bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effective increase in the refractive index of novel transparent silicone hybrid films by introduction of functionalized silicon nanoparticles
Authors: Zhang Guoyan , Chen Mei , Zhang Jibin , He Baofeng , Yang Huai , Yang Bai
Published: July 2015

The refractive index of novel transparent silicone hybrid films can be effectively enhanced by introduction of functionalized silicon nanoparticles via a facile strategy.
Mineral substituted hydroxyapatite coatings deposited on nanoporous TiO2 modulate the directional growth and activity of osteoblastic cells
Authors: Govindaraj Dharman , Rajan Mariappan , Munusamy Murugan A. , Higuchi Akon
Published: July 2015

The biocompatibility of anodized titanium was improved by electrophoretically deposited mineral substituted HAP.
Aqueous foams stabilized by chitin nanocrystals
Authors: Tzoumaki Maria V. , Karefyllakis Dimitris , Moschakis Thomas , Biliaderis Costas G. , Scholten Elke
Published: July 2015

Use of rod-like chitin nanocrystals for providing Pickering stabilization to aqueous foams.
Self-assembly and crystallisation of indented colloids at a planar wall
Authors: Ashton Douglas J. , Ivell Samantha J. , Dullens Roel P. A. , Jack Robert L. , Wilding Nigel B. , Aarts Dirk G. A. L.
Published: July 2015

Experiments and computer simulations of indented colloids near a hard wall demonstrate the suppression of crystallisation, due to the non-spherical particle shape.
Temperature sensitive supramolecular self assembly of per-6-PEO-β-cyclodextrin and α,ω-di-(adamantylethyl)poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) in water
Authors: Bennevault V. , Huin C. , Guégan P. , Evgeniya K. , Qiu X.-P. , Winnik F. M.
Published: July 2015

The host/guest interactions in water of a star polymer consisting of a β-cyclodextrin core bearing six PEO arms linked to the C6 positions of β-CD (5K) and α,ω-di-(adamantylethyl)PNIPAM-12K were studied by 1D and 2D 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, isothermal calorimetry, and light scattering.
A–π–D–π–A based porphyrin for solution processed small molecule bulk heterojunction solar cells
Authors: Kumar Challuri Vijay , Cabau Lydia , Koukaras Emmanuel N. , Sharma Abhishek , Sharma Ganesh D. , Palomares Emilio
Published: July 2015

Device AVC117:PC71BM (THF cast), device BVC117:PC71BM (pyridine/THF) and device CVC117:PC71BM (pyridine/THF) with thermal annealing.
Fast synthesis of fluorescent SiO2@CdTe nanoparticles with reusability in detection of H2O2
Authors: Ge Jiejie , Ren Xiangling , Qiu Xiaozhong , Shi Haitang , Meng Xianwei , Tang Fangqiong
Published: July 2015

Fluorescent core/shell SiO2@CdTe NPs with different colours were synthesized conveniently and efficiently and applied to detection of H2O2with reusability.
Disulfide-gated mesoporous silica nanoparticles designed for two-photon-triggered drug release and imaging
Authors: Croissant Jonas G. , Qi Christian , Mongin Olivier , Hugues Vincent , Blanchard-Desce Mireille , Raehm Laurence , Cattoën Xavier , Wong Chi Man Michel , Maynadier Marie , Gary-Bobo Magali , Garcia Marcel , Zink Jeffrey I. , Durand Jean-Olivier
Published: July 2015

We report two-photon cancer cell killing through mesoporous silica nanogates.
Surface modified thin film from silk and gelatin for sustained drug release to heal wound
Authors: Alam A. K. M. Moshiul , Shubhra Quazi T. H.
Published: July 2015

A thin film was prepared from silk and gelatin and the surface was modified. The drug-loaded surface-modified film showed sustained drug release and enhanced wound healing in the rat model.
Optoelectronic properties and polar nano-domain behavior of sol–gel derived K0.5Na0.5Nb1−xMnxO3−δnanocrystalline films with enhanced ferroelectricity
Authors: Deng Qinglin , Zhang Jinzhong , Huang Ting , Xu Liping , Jiang Kai , Li Yawei , Hu Zhigao , Chu Junhao
Published: July 2015

In-plane (180°) polar nano-domain and optical dispersion behavior of the KNNM0.06 film with optimal ferroelectric properties.
Negative Word Production in Adults With Right Hemisphere Brain Damage: Effects of Implicit Assessment and Contextual Bias
Authors: Zezinka Alexandra , Tompkins Connie A.
Published: July 2015

Purpose

Both theory and evidence suggest that unilateral right hemisphere brain damage (RHD) should impair the processing of negative emotions. Typical metalinguistic assessments, however, may obscure processing strengths. This study investigated whether adults with RHD would produce proportionately fewer negative emotion words than control participants in an implicit assessment task and whether a negatively toned contextual bias would enhance performance.

Methods

Eleven participants with RHD and 10 control participants without brain damage watched a video in 2 parts and described each segment. Between segments, participants evaluated the emotion conveyed by sentences designed to induce the negative bias.

Results

The primary outcome measure, percentage of negative emotion words in video descriptions, did not differ between groups. After the contextual bias, this measure significantly increased for both groups, whereas production of motion words, a control variable, remained constant.

Conclusions

Findings are consistent with a view that attributes some deficient RHD performances to the nature and/or demands of explicit metalinguistic assessment tasks. These results call for modulation of prevailing hypotheses that attribute negative emotion processing as an undifferentiated whole solely to the right cerebral hemisphere. The results also further substantiate the rationale of an experimental treatment that exploits contextual bias and priming for individuals with RHD.
Voice Relative Fundamental Frequency Via Neck-Skin Acceleration in Individuals With Voice Disorders
Authors: Lien Yu-An S. , Calabrese Carolyn R. , Michener Carolyn M. , Heller Murray Elizabeth , Van Stan Jarrad H. , Mehta Daryush D. , Hillman Robert E. , Noordzij J. Pieter , Stepp Cara E.
Published: July 2015

Purpose

This study investigated the use of neck-skin acceleration for relative fundamental frequency (RFF) analysis.

Method

Forty individuals with voice disorders associated with vocal hyperfunction and 20 age- and sex-matched control participants were recorded with a subglottal neck-surface accelerometer and a microphone while producing speech stimuli appropriate for RFF. Rater reliabilities, RFF means, and RFF standard deviations derived from the accelerometer were compared with those derived from the microphone.

Results

RFF estimated from the accelerometer had slightly higher intrarater reliability and identical interrater reliability compared with values estimated with the microphone. Although sensor type and the Vocal Cycle × Sensor and Vocal Cycle × Sensor × Group interactions showed significant effects on RFF means, the typical RFF pattern could be derived from either sensor. For both sensors, the RFF of individuals with vocal hyperfunction was lower than that of the controls. Sensor type and its interactions did not have significant effects on RFF standard deviations.

Conclusions

RFF can be reliably estimated using an accelerometer, but these values cannot be compared with those collected via microphone. Future studies are needed to determine the physiological basis of RFF and examine the effect of sensors on RFF in practical voice assessment and monitoring settings.
Service Delivery and the Challenges of Providing Service to People Who Are Transgender
Authors: Antoni Christella
Published: July 2015

An increasing number of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are working with individuals who are transgender (TG) and gender diverse people. This trend likely reflects a growing number of TG and gender diverse patients seeking treatment. Whilst voice and communication outcomes can be highly satisfying for both the client and the therapist, there can be many challenges associated with service delivery to the transgender population. This article will discuss the challenges for SLPs, both in public state-funded health care systems, and clinicians in private practice. This discussion is informed by my 15 years of clinical experience in both systems and by recent developments in the field of TG voice and communication work.
A Brief Overview of the WPATH Companion Document on Voice and Communication
Authors: Davies Shelagh
Published: July 2015

Transgender voice and communication is an emerging area of practice within the scope of speech-language pathology. The evidence that informs this practice is still sparse, but is rapidly expanding. To support clinicians, the Voice and Communication Standing Committee of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) has recently prepared a document that summarizes the evidence-based literature up to 2013 and offers suggestions to guide clinical practice. This paper is a brief outline of that document, which will be available in an upcoming issue of the International Journal of Transgenderism and also, free of charge, on the WPATH website at
http://www.wpath.org
.
Effect of concentrate supplementation on performance and ingestive behaviour of lambs grazing tropical Aruana grass (Panicum maximum)
Authors: Fajardo N. M. , Poli C. H. E. C. , Bremm C. , Tontini J. F. , Castilhos Z. M. S. , McManus C. M. , Sarout B. N. M. , Castro J. M. , Monteiro A. L. G.
Published: July 2015

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of concentrate supplementation on the performance and ingestive behaviour of lambs grazing tropical grasslands of Panicum maximum cv. IZ-5 and its effect on pasture characteristics. Different levels of daily supplementation with concentrate were compared: no supplementation; or supplemented at 1.5% and 2.5% of lamb liveweight. The grazing simulation technique was used for qualitative assessment of the pasture every 28 days. Herbage mass, pasture growth rate, sward height as well as botanical and morphological composition of the pasture were evaluated. Average daily gain, gain per hectare and ingestive behaviour were measured on the lambs. The forage supply was 4% of green leaves (4 kg dry matter per 100 kg of liveweight) in all treatments. Six 3–4-month-old Texel and Corriedale lambs were used per paddock. The design was a randomised block design with three replications. Concentrate supplementation had a direct effect on pasture structure, especially height (significant interaction treatment vs period – P = 0.0373). In the treatment without supplementation, the animals grazed for a longer period than the others. Idle time was higher in the treatment with the highest level of supplementation, and rumination time was similar among the treatments. Supplementation with 2.5% significantly increased the average daily gain (0.143 g vs 0.026 g for no supplementation) and gain per hectare (30 kg vs 258 kg for no supplementation vs supplementation at 2.5% of lamb liveweight, respectively). The results show the potential increase in production and productivity with the use of concentrate supplementation at 2.5% lamb bodyweight. Notwithstanding the increase in production, supplementation with concentrate provided a strong negative impact on pasture structure and behaviour of animals that should be considered when using concentrate supplementation for finishing lambs in tropical regions.
Use of models and observations in event attribution
Authors: Hegerl Gabriele C
Published: July 2015

Research is pursued worldwide that aims to determine if a particular observed extreme event has become more or less likely due to climate change. A recent paper (King et al 2015 Environ. Res. Lett.

10 054002) uses two methods to quantify how much more likely a record hot year in Central England has become. One of the methods is based largely on climate modeling, the other on interpreting the observed record. This is an important step towards improving the reliability of event attribution results. Improved understanding and prediction of changes in extreme events is recognized as one of the ‘grand challenges’ in climate research.
Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 5 (MKK5)-mediated signalling cascade regulates expression of iron superoxide dismutase gene in Arabidopsis under salinity stress
Authors: Xing Yu , Chen Wei-hua , Jia Wensuo , Zhang Jianhua
Published: July 2015

Superoxide dismutases (SODs) are involved in plant adaptive responses to biotic and abiotic stresses but the upstream signalling process that modulates their expression is not clear. Expression of two iron SODs, FSD2 and FSD3, was significantly increased in Arabidopsis in response to NaCl treatment but blocked in transgenic MKK5-RNAi plant, mkk5. Using an assay system for transient expression in protoplasts, it was found that mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 5 (MKK5) was also activated in response to salt stress. Overexpression of MKK5 in wild-type plants enhanced their tolerance to salt treatments, while mkk5 mutant exhibited hypersensitivity to salt stress in germination on salt-containing media. Moreover, another kinase, MPK6, was also involved in the MKK5-mediated iron superoxide dismutase (FSD) signalling pathway in salt stress. The kinase activity of MPK6 was totally turned off in mkk5, whereas the activity of MPK3 was only partially blocked. MKK5 interacted with the MEKK1 protein that was also involved in the salt-induced FSD signalling pathway. These data suggest that salt-induced FSD2 and FSD3 expressions are influenced by MEKK1 via MKK5–MPK6-coupled signalling. This MAP kinase cascade (MEKK1, MKK5, and MPK6) mediates the salt-induced expression of iron superoxide dismutases.
Niccolò Machiavelli
Authors: Nederman Cary J.
Published: July 2015

Niccolò Machiavelli (b. 1469–d. 1527) was a civil servant in the 1498 Florentine Republic who, after he lost his position in the Medici coup of 1512, wrote two of the most influential works of Renaissance Italian political theory, The Prince (1513/1514) and the Discourses on the Ten Books of Titus Livy (1514/1515–1518/1519). Both works were published only posthumously—in 1532 and 1531, respectively—but they appear to have circulated widely prior to their printing. Although Machiavelli wrote numerous other works, including poetry and plays as well as history and a treatise on warfare, his reputation as an important author rests primarily upon the two major political compositions just mentioned. The Prince is a short tract that proposes to teach rulers the “actual” precepts that will lead them to govern effectively. The Discourses, by contrast, is a far lengthier tome that defends the superiority of republican government, especially that of Rome. Machiavelli’s thought engendered controversy almost immediately upon its dissemination, and it continues to do so today. He has been condemned, for instance, for founding the doctrine of Realpolitik and for teaching the political necessity of doing “evil.” He has also been venerated for his contributions to the origins of political science and to the formulation of modern republican theory. The scholarly literature on Machiavelli is enormous. A useful guide to 20th-century interpretations is Niccolò Machiavelli: An Annotated Bibliography of Modern Criticism and Scholarship, compiled by Silvia Ruffo Fiore (New York: Greenwood, 1990), which covers research from 1935 to 1988 in all major languages. Also valuable is The Cambridge Companion to Machiavelli, edited by John M. Najemy (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2010), which reviews the current state of scholarship on Machiavelli. Online efforts to survey recent literature on Machiavelli are many, but they have proven ephemeral; it may be best to conduct a web search for currently available bibliographies.
Alternative Journalism
Authors: Bekken Jon
Published: July 2015

What constitutes alternative journalism? In the literature the term encompasses a wide range of practices, from a simple description of the marginal (ethnic minorities, amateur publications, dissidents, etc.) to a focus on the type of information presented or the practice of a politically engaged or oppositional journalism. Alternative journalism can refer to an oppositional stance, to a more participatory mode of journalistic practice, to the subject matter being covered, or to the position of its producers outside of dominant media channels (whether commercial or state-sponsored). Its definition is complicated by changing political circumstances and by developments within specific media outlets themselves. Members of the US-based Association of Alternative Newsweeklies, for example, were once embedded within a broader countercultural and dissident movement. Today, some retain significant vestiges of that oppositional stance, while others are more focused on arts and entertainment. Media outlets once solidly oppositional can be co-opted into the mainstream, whether as a result of regime change (such as not only the overthrow of dictatorial regimes, but also through elections), changes in ownership, etc. Ethnic and other minority journalists may simultaneously aspire to uphold mainstream journalistic values while implicitly challenging the established order by giving voice to marginalized communities, or, in the case of émigré publications, they may simultaneously support established opinion in the new homeland while filling an oppositional role in the home country. Many of these media reach small audiences, whether as a result of governmental or other external controls, a lack of financing and access to distribution channels to reach larger audiences, or a commitment to a deeply participatory communications practice that requires intimacy to succeed. Nonetheless, alternative journalism has been around as long as journalism itself.
Citizen Journalism
Authors: Hamilton James F.
Published: July 2015

Perhaps the most important organizational development in journalism since its professionalization more than a hundred years ago is the emergence of citizen journalism. Although nonprofessionals have engaged in journalism for as long as it has been regarded as a profession, in the 21st century, citizen journalism as a form of nonprofessional journalism has disrupted conventional institutional boundaries and practices at a time of severe economic and social challenges to the industry. Citizen journalism calls into question institutionalized presumptions such as that good journalism requires a period of intensive training and its corollary claim that legitimate journalism can only be conducted by people who have completed such training and who work for established news organizations. Yet, today, nonprofessionally gathered accounts and images are increasingly and paradoxically an accepted part of the output of professional news organizations and their claims to producing an authoritative account of the world’s events. Granting the complex reasons for this and the complex ways in which it occurs, citizen journalism is both a symptom and a cause of the current crisis in journalism economics and cultural authority, one with great significance for the role of journalism in democratic societies.
Modification
Authors: Bücking Sebastian
Published: July 2015

This article assembles sources that are concerned with modification as a combinatorial semantic operation—in, for example, green box, the attributive adjective green modifies the nominal box and thus constrains the range of potential referents of the complex expression to boxes that are green; similarly, in Martha read a book in the garden, the adverbial in the garden modifies the reading situation by locating it. Notably, modifiers can have fairly fundamental effects; in fake book, the attribute fake induces that the complex expression singles out objects that seem to be books, but are not. Intuitively, modifiers contribute additional information that is not explicitly called for by the target the modifier relates to. Speaking in terms of logic, this roughly says that modification does not change the arity, or logical type, of the modified target constituent. Speaking in terms of syntax, this predicts that modifiers are typically adjuncts and thus do not change the syntactic distribution of their respective target; therefore, modifiers can be easily iterated (see, e.g., big green box or Martha read a book in the garden yesterday). This initial characterization sets modification apart from other combinatorial operations such as argument satisfaction and quantification: combining a book with read satisfies an argument slot of the verbal head and thus reduces its arity (see, e.g., *read a book a journal). Quantification as, for example, in the combination of the quantifier every with the noun box, maps a nominal property onto a quantifying expression with a different distribution (see, e.g., *a every box). Their comparatively loose connection to their hosts renders modifiers a flexible, though certainly not random, means within combinatorial meaning constitution. Therefore research on modification pays particular attention to questions such as the following: how do structural conditions and the modifying function conspire in establishing complex interpretations? What roles do ontological information and fine-grained conceptual knowledge play in the course of concept combination? The sources in the present article shed light on these and related topics.
Yugoslav and Post-Yugoslav Cinema
Authors: Jelača Dijana
Published: July 2015

This bibliographical collection offers a selection of works that reflect both the major historical developments in Yugoslav and Post-Yugoslav Cinema, as well as some of the central themes that have dominated the robust body of scholarly work on this particular cinematic tradition. Yugoslav cinema was in its nascent form in the early parts of the 20th century (in what was then the Kingdom of Yugoslavia) and received its most ambitious development during the socialist period after the end of World War II. Throughout the length of Yugoslavia’s existence, its film industry saw the development of several endemic cinematic styles and trends: from the World War II epics to Yugoslav New Film and its radical strain, the Black Wave, to a rich tradition of socially engaged documentary filmmaking, to Animated Film, to radical avant-garde and neo avant-garde cinema—as discussed in Levi 2012 and Daković 2003 (cited under Yugoslav Experimental and Avant-Garde Cinema)—to late socialism’s cinema, whose emphasis was on the personal as covertly political. Some of the Yugoslav era’s most notable and internationally recognized filmmakers include Dušan Makavejev, Živojin Pavlović, Puriša Đorđević, Aleksandar Petrović, Želimir Žilnik, Krsto Papić, and Emir Kusturica. The post-Yugoslav period saw the dispersal of the formerly transethnic film industry into smaller ethno-national cinemas whose gaze largely turned to the exploration of ethno-nationalism and war, as well as to the question of memory and identity in the aftermath of the devastating wars that precipitated the emergence of new nation-states in the wake of Yugoslavia’s demise. Some of the most notable post-Yugoslav filmmakers include Danis Tanović, Aida Begić, and Jasmila Žbanić (Bosnia-Herzegovina); Dalibor Matanić, Branko Schmidt, and Anton Arsen Ostojić (Croatia); Milcho Manchevski and Teona Strugar Mitevska (Macedonia); Srđan Dragojević (Serbia); Maja Weiss (Slovenia); and Isa Qosja and Arben Kastrati (Kosovo). While this article treats films made during the Yugoslav period as strictly Yugoslav rather than as belonging to separate ethno-national spaces that have emerged since the end of Yugoslavia, the latter sections examine some of the controversies over the ownership of Yugoslav cinema in light of the country’s breakup, as well as a recent scholarly emphasis on ethnocentric interpretations of post-Yugoslav filmmaking, often at the expense of a more trans-ethno-national view. For biographical sources that came out during Yugoslavia’s existence and that are written in the local language, this article uses the then-standard term Serbo-Croatian. For post-Yugoslav bibliographical sources in the same language, the bibliography uses the currently preferred term BCS (Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian).
Species-level resolution of 16S rRNA gene amplicons sequenced through the MinIONTMportable nanopore sequencer
Authors: Benítez-Páez Alfonso , Portune Kevin J. , Sanz Yolanda
Published: July 2015

Background

The miniaturised and portable DNA sequencer MinIONTMhas been released to the scientific community within the framework of an early access programme to evaluate its application for a wide variety of genetic approaches. This technology has demonstrated great potential, especially in genome-wide analyses. In this study, we tested the ability of the MinIONTMsystem to perform amplicon sequencing in order to design new approaches to study microbial diversity using nearly full-length 16S rDNA sequences.

Results

Using R7.3 chemistry, we generated more than 3.8 million events (nt) during a single sequencing run. These data were sufficient to reconstruct more than 90% of the 16S rRNA gene sequences for 20 different species present in a mock reference community. After read mapping and 16S rRNA gene assembly, consensus sequences and 2d reads were recovered to assign taxonomic classification down to the species level. Additionally, we were able to measure the relative abundance of all the species present in a mock community and detected a biased species distribution originating from the PCR reaction using ‘universal’ primers.

Conclusions

Although nanopore-based sequencing produces reads with lower per-base accuracy compared with other platforms, the MinIONTMDNA sequencer is valuable for both high taxonomic resolution and microbial diversity analysis. Improvements in nanopore chemistry, such as minimising base-calling errors and the nucleotide bias reported here for 16S amplicon sequencing, will further deliver more reliable information that is useful for the specific detection of microbial species and strains in complex ecosystems.
The two-speed genomes of filamentous pathogens: waltz with plants
Authors: Dong Suomeng , Raffaele Sylvain , Kamoun Sophien
Published: July 2015

Fungi and oomycetes include deep and diverse lineages of eukaryotic plant pathogens. The last 10 years have seen the sequencing of the genomes of a multitude of species of these so-called filamentous plant pathogens. Already, fundamental concepts have emerged. Filamentous plant pathogen genomes tend to harbor large repertoires of genes encoding virulence effectors that modulate host plant processes. Effector genes are not randomly distributed across the genomes but tend to be associated with compartments enriched in repetitive sequences and transposable elements. These findings have led to the “two-speed genome” model in which filamentous pathogen genomes have a bipartite architecture with gene sparse, repeat rich compartments serving as a cradle for adaptive evolution. Here, we review this concept and discuss how plant pathogens are great model systems to study evolutionary adaptations at multiple time scales. We will also introduce the next phase of research on this topic.
Quantitative Relations in Protein and RNA Folding Deduced from Quantum Theory
Authors: Luo Liaofu , Lv Jun
Published: July 2015

Quantitative relations in protein and RNA folding are deduced from the quantum folding theory of macromolecules. It includes: deduction of the law on the temperature-dependence of folding rate and its tests on protein dataset; study on the chain-length dependence of the folding rate for a large class of biomolecules; deduction of the statistical relation of folding free energy versus chain-length; and deduction of the statistical relation between folding rate and chain length and its test on protein and RNA dataset. In the above quantum approach the influence of the solvent environment factor on folding rate has been taken into account automatically. The successes of the deduction of these new relations from the first principle and their successful comparison with experimental data afford strong evidence on the possible existence of a common quantum mechanism in the conformational change of biomolecules.
Crystal structure of 1-iodo-3-{[4-(tert-butylsulfanyl)phenyl]ethynyl}azulene
Authors: Förster Sebastian , Seichter Wilhelm , Weber Edwin
Published: July 2015

The title compound, C20H19IS, features a 1,3-disubstituted azulene involving an ethynylene elongated 4-(tert-butylsulfanyl)phenyl sidearm and an iodine atom as the substituents. The azulene ring system is almost planar (r.m.s. deviation = 0.012 Å) and subtends a dihedral angle of 35.7 (1)° with the benzene ring. As a result of the inherent dipole character of the azulene core, a supramolecular π–π dimer [separation between the centroids of the five- and seven-membered rings = 3.7632 (10) Å] with antiparallel orientated molecules can be observed in the crystal. The packing is consolidated by an unusual I...π(acetylene) contact [I...Cg= 3.34 Å, C—I...Cg= 173.3°], and a very weak C—H...π interaction is also found in the structure, with the azulene five-membered ring as the acceptor.
Document-based approach to improve the accuracy of pairwise comparison in evaluating information retrieval systems
Authors: Ravana Sri Devi , TAHERI MASUMEH SADAT , Rajagopal Prabha
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to propose a method to have more accurate results in comparing performance of the paired information retrieval (IR) systems with reference to the current method, which is based on the mean effectiveness scores of the systems across a set of identified topics/queries.

Design/methodology/approach

– Based on the proposed approach, instead of the classic method of using a set of topic scores, the documents level scores are considered as the evaluation unit. These document scores are the defined document’s weight, which play the role of the mean average precision (MAP) score of the systems as a significance test’s statics. The experiments were conducted using the TREC 9 Web track collection.

Findings

– The p-values generated through the two types of significance tests, namely the Student’s t-test and Mann-Whitney show that by using the document level scores as an evaluation unit, the difference between IR systems is more significant compared with utilizing topic scores.

Originality/value

– Utilizing a suitable test collection is a primary prerequisite for IR systems comparative evaluation. However, in addition to reusable test collections, having an accurate statistical testing is a necessity for these evaluations. The findings of this study will assist IR researchers to evaluate their retrieval systems and algorithms more accurately.
Determination of the convective heat transfer coefficient in large electrical machines by a new simulation strategy
Authors: Klomberg Stephan , Farnleitner Ernst , Kastner Gebhard , Bíró Oszkár
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to present a new computational fluid dynamics model for large electrical machines to simulate the heat transfer at specific components to the appropriate ventilation method. The most damageable parts for overheating in generators are the end winding bars, pole windings and stator ducts.

Design/methodology/approach

– The reduced model introduced is basically derived from the state-of-the-art pole section model (PSM) and enables faster computations for heat transfer and cooling simulations of electrical machines. The fundamentals of the two methods and the grid generation are described. Two PSMs and four different reduced models are presented and compared among each other to tune the reduced model.

Findings

– As a topic of outstanding interest in large hydro generators, the heat transfer at the end winding bars is solved with the aid of the reduced model. This slot sector model (SSM) has been validated and the computation time has been reduced enormously in comparison to the state-of-the-art PSM.

Research limitations/implications

– The heat transfer has been carried out only for the end winding region of large hydro generators. The effect of the reduced model on the pole sections and stator ducts has not been investigated. Nevertheless, the reduced model is also valid for large motors.

Practical implications

– This reduced model can finally be used for parametric studies with different cooling schemes and boundary conditions in the design process.

Originality/value

– The comparison of various SSMs to PSMs shows an acceptable accuracy of the reduced model in combination with a rather low computation time. Due to modeling one slot only, the MFR-MP approach is an adequate and fast analyzing method for this kind of model structure.
External electrostatic field induced changes of rat erythrocyte membranes
Authors: Sahakyan G.V. , Artsruni G.G. , Poghosyan G.A.
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper was to reveal the possible changes in membrane physical parameters, such as surface charge, ξ-potential and molecular interactions of membrane components due to the in vitro and in vivo influences of ESF.

Design/methodology/approach

– The in vitro and in vivo (one hour) influences of 200 kV/m external electrostatic field (ESF) on the erythrocyte membranes of white outbred rats were investigated by spectrofluorometric, spectral and electrophoretic methods.

Findings

– It was shown that the in vivo influence of ESF leads to the intermolecular reconstructions and decrease of the positive charged groups in membrane surface layer. At the same time, the increases of the negative charged groups of membrane proteins after the field influence, is revealed. The charge redistribution in membranes due to the in vitro influence of ESF is observed.

Originality/value

– The analysis of literature data and generalization of data obtained allow us concluding that in parallel with the polarization of lipid component of bilayer the changes in the structural state of membrane proteins take place due to the ESF influence on the erythrocyte membranes. These changes can be the reason and/or the result of the ESF induced redistribution of membrane charge.
A mathematical framework for predicting thermal damage during bone electrostimulation
Authors: Vanegas-Acosta Juan C. , Lancellotti V. , Zwamborn A.P.M.
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– Electric fields (EFs) are known to influence cell and tissue activity. This influence can be due to thermal or non-thermal effects. While the non-thermal effects are still matter of discussion, thermal effects might be detrimental for cell and tissue viability due to thermal damage, this fact being exploited by applications like hyperthermia and tissue ablation. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– In this work the authors investigate the influence of thermal damage in the consolidation of bone formation during electrostimulation (ES). The authors introduce a mathematical model describing the migration of osteoprogenitor cells, the thermal variation, the thermal damage accumulation and the formation of new bone matrix in an injury (fracture) site.

Findings

– Numerical results are in agreement with experimental data and show that EFs more intense than 7.5 V/cm are detrimental for the viability of osteoprogenitor cells and the formation of new bone.

Originality/value

– The model is suitable to conduct dosimetry studies in support of other different ES techniques aimed at improving bone and soft tissues repair.
The in vitro influence of external electrostatic field on the lipid-protein interactions in membranes of rat erythrocytes
Authors: Sahakyan G.V. , Artsruni G.G. , Poghosyan G.A.
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the in vitro influence of 200 kV/m electrostatic fields (ESF) on the microviscosity, viscosity and polarity of rat erythrocyte membranes for revealing the possible changes in lipid-protein interactions due to the field influence.

Design/methodology/approach

– The investigation of the parameters of erythrocyte membranes and their ghosts, particularly, their microviscosity, the amount and immersion degree of membrane proteins in lipid bilayer, polarity in depth of membrane and its viscosity carried out by the spectrofluorimetric method using the hydrophobic fluorescent probe pyrene.

Findings

– The carried out investigations shown that the in vitro influence of ESF changes membrane microviscosity, the quantity of membrane peripheral proteins and their immersion degree in the lipid bilayer, if the ghosts have prepared from erythrocytes previously exposed in the field. The analysis of the same parameters for previously prepared erythrocyte ghosts exposed to the 200 kV/m ESF during an hour did not reveal any changes.

Originality/value

– Data obtained and their comparison with the results of the previous works allow authors to conclude that the in vitro influence of ESF leads to the changes in the lipid-protein interactions in erythrocyte membranes.
A high-performance low-voltage current-mode min/max circuit
Authors: Chavoshisani Reza , Moaiyeri Mohammad Hossein , Hashemipour Omid
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– Current-mode approach promises faster and more precise comparators that lead to high-performance and accurate winner-take-all circuits. The purpose of this paper is to present a new high-performance, high-accuracy current-mode min/max circuit for low-voltage applications. In addition, the proposed circuit is designed based on a new efficient high-resolution current conveyor-based fully differential current comparator.

Design/methodology/approach

– The proposed design detects the min and max values of two analog current signals by means of a current comparator and a logic module. The comparator compares the values of the input current signals accurately and generates two digital control signals and the logic module determines the min and max values based on the controls signals. In addition, an accurate current copy module is utilized to copy the input current signals and convey them to the comparator and the logic module.

Findings

– The results of the comprehensive simulations, conducted using HSPICE with the TSMC 90 nm CMOS technology, demonstrate the high-performance and robust operation of the proposed design even in the presence of process, temperature, input current and supply voltage variations. For a case in point, for 5 μA differential input current the average propagation delay and power consumption of the proposed circuit are attained as 150 ps and 150 µW, respectively, which leads to more than 64 percent improvement in terms of power-delay product as compared with the most efficient design, previously presented in the literature.

Originality/value

– A new efficient structure for current-mode min-max circuit is proposed based on a novel current comparator design which is accurate, high-performance and robust to process, voltage and temperature variations.
Reducing the impact of ELF electromagnetic fields of HV power cables on the environment by modeling the cable accessories
Authors: Raicevic Nebojsa B. , Raicevic Nikola
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– Underground cables can produce higher electromagnetic fields directly above them than an overhead line. The majority of cable failures on distribution system are caused by defects in the cable accessories. Nowadays, significant research has been carried out worldwide into examining whether electricity, and in particular, the presence of electric and magnetic fields have an adverse impact on health, especially the occurrence of cancer and childhood leukemia. The purpose of this paper is to optimize the electric field distribution in underground cable accessories. This reduces the impact of the harmful effects of the fields on living beings and humans.

Design/methodology/approach

– Cable terminations and joints are designed to eliminate the stress concentration at the termination screen to avoid the breakdown of the cable and high values of electric field at these points. Any improvement in the cable termination and joints construction is of great interest. There are several methods for the solution of electric field distribution. These can be summarized as analytical, experimental, free-hand field mapping, analogue methods and numerical methods. In this paper cable accessories are modeled by using multilayer dielectric system and very thin deflector’s cones.

Findings

– This model includes specific insulators design and smart choice of electrodes position. Stress-grading nonlinear materials in form of tapes and tubes were used with much success. In order to optimize the cable joint parameters, two criteria were monitored – total electric field magnitude and magnitude of the tangential component. More than 30 percent is reduced impact of cables on the environment.

Originality/value

– In order to investigate the accuracy of the applied numerical model, various configurations of the cable accessories are studied. The first time is applied new Hybrid Boundary Elements Method on the protection of the environment.
Modelling of a bipolar stent-based electrode for thermal radio frequency ablation of tumours located in hollow organs
Authors: Almeida Tony R. , Antunes Carlos L.
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– In this paper a numerical simulation analysis of a modified stent-based electrode is introduced to be used as a bipolar electrode for radio frequency ablation of tumours located in hollow organs. The purpose of this paper is to study the possibility of achieving a more regular volume of induced lesion with the presented electrode without imperilling the ductal organ where the tumour is located.

Design/methodology/approach

– Three types of bipolar electrode configurations were considered, formed by two, three and five tubular segments. Numerical simulations were performed considering a tumour located in the bile duct, where two important blood vessels – the portal vein and the hepatic artery – have a significant impact due to the convective heat transfer caused by the blood flow (heat sink effect) which significantly affects the shape of lesion that is intended to induce in order to destroy the tumour.

Findings

– The results obtained show that the five-segment electrode arrangement allows a regular volume for the induced lesion, independently of the different values of applied voltage considered.

Originality/value

– The presented work introduces a numerical simulation analysis on a modified based-stent electrode previously studied. In this case, the electrode is configured so it can be used as a bipolar electrode, i.e., active and ground electrode are placed in the same device. Besides the results evinced by the obtained results, this kind of electrode avoids eventual skin burns that might occur due to the need of the return electrodes when monopolar electrodes are used.
Genetic algorithm based automated threshold estimation in translation invariant wavelet transform for denoising PD signal
Authors: Maheswari R.V. , Vigneshwaran B. , Kalaivani L.
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the condition of insulation in high-voltage equipments using partial discharge (PD) measurements. It proposes the methods to eliminate several noises like white noise, random noise and discrete spectral interferences which severely pollutes the PD signals. The study aims to remove these noises from the PD signal effectively by preserving the signal features.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper employs fast Fourier transform, discrete wavelet transform and translational invariant wavelet transform (TIWT) for denoising the PD signals. The simulated damped exponential pulse and damped oscillatory pulse with low- and high-level noises and a measured PD signal are considered for this analysis. The conventional wavelet denoising approach is also improved by estimating the automated global optimum threshold value using genetic algorithm (GA). The statistical parameters are evaluated and compared. Among these methods, GA-based TIWT approach provides robustness and reduces computational complexity.

Findings

– This paper provides effective condition monitoring of power apparatus using GA-based TIWT approach. This method provides the low value of mean square error, pulse amplitude distortion and also high reduction in noise level due to its robustness and reduced computational complexity. It suggests that this approach works well for both signals immersed in noise as well as for noise immersed in signals.

Research limitations/implications

– Because of the chosen PD signals, the research results may lack for multiple discharges. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to test the proposed propositions further.

Practical implications

– The paper includes implication for the development of online testing for equipment analysis and diagnostics during normal operating condition. Corrective actions can be planned and implemented, resulting in reduced unscheduled downtime.

Social implications

– This PD-based analysis often present well in advance of insulation failure, asset managers can monitor it over time and make informed strategic decisions regarding the repair or replacement of the equipment. These predictive diagnostics help society to prioritize investments before an unexpected outage occurs.

Originality/value

– This paper provides an enhanced study of condition monitoring of HV power apparatus by which life time of insulation can be increased by taking preventive measures.
Design of a fractional order adaptive controller for velocity control of a permanent magnet synchronous motor
Authors: Tabatabaei Mohammad
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to present a two-loop approach for velocity control of a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) under mechanical uncertainties.

Design/methodology/approach

– The inner loop calculates the two-axis stator reference voltages through a feedback linearization method. The outer loop employs an RST control structure to compute the q-axis stator reference current. To increase the robustness of the proposed method, the RST controller parameters are adapted through a fractional order model reference adaptive system (FO-MRAS). The fractional order gradient and Lyapunov methods are utilized as adaptation mechanisms.

Findings

– The effect of the fractional order derivative in the load disturbance rejection, transient response speed and the robustness is verified through computer simulations. The simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed method against the external torque and mechanical parameters uncertainties.

Originality/value

– The proposed FO-MRAS based on Lyapunov adaptation mechanism is proposed for the first time. Moreover, application of the FO-MRAS for velocity control of PMSM is presented for the first time.
Electrical properties of thin-film resistors in a wide temperature range
Authors: Winiarski Paweł , Kłossowicz Adam , Wróblewski Jacek , Dziedzic Andrzej , Stęplewski Wojciech
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to characterize electrical properties of nickel-phosphorus (Ni-P) thin-film resistors made on FR-4 laminate in a wide range of temperature (from −180 to 20°C).

Design/methodology/approach

– The study was performed using resistors made of Ni-P foil with two different thicknesses (0.1 or 0.05 μm) and sheet resistances (100 or 250 Ω/sq), respectively. The resistance rectangular resistors had length and width from the range between 0.59 and 5.91 mm. The resistance versus temperature characteristics and their distribution as well as resistors
'
durability to low-temperature thermal shocks were investigated.

Findings

– The results showed almost linear temperature dependence of resistance with a negative temperature coefficient of resistance of about −95 ppm/°C for 250 Ω/sq layer and −55 ppm/°C for 100 Ω/sq layer. A very small dimensional effect was observed for sheet resistance as well as for R(T) characteristic. Thin-film resistors are also characterized by very high durability to low-temperature thermal shocks.

Originality/value

– The results presented in this paper can be very useful for low-temperature applications of thin-film resistors made on printed circuit boards. They suggest possibility of wide applications of these components in a wide temperature range.