bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Mechanical Properties and In Vitro Biocompatibility of PM-Fabricated Ti-28Nb-35.4Zr Alloy for Orthopedic Implant Applications
Authors: Xu Wei , Li Ming , Wen Cuie , Lv Shaomin , Liu Chengcheng , Lu Xin , Qu Xuanhui
Published: March 2018

A biocompatible Ti-28Nb-35.4Zr alloy used as bone implant was fabricated through the powder metallurgy process. The effects of mechanical milling and sintering temperatures on the microstructure and mechanical properties were investigated systematically, before in vitro biocompatibility of full dense Ti-28Nb-35.4Zr alloy was evaluated by cytotoxicity tests. The results show that the mechanical milling and sintering temperatures have significantly effects on the density and mechanical properties of the alloys. The relative density of the alloy fabricated by the atomized powders at 1500 °C is only 83 ± 1.8%, while the relative density of the alloy fabricated by the ball-milled powders can rapidly reach at 96.4 ± 1.3% at 1500 °C. When the temperature was increased to 1550 °C, the alloy fabricated by ball-milled powders achieve full density (relative density is 98.1 ± 1.2%). The PM-fabricated Ti-28Nb-35.4Zr alloy by ball-milled powders at 1550 °C can achieve a wide range of mechanical properties, with a compressive yield strength of 1058 ± 35.1 MPa, elastic modulus of 50.8 ± 3.9 GPa, and hardness of 65.8 ± 1.5 HRA. The in vitro cytotoxicity test suggests that the PM-fabricated Ti-28Nb-35.4Zr alloy by ball-milled powders at 1550 °C has no adverse effects on MC3T3-E1 cells with cytotoxicity ranking of 0 grade, which is nearly close to ELI Ti-6Al-4V or CP Ti. These properties and the net-shape manufacturability makes PM-fabricated Ti-28Nb-35.4Zr alloy a low-cost, highly-biocompatible, Ti-based biomedical alloy.
Investigating the Mechanism behind ‘Ant Nest’ Corrosion on Copper Tube
Authors: Situmorang Riky , Kawai Hideki
Published: March 2018

A research investigation of “ant nest” corrosion (ANC) on copper tube was conducted in terms of the variables of the corrosion potential and pH value in 103 ppm copper formate solution over 20 days. The paper presents the surface and cross-sectional observations and examines Cu2O and H2O as the stable chemical species produced. A Cannizzaro reaction as a disproportionation reaction from formic acid and a comproportionation reaction from the metallic copper tube and copper formate solution critically influenced the ANC mechanism. The paper also categorizes the ANC attack as a rapid reaction system from the electrochemical point of view by using a polarization resistance curve.
Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Al2O3/Er3Al5O12 Binary Eutectic Ceramic Prepared by Bridgman Method
Authors: Song Caiyu , Wang Shunheng , Liu Juncheng , Zhai Shuoyan
Published: March 2018

Directionally solidified Al2O3/Er3Al5O12 (EAG) eutectic ceramic was prepared via vertical Bridgman method with high-frequency induction heating. The effects of the growth rate on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the solidified ceramic were investigated. The experimental results showed that there were no pores or amorphous phases in the directionally solidified Al2O3/EAG eutectic ceramic. Al2O3 phase was embedded in the EAG matrix phase, and the two phases were intertwined with each other to form a typical binary eutectic “hieroglyphic” structure. With the increase of growth rate, the phase size and spacing of the solidified Al2O3/EAG ceramic both decreased, and the growth rate and phase spacing satisfied the λ2v ≈ 60 formula of Jackson-Hunt theory. The cross section microstructure of the solidified ceramic always exhibited an irregular eutectic growth, while the longitudinal section microstructure presented a directional growth. The mechanical properties of the solidified ceramic gradually increased with the increase of growth rate, and the maximum hardness and fracture toughness could reach 21.57 GPa and 2.98 MPa·m1/2 respectively. It was considered that the crack deflection and branching could enhance the toughness of the solidified ceramic effectively.
The Design of 3D-Printed Lattice-Reinforced Thickness-Varying Shell Molds for Castings
Authors: Shangguan Haolong , Kang Jinwu , Yi Jihao , Zhang Xiaochuan , Wang Xiang , Wang Haibin , Huang Tao
Published: March 2018

3D printing technologies have been used gradually for the fabrication of sand molds and cores for castings, even though these molds and cores are dense structures. In this paper, a generation method for lattice-reinforced thickness-varying shell molds is proposed and presented. The first step is the discretization of the STL (Stereo Lithography) model of a casting into finite difference meshes. After this, a shell is formed by surrounding the casting with varying thickness, which is roughly proportional to the surface temperature distribution of the casting that is acquired by virtually cooling it in the environment. A regular lattice is subsequently constructed to support the shell. The outside surface of the shell and lattice in the cubic mesh format is then converted to STL format to serve as the external surface of the new shell mold. The internal surface of the new mold is the casting’s surface with the normals of all of the triangles in STL format reversed. Experimental verification was performed on an Al alloy wheel hub casting. Its lattice-reinforced thickness-varying shell mold was generated by the proposed method and fabricated by the binder jetting 3D printing. The poured wheel hub casting was sound and of good surface smoothness. The cooling rate of the wheel hub casting was greatly increased due to the shell mold structure. This lattice-reinforced thickness-varying shell mold generation method is of great significance for mold design for castings to achieve cooling control.
Impact of Interstitial Ni on the Thermoelectric Properties of the Half-Heusler TiNiSn
Authors: Barczak Sonia , Buckman Jim , Smith Ronald , Baker Annabelle , Don Eric , Forbes Ian , Bos Jan-Willem
Published: March 2018

TiNiSn is an intensively studied half-Heusler alloy that shows great potential for waste heat recovery. Here, we report on the structures and thermoelectric properties of a series of metal-rich TiNi1+ySn compositions prepared via solid-state reactions and hot pressing. A general relation between the amount of interstitial Ni and lattice parameter is determined from neutron powder diffraction. High-resolution synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction reveals the occurrence of strain broadening upon hot pressing, which is attributed to the metastable arrangement of interstitial Ni. Hall measurements confirm that interstitial Ni causes weak n-type doping and a reduction in carrier mobility, which limits the power factor to 2.5–3 mW m−1 K−2 for these samples. The thermal conductivity was modelled within the Callaway approximation and is quantitively linked to the amount of interstitial Ni, resulting in a predicted value of 12.7 W m−1 K−1 at 323 K for stoichiometric TiNiSn. Interstitial Ni leads to a reduction of the thermal band gap and moves the peak ZT = 0.4 to lower temperatures, thus offering the possibility to engineer a broad ZT plateau. This work adds further insight into the impact of small amounts of interstitial Ni on the thermal and electrical transport of TiNiSn.
Biopsychosocial Assessment of Pain with Thermal Imaging of Emotional Facial Expression in Breast Cancer Survivors
Authors: Rodríguez Medina David , Domínguez Trejo Benjamín , Cortés Esteban Patricia , Cruz Albarrán Irving , Morales Hernández Luis , Leija Alva Gerardo
Published: March 2018

Background: Recent research has evaluated psychological and biological characteristics associated with pain in survivors of breast cancer (BC). Few studies consider their relationship with inflammatory activity. Voluntary facial expressions modify the autonomic activity and this may be useful in the hospital environment for clinical biopsychosocial assessment of pain. Methods: This research compared a BC survivors group under integral treatment (Oncology, Psychology, Nutrition) with a control group to assess the intensity of pain, behavioral interference, anxiety, depression, temperament-expression, anger control, social isolation, emotional regulation, and alexithymia and inflammatory activity, with salivary interleukin 6 (IL-6). Then, a psychophysiological evaluation through repeated measures of facial infrared thermal imaging (IRT) and hands in baseline—positive facial expression (joy)—negative facial expression (pain)—relaxation (diaphragmatic breathing). Results: The results showed changes in the IRT (p < 0.05) during the execution of facial expressions in the chin, perinasal, periorbital, frontal, nose, and fingers areas in both groups. No differences were found in the IL-6 level among the aforementioned groups, but an association with baseline nasal temperature (p < 0.001) was observable. The BC group had higher alexithymia score (p < 0.01) but lower social isolation (p < 0.05), in comparison to the control group. Conclusions: In the low- and medium-concentration groups of IL-6, the psychophysiological intervention proposed in this study has a greater effect than on the high concentration group of IL-6. This will be considered in the design of psychological and psychosocial interventions for the treatment of pain.
An FEP Microfluidic Reactor for Photochemical Reactions
Authors: Szymborski Tomasz , Jankowski Paweł , Ogończyk Dominika , Garstecki Piotr
Published: March 2018

Organic syntheses based on photochemical reactions play an important role in the medical, pharmaceutical, and polymeric chemistry. For years, photochemistry was performed using high-pressure mercury lamps and immersion-wells. However, due to excellent yield, control of temperature, selectivity, low consumption of reagents and safety, the microreactors made of fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) tubings have recently been used more frequently. Fluoropolymers are the material of choice for many types of syntheses due to their chemical compatibility and low surface energy. The use of tubing restricts the freedom in designing 2D and 3D geometries of the sections of the microreactors, mixing sections, etc., that are easily achievable in the format of a planar chip. A chip microreactor made of FEP is impracticable to develop due to its high chemical inertness and high melting temperature, both of which make it difficult (or impossible) to bond two plates of polymer. Here, we demonstrate a ‘click’ system, where the two plates of FEP are joined together mechanically using a tenon and a mortise. The concept was presented by us previously for a preparation polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) microreactor (Szymborski et al. Sensors Actuators, B Chem. 2017, doi:10.1016/j.snb.2017.09.035). Here, we use the same strategy for FEP plates, test the use of the chips in photochemistry and also describe a custom-designed non-transparent polyethylene (PE) mask-holder with a circular opening to guide and focus the ultraviolet (UV) illumination. The solutions that we describe offer tight microreactor chips, preventing any leakage either of the liquid reagents or of UV light outside the reactor. This allows for conducting photochemical synthesis without a fume hood and without special protection against UV radiation.
A Co-Precursor Approach Coupled with a Supercritical Modification Method for Constructing Highly Transparent and Superhydrophobic Polymethylsilsesquioxane Aerogels
Authors: Lei Chaoshuai , Li Junning , Sun Chencheng , Yang Hailong , Xia Tao , Hu Zijun , Zhang Yue
Published: March 2018

Polymethylsilsesquioxane (PMSQ) aerogels obtained from methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) are well-known high-performance porous materials. Highly transparent and hydrophobic PMSQ aerogel would play an important role in transparent vacuum insulation panels. Herein, the co-precursor approach and supercritical modification method were developed to prepare the PMSQ aerogels with high transparency and superhydrophobicity. Firstly, benefiting from the introduction of tetramethoxysilane (TMOS) in the precursor, the pore structure became more uniform and the particle size was decreased. As the TMOS content increased, the light transmittance increased gradually from 54.0% to 81.2%, whereas the contact angle of water droplet decreased from 141° to 99.9°, ascribed to the increase of hydroxyl groups on the skeleton surface. Hence, the supercritical modification method utilizing hexamethyldisilazane was also introduced to enhance the hydrophobic methyl groups on the aerogel’s surface. As a result, the obtained aerogels revealed superhydrophobicity with a contact angle of 155°. Meanwhile, the developed surface modification method did not lead to any significant changes in the pore structure resulting in the superhydrophobic aerogel with a high transparency of 77.2%. The proposed co-precursor approach and supercritical modification method provide a new horizon in the fabrication of highly transparent and superhydrophobic PMSQ aerogels.
Dietary Patterns of Children and Adolescents from High, Medium and Low Human Development Countries and Associated Socioeconomic Factors: A Systematic Review
Authors: Hinnig Patrícia , Monteiro Jordanna , De Assis Maria , Levy Renata , Peres Marco , Perazi Fernanda , Porporatti André , Canto Graziela
Published: March 2018

The purpose of this systematic review is to assess the associations among education, income and dietary pattern (DP) in children and adolescents from high, medium and low human development countries (HHDC, MHDC and LHDC, respectively). Observational studies that evaluated the association between family income or education with the DP are obtained through electronic database searches. Forty articles are selected for review. In HHDC, education is inversely associated with “unhealthy” DP and positively associated with “healthy” DP. In cross-sectional studies from HHDC, higher income is negatively associated with “unhealthy” DP. In MHDC, there is no association between the socioeconomic variables (SE) and the DPs, although, in some studies, the unhealthy diet is positively associated with SE. Only one study conducted in LHDC showed an inverse association between income/education with “unhealthy” DP and there is no association between the SE and “healthy” DP. In conclusion, children and adolescents living in HHDC with high parental education tend to have a healthier diet. In MHDC, although an unhealthy diet is found among the high-income and educated population, the associations are not clear. Additional research is needed to clarify the associations between income and education with “unhealthy” and “healthy” DPs in MHDC and LHDC.
Effects of Drought on Nutrient Uptake and the Levels of Nutrient-Uptake Proteins in Roots of Drought-Sensitive and -Tolerant Grasses
Authors: Bista Deepesh , Heckathorn Scott , Jayawardena Dileepa , Mishra Sasmita , Boldt Jennifer
Published: March 2018

Climate change will increase drought in many regions of the world. Besides decreasing productivity, drought also decreases the concentration (%) of nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) in plants. We investigated if decreases in nutrient status during drought are correlated with decreases in levels of nutrient-uptake proteins in roots, which has not been quantified. Drought-sensitive (Hordeum vulgare, Zea mays) and -tolerant grasses (Andropogon gerardii) were harvested at mid and late drought, when we measured biomass, plant %N and P, root N- and P-uptake rates, and concentrations of major nutrient-uptake proteins in roots (NRT1 for NO3, AMT1 for NH4, and PHT1 for P). Drought reduced %N and P, indicating that it reduced nutrient acquisition more than growth. Decreases in P uptake with drought were correlated with decreases in both concentration and activity of P-uptake proteins, but decreases in N uptake were weakly correlated with levels of N-uptake proteins. Nutrient-uptake proteins per gram root decreased despite increases per gram total protein, because of the larger decreases in total protein per gram. Thus, drought-related decreases in nutrient concentration, especially %P, were likely caused, at least partly, by decreases in the concentration of root nutrient-uptake proteins in both drought-sensitive and -tolerant species.
Pole-Like Road Furniture Detection and Decomposition in Mobile Laser Scanning Data Based on Spatial Relations
Authors: Li Fashuai , Oude Elberink Sander , Vosselman George
Published: March 2018

Road furniture plays an important role in road safety. To enhance road safety, policies that encourage the road furniture inventory are prevalent in many countries. Such an inventory can be remarkably facilitated by the automatic recognition of road furniture. Current studies typically detect and classify road furniture as one single above-ground component only, which is inadequate for road furniture with multiple functions such as a streetlight with a traffic sign attached. Due to the recent developments in mobile laser scanners, more accurate data is available that allows for the segmentation of road furniture at a detailed level. In this paper, we propose an automatic framework to decompose road furniture into different components based on their spatial relations in a three-step procedure: first, pole-like road furniture are initially detected by removing ground points and an initial classification. Then, the road furniture is decomposed into poles and attachments. The result of the decomposition is taken as a feedback to remove spurious pole-like road furniture as a third step. If there are no poles extracted in the decomposition stage, these incorrectly detected pole-like road furniture—such as the pillars of buildings—will be removed from the detection list. We further propose a method to evaluate the results of the decomposition. Compared with our previous work, the performance of decomposition has been much improved. In our test sites, the correctness of detection is higher than 90% and the completeness is approximately 95%, showing that our procedure is competitive to state of the art methods in the field of pole-like road furniture detection. Compared to our previous work, the optimized decomposition improves the correctness by 7.3% and 18.4% in the respective test areas. In conclusion, we demonstrate that our method decomposes pole-like road furniture into poles and attachments with respect to their spatial relations, which is crucial for road furniture interpretation.
Integrating Airborne LiDAR and Optical Data to Estimate Forest Aboveground Biomass in Arid and Semi-Arid Regions of China
Authors: Cao Luodan , Pan Jianjun , Li Ruijuan , Li Jialin , Li Zhaofu
Published: March 2018

Forest Aboveground Biomass (AGB) is a key parameter for assessing forest productivity and global carbon content. In previous studies, AGB has been estimated using various prediction methods and types of remote sensing data. Increasingly, there is a trend towards integrating various data sources such as Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) and optical data. In this study, we constructed and compared the accuracies of five models for estimating AGB of forests in the upper Heihe River Basin in Northwest China. The five models were constructed using field and remotely-sensed data (optical and LiDAR) and algorithms including Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Machines (SVM), Back Propagation Neural Networks (BPNN), K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) and the Generalized Linear Mixed Model (GLMM). Models based on the RF algorithm emerged as being the best among the five algorithms irrespective of the datasets used. The Random Forest AGB model, using only LiDAR data (R2 = 0.899, RMSE = 14.0 t/ha) as the input data, was more effective than the one using optical data (R2 = 0.835, RMSE = 22.724 t/ha). Compared to LiDAR or optical data alone, the AGB model (R2 = 0.913, RMSE = 13.352 t/ha) that used the RF algorithm and integrated LiDAR and optical data was found to be optimal. Incorporation of terrain variables with optical data resulted in only slight improvements in accuracy. The models developed in this study could be useful for using integrated airborne LiDAR and passive optical data to accurately estimate forest biomass.
The Height-Adaptive Parameterized Step Length Measurement Method and Experiment Based on Motion Parameters
Authors: Zhang Yanshun , Li Yingyue , Peng Chuang , Mou Dong , Li Ming , Wang Wei
Published: March 2018

In order to tackle the inaccurate step length measurement of people with different heights and in different motion states, a height-adaptive method of step length measurement based on motion parameters is proposed in this paper. This method takes people’s height, stride frequency, and changing accelerometer output while walking into integrated consideration, and builds a dynamic and parameterized model of their step length. In this study, these parameters were calibrated with thirty sets of experiment data from people with different heights and in different motion states, which were then verified experimentally by motion data of randomly selected subjects, regardless of speed and height. The experiment results indicate that the height-adaptive step length measurement was realized, thus eliminating the influence of height exerted on step length measurement.
Aptamer-Modified Magnetic Beads in Biosensing
Authors: Modh Harshvardhan , Scheper Thomas , Walter Johanna-Gabriela
Published: March 2018

Magnetic beads (MBs) are versatile tools for the purification, detection, and quantitative analysis of analytes from complex matrices. The superparamagnetic property of magnetic beads qualifies them for various analytical applications. To provide specificity, MBs can be decorated with ligands like aptamers, antibodies and peptides. In this context, aptamers are emerging as particular promising ligands due to a number of advantages. Most importantly, the chemical synthesis of aptamers enables straightforward and controlled chemical modification with linker molecules and dyes. Moreover, aptamers facilitate novel sensing strategies based on their oligonucleotide nature that cannot be realized with conventional peptide-based ligands. Due to these benefits, the combination of aptamers and MBs was already used in various analytical applications which are summarized in this article.
Polar Cooperative Navigation Algorithm for Multi-Unmanned Underwater Vehicles Considering Communication Delays
Authors: Yan Zheping , Wang Lu , Wang Tongda , Yang Zewen , Chen Tao , Xu Jian
Published: March 2018

To solve the navigation accuracy problems of multi-Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (multi-UUVs) in the polar region, a polar cooperative navigation algorithm for multi-UUVs considering communication delays is proposed in this paper. UUVs are important pieces of equipment in ocean engineering for marine development. For UUVs to complete missions, precise navigation is necessary. It is difficult for UUVs to establish true headings because of the rapid convergence of Earth meridians and the severe polar environment. Based on the polar grid navigation algorithm, UUV navigation in the polar region can be accomplished with the Strapdown Inertial Navigation System (SINS) in the grid frame. To save costs, a leader-follower type of system is introduced in this paper. The leader UUV helps the follower UUVs to achieve high navigation accuracy. Follower UUVs correct their own states based on the information sent by the leader UUV and the relative position measured by ultra-short baseline (USBL) acoustic positioning. The underwater acoustic communication delay is quantized by the model. In this paper, considering underwater acoustic communication delay, the conventional adaptive Kalman filter (AKF) is modified to adapt to polar cooperative navigation. The results demonstrate that the polar cooperative navigation algorithm for multi-UUVs that considers communication delays can effectively navigate the sailing of multi-UUVs in the polar region.
Classification of Incomplete Data Based on Evidence Theory and an Extreme Learning Machine in Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Zhang Yang , Liu Yun , Chao Han-Chieh , Zhang Zhenjiang , Zhang Zhiyuan
Published: March 2018

In wireless sensor networks, the classification of incomplete data reported by sensor nodes is an open issue because it is difficult to accurately estimate the missing values. In many cases, the misclassification is unacceptable considering that it probably brings catastrophic damages to the data users. In this paper, a novel classification approach of incomplete data is proposed to reduce the misclassification errors. This method uses the regularized extreme learning machine to estimate the potential values of missing data at first, and then it converts the estimations into multiple classification results on the basis of the distance between interval numbers. Finally, an evidential reasoning rule is adopted to fuse these classification results. The final decision is made according to the combined basic belief assignment. The experimental results show that this method has better performance than other traditional classification methods of incomplete data.
Eco-Dimensionality as a Religious Foundation for Sustainability
Authors: Bratton Susan
Published: March 2018

Academics have critiqued the Abrahamic faiths, particularly Christianity, as inadequate to respond to today’s environmental dilemmas due to abstract theological qualities like the concept of a unified or transcendent God. Christianity and Islam are the earth’s most populous religions, however, and they are growing in the global south. A literature review finds that both indigenous and world religions develop strategies for environmental sustainability. Examples include: Amazonian fisheries, Islamic gardens, monastic forest management, Baptist LEED certified buildings, and Christian agrarian stewardship. These cases share a characteristic termed eco-dimensionality, defined as the integrative expression of environmental values, caretaking norms and sustainable practices in all aspects of religion, that recognizes and specifically adapts to keystone environmental processes and ecosystemic or geo-physical diversity. Religious eco-dimensionality incorporates: inventorying biota and ecosystems, recognizing environmental spatial and temporal dynamics at multiple scales, understanding communitarian and anti-communitarian human behaviors, structuring social networks, adopting sustainable technologies, and developing an integrative repertoire of religious symbols, aesthetic endeavors and ceremonies. Eco-dimensionality can evolve to address new issues. Negatively stereotyping faith traditions can inhibit constructive conversations concerning environmental issues and development of religious symbols and practices enhancing eco-dimensionality.
Exploring Farmers’ Indigenous Knowledge of Soil Quality and Fertility Management Practices in Selected Farming Communities of the Guinea Savannah Agro-Ecological Zone of Ghana
Authors: Ansong Omari Richard , Bellingrath-Kimura Sonoko , Sarkodee Addo Elsie , Oikawa Yosei , Fujii Yoshiharu
Published: March 2018

Efforts to improve soil productive capacity aimed at boosting crop production in the Northern Ghana has primarily focused on field-based experiments with little documentation on farmer practice and local indigenous knowledge of soil management. A sample group of 114 farmers from five farming communities in the Guinea Savannah was interviewed to evaluate their indigenous knowledge of crop production practices in the context of soil health, fertilization management, and crop yield. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and responses for each category were calculated using simple proportions. Farmers’ fertilization practice was primarily influenced by fertilization resource availability and crop yield response. The results showed that inorganic fertilization was the commonest fertilization type among farmers. Farmer local indicators of soil health were predominantly limited to visually observable signs such as presence or absence of indicator plants, growth vigor of plants, soil color, and tilth, texture, and compaction. Non-tactile and visible indicators, notably soil chemical composition and presence of soil microorganisms, was rarely used. The listed indicators were congruent with scientific reports, although some knowledge gaps, particularly on the use of indicator plants, were identified. The use of indicator plants as determinants of healthy or non-healthy soils appeared to be influenced by the ease of control of weeds, its utilitarian benefits, benefits to the soil, and threats on cultivated crops. Famers were well informed about the decreasing crop yield. Fertilization practices and limitations in soil management practices with proposed capacity building approaches aimed at enhancing productive capacities of cultivated farmlands are discussed.
Efforts to Improve the Seasonal Influenza Vaccine
Authors: Harding Alfred , Heaton Nicholas
Published: March 2018

Influenza viruses infect approximately 20% of the global population annually, resulting in hundreds of thousands of deaths. While there are Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved antiviral drugs for combating the disease, vaccination remains the best strategy for preventing infection. Due to the rapid mutation rate of influenza viruses, vaccine formulations need to be updated every year to provide adequate protection. In recent years, a great amount of effort has been focused on the development of a universal vaccine capable of eliciting broadly protective immunity. While universal influenza vaccines clearly have the best potential to provide long-lasting protection against influenza viruses, the timeline for their development, as well as the true universality of protection they afford, remains uncertain. In an attempt to reduce influenza disease burden while universal vaccines are developed and tested, many groups are working on a variety of strategies to improve the efficacy of the standard seasonal vaccine. This review will highlight the different techniques and technologies that have been, or are being, developed to improve the seasonal vaccination efforts against influenza viruses.
Promoting Site-Specific Versus General Proenvironmental Behavioral Intentions: The Role of Interpretation
Authors: Kim Aise Kyoungjin , Coghlan Alexandra
Published: March 2018

With the growing emphasis on sustainable tourism, visitor management practices such as interpretation have played an important role in achieving the multiple goals of tourism—both enhancing tourist satisfaction and fostering proenvironmental behavior. Yet previous research reveals
contradictory results of interpretation effectiveness on environmental conservation outcomes. This study attempts to explain some of those contradictions by separating out general from site-specific proenvironmental behavioral intentions. This study also offers a conceptual and methodological
basis for distinguishing interrelationships between interpretation and three antecedents of proenvironmental behavior, including specific environmental attitude, tourist satisfaction, and two types of behavioral intentions. Self-completed surveys were used at an Australian iconic nature-based
attraction, the Great Barrier Reef. The findings highlight that interpretation has both a direct and an indirect relationship (through the mediating factors of visitor satisfaction and environmental attitude) to proenvironmental behavioral intentions. Furthermore, interpretation is more likely
to be associated with site-specific proenvironmental behaviors than general ones. The results have implications for the use of interpretation as a visitor management strategy, for behavioral change in environmental practices, and for tourist experience enhancement.
RESEARCH ON ASSEMBLY SEQUENCE PLANNING AND OPTIMIZATION OF PRECAST CONCRETE BUILDINGS
Authors: WANG Yaowu , YUAN Zhenmin , SUN Chengshuang
Published: March 2018

Due to more complex structure and increasing prefabrication rate of precast concrete buildings, the assembly order between their constituent components is getting more and more attention. In order to solve the assembly sequence planning and optimization (ASPO) problem in precast concrete buildings, Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Improved Genetic Algorithm (IGA) are organically combined to propose a new method called BIM-IGA-based ASPO method. This method uses BIM for parametric modelling, uses IGA to search for an optimal assembly sequence, and then uses BIM again for visual simulation to further test the assembly sequence. Besides, IGA, which is improved in coding mode, crossover operation and mutation operation, is also used to achieve the dynamic adjustment of assembly sequence in construction process. A full-text example is used to explain the detailed operating principle of BIM-IGA-based ASPO method. The results indicate that the method can effectively find an optimal assembly sequence to reduce the assembly difficulty of a precast concrete building
The Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey (NGVS). XVIII. Measurement and Calibration of Surface Brightness Fluctuation Distances for Bright Galaxies in Virgo (and Beyond)
Authors: Cantiello Michele , Blakeslee John P. , Ferrarese Laura , Côté Patrick , Roediger Joel C. , Raimondo Gabriella , Peng Eric W. , Gwyn Stephen , Durrell Patrick R. , Cuillandre Jean-Charles
Published: March 2018

We describe a program to measure surface brightness fluctuation (SBF) distances to galaxies observed in the Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey (NGVS), a photometric imaging survey covering 104 deg2 of the Virgo cluster in the u*, g, i, and z bandpasses with the Canada–France–Hawaii Telescope. We describe the selection of the sample galaxies, the procedures for measuring the apparent i-band SBF magnitude

, and the calibration of the absolute

as a function of observed stellar population properties. The multiband NGVS data set provides multiple options for calibrating the SBF distances, and we explore various calibrations involving individual color indices as well as combinations of two different colors. Within the color range of the present sample, the two-color calibrations do not significantly improve the scatter with respect to wide-baseline, single-color calibrations involving u*. We adopt the

calibration as a reference for the present galaxy sample, with an observed scatter of 0.11 mag. For a few cases that lack good u* photometry, we use an alternative relation based on a combination of

and

colors, with only a slightly larger observed scatter of 0.12 mag. The agreement of our measurements with the best existing distance estimates provides confidence that our measurements are accurate. We present a preliminary catalog of distances for 89 galaxies brighter than B

T
 ≈ 13.0 mag within the survey footprint, including members of the background M and W Clouds at roughly twice the distance of the main body of the Virgo cluster. The extension of the present work to fainter and bluer galaxies is in progress.
Visible Near-infrared Spectral Evolution of Irradiated Mixed Ices and Application to Kuiper Belt Objects and Jupiter Trojans
Authors: Poston Michael J. , Mahjoub Ahmed , Ehlmann Bethany L. , Blacksberg Jordana , Brown Michael E. , Carlson Robert W. , Eiler John M. , Hand Kevin P. , Hodyss Robert , Wong Ian
Published: March 2018

Understanding the history of Kuiper Belt Objects and Jupiter Trojans will help to constrain models of solar system formation and dynamical evolution. Laboratory simulations of a possible thermal and irradiation history of these bodies were conducted on ice mixtures while monitoring their spectral properties. These simulations tested the hypothesis that the presence or absence of sulfur explains the two distinct visible near-infrared spectral groups observed in each population and that Trojans and KBOs share a common formation location. Mixed ices consisting of water, methanol, and ammonia, in mixtures both with and without hydrogen sulfide, were deposited and irradiated with 10 keV electrons. Deposition and initial irradiation were performed at 50 K to simulate formation at 20 au in the early solar system, then heated to Trojan-like temperatures and irradiated further. Finally, irradiation was concluded and resulting samples were observed during heating to room temperature. Results indicated that the presence of sulfur resulted in steeper spectral slopes. Heating through the 140–200 K range decreased the slopes and total reflectance for both mixtures. In addition, absorption features at 410, 620, and 900 nm appeared under irradiation, but only in the H2S-containing mixture. These features were lost with heating once irradiation was concluded. While the results reported here are consistent with the hypothesis, additional work is needed to address uncertainties and to simulate conditions not included in the present work.
Asteroseismic Investigations of the Binary System HD 176465
Authors: Gai Ning , Basu Sarbani , Tang Yanke
Published: March 2018

HD 176465 is a binary system for which both components are solar-like pulsators and oscillation frequencies were observed by the Kepler mission. In this paper, we have modeled the asteroseismic and spectroscopic data of the stars, and have determined their convection-zone helium abundances using the signatures left by the He ii ionization zone on the mode frequencies. As expected, we find that the components of the binary are of the same age within uncertainties (3.087 ± 0.580 Gyr and 3.569 ± 0.912 Gyr); they also have the same initial helium abundance (Y
init = 0.253 ± 0.006 and 0.254 ± 0.008). Their current metallicity ([Fe/H] = −0.275 ± 0.04 and −0.285 ± 0.04) is also the same within errors. Fits to the signature of the He ii acoustic glitch yield current helium abundances of Y
A = 0.224 ± 0.006 and Y
B = 0.233 ± 0.008 for the two components. Analyzing the complete ensemble of models generated for this investigation, we find that both the amplitude and acoustic depth of the glitch signature arising from the second helium ionization zone and the base of the convection zone (CZ) are functions of mass. We show that the acoustic depths of these glitches are positively correlated with each other. The analysis can help us to detect the internal structure and constrain the chemical compositions.
Coronal Proerties of the Seyfert 1 Galaxy 3C 120 with NuSTAR
Authors: Rani Priyanka , Stalin C. S.
Published: March 2018

We present a measurement of the cut-off energy, a proxy for the temperature of the corona in the nuclear continuum of the Seyfert 1 galaxy 3C 120 using ∼120 ks of observation from NuSTAR. The quality broadband spectrum from 3–79 keV enabled us to measure the Compton reflection component (R) and to constrain the temperature of the coronal plasma. Fitting one of the advanced Comptonization models, compPS, to the observed broadband spectrum, we derived the kinetic temperature of the electrons in the corona to be kT

e
 = 25 ± 2 keV with a Compton y parameter of y = 2.2 ± 0.1 for a slab geometry and

keV with a y of

assuming a spherical geometry. We noticed excess emission from ∼10–35 keV arising due to Compton reflection and a broad Fe Kα line at 6.43 keV with an equivalent width of 60 ± 5 eV. The variations in count rates in the soft (3–10 keV) band are found to be larger compared to the hard (10–79 keV) band, with mean fractional variability amplitudes of 0.065 ± 0.002 and 0.052 ± 0.003 for the soft and hard bands respectively. 3C 120 is known to have a strong jet; however, our results indicate that it is either dormant or its contribution, if any, to the X-ray emission is negligible during the epoch of NuSTAR observation.
Molecular Gas Reservoirs in Cluster Galaxies at z = 1.46
Authors: Hayashi Masao , Tadaki Ken-ichi , Kodama Tadayuki , Kohno Kotaro , Yamaguchi Yuki , Hatsukade Bunyo , Koyama Yusei , Shimakawa Rhythm , Tamura Yoichi , Suzuki Tomoko L.
Published: March 2018

We present molecular gas reservoirs of 18 galaxies associated with the XMMXCS J2215.9–1738 cluster at z = 1.46. From Band 7 and Band 3 data of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, we detect dust continuum emission at 870 μm and the CO J = 2–1 emission line from 8 and 17 member galaxies, respectively, within a clustercentric radius of R
200. The molecular gas masses derived from the CO and/or dust continuum luminosities show that the fraction of molecular gas mass and the depletion timescale for the cluster galaxies are larger than expected from the scaling relations of molecular gas on stellar mass and offset from the main sequence of star-forming galaxies in general fields. The galaxies closer to the cluster center in terms of both projected position and accretion phase seem to show a larger deviation from the scaling relations. We speculate that the environment of the galaxy cluster helps feed the gas through inflow to the member galaxies and reduce the efficiency of star formation. The stacked Band 3 spectrum of 12 quiescent galaxies with M
stellar ∼ 1011
M
⊙ within 0.5R
200 shows no detection of a CO emission line, giving the upper limit of molecular gas mass and molecular gas fraction to be ≲1010
M
⊙ and ≲10%, respectively. Therefore, the massive galaxies in the cluster core quench the star formation activity while consuming most of the gas reservoirs.
Brightening X-Ray/Optical/Radio Emission of GW170817/SGRB 170817A: Evidence for an Electron–Positron Wind from the Central Engine?
Authors: Geng Jin-Jun , Dai Zi-Gao , Huang Yong-Feng , Wu Xue-Feng , Li Long-Biao , Li Bing , Meng Yan-Zhi
Published: March 2018

Recent follow-up observations of the binary neutron star (NS) merging event GW170817/SGRB 170817A reveal that its X-ray/optical/radio emissions are brightening continuously up to ∼100 days post-merger. This late-time brightening is unexpected from the kilonova model or the off-axis top-hat jet model for gamma-ray burst (SGRB) afterglows. In this Letter, by assuming that the merger remnant is a long-lived NS, we propose that the interaction between an electron–positron-pair (e
+
e
−) wind from the central NS and the jet could produce a long-lived reverse shock, from which a new emission component would rise and can interpret current observations well. The magnetic-field-induced ellipticity of the NS is taken to be 4 × 10−5 in our modeling, so that the braking of the NS is mainly through the gravitational wave (GW) radiation rather than the magnetic dipole radiation, and the emission luminosity at early times would not exceed the observational limits. In our scenario, because the peak time of the brightening is roughly equal to the spin-down timescale of the NS, the accurate peak time may help constrain the ellipticity of the remnant NS. We suggest that radio polarization observations of the brightening would help to distinguish our scenario from other scenarios. Future observations on a large sample of short gamma-ray burst afterglows or detections of GW signals from merger remnants would test our scenario.
FIIND: Ferret Interactive Integrated Neurodevelopment Atlas
Authors: Toro Roberto , Bakker Rembrandt , Delzescaux Thierry , Evans Alan , Tiesinga Paul
Published: March 2018

The first days after birth in ferrets provide a privileged view of the development of a complex mammalian brain. Unlike mice, ferrets develop a rich pattern of deep neocortical folds and cortico- cortical connections. Unlike humans and other primates, whose brains are well differentiated and folded at birth, ferrets are born with a very immature and completely smooth neocortex: folds, neocortical regionalisation and cortico-cortical connectivity develop in ferrets during the first postnatal days. After a period of fast neocortical expansion, during which brain volume increases by up to a factor of 4 in 2 weeks, the ferret brain reaches its adult volume at about 6 weeks of age. Ferrets could thus become a major animal model to investigate the neurobiological correlates of the phenomena observed in human neuroimaging. Many of these phenomena, such as the relationship between brain folding, cortico-cortical connectivity and neocortical regionalisation cannot be investigated in mice, but could be investigated in ferrets.

Our aim is to provide the research community with a detailed description of the development of a complex brain, necessary to better understand the nature of human neuroimaging data, create models of brain development, or analyse the relationship between multiple spatial scales. We have already started a project to constitute an open, collaborative atlas of ferret brain development, integrating multi-modal and multi-scale data. We have acquired data for 28 ferrets (4 animals per time point from P0 to adults), using high-resolution MRI and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). We have developed an open-source pipeline to segment and produce – online – 3D reconstructions of brain MRI data.

We propose to process the brains of 16 of our specimens (from P0 to P16) using high-throughput 3D histology, staining for cytoarchitectonic landmarks, neuronal progenitors and neurogenesis. This would allow us to relate the MRI data that we have already acquired with multi-dimensional cell-scale information. Brains will be sectioned at 25 μm, stained, scanned at 0.25 μm of resolution, and processed for real-time multi-scale visualisation. We will extend our current web-platform to integrate an interactive multi-scale visualisation of the data. Using our combined expertise in computational neuroanatomy, multi-modal neuroimaging, neuroinformatics, and the development of inter-species atlases, we propose to build an open-source web platform to allow the collaborative, online, creation of atlases of the development of the ferret brain. The web platform will allow researchers to access and visualise interactively the MRI and histology data. It will also allow researchers to create collaborative, human curated, 3D segmentations of brain structures, as well as vectorial atlases. Our work will provide a first integrated atlas of ferret brain development, and the basis for an open platform for the creation of collaborative multi-modal, multi-scale, multi-species atlases.
La sinologie est un sport de combat
Authors: Fabre Clément
Published: March 2018

En 1874, l’ancien missionnaire en Chine Paul Perny publie un pamphlet où il accuse d’imposture le marquis d’Hervey de Saint-Denys, professeur de chinois au Collège de France, ainsi que son prédécesseur Stanislas Julien. Son  Charlatanisme littéraire dévoilé  lui vaut finalement d’être condamné pour diffamation. La richesse de l’affaire, qui articule pratique des controverses savantes, lutte entre deux branches rivales de la sinologie et recours au levier de l’opinion publique, permet de retracer un siècle d’institutionnalisation conflictuelle de la sinologie française.
Quantifier pour réformer
Authors: Morel Stanislas
Published: March 2018

L’article étudie le développement d’une administration scolaire spécialisée dans les statistiques aux États-Unis au début du  xx e  siècle. Il appréhende l’activité de ces spécialistes de l’administration scolaire à partir de leurs enquêtes sur le retard et le décrochage scolaires. Ces questionnements émergent dans le contexte de « l’ère progressiste » marqué par la professionnalisation et l’universitarisation de l’administration scolaire, les débats sur les inégalités sociales ou l’efficacité des institutions publiques. En saisissant le travail de ces spécialistes à travers leurs enquêtes, on contribue à une histoire sociale des statistiques scolaires, restituant les enjeux scientifiques, politiques et administratifs qui pèsent sur leur production. Par leur caractère précurseur, ces enquêtes ébauchent, dès les années 1900, des questionnements qui marqueront durablement la sociologie de l’éducation.
Construire son objet dans un contexte universitaire international et précaire
Authors: Verlin Jan
Published: March 2018

Cet article vise à analyser la relation entre les conditions matérielles de travail du jeune chercheur et la construction de l’objet de recherche dans un contexte d’internationalisation et de précarisation des parcours universitaires. Pour ce faire, l’auteur reprend les différents résumés de projet de thèse et de demandes de financement rédigés pendant son doctorat et les met en relation avec les conditions de leur production à des moments de rupture biographique. L’objectif de l’article est d’objectiver les effets réels, mais variables, de la situation matérielle du doctorant et de son contexte institutionnel et disciplinaire sur la production des savoirs.