bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
From the Invisible Hand to the Invisible Woman: A Gender Perspective on the Tax Policy Discourse on Social Tax Expenditures
Authors: Provencher Annick
Published: April 2017

Liberal welfare states tend to use more social tax expenditures (STEs) for the provision of social welfare benefits. These benefits are incorporated into tax legislations, which are usually considered neutral and especially gender-neutral. However, they can fail to consider some characteristics of the situation that women face and their role and, therefore, have the possibility to marginalize women and be an obstacle to gender equality. By conducting a historical discourse analysis in Canada (1967–2012), this article shows that the tax policy discourse in relation to STEs is not gender-neutral. In constructing STEs, various assumptions are made about women and their role in society: they are housewives, workers, or to be eventually completely evacuated from the discourse to the profit of children and the family.
“Bringing Canadian Women on Board”: A Behavioural Economics Perspective on Whether Public Reporting of Gender Diversity Will Alter the Male-Dominated Composition of Canadian Public Company Boards and Senior Management
Authors: Willey Kim
Published: April 2017

In the majority of jurisdictions with developed public markets, the debate on the gender diversity of boards and senior management, practically speaking, has moved from “why” to “how” in recent years. It is now arguably far more accepted that increasing the percentage of women on corporate boards is good for society and good for business. The new debate surrounds the mechanisms needed to increase the number of qualified women on boards and in senior management positions. Several jurisdictions around the world have tackled the issue by implementing fixed quotas. Other jurisdictions have followed a softer touch approach by requiring listed companies to comply with gender diversity targets or explain their failure to do so. Largely supported by industry, the Ontario Securities Commission adopted a disclosure model in 2014, which was subsequently followed by eight other Canadian jurisdictions. This model requires TSX-listed and other non-venture issuers to comply with disclosure requirements for a range of gender diversity initiatives in their annual public corporate governance disclosure or explain why they do not comply. This article considers the gender bias and implicit prejudice that the new disclosure regime attempts to remedy and the effectiveness of such a disclosure regime in the context of behavioural economics heuristics and theories, focusing specifically on the “debiasing through law” versus “debiasing law” methodology presented by Christina Jolls and Cass R. Sunstein. Based on this analysis, suggestions are made to increase the effectiveness of the new disclosure regime, including whether the quota debate should be re-opened if meaningful quantitative evidence of increased gender diversity is not demonstrated by 2018.
Why Doesn't She Just Report It? Apprehensions and Contradictions for Women Who Report Sexual Violence to the Police
Authors: Johnson Holly
Published: April 2017

A specific goal of law and policy reform has been to encourage women to come forward with sexual assault complaints, but has the nature of the police response improved to warrant this encouragement? While analyses of attrition point to important junctures where cases are dropped, less is known about the diverse and complex decisions women make to engage the criminal justice system and the apprehensions and contradictions that play out in their dealings with the police. This article presents the results of a study of sexual assault survivors whose assaults were reported to the police in a mid-sized Canadian city through the analysis of their experiences, from the decision to report to the police through to their interactions with front-line officers and sexual assault investigators. While some police officers delivered procedural justice in the form of a professional non-judgmental response, others acted on “real rape” understandings of sexual assault and conveyed disbelief, scepticism, and a poor understanding of the effects of trauma. Although charging and prosecution rates have not improved, results of this study show that survivors who engage with police are increasingly likely to expect a positive response. Some women were willing to trust that “things have changed” or their experience was unique. In an era of growing formal equality and heightened expectations of police, results of this study show that there is a long way to go before women are guaranteed equality in the application of sexual assault law.
Hé bien! La Guerre: Situating Les Liaisons dangereuses in the Culture Wars of Pre-Revolutionary France
Authors: Pagani Karen
Published: April 2017

This essay reads Les Liaisons dangereuses (1782) as an attempt to reconcile both Enlightenment and Counter-Enlighten ment ideals and thus as a commentary on the culture wars of Pre-Revolutionary France. I argue that, in the character of Mme de Rosemonde, the author Choderlos de Laclos (1741–1803) depicts an alternative to an all-out conflict between opposing secular and religious and Enlight enment and Counter-Enlightenment ideals. In this respect, Rosemonde’s actions and words repre sent a striking contrast to the failed attempts by many of the main char acters to resolve the tensions between an array of philo sophical per spectives from the seventeenth and eigh teenth centuries. This article challenges those literary critics who dismissed Rosemonde as a minor character who represents an archaic and ineffective way of thinking. To demonstrate the novelty of Rosemonde’s perspec tive and methods, I also examine in some detail the characters of La Présidente de Tourvel and Mme de Merteuil.
VET Connect: an emerging peer leadership program for Veterans on campus
Authors: Klaw Elena , Diaz Jemerson , Avalos Rafael , Li KaChun
Published: April 2017

Currently, more than 1 million US Veterans are receiving Veterans Affairs (VA) education benefits to pursue college diplomas, advanced degrees, or vocational training. As increasing numbers of military members return home, colleges and universities must be prepared to support their transition to non-military educational and occupational settings. The VET (Veterans Embracing Transition) Connect Peer Leadership Program was designed to support student Veterans and assist them in transitioning to campus life. This study used a qualitative approach to examine the effects of VET Connect on Peer Leaders. Findings reveal that the program reduced participants' sense of isolation by connecting student Veterans to faculty and staff, to other student Veterans, and to the general student population. Participants reported that VET Connect promoted self-growth and integration, allowing them to transition to campus and civilian life. They reported developing skills such as public speaking and knowledge of campus resources, as well as insight into their emotions and self-acceptance. Participants also reported experiencing a renewed sense of purpose. Overall, findings suggest that VET Connect may serve as a potent high impact practice that engages Veterans in college and reduces the loneliness and distress that often accompany reintegration to the civilian world.
Teaching Tip: Improving Students' Email Communication through an Integrated Writing Assignment in a Third-Year Toxicology Course
Authors: Kedrowicz April A. , Hammond Sarah , Dorman David C.
Published: April 2017

Client communication is important for success in veterinary practice, with written communication being an important means for veterinarian–client information sharing. Effective communication is adapted to clients' needs and wants, and presents information in a clear, understandable manner while accounting for varying degrees of client health literacy. This teaching tip describes the use of a mock electronic mail assignment as one way to integrate writing into a required veterinary toxicology course. As part of this project, we provide baseline data relating to students' written communication that will guide further development of writing modules in other curricula. Two independent raters analyzed students' writing using a coding scheme designed to assess adherence to the guidelines for effective written health communication. Results showed that the majority of students performed satisfactorily or required some development with respect to recommended guidelines for effective written health communication to facilitate client understanding. These findings suggest that additional instruction and practice should emphasize the importance of incorporating examples, metaphors, analogies, and pictures to create texts that are comprehensible and memorable to clients. Recommendations are provided for effective integration of writing assignments into the veterinary medicine curriculum.
Assessing Communications Competencies through Reviews of Client Interactions and Comprehensive Rotation Assessment: A Comparison of Methods
Authors: Root Kustritz Margaret V. , Lowum Susan , Flynn Kristi , Fairbairn Heather , Diesch-Chham Athena
Published: April 2017

The primary purpose of this study was to compare two methods for assessing student communication skills: a labor-intensive review of video-recorded interactions and global communications assessment using a comprehensive rotation-assessment tool. Secondary goals of the study were to evaluate student strengths and weaknesses to inform the pre-clinical communications curriculum and to evaluate for consistency between types of reviewers. Video recordings of 43 student encounters with clients presenting their animals for wellness or diagnostic appointments to the primary care service at a veterinary teaching hospital were reviewed by one of three primary care clinicians, a social worker, and a clinical communications instructor, using a common rubric. Scores using the rubric were compared with overall scores for verbal communications on a comprehensive rotation-assessment tool, both for the primary care rotation and for other small-animal rotations. Duration did not vary significantly between wellness and diagnostic appointments, or between dog and cat appointments. Scores achieved by students on video review varied by evaluator, with the clinical communications instructor scoring students the lowest and the social worker scoring students the highest. Strengths identified included greeting the client appropriately, gathering initial information about the reason for the visit, and using lay terminology appropriately. Weaknesses included summarizing information for the client, talking to clients about money, and making strong recommendations.
Representative Weather Profiles in Airport Planning
Authors: Gorripaty Sreeta , Hansen Mark
Published: April 2017

Given the expensive and protracted nature of airport improvement projects, they must be planned by using careful forecasting and reliable estimates of demand and capacity. The processes aimed at improving airports and satisfying the time and financial constraints constitute airport planning. In airport planning, when considering the limitations of an airport and potential improvements, one needs also to consider daily capacity variations attributable to local weather and how they compare with the airport's demand profile. The current representation of capacity in the planning process does not capture this variation and dependence on local weather. A weather profile of a given day is defined as a series of weather conditions observed or predicted for every hour of that day. Weather profiles can be translated to a series of hourly capacity estimates by using analytical and empirical models. When the capacity estimates are combined with a representative demand profile, queuing delay can be estimated. In capturing the capacity variations at an airport, it is very resource intensive and impractical to represent every day by using its own weather profile in planning processes. It would be useful to find a few representative weather profiles from airport data that strike a balance between capturing weather variability and reducing the complexity of the planning process. The objective of this research is to develop a method for identifying representative weather profiles and demonstrate this method for selected airports in the United States. The results indicated that, for the three airports considered, fewer than 10 representative weather profiles were sufficient to yield accurate delay estimates.
Forecasting Airport Building Electricity Demand on the Basis of Flight Schedule Information for Demand Response Applications
Authors: Kang Minkyung , Bergέs Mario , Akinci Burcu
Published: April 2017

Airports are poised to take advantage of demand response (DR) opportunities because of their large energy footprint and continuous operations. To develop an energy baseline model (i.e., the estimate of the expected load without curtailment), airports need special attention because of their continually changing operations and occupant levels, which result from varying flight schedules. However, an accurate baseline is also important for determining fair incentives and assessing DR strategies. This study, therefore, aimed to develop airport-specific energy baseline models by incorporating flight departure and arrival information. Therefore, the paper first analyzes relationships between airport power demand and potential predictors, such as time of day, time of week, outside temperature, and number of passengers on departing and arriving flights at a case study airport. Second, it develops piecewise linear regression models with combinations of variables and compares the models’ prediction performance. The results show that the model with time of week and outside temperature had the lowest mean absolute percentage error, 2.72% (305.87 kW). However, schedules of neither departing nor arriving flights significantly increased prediction accuracy, contrary to the initial assumption because, for the case study airport, the influx and outflow of occupants had little impact on whole-airport energy consumption compared with consumption from regular operations. Hence, to understand the true value of a flight schedule in relation to airport power demand, investigation of airports with different sizes and climate zones is required. However, the method suggested here for understanding airport energy consumption and developing airport-specific energy baselines still holds and can be applied in universal cases.
Reduction of Aircraft Gas Turbine Noise with New Synthetic Fuels and Sound Insulation Materials
Authors: Simons Emerald , Soloiu Valentin
Published: April 2017

The need to reduce the sound and vibration characteristics in the aerospace industry is continuously increasing because of the need to meet FAA regulations, to reduce noise pollution, and to improve customer satisfaction. To improve customer satisfaction, aircraft and engine manufacturers must work to control sound and vibration levels so that passengers do not experience discomfort during a flight. Sound and vibration characteristics of a fixed-wing aircraft with jet engines are composed of complex-frequency contents that challenge engineers in the development of quiet engine designs, aerodynamic bodies, and advanced sound- and vibration-attenuating materials. One of the noisiest parts of an aircraft, the gas turbine, was analyzed in this research. In Part 1 of this project, the use of alternative fuels in a gas turbine engine was investigated to determine whether those fuels have negative effects on sound and vibration levels. Three types of fuels were used: Jet A as the reference fuel, natural gas–derived S-8, and coal-derived isoparaffinic kerosene (IPK). The alternative fuels, S-8 and IPK, are Fischer–Tropsch process fuels. Overall sound and vibration characteristics of the alternative fuels presented a similar pattern across the frequency spectrum to those of the reference fuel, with the alternative fuels being slightly quieter. In Part 2, the sound path was treated by introducing sound-absorbing materials and investigating their acoustic performance. A melamine-based foam and soy-based foam were used in this research. Melamine is very lightweight, has excellent thermal endurance, and is hydrophobic. The soy-based foam was selected for its potential application in the aerospace industry to work toward a greener aircraft, in an effort to promote environmental sustainability. The soy-based material reduced the sound level by more than 20 dB(A) and presented better performance than the melamine at high frequencies.
Frameworks for Adaptive Airport Planning and Techniques for a New Era of Planning
Authors: Suh Daniel , Ryerson Megan S.
Published: April 2017

Airport planners, in determining the long-term development of an airport's infrastructure, estimate future use of the airport by using two loose categories of methods: ( a) peer group learning and ( b) forecasting. In peer group learning, airport planners compare their airports with like airports and engage in peer-to-peer exchange of information about lessons learned from past experiences and technical and planning guidance. The blend of quantitative and qualitative methodologies can be a powerful tool for airport planners because the planners can validate their forecasts with the actual experiences at similar airports. In the current state of the aviation industry, airport planners must engage in peer group learning because the environment in which they are planning their airports is more volatile than it was previously; however, while forecasting has been well studied by scholars and airport planners, peer group learning has attracted relatively less attention. Given the role of peer group learning in airport planning, airport planners must pay careful attention to how they define their peers in ever-evolving economic and industrial environments. Since deregulation of the airline industry in the 1970s, the airport system has become much more nuanced and is no longer easily defined, while airport planners often resort to single metrics such as enplanements as a peer criterion. This study developed and tested a peer identification methodology that reflects volatilities in the economy and the airport industry by using an expanded list of both static and dynamic metrics. This methodology highlights an important lesson that metrics matter in the ways in which airports identify their peers, benchmark their performance, and help to improve their plans.
Coordinated Airport Facility Development under Uncertainty
Authors: Sun Yanshuo , Schonfeld Paul M.
Published: April 2017

This paper presents an applied computation tool for coordinating various airport facility expansions and gives explicit consideration of the impacts of various uncertainties. An airport is modeled as a system consisting of components (e.g., runways, air cargo terminals, and maintenance facilities) that operate in series or in parallel. To balance (i.e., equalize) roughly the capacities of the components acting in series, the paper proposes a network flow formulation in which interactions between user flows and facilities are modeled. In addition to the uncertainty in air traffic forecasts, the effect of an uncertain aircraft mix is also considered. The final model is a stochastic mixed-integer nonlinear program that is converted to its deterministic equivalent because the number of stochastic scenarios is finite. An interactive solution framework is proposed to solve the problem after the problem's properties are explored. Numerical studies were conducted to demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed model and effectiveness of the solution algorithm. Prospective work includes application of the proposed development approach to a real-world case study.
Highly Efficient Heterogeneous Copper-Catalysed Coupling of Oxime Acetates with Isothiocyanates Leading to 2-Aminothiazoles
Authors: Tuo Yuxin , Yao Fang , Liao Yang , Cai Mingzhong
Published: April 2017

The heterogeneous coupling reaction of oxime acetates with isothiocyanates was achieved at 110 °C in toluene in air in the presence of a bidentate nitrogen-functionalised MCM-41-immobilised copper(I) complex (MCM-41-2N-CuI) with Cs2CO3 as base to afford a variety of 2-aminothiazoles in good yields. The MCM-41-2N-CuI catalyst can be easily recovered by a simple filtration and reused at least eight times without significant loss of activity.
Who Was the ‘Heroine’ of Freud's First Case History? Problems and Issues in the Identification of Freud's patients
Authors: Skues Richard
Published: April 2017

In 1892–3 Freud published his first substantial case history, which concerned a patient treated by means of hypnotic suggestion. For some years this has been one of the few remaining of Freud's dedicated cases histories where the patient has not been identified. More recently, however, two publications independently arrived at the conclusion that the patient was none other than Freud's wife, Martha. This paper sets out the reasons why this identification should always have been treated with suspicion, even if the real identity was not known. Nevertheless, the paper goes on to offer a more plausible identification from among Freud's known social circle. The second part of the paper questions the circumstances under which the original misidentification could plausibly have been sustained in the face of such glaring evidence to the contrary. It concludes that, among other reasons, recent tendencies in controversies about Freud's trustworthiness have the hazard of leading to unreliable assumptions about Freud's honesty being taken as a basis for sound historical investigation.
Psychoanalysis and Marxism in Chile. Two Case Studies: Juan Marín Rojas and Alejandro Lipschütz
Authors: Vetö Silvana
Published: April 2017

Drawing on a new critical history of psychoanalysis in Chile, this paper analyses the appropriations of psychoanalysis in the Chilean political field, particularly in Marxist theory, as it appears in the work of two important intellectuals who published their contributions from the 1930s to the late 1950s. These two case studies are of Juan Marín Rojas, a medical doctor, writer and diplomat born in Chile in 1900, and of Alejandro (born Alexander) Lipschütz, an endocrinologist, physiologist and anthropologist born in Latvia in 1883 and who migrated to Chile in 1926 and naturalized as a Chilean citizen in 1941. This study provides the context and looks at the interactions, debates and problems that arose at the crossroads of psychoanalysis and Marxism in Chile between the 1930s and the 1950s, and consequently opens the door for new perspectives from which to address the local history of psychoanalysis.
Partner care, gender equality, and ageing in Spain and Sweden
Authors: Abellan Antonio , Perez Julio , Pujol Rogelio , Sundström Gerdt , Jegermalm Magnus , Malmberg Bo
Published: April 2017

We used national surveys to study how older persons’ changing household patterns influence the gender balance of caregiving in two countries with distinct household structures and cultures, Spain and Sweden. In both countries, men and women provide care equally often for their partner in couple-only households. This has become the most common household type among older persons in Spain and prevails altogether in Sweden. This challenges the traditional dominance of young or middle-aged women as primary caregivers in Spain. In Sweden, many caregivers are old themselves. We focus attention to partners as caregivers and the consequences of changing household structures for caregiving, which may be on the way to gender equality in both countries, with implications for families and for the public services.
A New High-Efficiency Double-Stator Split-Pole Permanent-Magnet Vernier Machine with Flux-Focusing Topology
Authors: Dai Zhengwen , Li Jiangui , Zou Lin , Wang Junhua , Luo Ruiren
Published: April 2017

Permanent-magnet vernier machines (PMVMs) have attracted much attention for their high efficiency and output torque in low-speed application. However, the conventional PMVM suffers from the problems of low power factor and high cogging torque. In this paper, a double-stator flux-focusing split-pole permanent-magnet vernier machine (SP-PMVM) with low cogging torque and high power factor has been proposed. The split-pole topology in the vernier motor has been used mainly to modulate the magnetic flux in this paper, although the stator teeth are used for this purpose in some cases. The newly-proposed SP-PMVM topology is characterized by reduced flux leakage through using a flux-focusing topology and staggering approximately half of the pitch angularly between the inner stator and outer stator. Firstly, the vernier principle of the proposed SP-PMVM has been investigated by analytical methods. Secondly, a 12-slot-stator and 22-pole-pair-rotor SP-PMVM has been optimized with the goal of maximum average steady-state torque and the minimum cogging torque and ripple. Thirdly, the overall performance of the newly-proposed SP-PMVM has been analyzed as compared with the conventional PMVM. The results verify that the SP-PMVM can provide higher power factor, higher output torque and lower cogging torque than that of the conventional PMVM in low-speed application.
Increasing the Performance of Vacuum Membrane Distillation Using Micro-Structured Hydrophobic Aluminum Hollow Fiber Membranes
Authors: Ko Chia-Chieh , Chen Chien-Hua , Chen Yi-Rui , Wu Yu-Hsun , Lu Soon-Chien , Hu Fa-Chun , Li Chia-Ling , Tung Kuo-Lun
Published: April 2017

This study develops a micro-structured hydrophobic alumina hollow fiber with a high permeate flux of 60 Lm−2h−1 and salt rejection over 99.9% in a vacuum membrane distillation process. The fiber is fabricated by phase inversion and sintering, and then modified with fluoroalkylsilanes to render it hydrophobic. The influence of the sintering temperature and feeding temperature in membrane distillation (MD) on the characteristics of the fiber and MD performance are investigated. The vacuum membrane distillation uses 3.5 wt % NaCl aqueous solution at 70 °C at 0.03 bar. The permeate flux of 60 Lm−2h−1 is the highest, compared with reported data and is higher than that for polymeric hollow fiber membranes.
So, You Think You Have an Idea: A Practical Risk Reduction-Conceptual Model for Academic Translational Research
Authors: Schwartz John , Macomber Christopher
Published: April 2017

Translational research for new drugs, medical devices, and diagnostics encompasses aspects of both basic science and clinical research, requiring multidisciplinary skills and resources that are not all readily available in either a basic laboratory or clinical setting alone. We propose that, to be successful, “translational” research ought to be understood as a defined process from basic science through manufacturing, regulatory, clinical testing all the way to market. The authors outline a process which has worked well for them to identify and commercialize academic innovation. The academic environment places a high value on novelty and less value on whether, among other things, data are reproducible, scalable, reimbursable, or have commercial freedom to operate. In other words, when investors, strategic companies, or other later stage stakeholders evaluate academic efforts at translational research the relative lack of attention to clinical, regulatory, reimbursement, and manufacturing and intellectual property freedom to operate almost universally results in more questions and doubts about the potential of the proposed product, thereby inhibiting further interest. This contrasts with industry-based R&D, which often emphasizes manufacturing, regulatory and commercial factors. Academics do not so much choose to ignore those necessary and standard elements of translation development, but rather, they are not built into the culture or incentive structure of the university environment. Acknowledging and addressing this mismatch of approach and lack of common language in a systematic way facilitates a more effective “translation” handoffs of academic project concepts into meaningful clinical solutions help translational researchers more efficiently develop and progress new and better medical products which address validated needs. The authors provide an overview and framework for academic researchers to use which will help them define the elements of a market-driven translational program (1) problem identification and validation; (2) defining the conceptual model of disease; and (3) risk evaluation and mitigation strategies.
Patterns of Growth—Biomimetics and Architectural Design
Authors: Gruber Petra , Imhof Barbara
Published: April 2017

This paper discusses the approach of biomimetic design in architecture applied to the theme of growth in biology by taking two exemplary research projects at the intersection of arts and sciences. The first project, ‘Biornametics’, dealt with patterns from nature; the second project ‘Growing as Building (GrAB)’ took on biological growth as a specific theme for the transfer to architecture and the arts. Within a timeframe of five years (2011–2015), the research was conducted under the Program for Arts-based Research PEEK (Programm zur Entwicklung und Erschliessung der Künste) of the Austrian Science Fund FWF (Fonds zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung). The underlying hypothesis was that growth processes in nature have not been studied for transfer into technology and architecture yet and that, with advanced software tools, promising applications could be found. To ensure a high degree of innovation, this research was done with an interdisciplinary team of architects, engineers, and scientists (mainly biologists) to lay the groundwork for future product-oriented technological solutions. Growth, as one of the important characteristics of living organisms, is used as a frame for research into systems and principles that shall deliver innovative and sustainable solutions in architecture and the arts. Biomimetics as a methodology was used to create and guide information transfer from the life sciences to innovative proto-architectural solutions. The research aimed at transferring qualities present in biological growth; for example, adaptiveness, exploration, or local resource harvesting into technical design and production processes. In contrast to our current building construction, implementing principles of growth could potentially transform building towards a more integrated and sustainable setting, a new living architecture. Tools and methods, especially Quality Function Deployment (QFD) for matching biological role models with growth principles and architecturally desired functions and a Biolab as an experimentation platform are presented. Three main experimental trajectories were explored that matched the objectives of the research: (1) Transfer from biology into architecture, namely self-growing structures (proto-steps in form of a mobile 3D printer working with local material); (2) Integration of biology into material systems, namely fragmented waste matter grown into one solid building material (mycelium); and (3) Interventions in existing architecture, namely optimization of 3D path-finding through a single cell organism (slime mold).
Studies on the Effect of Arc Current Mode and Substrate Rotation Configuration on the Structure and Corrosion Behavior of PVD TiN Coatings
Authors: Ward Liam , Pilkington Antony , Dowey Steve
Published: April 2017

Thin, hard cathodic arc evaporated (CAE) metal nitride coatings are known to contain defects such as macro-particles, pinholes, voids and increased porosity, leading to reduced corrosion resistance. The focus of this research investigation was to compare the structure and corrosion behaviour of cathodic arc evaporated (CAE) TiN coatings deposited on AISI 1020 low carbon steel substrates using a pulsed current arc and a more conventional constant current arc source (DC). The effects of a double (2R) and triple (3R) substrate rotation configuration were also studied. Coating morphology and chemical composition were characterised using optical, SEM imaging and XRD analysis. Focus variation microscopy (FVM), an optical 3D measurement technique, was used to measure surface roughness. Corrosion studies were carried out using potentiodynamic scanning in 3.5% NaCl. Tafel extrapolation was carried out to determine Ecorr and Icorr values for the coated samples. In general, increased surface roughness, and to a certain extent, corrosion resistance, were associated with thicker coatings deposited using 2R, compared to 3R rotation configuration. The arc source mode (continuous or pulsed) was shown to have little effect on the corrosion behavior. Corrosion behavior was controlled by the presence of defects, pinholes and macro-particles at lower anodic potentials, while the formation of large pitted regions and aggressive corrosion of the underlying substrate was observed at higher anodic potentials.
Computer Simulations of Crystal Growth Using a Hard-Sphere Model
Authors: Mori Atsushi
Published: April 2017

A review of computer simulation studies on crystal growth in hard-sphere systems is presented. A historical view on the crystallization of hard spheres, including colloidal crystallization, is given in the first section. Crystal phase transition in a system comprising particles without bonding is difficult to understand. In the early days, therefore, many researchers did not accept such crystalline structures as crystals that should be studied in the field of crystal growth. In the last few decades, however, colloidal crystallization has drawn attention because in situ observations of crystallization process has become possible. Next, simulation studies of the crystal/fluid interface of hard spheres are also reviewed. Although colloidal crystallization has now been recognized in the crystal growth field, the stability of the crystal–fluid coexistence state has still not been satisfactorily understood based on a bond-breaking picture, because of an infinite diffuseness of the interfaces in non-bonding systems derived from this picture. Studies of sedimentary colloidal crystallization and colloidal epitaxy using the hard-sphere model are lastly reviewed. An advantage of the colloidal epitaxy is also presented; it is shown that a template not only fixes the crystal growth direction, but also improves the colloidal crystallization. A new technique for reducing defects in colloidal crystals through the gravity effect is also proposed.
Static and Moving Target Imaging Using Harmonic Radar
Authors: Gallagher Kyle , Narayanan Ram , Mazzaro Gregory , Martone Anthony , Sherbondy Kelly
Published: April 2017

Nonlinear radar exploits the difference in frequency between radar waves that illuminate and are reflected from electromagnetically nonlinear targets. Harmonic radar is a special type of nonlinear radar that transmits one or multiple frequencies and listens for frequencies at or near their harmonics. Nonlinear radar differs from traditional linear radar by offering high clutter rejection and is particularly suited to the detection of devices containing metals and semiconductors. Examples include tags for tracking insects, tags worn by humans for avoiding collisions with vehicles, or for monitoring vital signs. Such tags contain a radio-frequency (RF) nonlinearity, often a Schottky diode, connected to a suitable antenna. Targets with inherent nonlinearities, such as metal contacts, semiconductors, transmission lines, antennas, filters, and ferroelectrics, also respond to nonlinear radar. In this paper, the successful exploitation of harmonic radar for moving target imaging and synthetic aperture imaging of targets, while suppressing clutter signals from linear targets, are presented. Our results demonstrate some unique advantages of harmonic radar over its traditional linear counterpart.
Automatic J–A Model Parameter Tuning Algorithm for High Accuracy Inrush Current Simulation
Authors: Wen Xishan , Zhang Jingzhuo , Lu Hailiang
Published: April 2017

Inrush current simulation plays an important role in many tasks of the power system, such as power transformer protection. However, the accuracy of the inrush current simulation can hardly be ensured. In this paper, a Jiles–Atherton (J–A) theory based model is proposed to simulate the inrush current of power transformers. The characteristics of the inrush current curve are analyzed and results show that the entire inrush current curve can be well featured by the crest value of the first two cycles. With comprehensive consideration of both of the features of the inrush current curve and the J–A parameters, an automatic J–A parameter estimation algorithm is proposed. The proposed algorithm can obtain more reasonable J–A parameters, which improve the accuracy of simulation. Experimental results have verified the efficiency of the proposed algorithm.
Co-Production Performance Evaluation of a Novel Solar Combi System for Simultaneous Pure Water and Hot Water Supply in Urban Households of UAE
Authors: Kumar Nutakki , Martin Andrew
Published: April 2017

Water is the most desirable and sparse resource in Gulf cooperation council (GCC) region. Utilization of point-of-use (POU) water treatment devices has been gaining huge market recently due to increase in knowledge of urban population on health related issues over contaminants in decentralized water distribution networks. However, there is no foolproof way of knowing whether the treated water is free of contaminants harmful for drinking and hence reliance on certified bottled water has increased worldwide. The bottling process right from treatment to delivery is highly unsustainable due to huge energy demand along the supply chain. As a step towards sustainability, we investigated various ways of coupling of membrane distillation (MD) process with solar domestic heaters for co-production of domestic heat and pure water. Performance dynamics of various integration techniques have been evaluated and appropriate configuration has been identified for real scale application. A solar combi MD (SCMD) system is experimentally tested for single household application for production 20 L/day of pure water and 250 L/day of hot water simultaneously without any auxiliary heating device. The efficiency of co-production system is compared with individual operation of solar heaters and solar membrane distillation.
Preparation and Characterization of Polymeric-Hybrid PES/TiO2 Hollow Fiber Membranes for Potential Applications in Water Treatment
Authors: Simone Silvia , Galiano Francesco , Faccini Mirko , Boerrigter Marcel , Chaumette Christiane , Drioli Enrico , Figoli Alberto
Published: April 2017

In this work, poly(ethersulfone) (PES) ultrafiltration (UF) hollow fibers (HF) were modified by introducing TiO2 nanoparticles (TiO2-NPs) in the polymeric dope, to endow them with photocatalytic properties. Different dope compositions and spinning conditions for producing “blank” PES UF fibers with suitable properties were investigated. PEO–PPO–PEO (Poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(propylene glycol)-block-poly(ethylene glycol, Pluronic® (Sigma-Aldrich, Milan, Italy) was finally selected as the additive and a suitable dope composition was identified. After the detection of an appropriate dope composition and the optimization of the spinning parameters, PES-TiO2 HF was produced. The optimized composition was employed for preparing the mixed matrix HF loaded with TiO2 NPs. The effect of different TiO2 NP (0.3–1 wt %) concentrations and bore fluid compositions on the fiber morphology and properties were explored. The morphology of the produced fibers was analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Fibers were further characterized by measuring: pore size diameters and thickness, porosity, and pure water permeability (PWP). The photocatalytic activity of the new membranes was also tested by UV light irradiation. The model “foulant” methylene blue (MB) was used in order to prove the efficiency of the novel UF membrane for dye photo-degradation.
Aromatic Plants: Antioxidant Capacity and Polyphenol Characterisation
Authors: Proestos Charalampos , Varzakas Theo
Published: April 2017

The antioxidant properties and polyphenol content of some selected aromatic plants grown in Greece were studied. Plants were refluxed with 60% methanol after acid hydrolysis. The phenolic substances were quantified by High Performance Liquid Chromatography–Diode Array Detector (HPLC-DAD). The antioxidant capacity of the extracts was determined with the Rancimat test using sunflower oil as substrate. Free radical scavenging activity was measured using the stable free radical 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). Results were compared with standard butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and ascorbic acid. Total phenol concentration of the extracts was estimated with Folin-Ciocalteu reagent using gallic acid as standard. All plant extracts examined showed antioxidant capacity and contained phenolic compounds. Caffeic acid was detected in all the examined plant extracts. Ferulic acid was also detected in all the methanolic extracts, except from P. lanata, in rather high concentration. The amount of total phenolics varied slightly in plant materials and ranged from 8.2 mg to 31.6 mg of gallic acid/g dry sample. The highest amount was found in O. dictamnus, and the lowest in N. melissifolia.
Can Urbanization, Social and Spatial Disparities Help to Understand the Rise of Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Bobo-Dioulasso? A Study in a Secondary City of Burkina Faso, West Africa
Authors: Zeba Augustin , Yaméogo Marceline , Tougouma Somnoma , Kassié Daouda , Fournet Florence
Published: April 2017

Background: Unplanned urbanization plays a key role in chronic disease growth. This population-based cross-sectional study assessed the occurrence of cardiometabolic risk factors in Bobo-Dioulasso and their association with urbanization conditions. Methods: Through spatial sampling, four Bobo-Dioulasso sub-spaces were selected for a population survey to measure the adult health status. Yéguéré, Dogona, Tounouma and Secteur 25 had very different urbanization conditions (position within the city; time of creation and healthcare structure access). The sample size was estimated at 1000 households (250 for each sub-space) in which one adult (35 to 59-year-old) was randomly selected. Finally, 860 adults were surveyed. Anthropometric, socioeconomic and clinical data were collected. Arterial blood pressure was measured and blood samples were collected to assess glycemia. Results: Weight, body mass index and waist circumference (mean values) and serum glycemia (83.4 mg/dL ± 4.62 mmol/L) were significantly higher in Tounouma, Dogona, and Secteur 25 than in Yéguéré; the poorest and most rural-like sub-space (p = 0.001). Overall, 43.2%, 40.5%, 5.3% and 60.9% of participants had overweight, hypertension, hyperglycemia and one or more cardiometabolic risk markers, respectively. Conclusions: Bobo-Dioulasso is unprepared to face this public health issue and urgent responses are needed to reduce the health risks associated with unplanned urbanization.
How to Tackle Key Challenges in the Promotion of Physical Activity among Older Adults (65+): The AEQUIPA Network Approach
Authors: Forberger Sarah , Bammann Karin , Bauer Jürgen , Boll Susanne , Bolte Gabriele , Brand Tilman , Hein Andreas , Koppelin Frauke , Lippke Sonia , Meyer Jochen , Pischke Claudia , Voelcker-Rehage Claudia , Zeeb Hajo
Published: April 2017

The paper introduces the theoretical framework and methods/instruments used by the Physical Activity and Health Equity: Primary Prevention for Healthy Ageing (AEQUIPA) prevention research network as an interdisciplinary approach to tackle key challenges in the promotion of physical activity among older people (65+). Drawing on the social-ecological model, the AEQUIPA network developed an interdisciplinary methodological design including quantitative/qualitative studies and systematic reviews, while combining expertise from diverse fields: public health, psychology, urban planning, sports sciences, health technology and geriatrics. AEQUIPA tackles key challenges when promoting physical activity (PA) in older adults: tailoring of interventions, fostering community readiness and participation, strengthening intersectoral collaboration, using new technological devices and evaluating intervention generated inequalities. AEQUIPA aims to strengthen the evidence base for age-specific preventive PA interventions and to yield new insights into the explanatory power of individual and contextual factors. Currently, the empirical work is still underway. First experiences indicate that thenetwork has achieved a strong regional linkage with communities, local stakeholders and individuals. However, involving inactive persons and individuals from minority groups remained challenging. A review of existing PA intervention studies among the elderly revealed the potential to assess equity effects. The results will add to the theoretical and methodological discussion on evidence-based age-specific PA interventions and will contribute to the discussion about European and national health targets.
Evaluation of the “Eat Better Feel Better” Cooking Programme to Tackle Barriers to Healthy Eating
Authors: Garcia Ada , Reardon Rebecca , Hammond Elizabeth , Parrett Alison , Gebbie-Diben Anne
Published: April 2017

We evaluated a 6-week community-based cooking programme, “Eat Better Feel Better”, aimed at tackling barriers to cooking and healthy eating using a single-group repeated measures design. 117 participants enrolled, 62 completed baseline and post-intervention questionnaires, and 17 completed these and a 3–4 months follow-up questionnaire. Most participants were female, >45 years, and socioeconomically deprived. Confidence constructs changed positively from baseline to post-intervention (medians, scale 1 “not confident” to 7 “very confident”): “cooking using raw ingredients” (4, 6 p < 0.003), “following simple recipe” (5, 6 p = 0.003), “planning meals before shopping” (4, 5 p = <0.001), “shopping on a budget (4, 5 p = 0.044), “shopping healthier food” (4, 5 p = 0.007), “cooking new foods” (3, 5 p < 0.001), “cooking healthier foods” (4, 5 p = 0.001), “storing foods safely” (5, 6 p = 0.002); “using leftovers” (4, 5 p = 0.002), “cooking raw chicken” (5, 6 p = 0.021), and “reading food labels” (4, 5 p < 0.001). “Microwaving ready-meals” decreased 46% to 39% (p = 0.132). “Preparing meals from scratch” increased 48% to 59% (p = 0.071). Knowledge about correct portion sizes increased 47% to 74% (p = 0.002). Spending on ready-meals/week decreased. Follow-up telephone interviewees (n = 42) reported developing healthier eating patterns, spending less money/wasting less food, and preparing more meals/snacks from raw ingredients. The programme had positive effects on participants’ cooking skills confidence, helped manage time, and reduced barriers of cost, waste, and knowledge.)