were evaluated at 3 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months after stroke. Twenty-three healthy individuals of comparable age were also studied. The Strength-Dexterity test was used to quantify index finger and thumb forces during compression of springs of varying length in a precision grip. The coordination between finger forces (CorrForce), along with Dexterity-score and Repeatability-score, was calculated. Anatomical magnetic resonance imaging was used to calculate weighted corticospinal tract lesion load (wCST-LL).

Results—

CorrForce, Dexterity-score, and Repeatability-score in the affected hand were dramatically lower at each time point compared with the less-affected hand and the control group, even in patients with mild motor impairment according to Fugl-Meyer assessment. Improved performance over time occurred in CorrForce and Dexterity-score but not in Repeatability-score. The Fugl-Meyer assessment hand subscale, sensory function, and wCST-LL best predicted CorrForce and Dexterity-score status at 6 months (R
2
=0.56 and 0.87, respectively). wCST-LL explained substantial variance in CorrForce (R
2
=0.34) and Dexterity-score (R
2
=0.50) at 6 months; two-point discrimination and Fugl-Meyer score accounted for considerable additional variance. Absence of recovery in CorrForce was predicted by wCST-LL >4 cc and in Dexterity-score by wCST-LL >6 cc.

Conclusions—

Findings highlight persisting deficits in the ability to grasp and control finger forces after stroke. wCST-LL was the strongest predictor of performance at 6 months, but early two-point discrimination and Fugl-Meyer score had substantial additional predictive value.

Registration—

URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT02878304.
Normal-Appearing White Matter Integrity Is a Predictor of Outcome After Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Sagnier Sharmila , Catheline Gwenaëlle , Dilharreguy Bixente , Linck Pierre-Antoine , Coupé Pierrick , Munsch Fanny , Bigourdan Antoine , Debruxelles Sabrina , Poli Mathilde , Olindo Stéphane , Renou Pauline , Rouanet François , Dousset Vincent , Berthoz Sylvie , Tourdias Thomas , Sibon Igor
Published: January 2020

Background and Purpose—

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between normal-appearing white matter (NAWM) integrity and postischemic stroke recovery in 4 main domains including cognition, mood, gait, and dependency.

Methods—

A prospective study was conducted, including patients diagnosed for an ischemic supratentorial stroke on a 3T brain MRI performed 24 to 72 hours after symptom onset. Clinical assessment 1 year after stroke included a Montreal Cognitive Assessment, an Isaacs set test, a Zazzo cancelation task, a Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale, a 10-meter walking test, and a modified Rankin Scale (mRS). Diffusion tensor imaging parameters in the NAWM were computed using FMRIB (Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain) Diffusion Toolbox. The relationships between mean NAWM diffusion tensor imaging parameters and the clinical scores were assessed using linear and ordinal regression analyses, including the volumes of white matter hyperintensities, gray matter, and ischemic stroke as radiological covariates.

Results—

Two hundred seven subjects were included (66±13 years old; 67% men; median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, 3; interquartile range, 2–6). In the models including only radiological variables, NAWM fractional anisotropy was associated with the mRS and the cognitive scores. After adjusting for demographic confounders, NAWM fractional anisotropy remained a significant predictor of mRS (β=−0.24;
P
=0.04). Additional path analysis showed that NAWM fractional anisotropy had a direct effect on mRS (β=−0.241;
P
=0.001) and a less important indirect effect mediating white matter hyperintensity burden. Similar results were found with mean diffusivity, axial diffusivity, and radial diffusivity. In further subgroup analyses, a relationship between NAWM integrity in widespread white matter tracts, mRS, and Isaacs set test was found in right hemispheric strokes.

Conclusions—

NAWM diffusion tensor imaging parameters measured early after an ischemic stroke are independent predictors of functional outcome and may be additional markers to include in studies evaluating poststroke recovery.
The self-organized learning of noisy environmental stimuli requires distinct phases of plasticity
Authors: Krüppel Steffen , Tetzlaff Christian
Published: January 2020

Along sensory pathways, representations of environmental stimuli become increasingly sparse and expanded. If additionally the feed-forward synaptic weights are structured according to the inherent organization of stimuli, the increase in sparseness and expansion leads to a reduction of sensory noise. However, it is unknown how the synapses in the brain form the required structure, especially given the omnipresent noise of environmental stimuli. Here, we employ a combination of synaptic plasticity and intrinsic plasticity—adapting the excitability of each neuron individually—and present stimuli with an inherent organization to a feed-forward network. We observe that intrinsic plasticity maintains the sparseness of the neural code and thereby allows synaptic plasticity to learn the organization of stimuli in low-noise environments. Nevertheless, even high levels of noise can be handled after a subsequent phase of readaptation of the neuronal excitabilities by intrinsic plasticity. Interestingly, during this phase the synaptic structure has to be maintained. These results demonstrate that learning and recalling in the presence of noise requires the coordinated interplay between plasticity mechanisms adapting different properties of the neuronal circuit.
A new species of Micrathyria Kirby, 1889 from México and Central America (Anisoptera: Libellulidae), with a key to Mexican species
Authors: GONZÁLEZ-SORIANO ENRIQUE
Published: January 2020

Micrathyria paulsoni sp. nov. is described on specimens collected in Veracruz, México ( 19.1593-97.0045), Holotype male 9 July 2000, Laguna de Santo Domingo, Huatusco, leg E. González-Soriano & L. E. González-Figueroa [in Colección Nacional de Insectos (CNIN), Instituto de Biología, UNAM] and compared with similar species. By its enlarged hamular process, this species belong to the so-called Micrathyria didyma group.
Review of the genus Synamphichaeta Villeneuve (Diptera: Tachinidae), with the description of a new species from Iran
Authors: GILASIAN EBRAHIM , ZIEGLER JOACHIM , PARCHAMI-ARAGHI MEHRDAD
Published: January 2020

The Palaearctic genus Synamphichaeta Villeneuve, 1936 is reviewed and the new species Synamphichaeta hirtivena Gilasian & Ziegler, sp. nov. is described from Iran. Illustrations of the terminalia and head of the male are provided, together with habitus photos of both sexes. An identification key to the two known species of Synamphichaeta is presented. A lectotype is recognised for Synamphichaeta tricincta Villeneuve, 1936 and its designation is attributed to Mesnil.
A new genus to accommodate the misplaced Nearctic species Hoplomachus affiguratus (Uhler, 1895) (Heteroptera: Miridae: Phylinae)
Authors: PAGOLA-CARTE SANTIAGO , MATOCQ ARMAND
Published: January 2020

Following the revision of the three Palaearctic species of the genus Hoplomachus, it appeared that the sole Nearctic species Hoplomachus affiguratus is misplaced in this genus. In addition to a redescription of its external morphology, the male and female genitalia are illustrated for the first time. A generic level analysis of presumedly related Phylinae lead us to erect Delphiphylus n. gen. with its only included species Delphiphylus affiguratus (Uhler, 1895) n. comb.
A new species of Macrelmis Motschulsky, 1859 (Coleoptera: Elmidae) and new records of Elmidae from Roraima State, northern Brazil
Authors: DE ALMEIDA MARIA DO LIVRAMENTO SAMPAIO , FERNANDES ANDRÉ SILVA , BOLDRINI RAFAEL
Published: January 2020

A new species of Macrelmis Motschulsky, 1859 (Macrelmis rodrigoi sp. nov.) is described and illustrated based on specimens found in mountainous areas of the northern Roraima State, Brazil. Pagelmis amazonica Spangler, 1981, Potamophilops bostrychophallus Maier, 2013 and Stegoelmis geayi Spangler, 1990 are recorded in Brazil for the first time and new records for Gyrelmis obesa Hinton, 1940, Macrelmis thorpei Hinton, 1945 and Neolimnius palpalis Hinton, 1939 are presented.
The genus Hoplothrips in Australia (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae), with eleven new species
Authors: MOUND LAURENCE A. , WANG JUN , TREE DESLEY J.
Published: January 2020

A key to 19 species from Australia in the genus Hoplothrips is provided, including 11 described as new species: H. bellingeni, H. giganteus, H. lamingtoni, H. lihongae, H. lowdeni, H. nelsoni, H. oakeyi, H. reedi, H. tarsus, H. woodsi, H. wrightae. One species, H. semicaecus (Uzel), is recorded in Australia for the first time, and H. corticis (De Geer) and H. orientalis (Ananthakrishnan) are newly recorded from the Australian mainland. Structural diversity among the species of the genus Hoplothrips is discussed. Members of this genus share many character states with species of Deplorothrips, Hoplandrothrips and Psalidothrips that also live as fungal-hyphal feeders on dead branches and in leaf litter.
Erythraeus (Parerythraeus) thomasi sp. nov. (Acari: Actinotrichida: Erythraeidae) from Finland, with a redefinition of Parerythraeus Southcott, 1946 stat. nov. as a subgenus and a key to species
Authors: ROLAND ELŻBIETA , GABRYŚ GRZEGORZ
Published: January 2020

Erythraeus (Parerythraeus) thomasi sp. nov. is described and illustrated based on specimens collected from Finland. Parerythraeus Southcott, 1946 stat. nov., previously synonymized with Erythraeus Latreille, 1806, is considered a subgenus of Erythraeus. Thirteen species, including E. (P.) thomasi, are included in this subgenus, and a differential diagnosis is provided for the 12 adequately described species. A key to all known species of Erythraeus (Parerythraeus) is also provided.
Pegomya disticha Griffiths and P. cedrica Huckett (Diptera: Anthomyiidae)—first documented case of insects trespassing the silica barrier of Common scouring-rush, Equisetum hyemale L.
Authors: MICHELSEN VERNER , PALMER MICHAEL W.
Published: January 2020

Scouring-rushes (Equisetum sg. Hippochaete) are a group of horsetails with perennial aerial shoots strongly encrusted in silica. Accordingly, they seem to resist attacks from most herbivorous insects. Michelsen (2008) speculated that larval development of the European Pegomya terminalis (Rondani) and related anthomyiids takes place in specific scouring-rushes. Presently, we document that the larvae of two North American species related to P. terminalis attack developing shoots of Common scouring-rush, Equisetum hyemale L. Both species, Pegomya disticha Griffiths and P. cedrica Huckett, were found to coexist in a population of scouring-rush in Oklahoma. Various aspects of the life-history and morphology (3rd instar larva, male and female adults) for both species are described and documented by photos.
A new species of mealybug (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Pseudococcidae) from Tectona grandis L.f. (Lamiaceae) in southern India
Authors: JOSHI SUNIL , JOSE BINDU K. , GULLAN PENNY , SAJEEV T.V. , ANOOP E.V.
Published: January 2020

A new species of mealybug, Formicococcus tectonae Joshi, Bindu & Gullan sp. n., is described and illustrated based on adult females collected from teak, Tectona grandis (Lamiaceae), in plantations in Thrissur district, Kerala, southern India. The mealybug lives in tunnels made by the teak trunk borer, Cossus cadambae (Moore) (Lepidoptera: Cossidae). Ants of a Tapinoma species were found in the tunnels, tending the mealybugs. The new mealybug is most similar morphologically to F. polysperes Williams and F. robustus (Ezzat & McConnell) comb. rev. A key to adult females of all the Formicococcus species recorded from India is provided.
Comparative Investigation of Se–Te–M (M = Sb, Ge) Semiconducting Glassy Alloys: Thermal Characterization
Authors: Rao Vandita , Pathak H. P. , Lohia Pooja , Dwivedi D. K.
Published: January 2020

Structural and thermal measurements have been performed in glassy Se78Te18M4 (M = Sb and Ge) alloys to study the effect of Sb and Ge additives on the kinetics of glass transition and crystallization. Kinetic parameters of glass transition and crystallization
such as the activation energy of glass transition (Eg), the activation energy of crystallization (Ec) have been determined using different non-isothermal methods. It was found that Ge was more suitable dopant for phase change memory (PCM) devices due to
its low activation energies as compared to Sb dopant.
Polyacrylamide Based Polymers: Smart Materials Used in Wastewater Treatment
Authors: Nath Amar , Pande P. P.
Published: January 2020

Now-a-days synthetic polyelectrolytes are frequently used by the industries in the treatment of industrial effluents. Such materials have a variety of properties such as easily changeable structure as per the specific requirement, higher purity, highstability and have more efficiency
than the natural polymers. These polymers do not add any solid residue in the sludge, exhibit no change in the physico-chemical properties of the treated water and therefore this water may be recycled. Polyacrylamide is a synthetic polyelectrolyte which is hydrophilic in nature and insoluble
in organic solvents. It has very high affinity towards the suspended particles present in water. Therefore, polyacrylamide based polymers are highly effective for the flocculation of suspended contaminated particle present in the effluents. Polyacrylamide is very important polymer for wastewater
treatment which enhances the flocculation potential by modification of its nature into non-ionic, anionic and cationic forms.
Effect of electroacupuncture on dopaminergic neurons in a rat model of Parkinson's disease based on the α-synuclein pathway
Authors: Chen Liudan , Chen Ke , Ai Liang , Cao Linhui , Zhang Bin , Li Xue , Kang Mengru , Li Jianjun
Published: January 2020

To explore the possibility of using electroacupuncture to prevent injury of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra of rats with Parkinson's disease (PD), Wistar rats were randomly divided into a control group, model group, drug (Medoba) group, and an electroacupuncture group.
Rotenone was injected into the right substantia nigra to induce a PD rat model with single side substantia nigra injury. A rotation behavior observation method was used to observe changes in rotation behavior and apoptosis of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra after electroacupuncture.
Total RNA was extracted using nano-magnetic beads and retrieved from the DNA using a MagBeads Total RNA Extraction Kit. Rotenone can induce PD symptoms in Wistar rats, and we explored the effect of electroacupuncture in improving these induced Parkinson's symptoms in PD rats. The effect was
similar to that of Medoba. Electroacupuncture reduced the α-synuclein (α-SYN) levels in the substantia nigra of the PD rats to some extent. We concluded that the content and inhibition of aggregation electroacupuncture can protect dopaminergic neurons in the substantia
nigra of PD rats. Additionally, electroacupuncture can effectively prevent injury of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra of rats with PD.
Overtransmission of Rossby Waves at a Lower-Layer Critical Latitude in the Two-Layer Model
Authors: Gliatto Matthew T. , Held Isaac M.
Published: January 2020

Rossby waves, propagating from the midlatitudes toward the tropics, are typically absorbed by critical latitudes (CLs) in the upper troposphere. However, these waves typically encounter CLs in the lower troposphere first. We study a two-layer linear scattering problem to examine the effects of lower CLs on these waves. We begin with a review of the simpler barotropic case to orient the reader. We then progress to the baroclinic case using a two-layer quasigeostrophic model in which there is vertical shear in the mean flow on which the waves propagate, and in which the incident wave is assumed to be an external-mode Rossby wave. We use linearized equations and add small damping to remove the critical-latitude singularities. We consider cases in which either there is only one CL, in the lower layer, or there are CLs in both layers, with the lower-layer CL encountered first. If there is only a CL in the lower layer, the wave’s response depends on the sign of the mean potential vorticity gradient at this lower-layer CL: if the PV gradient is positive, then the CL partially absorbs the wave, as in the barotropic case, while for a negative PV gradient, the CL is a wave emitter, and can potentially produce overreflection and/or overtransmission. Our numerical results indicate that overtransmission is by far the dominant response in these cases. When an upper-layer absorbing CL is encountered, following the lower-layer encounter, one can still see the signature of overtransmission at the lower-layer CL.
Evolution of the Velocity Structure in the Diurnal Warm Layer
Authors: Hughes Kenneth G. , Moum James N. , Shroyer Emily L.
Published: January 2020

The daily formation of near-surface ocean stratification caused by penetrating solar radiation modifies heat fluxes through the air–sea interface, turbulence dissipation in the mixed layer, and the vertical profile of lateral transport. The transport is altered because momentum from wind is trapped in a thin near-surface layer, the diurnal warm layer. We investigate the dynamics of this layer, with particular attention to the vertical shear of horizontal velocity. We first develop a quantitative link between the near-surface shear components that relates the crosswind component to the inertial turning of the along-wind component. Three days of high-resolution velocity observations confirm this relation. Clear colocation of shear and stratification with Richardson numbers near 0.25 indicate marginal instability. Idealized numerical modeling is then invoked to extrapolate below the observed wind speeds. This modeling, together with a simple energetic scaling analysis, provides a rule of thumb that the diurnal shear evolves differently above and below a 2 m s−1 wind speed, with limited sensitivity of this threshold to latitude and mean net surface heat flux. Only above this wind speed is the energy input sufficient to overcome the stabilizing buoyancy flux and thereby induce marginal instability. The differing shear regimes explain differences in the timing and magnitude of diurnal sea surface temperature anomalies.
On the Extreme Rainfall Event of 7 May 2017 over the Coastal City of Guangzhou. Part I: Impacts of Urbanization and Orography
Authors: Yin Jinfang , Zhang Da-Lin , Luo Yali , Ma Ruoyun
Published: January 2020

In this study, a nocturnal extreme rainfall event induced by the urban heat island (UHI) effects of the coastal city of Guangzhou in South China on 7 May 2017 is examined using observational analyses and 18-h cloud-permitting simulations with the finest grid size of 1.33 km and the bottom boundary conditions nudged. Results show that the model reproduces convective initiation on Guangzhou’s downstream side (i.e., Huashan), where a shallow thermal mesolow is located, the subsequent back-building of convective cells as a larger-scale warm-moist southerly flow interacts with convectively generated cold outflows, and their eastward drifting and reorganization into a localized extreme-rain-producing storm near Jiulong under the influences of local orography. In particular, the model produces the maximum hourly, 3- and 12-hourly rainfall amounts of 146, 315, and 551 mm, respectively, at nearly the right location compared to their corresponding observed extreme amounts of 184, 382, and 542 mm. In addition, the model reproduces an intense meso-γ-scale vortex associated with the extreme-rain-producing Jiulong storm, as also captured by Doppler radar, with organized updrafts along cold outflow boundaries over a semicircle. A comparison of sensitivity and control simulations indicates that despite the occurrence of heavier rainfall amounts without the UHI effects than those without orography, the UHI effects appear to account directly for the convective initiation and heavy rainfall near Huashan, and indirectly for the subsequent formation of the Jiulong storm, while orography plays an important role in blocking cold outflows and enhancing cool pool strength for the sustained back-building of convective cells over the semicircle, thereby magnifying rainfall production near Jiulong.
Website Usability Differences between Males and Females: An Eye-Tracking Evaluation of a Climate Decision Support System
Authors: Maudlin Lindsay C. , McNeal Karen S. , Dinon-Aldridge Heather , Davis Corey , Boyles Ryan , Atkins Rachel M.
Published: January 2020

Decision support systems—collections of related information located in a central place to be used for decision-making—can be used as platforms from which climate information can be shared with decision-makers. Unfortunately, these tools are not often evaluated, meaning developers do not know how useful or usable their products are. In this study, a web-based climate decision support system (DSS) for foresters in the southeastern United States was evaluated by using eye-tracking technology. The initial study design was exploratory and focused on assessing usability concerns within the website. Results showed differences between male and female forestry experts in their eye-tracking behavior and in their success with completing tasks and answering questions related to the climate information presented in the DSS. A follow-up study, using undergraduate students from a large university in the southeastern United States, aimed to determine whether similar gender differences existed and could be detected and, if so, whether the cause(s) could be determined. The second evaluation, similar to the first, showed that males and females focused their attention on different aspects of the website; males focused more on the maps depicting climate information while females focused more on other aspects of the website (e.g., text, search bars, and color bars). DSS developers should consider the possibility of gender differences when designing a web-based DSS and include website features that draw user attention to important DSS elements to effectively support various populations of users.
Identifying Effortful Individuals With Mixture Modeling Response Accuracy and Response Time Simultaneously to Improve Item Parameter Estimation
Authors: Liu Yue , Cheng Ying , Liu Hongyun
Published: January 2020

The responses of non-effortful test-takers may have serious consequences as non-effortful responses can impair model calibration and latent trait inferences. This article introduces a mixture model, using both response accuracy and response time information, to help differentiating non-effortful and effortful individuals, and to improve item parameter estimation based on the effortful group. Two mixture approaches are compared with the traditional response time mixture model (TMM) method and the normative threshold 10 (NT10) method with response behavior effort criteria in four simulation scenarios with regard to item parameter recovery and classification accuracy. The results demonstrate that the mixture methods and the TMM method can reduce the bias of item parameter estimates caused by non-effortful individuals, with the mixture methods showing more advantages when the non-effort severity is high or the response times are not lognormally distributed. An illustrative example is also provided.
A laser triangulation sensor for vibrational structural analysis and diagnostics
Authors: Soave Elia , D’Elia Gianluca , Mucchi Emiliano
Published: January 2020

The industrial progress has reached a level in which it is necessary to understand the behavior of mechanical components and to monitor their conditions without disassembling them. Nowadays, a suitable methodology is based on vibrational analysis usually performed through acceleration signals measured directly on the system to be tested. However, in the last years, the industrial scenario has deeply changed due to the need for time reduction, in particular, for the control operations at the end of the productive line. The genuine methods based on acceleration measurements, for example, through piezoelectric accelerometers, came into conflict with the industrial need as the sensors used for the quality control have to be easily and fastly mounted and unmounted. A valid alternative is represented by the exploitation of laser triangulation sensors that are able to measure the dynamic displacement in a contactless way, strongly reducing the (un)mounting time. The target of this paper is to highlight pros and cons of the contactless displacement analysis through laser triangulation sensors with respect to the contact one through genuine accelerometers by means of a comparison between the results obtained both for experimental modal analysis and vibrational diagnostics of rotating machines.
Influential post identification on Instagram through caption and hashtag analysis
Authors: Bashari Benyamin , Fazl-Ersi Ehsan
Published: January 2020

Influencer marketing through social networks is becoming an important alternative to traditional ways of advertising. Various solutions have been proposed that often take advantage of graph-based approaches to discover influencers in social networks. This paper designs a new method for the discovery of influential users in Instagram, by focusing on user-generated posts as an alternative source of information, to potentially augment the existing solutions based on network topology or connections. The text associated with each Instagram post potentially consists of a set of hashtags and a descriptive caption. Various word embedding methods such as Co-occurrence and fastText are examined to represent captions and hashtags. These representations are combined within a support vector machines framework to distinguish influential posts from non-influential ones. Extensive experiments show that the text data can play a significant role in identifying influential posts, and further demonstrate the strength of the proposed method for discovering influencers on Instagram.
A novel feature selection method to boost variable predictive model–based class discrimination performance and its application to intelligent multi-fault diagnosis
Authors: Luo Songrong , Yang Wenxian , Tang Hongbin
Published: January 2020

Effective and efficient incipient fault diagnosis is vital to the maintenance and safe application of large-scale key mechanical system. Variable predictive model–based class discrimination is a recently developed multiclass discrimination method and has been proved to be potential tool for multi-fault detection. However, the vibration signals from dynamic mechanical system always present non-normal distribution so that the original variable predictive model–based class discrimination might produce the inaccurate outcomes. An improved variable predictive model–based class discrimination method is introduced at first in this work. At the same time, variable predictive model–based class discrimination will suffer computation difficulty in the case of high-dimension input features. Therefore, a novel feature selection method based on similarity-fuzzy entropy is presented to boost the performance of the variable predictive model–based class discrimination classifier. In this method, the ideal feature vectors are optimized to acquire more accurate similarity-fuzzy entropies for the input features. And, the one with the largest similarity-fuzzy entropy value is removed to refine input feature subset. Moreover, the optimal input features are repeatedly evaluated using the improved variable predictive model–based class discrimination classifier until the expected results are achieved. Finally, the incipient multi-fault diagnosis model for a hydraulic piston pump is established and verified by experimental test. Some comparisons with commonly used methods were made, and the results indicate that the proposed method is more effective and efficient.
A review of blade tip clearance–measuring technologies for gas turbine engines
Authors: Yu Bing , Ke Hongwei , Shen Enyu , Zhang Tianhong
Published: January 2020

Blade tip clearance is one of the important parameters affecting the performance, safety and stability of a gas turbine engine. However, it is difficult to measure the tip clearance in real time and accurately during the development and test process of an engine. In order to promote the development of tip clearance–measuring technology and the optimal design of the gas turbine engine, some typical measuring methods of tip clearance and a novel measuring method based on AC discharge are introduced. In this article, the significance for measuring tip clearance of an engine is illustrated first. Then, operating principles, characteristics and developments of those typical measurement approaches are introduced. After that, these methods are analyzed, and the particular characteristic of each measuring approach is summarized.
Iterative closest point registration for fast point feature histogram features of a volume density optimization algorithm
Authors: Wu Lu-shen , Wang Guo-lin , Hu Yun
Published: January 2020

Motivated by the high speed but insufficient precision of the existing fast point feature histogram algorithm, a new fast point feature histogram registration algorithm based on density optimization is proposed. In this method, a 44-section blank feature histogram is first established, and then a principal component analysis is implemented to calculate the normal of each point in the point cloud. By translating the coordinate system in the established local coordinate system, the normal angle of each point pair and its weighted neighborhood are obtained, and then a fast point feature histogram with 33 sections is established. The reciprocal of the volume density for the central point and its weighted neighborhood are calculated simultaneously. The whole reciprocal space is divided into 11 sections. Thus, a density fast point feature histogram with 44 sections is obtained. On inputting the testing models, the initial pose of the point cloud is adjusted using the traditional fast point feature histogram and the proposed algorithms, respectively. Then, the iterative closest point algorithm is incorporated to complete the fine registration test. Compared with the traditional fine registration test algorithm, the proposed optimization algorithm can obtain 44 feature parameters under the condition of a constant time complexity. Moreover, the proposed optimization algorithm can reduce the standard deviation by 8.6% after registration. This demonstrates that the proposed method encapsulates abundant information and can achieve a high registration accuracy.
On mechanical and morphological investigations of tungsten inert gas welded SS 304 thin pipe joints
Authors: Arora Hitesh , Singh Rupinder , Brar Gurinder Singh
Published: January 2020

Tungsten inert gas welding is one of the established joining processes for stainless steel. But hitherto very little has been reported on induced residual stresses in circular thin pipe joints during tungsten inert gas welding of SS 304. This paper reports the effect of welding parameters such as welding speed, welding current and shielding gas flow rate of tungsten inert gas welding on micro-hardness, width of the heat-affected zone, residual stresses and microstructural properties of SS 304 thin pipe joints. The results indicate that the welding current and the welding speed have a significant effect on micro-hardness of weld bead and width of the heat-affected zone. Further changes in the microstructure of the joints were studied in terms of dendrite formation. It has been observed that there is proportional increase in depth/width of the heat-affected zone with the heat input during the joining process, resulting in a decrease of micro-hardness. The results are also supported by radiographic analysis and X-ray diffraction data to understand the nature of residual stresses which was observed as compressive at the weld bead and tensile along the axis of thin welded pipe joints. Finally, the process capability analysis based on Cp and Cpk values of ≥1 suggests that the process can be gainfully used for mass production.
Optimization of power losses in electric vehicle battery by wireless charging method with consideration of the laser optic effect
Authors: Nayagam V Senthil , Premalatha L
Published: January 2020

This work mainly deals with replacing the wired power transmission method for charging electric vehicle with the help of an efficient wireless power transmission method. For identifying an efficient wireless power transmission method, the inductive power transfer method and the laser optic method are taken into consideration to charge the electric vehicle battery. These methods are compared by hardware implementation for various conditions. Wireless power transmission is an emerging technology utilized to charge the electric vehicle battery through an air gap. The use of this new charging technique is due to its easy access from annoying charging cables, better efficiency, and smaller charging time. Also, it contributes to the remarkable reduction of pollutants and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions into the atmosphere by the conventional vehicles. However, the implementation of inductive charging for electric vehicle still presents challenges in terms of power transfer efficiency, transmission distance, utilization of heavy batteries with ripple-free and charging time, and stress on compensation network to maintain resonant condition for maximum power transfer. This system will be verified through the simulation in MATLAB/Simulink environment. The simulation results of the inductive power transfer method and the comparison of hardware setup results with laser optic hardware setup have to be verified.
Religiosity and Desired Emotions: Belief Maintenance or Prosocial Facilitation?
Authors: Vishkin Allon , Schwartz Shalom H. , Ben-Nun Bloom Pazit , Solak Nevin , Tamir Maya
Published: January 2020

We assessed how religiosity is related to desired emotions. We tested two competing hypotheses. First, religiosity could be associated with a stronger desire for emotions that strengthen foundational religious beliefs (i.e., more awe and gratitude and less pride). Second, religiosity could be associated with a stronger desire for emotions that promote prosocial engagement (e.g., more love and empathy and less anger and jealousy). Two cross-cultural studies supported the first hypothesis. Religiosity was related to desire for emotions that strengthen religious beliefs, but not to desire for socially engaging or socially disengaging emotions. These findings held across countries and across several different religions. A third study investigating the mechanisms of both hypotheses using structural equation modeling supported only the first hypothesis. This research extends prior work on desired emotions to the domain of religiosity. It demonstrates that the emotions religious people desire may be those that help strengthen their religious beliefs.
Production and characterization of fully biobased foamed films based on gelatin
Authors: Solorza-Feria Javier , Ortiz-Zarama Maria Alejandra , Jimenez-Aparicio Antonio , Rodrigue Denis
Published: January 2020

The objective of this study was to produce and characterize gelatin foamed films using extrusion. Three “optimum” formulations containing tannic acid, nanoclays (Cloisite Na+), glycerol, water, and gelatin, as well as three “controls” without tannic acid and nanoclays were prepared by calendering. Furthermore, the three “optimum” formulations were produced by extrusion film blowing only, since no stable processing conditions could be obtained for the controls. A complete set of sample characterization was performed, including morphological, mechanical, physical, and thermal properties. The results showed that besides the processing method, the thickness was also controlled by the glycerol and water content, leading to density slightly above unity, with higher values for the optimum materials. The calendered films from the optimum formulations showed overall a higher number of cells and cell density than the controls. Higher elastic moduli and tensile strengths were obtained for the films from the optimum formulations made by either method because of the reinforcing effect of the tannic acid and nanoclays, but this led to lower strain at break. The thermal profiles were similar for all films, with higher stability for the optimum formulations. The results were also explained via chemical interactions between the components as observed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Overall, the optimum formulations not only produced better foamed films in terms of general properties but were much easier to process by both methods (calendering and blowing).
Fatal and non-fatal health incidents related to recreational ecstasy use
Authors: van Amsterdam Jan , Pennings Ed , van den Brink Wim
Published: January 2020

Background:

The recreational drug ecstasy (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) is currently used world-wide. Severe (including fatal) health incidents related to ecstasy have been reported but a risk assessment of acute non-fatal and fatal ecstasy-related health incidents has never been performed.

Methods:

In the current risk assessment review, national data of non-fatal health incidents collected in the Netherlands were combined with the nationwide exposure to ecstasy, that is, last-year prevalence of ecstasy use. In addition, the annual number of ecstasy-related deaths in Great Britain (Scotland, Wales and England) was used to assess the risk of fatal ecstasy-related cases.

Results:

In the Netherlands, the estimated risk of a moderate to severe acute health incident following the use of ecstasy is one in 900 pills (0.11%), whereas for cocaine it is one in 1600 doses (0.06%) and for gamma-hydroxybutyrate one in 95 doses (1.05%). With respect to ecstasy-related deaths in Great Britain, the estimated risk of ecstasy alone per user is 0.01–0.06%, which is close to the range of the fatality risk in chronic alcohol users (0.01–0.02%), amphetamine users (0.005%) and cocaine users (0.05%), but much lower than that of opiate use (heroin and morphine: 0.35%).

Conclusion:

The current review shows that almost no data are available on the health risks of ecstasy use. The few data that are available show that ecstasy is not a safe substance. However, compared to opiates (heroin, morphine), the risk of acute ecstasy-related adverse health incidents per ecstasy user and per ecstasy use session is relatively low.
Development of a Decision-Making Tool to Select Optimum Preventive Maintenance Treatments in a Hot and Humid Climate
Authors: Mousa Momen R. , Elseifi Mostafa A. , Zhang Zhongjie , Gaspard Kevin
Published: January 2020

Preventive maintenance treatments are widely used throughout the United States to extend pavement service life (PSL), and therefore, defer costly rehabilitation activities. However, optimizing the use of these treatments faces several key challenges. First, the benefits resulting from these treatments are not well-defined. Second, there is considerable debate over the optimal timing of these treatments. Third, concerns exist that these treatments may be responsible for moisture damage if the surrounding moisture conditions are not adequately considered before installation. Although significant research has been conducted to address these challenges, few efforts have been directed toward technology transfer and implementation of the research findings. Therefore, the objective of this study was to combine the results of a comprehensive research study addressing these challenges into an enhanced decision-making tool that can be used to select the best maintenance treatment to be applied to an existing asphalt concrete (AC) overlay based on the project conditions. For a given project, this tool will predict the most cost-effective maintenance treatment (crack sealing, chip seal, microsurfacing, or do nothing) to address existing surface distresses without causing moisture damage. The tool will also provide the optimal timing of installation of the recommended treatment. To ensure that the developed tool is practical and simple to use, it was developed using macros in Microsoft Excel. The developed tool is implementation-ready and should be utilized by the relevant Department of Transportation to maximize the benefits from pavement maintenance activities.
PROMIS Versus Legacy Patient-Reported Outcome Measures in Patients Undergoing Surgical Treatment for Symptomatic Acetabular Dysplasia
Authors: Li Deborah J. , Clohisy John C. , Schwabe Maria T. , Yanik Elizabeth L. , Pascual-Garrido Cecilia
Published: January 2020

Background:

No previous study has investigated how the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) performs compared with legacy patient-reported outcome measures in patients with symptomatic acetabular dysplasia treated with periacetabular osteotomy (PAO).

Purpose:

To (1) measure the strength of correlation between the PROMIS and legacy outcome measures and (2) assess floor and ceiling effects of the PROMIS and legacy outcome measures in patients treated with PAO for symptomatic acetabular dysplasia.

Study Design:

Cohort study (Diagnosis); Level of evidence, 2.

Methods:

This study included 220 patients who underwent PAO for the treatment of symptomatic acetabular dysplasia. Outcome measures included the Hip disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (HOOS) pain, HOOS activities of daily living (ADL), modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS), PROMIS pain, and PROMIS physical function subsets, with scores collected preoperatively and/or postoperatively at a minimum 12-month follow-up. The change in mean scores from preoperatively to postoperatively was calculated only in a subgroup of 57 patients with scores at both time points. Distributions of the PROMIS and legacy scores were compared to evaluate floor and ceiling effects, and Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to evaluate agreement.

Results:

The mean age at the time of surgery was 27.7 years, and 83.6% were female. The mean follow-up time was 1.5 years. Preoperatively, neither the PROMIS nor the legacy measures showed significant floor or ceiling effects. Postoperatively, all legacy measures showed significant ceiling effects, with 15% of patients with a maximum HOOS pain score of 100, 29% with a HOOS ADL score of 100, and 21% with an mHHS score of 100. The PROMIS and legacy instruments showed good agreement preoperatively and postoperatively. The PROMIS pain had a moderate to strong negative correlation with the HOOS pain ( r = −0.66; P < .0001) and mHHS ( r = −0.60; P < .0001) preoperatively and the HOOS pain ( r = −0.64; P < .0001) and mHHS ( r = −0.64; P < .0001) postoperatively. The PROMIS physical function had a moderate positive correlation with the HOOS ADL ( r = 0.51; P < .0001) and mHHS ( r = 0.49; P < .0001) preoperatively and a stronger correlation postoperatively with the HOOS ADL ( r = 0.56; P < .0001) and mHHS ( r = 0.56; P < .0001).

Conclusion:

We found good agreement between PROMIS and legacy scores preoperatively and postoperatively. PROMIS scores were largely normally distributed, demonstrating an expanded ability to capture variability in patients with improved outcomes after treatment.
A unit-cell model for thermal regulation of degradation of organics in solid waste
Authors: Shi Jianyong , Lei Guohui , Zhang Jingfeng , Wei Yazhou , Li Yu Ping , Sun Zhenming , Zhang Yuchen
Published: January 2020

It is a well appreciated fact that temperature is one of the key factors influencing the degradation of organics. Heat exchangers are a viable option that can be used to adjust the temperature in solid waste to an extent most suitable for waste degradation. This paper focuses on an experimental and theoretical investigation of the feasibility of using a water-circulating heat exchanger for thermal regulation of waste degradation. A cylindrical bioreactor with a central pipe connected to a water circulation system is devised and instrumented. The changes in temperature and gas production were monitored during the degradation of the organic component of the waste. Test results with and without thermal regulation are analyzed and compared. In addition, an analytical model is proposed to simulate the symmetrical heat transport behavior subjected to heat exchange. Heat generation due to the degradation of organics is taken into account. There was a good correlation between the analytical model prediction and the experimental data obtained from the laboratory test and field monitoring.
Anterior Crossbite: Interceptive Orthodontics for Prevention, Maryland Bridges for Correction
Authors: Beard Gary B.
Published: January 2020

Displacement of teeth (malocclusions) in companion animals becomes important when it results in occlusal traumas and tooth attrition, or soft tissue damage. These defects may be so minor that years elapse before they take their toll on oral health or they may be so major that mastication is impossible.

This paper addresses the oral health aspects of veterinary dental orthodontics as it relates to anterior cross bite and interceptive orthodontics.