bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reading Together: “Communitarian Reading” and Women Readers in Colonial Bengal
Authors: Moitra Swati
Published: July 2017

In this article, I seek to consider this practice of “communitarian” reading—reading aloud, reading together—as a defining aspect of the cultures of reading among Bengali women in the nineteenth century. I wish to contest the privileging of “silent” reading as a “modern” mode of reading and the subsequent celebration of the protean incorporeality of the “silent” reader, in the works of prominent scholars of readership, arguing that the privileging of “silent” reading as the predominant “modern” mode of reading does not offer a sufficient framework for the study of reading practices of the “historical” “woman reader” in the age of colonial “modernity” in a terrain such as that of Bengal. The article thus engages with alternate frameworks of considering the practice of reading aloud, drawing upon diverse feminist scholarship on practices of reading to argue in favor of considering the practice of “communitarian” reading as a form of female sociality for Bengali women in the nineteenth century, at a time when public spaces remained largely inaccessible to women.
Economic Reintegration of Ethiopian Women Returned from the Middle East
Authors: Nisrane Beza L. , Morissens Ann , Need Ariana , Torenvlied René
Published: July 2017

Current migration studies and policy reviews neglect the vital link between migration experiences of labour migrants and their return and reintegration process. The objective of this study is to highlight the phenomenon and bring the matter to policy makers’ attention. This study uses in‐depth interviews and a series of focus group discussions to explore the relationship between migration experiences and economic reintegration of unskilled Ethiopian women who are return migrants from Middle Eastern countries. Economic reintegration, which in its basic form is about securing a livelihood, is a challenge for most returnees. The reason relates to the migration settings, preparedness and reintegration assistance in the home county. Reintegration assistance for involuntary returnees is beneficial only for those who manage to obtain some savings out of their migration. The findings imply the need for policy improvements regarding the working conditions of female domestic workers in the host countries and reintegration programmes in the home countries.
Joint pricing and overbooking policy in a full payment presale mechanism of new products
Authors: He Bo , Pan Wei , Yang Yange
Published: July 2017

This paper investigates a full payment presale mechanism of new products, in which consumers make a full payment while booking and are allowed to cancel their bookings with full refunds before the products’ delivery time. To fully utilize the limited capacity, the manufacturer can incorporate the overbooking policy into the full payment presale mechanism by jointly setting its sales price and booking limit. We analyze the manufacturer's revenue maximization problem and develop some useful properties. In addition, we propose an iterative algorithm for solving this problem. Finally, we conduct numerical computations to evaluate the overbooking policy and examine the impacts of relevant parameters on the expected profits. We find that the overbooking policy will benefit the manufacturer. However, a higher capacity will not necessarily lead to a higher profit for a manufacturer with an overbooking policy.
Improving language comprehension in preschool children with language difficulties: a cluster randomized trial
Authors: Hagen Åste M. , Melby‐Lervåg Monica , Lervåg Arne
Published: July 2017

Background

Children with language comprehension difficulties are at risk of educational and social problems, which in turn impede employment prospects in adulthood. However, few randomized trials have examined how such problems can be ameliorated during the preschool years.

Methods

We conducted a cluster randomized trial in 148 preschool classrooms. Our intervention targeted language comprehension skills and lasted 1 year and 1 month, with five blocks of 6 weeks and intervention three times per week (about 75 min per week). Effects were assessed on a range of measures of language performance.

Results

Immediately after the intervention, there were moderate effects on both near, intermediate and distal measures of language performance. At delayed follow‐up (7 months after the intervention), these reliable effects remained for the distal measures.

Conclusions

It is possible to intervene in classroom settings to improve the language comprehension skills of children with language difficulties. However, it appears that such interventions need to be intensive and prolonged.
Evaluation of nonthermal effects of electricity on inactivation kinetics of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli during ohmic heating of infant formula
Authors: de Quadros Rodrigues Rochele , Dalmás Michelle , Chemello Muller Diego , Dambróz Escobar Daniela , Campani Pizzato Alessandra , Mercali Giovana Domeneghini , Tondo Eduardo César
Published: July 2017

This study investigated the nonthermal effects of electricity on microbial inactivation kinetics of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli during ohmic heating (OH) of infant formula. For this, temperature profiles during OH and conventional heating (CV) processes were matched, and the kinetic parameters were compared at temperatures ranging from 57.5 to 65.0 °C. The inactivation kinetics were analyzed using an inactivation model, which allowed the definition of the thermal tolerance from kmax and D values. For S. aureus, significant differences (p < .05) between D and kmax values were observed when OH and CV treatment were compared in all temperatures. The results demonstrated a higher efficiency of OH over CV, indicating that microbial inactivation may have been caused by electroporation in addition to thermal effects. For E. coli, a significant difference (p < .05) between D values was observed only at 57.5 °C. Moreover, D values for both heating technologies were lower at 65 °C, which suggests a faster inactivation and, therefore, a lower degradation of nutritional compounds. Taking into consideration both microbial species, the best treatment for human milk pasteurization is OH at 65 °C.

Practical applications

The low‐temperature long‐time pasteurization (62.5 °C for 30 min) is the currently recommended method for heat treatment of human milk in human milk banks (HMB) because it is simple to be applied and guarantees microbiological safety. However, it can promote significant losses of nutritional and organoleptic quality due to the slow conduction of heat transfer. Therefore, alternative technologies for human milk pasteurization need to be explored. OH is a faster heating technology, appropriate for heat‐sensitive products. Although already established in the food industry, the OH advantages have not been considered for human milk pasteurization. The objective is to provide an alternative technology to the HMB that ensure safety and lower‐impact on nutritional compounds. This study contributes for the correct understanding of the nonthermal effects associated with passage of electricity through foodstuff on microorganism's inactivation. Moreover, it has significant economic consequences to industry, supporting modeling and optimization to produce safe products with higher nutritional and sensory characteristics.
Honokiol attenuates diet‐induced non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis by regulating macrophage polarization through activating peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor γ
Authors: Zhong Xueqing , Liu Hailin
Published: July 2017

Background and aim

Non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) may develop into hepatic cirrhosis. This study aimed to investigate whether honokiol could prevent NASH induced by high‐cholesterol and high‐fat (CL) diet in mice and the possible mechanism involved.

Methods

Mice were fed with CL diet for 12 weeks to establish a NASH model; honokiol (0.02% w/w in diet) was added to evaluate its effect on NASH. Murine peritoneal macrophages, RAW264.7 and ANA‐1 cells, were used to explore the possible mechanisms of honokiol on macrophage polarization.

Results

Mice developed NASH after fed with CL diet for 12 weeks. Honokiol supplementation alleviated insulin resistance, hepatic steatosis, inflammation, and fibrosis induced by CL diet. Immunohistochemistry showed that honokiol induced more M2 macrophages in livers compared with CL diet alone. Honokiol decreased M1 marker genes (TNFα and MCP‐1) and increased M2 marker gene (YM‐1, IL‐10, IL‐4R and IL‐13) expression in mice liver compared with CL diet. Moreover, treatment with honokiol lowered alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase in serum and preserved liver from lipid peroxidation, evidenced by lowered hepatic malondialdehyde level. Honokiol has antioxidant function, as honokiol upregulated hepatic glutathione and superoxide dismutase level and downregulated hepatic CYP2E1 protein level. Hepatic peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor γ (PPARγ) and its target genes were upregulated by honokiol. Furthermore, honokiol (10 μM) treatment in mouse peritoneal cells, RAW264.7 cells and ANA‐1 cells, led to M2 macrophage polarization, whereas a PPARγ antagonist, GW9662, abolished this effect of honokiol.

Conclusions

Honokiol can attenuate CL diet‐induced NASH and the mechanism in which possibly is polarizing macrophages to M2 phenotype via PPARγ activation.
Differential effects of variance in prey arrival on foraging success and growth rate of two pit‐building antlion species
Authors: Barkae E. D. , Scharf I. , Ovadia O.
Published: July 2017

Animals in nature generally face fluctuating rather than constant environmental conditions. When given a choice, animals usually seek to minimize the variance of gain. However, it is clear that the avoidance of variance in energetic gain depends on several factors, including hunger level. While holding the mean prey encountered constant, we studied the effect of variance in prey arrival on the growth rates of two pit‐building antlion species, Myrmeleon hyalinus and Cueta lineosa. Both species construct pit‐traps in loose soils and ambush small prey in the same desert habitats, while differing in their preferred microhabitat: shaded vs. exposed to direct sunlight. We expected the light‐preferring species to better tolerate variance in feeding than the shade‐preferring species, owing to the former's higher stress tolerance and natural occurrence in microhabitats that are more likely poor with prey. While increasing variance in prey arrival reduced the growth rates of both species, this decrease was more pronounced in the species inhabiting the shaded and most likely prey‐richer microhabitat. The greater variance tolerance of the light‐preferring species stems from its ability to capture several prey items when almost simultaneously encountered. It could also be that this species has lower basal metabolic rate, which improves its starvation tolerance. These two antlion species differed in their prey capture success, starvation and thermal tolerance, and we thus suggest that their tolerance to variance in feeding opportunities and functional response offer an additional axis that enables them to coexist in the same desert habitats.
Hypervelocity impacts into ice‐topped layered targets: Investigating the effects of ice crust thickness and subsurface density on crater morphology
Authors: Harriss Kathryn H. , Burchell Mark J.
Published: July 2017

Many bodies in the outer solar system are theorized to have an ice shell with a different subsurface material below, be it chondritic, regolith, or a subsurface ocean. This layering can have a significant influence on the morphology of impact craters. Accordingly, we have undertaken laboratory hypervelocity impact experiments on a range of multilayered targets, with interiors of water, sand, and basalt. Impact experiments were undertaken using impact speeds in the range of 0.8–5.3 km s−1, a 1.5 mm Al ball bearing projectile, and an impact incidence of 45°. The surface ice crust had a thickness between 5 and 50 mm, i.e., some 3–30 times the projectile diameter.

The thickness of the ice crust as well as the nature of the subsurface layer (liquid, well consolidated, etc.) have a marked effect on the morphology of the resulting impact crater, with thicker ice producing a larger crater diameter (at a given impact velocity), and the crater diameter scaling with impact speed to the power 0.72 for semi‐infinite ice, but with 0.37 for thin ice. The density of the subsurface material changes the structure of the crater, with flat crater floors if there is a dense, well‐consolidated subsurface layer (basalt) or steep, narrow craters if there is a less cohesive subsurface (sand). The associated faulting in the ice surface is also dependent on ice thickness and the substrate material.

We find that the ice layer (in impacts at 5 km s−1) is effectively semi‐infinite if its thickness is more than 15.5 times the projectile diameter. Below this, the crater diameter is reduced by 4% for each reduction in ice layer thickness equal to the impactor diameter. Crater depth is also affected. In the ice thickness region, 7–15.5 times the projectile diameter, the crater shape in the ice is modified even when the subsurface layer is not penetrated. For ice thicknesses, <7 times the projectile diameter, the ice layer is breached, but the nature of the resulting crater depends heavily on the subsurface material. If the subsurface is noncohesive (loose) material, a crater forms in it. If it is dense, well‐consolidated basalt, no crater forms in the exposed subsurface layer.
Increasing the Capacity of the Intersection Downstream of the Freeway Off‐Ramp Using Presignals
Authors: Zhao Jing , Ma Wanjing , Xu Haijun
Published: July 2017

High volume from urban freeway off‐ramps coupled with extensive traffic weaving and limited capacity at downstream intersections create major bottlenecks in urban road networks. This article presents an integrated design model to eliminate traffic weaving and to maximize the section's overall capacity by using the presignal and sorting area concept. The selection of movements controlled by the presignal, the layout of the section, and the signal timing are optimized in a uniform framework by a mixed‐integer nonlinear program model. The mathematical model was linearized and solved using the standard branch‐and‐bound technique. Extensive numerical analysis and a case study validate the effectiveness of the proposed integrated model in improving capacity with the comparison of conventional design under various geometric configuration and traffic demand pattern scenarios. The proposed model has promising application at locations where the queuing space is long enough and the number of exit lanes is enough to receive the traffic stream from the sorting area.
A Two‐Dimension Dynamic Bayesian Network for Large‐Scale Degradation Modeling with an Application to a Bridges Network
Authors: Kosgodagan‐Dalla Torre Alex , Yeung Thomas G. , Morales‐Nápoles Oswaldo , Castanier Bruno , Maljaars Johan , Courage Wim
Published: July 2017

Modeling the stochastic evolution of a large‐scale fleet or network generally proves to be challenging. This difficulty may be compounded through complex relationships between various assets in the network. Although a great number of probabilistic graph‐based models (e.g., Bayesian networks) have been developed recently to describe the behavior of single assets, one can find significantly fewer approaches addressing a fully integrated network. It is proposed an extension to the standard dynamic Bayesian network (DBN) by introducing an additional dimension for multiple elements. These elements are then linked through a set of covariates that translate the probabilistic dependencies. A Markov chain is utilized to model the elements and develop a distribution‐free mathematical framework to parameterize the transition probabilities without previous data. This is achieved by borrowing from Cooke's method for structured expert judgment and also applied to the quantification of the covariate relationships. Some metrics are also presented for evaluating the sensitivity of information inserted into the covariate DBN where the focus is given on two specific types of configurations. The model is applied to a real‐world example of steel bridge network in the Netherlands. Numerical examples highlight the inference mechanism and show the sensitivity of information inserted in various ways. It is shown that information is most valuable very early and decreases substantially over time. Resulting observations entail the reduction of inference combinations and by extension a computational gain to select the most sensitive pieces of information.
Biophysical and socio‐economic causes for increasing fallow land in Tamil Nadu
Authors: Dharumarajan S. , Lalitha M. , Natarajan A. , Naidu L. G. K. , Balasubramanian R. , Hegde R. , Vasundhara R. , Anil Kumar K. S. , Singh S. K.
Published: July 2017

The question of increasing fallow land assumes significance at national and international levels due to the decline in net cultivated area and increasing population. Biophysical characteristics of farmland and socio‐economic conditions of farmers are responsible for the increasing fallow. This study was carried out to assess the extent of permanent fallow and identify causes for its increase. High‐resolution remote sensing data were used to identify fallow land in two identified blocks of south India, viz. Nanguneri and Kangeyam. The land resources were characterized, and the specific biophysical and socio‐economic factors responsible for the increasing fallow land were assessed. Multiple regression analysis was carried out to identify the factors responsible for increasing fallows. Soil parameters such as erosion, soil texture, soil depth and available nitrogen contributed significantly (P > 0.05) to the increase in fallow land. The size of farm holding, number of farm fragments, distance from the road in Nanguneri and farm size and the distance to the nearest town in Kangeyam were socio‐economic factors that had a strong effect (P > 0.01) on increasing the fallow land. Variable importance rankings in random forest analysis indicated that soil erosion and soilpHhad the largest impact on the decision to fallow land in Nanguneri and Kangeyam blocks, respectively. Based on biophysical and socio‐economic constraints, the land resources of fallow land were evaluated for other alternate land use options and policy measures were suggested.
Identification of the new HLA‐DRB1*14:186 allele in an Italian bone marrow donor
Authors: Zanchi F. , Castellani L. , Gualandris F. , Rotasperti D. , Falanga A.
Published: July 2017

HLA‐DRB1*14:186 differs from DRB1*14:58 by a non‐synonymous mutation at nucleotide 227 in exon 2.
The Ca2+/calmodulin2‐binding transcription factor TGA3 elevates LCD expression and H2S production to bolster Cr6+ tolerance in Arabidopsis
Authors: Fang Huihui , Liu Zhiqiang , Long Yanping , Liang Yali , Jin Zhuping , Zhang Liping , Liu Danmei , Li Hua , Zhai Jixian , Pei Yanxi
Published: July 2017

Heavy metal (HM) contamination on agricultural land not only reduces crop yield but also causes human health concerns. As a plant gasotransmitter, hydrogen sulfide (H2S) can trigger various defense responses and help reduce accumulation of HMs in plants; however, little is known about the regulatory mechanisms of H2S signaling. Here, we provide evidence to answer the long‐standing question about how H2S production is elevated in the defense of plants against HM stress. During the response of Arabidopsis to chromium (Cr6+) stress, the transcription of L‐cysteine desulfhydrase (LCD), the key enzyme for H2S production, was enhanced through a calcium (Ca2+)/calmodulin2 (CaM2)‐mediated pathway. Biochemistry and molecular biology studies demonstrated that Ca2+/CaM2 physically interacts with the bZIP transcription factor TGA3, a member of the ‘TGACG’‐binding factor family, to enhance binding of TGA3 to the LCD promoter and increase LCD transcription, which then promotes the generation of H2S. Consistent with the roles of TGA3 and CaM2 in activating LCD expression, both cam2 and tga3 loss‐of‐function mutants have reduced LCD abundance and exhibit increased sensitivity to Cr6+ stress. Accordingly, this study proposes a regulatory pathway for endogenous H2S generation, indicating that plants respond to Cr6+ stress by adjusting the binding affinity of TGA3 to the LCD promoter, which increases LCD expression and promotes H2S production. This suggests that manipulation of the endogenous H2S level through genetic engineering could improve the tolerance of grains to HM stress and increase agricultural production on soil contaminated with HMs.
Everyday proper politics: rereading the post‐political through mobilities of drug policy activism
Authors: Temenos Cristina
Published: July 2017

This paper explores the connections between activism for drug policy reform and the post‐political conditioning of urban politics. The emergent literature on policy mobilities is brought into conversation with post‐political analyses on the constitution of the properly political, arguing that there has been much focus on moments of rupture in the seemingly post‐political condition while ignoring ongoing political resistances, what I call ‘everyday proper politics’. Resultant analyses of urban politics are therefore often incomplete. This paper moves to address the gap between rupture and resistance through a global examination of harm reduction; a policy, practice and philosophy that embodies contemporary (post‐) political contradictions. It is an evidence‐based public health policy often enacted through medicalised practices across state, public and private space, yet its history and philosophy are rooted in radical understandings of participatory democracy. Exploring activism for harm‐reduction policies and the ways they are made manifest in cities globally begins to unravel the paradox of radical care practice and liberalised notions of self‐care that harm reduction embodies. Harm reduction, as it is mobilised across cities with divergent histories, localities and political contexts, demonstrates that its post‐political framing does not foreclose a radical politics of public health but rather can enable it. This paper demonstrates that public health and post‐politics intersect at the important points of health, wellbeing and urban development. In a post‐political condition, public health agencies assume the role of technical experts under the auspices of advanced neoliberalisation. Yet when questions arise regarding the management of drug use, drug users’ right to health and resources that engage and facilitate these activities, it becomes apparent that there indeed remain properly political battles to fight, battles that attract extra‐local audiences and coalitions from both sides of the debate that to attempt to influence policy outcomes in places far away.
Increased complement activation during platelet storage
Authors: Chen Jian , Losos Michael , Yang Shangbin , Li Junan , Wu Haifeng , Cataland Spero
Published: July 2017

BACKGROUND

It has been shown that platelet transfusion carries a higher incidence of transfusion‐related adverse events than any other blood components, and prolonged platelet storage is associated with more transfusion reactions, most of which are considered to be inflammatory responses. However, the role of complement, which has very important proinflammatory activities, in the pathogenesis of platelet‐related adverse events has not been fully understood.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

Three units of platelets collected by apheresis were stored on a platelet rotator with the temperature controlled between 22 and 24°C. Plasma samples were obtained using a sterile technique on Days 2 through 7. Complement components were assayed to evaluate the activation of complement activation and included C4d (classical pathway), Factor Bb (alternative pathway), C3a (common pathway), C5a (terminal pathway), and C5b‐9 (terminal pathway).

RESULTS

Both C4d and C3a were elevated on the first day of testing (Day 2) compared with the established normal ranges and continued to increase over time in storage. In contrast, Factor Bb levels remained stable and were within the normal range over time. Over a span of 7 days in storage, the terminal complement factors C5a and C5b‐9 were also significantly increased, although the magnitude of increases was not as striking as those in C4d and C3a levels.

CONCLUSION

Our results demonstrate that substantial complement activation occurs in platelets under standard storage conditions, and this activation increases with the duration of storage. After transfusion, these activated complement components might result in accelerated complement activation in recipients, leading to transfusion‐related adverse events.
Examining the Relationship between Referee Self-efficacy and General Self-efficacy Levels of Basketball Referees in Terms of Certain Variables
Authors: Karaçam Aydın , Pulur Atilla
Published: July 2017

The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between referee self-efficacy and general self-efficacy levels of basketball referees in terms of gender, education, age and refereeing experience. The study group was created within a convenience sampling method. 192 referees, 10% (n=19) female, and 90% (n=173) male, who performed active refereeing within Turkish Basketball Federation during 2016-2017 basketball season participated in the study. The personal information form, Referee Self-Efficacy Scale (REFS) and the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE) were used as data collection tools. The analysis of the data was conducted using SPSS 21 and AMOS programs. Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient, t-test and one-way variance analysis (ANOVA) were used in determining the relationships between variables, binary and multiple comparisons, respectively. Total scores of referees in REFS and scores obtained from sub-dimensions of physical fitness and decision making show a significant difference according to gender. There is a positive and significant relationship between referees’ physical fitness, game knowledge, decision making, pressure, communication, total scores in GES and REFS, and their age and refereeing experience. There is a positive and significant relationship between referees’ physical fitness, game knowledge, decision making, pressure, communication, total scores in GES and REFS, and all other variables. There is no significant difference between REFS total score, physical fitness, game knowledge, decision making, pressure and communication of referees, and education.
Accuracy Assessment of Pseudo-Rigid-Body Model for Dynamic Analysis of Compliant Mechanisms
Authors: Li Na , Su Hai-Jun , Zhang Xian-Peng
Published: July 2017

Dynamic characteristics analysis is very important for the design and application of compliant mechanisms, especially for dynamic and control performance in high-speed applications. Although pseudo-rigid-body (PRB) models have been extensively studied for kinetostatic analysis, their accuracy for dynamic analysis is relatively less evaluated. In this paper, we first evaluate the accuracy of the PRB model by comparing against the continuum model using dynamic simulations. We then investigate the effect of mass distribution on dynamics of PRB model for compliant parallel-guided mechanisms. We show that when the beam mass is larger than 10% of the motion stage, the error is significant. We then propose a new PRB model with a corrected mass distribution coefficient which significantly reduces the error of the PRB model. And the dynamic responses are also analyzed according to the corrected mass distribution coefficient. At last, a compliant double parallel-guiding mechanism is used as a case study for validation of the new PRB model for dynamics of compliant mechanisms.
Finite Element Method Stress Analysis and Evaluation of the Sealing Performance in Box-Shape Flange Gasketed Connections Subjected to Internal Pressure
Authors: Sawa Toshiyuki , Tenma Kentaro , Kobayashi Takashi , Kurosawa Ryou
Published: July 2017

Bolted connections inserting gaskets such as box-shape flange connections have been widely used in mechanical structures, nuclear and chemical industry, and so on. They are usually used under internal pressure. In designing the box-shape flange connections with gaskets under internal pressure, it is important to clarify the gasket stress distribution for evaluating the sealing performance of these connections. However, no research in which the sealing performance of these connections is examined under internal pressure has been carried out. Thus, the design for box-shape connection such as thickness of flange cover, number of bolts, gasket width, and so on is not clarified. In this paper, the contact gasket stresses of these connections under internal pressure are analyzed using the finite element method (FEM), taking into account a hysteresis in the stress–displacement curve of the gasket. And then, using the contact gasket stress distributions obtained from FE analysis and the relationship between gasket stress and leak rate obtained from a gasket sealing test (JIS B2490), a method for estimating an amount of leakage is examined. Leakage tests were also conducted to measure an amount of gas leakage using an actual box-shape flange connection with a gasket. The estimated results are in reasonable agreement with the experimental results. In addition, the effect of gasket width, flange cover thickness, and flange cover material is examined on the sealing performances of box-shape flange connections under internal pressure. The effects of the above factors are discussed on the sealing performance in designing box-shape flange connections.
Two-Machine and Two-Agent Flow Shop with Special Processing Times Structures
Authors: Kim Byung-Gyoo , Choi Byung-Cheon , Park Myoung-Ju
Published: July 2017

We consider a two-agent scheduling problem in a two-machine flow shop environment where each agent is responsible for his own set of jobs and wishes to minimize the makespan. The objective is to minimize one agent’s makespan, subject to the other’s objective of not exceeding a given threshold. It is known that the problem is NP-hard. Thus, we consider special cases such that the processing times of each agent have a special structure, and analyze their computational complexity.
Stochastic Multi-Objectives Supply Chain Optimization with Forecasting Partial Backordering Rate: A Novel Hybrid Method of Meta Goal Programming and Evolutionary Algorithms
Authors: Taleizadeh Ata Allah
Published: July 2017

This study proposes a model for a multi-objective, multi-buyer, multi-vendor, multi-product and multi-constraint supply chain. The buyers’ demand rates are stochastic variables with known probability distribution functions. The classical ([Formula: see text]) inventory control system is used to manage the inventories of all buyers where the lead times are production rate dependent. Shortage is permitted and is partially backordered where the partial back ordering rate is forecasted. The model is considered as a multi-objective integer nonlinear programming problem including cost, service level and lead time objectives and using a novel hybrid method, a hybrid of Meta Goal Programming (MGP) and Firefly Algorithm (FA) are solved. Numerical examples are given to illustrate the proposed method in the study. The results of the study are compared to other hybrid methods of Meta Goal Programming with other evolutionary algorithms such as Bees Algorithms (BA), Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Genetic Algorithm (GA) and Simulated Annealing (SA).
Face Deduplication in Video Surveillance
Authors: Chen Qi , Yang Li , Zhang Dongping , Shen Ye , Huang Shuying
Published: July 2017

The video surveillance system based on face analysis has played an increasingly important role in the security industry. Compared with identification methods of other physical characteristics, face verification method is easy to be accepted by people. In the video surveillance scene, it is common to capture multiple faces belonging to a same person. We cannot get a good result of face recognition if we use all the images without considering image quality. In order to solve this problem, we propose a face deduplication system which is combined with face detection and face quality evaluation to obtain the highest quality face image of a person. The experimental results in this paper also show that our method can effectively detect the faces and select the high-quality face images, so as to improve the accuracy of face recognition.
Structure and Reversibility of 2D von Neumann Cellular Automata Over Triangular Lattice
Authors: Uguz Selman , Redjepov Shovkat , Acar Ecem , Akin Hasan
Published: July 2017

Even though the fundamental main structure of cellular automata (CA) is a discrete special model, the global behaviors at many iterative times and on big scales could be a close, nearly a continuous, model system. CA theory is a very rich and useful phenomena of dynamical model that focuses on the local information being relayed to the neighboring cells to produce CA global behaviors. The mathematical points of the basic model imply the computable values of the mathematical structure of CA. After modeling the CA structure, an important problem is to be able to move forwards and backwards on CA to understand their behaviors in more elegant ways. A possible case is when CA is to be a reversible one. In this paper, we investigate the structure and the reversibility of two-dimensional (2D) finite, linear, triangular von Neumann CA with null boundary case. It is considered on ternary field [Formula: see text] (i.e. 3-state). We obtain their transition rule matrices for each special case. For given special triangular information (transition) rule matrices, we prove which triangular linear 2D von Neumann CAs are reversible or not. It is known that the reversibility cases of 2D CA are generally a much challenged problem. In the present study, the reversibility problem of 2D triangular, linear von Neumann CA with null boundary is resolved completely over ternary field. As far as we know, there is no structure and reversibility study of von Neumann 2D linear CA on triangular lattice in the literature. Due to the main CA structures being sufficiently simple to investigate in mathematical ways, and also very complex to obtain in chaotic systems, it is believed that the present construction can be applied to many areas related to these CA using any other transition rules.
Chaotic Dynamics of Composition Operators on the Space of Continuous Functions
Authors: Yin Zongbin
Published: July 2017

In this paper, the chaotic dynamics of composition operators on the space of real-valued continuous functions is investigated. It is proved that the hypercyclicity, topologically mixing property, Devaney chaos, frequent hypercyclicity and the specification property of the composition operator are equivalent to each other and are stronger than dense distributional chaos. Moreover, the composition operator [Formula: see text] exhibits dense Li–Yorke chaos if and only if it is densely distributionally chaotic, if and only if the symbol [Formula: see text] admits no fixed points. Finally, the long-time behaviors of the composition operator with affine symbol are classified in detail.
Noninvasive Stabilization of Periodic Orbits in O4-Symmetrically Coupled Systems Near a Hopf Bifurcation Point
Authors: Hooton Edward , Balanov Zalman , Krawcewicz Wieslaw , Rachinskii Dmitrii
Published: July 2017

Pyragas time-delayed feedback control has proven itself as an effective tool to noninvasively stabilize periodic solutions. In a number of publications, this method was adapted to equivariant settings. In this paper, we consider [Formula: see text]-symmetric systems of van der Pol and optical oscillators coupled in a cube-like configuration. These systems undergo equivariant Hopf bifurcations giving rise to multiple branches of unstable periodic solutions. We introduce a delayed control term, which ensures stabilization of a selected branch. Group theoretic restrictions which help to shape our choice of control are discussed. Furthermore, we explicitly describe the domains in a two-dimensional parameter space for which the periodic solutions of the delayed system are stable.
Conditions and Linear Stability Analysis at the Transition to Synchronization of Three Coupled Phase Oscillators in a Ring
Authors: El-Nashar Hassan F.
Published: July 2017

We consider a system of three nonidentical coupled phase oscillators in a ring topology. We explore the conditions that must be satisfied in order to obtain the phases at the transition to a synchrony state. These conditions lead to the correct mathematical expressions of phases that aid to find a simple analytic formula for critical coupling when the oscillators transit to a synchronization state having a common frequency value. The finding of a simple expression for the critical coupling allows us to perform a linear stability analysis at the transition to the synchronization stage. The obtained analytic forms of the eigenvalues show that the three coupled phase oscillators with periodic boundary conditions transit to a synchrony state when a saddle-node bifurcation occurs.
A Duopoly with Common Renewable Resource and Incentives
Authors: Grilli Luca , Bisceglia Michele
Published: July 2017

In this paper, we study a duopoly model in which two symmetric firms exploit the same public renewable resource as an input for the production of a homogeneous good. We consider the case where the firms are provided with public incentives in order to prevent the resource exhaustion in a finite time horizon which coincides with the harvesting-license period. As a consequence, we consider a differential game in finite time horizon and compute the Open Loop and linear Feedback Nash Equilibria of the game. We study the social welfare and the optimal incentives polices derived from the solutions.
Social Hierarchy and the Evolution of Behavior
Authors: Wu Jiabin
Published: July 2017

This paper investigates how behavior evolves in a society with a social hierarchy consisting of high and low positions. Agents first collectively negotiate for high positions through a political institution. Next, each high position agent is matched with a low position agent to engage in some asymmetric pairwise interaction, which generates economic outcomes for the two agents. These economic outcomes in turn influence the evolution of agents’ behavior. We find that this evolutionary process induces Pareto-enhancing behavior by high position agents but Pareto-damaging behavior by low position agents. We take this result into a production–redistribution game in which a low position agent exerts effort to produce and a high position agent decides how to redistribute the output. We show that inefficient work effort and a positive transfer are evolutionarily stable.
Fixing redundant degrees of teleparallel equivalent of general relativity
Authors: Nashed Gamal G. L. , Elkhatib B.
Published: July 2017

It is well known that the field equation of teleparallel theory which is equivalent to general relativity completely agrees with the field equations of general relativity. However, teleparallel equivalent of general relativity has six redundant degrees of freedom which spoil the true physics. These extra degrees are related to the local Lorentz transformation. In this study, we give three different tetrad fields having cylindrical symmetry and depend only on the radial coordinate. One of these tetrads contains an arbitrary function, which is responsible to reproduce the other solutions, which come from local Lorentz transformation. We show by explicate calculations that this arbitrary function spoils the calculations of the conserved charges. We formulate a skew-symmetric tensor whose vanishing value puts a constraint on this arbitrary function. This constraint fixed the redundant degrees of freedom which characterize the teleparallel equivalent of general relativity.
On the Cognitive and Theoretical Foundations of Big Data Science and Engineering
Authors: Wang Yingxu
Published: July 2017

Big data play an indispensable role not only in the cognitive mechanisms of human sensation, quantification, qualification, estimation, memory, and reasoning, but also in a wide range of engineering applications. A basic study on the theoretical foundations of big data science is presented with a coherent set of general principles and analytic methodologies for big data systems. Cognitive foundations of big data are explored in order to formally explain the origination and nature of big data. A set of mathematical models of big data are created that rigorously elicit the general essences and patterns of big data across pervasive domains in sciences, engineering, and societies. A significant finding towards big data science is that big data systems in nature are a recursive [Formula: see text]-dimensional-typed hyperstructure (RNTHS) rather than pure numbers. The fundamental topological property of big data reveals a set of denotational mathematical solutions for dealing with inherited complexities and unprecedented challenges in big data engineering.
A Multiagent Approach to Database Migration for Big Data Systems
Authors: Zaharia Mihai Horia
Published: July 2017

Presented in this paper is a possible solution for speeding up the integration of various data in the big data mainstream. The data enrichment and convergence of all possible sources is still at the beginning. As a result, existing techniques must be retooled in order to increase the integration of already existing databases or of the ones specific to Internet of Things in order to use the advantages of the big data to fulfill the final goal of web of data creation. In this paper, semantic web-specific solutions are used to design a system based on intelligent agents. It tries to solve some problems specific to automation of the database migration system with the final goal of creating a common ontology over various data repositories or producers in order to integrate them into systems based on big data architecture.
Two Forms of Pairwise Lindelöfness and Some Results Related to Hereditary Class in a Bigeneralized Topological Space
Authors: Acharjee Santanu , Tripathy Binod Chandra , Papadopoulos Kyriakos
Published: July 2017

Bigeneralized topology was introduced in 2010. In this paper, we aim to contribute in the development of this area by proving results with respect to the hereditary class that defines two types of Lindelöf spaces in a bigeneralized topological space (BGTS). Some results on strong BGTS (briefly SBGTS) are proved by defining a [Formula: see text]-perfect mapping. We also prove some equivalent conditions with respect to the hereditary class.
Test verification of a seat-cabin system vertical dynamic model for high-grade fork lift trucks
Authors: Zhao Leilei , Yu Yuewei , Zhou Changcheng , Mao Shaofang
Published: July 2017

The seat-cabin system of fork lift trucks has a great influence on ride comfort. On the basis of the structure and characteristics of the seat-cabin system for a high-grade fork lift truck, a seat-cabin system vertical dynamic model was created. The vertical dynamic responses of the model under the random irregularities excitation were calculated. The calculated responses including the seat dynamic response and the cabin dynamic responses at the four corners are very close to the field measurement data and the relative deviations of the (root mean square) RMS acceleration responses are all less than 6.0%. The results show that the vertical dynamic model is acceptable and can truly describe the basic mechanical behavior of the seat-cabin system. The model provides a good basis for investigating the relations between the dynamic parameters and the vibration attenuation characteristics of the seat-cabin system to further improve ride comfort.
Learning robust features by extended generative stochastic networks
Authors: Teng Da , Song Xiao , Gong Guanghong , Zhou Junhua
Published: July 2017

Deep neural networks have achieved state-of-the-art performance on many object recognition tasks, but they are vulnerable to small adversarial perturbations. In this paper, several extensions of generative stochastic networks (GSNs) are proposed to improve the robustness of neural networks to random noise and adversarial perturbations. Experimental results show that compared to normal GSN method, the extensions using adversarial examples, lateral connections and feedforward networks can improve the performance of GSNs by making the models more resistant to overfitting and noise.
Design Construction and Performance of 10W Thermoacoustic Refrigerators
Authors: Prashantha B. G. , Govinde Gowda M. S. , Seetharamu S. , Narasimham G. S. V. L.
Published: July 2017

In this paper, the construction and performance of the 10[Formula: see text]W cooling power thermoacoustic refrigerators designed for a temperature difference of 120 K at 3% drive ratio are discussed. The construction and assembly procedure of the optimized thermoacoustic refrigerator components viz. spiral stack, heat exchangers, 0.28[Formula: see text]-taper, small diameter tube and divergent section with hemispherical end (TSDH) and 0.24[Formula: see text]-taper and divergent section with hemispherical end (TDH) resonator designs and loudspeaker found in the published literature, and instrumentation are discussed. The performance of the 0.28[Formula: see text]-TSDH, and 0.24[Formula: see text]-TDH resonator designs, and the uncertainties involved in the experimental measurements are discussed. Both the resonator designs show good behavior. A decent low temperature of [Formula: see text]11.3[Formula: see text]C and [Formula: see text]8.7[Formula: see text]C at 10[Formula: see text]W cooling power is achieved at the cold heat exchanger for the 0.28[Formula: see text]-TSDH and 0.24[Formula: see text]-TDH resonator designs, respectively. The comparative analysis of the experimental results with the theoretical and DeltaEC results is discussed.
Terahertz Spin Currents and Inverse Spin Hall Effect in Thin-Film Heterostructures Containing Complex Magnetic Compounds
Authors: Seifert T. , Martens U. , Günther S. , Schoen M. A. W. , Radu F. , Chen X. Z. , Lucas I. , Ramos R. , Aguirre M. H. , Algarabel P. A. , Anadón A. , Körner H. S. , Walowski J. , Back C. , Ibarra M. R. , Morellón L. , Saitoh E. , Wolf M. , Song C. , Uchida K. , Münzenberg M. , Radu I. , Kampfrath T.
Published: July 2017

Terahertz emission spectroscopy (TES) of ultrathin multilayers of magnetic and heavy metals has recently attracted much interest. This method not only provides fundamental insights into photoinduced spin transport and spin–orbit interaction at highest frequencies, but has also paved the way for applications such as efficient and ultrabroadband emitters of terahertz (THz) electromagnetic radiation. So far, predominantly standard ferromagnetic materials have been exploited. Here, by introducing a suitable figure of merit, we systematically compare the strength of THz emission from [Formula: see text]/Pt bilayers with [Formula: see text] being a complex ferro-, ferri- and antiferromagnetic metal, that is, dysprosium cobalt (DyCo5), gadolinium iron (Gd[Formula: see text]Fe[Formula: see text]), magnetite (Fe3O4) and iron rhodium (FeRh). We find that the performance in terms of spin-current generation not only depends on the spin polarization of the magnet’s conduction electrons, but also on the specific interface conditions, thereby suggesting TES to be a highly interface-sensitive technique. In general, our results are relevant for all applications that rely on the optical generation of ultrafast spin currents in spintronic metallic multilayers.