bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Der Weg zur Lean Quality 4.0
Authors: Enke Judith , Meister Maximilian , Metternich Joachim , Genne Michael , Brosche Justus
Published: September 2017

Kurzfassung

Mit Industrie 4.0 als Zukunftsvision des deutschen Produktionsstandorts stellt sich die Frage, wie bewährte Verbesserungsansätze mit den neuen, digitalen Möglichkeiten vereint bzw. weiterentwickelt werden können. Insbesondere sind Qualitätstechniken hinsichtlich der kontinuierlichen Verbesserung von Produkten und Prozessen von großer Bedeutung für ganzheitliche Produktionssysteme. Es entsteht somit die Notwendigkeit, die Kombination beider Ansätze im Rahmen einer integrierten Lean Quality 4.0 zu untersuchen. Dazu werden ein systematisches Vorgehen entlang eines kreativen Problemlösungsprozesses sowie ermittelte Szenarien vorgestellt.
Optimal Dynamic Tolls for Managed Lanes
Authors: Toledo Tomer , Mansour Omar , Haddad Jack
Published: September 2017

This paper presents a real-time simulation-based control framework to determine dynamic toll rates to optimize an operator's objective subject to various operational and contractual constraints, such as smooth toll rate changes and maintenance of prescribed levels of service on the toll lane. The toll-setting system incorporates models to predict both the vehicle arrival process upstream of the toll lane facility and drivers’ choice whether to use the toll lanes as a function of the toll rate and travel times presented to drivers within the information system. A macroscopic traffic simulation model is used to predict the flow conditions within the prediction horizon. The travel times provided to users as information and the travel times predicted by the traffic flow model are iterated until consistency between them is obtained. The whole process is embedded within an optimization algorithm that sets tolls to optimize a given objective function. Several case studies demonstrate the use of this framework and its potential to provide useful toll settings.
Generating Cost Savings through Effective Management of Infrastructure in the Public Right-of-Way
Authors: Keck George , VanderZwan Nick , Cheaks William , Heringhaus Katherine C.
Published: September 2017

Cities face the challenge of managing work in the public way while minimizing street cuts and related traffic impacts associated with independent (nonconcurrent) renewal and maintenance programs. Stakeholders, including public officials, utilities, and residents, find the lack of coordination frustrating and a potential waste of taxpayer moneys. In 2012, Chicago, Illinois, Mayor Rahm Emanuel launched Building a New Chicago, a plan that introduced a record amount of infrastructure construction, with City of Chicago projects accounting for $7 billion over 10 years. The Chicago Department of Transportation (DOT), Division of Infrastructure Management, is responsible for the coordination, permitting, and construction inspection of all surface and subsurface work in the public way. At the time, Chicago DOT did not have in-house resources to handle the increased number of improvement projects. In addition, communication and coordination of projects often occurred in information silos with collaboration between private and public agencies that was based on interpersonal contacts. Chicago DOT addressed these challenges by implementing a project coordination office to provide program management services and review internal processes to improve coordination and to provide enhanced management of the public way. This development of process improvements and synergies resulted in savings of more than $73 million since 2012. Because of successful coordination efforts and resultant cost savings, Chicago has an annual goal of paving more than 300 mi (483 km) of residential and arterial streets by both public and private utilities. The coordination process from inception to closeout is outlined so that other municipalities—big and small— can use the methodologies.
Discrimination at the Ports
Authors: Hanssen Thor-Erik Sandberg , Mathisen Terje Andreas
Published: September 2017

In transport, the problem of demand exceeding capacity often occurs with congestion as a result. The resulting delays impose substantial efficiency loss. Price discrimination by peak load pricing is a well-recognized way of handling the problem. Such schemes are, however, often politically controversial because they might disadvantage vulnerable groups of passengers. An alternative is the use of a priority scheme. In this paper, a framework positioned within the traditions of cost–benefit analysis is established to examine the welfare effects of granting one group of passengers priority on transport modes characterized by limited capacity and low frequency. The case is a trial arrangement initiated at a rural car ferry crossing in Northern Norway intended to ensure that local commuters (traveling to and from work) can board for the desired departure. With respect to pricing, road authorities have a stated objective that fares and discounts at ferries be equal throughout the nation. Hence, for local political authorities to ensure local commuters a predictable transport alternative by price discrimination is neither desirable nor legal. The empirical evidence demonstrates that loss of social welfare caused by congestion problems at a port can be potentially reduced by introducing such a priority scheme. Recommendations are provided in relation to the number of users required for the priority arrangement to render a positive net benefit for society. This ex ante information is useful for policy makers when they are evaluating whether to initiate such priority schemes to reduce efficiency loss in passenger transport markets.
Economic Effects of Automated Vehicles
Authors: Clements Lewis M. , Kockelman Kara M.
Published: September 2017

Connected and fully automated or autonomous vehicles (CAVs) may soon dominate the automotive industry. Once CAVs are sufficiently reliable and affordable, they will penetrate markets and thereby generate economic ripple effects throughout industries. This paper synthesizes and expands on existing analyses of the economic effects of CAVs in the United States across 13 industries and the overall economy. CAVs will soon be central to the automotive industry, with software composing a greater share of vehicle value than previously. The number of vehicles purchased each year may fall because of vehicle sharing, but rising travel distances may increase vehicle sales. The opportunity for heavy-truck drivers to do other work or rest during long drives may lower freight costs and increase capacity. Personal transport may shift toward shared autonomous vehicle fleet use, reducing that of taxis, buses, and other forms of group travel. Fewer collisions and more law-abiding vehicles will lower demand for auto repair, traffic police, medical, insurance, and legal services. CAVs will also lead to new methods for managing travel demand and the repurposing of curbside and off-street parking and will generate major savings from productivity gains during hands-free travel and reduction of pain and suffering costs from crashes. If CAVs eventually capture a large share of the automotive market, they are estimated to have economic impacts of $1.2 trillion or $3,800 per American per year. This paper presents important considerations for CAVs’ overall effects and quantifies those impacts.
Evaluating the Potential Economic Efficiency of Project Delivery Options
Authors: DeCorla-Souza Patrick , Lee Douglass B.
Published: September 2017

This paper illustrates a comparison of the incremental costs and benefits of alternative delivery options for highway projects that used the FHWA's P3-VALUE analytic tool for much of the computation. The hypothetical example project consists of ( a) upgrading an urban freeway with added express toll lanes, ( b) possibly delivering the project via a public–private partnership concession, ( c) possibly transferring the revenue risk back to the public agency via availability payments (APs), and ( d) possibly substituting a hybrid payment mechanism that compensates the operator with a fixed AP plus shadow tolls paid on the basis of person throughput. Under the hybrid payment mechanism, the concessionaire would continue to set toll rates to ensure efficient operations (as under a normal toll concession), but all toll revenue would go to the public agency, as in an AP concession. The multipart payment strategy would potentially restore incentives for ensuring optimal utilization of the facility. The goal is to maximize economic efficiency, which is assessed by using benefit– cost analysis. The evaluation explores the conditions under which the features considered would be incrementally beneficial.
DDC Control Techniques for Three-Phase BLDC Motor Position Control
Authors: Masood Rana , Wang Dao , Ali Zain , Khan Babar
Published: September 2017

In this article, a novel hybrid control scheme is proposed for controlling the position of a three-phase brushless direct current (BLDC) motor. The hybrid controller consists of discrete time sliding mode control (SMC) with model free adaptive control (MFAC) to make a new data-driven control (DDC) strategy that is able to reduce the simulation time and complexity of a nonlinear system. The proposed hybrid algorithm is also suitable for controlling the speed variations of a BLDC motor, and is also applicable for the real time simulation of platforms such as a gimbal platform. The DDC method does not require any system model because it depends on data collected by the system about its Inputs/Outputs (IOS). However, the model-based control (MBC) method is difficult to apply from a practical point of view and is time-consuming because we need to linearize the system model. The above proposed method is verified by multiple simulations using MATLAB Simulink. It shows that the proposed controller has better performance, more precise tracking, and greater robustness compared with the classical proportional integral derivative (PID) controller, MFAC, and model free learning adaptive control (MFLAC).
Reactions to a Low-Fat Milk Social Media Intervention in the US: The Choose 1% Milk Campaign
Authors: John Robert , Finnell Karla , Kerby Dave , Owen Jade , Hansen Kendra
Published: September 2017

(1) Background: Social media has increased in importance as a primary source of health communication but has received little academic attention. The purpose of this study was to conduct a content analysis of Facebook comments made in response to a five-week statewide social media intervention promoting use of 1% low-fat milk. Formative research identified health messages to promote, and 16 health messages consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans were posted. During the intervention, 454 Facebook users posted 489 relevant comments; (2) Methods: The themes of user comments were identified using mixed-methods with qualitative identification of themes supplemented by cluster analysis; (3) Results: Six broad themes with 19 sub-themes are identified: (a) sugar, fat, and nutrients, (b) defiant, (c) watery milk, (d) personal preference, (e) evidence and logic, and (f) pure and natural; (4) The subject of milk is surprisingly controversial, a contested terrain in the mind of the consumer with a variety of competing perspectives that influence consumption. Public reactions to a social media nutrition education intervention are useful in understanding audience psychographics toward the desired behavior, require continual efforts to monitor and manage the social media campaign, but provide an opportunity to maximize the utility of real-time interactions with your audience.
Multifaceted Communication Problems in Everyday Conversations Involving People with Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Saldert Charlotta , Bauer Malin
Published: September 2017

It is known that Parkinson’s disease is often accompanied by a motor speech disorder, which results in impaired communication. However, people with Parkinson’s disease may also have impaired word retrieval (anomia) and other communicative problems, which have a negative impact on their ability to participate in conversations with family as well as healthcare staff. The aim of the present study was to explore effects of impaired speech and language on communication and how this is managed by people with Parkinson’s disease and their spouses. Using a qualitative method based on Conversation Analysis, in-depth analyses were performed on natural conversational interaction in five dyads including elderly men who were at different stages of Parkinson’s disease. The findings showed that the motor speech disorder in combination with word retrieval difficulties and adaptations, such as using communication strategies, may result in atypical utterances that are difficult for communication partners to understand. The coexistence of several communication problems compounds the difficulties faced in conversations and individuals with Parkinson’s disease are often dependent on cooperation with their communication partner to make themselves understood.
Use of Human Neurons Derived via Cellular Reprogramming Methods to Study Host-Parasite Interactions of Toxoplasma gondii in Neurons
Authors: Halonen Sandra
Published: September 2017

Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular protozoan parasite, with approximately one-third of the worlds’ population chronically infected. In chronically infected individuals, the parasite resides in tissue cysts in neurons in the brain. The chronic infection in immunocompetant individuals has traditionally been considered to be asymptomatic, but increasing evidence indicates that chronic infection is associated with diverse neurological disorders such as schizophrenia, cryptogenic epilepsy, and Parkinson’s Disease. The mechanisms by which the parasite exerts affects on behavior and other neuronal functions are not understood. Human neurons derived from cellular reprogramming methods offer the opportunity to develop better human neuronal models to study T. gondii in neurons. Results from two studies using human neurons derived via cellular reprogramming methods indicate these human neuronal models provide better in vitro models to study the effects of T. gondii on neurons and neurological functions. In this review, an overview of the current neural reprogramming methods will be given, followed by a summary of the studies using human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived neurons and induced neurons (iNs) to study T. gondii in neurons. The potential of these neural reprogramming methods for further study of the host-parasite interactions of T. gondii in neurons will be discussed.
Complex and Entropy of Fluctuations of Agent-Based Interacting Financial Dynamics with Random Jump
Authors: Wang Yiduan , Zheng Shenzhou , Zhang Wei , Wang Jun
Published: September 2017

This paper investigates the complex behaviors and entropy properties for a novel random complex interacting stock price dynamics, which is established by the combination of stochastic contact process and compound Poisson process, concerning with stock return fluctuations caused by the spread of investors’ attitudes and random jump fluctuations caused by the macroeconomic environment, respectively. To better understand the fluctuation complex behaviors of the proposed price dynamics, the entropy analyses of random logarithmic price returns and corresponding absolute returns of simulation dataset with different parameter set are preformed, including permutation entropy, fractional permutation entropy, sample entropy and fractional sample entropy. We found that a larger λ or γ leads to more complex dynamics, and the absolute return series exhibit lower complex dynamics than the return series. To verify the rationality of the proposed compound price model, the corresponding analyses of actual market datasets are also comparatively preformed. The empirical results verify that the proposed price model can reproduce some important complex dynamics of actual stock markets to some extent.
“Wave-Packet Reduction” and the Quantum Character of the Actualization of Potentia
Authors: Jaeger Gregg
Published: September 2017

Werner Heisenberg introduced the notion of quantum potentia in order to accommodate the indeterminism associated with quantum measurement. Potentia captures the capacity of the system to be found to possess a property upon a corresponding sharp measurement in which it is actualized. The specific potentiae of the individual system are represented formally by the complex amplitudes in the measurement bases of the eigenstate in which it is prepared. All predictions for future values of system properties can be made by an experimenter using the probabilities which are the squared moduli of these amplitudes that are the diagonal elements of the density matrix description of the pure ensemble to which the system, so prepared, belongs. Heisenberg considered the change of the ensemble attribution following quantum measurement to be analogous to the classical change in Gibbs’ thermodynamics when measurement of the canonical ensemble enables a microcanonical ensemble description. This analogy, presented by Heisenberg as operating at the epistemic level, is analyzed here. It has led some to claim not only that the change of the state in measurement is classical mechanical, bringing its quantum character into question, but also that Heisenberg held this to be the case. Here, these claims are shown to be incorrect, because the analogy concerns the change of ensemble attribution by the experimenter upon learning the result of the measurement, not the actualization of the potentia responsible for the change of the individual system state which—in Heisenberg’s interpretation of quantum mechanics—is objective in nature and independent of the experimenter’s knowledge.
Flexibility-Based Reserve Scheduling of Pumped Hydroelectric Energy Storage in Korea
Authors: Min Chang-Gi , Kim Mun-Kyeom
Published: September 2017

The high penetration of renewable energy resources has made it harder to secure a flexible power system. Accordingly, this has become an issue in operating power systems. As a possible solution, pumped hydroelectric energy storage (PHES) has received much attention because of its fast start-up and ramp characteristics. This study proposes a flexibility-based reserve scheduling method for PHES. In this method, the reserve scheduling of PHES was conducted to improve flexibility; the associated risk index was termed the ramping capability shortage expectation (RSE). The peak-load days in 2016 and 2029 were selected to examine the applicability and performance of the proposed method. Results indicate that the proposed method can improve the flexibility by 4.45% for 2016 and 0.9% for 2029, respectively.
Wearable Biomechanical Energy Harvesting Technologies
Authors: Choi Young-Man , Lee Moon , Jeon Yongho
Published: September 2017

Energy harvesting has been attracting attention as a technology that is capable of replacing or supplementing a battery with the development of various mobile electronics. In environments where stable electrical supply is not possible, energy harvesting technology can guarantee an increased leisure and safety for human beings. Harvesting with several watts of power is essential for directly driving or efficiently charging mobile electronic devices such as laptops or cell phones. In this study, we reviewed energy harvesting technologies that harvest biomechanical energy from human motion such as foot strike, joint motion, and upper limb motion. They are classified based on the typical principle of kinetic energy harvesting: piezoelectric, triboelectric, and electromagnetic energy harvesting. We focused on the wearing position of high-power wearable biomechanical energy harvesters (WBEHs) generating watt-level power. In addition, the features and future trends of the watt-level WBEHs are discussed.
An Improved Flexible Solar Thermal Energy Integration Process for Enhancing the Coal-Based Energy Efficiency and NOx Removal Effectiveness in Coal-Fired Power Plants under Different Load Conditions
Authors: Han Yu , Xu Cheng , Xu Gang , Zhang Yuwen , Yang Yongping
Published: September 2017

An improved flexible solar-aided power generation system (SAPG) for enhancing both selective catalytic reduction (SCR) de-NOx efficiency and coal-based energy efficiency of coal-fired power plants is proposed. In the proposed concept, the solar energy injection point is changed for different power plant loads, bringing about different benefits for coal-fired power generation. For partial/low load, solar energy is beneficially used to increase the flue gas temperature to guarantee the SCR de-NOx effectiveness as well as increase the boiler energy input by reheating the combustion air. For high power load, solar energy is used for saving steam bleeds from turbines by heating the feed water. A case study for a typical 1000 MW coal-fired power plant using the proposed concept has been performed and the results showed that, the SCR de-NOx efficiency of proposed SAPG could increase by 3.1% and 7.9% under medium load and low load conditions, respectively, as compared with the reference plant. The standard coal consumption rate of the proposed SAPG could decrease by 2.68 g/kWh, 4.05 g/kWh and 6.31 g/kWh for high, medium and low loads, respectively, with 0.040 USD/kWh of solar generated electricity cost. The proposed concept opens up a novel solar energy integration pattern in coal-fired power plants to improve the pollutant removal effectiveness and decrease the coal consumption of the power plant.
PV Hosting Capacity Analysis and Enhancement Using High Resolution Stochastic Modeling
Authors: Palacios-Garcia Emilio , Moreno-Muñoz Antonio , Santiago Isabel , Moreno-Garcia Isabel , Milanés-Montero María
Published: September 2017

Reduction of CO2 emissions is a main target in the future smart grid. This goal is boosting the installation of renewable energy resources (RES), as well as a major consumer engagement that seeks for a more efficient utilization of these resources toward the figure of ‘prosumers’. Nevertheless, these resources present an intermittent nature, which requires the presence of an energy storage system and an energy management system (EMS) to ensure an uninterrupted power supply. Moreover, network-related issues might arise due to the increasing power of renewable resources installed in the grid, the storage systems also being capable of contributing to the network stability. However, to assess these future scenarios and test the control strategies, a simulation system is needed. The aim of this paper is to analyze the interaction between residential consumers with high penetration of PV generation and distributed storage and the grid by means of a high temporal resolution simulation scenario based on a stochastic residential load model and PV production records. Results of the model are presented for different PV power rates and storage capacities, as well as a two-level charging strategy as a mechanism for increasing the hosting capacity (HC) of the network.
Performance Analysis of Thermoelectric Based Automotive Waste Heat Recovery System with Nanofluid Coolant
Authors: Li Zhi , Li Wenhao , Chen Zhen
Published: September 2017

Output performance of a thermoelectric-based automotive waste heat recovery system with a nanofluid coolant is analyzed in this study. Comparison between Cu-Ethylene glycol (Cu-EG) nanofluid coolant and ethylene glycol with water (EG-W) coolant under equal mass flow rate indicates that Cu-EG nanofluid as a coolant can effectively improve power output and thermoelectric conversion efficiency for the system. Power output enhancement for a 3% concentration of nanofluid is 2.5–8 W (12.65–13.95%) compared to EG-Water when inlet temperature of exhaust varies within 500–710 K. The increase of nanofluid concentration within a realizable range (6%) has positive effect on output performance of the system. Study on the relationship between total area of thermoelectric modules (TEMs) and output performance of the system indicates that optimal total area of TEMs exists for maximizing output performance of the system. Cu-EG nanofluid as coolant can decrease optimal total area of TEMs compared with EG-W, which will bring significant advantages for the optimization and arrangement of TEMs whether the system space is sufficient or not. Moreover, power output enhancement under Cu-EG nanofluid coolant is larger than that of EG-W coolant due to the increase of hot side heat transfer coefficient of TEMs.
Probing Temperature-Dependent Recombination Kinetics in Polymer:Fullerene Solar Cells by Electric Noise Spectroscopy
Authors: Landi Giovanni , Barone Carlo , Mauro Costantino , De Sio Antonietta , Carapella Giovanni , Neitzert Heinz , Pagano Sergio
Published: September 2017

The influence of solvent additives on the temperature behavior of both charge carrier transport and recombination kinetics in bulk heterojunction solar cells has been investigated by electric noise spectroscopy. The observed differences in charge carrier lifetime and mobility are attributed to a different film ordering and donor-acceptor phase segregation in the blend. The measured temperature dependence indicates that bimolecular recombination is the dominant loss mechanism in the active layer, affecting the device performance. Blend devices prepared with a high-boiling-point solvent additive show a decreased recombination rate at the donor-acceptor interface as compared to the ones prepared with the reference solvent. A clear correlation between the device performance and the morphological properties is discussed in terms of the temperature dependence of the mobility-lifetime product.
Field-Weakening Performance Improvement of the Yokeless and Segmented Armature Axial Flux Motor for Electric Vehicles
Authors: Wang Xiaoyuan , Xu Sijia , Li Chunpeng , Li Xiang
Published: September 2017

In order to avoid the unsafe operation and raise efficiency of yokeless and segmented armature axial flux motors at high speed, the control current of air gap flux is expected to be as small as possible with the same field-weakening effect. To reduce the control complexity, a new structure of module poles with a combination of permanent magnet and soft magnetic material is proposed, which has the characteristics of lower d-axis reluctance and a higher performance of yokeless and segmented armature axial flux motor with surface mounted permanent magnet. According to finite element analysis (FEA), the flux distributions of a rotor pole in no-load and demagnetization condition are contrasted, and under this new configuration, the derivative analytical models of back electromotive-force (EMF), electromagnetic torque, and air gap flux are validated, moreover, the influence of soft magnetic material of rotor poles on controlling the air gap flux is investigated in different load. Based on a particular objective function, the combination of permanent magnet and soft magnetic material is optimized. The results show that optimal solution of field-weakening performance of yokeless and segmented armature axial flux motors can be improved effectively and legitimately.
Heating Performance Characteristics of High-Voltage PTC Heater for an Electric Vehicle
Authors: Park Myeong , Kim Sung
Published: September 2017

High-voltage positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heaters have a high heating capacity and are fast acting; thus, they function as the actual main heating equipment in electric cars, and considerable research is devoted to improving their heating performance and efficiency. We evaluated the heating performance of a high-voltage PTC heater for an electric car by building a closed-loop-type test system including an air channel, environment chamber, DC power supply, and data acquisition system, and designed an initial prototype with general characteristics. Using this test system, we analyzed the heating performance characteristics of the heater as a function of changes in the blower airflow, ambient temperature, and battery voltage. We changed the geometrical variables of the heater and conducted an analysis to improve the heating performance and output density of the initial prototype. Based on the heating performance of the initial prototype and its geometrical variables, we designed an improved prototype and compared its heating performance and output density with that of the initial prototype. As a result, we achieved a heating capacity of 5.52 kW, a pressure drop of 48.2 Pa, and an efficiency of 98%, whereas the output density was 3.45 kW/kg, which is a 24% improvement over the initial prototype.
Effect of Coil Configuration on Conversion Efficiency of EMAT on 7050 Aluminum Alloy
Authors: Wu Yunxin , Han Lei , Gong Hai , Yang Jiangang , Li Wei
Published: September 2017

Compared to traditional ultrasonic detection methods, the electromagnetic acoustic transducer (EMAT) technique can be applied in many hostile environments such as elevated temperatures, on-line inspections, etc. However, the EMAT technique has a low conversion efficiency. This paper develops a numerical model to study the effects of the coil configurations on the conversion efficiency of shear-wave EMAT on 7050 aluminum alloy. The numerical model is fully validated by the experiment data. The effects of the configuration parameters, including the coil wires’ cross-sectional area, coil wires’ cross-sectional shape, and distance between coil wires, on the conversion efficiency are then discussed. The results indicate that after using the coil with a square cross-section, the conversion efficiency of EMAT is increased by 22.5%. In addition, the coil wires’ cross-sectional area and the distance between coil wires also have a significant effect on the conversion efficiency.
Characterizing Rigging Crew Proximity to Hazards on Cable Logging Operations Using GNSS-RF: Effect of GNSS Positioning Error on Worker Safety Status
Authors: Wempe Ann , Keefe Robert
Published: September 2017

Logging continues to rank among the most lethal occupations in the United States. Though the hazards associated with fatalities are well-documented and safe distances from hazards is a common theme in safety education, positional relationships between workers and hazards have not been quantified previously. Using GNSS-RF (Global Navigation Satellite System-Radio Frequency) transponders that allow real-time monitoring of personnel, we collected positioning data for rigging crew workers and three common cable logging hazards: a log loader, skyline carriage, and snag. We summarized distances between all ground workers and each hazard on three active operations and estimated the proportion of time crew occupied higher-risk areas, as represented by geofences. We then assessed the extent to which positioning error associated with different stand conditions affected perceived worker safety status by applying error sampled in a separate, controlled field experiment to the operational data. Root mean squared error was estimated at 11.08 m in mature stands and 3.37 m in clearcuts. Simulated error expected for mature stands altered safety status in six of nine treatment combinations, whereas error expected for clearcuts affected only one. Our results show that canopy-associated GNSS error affects real-time geofence safety applications when using single-constellation American Global Positioning System transponders.
Available Nutrients Can Accumulate in Permanent Skid Trails
Authors: Stutz Kenton , Schack-Kirchner Helmer , Kändler Gerald , Landes Lea , Linz Martin , Warlo Hannes , Lang Friederike
Published: September 2017

Forest harvesting removes and redistributes nutrients through felling and forwarding. Substantial quantities of nutrients can accumulate in brash mats on permanent skid trails, but their availability and uptake after multiple thinnings on soils susceptible to leaching are unknown. In this study, we modeled the deposition of base cations and phosphorus on a permanent skid trail after five thinnings of a Picea abies (L.) Karst. stand, and measured the resulting nutrient stocks in both the forest floor and mineral soil. An estimated 35%, 44%, 41%, and 61% of harvested Ca, K, Mg, and P, respectively, were redistributed to the skid trail. Of those deposited stocks, 32–65% of nutrients remained in decomposed brash material on the skid trail. Mineral soil stocks for Ca, K, and P were significantly higher in the skid trail than in the stand, which included minor increases in bioavailable pools. Skid trail root densities were not lower than the stand while bulk densities were only partially higher. Both would not limit nutrient uptake. There were no significant relations between needle nutrient concentrations and distance to the skid trail. Altogether, these results indicate that nutrient uptake from the skid trail was minimal despite their accumulation, chemical availability, and physical accessibility. This suggests that other factors such as liming and frequent thinning disturbances can repress uptake of available nutrients on skid trails.
The Effect of Customer–Contractor Alignment in Forest Harvesting Services on Contractor Profitability and the Risk for Relationship Breakdown
Authors: Eriksson Mattias , LeBel Luc , Lindroos Ola
Published: September 2017

In forest operations, the interface between forest companies and harvesting contractors is of special importance, considering that it is the first link in the forest industry’s supply chains. Supply operations account for a significant share of the final costs of wood products (up to 50%). This study investigates the effect of customer–contractor alignment on contractors’ profit margins and on the risk for business relationship breakdown. Alignment is empirically measured for a Swedish forest company and 74 of its harvesting contractors, who were monitored during a four-year period. Two measures of alignment are employed: (1) the customer-perceived value of the contractors’ services; and (2) the contractors’ perceived alignment with the forest company expectations. Results indicate that the two measures of alignment are largely independent from each other, and that customer-perceived value affects both contractor profitability and the risk of relationship breakdown. Conflict between the two parties and lack of trust for the customer were found to be common complaints among contractors who ceased working for the studied forest company. Consequently, customer–contractor alignment should be considered a key objective by contractors who strive for business success, and also by forest companies who wish to improve their supply chain performance.
Botnet Detection Technology Based on DNS
Authors: Li Xingguo , Wang Junfeng , Zhang Xiaosong
Published: September 2017

With the help of botnets, intruders can implement a remote control on infected machines and perform various malicious actions. Domain Name System (DNS) is very famous for botnets to locate command and control (C and C) servers, which enormously strengthens a botnet’s survivability to evade detection. This paper focuses on evasion and detection techniques of DNS-based botnets and gives a review of this field for a general summary of all these contributions. Some important topics, including technological background, evasion and detection, and alleviation of botnets, are discussed. We also point out the future research direction of detecting and mitigating DNS-based botnets. To the best of our knowledge, this topic gives a specialized and systematic study of the DNS-based botnet evading and detecting techniques in a new era and is useful for researchers in related fields.
Review on Semi-Fragile Watermarking Algorithms for Content Authentication of Digital Images
Authors: Yu Xiaoyan , Wang Chengyou , Zhou Xiao
Published: September 2017

With the popularity of network and the continuous development of multimedia technology, saving of network bandwidth and copyright protection of multimedia content have gradually attracted people’s attention. The fragile watermark for integrity authentication of image data and protection of copyright has become a hotspot. In the storage and transmission process, image data must be compressed to save network bandwidth. As a result, semi-fragile watermarking techniques, which can be used to distinguish common image processing operations from malicious tampering, are emerging. In this paper, semi-fragile watermarking algorithms for image authentication are surveyed. The basic principles and characteristics about semi-fragile watermarking algorithms are introduced, and several kinds of attack behaviors are also included. Aiming at several typical image-authentication algorithms, advantages and disadvantages are analyzed, and evaluation indexes of various algorithms are compared. Finally, we analyze the key points and difficulties in the study on semi-fragile watermarking algorithms, and the direction about future development is prospected.
On the Time Variable Rotation Measure in the Core Region of Markarian 421
Authors: Lico Rocco , Gómez José , Asada Keiichi , Fuentes Antonio
Published: September 2017

In this conference contribution, we discuss and interpret the time variable rotation measure (RM) detected in the core region of the TeV blazar Markarian 421 (Mrk 421). We monitored Mrk 421 during 2011 with one observing run per month at 15, 24, and 43 GHz with the American Very Long Baseline Array. We explore the possible connection between the RM and the accretion rate, and we investigate the Faraday screen properties and its location with respect to the jet emitting region. Among the various scenarios, the jet sheath is the most promising candidate for being the main source of Faraday rotation. We interpret the RM sign reversals observed during the one-year monitoring within the context of the magnetic tower models by invoking the presence of two nested helical magnetic fields in the relativistic jet with opposite helicities, originating through the Poynting–Robertson cosmic battery effect. The net observed RM values result from the relative contribution of both inner and outer helical fields.
Healthcare Cost Reductions after Moving into a Wet Nursing Home Stay—A Case Series
Authors: Thiesen Henrik , Tanderup Lene , Stavad Bodil , Hesse Morten
Published: September 2017

Serious alcohol dependence is associated with high healthcare costs, especially when patients have chronic problems with alcohol, dementia and exhibit externalizing behavior. One option is to offer a wet nursing home for seriously ill patients for whom abstinence from alcohol is not a feasible option. In this case series, we present the healthcare costs 18 months before moving into a “wet nursing home”, and in the first 18 months of their stay, for three cases, one with low needs of care, one with medium needs, and one with high needs. Results: for all three patients, hospital costs were reduced by between 83.7 and 97.9% for patients with dementia, externalizing behavior, and chronic alcohol problems, a wet nursing home can produce substantial cost reductions in other parts of the healthcare sector.
Association between Long-Term Exposure to Particulate Matter Air Pollution and Mortality in a South Korean National Cohort: Comparison across Different Exposure Assessment Approaches
Authors: Kim Ok-Jin , Kim Sun-Young , Kim Ho
Published: September 2017

Increasing numbers of cohort studies have reported that long-term exposure to ambient particulate matter is associated with mortality. However, there has been little evidence from Asian countries. We aimed to explore the association between long-term exposure to particulate matter with a diameter ≤10 µm (PM10) and mortality in South Korea, using a nationwide population-based cohort and an improved exposure assessment (EA) incorporating time-varying concentrations and residential addresses (EA1). We also compared the association across different EA approaches. We used information from 275,337 people who underwent health screening from 2002 to 2006 and who had follow-up data for 12 years in the National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort. Individual exposures were computed as 5-year averages using predicted residential district-specific annual-average PM10 concentrations for 2002–2006. We estimated hazard ratios (HRs) of non-accidental and five cause-specific mortalities per 10 µg/m3 increase in PM10 using the Cox proportional hazards model. Then, we compared the association of EA1 with three other approaches based on time-varying concentrations and/or addresses: predictions in each year and addresses at baseline (EA2); predictions at baseline and addresses in each year (EA3); and predictions and addresses at baseline (EA4). We found a marginal association between long-term PM10 and non-accidental mortality. The HRs of five cause-specific mortalities were mostly higher than that of non-accidental mortality, but statistically insignificant. In the comparison between EA approaches, the HRs of EA1 were similar to those of EA2 but higher than EA3 and EA4. Our findings confirmed the association between long-term exposure to PM10 and mortality based on a population-representative cohort in South Korea, and suggested the importance of assessing individual exposure incorporating air pollution changes over time.
Agricultural Capacity to Increase the Production of Select Fruits and Vegetables in the US: A Geospatial Modeling Analysis
Authors: Conrad Zach , Peters Christian , Chui Kenneth , Jahns Lisa , Griffin Timothy
Published: September 2017

The capacity of US agriculture to increase the output of specific foods to accommodate increased demand is not well documented. This research uses geospatial modeling to examine the capacity of the US agricultural landbase to increase the per capita availability of an example set of nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables. These fruits and vegetables were selected based on nutrient content and an increasing trend of domestic production and consumption. Geographic information system models were parameterized to identify agricultural land areas meeting crop-specific growing requirements for monthly precipitation and temperature; soil depth and type; cropland availability; and proximity to existing production centers. The results of these analyses demonstrate that crop production can be expanded by nearly 144,000 ha within existing national production centers, generating an additional 0.05 cup-equivalents of fruits and vegetables per capita per day, representing a 1.7% increase above current total F&V availability. Expanding the size of national crop production centers can further increase the availability of all F&V by 2.5%–5.4%, which is still less than the recommended amount. Challenges to increasing F&V production in the US include lack of labor availability, barriers to adoption among producers, and threats to crop yields from environmental concerns.
Refugee Policy Implications of U.S. Immigration Medical Screenings: A New Era of Inadmissibility on Health-Related Grounds
Authors: Hong Mi-Kyung , Varghese Reshma , Jindal Charulata , Efird Jimmy
Published: September 2017

Refugees frequently face extended delays in their efforts to enter the United States (U.S.) and those who are successful, in many cases, encounter overwhelming obstacles, inadequate resources, and a complex system of legal barriers. Travel restrictions based on equivocal health concerns and a drop in refugee admittance ceilings have complicated the situation. The authors retrieved and analyzed peer-reviewed journal articles, government agency press releases, media postings, epidemiologic factsheets, and relevant lay publications to critically assess U.S. policy regarding refugee resettlement based on health-related grounds. While refugees arguably exhibit an increased incidence of measles and tuberculosis compared with the U.S. population, the legitimacy of the medical examination will be undermined if other diseases that are endemic to refugee populations, yet currently deemed admissible, are used to restrict refugees from entering the U.S. This paper addressees the historic refugee policy of the U.S. and its consequent effect on the health of this vulnerable population. The needs of refugees should be carefully considered in the context of increased disease burden and the associated health care challenges of the country as a whole.
Occurrence of Virulence Genes Associated with Human Pathogenic Vibrios Isolated from Two Commercial Dusky Kob (Argyrosmus japonicus) Farms and Kareiga Estuary in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa
Authors: Fri Justine , Ndip Roland , Njom Henry , Clarke Anna
Published: September 2017

Background: Seafood-borne Vibrio infections, often linked to contaminated seafood and water, are of increasing global public health concern. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of human pathogenic vibrios and their associated virulence genes isolated from fish and water samples from 2 commercial dusky kob farms and Kareiga estuary, South Africa. Methods: A total of 200 samples including dusky kob fish (n = 120) and seawater (n = 80) were subjected to Vibrio screening on thiosulfate-citrate-bile salts-sucrose agar (TCBS). Presumptive isolates were confirmed and delineated to V. cholerae, V. parahaemolyticus, V. vulnificus, and V. fluvialis by PCR. Various pathogenic gene markers were screened: V. parahaemolyticus (trh and tdh), V. vulnificus (vcgE and vcgC) and V. fluvialis (stn, vfh, hupO, vfpA). Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) of the vvhA gene of V. vulnificus strains was performed to determine the associated biotypes. Results: Total Vibrio prevalence was 59.4% (606/1020) of which V. fluvialis was the most predominant 193 (31.85%), followed by Vibrio vulnificus 74 (12.21%) and V. parahaemolyticus 33 (5.45%). No V. cholerae strain was detected. One of the V. parahaemolyticus strains possessed the trh gene 7 (9.46%) while most (91.9%; 68/74) V. vulnificus isolates were of the E-type genotype. V. fluvialis virulence genes detected were stn (13.5%), hupO (10.4%) and vfpA (1.0%). 12.16% (9/74) of V. vulnificus strains exhibited a biotype 3 RFLP pattern. Conclusions: This is the first report of potentially pathogenic vibrios from healthy marine fish in the study area, and therefore a public health concern.
Health Care Payments in Vietnam: Patients’ Quagmire of Caring for Health versus Economic Destitution
Authors: Pekerti Andre , Vuong Quan-Hoang , Ho Tung , Vuong Thu-Trang
Published: September 2017

In the last three decades many developing and middle-income nations’ health care systems have been financed via out-of-pocket payments by individuals. User fees charges, however, may not be the best approach or thenmost equitable approach to finance and/or reform health services in developing nations. This study investigates the status of Vietnam’s current health system as a result of implementing user fees policies. A recent mandate by the government to increase the universal cover to 100% attempts to tackle inadequate insurance cover, one of the four major factors contributing to the high and increasing probability of destitution for Vietnamese patients (the other three being: non-residency, long stay in hospital, and high cost of treatment). Empirical results however suggest that this may be catastrophic for low-income earners: if insurance cover reimbursement decreases below 50% of actual health expenditures, the probability of Vietnamese falling into destitution will rise further. Our findings provide policy implications and directions to improve Vietnam’s health care system, in particular by ensuring the utilization of health services and financial protection for the people.