bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Economic Convergence, Capital Accumulation, and Income Traps: Empirical Evidence
Authors: Park Cyn‐Young , Mercado Rogelio V.
Published: November 2018

This paper examines the factors that increase the likelihood of economic transition to higher income status, thereby attempting to answer the question of why some economies move to a higher income country group while others do not. Using a quintile income distribution approach, we identify 62 economies that moved to a higher quintile income group in each decade from 1960s to the 2010s out of a sample of 182 economies. Our findings show that higher physical and human capital growth and oil revenues are significantly associated with a greater probability of transitioning to higher quintile income group, although their effects vary not only across income groups within a sample period but also across different periods. Our results indicate that economies that have attained substantial capital accumulation (either physical or human, or combination thereof) and/or are blessed with natural resources have avoided income traps and demonstrated a successful and often steady transition to higher income groups.
Non‐take up of the supplemental child benefit for children with a disability in Belgium: A mixed‐method approach
Authors: Vinck Julie , Lebeer Jo , Van Lancker Wim
Published: November 2018

Families with disabled children run a great risk of being poor. Although policies providing poor families with financial benefits should be effective in reducing poverty, the actual effectiveness is often jeopardized by the issue of non‐take up (NTU). Yet, NTU of benefits aimed at disabled children is for the most part uncharted territory. In this article, we fill this gap using a mixed‐methods approach to (a) estimate the magnitude and characteristics of NTU in the Belgian “supplemental child benefit” by drawing on a large‐scale administrative dataset on childhood disabilities and (b) explore the determinants of NTU by means of semistructured interviews with experts and parents. We estimate an NTU rate of at least 10%, a substantial figure given that the benefit is not income tested. This mainly concerns children with “less visible disabilities” (autism spectrum disorder and other intellectual and psychological disorders) and results from insufficient information provision about the benefit's existence and eligibility criteria; process costs, for instance, the complexity of the procedure; and the way the scale to assess a child's disability is constructed.
Bacterial surveillance of apheresis platelets in South Africa (January 2011 to December 2016)
Authors: Jentsch Ute , Swanevelder Ronel
Published: November 2018

Background

Globally, bacterial contamination of platelets remains the major transfusion‐related infectious risk. Limited data are available from low‐middle income countries. The South African National Blood Service routinely tests a percentage of apheresis platelets for bacterial contamination. We report on contamination rates from January 2011 to December 2016.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of the surveillance data from apheresis platelets was performed. Two to 4 ml of each apheresis product was collected aseptically and divided equally into an aerobic and anaerobic culture bottle using the BacT/ALERT (bioMerieux) or BACTEC™ (Beckton Dickinson) systems. Bacterial identification was done using the MicroScan (Beckman Coulter) system.

Results

A total of 87 841 apheresis platelets were collected between 2011 and 2016 of which 18% were tested. The average positive culture rate was 2·7%, ranging between 0·6% (2011) and 5·22% (2015). Gram‐positive bacteria constituted 94% of all isolates (269/285), ten (4%) gram‐negative bacteria and 6 (2%) fungi were detected. The most common bacterial isolates were Cutibacterium acnes (35%), coagulase‐negative Staphylococci (26%), Bacillus spp. (8%), Corynebacteria spp. (8%). A total of nine highly pathogenic bacteria were isolated: two Acinetobacter spp, one each of Enterobacter spp., Serratia spp., Klebsiella spp., one Staphylococcus aureus and three Listeria spp. Average time to positivity for bacteria was 5·9 days. No cases of sepsis or death were reported during this time.

Conclusion

Bacterial contamination rates, mostly due to gram‐positive bacteria, increased since 2011. Bacterial screening must be aligned with international recommendations, and novel technologies should be explored to reduce the residual risk.
Modelling cell-cell collision and adhesion with the filament based lamellipodium model
Authors: Sfakianakis Nikolaos , Peurichard Diane , Brunk Aaron , Schmeiser Christian
Published: November 2018

We extend the live-cell motility Filament Based Lamellipodium Model (FBLM) to incorporate the forces exerted on the lamellipodium of the cells due to cell-cell collision and cadherinВ induced cell-cell adhesion. We take into account the nature of these forces via physical and biological constraints and modelling assumptions. We investigate the effect these new components have in the migration and morphology of the cells through particular experiments. We exhibit moreover the similarities between our simulated cells and HeLa cancer cells.
Moving Brick Receiver–Reactor: A Solar Thermochemical Reactor and Process Design With a Solid–Solid Heat Exchanger and On-Demand Production of Hydrogen and/or Carbon Monoxide
Authors: Siegrist Silvan , von Storch Henrik , Roeb Martin , Sattler Christian
Published: November 2018

Three crucial aspects still to be overcome to achieve commercial competitiveness of the solar thermochemical production of hydrogen and carbon monoxide are recuperating the heat from the solid phase, achieving continuous or on-demand production beyond the hours of sunshine, and scaling to commercial plant sizes. To tackle all three aspects, we propose a moving brick receiver–reactor (MBR2) design with a solid–solid heat exchanger. The MBR2 consists of porous bricks that are reversibly mounted on a high temperature transport mechanism, a receiver–reactor where the bricks are reduced by passing through the concentrated solar radiation, a solid–solid heat exchanger under partial vacuum in which the reduced bricks transfer heat to the oxidized bricks, a first storage for the reduced bricks, an oxidation reactor, and a second storage for the oxidized bricks. The bricks may be made of any nonvolatile redox material suitable for a thermochemical two-step (TS) water splitting (WS) or carbon dioxide splitting (CDS) cycle. A first thermodynamic analysis shows that the MBR2 may be able to achieve solar-to-chemical conversion efficiencies of approximately 0.25. Additionally, we identify the desired operating conditions and show that the heat exchanger efficiency has to be higher than the fraction of recombination in order to increase the conversion efficiency.
Ontology-Based Ambiguity Resolution of Manufacturing Text for Formal Rule Extraction
Authors: Kang SungKu , Patil Lalit , Rangarajan Arvind , Moitra Abha , Robinson Dean , Jia Tao , Dutta Debasish
Published: November 2018

Manufacturing companies maintain manufacturing knowledge primarily as unstructured text. To facilitate formal use of such knowledge, previous efforts have utilized natural language processing (NLP) to classify manufacturing documents or extract manufacturing concepts/relations. However, extracting more complex knowledge, such as manufacturing rules, has been evasive due to the lack of methods to resolve ambiguities. Specifically, standard NLP techniques do not address domain-specific ambiguities that are due to manufacturing-specific meanings implicit in the text. To address this important gap, we propose an ambiguity resolution method that utilizes domain ontology as the mechanism to incorporate the domain context. We demonstrate its feasibility by extending our previously implemented manufacturing rule extraction framework. The effectiveness of the method is demonstrated by resolving all the domain-specific ambiguities in the dataset and an improvement in correct detection of rules to 70% (increased by about 13%). We expect that this work will contribute to the adoption of semantics-based technology in manufacturing field, by enabling the extraction of precise formal knowledge from text.
On One Imperfection Estimation Method for Thin Shell Buckling in the Design Code RCC-MR
Authors: Kumar Ashok , Chatterjee Anindya
Published: November 2018

The thin shell design code RCC-MR is used for sodium-cooled fast breeder reactor components operating at high temperatures. Thin shells from such applications can be designed using linear elastic buckling analysis, following procedures given in RCC-MR. For human safety, such procedures can and should be examined by the broader scientific community. Among such procedures, RCC-MR provides three alternative methods to quantify an imperfection value; and that value is used in subsequent calculations to determine safe loads. Of these methods, the third seems potentially nonconservative for some situations. Here, we examine that third method using detailed numerical examples. These examples, found by trial and error, are the main contribution of this paper. The first example is a nonuniform cylindrical shell closed with a spherical endcap under external pressure. The second is a cylinder with an ellipsoidal head under internal pressure. The third is an L-shaped pipe with an end load. In all three cases, the new computed imperfection quantity is found to be surprisingly small compared to the actual value used for computations (e.g., 25 times smaller), and in two cases, the result is insensitive to the actual imperfection. We explain how the three examples “trick” the imperfection quantification method in three different ways. We suggest that this imperfection quantification method in RCC-MR should be re-examined. The primary value of our paper lies not in new mechanics, but in identifying unexpected ways in which a particular step in shell design using RCC-MR could be potentially nonconservative.
Development and validation of a spectro-temporal processing test for cochlear-implant listeners
Authors: Archer-Boyd Alan W. , Southwell Rosy V. , Deeks John M. , Turner Richard E. , Carlyon Robert P.
Published: November 2018

Psychophysical tests of spectro-temporal resolution may aid the evaluation of methods for improving hearing by cochlear implant (CI) listeners. Here the STRIPES (Spectro-Temporal Ripple for Investigating Processor EffectivenesS) test is described and validated. Like speech, the test requires both spectral and temporal processing to perform well. Listeners discriminate between complexes of sine sweeps which increase or decrease in frequency; difficulty is controlled by changing the stimulus spectro-temporal density. Care was taken to minimize extraneous cues, forcing listeners to perform the task only on the direction of the sweeps. Vocoder simulations with normal hearing listeners showed that the STRIPES test was sensitive to the number of channels and temporal information fidelity. An evaluation with CI listeners compared a standard processing strategy with one having very wide filters, thereby spectrally blurring the stimulus. Psychometric functions were monotonic for both strategies and five of six participants performed better with the standard strategy. An adaptive procedure revealed significant differences, all in favour of the standard strategy, at the individual listener level for six of eight CI listeners. Subsequent measures validated a faster version of the test, and showed that STRIPES could be performed by recently implanted listeners having no experience of psychophysical testing.
Binary interactions of stochastically rough, charged spheres in planar Couette and Poiseuille flow
Authors: Darbeheshti Maryam , Ingber Marc
Published: November 2018

Numerical simulations are performed using a semi-analytic method to study the interactions of two neutrally buoyant, stochastically rough spheres that are subjected to repulsive and attractive static forces in planar Couette and Poiseuille Stokes flow. Both particle roughness and static force introduce irreversibility into these systems resulting in asymmetries in the particle trajectories. These asymmetries lead to particle dispersion and migration. It has previously been shown that particle pairs migrate toward the low shear rate region of the flow field for neutrally charged rough spheres. Applying an attractive static force to the rough particles reduces the particle dispersion while applying a repulsive static force increases the particle dispersion. Increasing the attractive force between the two rough spheres decreases the net particle migration to the extent that the particle pairs may actually migrate toward the high shear rate region of the flow. As the nonlinearity of the flow field increases, the average dispersion increases with repulsive forces, decreases with attractive forces, and remains essentially constant for neutrally charged spheres. The effect of standard deviation of particle roughness on in-plane particle dispersion and net particle migration is investigated.
Detecting wormlike micellar microstructure using extensional rheology
Authors: Omidvar Rose , Wu Shijian , Mohammadigoushki Hadi
Published: November 2018

We report experiments on two series of wormlike micellar solutions that comprise octyl trimethylammonium bromide/sodium oleate (OTAB/NaOA) and cetylpyridinium chloride/sodium salicylate (CPCl/NaSal) using a capillary breakup extensional rheometer (CaBER) and a dripping onto substrate (DoS) technique. These wormlike micellar systems show a peak in zero shear viscosity or in the shear relaxation time beyond a critical surfactant or salt concentration. Prior cryogenic transmission electron microscopy imaging has indicated that the system based on OTAB/NaOA experiences a transition from linear to shorter linear micelles (L-L) beyond the viscosity peak. However, the linear wormlike micelles based on CPCl/NaSal form branched networks beyond the viscosity peak (L-B). In this work, we investigate whether the extensional rheology is sensitive to these two different microstructural transitions. In particular, we attempt to develop a criterion based on the extensional flow parameters in order to distinguish these two systems from each other. In addition, we probe the possibility of flow-induced micellar breakage imposed by capillary breakup extensional experiments. Our results indicate that at a given zero shear viscosity, the branched wormlike micelles based on CPCl/NaSal exhibit a longer filament lifetime tfil than the linear wormlike micelles. However, beyond the critical concentration, the linear wormlike micelles based on OTAB/NaOA exhibit significantly shorter filament lifetimes than their linear counterparts at concentrations below the viscosity peak. More importantly, we show that the filament lifetime scales differently with zero shear viscosity η0 in these two systems. For L-B transition, tfil∝η01.1 below the viscosity peak and tfil∝η00.76 above the viscosity peak. However, for L-L transition, this scaling remains the same for concentrations below and above the viscosity peak and reads as tfil∝η00.5. These findings provide a novel criterion to distinguish these two types of microstructural transitions in wormlike micelles. On the other hand, we demonstrate that the Trouton ratio, filament lifetime, and the extensional relaxation time measured by CaBER technique are all lower than the ones obtained by DoS method. The latter result provides the first evidence for strong nonlinear effects (e.g., flow-induced micellar breakage) in capillary breakup extensional flows of wormlike micelles.
Draft Genome Sequence of the Aquatic Fungus
Hymenoscyphus tetracladius
Strain NNIBRFG329
Authors: Goh Jaeduk , Mun Hye Yeon , Oh Yoosun , Chung Namil
Published: November 2018

Hymenoscyphus tetracladius
(anamorph,
Articulospora tetracladia
) is a common aquatic hyphomycetous fungus. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of
H. tetracladius
strain NNIBRFG329, which comprises 41.8 Mb in 20 scaffolds with an overall G+C content of 46.95% and an
N
50
value of 3.973 Mb.
16S rRNA Amplicon Sequencing of Seawater Microbiota from Quintero Bay, Chile, Affected by Oil Spills, Shows the Presence of an Oil-Degrading Marine Bacterial Guild Structured by the Bacterial Genera
Alcanivorax, Cobetia, Halomonas
, and
Oleiphilus
Authors: Ibacache-Quiroga Claudia , Ojeda Juan , Dinamarca M. Alejandro
Published: November 2018

The Quintero Bay, located along the central coast of Chile, has suffered different oil spills during the past 5 years, impacting marine ecosystems. This report describes the microbial community structure of seawater samples obtained from the Quintero Bay through 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing.
Complete Genome Sequence of the Endophytic Bacterium Bacillus cereus PgBE311, Isolated from
Panax ginseng
Authors: Hong Chi Eun , Kim Jang Uk , Lee Jung Woo , Bang Kyong Hwan , Jo Ick-Hyun
Published: November 2018

Bacillus cereus
PgBE311, isolated from the root tissue of a 5-year-old
Panax ginseng
plant, showed activities against the fungal pathogens
Cylindrocarpon destructans
and
Botrytis cinerea
. Here, we report the genome sequence of
B. cereus
PgBE311.
Full-Genome Sequencing of a Virus from a 33-Year-Old Sample Demonstrates that
Arracacha Mottle Virus
Is Synonymous with
Arracacha Virus Y
Authors: Adams Ian P. , Boonham Neil , Jones Roger A. C.
Published: November 2018

We describe here the first genome sequence of
Arracacha virus Y
(ArVY) derived from an arracacha (
Arracacia xanthorrhiza
) sample originally collected in 1976 in Peru and compare it with other potyvirus genome sequences. It had a 79% nucleotide identity with a 2013 Brazilian
Arracacha mottle virus
(AMoV) sequence, suggesting that AMoV is ArVY.
Draft Genome Sequence of Aquitalea sp. Strain MWU14-2217, Isolated from a Wild Cranberry Bog in Provincetown, Massachusetts
Authors: Ebadzadsahrai Ghazal , Soby Scott
Published: November 2018

Aquitalea
sp. strain MWU14-2217 was isolated from wild cranberry bog soils in the Cape Cod National Seashore.
Impact of peroral cholangioscopy on the management of indeterminate biliary conditions: a multicentre prospective trial
Authors: Prat Frederic , Leblanc Sarah , Foissac Frantz , Ponchon Thierry , Laugier René , Bichard Philippe , Maire Frédérique , Coumaros Dimitri , Charachon Antoine , Vedrenne Bruno , Boytchev Isabelle , Chaussade Stanislas , Kaddour Nadira , Laquière Arthur , Gaujoux Sèbastien
Published: November 2018

Background and aims

Single-operator cholangioscopy (SOC) can help diagnose biliopancreatic conditions. The impact of SOC on patient outcome has never been specifically addressed.

Patients and methods

Consecutive patients bearing indeterminate biliary strictures (IDBS), or primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) with suspected cholangiocarcinoma, were included. Patients with IDBS had at least one previous inconclusive endoscopic retrograde cholangio pancreatography (ERCP) + cytology. Primary endpoint was the difference in adequacy of management planned before and after SOC with regard to final diagnosis obtained after surgery or 24 months follow-up.

Design

Prospective open-label multicentre trial.

Results

61 patients were included (IDBS: 48; PSC: 13); 70.5% had a benign lesion (IDBS 66.7%, PSC 84.6%). The management adequacy rate was significantly higher after SOC than before SOC overall (p<10–5), in IDBS (p<0.001) and PSC (p<0.05) patients. SOC induced changes in the management of the majority of patients in all groups (60.3%). The overall sensitivity of combined visual impression and biopsy ranged from 52% to 63.6% depending on investigator or independent expert rating (κ 0.92–0.96), whereas specificity, positive and negative predictive values of SOC were, respectively, 100%, 100% and 83.6%. Patient management observed at the end of follow-up was consistent with that anticipated after SOC in 88.5% overall.

Conclusion

Despite a moderate sensitivity for the diagnosis of malignancy, SOC has a dramatic impact on the management of patients with IDBS and PSC with suspected carcinoma. Cholangioscopy might be implemented in the workup of selected patients with challenging diagnosis, when a significant impact on outcome (essentially resection vs conservative management) is to be expected.
Risk Factors for Cardiac Rupture Complicating Myocardial Infarction: A PRISMA Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review
Authors: Hao Wen , Lu Shangxin , Guo Ruifeng , Fan Jingyao , Zhen Lei , Nie Shaoping
Published: November 2018

Cardiac rupture (CR) is a complication of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) that is associated with a high mortality rate. This study aimed to identify the risk factors for CR in patients with AMI. Medline, Cochrane, EMBASE, and Google Scholar databases were searched for relevant literature published through September 16, 2018. Eligible studies included patients with AMI and compared factors between patients with and without CR. Sixteen studies were identified and included in the meta-analysis. Results revealed that female gender (pooled OR=2.72, 95% CI 2.04 to 3.63, p<0.001), older age (pooled difference in means=6.91, 95% CI 4.20 to 9.62, p<0.001), infarction at left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) (pooled OR=1.85, 95% CI 1.03 to 3.32, p=0.039), and anterior wall infarction (pooled OR=1.87, 95% CI 1.30 to 2.68, p=0.001) were associated with increased risk of CR, whereas history of MI, smoking, and multivessel disease were associated with reduced risk of CR. Patients treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) had reduced risk of CR, while patients who had received any thrombolysis had increased risk of CR. In conclusion, results of systematic review and meta-analysis of existing literature suggest that risk factors for CR in patients with AMI include female gender, older age, new-onset MI, non-smoking status, LAD infarction, anterior wall infarction, and single-vessel disease. Furthermore, treatment with primary PCI may help reduce the risk for CR, while thrombolysis might increase the risk for CR.
Evaluation of the structural capacity of rigid pavements at the network level
Authors: Saleh M. , van der Walt J.D.
Published: November 2018

Pavement surface deflection has been used by researchers and highway agencies to assess the structural condition of the pavement structure. None of the currently available approaches provides an acceptable evaluation method for the rigid pavement structural capacity at the network level. In this research, pavement structural ratio (PSR) and overall pavement structural index (OPSI) were derived from deflection bowls generated from finite element simulations and validated by actual field deflection data measured by falling weight deflectometer and performance data extracted from long-term pavement performance database. The PSR parameter provides structural evaluation of the rigid pavement slab and the base course above the subgrade only. Whereas, OPSI parameter provides an overall evaluation of the pavement structure and the subgrade.
ED-SHO: A framework for solving nonlinear economic load power dispatch problem using spotted hyena optimizer
Authors: Dhiman Gaurav , Guo Sen , Kaur Satnam
Published: November 2018

This paper presents the application of recently developed metaheuristic optimization algorithm, the spotted hyena optimizer, for solving both convex and non-convex economic dispatch problems. The proposed algorithm has been tested on various test systems (i.e. 6, 10, 20, and 40 generators systems) and compared with other well-known approaches to demonstrate its effectiveness and efficiency. The results show that the proposed algorithm is able to solve economic load power dispatch problem and converge toward the optimum with low computational efforts.
Energy efficient clustering protocol for wireless sensor networks
Authors: Kaur Supreet , Mahajan Rajiv
Published: November 2018

In this paper, a hybrid soft computing technique-based energy efficient protocol is proposed to improve the inter-cluster data aggregation in clustering based general self-organized tree based energy balance (GSTEB) routing protocol. Initially, improved ant colony optimization-based technique is used to select optimal cluster heads. Afterwards, a hybrid soft computing technique is utilized to communicate the data from cluster heads to sink. Extensive experiments have been done by considering the existing and proposed technique. Experimental results indicate that the proposed technique provides better network lifetime as compared to existing techniques.
Construction of dispersive optical solutions of the resonant nonlinear Schrödinger equation using two different methods
Authors: Tala-Tebue E. , Seadawy Aly R.
Published: November 2018

The resonant nonlinear Schrödinger equation is studied in this work with the aid of two methods, namely the exponential rational function method and the modified exponential function method. This equation is used to describe the propagation of optical pulses in nonlinear optical fibers. Being concise and straightforward, these methods are used to build new exact analytical solutions of the model. The solutions obtained are not yet reported in the literature. The methods proposed can be extended to other types of nonlinear evolution equations in mathematical physics.
Analysis and Optimization of Voltage-Driven Double-Balanced Passive Mixer for MICS Band Receiver
Authors: Bettaieb Mouna , Bouzid Ghazi , Benali Saif , Trabelsi Hatem
Published: November 2018

This paper presents analysis of a 25% duty-cycle fully-differential double-balanced passive mixer dedicated to medical implantable devices. The proposed passive mixer is part of a medical implant communication service (MICS) receiver front-end operating at 402–405[Formula: see text]MHz. By performing time-domain analysis, two LTI models have been developed to study the fully-differential double-balanced passive mixer: A simplified model and a complete model taking into account harmonic components. Both models account for the AC coupling capacitors at the mixer input and account for baseband voltage variation over one LO period. In this study it has been shown the ability of mixer input impedance matching by varying baseband resistor at the mixer output. The frequency of match can be controlled by varying the AC coupling capacitors and baseband capacitors. The performance of the proposed models was compared with that of the mixer and the results were very close. In particular, the results of simulations of the input impedance as a function of the baseband resistance and as a function of the IF frequency show the validity of the proposed models. The main parameters of the passive mixer such as input impedance, gain and noise figure (NF) were optimized taking into account the constraints of our application. The proposed mixer is designed to operate at LO frequency of 403.2[Formula: see text]MHz. Transistors size is optimized to meet the receiver specifications. The mixer realizes a conversion gain of 0[Formula: see text]dB and an NF of 4.8[Formula: see text]dB. Linearity simulations show 25.2[Formula: see text]dBm for IIP3 and 9.66[Formula: see text]dBm for [Formula: see text]dB. The mixer consumes 1.44[Formula: see text]pW without LO circuit.
CORROSION INHIBITION BEHAVIOR OF BENZOTHIAZINE DERIVATIVE ON LOW CARBON STEEL IN ACID MEDIUM: ADSORPTION AND QUANTUM CHEMICAL INVESTIGATIONS
Authors: HEMAPRIYA VENKATESAN , CHUNG ILL-MIN , PARAMESWARI KANDASAMY , CHITRA SUBRAMANIAN , KIM SEUNG-HYUN , PRABAKARAN MAYAKRISHNAN
Published: November 2018

The inhibitive performance of 2-[(5-phenyl-1,3,4-oxdiazol-2-yl)methyl]-2H-benzo[b] [1,4] thiazin-3-one (POBT) for low carbon steel corrosion in 1 M H2SO4has been evaluated by non-electrochrmical, and electrochemical measurements. Efficiency of the inhibitor enhanced with inhibitor concentration and declined with rise in temperature. 92.39% inhibition efficiency was attained using 0.1[Formula: see text]mM of POBT. Anticorrosive effect of the inhibitor is owing to the adsorption of POBT molecules on the metal surface. Mono layer adsorption of inhibitor was favored by observing the best fit with Langmuir isotherm. Polarization measurements reveal that the inhibitor behaves as mixed type. Surface analysis by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX) confirm the existence of a protective film of POBT on low carbon steel surface. Quantum chemical parameters obtained using density functional theory (DFT) method complements the above results.
Dynamic Characteristics of a Rotating Tapered Cantilevered Timoshenko Beam with Preset and Pre-Twist Angles
Authors: Guo Xiangying , Yang Xiao-Dong , Wang Shao-Wen
Published: November 2018

This paper is concerned with the free vibration of a rotating tapered Timoshenko beam with preset and pre-twist angles. The power series method is used to obtain the frequencies and complex modes of the structure. The rotating velocity related terms are re-classified into three types, namely, static centrifugal terms, dynamic centrifugal terms and the gyroscopic terms. This reclassification provides clearer descriptions of the varying frequencies with respect to the rotating velocity. The gyroscopic coupling among different directions are discussed. The overall contour of the complex modal vibrations is recorded and investigated by time series snapshots of neutral line motions and tip end cross-section motions.
2-Adic valuations of coefficients of certain integer powers of formal power series
Authors: Ulas Maciej
Published: November 2018

Let [Formula: see text] be an integer sequence and [Formula: see text] be its ordinary generating function. In this paper, we study the behavior of 2-adic valuations of the sequence [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is fixed and [Formula: see text] More precisely, we propose a method, which under suitable assumptions on the sequence [Formula: see text] allows us to prove boundedness of the sequence [Formula: see text] for certain values of [Formula: see text]. In particular, if [Formula: see text] is the classical Rudin–Shapiro sequence, then we prove that [Formula: see text] for given [Formula: see text] and all [Formula: see text]. A similar result is proved for a relative of the Rudin–Shapiro sequence recently introduced by Lafrance, Rampersad and Yee.
Explicit counting of ideals and a Brun–Titchmarsh inequality for the Chebotarev density theorem
Authors: Debaene Korneel
Published: November 2018

We prove a bound on the number of primes with a given splitting behavior in a given field extension. This bound generalizes the Brun–Titchmarsh bound on the number of primes in an arithmetic progression. The proof is set up as an application of Selberg’s Sieve in number fields. The main new ingredient is an explicit counting result estimating the number of integral elements with certain properties up to multiplication by units. As a consequence of this result, we deduce an explicit estimate for the number of ideals of norm up to [Formula: see text].
Regulator proofs for Boyd’s identities on genus 2 curves
Authors: Lalín Matilde , Wu Gang
Published: November 2018

We use the elliptic regulator to recover some identities between Mahler measures involving certain families of genus 2 curves that were conjectured by Boyd and proven by Bertin and Zudilin by differentiating the Mahler measures and using hypergeometric identities. Since our proofs involve the regulator, they yield light into the expected relation of each Mahler measure to special values of [Formula: see text]-functions of certain elliptic curves.
Capillarity-Driven Self-Assembly of Silver Nanowires-Coated Fibers for Flexible and Stretchable Conductor
Authors: Li Yi , Chen Jun , Han Xiao , Li Yinghui , Zhang Ziqiang , Ma Yanwen
Published: November 2018

The rapid development of smart textiles requires the large-scale fabrication of conductive fibers. In this study, we develop a simple, scalable and low-cost capillary-driven self-assembly method to prepare conductive fibers with uniform morphology, high conductivity and good mechanical strength. Fiber-shaped flexible and stretchable conductors are obtained by coating highly conductive and flexible silver nanowires (Ag NWs) on the surfaces of yarn and PDMS fibers through evaporation-induced flow and capillary-driven self-assembly, which is proven by the in situ optical microscopic observation. The density of Ag NWs and linear resistance of the conductive fibers could be regulated by tuning the assembly cycles. A linear resistance of 1.4[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]/cm could be achieved for the Ag NWs-coated nylon, which increases only 8% after 200 bending cycle, demonstrating high flexibility and mechanical stability. The flexible and stretchable conductive fibers have great potential for the application in wearable devices.
Green Synthesis of Multifunctional Carbon Nanodots and Their Applications as a Smart Nanothermometer and Cr(VI) Ions Sensor
Authors: Li Lu , Shao Congying , Wu Qian , Wang Yunjian , Liu Mingzhu
Published: November 2018

In this work, water-soluble and blue-emitting carbon nanodots (CDs) were synthesized from apple peels for the first time via one-step hydrothermal method. The synthetic route is facile, green, economical and viable. The as-prepared CDs were characterized thoroughly by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron (XPS), fluorescence and UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy in terms of their morphology, surface functional groups and optical properties. The results show that these CDs possessed ultrasmall size, good dispersivity, and high tolerance to pH, ionic strength and continuous UV irradiation. Significantly, the CDs had fast and reversible response towards temperature, and the accurate linear relationship between fluorescence intensity and temperature was used to design a novel nanothermometer in a broad temperature range from 5 to 65[Formula: see text]C facilely. In addition, the fluorescence intensity of CDs was observed to be quenched immediately by Cr(VI) ions based on the inner filter effect. A low-cost Cr(VI) ions sensor was proposed employing CDs as fluorescent probe, and it displayed a wide linear range from 0.5 to 200[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]M with a detection limit of 0.73[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]M. The practicability of the developed Cr(VI) sensor for real water sample assay was also validated with satisfactory recoveries.
Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity by the Combined Influence of Ferroelectric Domain and Au Nanoparticles for BaTiO3 Fibers
Authors: Zhang Xiaoshan , Huan Yu , Zhu Yuanna , Tian Hui , Li Kai , Hao Yanan , Wei Tao
Published: November 2018

Ferroelectric particles have been applied in the photocatalytic field because the spontaneous polarization results in the internal electric field, which can accelerate the separation and migration of photogenerated carriers. In this study, the BaTiO3 (BT) fibers are synthesized by electrospinning. The BT fibers calcined above 800[Formula: see text]C exhibit a strong ferroelectric property, which is verified by a typical butterfly-shaped displacement-voltage loop. It is found that the BT fibers with the single-domain structure exhibit better photocatalytic performance than that with the multi-domain configuration. When the single-domain transforms into multi-domain, the integrated internal electric field correspondingly breaks up, inducing that the internal electric field might cancel each other out and diminish the separation of photogenerated carriers. Also, the Au nanoparticles can improve the photocatalytic activity further on account of the surface plasmon resonance. Therefore, it is suggested that Au nanoparticles decorated on ferroelectric BT nanomaterials are promising photocatalysts.
Total edge irregularity strength of ladder-related graphs
Authors: Ratnasari Lucia , Susanti Yeni
Published: November 2018

An edge irregular total [Formula: see text]-labeling on simple and undirected graph [Formula: see text] is a map [Formula: see text] such that for any different edge [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] their weights [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are distinct. The minimum [Formula: see text] for which the graph [Formula: see text] has an edge irregular total [Formula: see text]-labeling is called the total edge irregularity strength of [Formula: see text] and is denoted by tes[Formula: see text]. In this paper, we determine the exact value of the total edge irregularity strength of families of ladder-related graphs, namely triangular ladder graphs, diagonal ladder graphs and circular triangular ladder graphs.
Some results on a spanning subgraph of the complement of the annihilating-ideal graph of a commutative reduced ring
Authors: Visweswaran S. , Parmar Anirudhdha
Published: November 2018

Let [Formula: see text] be a commutative ring with identity which is not an integral domain. Let [Formula: see text] denote the set of all annihilating ideals of [Formula: see text] and let us denote [Formula: see text] by [Formula: see text]. For an ideal [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text], we denote the annihilator of [Formula: see text] in [Formula: see text] by [Formula: see text]. That is, [Formula: see text]. In this note, for any ring [Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text], we associate an undirected graph denoted by [Formula: see text] whose vertex set is [Formula: see text] and distinct vertices [Formula: see text] are joined by an edge if and only if either [Formula: see text] or [Formula: see text]. Let [Formula: see text] be a reduced ring. The aim of this paper is to study the interplay between the graph-theoretic properties of [Formula: see text] and the ring-theoretic properties of [Formula: see text].
Modeling cover-collapse sinkhole based on the theory of shells
Authors: Liu Zhen , Zhou Cuiying , Du Zichun , Su Dingli , Li Jieming , Zhang Lihai
Published: November 2018

The shape and height of a natural balanced soil arch are two of the critical factors for the development of a sinkhole. The exposure of the natural balanced soil arch can be described as the initiation of the surface-collapse phase of the cover-collapse sinkhole in karst terrain. In this paper, by simplifying the natural balanced soil arch as a thin shell in a limit equilibrium state, a theoretical model is developed using the nonmoment theory of rotary shells with the shape and height of the natural balanced soil arch derived based on the Protodyakonov’s theory. First, the developed model is validated using a case study (a cover-collapse sinkhole occurred in Guizhou, China). It demonstrates that the shell theory used in this study can describe the equilibrium state of a natural balanced soil arch reasonably well. After model validation, a series of numerical simulations are then carried out to investigate the critical factors which govern the collapse of a sinkhole. The results show that buried depth serves as a compulsory condition for the formation of the natural balanced soil arch. Furthermore, it shows that a buried depth less than six times of the radius of a cave could result in the formation of a natural balanced soil arch in the cone surface.
Settling the Query Complexity of Non-adaptive Junta Testing
Authors: Chen Xi , Servedio Rocco A. , Tan Li-Yang , Waingarten Erik , Xie Jinyu
Published: November 2018

We prove that any non-adaptive algorithm that tests whether an unknown Boolean function
f
:{0,1}

n

→ {0,1} is a
k
-junta or ϵ-far from every
k
-junta must make Ω
˜
(
k
3/2
) / ϵ) many queries for a wide range of parameters
k
and ϵ. Our result dramatically improves previous lower bounds and is essentially optimal since there is a known non-adaptive junta tester which makes Ω
˜
(
k
3/2
) / ϵ queries. Combined with the known existence of an adaptive tester which makes
O
(
k
log
k
+
k
/ϵ) queries, our result shows that adaptivity enables polynomial savings in query complexity for junta testing.
STDP-based Unsupervised Feature Learning using Convolution-over-time in Spiking Neural Networks for Energy-Efficient Neuromorphic Computing
Authors: Srinivasan Gopalakrishnan , Panda Priyadarshini , Roy Kaushik
Published: November 2018

Brain-inspired learning models attempt to mimic the computations performed in the neurons and synapses constituting the human brain to achieve its efficiency in cognitive tasks. In this work, we propose Spike Timing Dependent Plasticity-based unsupervised feature learning using convolution-over-time in Spiking Neural Network (SNN). We use shared weight kernels that are convolved with the input patterns over time to encode representative input features, thereby improving the sparsity as well as the robustness of the learning model. We show that the Convolutional SNN self-learns several visual categories for object recognition with limited number of training patterns while yielding comparable classification accuracy relative to the fully connected SNN. Further, we quantify the energy benefits of the Convolutional SNN over fully connected SNN on neuromorphic hardware implementation.
Global-to-local generative model for 3D shapes
Authors: Wang Hao , Schor Nadav , Hu Ruizhen , Huang Haibin , Cohen-Or Daniel , Huang Hui
Published: November 2018

We introduce a generative model for 3D man-made shapes. The presented method takes a global-to-local (G2L) approach. An adversarial network (GAN) is built first to construct the overall structure of the shape, segmented and labeled into parts. A novel conditional auto-encoder (AE) is then augmented to act as a part-level refiner. The GAN, associated with additional local discriminators and quality losses, synthesizes a voxel-based model, and assigns the voxels with part labels that are represented in separate channels. The AE is trained to amend the initial synthesis of the parts, yielding more plausible part geometries. We also introduce new means to measure and evaluate the performance of an adversarial generative model. We demonstrate that our global-to-local generative model produces significantly better results than a plain three-dimensional GAN, in terms of both their shape variety and the distribution with respect to the training data.
Approximate convex decomposition and transfer for animated meshes
Authors: Thul Daniel , Ladický L'ubor , Jeong Sohyeon , Pollefeys Marc
Published: November 2018

Many geometric quantities can be computed efficiently for convex meshes. For general meshes, methods for approximate convex decomposition have been developed that decompose a static, non-convex object into a small set of approximately convex parts. The convex hulls of those parts can then be used as a piecewise convex approximation to the original mesh.

While previous work was only concerned with static meshes, we present a method for decomposing animated 3D meshes into temporally coherent approximately convex parts. Given a mesh and several training frames---that is, different spatial configurations of its vertices---we precompute an approximate convex decomposition that is independent of any specific frame. Such a decomposition can be transferred in real-time to novel, unseen frames. We apply our method to a variety of pre-animated meshes as well as a 3D character interactively controlled by a user's body pose. We further demonstrate that our method enables real-time physics simulations to interact with animated meshes.
Warp-guided GANs for single-photo facial animation
Authors: Geng Jiahao , Shao Tianjia , Zheng Youyi , Weng Yanlin , Zhou Kun
Published: November 2018

This paper introduces a novel method for realtime portrait animation in a single photo. Our method requires only a single portrait photo and a set of facial landmarks derived from a driving source (e.g., a photo or a video sequence), and generates an animated image with rich facial details. The core of our method is a warp-guided generative model that instantly fuses various fine facial details (e.g., creases and wrinkles), which are necessary to generate a high-fidelity facial expression, onto a pre-warped image. Our method factorizes out the nonlinear geometric transformations exhibited in facial expressions by lightweight 2D warps and leaves the appearance detail synthesis to conditional generative neural networks for high-fidelity facial animation generation. We show such a factorization of geometric transformation and appearance synthesis largely helps the network better learn the high nonlinearity of the facial expression functions and also facilitates the design of the network architecture. Through extensive experiments on various portrait photos from the Internet, we show the significant efficacy of our method compared with prior arts.
Fabricable eulerian wires for 3D shape abstraction
Authors: Lira Wallace , Fu Chi-Wing , Zhang Hao
Published: November 2018

We present a
fully automatic
method that finds a
small number
of
machine fabricable
wires with
minimal overlap
to reproduce a wire sculpture design as a 3D shape abstraction. Importantly, we consider
non-planar
wires, which can be fabricated by a wire bending machine, to enable efficient construction of complex 3D sculptures that cannot be achieved by previous works. We call our wires
Eulerian wires
, since they are as Eulerian as possible with small overlap to form the target design together. Finding such Eulerian wires is highly challenging, due to an enormous search space. After exploring a variety of optimization strategies, we formulate a population-based hybrid metaheuristic model, and design the join, bridge and split operators to refine the solution wire sets in the population. We start the exploration of each solution wire set in a bottom-up manner, and adopt an adaptive simulated annealing model to regulate the exploration. By further formulating a meta model on top to optimize the cooling schedule, and precomputing fabricable subwires, our method can efficiently find promising solutions with low wire count and overlap in one to two minutes. We demonstrate the efficiency of our method on a rich variety of wire sculptures, and physically fabricate several of them. Our results show clear improvements over other optimization alternatives in terms of solution quality, versatility, and scalability.
Light in power
Authors: Meyron Jocelyn , Mérigot Quentin , Thibert Boris
Published: November 2018

We present in this paper a generic and parameter-free algorithm to efficiently build a wide variety of optical components, such as mirrors or lenses, that satisfy some light energy constraints. In all of our problems, one is given a collimated or point light source and a desired illumination after reflection or refraction and the goal is to design the geometry of a mirror or lens which transports exactly the light emitted by the source onto the target. We first propose a general framework and show that eight different optical component design problems amount to solving a
light energy conservation
equation that involves the computation of
visibility diagrams.
We then show that these diagrams all have the same structure and can be obtained by intersecting a 3D Power diagram with a planar or spherical domain. This allows us to propose an efficient and fully generic algorithm capable to solve these eight optical component design problems. The support of the prescribed target illumination can be a set of directions or a set of points located at a finite distance. Our solutions satisfy design constraints such as convexity or concavity. We show the effectiveness of our algorithm on simulated and fabricated examples.