bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Austerity discourses in "Der Spiegel" magazine, 2009-2014
Authors: Mylonas Yiannis
Published: April 2018

This article looks at the ways mainstream media discuss austerity and its failure to reach its proclaimed goals, to reduce public debt and to boost productivity in the heavily indebted countries of the Eurozone’s periphery. This study analyzed Der Spiegel’s articles presenting the crisis and austerity in Europe, focusing on the Greek case, from 2009 until 2014. A thematic analysis was developed in the study a broad corpus of articles, focusing on the main ideas they unfold. Deploying critical political economy literature, critical cultural theory and critical media studies literature, the article criticizes the neoliberal hegemony of the EU’s crisis politics and foregrounds the role of mainstream media, including progressivist or objectivist ones such as Spiegel, in the reproduction of neoliberal ideas that expand far beyond the crisis, to produce the institutions, social relations, beliefs and subjectivities for a post-crisis configuration of capitalism. The article concludes that Spiegel, like other mainstream media, produce a biopolitical policing of the crisis’ exceptionalized subjects (the citizens of indebted countries) and the implementation of crisis-politics by creating a public “structure of feeling” related to the hegemonic crisis’ rationales. These rationales are further connected to the development of the new neoliberal subjectivity, which is an objective of the crisis-reforms, such as austerity regimes. In effect, mainstream media discourses reproduce the hegemonic frames of the crisis and austerity, while negating the possibility of new narratives to emerge in the crisis context.
On Dallas Smythe’s “Audience Commodity”: An Interview with Lee McGuigan and Vincent Manzerolle
Authors: Svec Henry Adam
Published: April 2018

This interview with Lee McGuigan and Vincent Manzerolle explores some concepts and debates charted by their new co-edited book, The Audience Commodity in a Digital Age: Revisiting a Critical Theory of Commercial Media, which both celebrates and scrutinizes Dallas Smythe’s canonical 1977 essay, “Communications: Blindspot of Western Marxism”. The discussion covers Smythe’s contribution to the field of media studies and the state of current debates pertaining to the theory of the audience commodity, and it also touches on questions of Smythe’s mainstream reception and legacy.
Expo Milano 2015: The Institutionalization of Working for Free in Italy
Authors: Ciccarelli Roberto
Published: April 2018

This essay reports on the temporary and unpaid forms of labour around which the 2015 World’s Fair (Expo 2015) in Milan is organized and upon which it depends. The collective agreement supporting Expo 2015 is especially significant, the paper contends, in that it has been seized upon by the government of Matteo Renzi as a blueprint for the future of labour relations in Italy. Expo 2015 ushers in the institutionalization of unpaid work in the crisis-stricken Italian economy—a transformation approved by the major Italian trade unions that signed off on the collective agreement, but forcefully opposed by social movements who have decried the expansion of unpaid work permitted by the contract.
Past the Post?: Screening Progress and Fascism's Return
Authors: Gerstner David A
Published: April 2018

The 2016 presidential election triggers many unanticipated responses. Emotions run high. Political activists discover newfound energy. One’s place in the world has been unfixed, troubled, and unsettled. Philosophers and artists, stunned, rethink the terms for their critical positions and the formal aesthetics that shape their work. The moment is thus rife with anxiety in search of a response. As a film scholar, I find myself driven to script a response. Ironically, as I write I feel paused in time and space. My unfixedness in the shadow of the election put in motion what can best be described as quivering stasis. From my troubled place, an intellectual processing unfolded. I conjured ideas and images that invariably failed to yield a satisfactory response to what had come to pass. What had I seen? Felt? My psychical and physical response to current events might be likened to what Adorno refers to as “the capacity to shudder, as if goose bumps were the first aesthetic image” (437). It’s not a pretty picture. But we’ve known this all along.
‘Predatory’ Open Access Journals as Parody: Exposing the Limitations of ‘Legitimate’ Academic Publishing
Authors: Bell Kirsten
Published: April 2018

The concept of the ‘predatory’ publisher has today become a standard way of characterizing a new breed of open access journals that seem to be more concerned with making a profit than disseminating academic knowledge. This essay presents an alternative view of such publishers, arguing that if we treat them as parody instead of predator, a far more nuanced reading emerges. Viewed in this light, such journals destabilize the prevailing discourse on what constitutes a ‘legitimate’ journal, and, indeed, the nature of scholarly knowledge production itself. Instead of condemning them outright, their growth should therefore encourage us to ask difficult but necessary questions about the commercial context of knowledge production, prevailing conceptions of quality and value, and the ways in which they privilege scholarship from the ‘centre’ and exclude that from the ‘periphery’.
Harun Farocki's Asignifying Images
Authors: Celis Bueno Claudio
Published: April 2018

With the recent publication of Signs and Machines by Maurizio Lazzarato and Critical Semiotics by Gary Genosko, the concept of asignifying semiotics introduced by Félix Guattari in the late 1960s is regaining attention. This revived interest responds largely to the rise and consolidation of new technologies of power based on algorithmic control and Big Data analysis. In the new context of informational capitalism, Guattari’s asignifying semiotics appears as a powerful conceptual tool for exploring the role of information technologies in the reproduction of capitalist power relations. This article contributes to this discussion by introducing the notion of asignifyng images in order to explore the role that images acquire in this new age of algorithmic control. To achieve so, this article focuses on Harun Farocki's concept of operational images and reads some of his audiovisual work through the prism of Guattari’s asignifying semiotics. More specifically, this article compares the representational account of labour in the film Workers Leaving the Factory (1995) with the non-representational perspective deployed by the video installation Counter-Music (2004). This distinction between a representational and a non-representational framework responds to the distinction between signifying and asignifying semiotics. By comparing these two perspectives this article attempts to delineate some key elements for a broader reflection upon the transformation of the role of images in the reproduction of contemporary capitalism.
Book Review: "Subversion, Conversion, Development" by James Leach and Lee Wilson
Authors: Kelly Matthew
Published: April 2018

This is a review of James Leach and Lee Wilson's collected volume "Subversion, Conversion, Development: Cross-cultural Knowledge Exchange and the Politics of Design"
Populism, Anarchism and the Movement of the Squares
Authors: Wolfson Todd
Published: April 2018

This reflection is a review of Paolo Gerbaudo’s book The Mask and the Flag: Populism, Citizenism, and Global Protest (2017).
Reflections on Trevor G. Smith’s "Politicizing Digital Space: Theory, the Internet, and Renewing Democracy"
Authors: Süß Rahel
Published: April 2018

Book review of Trevor G. Smith’s "Politicizing Digital Space: Theory, the Internet, and Renewing Democracy" (2017). University of Westminster Press, ISBN: 978-1-911534-40-
Pressing Pause: Critical Reflections from the History of Media Studies
Authors: Dolber Brian , O'Baoill Andrew
Published: April 2018

This article examines the history of the fraught relationship between the fields of media and journalism studies and the media industries in the US and UK contexts. In the US, journalism programmes were built on instituting professionalism, and media studies arose in conjunction with the demands of a growing industry. In the UK, cultural studies developed in conjunction with the need to produce a working class that could make sense of the mass media environment. Under neoliberalism, however, professionalism in both media and the academy have been undercut, while media studies programmes have expanded. We argue that a historical, political economic orientation demonstrates that media studies faculty and students are subject to many of the same institutional pressures, providing fertile ground for new pedagogical approaches.
Crise, Genre et TIC: Recette pour une Schizophrénie Prononcée - L’Exemple de L’Afrique du Sud
Authors: Palmieri Joelle
Published: April 2018

A l’heure de la crise économique mondiale, des femmes assument encore plus chaque jour, différemment selon les régions, et en particulier en Afrique du Sud, la responsabilité du rôle de re-production et de production. Elles assurent les soins de la famille au quotidien, en matière de santé, éducation, nutrition, assainissement… Cette responsabilité, invisible, si elle était mise en lumière, notamment via les TIC, défierait un universalisme dominant, notamment en faisant émerger des savoirs ordinaires, non savants. Pourtant, cette option ne semble pas encore à l’ordre du jour, bien au contraire. Les organisations de femmes nouent avec la société portée et accélérée par la communication et l’information, une relation de subordination, par fatalisme ou ignorance. Aussi, développer des formes de citoyenneté directe, en adéquation avec une définition corrigée de la démocratie, engage à interroger l’hypothèse d’une triangulaire politique, économique et informationnelle, ancrée dans l’articulation des sphères privée et publique. With the global economic crisis, women still assume the brunt of the responsibility for re-production and production,differently in different regions, and in particular in South Africa. They daily provide care for the family, including health,education, nutrition, and sanitation. This invisible responsibility, if it were brought to light, thanks, in particular, to ICT, wouldchallenge a dominant universalism, by highlighting common, every day and not scientific, knowledge. However, this optionis not yet on the horizon; quite the contrary: women's organizations, whether out of fatalism or ignorance, establish relations of subordination with the society supported by and accelerated through communication and information. Developing forms of direct citizenship, in line with a revised definition of democracy, questions the hypothesis of a political, economic andinformational triangular, which is rooted in the intersection of private and public spheres.
Calculating the Unknown. Rationalities of Operational Risk in Financial Institutions
Authors: Greif Hajo , Werner Matthias
Published: April 2018

In this paper, findings of a study on the perception and policing of information-technology (ICT) related operational risks are presented, with a view on identifying some part of the role that these technologies, and the specific organisational settings in which they are embedded, may have played in the making of the 2007+ financial crisis. The study’s findings concern, firstly, biases in risk perception that turn a blind eye towards certain operational risks; secondly, competing, qualitative vs. quantitative norms and methods of risk analysis and management and their significance for the governance of financial institutions; and thirdly, the role of ICTs as organisational technologies that work both as sources and as remedies of operational risks. The use of ICTs in financial institutions, it is concluded, while not being fully acknowledged in its organisational role, caters to the calculative rationality to which the analysis, management and governance of operational and other risks are increasingly subjected. Presuming that all kinds of risk can be made calculable and computable, this calculative rationality either misses out or obscures one important risk category: low frequency/ high magnitude risks, which tend to cross the boundary between calculable risk and genuine uncertainty of knowledge.
3rd ICTs and Society Meeting; Paper Session - Inequalities: social, economic, political; Paper 1: Information Society Policies 2.0. A Critical Analysis of the Potential and Pit-falls of Social Computing & Informatics in the Light of E-inclusion
Authors: Verdegem Pieter
Published: April 2018

In this paper we reflect on how research and policies can and/or should help in the development of a sustainable information society for all. More specifically, we critically investigate how social computing & informatics can entail both potential and pitfalls, especially with regard to the difficult relationship between digital and social inclusion. First of all, traditional information society policies are scrutinized. Furthermore, we point at the existence of digital inequalities and we reflect briefly on policy intervention on this (e-inclusion). In addition, we also evaluate the raise of social computing & informatics. Finally, attention is given to the challenge of how research can contribute to the participation of all in the information society.
Social Networking and Transnational Capitalism
Authors: Kreps David
Published: April 2018

Social Networking Sites (SNS) have become a key component of users’ experience of the internet.  Whilst much has been made of the social dynamics of online SNS, the influence of the structures and operations of these sites – and the business models behind them - on users is rarely accounted for.  This paper argues that behind the social behaviours supported by SNS, there is a growing shift towards viewing online communities as commodities, and SNS as an extension of mainstream capitalist ideologies fostered by existing patterns of commercialization and consumption. Using the works of Gramsci, Gill and Hardt & Negri to provide a critical grounding, this paper explores the popular SNS site ‘Facebook’ and suggests that SNS may feel to the users to be free, social, personal, but in fact SNS are business as usual.
The Great Chains of Computing: Informatics at Multiple Scales
Authors: Kirby Kevin , Walden James , Garns Rudy , Doyle Maureen
Published: April 2018

The perspective from which information processing is pervasive in the universe has proven to be an increasingly productive one. Phenomena from the quantum level to social networks have commonalities that can be usefully explicated using principles of informatics. We argue that the notion of scale is particularly salient here. An appreciation of what is invariant and what is emergent across scales, and of the variety of different types of scales, establishes a useful foundation for the transdiscipline of informatics. We survey the notion of scale and use it to explore the characteristic features of information statics (data), kinematics (communication), and dynamics (processing). We then explore the analogy to the principles of plenitude and continuity that feature in Western thought, under the name of the "great chain of being", from Plato through Leibniz and beyond, and show that the pancomputational turn is a modern counterpart of this ruling idea. We conclude by arguing that this broader perspective can enhance informatics pedagogy.
After Deschamps: men, masculinities, and the Canadian Armed Forces
Authors: Taber Nancy
Published: April 2018

In 2015, an external review into sexual harassment and misconduct in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), conducted by former Supreme Court Justice Marie Deschamps, found that there was a sexualized culture in the organization. In light of this report, much attention has been (rightly) focused on women, and there is a large body of research exploring the related experiences of women in the CAF. What is less examined is the way in which sexual harassment and its related misconduct is gendered within the organization, and how it marginalizes those women and men in the CAF who do not conform to a warrior narrative. In this article, I focus on the ways in which military masculinities and femininities are performed in the CAF. I argue that it is important to understand how women and men who do not perform expected and accepted forms of masculinity (and femininity) are marginalized. I examine masculinity in the CAF from historical and contemporary perspectives. Problematizing men's service through the lens of masculinity can help in understanding how gender operates for men and women, as well as for those who do not fit that binary; this, in turn, can help inform cultural change in response to Deschamps.
Factors associated with work satisfaction among Veterans
Authors: MacLean Mary Beth , VanTil Linda , Sweet Jill , Poirier Alain , McKinnon Kris
Published: April 2018

Introduction: Work satisfaction contributes to the health and well-being of Veterans transitioning to civilian life after service. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the factors contributing to work satisfaction among Canadian Veterans. Methods: We examine multiple factors thought to be associated with work satisfaction using the cross-sectional 2010 survey of the Life After Service Studies (LASS) program of research, which includes a national sample of 3,154 Canadian Veterans released from the regular forces between 1998 and 2007. We performed both unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression models for three rank groupings: privates and cadets, Non-Commissioned Members (NCMs), junior and senior, and officers (junior and senior). Results: In the year after release, 73% of Veterans were satisfied with their work. Officers (89%) were the most satisfied, followed by NCMs (77%), and privates and cadets (52%). Using unadjusted models, factors associated with higher satisfaction rates were: release due to reaching retirement age; being older than 50; reporting no work stress; reporting knowledge, skills, and ability transferability; and similar job tasks between military and civilian occupations; reporting easy adjustment to civilian life; and being satisfied with finances. Using adjusted models, only satisfaction with finances was associated with work satisfaction for NCMs, privates, and cadets. Only involuntary release and years of service were associated with work satisfaction for officers. Discussion: Work satisfaction rates varied considerably according to military rank, and were highest among officers and lowest among privates and cadets. This suggests a need to account for rank when developing strategies to improve work satisfaction rates and reintegration into civilian life among Veterans.
Optical and Structural Characteristics of CdSe/PMMA Nanocomposites
Authors: Heiba Z. K. , Mohamed M. B. , Imam N. G.
Published: April 2018

Nanocomposites of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) and CdSe were fabricated by a casting technique. The result showed that CdSe@PMMA can be used in white and green light emitting devices. 0.01CdSe@PMMA exhibits monochromatic green color emission with the highest fluorescent quantum yield and lowest optical band gap value, while CdSe@PMMA with other ratios shows a multicolor emission. The band-edge emits in the vicinity of 280 – 296 nm but a more stable intensive green color emission at 553 nm is found for 0.01CdSe@PMMA. The change in Eg (4.18 to 4.4) eV values is due to the interaction between the PMMA polymer and CdSe.
Effects of Mean Particle Size and Addition Weight Percentage of CaCO3 on Selected Rheological Properties of Filled LDPE
Authors: Wong A. C.-Y. , Wong A. C. M. , Auyeung C. K. M.
Published: April 2018

The present work reports the empirical findings of the effects of mean particle size and weight percentage of CaCO3 on selected rheological characteristics of filled LDPE. The experimental results indicated that the two parameters studied had noticeable influence on the selected rheological properties of LDPE. Studies on the slip velocity and critical shear stress based on Mooney analysis revealed that the designed benefits brought by the incorporation of additives (such as CaCO3) into a polymer (such as LDPE) may not be justified by their possible adverse effects. It is also shown in this report that melt index and apparent viscosity of the selected polymer systems were well correlated with mean particle size of CaCO3 and its weight percentage.
Productivity and economics of maize–squash intercropping at different planting systems
Authors: Mahmud S , Alam MM , Rahman MM , Amin M , Hassan MM
Published: April 2018

The competitive behaviors of maize–squash intercropping at different planting systems were studied at Regional Agricultural Research Station, Hathazari, Chittagong, Bangladesh during the Rabi season of 2016–17 to find out the suitable planting arrangement of maize–squash intercropping for maximum productivity and economic return. There were seven treatments i.e. T1= sole maize, T2= 1 row maize (100%) + 1 row squash (6 plants/row), T3= maize paired row (100%) + 1 row squash (5 plants/row), T4= maize paired row (100%) + 1 row squash (4 plants/row), T5= maize paired row (100%) + 2 row squash (5 plants/row), T6= maize paired row (100%) + 2 row squash (4 plants/row) and T7= sole squash. Results revealed that the Maize Equivalent Yield (MEY) was highest (18.39 t/ha) in T5treatment, where Maize paired row (100%) + 2 row squash (5 plants/row) was consummated. The highest Land Equivalent Ratio (LER) 1.62 was found in T5 treatment. Benefit-Cost Ratio (BCR) was also the highest (3.29) in T5 treatment. Maize paired row (100%) and two rows of squash (5 plants /row) was the suitable row arrangement of the intercrops for judicious use of land consisting optimum populations of the component crops to produce more yield and economic profitJ. Bangladesh Agril. Univ. 16(1): 23-26, April 2018
Screening of barley genotypes for drought tolerance based on culm reserves contribution to grain yield
Authors: Karim Md Masudul , Islam Md Amirul , Rana Md Rasel , Hossain Md Alamgir , Kader Md Abdul
Published: April 2018

Grain filling determines the grain weight, a major component of grain yield in cereals. Grain filling in barley depends on current assimilation and culm reserves. A pot experiment was conducted at the Grilled House, Department of Crop Botany, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh during October 2015–May 2016 to study the grain filling patterns and the contributions of culm reserves to grain yield under drought stress. The experiment consisted of two factors—barley cultivars (six cultivars) and drought stress treatments (control and drought stress). Drought stress was imposed by limiting the irrigation during grain filling period. The tillers were sampled at anthesis, milk-ripe and maturity to determine the changes in dry weights of different parts, viz., leaf lamina, culm with sheath, spikes, and grains; and to examine the contribution of culm reserves to grain yield. The result in this experiment revealed that the grain yield was reduced by 5–25% due to drought stress. The reduction in grain yield was attributable to reduce number of grains per spike and lighter grain weight due to the stress. Drought stress drastically reduced the grain filling duration by about 30% and the stress induced early leaf senescence. Photosynthesis rate and leaf greenness were also reduced in stress. The stress altered the contribution of culm reserves, water soluble carbohydrates (WSCs) in culms to grains. At milk ripe stage, accumulation reached its peak. It accumulated 29.0 to 70.0 mg and from 15.8 to 40.6 mg culm−1 in control and stressed plants, respectively. The residual culm WSCs ranged from 3.5 to 11.2 mg and 1.0 to 3.5 mg culm−1 under control and stress conditions, respectively. The highest contribution of culm WSCs to grain yield was observed in BARI barley2 and the lowest was in BARI barley5 both in control and stress condition. Among the cultivars studied, BARI barley2 produced higher yield with the higher contribution of culm reserves to grain yield under the drought stress.J. Bangladesh Agril. Univ. 16(1): 62-66, April 2018
Financial profitability of small scale shrimp farming in a coastal area of Bangladesh
Authors: Shawon Noor A Arefin , Prodhan Md Masudul Haque , Khan Md Akhtaruzzaman , Mitra Sandip
Published: April 2018

Aquaculture especially shrimp farming has significant contribution to the economy of Bangladesh. The southwest coastal area is more prominent for commercial shrimp farming due to its auspicious environment, higher economic returns, nutrition value and for employment opportunity. The present study estimates the socioeconomic status and financial profitability of small-scale shrimp farming in selected areas of Khulna district. One hundred (100) shrimp farmers were selected and data were collected through direct interview method. Financial profitability was analyzed from the different point of view. The study revealed that about 35% farmers lie in prime working age group. Most of the farmers completed primary level of education while a few of them were illiterate. Family size of 65 % farmer’s was medium and 40% farmer’s main occupation was shrimp farming. Study also revealed that gross profit margin was high i.e. 59% indicating that farmers did well in managing their farm and farmers has more to cover for operating, financing and other cost.  Break-even price for the small scale shrimp worked out Tk. 311 per kg while break-even production was found 155 kg per acre. Benefit cost ratio and net profit margin were found more than one and positive respectively, indicated that small scale shrimp farming was commercially profitable. The research concludes that there is ample scope and possibility for sustaining and developing the small scale shrimp farming in the coastal area of Bangladesh.J. Bangladesh Agril. Univ. 16(1): 104-110, April 2018
Effect of formaldehyde on some post-harvest qualities and shelf-life of selected fruits and vegetables
Authors: Antora Raiya Adiba , Hossain Md Pavel , Monira Syeeda Shiraj Um , Aziz Mohammad Gulzarul
Published: April 2018

In Bangladesh, a lot of fruits and vegetables have been accused of having prolonged shelf-life by formaldehyde adulteration. So, an evaluation of the effect of formaldehyde was carried out by treating mango, litchi and oyster mushroom with different concentrations of formaldehyde and assessing their quality parameters. The three samples were dipped in 0%,1%, 5% and 10%formaldehyde solutions for 15 minutes and packed in a modified atmosphere package for observation. Changes in color, texture and weight loss were observed during storage at every alternate day. No significant increase in post-harvest quality and shelf-life was observed for mango and litchi treated with formaldehyde compared to control. Treated mushroom attained elastic texture and remained in this state up to the end of storage, whereas the control spoiled days after storage. Although formaldehyde-treated mushroom showed extended shelf-life, they lost their commercial freshness. The formaldehyde solutions did not have any significant effect on weight loss. So, formaldehyde is not a useful preservative to improve the post-harvest quality and shelf-life of fresh fruits and vegetables.J. Bangladesh Agril. Univ. 16(1): 151-157, April 2018
Relationship of Date Palm Tree Density to Dubas Bug Ommatissus lybicus Infestation in Omani Orchards
Authors: Al Shidi Rashid H. , Kumar Lalit , Al-Khatri Salim A. H. , Albahri Malik M. , Alaufi Mohammed S.
Published: April 2018

Date palm trees, Phoenix dactylifera, are the primary crop in Oman. Most date palm cultivation is under the traditional agricultural system. The plants are usually under dense planting, which makes them prone to pest infestation. The main pest attacking date palm crops in Oman is the Dubas bug Ommatissus lybicus. This study integrated modern technology, remote sensing and geographic information systems to determine the number of date palm trees in traditional agriculture locations to find the relationship between date palm tree density and O. lybicus infestation. A local maxima method for tree identification was used to determine the number of date palm trees from high spatial resolution satellite imagery captured by WorldView-3 satellite. Window scale sizes of 3, 5 and 7 m were tested and the results showed that the best window size for date palm trees number detection was 7 m, with an overall estimation accuracy 88.2%. Global regression ordinary least square (OLS) and local geographic weighted regression (GWR) were used to test the relationship between infestation intensity and tree density. The GWR model showed a good positive significant relationship between infestation and tree density in the spring season with R2 = 0.59 and medium positive significant relationship in the autumn season with R2 = 0.30. In contrast, the OLS model results showed a weak positive significant relationship in the spring season with R2 = 0.02, p < 0.05 and insignificant relationship in the autumn season with R2 = 0.01, p > 0.05. The results indicated that there was a geographic effect on the infestation of O. lybicus, which had a greater impact on infestation severity, and that the impact of tree density was higher in the spring season than in autumn season.
Multi-Temporal Site-Specific Weed Control of Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. and Rumex crispus L. in Maize and Sugar Beet Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Based Mapping
Authors: Mink Robin , Dutta Avishek , Peteinatos Gerassimos G. , Sökefeld Markus , Engels Johannes Joachim , Hahn Michael , Gerhards Roland
Published: April 2018

Sensor-based weed mapping in arable fields is a key element for site-specific herbicide management strategies. In this study, we investigated the generation of application maps based on Unmanned Aerial Vehicle imagery and present a site-specific herbicide application using those maps. Field trials for site-specific herbicide applications and multi-temporal image flights were carried out in maize (Zea mays L.) and sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) in southern Germany. Real-time kinematic Global Positioning System precision planting information provided the input for determining plant rows in the geocoded aerial images. Vegetation indices combined with generated plant height data were used to detect the patches containing creeping thistle (Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop.) and curled dock (Rumex crispus L.). The computed weed maps showed the presence or absence of the aforementioned weeds on the fields, clustered to 9 m × 9 m grid cells. The precision of the correct classification varied from 96% in maize to 80% in the last sugar beet treatment. The computational underestimation of manual mapped C. arvense and R. cripus patches varied from 1% to 10% respectively. Overall, the developed algorithm performed well, identifying tall perennial weeds for the computation of large-scale herbicide application maps.
Developmental Morphology and Biomass Yield of Upland and Lowland Switchgrass Ecotypes Grown in Iowa
Authors: Aurangzaib Muhammad , Moore Kenneth J. , Lenssen Andrew W. , Archontoulis Sotirios V. , Heaton Emily A. , Fei Shuizhang
Published: April 2018

Sustainable development of the bioenergy industry will depend upon the amount and quality of bioenergy feedstock produced. Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a model lignocellulosic bioenergy crop but critical information is lacking for improved management, growth, and development simulation model calibration. A field study was conducted near Ames, IA during 2012–2013 with the objective to evaluate upland (“Cave-in-Rock”, ‘Trailblazer’ and ‘Blackwell’) and lowland (“Kanlow” and “Alamo”) switchgrass ecotypes for harvest timing on morphology (i.e., phenology, leaf area index (LAI), and biomass yield). The experiment used a randomized complete block design, with three upland and two lowland varieties harvested at six dates annually. In both years, delaying harvest to later maturity increased biomass yield; lowland cultivars produced greater biomass yield (6.15 tons ha−1) than upland ecotypes (5.10 tons ha−1). Lowland ecotypes had delayed reproductive development compared with upland ecotypes. At the end of both growing seasons, upland ecotypes had greater mean stage count (MSC) than lowland ecotypes. “Cave-in-Rock” had greatest MSC and LAI, but did not produce the greatest biomass. Relationships were nonlinear between MSC and biomass yield, with significant cultivar–year interaction. The relationship between biomass yield and MSC will be useful for improving switchgrass, including cultivar selection, fertilizer application, and optimum harvest time.
Dynamic Multiple Junction Selection Based Routing Protocol for VANETs in City Environment
Authors: Abbasi Irshad Ahmed , Khan Adnan Shahid , Ali Shahzad
Published: April 2018

VANET (Vehicular Ad-hoc Network) is an emerging offshoot of MANETs (Mobile Ad-hoc Networks) with highly mobile nodes. It is envisioned to play a vital role in providing safety communications and commercial applications to the on-road public. Establishing an optimal route for vehicles to send packets to their respective destinations in VANETs is challenging because of quick speed of vehicles, dynamic nature of the network, and intermittent connectivity among nodes. This paper presents a novel position based routing technique called Dynamic Multiple Junction Selection based Routing (DMJSR) for the city environment. The novelty of DMJSR as compared to existing approaches comes from its novel dynamic multiple junction selection mechanism and an improved greedy forwarding mechanism based on one-hop neighbors between the junctions. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first ever attempt to study the impact of multiple junction selection mechanism on routing in VANETs. We present a detailed depiction of our protocol and the improvements it brings as compared to existing routing strategies. The simulation study exhibits that our proposed protocol outperforms the existing protocols like Geographic Source Routing Protocol (GSR), Enhanced Greedy Traffic Aware Routing Protocol (E-GyTAR) and Traffic Flow Oriented Routing Protocol (TFOR) in terms of packet delivery ratio, end-to-end delay, and routing overhead.
A Short-Term Photovoltaic Power Prediction Model Based on the Gradient Boost Decision Tree
Authors: Wang Jidong , Li Peng , Ran Ran , Che Yanbo , Zhou Yue
Published: April 2018

Due to the development of photovoltaic (PV) technology and the support from governments across the world, the conversion efficiency of solar energy has been improved. However, the PV power output is influenced by environment factors, resulting in features of randomness and intermittency. These features may have a negative influence on power systems. As a result, accurate and timely power prediction data is necessary for power grids to absorb solar energy. In this paper, we propose a new PV power prediction model based on the Gradient Boost Decision Tree (GBDT), which ensembles several binary trees by the gradient boosting ensemble method. The Gradient Boost method builds a strong learner by combining weak learners through iterative methods and the Decision Tree is a basic classification and regression method. As an ensemble machine learning algorithm, the Gradient Boost Decision Tree algorithm can offer higher forecast accuracy than one single learning algorithm. So GBDT is of value in both theoretical research and actual practice in the field of photovoltaic power prediction. The prediction model based on GBDT uses historical weather data and PV power output data to iteratively train the model, which is used to predict the future PV power output based on weather forecast data. Simulation results show that the proposed model based on GBDT has advantages of strong model interpretation, high accuracy, and stable error performance, and thus is of great significance for supporting the secure, stable and economic operation of power systems.
An Ultrasonic Through-Metal-Wall Power Transfer System with Regulated DC Output
Authors: Yang Hengxu , Wu Ming , Yu Ziying , Yang Jun
Published: April 2018

This paper presents a novel and efficient system capable of transmitting medium-power electric energy through a solid metal wall and generating a regulated direct current (DC) output. The electric power is transmitted using radio frequency (RF) ultrasound without physical penetration. An RF alternating current to direct current converter with input impedance matching is used to convert the transmitted RF signal to a DC output, which is directly suitable as a power supply for electronic devices. The system is constructed from commercial off-the-shelf components, and a computer-controlled measurement method is designed to test the effectiveness of the full system. The measurement results show that the system is able to transfer power through a 40-mm-thick stainless steel plate and generate 5-V, 15.7-W regulated DC output power with an overall power transfer efficiency of 27.7%. In addition, the effectiveness of the system is successfully demonstrated by powering ARM® evaluation boards with liquid-crystal display panels. A discussion of potential enhancements that could be made to improve the transfer capability and efficiency of the system is also presented. This system could be applied to improve safety and preserve structural integrity in many industrial and military applications, such as submarines, space crafts, planes, nuclear storage facilities, etc.
Surface State Dynamics of Topological Insulators Investigated by Femtosecond Time- and Angle-Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy
Authors: Hedayat Hamoon , Bugini Davide , Yi Hemian , Chen Chaoyu , Zhou Xingjiang , Cerullo Giulio , Dallera Claudia , Carpene Ettore
Published: April 2018

Topological insulators (TI) are known for striking quantum phenomena associated with their spin-polarized topological surface state (TSS). The latter in particular forms a Dirac cone that bridges the energy gap between valence and conduction bands, providing a unique opportunity for prospective device applications. In TI of the BixSb2−xTeySe3−y (BSTS) family, stoichiometry determines the morphology and position of the Dirac cone with respect to the Fermi level. In order to engineer specific transport properties, a careful tuning of the TSS is highly desired. Therefore, we have systematically explored BSTS samples with different stoichiometries by time- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (TARPES). This technique provides snapshots of the electronic structure and discloses the carrier dynamics in surface and bulk states, providing crucial information for the design of electro-spin current devices. Our results reveal the central role of doping level on the Dirac cone structure and its femtosecond dynamics. In particular, an extraordinarily long TSS lifetime is observed when the the vertex of the Dirac cone lies at the Fermi level.
Effects of Excitatory Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation of the P3 Point in Chronic Stroke Patients—Case Reports
Authors: Da Silva Ronaldo Luis , De Souza Angela Maria Costa , Santos Francielly Ferreira , Inoue Sueli Toshie , Higgins Johanne , Frak Victor
Published: April 2018

Objective: To evaluate the effects of excitatory repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of the international 10–20 system P3 point (intraparietal sulcus region) in chronic patients with a frontal lesion and parietal sparing due to stroke on the impaired upper (UL) and lower limb (LL) as measured by the Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA). Methods: Three patients (C1: 49.83/2.75, C2: 53.17/3.83, C3: 63.33/3.08-years-old at stroke/years post-stroke, respectively) received two weeks (five days/week) of rTMS at 10 Hz of P3. A patient was treated in similar conditions with a sham coil (S1: 56.58/4.33). Patients were evaluated before, after, and two months post-treatment (A1, A2, and A3, respectively). Results: For LL, the scores of the motor function subsection of C1 and C3 as well as the sensory function of C2 increased by A2 and remained by A3. For UL, the score of the motor function of C2 and C3 also increased, but the score of C3 decreased by A3. The score of the range of motion subsection of C3 increased by the two follow-up evaluations. Conclusion: This study suggests excitatory rTMS over P3 may be of use for some chronic stroke patients, but these findings need to be verified in a future clinical trial.
Rapid Immobilization of Cellulase onto Graphene Oxide with a Hydrophobic Spacer
Authors: Gao Jian , Lu Chun-Liu , Wang Yue , Wang Shuang-Shuang , Shen Jia-Jia , Zhang Jiu-Xun , Zhang Ye-Wang
Published: April 2018

A rapid immobilization method for cellulase was developed. Functional graphene oxide was synthesized and grafted with hydrophobic spacer P-β-sulfuric acid ester ethyl sulfone aniline (SESA) though etherification and diazotization. The functionalized graphene oxide was characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and was used as the carrier for the immobilization of cellulase via covalent binding. The immobilization of cellulase was finished in a very short time (10 min) and very high immobilization yield and efficiency of above 90% were achieved after optimization. When compared with the free cellulase, thermal and operational stabilities of the immobilized cellulase were improved significantly. At 50 °C, the half-life of the immobilized cellulase (533 min) was six-fold higher than that of the free cellulase (89 min). Additionally, the affinity between immobilized cellulase (Km = 2.19 g·L−1) and substrate was more favorable than that of free cellulase (Km = 3.84 g·L−1), suggesting the immobilized cellulase has higher catalytic efficiency. The possible immobilization mechanism was proposed. The results strongly indicate that the immobilization is highly efficient and has great potential for the immobilization of other enzymes.
Kolmogorov One-Way Functions Revisited
Authors: Casal Filipe , Rasga João , Souto André
Published: April 2018

We study characterizations of one-way functions in terms of time-bounded Kolmogorov complexity. As the main contribution, we propose definitions for strong and weak Kolmogorov one-way functions and show that these are equivalent to classical strong and weak one-way functions, respectively. The new definitions were motivated by the fact that the expected value approach is not able to characterize strong one-way functions as we prove in the paper.
Se–Cl Interactions in Selenite Chlorides: A Theoretical Study
Authors: Krivovichev Sergey V. , Gorelova Liudmila A.
Published: April 2018

The Se–Cl interactions in five selenite chlorides (α,β-Zn2(SeO3)Cl2 (sofiite and its polymorph), α,β-Cu5O2(SeO3)2Cl2 (georgbokiite and parageorgbokiite), and KCdCu7O2(SeO3)2Cl9 (burnsite)) have been investigated by means of the analysis of their theoretical electron density distributions. The analysis reveals the existence in the structures of two basic types of interactions: intermediate interactions with essential covalent contribution and closed-shell interactions. In Zn2(SeO3)Cl2 polymorphs and burnsite, all metal-oxide and metal-chloride interactions are of the first type, whereas in georgbokiite and parageorgbokiite, the Jahn–Teller distortion results in the elongation of some of the Cu–X bonds and their transition to the closed-shell type. All anion–anion interactions are of the closed-shell type. The energy of the closed-shell Se–Cl interactions can be estimated as 1.4–2.6 kcal.mol−1, which is comparable to weak hydrogen bonds. Despite their weakness, these interactions provide additional stabilization of structural architectures. The Se4+–Cl− configurations are localized inside framework channels or cavities, which can be therefore be viewed as regions of weak and soft interactions in the structure.
Review of Cape Verde Aphanommata Wollaston, 1873 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Cossoninae) with Description of New Species, Larva and Notes on Biology and Distributional Patterns
Authors: Skuhrovec Jiří , Hlaváč Peter , Batelka Jan
Published: April 2018

The genus Aphanommata in the Old World is reviewed. Aphanommata kuscheli sp. nov. from São Nicolau and A. strakai sp. nov. from Fogo (both Cape Verde islands) are described. Aphanommata euphorbiarum (Wollaston, 1867) from Santo Antão in the Cape Verde islands is redescribed and its lectotype is designated. All three Aphanommata species from the Cape Verde islands as well as A. filum (Mulsant and Rey, 1859) from Old World are diagnosed, illustrated, and keyed. Mature larva of A. kuscheli sp. nov. is described, larval morphology is discussed and the current state of knowledge about immature stages of Cossoninae is summarized. Vertical and inter-insular distributional pattern of Cape Verde Aphanommata and Pselactus is reviewed and discussed.
Restoration of Legacy Trees as Roosting Habitat for Myotis Bats in Eastern North American Forests
Authors: Lacki Michael J.
Published: April 2018

Most eastern North American Myotis roost in forests during summer, with species forming maternity populations, or colonies, in cavities or crevices or beneath the bark of trees. In winter, these bats hibernate in caves and are experiencing overwinter mortalities due to infection from the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans, which causes white-nose syndrome (WNS). Population recovery of WNS-affected species is constrained by the ability of survivors to locate habitats suitable for rearing pups in summer. Forests in eastern North America have been severely altered by deforestation, land-use change, fragmentation and inadvertent introduction of exotic insect pests, resulting in shifts in tree distributions and loss of large-diameter canopy-dominant trees. This paper explores patterns in use of tree roosts by species of Myotis across Canada and the United States using meta-data from published sources. Myotis in western Canada, the Northwest, and Southwest selected the largest diameter roost trees and also supported the largest maximum exit counts. Myotis lucifugus, M. septentrionalis and M. sodalis, three species that inhabit eastern forests and which are currently experiencing region-wide mortalities because of WNS, selected roosts with the smallest average diameters. Recovery efforts for bark- and cavity-roosting Myotis in eastern North American forests could benefit from management that provides for large-diameter trees that offer more temporally-stable structures for roosting during the summer maternity season.
Evaluation of LDMOS Figure of Merit Using Device Simulation
Authors: Salih Aiman , Yuan Jiann-Shiun
Published: April 2018

The benefit of the super-junction (SJ) technique at the low-voltage (30 V) range is investigated in this work. Optimizations such as adding a buffer layer to the device have been used, but simulation and theoretical evidences show that the benefits of the SJ technique are marginal for 30 V applications. The floating P structure proved to be a good replacement for SJ devices at the 30 V range due to a simpler fabrication process as well as performance gains achieved with optimization. Also, a new idea of combining the floating P layer with a shallow trench isolation layer is proposed and simulated using TCAD, yielding the figure of merit (RDS(on) × QG) of 5.93 mΩ-nC, which is a 39% improvement on the standard floating P device.
Initialization and Synchronization of Power Hardware-In-The-Loop Simulations: A Great Britain Network Case Study
Authors: Guillo-Sansano Efren , H. Syed Mazheruddin , J. Roscoe Andrew , M. Burt Graeme
Published: April 2018

The hardware under test (HUT) in a power hardware in the loop (PHIL) implementation can have a significant effect on overall system stability. In some cases, the system under investigation will be unstable unless the HUT is already connected and operating. Accordingly, initialization of the real-time simulation can be difficult, and may lead to abnormal parameters of frequency and voltage. Therefore, a method to initialize the simulation appropriately without the HUT is proposed in this contribution. Once the initialization is accomplished a synchronization process is also proposed. The synchronization process depends on the selected method for initialization and therefore both methods need to be compatible. In this contribution, a recommended practice for the initialization of PHIL simulations for synchronous power systems is presented. Experimental validation of the proposed method for a Great Britain network case study demonstrates the effectiveness of the approach.