bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Electric Vehicle Purchaser Satisfaction and Rejection Reasons
Authors: Jabbari Parasto , Chernicoff William , MacKenzie Don
Published: August 2017

This study used a matched data set drawn from more than 1 million new vehicle postpurchase consumer satisfaction surveys to test for differences in satisfaction and reasons for vehicle choice and rejection between conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles and plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs). The Wilcoxon signed rank test and the McNemar and chi-square tests were used to evaluate consumer satisfaction and reasons for rejecting considered vehicles, respectively. Results show that PEV purchasers and considerers—people who considered purchasing a specific type of car (Editor’s note: This term is the authors’.)—were less satisfied with their overall purchase experience, but those who considered and rejected a PEV were less likely than those who considered and rejected an ICE to cite the dealer’s attitude as the reason for rejection. Price and value were the most cited reasons and were similarly important for both groups. Reasons related to model availability and vehicle attributes were more often a concern for PEV considerers than for ICE considerers. These results suggest that even with existing incentives, the limitations of the current technology (e.g., price and range) and the variety of available vehicles are the most important challenges to market expansion.
A tale of two courses: challenging Millennials to experience culture through film
Authors: Kirakosian Katie , McLaurin Virginia , Speck Cary
Published: August 2017

In this article, we discuss how adding a final film project to a revised ‘Culture through Film’ course led to deeper student learning and higher rates of student success, as well as increased student satisfaction. Ultimately, we urge social science educators to include experiential projects in their courses that connect to all learning styles. Such projects should also challenge students to ‘create’, a task that requires generating ideas, planning and ultimately producing something, which, according to Bloom’s revised taxonomy, engages students in the highest cognitive process (Anderson and Krathwohl 2000). Although this class focused on the intersections of culture and film and was taught at an American university, we believe these lessons apply more broadly.
James E. Côte and Andy Furlong (eds) (2016) Routledge Handbook of the Sociology of Higher Education
Authors: Huisman Jeroen
Published: August 2017

James E. Côte and Andy Furlong (eds) (2016) Routledge Handbook of the
Sociology of Higher Education
London: Routledge, 396 pp., ISBN 9781138778122
What humankind can expect with an inversion of Earth’s magnetic field: threats real and imagined
Authors: Tsareva O O , Zelenyi L M , Malova H V , Podzolko M V , Popova E P , Popov V Yu
Published: August 2017

Earth’s global magnetic field generated by an internal dynamo mechanism has been continuously changing on different time scales since its formation. Paleodata indicate that relatively long periods of evolutionary changes can be replaced by quick magnetic inversions. Based on observations, Earth’s magnetic field is currently weakening and the magnetic poles are shifting, possibly indicating the beginning of the inversion process. This paper invokes Gauss coefficients to approximate the behavior of Earth’s magnetic field components over the past 100 years. Using the extrapolation method, it is estimated that the magnetic dipole component will vanish by the year 3600 and at that time the geomagnetic field will be determined by a smaller value of a quadrupole magnetic component. A numerical model is constructed which allows evaluating and comparing both galactic and solar cosmic ray fluxes in Earth’s magnetosphere and on its surface during periods of dipole or quadrupole domination. The role of the atmosphere in absorbing particles of cosmic rays is taken into account. An estimate of the radiation danger to humans is obtained for the ground level and for the International Space Station altitude of ∼ 400 km. It is shown that in the most unfavorable, minimum field interval of the inversion process, the galactic cosmic ray flux increases by no more than a factor of three, implying that the radiation danger does not exceed the maximum permissible dose. Thus, the danger of magnetic inversion periods generally should not have fatal consequences for humans and nature as a whole, despite dramatically changing the structure of Earth’s magnetosphere.
Automatic Modulation Recognition Using Compressive Cyclic Features
Authors: Xie Lijin , Wan Qun
Published: August 2017

Higher-order cyclic cumulants (CCs) have been widely adopted for automatic modulation recognition (AMR) in cognitive radio. However, the CC-based AMR suffers greatly from the requirement of high-rate sampling. To overcome this limit, we resort to the theory of compressive sensing (CS). By exploiting the sparsity of CCs, recognition features can be extracted from a small amount of compressive measurements via a rough CS reconstruction algorithm. Accordingly, a CS-based AMR scheme is formulated. Simulation results demonstrate the availability and robustness of the proposed approach.
Optimization Design of Electromagnetic Actuator Applied as Fast Tool Servo
Authors: Nie Yahui , Du Yinfei , Xu Zhuo
Published: August 2017

Fast tool servos (FTS) for single point diamond turning are widely employed for machine optical free-form surfaces. A FTS with a large stroke and a high bandwidth can increase the efficiency of a machine and complexity of a work-piece. In this paper, a FTS driven by a Maxwell electromagnetic actuator is developed to obtain a relatively large stroke and high bandwidth. In this study, a multi-objective optimization model is proposed based on the whole system by considering electromagnetic driving principles, kinematic model, and mechanical model. The proposed optimization model can be applied to solve the parameters of electromagnetic actuators with diverse application requirements. A sequential quadratic programming (SQP) algorithm is implemented to solve the problem. The optimization results are verified through both finite element analysis and experiments. The optimized FTS can produce 49.55 μm of full stroke with a frequency response of 3.2 kHz.
The Linac Coherent Light Source: Recent Developments and Future Plans
Authors: Schoenlein R. , Boutet S. , Minitti M. , Dunne A.M.
Published: August 2017

The development of X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) has launched a new era in X-ray science by providing ultrafast coherent X-ray pulses with a peak brightness that is approximately one billion times higher than previous X-ray sources. The Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) facility at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, the world’s first hard X-ray FEL, has already demonstrated a tremendous scientific impact across broad areas of science. Here, a few of the more recent representative highlights from LCLS are presented in the areas of atomic, molecular, and optical science; chemistry; condensed matter physics; matter in extreme conditions; and biology. This paper also outlines the near term upgrade (LCLS-II) and motivating science opportunities for ultrafast X-rays in the 0.25–5 keV range at repetition rates up to 1 MHz. Future plans to extend the X-ray energy reach to beyond 13 keV (<1 Å) at high repetition rate (LCLS-II-HE) are envisioned, motivated by compelling new science of structural dynamics at the atomic scale.
Formulation of Laccase Nanobiocatalysts Based on Ionic and Covalent Interactions for the Enhanced Oxidation of Phenolic Compounds
Authors: Moreira Maria , Moldes-Diz Yolanda , Feijoo Sara , Eibes Gemma , Lema Juan , Feijoo Gumersindo
Published: August 2017

Oxidative biocatalysis by laccase arises as a promising alternative in the development of advanced oxidation processes for the removal of xenobiotics. The aim of this work is to develop various types of nanobiocatalysts based on laccase immobilized on different superparamagnetic and non-magnetic nanoparticles to improve the stability of the biocatalysts. Several techniques of enzyme immobilization were evaluated based on ionic exchange and covalent bonding. The highest yields of laccase immobilization were achieved for the covalent laccase nanoconjugates of silica-coated magnetic nanoparticles (2.66 U mg−1 NPs), formed by the covalent attachment of the enzyme between the aldehyde groups of the glutaraldehyde-functionalized nanoparticle and the amino groups of the enzyme. Moreover, its application in the biotransformation of phenol as a model recalcitrant compound was tested at different pH and successfully achieved at pH 6 for 24 h. A sequential batch operation was carried out, with complete recovery of the nanobiocatalyst and minimal deactivation of the enzyme after four cycles of phenol oxidation. The major drawback associated with the use of the nanoparticles relies on the energy consumption required for their production and the use of chemicals, that account for a major contribution in the normalized index of 5.28 × 10−3. The reduction of cyclohexane (used in the synthesis of silica-coated magnetic nanoparticles) led to a significant lower index (3.62 × 10−3); however, the immobilization was negatively affected, which discouraged this alternative.
Irradiation Induced Defect Clustering in Zircaloy-2
Authors: Yao Zhongwen , Daymond Mark , Di Sali , Idrees Yasir
Published: August 2017

The effect of irradiation temperature and alloying elements on defect clustering behaviour directly from the cascade collapse in Zircaloy-2 is examined. The in-situ ioWn irradiation technique was employed to study the formation of -type dislocation loops by Kr ion irradiation at 573 K and 773 K, while the dependence of dislocation loop formationon the presence of alloying elements was investigated by comparing with the defect microstructures of pure Zr irradiated under similar conditions. The experimentally observed temperature dependence of defect clustering was further investigated using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations near the experimental irradiation temperatures. We particularly concentrate on yield and morphology of small defect clusters formed directly from cascade collapse at very low ion doses. Smaller loop size and higher defect yield (DY) in Zircaloy-2 as compared to pure Zr suggests that the presence of the major alloying element Sn increases the number of nucleation sites for the defect clusters but suppresses the point defect recombination. MD simulations at 600 and 800 K revealed that the production of both vacancy and interstitial clusters drops significantly with an increase of irradiation temperature, which is reflected in experimentally collected DY data.
Suppressing Salt Transport through Composite Pervaporation Membranes for Brine Desalination
Authors: Li Lin , Hou Jingwei , Ye Yun , Mansouri Jaleh , Zhang Yatao , Chen Vicki
Published: August 2017

Pervaporation membranes have gained renewed interest in challenging feedwaters desalination, such as reverse osmosis (RO) concentrated brine wastewater. In this study, composite polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) pervaporation membranes were prepared for brine treatment. The composite membrane was firstly studied by adjusting the cross-linking density of PVA by glutaraldehyde: the membrane with higher cross-linking density exhibited much higher salt rejection efficiency for long-term operation. A trace of salt on the permeate side was found to diffuse through the membrane in the form of hydrated ions, following solution-diffusion mechanism. To further suppress the salt transport and achieve long-term stable operation, graphene oxide (GO) was incorporated into the PVA layer: the addition of GO had minor effects on water permeation but significantly suppressed the salt passage, compared to the pure PVA/PVDF membranes. In terms of brine wastewater containing organic/inorganic foulant, improved anti-fouling performance was also observed with GO-containing membranes. Furthermore, the highest flux of 28 L/m2h was obtained for the membrane with 0.1 wt. % of GO using 100 g/L NaCl as the feed at 65 °C by optimising the pervaporation rig, with permeate conductivity below 1.2 µS/cm over 24 h (equivalent to a salt rejection of >99.99%).
Comparison of Five Modeling Approaches to Quantify and Estimate the Effect of Clouds on the Radiation Amplification Factor (RAF) for Solar Ultraviolet Radiation
Authors: Hall Eric
Published: August 2017

A generally accepted value for the Radiation Amplification Factor (RAF), with respect to the erythemal action spectrum for sunburn of human skin, is −1.1, indicating that a 1.0% increase in stratospheric ozone leads to a 1.1% decrease in the biologically damaging UV radiation in the erythemal action spectrum reaching the Earth. The RAF is used to quantify the non-linear change in the biologically damaging UV radiation in the erythemal action spectrum as a function of total column ozone (O3). Spectrophotometer measurements recorded at ten US monitoring sites were used in this analysis, and over 71,000 total UVR measurement scans of the sky were collected at those 10 sites between 1998 and 2000 to assess the RAF value. This UVR dataset was examined to determine the specific impact of clouds on the RAF. Five de novo modeling approaches were used on the dataset, and the calculated RAF values ranged from a low of −0.80 to a high of −1.38.
3D Bioprinting and In Vitro Cardiovascular Tissue Modeling
Authors: Jang Jinah
Published: August 2017

Numerous microfabrication approaches have been developed to recapitulate morphologically and functionally organized tissue microarchitectures in vitro; however, the technical and operational limitations remain to be overcome. 3D printing technology facilitates the building of a construct containing biomaterials and cells in desired organizations and shapes that have physiologically relevant geometry, complexity, and micro-environmental cues. The selection of biomaterials for 3D printing is considered one of the most critical factors to achieve tissue function. It has been reported that some printable biomaterials, having extracellular matrix-like intrinsic microenvironment factors, were capable of regulating stem cell fate and phenotype. In particular, this technology can control the spatial positions of cells, and provide topological, chemical, and complex cues, allowing neovascularization and maturation in the engineered cardiovascular tissues. This review will delineate the state-of-the-art 3D bioprinting techniques in the field of cardiovascular tissue engineering and their applications in translational medicine. In addition, this review will describe 3D printing-based pre-vascularization technologies correlated with implementing blood perfusion throughout the engineered tissue equivalent. The described engineering method may offer a unique approach that results in the physiological mimicry of human cardiovascular tissues to aid in drug development and therapeutic approaches.
Examining Potential Active Tempering of Adhesive Curing by Marine Mussels
Authors: Hamada Natalie , Roman Victor , Howell Steven , Wilker Jonathan
Published: August 2017

Mussels generate adhesives for staying in place when faced with waves and turbulence of the intertidal zone. Their byssal attachment assembly consists of adhesive plaques connected to the animal by threads. We have noticed that, every now and then, the animals tug on their plaque and threads. This observation had us wondering if the mussels temper or otherwise control catechol chemistry within the byssus in order to manage mechanical properties of the materials. Here, we carried out a study in which the adhesion properties of mussel plaques were compared when left attached to the animals versus detached and exposed only to an aquarium environment. For the most part, detachment from the animal had almost no influence on the mechanical properties on low-energy surfaces. There was a slight, yet significant difference observed with attached versus detached adhesive properties on high energy surfaces. There were significant differences in the area of adhesive deposited by the mussels on a low- versus a high-energy surface. Mussel adhesive plaques appear to be unlike, for example, spider silk, for which pulling on the material is needed for assembly of proteinaceous fibers to manage properties.
Thermal Response Analysis of Phospholipid Bilayers Using Ellipsometric Techniques
Authors: González-Henríquez Carmen , Villegas-Opazo Vanessa , Sagredo-Oyarce Dallits , Sarabia-Vallejos Mauricio , Terraza Claudio
Published: August 2017

Biomimetic planar artificial membranes have been widely studied due to their multiple applications in several research fields. Their humectation and thermal response are crucial for reaching stability; these characteristics are related to the molecular organization inside the bilayer, which is affected by the aliphatic chain length, saturations, and molecule polarity, among others. Bilayer stability becomes a fundamental factor when technological devices are developed—like biosensors—based on those systems. Thermal studies were performed for different types of phosphatidylcholine (PC) molecules: two pure PC bilayers and four binary PC mixtures. These analyses were carried out through the detection of slight changes in their optical and structural parameters via Ellipsometry and Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) techniques. Phospholipid bilayers were prepared by Langmuir-Blodgett technique and deposited over a hydrophilic silicon wafer. Their molecular inclination degree, mobility, and stability of the different phases were detected and analyzed through bilayer thickness changes and their optical phase-amplitude response. Results show that certain binary lipid mixtures—with differences in its aliphatic chain length—present a co-existence of two thermal responses due to non-ideal mixing.
Alzheimer’s Disease Early Diagnosis Using Manifold-Based Semi-Supervised Learning
Authors: Khajehnejad Moein , Saatlou Forough , Mohammadzade Hoda
Published: August 2017

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is currently ranked as the sixth leading cause of death in the United States and recent estimates indicate that the disorder may rank third, just behind heart disease and cancer, as a cause of death for older people. Clearly, predicting this disease in the early stages and preventing it from progressing is of great importance. The diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) requires a variety of medical tests, which leads to huge amounts of multivariate heterogeneous data. It can be difficult and exhausting to manually compare, visualize, and analyze this data due to the heterogeneous nature of medical tests; therefore, an efficient approach for accurate prediction of the condition of the brain through the classification of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images is greatly beneficial and yet very challenging. In this paper, a novel approach is proposed for the diagnosis of very early stages of AD through an efficient classification of brain MRI images, which uses label propagation in a manifold-based semi-supervised learning framework. We first apply voxel morphometry analysis to extract some of the most critical AD-related features of brain images from the original MRI volumes and also gray matter (GM) segmentation volumes. The features must capture the most discriminative properties that vary between a healthy and Alzheimer-affected brain. Next, we perform a principal component analysis (PCA)-based dimension reduction on the extracted features for faster yet sufficiently accurate analysis. To make the best use of the captured features, we present a hybrid manifold learning framework which embeds the feature vectors in a subspace. Next, using a small set of labeled training data, we apply a label propagation method in the created manifold space to predict the labels of the remaining images and classify them in the two groups of mild Alzheimer’s and normal condition (MCI/NC). The accuracy of the classification using the proposed method is 93.86% for the Open Access Series of Imaging Studies (OASIS) database of MRI brain images, providing, compared to the best existing methods, a 3% lower error rate.
Braque and Kokoschka: Brain Tissue Injury and Preservation of Artistic Skill
Authors: Zaidel D. W.
Published: August 2017

The neural underpinning of art creation can be gleaned following brain injury in professional artists. Any alteration to their artistic productivity, creativity, skills, talent, and genre can help understand the neural underpinning of art expression. Here, two world-renown and influential artists who sustained brain injury in World War I are the focus, namely the French artist Georges Braque and the Austrian artist Oskar Kokoschka. Braque is particularly associated with Cubism, and Kokoschka with Expressionism. Before enlisting, they were already well-known and highly regarded. Both were wounded in the battlefield where they lost consciousness and treated in European hospitals. Braque’s injury was in the left hemisphere while Kokoschka’s was in the right hemisphere. After the injury, Braque did not paint again for nearly a whole year while Kokoschka commenced his artistic works when still undergoing hospital treatment. Their post-injury art retained the same genre as their pre-injury period, and their artistic skills, talent, creativity, and productivity remained unchanged. The quality of their post-injury artworks remained highly regarded and influential. These neurological cases suggest widely distributed and diffuse neural control by the brain in the creation of art.
Enzymatic Oxyfunctionalization Driven by Photosynthetic Water-Splitting in the Cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803
Authors: Böhmer Stefanie , Köninger Katharina , Gómez-Baraibar Álvaro , Bojarra Samiro , Mügge Carolin , Schmidt Sandy , Nowaczyk Marc , Kourist Robert
Published: August 2017

Photosynthetic water-splitting is a powerful force to drive selective redox reactions. The need of highly expensive redox partners such as NADPH and their regeneration is one of the main bottlenecks for the application of biocatalysis at an industrial scale. Recently, the possibility of using the photosystem of cyanobacteria to supply high amounts of reduced nicotinamide to a recombinant enoate reductase opened a new strategy for overcoming this hurdle. This paper presents the expansion of the photosynthetic regeneration system to a Baeyer–Villiger monooxygenase. Despite the potential of this strategy, this work also presents some of the encountered challenges as well as possible solutions, which will require further investigation. The successful enzymatic oxygenation shows that cyanobacterial whole-cell biocatalysis is an applicable approach that allows fuelling selective oxyfunctionalisation reactions at the expense of light and water. Yet, several hurdles such as side-reactions and the cell-density limitation, probably due to self-shading of the cells, will have to be overcome on the way to synthetic applications.
A Study of CO2 Laser Treatment on Colour Properties of Cotton-Based Fabrics
Authors: Hung On-na , Kan Chi-wai
Published: August 2017

In this study, laser was applied to two types of cotton-based woven fabrics in order to study the effect of CO2 laser technology on colour and fabric strength properties. The woven fabrics had different fibre compositions, i.e., one was 100% cotton while the other had 60% cotton blended with 40% polyester. They were treated with different combinations of laser processing parameters, i.e., resolution (52, 60, and 68 dpi) and pixel time (110, 120, 130, and 140 μs). There were two approaches adopted: (1) laser treated and then dyed (LD); and (2) first dyed and then laser treated (DL), in order to study the effects of the two different sequences on the resultant colour. Colour properties include reflectance value, colour yield, CIE L*a*b* values and levelness measured by spectrophotometer; pH value and tensile strength were also measured. It was discovered that laser treatment had no influence on chromaticity of cotton fabrics. Moreover, fabrics treated with laser had a lighter shade than the control samples. This confirmed that both approaches, i.e., laser treatment conducted before and after dyeing, can provide a colour fading effect. The tensile strength of fabrics was affected differently in relation to the dyeing and laser process. According to results obtained from the pH measurement, it is confirmed that laser treatment can provide a colour fading effect without affecting the pH value, and the fabrics can be used instantly right after the laser treatment.
Edge Contamination, Bulk Disorder, Flux Front Roughening, and Multiscaling in Type II Superconducting Thin Films
Authors: Geahel Michel , Jouanny Isabelle , Gorse-Pomonti Dominique , Poirier-Quinot Marie , Briatico Javier , Van der Beek Cornelis
Published: August 2017

We have investigated the effect of different types of disorder on the propagation, roughness, and scaling properties of magnetic flux fronts in a type II superconductor. A progression from the usual (Kardar–Parisi–Zhang-type) scaling to multiscaling is observed as the disorder strength is increased. A hierarchy of disorder strengths is established for YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 − δ thin films. The results cast light on the physical origin of the roughening of flux fronts, and they are of interest for the design and elimination of flux noise in microscopic superconducting thin-film devices.
Evaluation of Thin Copper Wire and Lead-Free Solder Joint Strength by Pullout Tests and Wire Surface Observation
Authors: Tada Naoya , Tanaka Takuhiro , Uemori Takeshi , Nakata Toshiya
Published: August 2017

Copper wires have been attracting much attention for Large Scale Integration (LSI) bonding because of their excellent mechanical and electrical properties, in addition to their low material cost. The ends of these wires are usually joined to pads or through-holes on a printed circuit board, and lead-free soldering is one of the popular bonding methods. Since the deformation resistance of solder is lower than that of copper, especially in slow deformation due to creep, the strain tends to be increased in the solder and concentrated near the copper/solder joint interface. Thus, fracture frequently occurs at this interface and may influence the quality of the product. It is therefore important to evaluate the bonding strength of thin copper wire and lead-free solder. In this paper, pullout tests of thin copper wire from lead-free solder were carried out, and the pullout behavior of the wires was observed. The bonding strength was evaluated based on the actual bonded area on the copper wire surface. Finally, the strength of the thin copper wire/solder joint was summarized using the shear and tensile strengths of the copper/solder interface as well as the tensile strength of the copper wire.
Deformed Jarzynski Equality
Authors: Deng Jiawen , Jaramillo Juan , Hänggi Peter , Gong Jiangbin
Published: August 2017

The well-known Jarzynski equality, often written in the form e − β Δ F = 〈 e − β W 〉 , provides a non-equilibrium means to measure the free energy difference Δ F of a system at the same inverse temperature β based on an ensemble average of non-equilibrium work W. The accuracy of Jarzynski’s measurement scheme was known to be determined by the variance of exponential work, denoted as var e − β W . However, it was recently found that var e − β W can systematically diverge in both classical and quantum cases. Such divergence will necessarily pose a challenge in the applications of Jarzynski equality because it may dramatically reduce the efficiency in determining Δ F . In this work, we present a deformed Jarzynski equality for both classical and quantum non-equilibrium statistics, in efforts to reuse experimental data that already suffers from a diverging var e − β W . The main feature of our deformed Jarzynski equality is that it connects free energies at different temperatures and it may still work efficiently subject to a diverging var e − β W . The conditions for applying our deformed Jarzynski equality may be met in experimental and computational situations. If so, then there is no need to redesign experimental or simulation methods. Furthermore, using the deformed Jarzynski equality, we exemplify the distinct behaviors of classical and quantum work fluctuations for the case of a time-dependent driven harmonic oscillator dynamics and provide insights into the essential performance differences between classical and quantum Jarzynski equalities.
Securing Wireless Communications of the Internet of Things from the Physical Layer, An Overview
Authors: Zhang Junqing , Duong Trung , Woods Roger , Marshall Alan
Published: August 2017

The security of the Internet of Things (IoT) is receiving considerable interest as the low power constraints and complexity features of many IoT devices are limiting the use of conventional cryptographic techniques. This article provides an overview of recent research efforts on alternative approaches for securing IoT wireless communications at the physical layer, specifically the key topics of key generation and physical layer encryption. These schemes can be implemented and are lightweight, and thus offer practical solutions for providing effective IoT wireless security. Future research to make IoT-based physical layer security more robust and pervasive is also covered.
Computing Entropies with Nested Sampling
Authors: Brewer Brendon
Published: August 2017

The Shannon entropy, and related quantities such as mutual information, can be used to quantify uncertainty and relevance. However, in practice, it can be difficult to compute these quantities for arbitrary probability distributions, particularly if the probability mass functions or densities cannot be evaluated. This paper introduces a computational approach, based on Nested Sampling, to evaluate entropies of probability distributions that can only be sampled. I demonstrate the method on three examples: a simple Gaussian example where the key quantities are available analytically; (ii) an experimental design example about scheduling observations in order to measure the period of an oscillating signal; and (iii) predicting the future from the past in a heavy-tailed scenario.
A Methodology for Determining Permissible Operating Region of Power Systems According to Conditions of Static Stability Limit
Authors: Ngo Van , Le Dinh , Le Kim , Pham Van , Berizzi Alberto
Published: August 2017

For power systems with long-distance ultra-high-voltage (UHV) transmission lines, power transmission limits are often determined by static stability limits. Therefore, the assessment of stability and finding solutions to improve the stability reserve are essential for the operation of the system. This article presents an analytical approach to construct limit characteristics according to static stability conditions on a power plane. Based on the approach proposed, a program is developed and tested on a system with long-distance UHV transmission lines, showing a good performance.
Wind Energy Potential of Gaza Using Small Wind Turbines: A Feasibility Study
Authors: Elnaggar Mohamed , Edwan Ezzaldeen , Ritter Matthias
Published: August 2017

In this paper, we conduct a feasibility study of the wind energy potential in Gaza, which suffers from a severe shortage of energy supplies. Our calculated energy harvested from the wind is based on data for a typical meteorological year, which are fed into a small wind turbine of 5 kW power rating installable on the roof of residential buildings. The expected annual energy output at a height of 10 m amounts to 2695 kWh, but it can be increased by 35–125% at higher altitudes between 20 m and 70 m. The results also depict the great potential of wind energy to complement other renewable resources such as solar energy: the harvested energy of a wind system constitutes to up to 84% of the annual output of an equivalent power rating photovoltaic system and even outperforms the solar energy in the winter months. We also show that one wind turbine and one comparable photovoltaic system together could provide enough energy for 3.7 households. Hence, a combination of wind and solar energy could stabilize the decentralized energy production in Gaza. This is very important in a region where people seek to reach energy self-sufficient buildings due to the severe electricity shortage in the local grid.
A New MCP Method of Wind Speed Temporal Interpolation and Extrapolation Considering Wind Speed Mixed Uncertainty
Authors: Liu Xiao , Lai Xu , Zou Jin
Published: August 2017

In this paper, a missing wind speed data temporal interpolation and extrapolation method in the wind energy industry was investigated. Given that traditional methods have previously ignored part of mixed uncertainty of wind speed, a concrete granular computing method is constructed and a new Measure–Correlate–Predict (MCP) method of wind speed data temporal interpolation and extrapolation considering all mixed uncertainties is proposed, based on granular computing theory by adopting the cloud model method, support vector regression method, artificial neural network, genetic algorithm, and fuzzy c-means clustering algorithm as tools. The importance of considering mixed wind speed uncertainty and the suitability of using granular computing method are illustrated, and wind speed mixed uncertainty analysis is implemented, then, recommended values and estimation tools for wind speed measurement uncertainty and combined uncertainty are provided. An interpolation case of two practical meteorological sites in central Southern China was used to implement and validate the method proposed in this paper. The following conclusions are reached: (a) by using the method proposed in this paper, mixed uncertainty of wind speed can be considered, comparing to other MCP methods used for purposes of comparison, a better estimation of the wind speed is provided, and most evaluation metrics employed in this analysis were superior to other methods, that is to say, the accuracy of the wind resource assessment improved, and the risks of wind farm construction were reduced; (b) granular computing method is suitable for the issue of wind speed data interpolation and extrapolation considering wind speed mixed uncertainty; (c) mixed uncertainty of wind speed can be divided into three levels, and recommended values of granularity are minimum interval of records, 0.3–0.8 m/s, and 1–3 m/s, respectively.
A Metric-Based Validation Process to Assess the Realism of Synthetic Power Grids
Authors: Birchfield Adam , Schweitzer Eran , Athari Mir , Xu Ti , Overbye Thomas , Scaglione Anna , Wang Zhifang
Published: August 2017

Public power system test cases that are of high quality benefit the power systems research community with expanded resources for testing, demonstrating, and cross-validating new innovations. Building synthetic grid models for this purpose is a relatively new problem, for which a challenge is to show that created cases are sufficiently realistic. This paper puts forth a validation process based on a set of metrics observed from actual power system cases. These metrics follow the structure, proportions, and parameters of key power system elements, which can be used in assessing and validating the quality of synthetic power grids. Though wide diversity exists in the characteristics of power systems, the paper focuses on an initial set of common quantitative metrics to capture the distribution of typical values from real power systems. The process is applied to two new public test cases, which are shown to meet the criteria specified in the metrics of this paper.
Modelling and Control of Parallel-Connected Transformerless Inverters for Large Photovoltaic Farms
Authors: Liberos Marian , González-Medina Raúl , Garcerá Gabriel , Figueres Emilio
Published: August 2017

This paper presents a control structure for transformerless photovoltaic inverters connected in parallel to manage photovoltaic fields in the MW range. Large photovoltaic farms are usually divided into several photovoltaic fields, each one of them managed by a centralized high power inverter. The current tendency to build up centralized inverters in the MW range is the use of several transformerless inverters connected in parallel, a topology that provokes the appearance of significant zero-sequence circulating currents among inverters. To eliminate this inconvenience, this paper proposes a control structure that avoids the appearance of circulating currents by controlling the zero-sequence component of the inverters. A second contribution of the paper is the development of a model of n parallel-connected inverters. To validate the concept, the proposed control structure has been applied to a photovoltaic field of 2 MW managed by four 500 kW photovoltaic inverters connected in parallel.
Combinatorial Engineering of Yarrowia lipolytica as a Promising Cell Biorefinery Platform for the de novo Production of Multi-Purpose Long Chain Dicarboxylic Acids
Authors: Abghari Ali , Madzak Catherine , Chen Shulin
Published: August 2017

This proof-of-concept study establishes Yarrowia lipolytica (Y. lipolytica) as a whole cell factory for the de novo production of long chain dicarboxylic acid (LCDCA-16 and 18) using glycerol as the sole source of carbon. Modification of the fatty acid metabolism pathway enabled creating a pool of fatty acids in a β-oxidation deficient strain. We then selectively upregulated the native fatty acid ω-oxidation pathway for the enhanced terminal oxidation of the endogenous fatty acid precursors. Nitrogen-limiting conditions and leucine supplementation were employed to induce fatty acid biosynthesis in an engineered Leu− modified strain. Our genetic engineering strategy allowed a minimum production of 330 mg/L LCDCAs in shake flask. Scale up to a 1-L bioreactor increased the titer to 3.49 g/L. Our engineered yeast also produced citric acid as a major by-product at a titer of 39.2 g/L. These results provide basis for developing Y. lipolytica as a safe biorefinery platform for the sustainable production of high-value LCDCAs from non-oily feedstock.
The Importance of a Comparative Characterization of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae and Saccharomyces Pastorianus Strains for Brewing
Authors: Meier-Dörnberg Tim , Hutzler Mathias , Michel Maximilian , Methner Frank-Jürgen , Jacob Fritz
Published: August 2017

The volume and market share loss for classical beer types such as pils beer and wheat beer has been declining for several years, but the overall beer market remains almost unchanged as a result of the increasing interest in beer specialties Due to high biodiversity, the diversity of the strains, and the different flavor profiles, reliable and practical information regarding the characteristics of individual brewing strains is required to help brewers to find the right strain for their brewing purposes. This paper presents a comparison of 10 commercially available Technical University of Munich (TUM) brewing yeast strains. The strains were screened for genetic and phenotypic characteristics. After confirming the genetic distinctiveness by using species-specific real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) systems and a strain typing method based on PCR-capillary electrophoresis of the partial intergenic spacer 2 (IGS2) fragment (IGS2-314 PCR-capillary electrophoresis), the strains were tested regarding phenotypic characteristics under controlled and identical fermentation conditions in small-scale brewing trials. Besides the fermentation performance, flocculation behavior, sugar metabolism and other phenotypic characteristics, the main focus was on the flavor and aroma profile of each investigated TUM yeast strain.
The Baryonic Halos of Isolated Elliptical Galaxies
Authors: Salinas Ricardo , Alabi Adebusola , Hammar Nicklas , Richtler Tom , Lane Richard , Schirmer Mischa
Published: August 2017

Without the interference of a number of events, galaxies may suffer in crowded environments (e.g., stripping, harassment, strangulation); isolated elliptical galaxies provide a control sample for the study of galaxy formation. We present the study of a sample of isolated ellipticals using imaging from a variety of telescopes, focusing on their globular cluster systems as tracers of their stellar halos. Our main findings are: (a) GC color bimodality is common even in the most isolated systems; (b) the specific frequency of GCs is fairly constant with galaxy mass, without showing an increase towards high-mass systems like in the case of cluster ellipticals; (c) on the other hand, the red fraction of GCs follows the same inverted V shape trend with mass as seen in cluster ellipticals; and (d) the stellar halos show low Sérsic indices which are consistent with a major merger origin.
Variation in the Ovine KAP6-3 Gene (KRTAP6-3) Is Associated with Variation in Mean Fibre Diameter-Associated Wool Traits
Authors: Li Shaobin , Zhou Huitong , Gong Hua , Zhao Fangfang , Wang Jiqing , Luo Yuzhu , Hickford Jon
Published: August 2017

Polymerase chain reaction-single stranded conformational polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) analysis was used to investigate variation in the ovine KAP6-3 gene (KRTAP6-3) in 383 Merino × Southdown-cross lambs from four sire-lines, and to determine whether this variation affects wool traits. Five PCR-SSCP banding patterns, representing five different nucleotide sequences, were detected, including four previously identified (named A, B, C, and F) variants and one newly identified (named G) variant. A new non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and a 45-bp deletion were detected in variant G. Of the three common genotypes (AA, AB, and AG) identified in these sheep, wool from sheep that were AG, on average, had a lower mean fibre diameter (MFD), fibre diameter standard deviation (FDSD), and prickle factor (PF) than wool from AA sheep, whereas wool from AB sheep, on average, had a higher MFD, FDSD, and PF than wool from AA sheep. This suggests that variation in ovine KRTAP6-3 affect MFD, FDSD, and PF, and that this gene may have potential for use as a gene-maker for improving fibre diameter-associated wool traits.
Thick-Skinned and Thin-Skinned Tectonics: A Global Perspective
Authors: Pfiffner O. Adrian
Published: August 2017

This paper gives an overview of the large-scale tectonic styles encountered in orogens worldwide. Thin-skinned and thick-skinned tectonics represent two end member styles recognized in mountain ranges. Both styles are encountered in former passive margins of continental plates. Thick-skinned style including the entire crust and possibly the lithospheric mantle are associated with intracontinental contraction. Delamination of subducting continental crust and horizontal protrusion of upper plate crust into the opening gap occurs in the terminal stage of continent-continent collision. Continental crust thinned prior to contraction is likely to develop relatively thin thrust sheets of crystalline basement. A true thin-skinned type requires a detachment layer of sufficient thickness. Thickness of the décollement layer as well as the mechanical contrast between décollement layer and detached cover control the style of folding and thrusting within the detached cover units. In subduction-related orogens, thin- and thick-skinned deformation may occur several hundreds of kilometers from the plate contact zone. Basin inversion resulting from horizontal contraction may lead to the formation of basement uplifts by the combined reactivation of pre-existing normal faults and initiation of new reverse faults. In most orogens thick-skinned and thin-skinned structures both occur and evolve with a pattern where nappe stacking propagates outward and downward.
Historical Monitoring of Shoreline Changes in the Cua Dai Estuary, Central Vietnam Using Multi-Temporal Remote Sensing Data
Authors: Quang Tuan Nguyen , Cong Tin Hoang , Quang Doc Luong , Anh Tuan Tran
Published: August 2017

Cua Dai is one of the major estuarine areas in Central Vietnam that plays a significant role in local maritime transport, fisheries, and tourism activities. This paper presents a study that monitored the shoreline dynamics of the Cua Dai estuary over a period of 50 years (1964–2014) by using field survey data, geographic information systems techniques, and multi-temporal satellite remote sensing images (ALOS-AVNIR2 and Landsat imageries). The assessment of shoreline changes was divided into three phases: 1964–1980, 1981–2000, and 2001–2014. The results revealed that over the last 50 years, shoreline changes dramatically occurred between 1964 and 1980. The general trends of erosion and accretion at the Cua Dai estuary show that the river mouth moved towards the south due to the erosion of shorelines in the north and the river bank in the south of the Cua Dai estuary. The study outcomes can provide essential information for planning, zoning, and sustainable development activities of the coastal zones in the context of climate change.
Healthy Ageing in People with Intellectual Disabilities from Managers’ Perspective: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Johansson Maria , Björne Petra , Runesson Ingrid , Ahlström Gerd
Published: August 2017

An increasing number of people with intellectual disability (ID) are reaching older ages today although they experience more health problems than the older population without ID. Leaders in intellectual disability services can greatly influence the conditions for a healthy ageing, and the aim of the present study was to explore healthy ageing in this group from the perspective of the leaders. Interviews with 20 leaders were subjected to qualitative content analysis. The findings gave rise to the overall theme ageing in dependence, which emerged from the following six categories: Supporting self-determination; Inaccessible activities after retirement; Signs of decline; Increased and specific needs for support and care; A non-question of gender; Aspects concerning the end of life and death. A prerequisite for healthy ageing in the case of people with ID is, according to the leaders, that they can live the life according to their preferences and make independent choices whilst at the same time receiving adequate support. With the shrinking of their social network after retirement, they become increasingly dependent on staff and leaders in the group home, who need to know what healthy ageing implies.
Drinking Water Uranium and Potential Health Effects in the German Federal State of Bavaria
Authors: Banning Andre , Benfer Mira
Published: August 2017

Mainly due to its nephrotoxic and osteotoxic potential, uranium (U) increasingly finds itself in the spotlight of environmental and health-related research. Germany decided on a binding U guideline value in drinking water of 10 µg/L, valid since 2011. It is yet widely unknown if and how public health was affected by elevated U concentrations before that. In this ecological study we summarized available drinking water U data for the German federal state of Bavaria (703 analyses in total for 553 different municipalities) at county level (for 76 out of 96 Bavarian counties, representing about 83% of Bavaria’s and about 13% of Germany’s total population) in terms of mean and maximum U concentration. Bavaria is known to regionally exhibit mainly geogenically elevated groundwater U with a maximum value of 40 µg/L in the database used here. Public health data were obtained from federal statistical authorities at county resolution. These included incidence rates of diagnosed diseases suspected to be potentially associated with chronic U uptake, e.g., diseases of the skeleton, the liver or the thyroid as well as tumor and genito-urinary diseases. The datasets were analyzed for interrelations and mutual spatial occurrence using statistical approaches and GIS as well as odds ratios and relative risks calculations. Weak but significant positive associations between maximum U concentrations and aggregated ICD-10 diagnose groups for growths/tumors as well as liver diseases were observed, elevated incidence rates of thyroid diseases seem to occur where mean drinking water U concentrations exceed 2 µg/L. Here, we discuss obtained results and their implications for potential impacts of hydrochemistry on public health in southeast Germany.