bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Role of Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 Channels within an Optimal Estimation Scheme for Sea Surface Temperature
Authors: Pearson Kevin , Merchant Christopher , Embury Owen , Donlon Craig
Published: January 2018

We present an analysis of information content for sea surface temperature (SST) retrieval from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 (AMSR2). We find that SST uncertainty of ∼0.37 K can be achieved within an optimal estimation framework in the presence of wind, water vapour and cloud liquid water effects, given appropriate assumptions for instrumental uncertainty and prior knowledge, and using all channels. We test all possible combinations of AMSR2 channels and demonstrate the importance of including cloud liquid water in the retrieval vector. The channel combinations, with the minimum number of channels, that carry most SST information content are calculated, since in practice calibration error drives a trade-off between retrieved SST uncertainty and the number of channels used. The most informative set of five channels is 6.9 V, 6.9 H, 7.3 V, 10.7 V and 36.5 H and these are suitable for optimal estimation retrievals. We discuss the relevance of microwave SSTs and issues related to them compared to SSTs derived from infra-red observations.
Calibrating the SAR SSH of Sentinel-3A and CryoSat-2 over the Corsica Facilities
Authors: Bonnefond Pascal , Laurain Olivier , Exertier Pierre , Boy François , Guinle Thierry , Picot Nicolas , Labroue Sylvie , Raynal Matthias , Donlon Craig , Féménias Pierre , Parrinello Tommaso , Dinardo Salvatore
Published: January 2018

Initially developed to monitor the performance of TOPEX/Poseidon and to follow the Jason legacy satellite altimeters at Senetosa Cape, Corsica, this calibration/validation site has been extended to include a new location at Ajaccio. This addition enables the site to monitor Envisat and ERS missions, CryoSat-2 and, more recently, the SARAL/AltiKa mission and Sentinel-3A satellites. Sentinel-3A and CryoSat-2 carry altimeters that use a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) mode that is different to the conventional pulse-bandwidth limited altimeters often termed “low resolution mode” (LRM). The aim of this study is to characterize the sea surface height (SSH) bias of the new SAR altimeter instruments and to demonstrate the improvement of data quality close to the coast. Moreover, some passes of Sentinel-3A and CryoSat-2 overfly both Senetosa and Ajaccio with only a few seconds time difference, allowing us to evaluate the reliability and homogeneity of both ground sites in term of geodetic datum. The Sentinel-3A and CryoSat-2 SSH biases for the SAR mode are respectively +22 ± 7 mm and −73 ± 5 mm (for CryoSat-2 baseline C products). The results show that the stability of the SAR SSH bias time series is better than standard LRM altimetry. Moreover, compared to standard LRM data, for which the measurements closer than ~10 km from the coast were generally unusable, SAR mode altimeters provide measurements that are reliable at less than few hundred meters from the coast.
Genetic Algorithm-Based Motion Estimation Method using Orientations and EMGs for Robot Controls
Authors: Chae Jeongsook , Jin Yong , Sung Yunsick , Cho Kyungeun
Published: January 2018

Demand for interactive wearable devices is rapidly increasing with the development of smart devices. To accurately utilize wearable devices for remote robot controls, limited data should be analyzed and utilized efficiently. For example, the motions by a wearable device, called Myo device, can be estimated by measuring its orientation, and calculating a Bayesian probability based on these orientation data. Given that Myo device can measure various types of data, the accuracy of its motion estimation can be increased by utilizing these additional types of data. This paper proposes a motion estimation method based on weighted Bayesian probability and concurrently measured data, orientations and electromyograms (EMG). The most probable motion among estimated is treated as a final estimated motion. Thus, recognition accuracy can be improved when compared to the traditional methods that employ only a single type of data. In our experiments, seven subjects perform five predefined motions. When orientation is measured by the traditional methods, the sum of the motion estimation errors is 37.3%; likewise, when only EMG data are used, the error in motion estimation by the proposed method was also 37.3%. The proposed combined method has an error of 25%. Therefore, the proposed method reduces motion estimation errors by 12%.
Mapping Early, Middle and Late Rice Extent Using Sentinel-1A and Landsat-8 Data in the Poyang Lake Plain, China
Authors: Tian Haifeng , Wu Mingquan , Wang Li , Niu Zheng
Published: January 2018

Areas and spatial distribution information of paddy rice are important for managing food security, water use, and climate change. However, there are many difficulties in mapping paddy rice, especially mapping multi-season paddy rice in rainy regions, including differences in phenology, the influence of weather, and farmland fragmentation. To resolve these problems, a novel multi-season paddy rice mapping approach based on Sentinel-1A and Landsat-8 data is proposed. First, Sentinel-1A data were enhanced based on the fact that the backscattering coefficient of paddy rice varies according to its growth stage. Second, cropland information was enhanced based on the fact that the NDVI of cropland in winter is lower than that in the growing season. Then, paddy rice and cropland areas were extracted using a K-Means unsupervised classifier with enhanced images. Third, to further improve the paddy rice classification accuracy, cropland information was utilized to optimize distribution of paddy rice by the fact that paddy rice must be planted in cropland. Classification accuracy was validated based on ground-data from 25 field survey quadrats measuring 600 m × 600 m. The results show that: multi-season paddy rice planting areas effectively was extracted by the method and adjusted early rice area of 1630.84 km2, adjusted middle rice area of 556.21 km2, and adjusted late rice area of 3138.37 km2. The overall accuracy was 98.10%, with a kappa coefficient of 0.94.
Error Recovery in the Time-Triggered Paradigm with FTT-CAN
Authors: Marques Luis , Vasconcelos Verónica , Pedreiras Paulo , Almeida Luís
Published: January 2018

Data networks are naturally prone to interferences that can corrupt messages, leading to performance degradation or even to critical failure of the corresponding distributed system. To improve resilience of critical systems, time-triggered networks are frequently used, based on communication schedules defined at design-time. These networks offer prompt error detection, but slow error recovery that can only be compensated with bandwidth overprovisioning. On the contrary, the Flexible Time-Triggered (FTT) paradigm uses online traffic scheduling, which enables a compromise between error detection and recovery that can achieve timely recovery with a fraction of the needed bandwidth. This article presents a new method to recover transmission errors in a time-triggered Controller Area Network (CAN) network, based on the Flexible Time-Triggered paradigm, namely FTT-CAN. The method is based on using a server (traffic shaper) to regulate the retransmission of corrupted or omitted messages. We show how to design the server to simultaneously: (1) meet a predefined reliability goal, when considering worst case error recovery scenarios bounded probabilistically by a Poisson process that models the fault arrival rate; and, (2) limit the direct and indirect interference in the message set, preserving overall system schedulability. Extensive simulations with multiple scenarios, based on practical and randomly generated systems, show a reduction of two orders of magnitude in the average bandwidth taken by the proposed error recovery mechanism, when compared with traditional approaches available in the literature based on adding extra pre-defined transmission slots.
Surgical Dynamometer to Simultaneously Measure the Tension Forces and the Distance between Wound Edges during the Closure of a Laparotomy
Authors: Roca Joan , Nogués Miquel , Villalobos Rafael , Mías María , Comellas Martí , Gas Cristina , Olsina Jorge
Published: January 2018

The closure of the abdominal wall after making a laparotomy is a major challenge for surgeons, since a significant percentage of closures fail and incisional hernias rise. The suture has to withstand the forces required to close the incision, while not hindering the adequate wound healing progression. Currently, there is no surgical measuring device that could be used to determine the required closing forces, which can be very different depending on the patient. This paper presents a dynamometer to measure the tension forces to be applied while closing a surgical incision, and it simultaneously measures the distance between wound edges. It is a compass-like instrument. A mechanism between the two legs incorporates a load cell, whose signal is read by an electronic device that computes the values of the tension forces between wound edges. An angular position sensor at the pin joint between legs provides the distance between both sides of the incision. Measuring capabilities of the instrument prototype were verified at the laboratory. Thereafter, its functionality was demonstrated in experimental surgery tests. Therefore, the instrument could be very useful in clinical applications, assisting personalized surgical techniques.
Electromagnetic Acoustic Transducers for Robotic Nondestructive Inspection in Harsh Environments
Authors: Choi Sungho , Cho Hwanjeong , Lindsey Matthew , Lissenden Cliff
Published: January 2018

Elevated temperature, gamma radiation, and geometric constraints inside dry storage casks for spent nuclear fuel represent a harsh environment for nondestructive inspection of the cask and require that the inspection be conducted with a robotic system. Electromagnetic acoustic transducers (EMATs) using non-contact ultrasonic transduction based on the Lorentz force to excite/receive ultrasonic waves are suited for use in the robotic inspection. Periodic permanent magnet EMATs that actuate/receive shear horizontal guided waves are developed for application to robotic nondestructive inspection of stress corrosion cracks in the heat affected zone of welds in stainless steel dry storage canisters. The EMAT’s components are carefully selected in consideration of the inspection environment, and tested under elevated temperature and gamma radiation doses up to 177 °C and 5920 krad, respectively, to evaluate the performance of the EMATs under realistic environmental conditions. The effect of gamma radiation is minimal, but the EMAT’s performance is affected by temperatures above 121 °C due to the low Curie temperature of the magnets. Different magnets are needed to operate at 177 °C. The EMAT’s capability to detect notches is also evaluated from B-scan measurements on 304 stainless steel welded plate containing surface-breaking notches.
Incentive Mechanism of Micro-grid Project Development
Authors: Long Yong , Wang Yu , Pan Chengrong
Published: January 2018

Due to the issue of cost and benefit, the investment demand and consumption demand of micro-grids are insufficient in the early stages, which makes all parties lack motivation to participate in the development of micro-grid projects and leads to the slow development of micro-grids. In order to promote the development of micro-grids, the corresponding incentive mechanism should be designed to motivate the development of micro-grid projects. Therefore, this paper builds a multi-stage incentive model of micro-grid project development involving government, grid corporation, energy supplier, equipment supplier, and the user in order to study the incentive problems of micro-grid project development. Through the solution and analysis of the model, this paper deduces the optimal subsidy of government and the optimal cooperation incentive of the energy supplier, and calculates the optimal pricing strategy of grid corporation and the energy supplier, and analyzes the influence of relevant factors on optimal subsidy and incentive. The study reveals that the cost and social benefit of micro-grid development have a positive impact on micro-grid subsidy, technical level and equipment quality of equipment supplier as well as the fact that government subsidies positively adjust the level of cooperation incentives and price incentives. In the end, the validity of the model is verified by numerical analysis, and the incentive strategy of each participant is analyzed. The research of this paper is of great significance to encourage project development of micro-grids and to promote the sustainable development of micro-grids.
Analysis of Microcystins in Cyanobacterial Blooms from Freshwater Bodies in England
Authors: Turner Andrew , Dhanji-Rapkova Monika , O’Neill Alison , Coates Lewis , Lewis Adam , Lewis Katy
Published: January 2018

Cyanobacterial blooms in freshwater bodies in England are currently monitored reactively, with samples containing more than 20,000 cells/mL of potentially toxin-producing species by light microscopy resulting in action by the water body owner. Whilst significantly reducing the risk of microcystin exposure, there is little data describing the levels of these toxins present in cyanobacterial blooms. This study focused on the quantitative LC-MS/MS analysis of microcystins in freshwater samples, collected across England during 2016 and found to contain potentially toxin-producing cyanobacteria. More than 50% of samples contained quantifiable concentrations of microcystins, with approximately 13% exceeding the WHO medium health threshold of 20 μg/L. Toxic samples were confirmed over a nine-month period, with a clear increase in toxins during late summer, but with no apparent geographical patterns. No statistical relationships were found between total toxin concentrations and environmental parameters. Complex toxin profiles were determined and profile clusters were unrelated to cyanobacterial species, although a dominance of MC-RR was determined in water samples from sites associated with lower rainfall. 100% of samples with toxins above the 20 μg/L limit contained cell densities above 20,000 cells/mL or cyanobacterial scum, showing the current regime is suitable for public health. Conversely, with only 18% of cell density threshold samples having total microcystins above 20 μg/L, there is the potential for reactive water closures to unnecessarily impact upon the socio-economics of the local population. In the future, routine analysis of bloom samples by LC-MS/MS would provide a beneficial confirmatory approach to the current microscopic assessment, aiding both public health and the needs of water users and industry.
Crop and Irrigation Management Systems under Greenhouse Conditions
Authors: García-Caparrós Pedro , Llanderal Alfonso , El-Tarawy Ahmed , Maksimovic Ivana , Lao María
Published: January 2018

Plants of Ruscus aculeatus, known as “butcher’s broom”, Maytenus senegalensis, known as “confetti tree”, and Juncus acutus, known as “spiny rush” were grown in pots with a mixture of sphagnum peat-moss and Perlite in order to determine the effect and evolution over time of three water use systems on plant growth, water saving and nutrient uptake. These were an open system (irrigated with standard nutrient solution) and two closed systems (blended-water (drainage water blended with water of low electrical conductivity (EC)) and sequential reuse of drainage (sequential-reuse) water), over a period of 8 weeks. Irrigation with blended- and sequential-reuse-water increased the biomass of all three species at the end of the experiment, compared to the open system. Overall, sequential-reuse-water treatment maximised biomass production. The application of blended- and sequential-reuse-water allowed savings of 17% of water in comparison to the open system. Regarding Cl, NO3− and H2PO4− loads, there was a removal of 5%, 32% and 32%; respectively in the blended-water treatment and 15%, 17% and 17% in the sequential-reuse water treatment compared to the open system. For the cation loads (Na+, K+, Ca2+ and Mg2+) in these water treatments there was a removal of 10%, 32%, 7% and 18% respectively in the blended-water treatment, and 17%, 22%, 17% and 18% respectively in the sequential-reuse treatment, compared to the open system.
The Downregulation of miR-200c Promotes Lactate Dehydrogenase A Expression and Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Progression
Authors: Lei Wei , Kang Wang , Nan Yang , Lei Zhang , Zhongdong Li , Demin Li , Lei Sun , Hairong Huang
Published: January 2018

This study was aimed to investigate the function and mechanism of microRNA-200c (miR-200c) in the progression of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A total of 76 patients diagnosed as having NSCLC were enrolled in this study. The expression level of miR-200c in NSCLC tissues and cell
lines was investigated using the quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) method. We found that the expression of miR-200c was significantly reduced in NSCLC tissues and cell lines compared with normal lung tissues and the human bronchial epithelial cell line. Overexpression
of miR-200c using the miR-200c mimic significantly suppressed cell proliferation and migration of NSCLC cell lines. The results of the luciferase reporter assay identified lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) as a direct target of miR-200c. The expression of LDHA was shown to be suppressed in NSCLC
cell lines with miR-200c mimic transfection. Furthermore, the transfection of small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting LDHA suppressed the proliferation and migration of NSCLC cell lines. In summary, our results presented in this study suggested that miR-200c was able to inhibit the proliferation
and migration of NSCLC cells by downregulating LDHA. Therefore, miR-200c may be considered as a potential candidate for the treatment of NSCLC.
A Retrospective Comparison of the Clinical Efficacy of Gefitinib, Erlotinib, and Afatinib in Japanese Patients With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Fujiwara Atsushi , Yoshida Masamichi , Fujimoto Hajime , Nakahara Hiroki , Ito Kentaro , Nishihama Kota , Yasuma Taro , Hataji Osamu , Taguchi Osamu , D’Alessandro-Gabazza Corina N. , Gabazza Esteban C. , Kobayashi Tetsu
Published: January 2018

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are very effective against non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) caused by epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation. Before the approval of osimertinib in March 2016, there were only three available EGFR TKIs (gefitinib, erlotinib, and afatinib)
for the therapy of NSCLC in Japan. Osimertinib can be indicated only against T790M+ lung cancer as a second-line therapy. However, whether gefitinib, erlotinib, or afatinib is most appropriate as a first-line therapy is still a controversial issue. The aim of this study was to compare
the effectiveness of gefitinib, erlotinib, and afatinib. We retrospectively reviewed the records of 310 patients with the diagnosis of EGFR mutation-associated NSCLC including 147 patients treated with EGFR TKIs. Time to treatment failure and overall survival were evaluated. There were no
significant differences in time to treatment failure (gefitinib: 9.2 months; erlotinib: 9.8 months; afatinib: 13.1 months) and overall survival (gefitinib: 27.3 months; erlotinib: 29.3 months; afatinib data not available) among NSCLC patients treated with the three different EGFR TKIs. Subgroup
analysis showed that smoking status has a significant influence on both time to treatment failure and overall survival. In conclusion, this study showed comparable clinical efficacy of gefitinib, erlotinib, and afatinib in Japanese patients with NSCLC.
MicroRNA-519d-3p Inhibits Proliferation and Promotes Apoptosis by Targeting HIF-2α in Cervical Cancer Under Hypoxic Conditions
Authors: Jiang Lixia , Shi Shaohua , Shi Qiaofa , Zhang Huijuan , Xia Yu , Zhong Tianyu
Published: January 2018

HIF-2α knockdown inhibits proliferation, arrests the cell cycle, and promotes apoptosis and autophagy under hypoxic conditions in cervical cancer. However, the upstream regulatory mechanism of HIF-2α expression is unclear. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) degrade target mRNAs by binding
to the 3′-untranslated region of mRNAs. In this study, we investigated the role of miRNAs in the regulation of HIF-2α expression in cervical cancer under hypoxic conditions. miRNAs regulating HIF-2α expression were predicted using TargetScan and miRanda and were determined
in cervical cancer under hypoxic conditions by qRT-PCR. Additionally, the targeted regulation of HIF-2α by miR-519d-3p was evaluated by Western blot and luciferase reporter assays. Effects of miR-519d-3p and HIF-2α on cell proliferation, cell cycle, and apoptosis were analyzed
by CCK-8 and flow cytometry assays, respectively. miR-106a-5p, miR-17-5p, miR-519d-3p, miR-526b-3p, and miR-20b-5p are potentially regulatory miRNAs that bound to the HIF-2α 3′-untranslated region as per TargetScan and miRanda predictions. Expression of the five miRNAs was inhibited
in HeLa cells under hypoxic conditions compared to normoxic conditions, and the expression of miR-519d-3p was lower than that of other miRNAs. Luciferase reporter assays showed that HIF-2α was a target of miR-519d-3p. Additionally, miR-519d-3p overexpression inhibited cell proliferation,
arrested the cell cycle transition from the G1 stage to the S stage, and promoted cell apoptosis under hypoxic conditions in cervical cancer. HIF-2α overexpression partially reversed the effect of miR-519d-3p. In conclusion, miR-519d-3p overexpression suppressed proliferation, inhibited the cell cycle, and promoted apoptosis of HeLa cells by targeting HIF-2α under hypoxic conditions.
Long Noncoding RNA ATB Promotes Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion in Bladder Cancer by Suppressing MicroRNA-126
Authors: Zhai Xingquan , Xu Wei
Published: January 2018

This study aimed to explore the biological functions of long noncoding RNA activated by transforming growth factor-β (lncRNA-ATB) in bladder cancer cells. For the expressions of lncRNA-ATB, miR-126, and KRAS, T24 cells were transfected with their specific vectors/shRNA or mimic/inhibitor. Then cell viability, migration, invasion, and apoptosis as well as the protein levels of apoptosis-related factors and PI3K/AKT and mTOR signal pathways were measured. The relationships of lncRNA-ATB and miR-126 or miR-126 and KRAS were analyzed by Dual-Luciferase Reporter assay. Functional experiments showed that lncRNA-ATB overexpression significantly promoted cell viability, migration, and invasion in T24 cells. lncRNA-ATB was a molecular sponge of miR-126 and exerted tumor-promoting effects by downregulation of miR-126. Moreover, KRAS was a direct target of miR-126 and was negatively regulated by miR-126. Finally, overexpression of KRAS increased cell viability, migration, and invasion, as well as activated PI3K/AKT and mTOR signaling pathways in T24 cells. The results revealed that lncRNA-ATB was an oncogene, which promoted cell proliferation, migration, and invasion by regulating miR-126 in bladder cancer. These findings may provide a potential prognostic biomarker and a therapeutic target for bladder cancer.
Aminomethylation/hydrogenolysis as an alternative to direct methylation of metalated isoquinolines – a novel total synthesis of the alkaloid 7-hydroxy-6-methoxy-1-methylisoquinoline
Authors: Melzer Benedikt C , Felber Jan G , Bracher Franz
Published: January 2018

Highly-substituted isoquinolines are important scaffolds in syntheses of natural products and in drug development and hence, effective synthetic approaches are required. Here we present a novel method for the introduction of a methyl group at C1 of isoquinolines. This is exemplified by a new total synthesis of the alkaloid 7-hydroxy-6-methoxy-1-methylisoquinoline. Direct metalation of 7-benzyloxy-6-methoxyisoquinoline with Knochel–Hauser base, followed by cuprate-mediated methylation gives the target alkaloid directly, but separation from the educt is cumbersome. Quenching the metalated intermediate with Eschenmoser’s reagent gives an easy to clean tertiary benzylamine, which, after quaternization with iodomethane, is easily converted into the desired 1-methylisoquinoline by hydrogenolysis of both the benzylamine and benzyl ether groups.
L’archaïque à l’œuvre. Psychothérapie analytique de groupe pour patients psychotiques
Authors: Papathanasiou Evgenia , Toliou Anastasia
Published: January 2018

L’approche théorico-clinique de l’analyse de groupe développée par Jean Claude Rouchy accorde une place importante à l’articulation du dispositif avec le cadre institutionnel ainsi qu’à la manifestation d’éléments psychiques au moyen de processus primaires. Dans cet écrit nous questionnons la spécificité de la pratique analytique de groupe auprès de patients psychotiques soignés en institution psychiatrique depuis de longues années. Après avoir évoqué brièvement le débat sur la psychothérapie des psychoses, nous nous centrons sur notre expérience de groupe conduit à deux. La séquence clinique présentée illustre l’émergence du registre archaïque dans le soin de la psychose et l’instauration progressive d’un processus de secondarisation qui nécessite l’implication subjective des thérapeutes.
Les événements « passés sous silence » dans les institutions : de l’inter- et du transgénérationnel dans les interventions psychosociologiques
Authors: Kessar Zahia
Published: January 2018

L’intervention auprès d’équipes instituées, dans des contextes de changements ou de crise, nous confronte à l’intergénérationnel autour des différentes générations mais aussi au transgénérationnel au travers d’événements traumatiques qui n’ont pas été élaborés. Les équipes se trouvent prises dans des répétitions, un mal être et dans une impossibilité à changer. Au travers d’une situation d’intervention, nous évoquerons les apports de Jean Claude Rouchy et de Monique Soula Desroche, s’inspirant des théories de Nicolas Abraham et de Maria Torok, à la clinique de l’intervention, en particulier autour des questions relevant de l’inter- et du transgénérationnel.
Order-Supply Information Service in Solid Wood Fuel Business
Authors: Serkkola Ari , Terefe Abel , Haverinen Pasi , Haavisto Aapo
Published: January 2018

Forest resource information and real-time order-supply service are significant in wood fuel procurement. Section 1 defines the data sources of solid wood fuel procurement for regional power plants and their material supply chain. Section 2 presents an architecture for the order-supply process of wood fuel, and Section 3 creates an application for managing the supply chain and reporting. The system creates and uses data from different sources: a forest resource information system, wood material webstores, and enterprise resource planning (ERP). The data model, which follows the entity-attribute-value approach, is based on the annual processes of wood fuel procurement. These include wood fuel procurement planning in plants, processing of wood materials, ordering of wood fuel, and reporting. There is the view of the characteristics of PC and mobile services used by the enterprises of solid wood fuels. Reporting includes real-time information for suppliers, effectiveness of transportation and megawatt production, and spatial marking of forest nature reserves and carbon sinks.
Millets as an Integral Part of Nutritional Diet in India
Authors: Hrideek T. K. , Nampoothiri K. U. K.
Published: January 2018

Millets are small grained cereals belonging to the family Gramineae and they include major millets and minor millets. Millets are quite important from the point of food and nutritional security at regional and house hold level. In India's dry lands, they play a significant role in meeting food and fodder requirements of farming communities. Millets are found to have high nutritive value comparable and even superior to major cereals with respect to protein, energy, vitamins and minerals. They are also rich sources of phytochemicals and micronutrients. Since millet is gluten-free, it is an excellent option for the people who are suffering from atherosclerosis, diabetics and heart disease. In the face of increasing population and stagnant wheat and rice production, millets can be a promising alternative in solving the problem of food insecurity and malnutrition, because of their sustainability in adverse agro-climatic conditions. These crops have substantive potential in broadening the genetic diversity of the food basket and ensuring improved food and nutrition security.
Learning in the Laboratory
Authors: Duarte Marina , Baptista Andresa , Pinto Gustavo
Published: January 2018

Using QR codes to access videos in engineering laboratory classes might be a successful way of building a bridge from concrete to digital content. With QR codes placed on an apparatus, students know exactly which video to watch, allowing them to view the videos while performing the experiment or at home when writing the report. Low-cost videos do not require expensive equipment and software, and keeping them short assures a minimum download time for use with smartphones and tablets. The aim of this chapter is to evaluate the importance undergraduate engineering students attribute to these videos and their reaction to the possibility of accessing them with QR codes scanned by a smartphone or a tablet, using access statistics and video viewings to support the findings. Results show students attributed some importance to the videos, and that the QR codes are very helpful as means to quickly and easily access the videos.
Cognitive Route Search Technique for Self-Driving Vehicles
Authors: Hiraishi Hironori , Mizoguchi Fumio
Published: January 2018

This article introduces Time-Constrained Heuristic Search (TCS) as a route search technique that incorporates a cognitive aspect in self-driving vehicles. TCS is a search method using which we can set the time limit to generate a route in advance. The most important feature of TCS is that the node expansion in the latter portion of the journey near the destination tends to be minimized to ensure that the search finishes within the prescribed time limit. TCS conducts a search during the initial portion of the journey that is related to the route the vehicle will move on in the immediate future, but does not take into account the latter portion of the route to a great extent. So, TCS can be regarded as the search technique that selects an option to generate immediate benefit. This characteristic is well-known as the present-oriented bias or the prospect theory in cognitive psychology. Hence, the authors can infer that TCS provides an ability of cognitive judgment to self-driving vehicles.
Economic Dispatch Problems Using Backtracking Search Optimization
Authors: Bhattacharjee Kuntal
Published: January 2018

The purpose of this article is to present a backtracking search optimization technique (BSA) to determine the feasible optimum solution of the economic load dispatch (ELD) problems involving different realistic equality and inequality constraints, such as power balance, ramp rate limits, and prohibited operating zone constraints. Effects of valve-point loading, multi-fuel option of large-scale thermal plants, system transmission loss are also taken into consideration for more realistic application. Two effective operations, mutation and crossover, help BSA algorithms to find the global solution for different optimization problems. BSA has the capability to deal with multimodal problems due to its powerful exploration and exploitation capability. BSA is free from sensitive parameter control operations. Simulation results set up the proposed approach in a better stage compared to several other existing optimization techniques in terms quality of solution and computational efficiency. Results also reveal the robustness of the proposed methodology.
Developing Smart Regions
Authors: Priano Felix Herrera , Armas Rafael Lopez , Guerra Cristina Fajardo
Published: January 2018

Transforming a city into a smart city is a long and complex process. If the aim is to modify large areas (regions/territories), the problem becomes significantly harder. Contrary to what might be expected, combining N smart cities within the same territory will not necessarily lead to a smart region. Although there are several smart-region experiments of an international nature, there is still no benchmark to facilitate this task. In the case of island territories, this task is made less complex due to the common problems that characterize them. This paper analyzes these characteristics, seeks common patterns and proposes a model for the smart development of island territories in an effort to harmonize and optimize the available resources by providing for smart planning that is more orderly, uniform and efficient. To compare the model, we used as a reference the Smart Island proposal designed by the government of Spain as part of its National Plan for Smart Cities (Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism, 2015a).
Business Intelligence Systems Adoption Model
Authors: Rouhani Saeed , Ashrafi Amir , Ravasan Ahad Zare , Afshari Samira
Published: January 2018

Decision support and business intelligence systems have been increasingly adopted in organizations, while understanding the nature of affecting factors on such adoption decisions need receiving much academic interest. This article attempts to provide an in-depth analysis toward understanding the critical factors which affect the decision to adopt business intelligence (BI) in the context of banking and financial industry. In this regard, it examines a conceptual model that shows the impacts of different technological, organizational, and environmental factors in the decision to adopt BI by a firm. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used for data analysis and test the relevant hypothesis. The results of this article which are derived from theoretical discussion of hypothesizes show that from nine hypothesized relationships—perceived tangible and intangible benefits, firm size, organizational readiness, strategy, industry competition and competitors absorptive capacity—affect BIS adoption in the surveyed cases.
Dynamic Analysis and Motion Control of an Underactuated Unmanned Surface Vehicle (WL-II)
Authors: Wu Ying , Yang Shengqiang , Li Wenhui , Liu Daliang , Hou Kang
Published: January 2018

AbstractAn unmanned surface vehicle (USV) is a promising maritime motion platform used to accomplish hundreds of different tasks. This paper presents a design, improved dynamic modeling, and motion control of an underactuated USV, called WL-II. The detailed structure and
component of WL-II are studied first. Then based on WL-II's structure, kinematic and dynamic models are built considering wind as well as sea waves; thus, a nonlinear dynamics model is deduced in the form of a state equation. The hardware and software systems of WL-II are introduced for its
control mechanism. Then, the adaptive sliding mode control (SMC) algorithm for WL-II's motion is examined. The simulation and experimental results validate the superior performance of the proposed algorithm for WL-II's heading control to the regular SMC method. In this paper, improved dynamics,
which consider more parameters (wind and sea waves), are proposed and reasonably simplified for computation. The adaptive SMC is used to control WL-II's motion to improve control precision and reduce response time.
Analytic Characterization of the Wake Behind In-Stream Hydrokinetic Turbines
Authors: Pyakurel Parakram , VanZwieten James H. , Wenlong Tian , Ananthakrishnan Palaniswamy
Published: January 2018

AbstractAnalytical algorithms developed and optimized for quantifying the wake behind in-stream hydrokinetic turbines are presented. These algorithms are based on wake expressions originally developed for wind turbines. Unlike previous related studies, the optimization of
empirical coefficients contained in these algorithms is conducted using centerline velocity data from multiple published experimental studies of the wake velocities behind in-stream hydrokinetic turbine models or porous disks and not using computational fluid dynamics. Empirical coefficients
are first individually optimized based on each set of experimental data, and then empirically based coefficient expressions are created using all of the data sets collectively, such that they are functions of ambient turbulence intensity. This expands the applicability of the created algorithms
to cover the expected range of operating conditions for in-stream hydrokinetic turbines. Wind turbine wake model expressions are also modified to characterize the dependence of wake velocities on radial location from the centerline of in-stream hydrokinetic turbines. Thus, expressions with
empirically optimized coefficients for calculating wake velocities behind in-stream hydrokinetic turbines are described in terms of both centerline and radial positions. Wake predictions made using the Larsen model for radial dependence are shown to diverge from experimental measurements near
the wake radius defined by the Jensen model, suggesting that this is a good indication of the cutoff point beyond which numerical estimations no longer apply. Results suggest that using a combined Larsen/Ainslie approach or combined Jensen/Ainslie approach for characterizing wake have similar
mean errors to using only a Larsen approach.
Lateral Effluent Discharge Apparatus for a Tidal Turbine (Where Does the Water Go?)
Authors: McBride George , Teeraratkul Chayut
Published: January 2018

AbstractTidal energy harvested from flowing ocean waters is a promising sector of renewable energy in many coastal areas of the world. Challenges of cost mean that more efficient turbines are required to make tidal energy comparable with other energy sources. Downeast Turbines
is developing a shrouded tidal turbine with patented rotor and channel system that concentrates ocean currents flowing through. Flow goes in with energy and comes out “spent,” its energy removed. Discharging spent flow back into the tidal stream is not an easy matter to perform,
and two problems are commonly encountered: impaired efficiency of the turbine and impaired efficiency of a tidal turbine farm. Downeast Turbines' Lateral Effluent Discharge Apparatus, with patent application published and patent recently issued, addresses these two problems. It provides a
means to discharge turbine effluent laterally into an acceleration zone of the stream that passes by, instead of directly to the wake downstream.In 2017, a series of two-dimensional computer simulations (2-D CFD) was performed at the University of Rochester to assess how the novel apparatus
works. Nine configuration variations were modeled and tested in varying conditions of ambient flow speed and turbine load. Over 250 simulations were performed, and sample results are provided in figures and a table to show how the novel apparatus performed. Color maps of pressure, velocity
and streamline vectors, and CP performance calculations, all suggest the novel apparatus works. Benefits of the apparatus might improve performance for any shrouded tidal turbine, not just Downeast Turbines' own.
Flea beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) species in canola (Brassicaceae) on the northern Great Plains of North America
Authors: Soroka Juliana , Grenkow Larry , Otani Jennifer , Gavloski John , Olfert Owen
Published: January 2018

Flea beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) species and numbers were determined from yellow sticky traps (n=11 180) set out in canola (Brassica Linnaeus, Brassicaceae) fields at 300 site years and 15 ecoregions across the Canadian Prairie provinces in each spring of 2007–2011 and in North Dakota, United States of America in 2010–2011. Peak numbers and relative species abundance varied with year, site, and ecoregion. Phyllotreta striolata (Fabricius) was most common in northern ecoregions, whereas Phyllotreta cruciferae (Goeze) dominated nearer the 49th parallel. The proportion of P. striolata in northern areas increased dramatically compared with surveys in the 1970s. Phyllotreta striolata displaced Psylliodes punctulata Melsheimer as the most common flea beetle in the Peace River Lowlands, displaced P. cruciferae as the most common flea beetle in the Aspen Parkland of central Alberta, Canada, and increased in proportion in central Saskatchewan and much of Manitoba, Canada. Once rare in southern ecoregions, P. striolata was found there in increasing numbers. Temperature was the most consistent weather parameter to predict occurrence of both P. cruciferae and P. striolata. Although P. striolata became more numerous over years in four of seven principal ecoregions, P. cruciferae remained the predominant species on traps with the highest numbers of flea beetles.
Pointwise Convergence of Solutions to the Schrödinger Equation on Manifolds
Authors: Wang Xing , Zhang Chunjie
Published: January 2018

Let $(M^{n},g)$ be a Riemannian manifold without boundary. We study the amount of initial regularity required so that the solution to a free Schrödinger equation converges pointwise to its initial data. Assume the initial data is in $H^{\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FC}}(M)$. For hyperbolic space, the standard sphere, and the two-dimensional torus, we prove that $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FC}>\frac{1}{2}$ is enough. For general compact manifolds, due to the lack of a local smoothing effect, it is hard to improve on the bound $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FC}>1$ from interpolation. We managed to go below 1 for dimension ${\leqslant}$ 3. The more interesting thing is that, for a one-dimensional compact manifold, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FC}>\frac{1}{3}$ is sufficient.
An integrativist attempt to dissolve and reconstruct Richard Rorty’s conception of ironism
Authors: Odoh Oforbuike S.
Published: January 2018

Richard Rorty draws a distinction between an activity of using old words in new senses for self liberation or private autonomy and an activity of searching ‘‘for theories which will get at real essence.’’ He calls those who engage in the former activity ‘‘ironists,’’ people like Proust, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Hegel and Derrida, and calls those who engage in the latter activity ‘‘metaphysicians,’’ people like Plato, Descartes and Kant (RORTYa 1989, 96—97). The ironists, he says, have radical and continuing doubts about their final vocabularies, because they have been impressed by other vocabularies. Unlike metaphysicians who search for words closer to reality, ironists engage only in playing off new words against old ones. When Rorty realized that this distinction is implausible, that both groups shared a certain unavoidable metaphysical link, he then called for replacement of theory with novel in ironism, which implies replacement of philosophy with literature. Theory, he says, is about general ideas, while the novel is about people. This paper is aimed at averting this implication, by arguing that interpretation of the novel (which is the essence of it) implicates metaphysics and is theory-laden, and that ironism should not be seen in the Rortyan way as that opposed to metaphysics, but as a new (pragmatic) way of doing metaphysics. Integrativism, an African method of philosophy, is employed to dissolve Rorty’s distinction between ironism and metaphysics, and to redescribe ironism as ‘‘innovativism.’’ The method of this work is argumentative, conversational, critical and redescriptive.Keywords: Ironism, metaphysics, integrativism, innovativism, redescription
Corrosion of Polycrystalline Fe-Si Alloys Studied by TMS, CEMS, and XPS
Authors: Idczak Rafał , Idczak Karolina , Konieczny Robert
Published: January 2018

The high-temperature corrosion behavior of three polycrystalline Fe-Si alloys containing approximately 4, 5, and 10 at% Si was studied using transmission Mössbauer spectroscopy (TMS), conversion electron Mössbauer spectroscopy (CEMS), and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The XPS measurements reveal the strong segregation process of silicon atoms to the surface. Moreover, the obtained XPS results suggest that the presence of adsorbed oxygen on the Fe-Si surface effectively enhances the silicon segregation process. On the other hand, the obtained TMS and CEMS spectra show that even 10% of silicon atoms dissolved in the iron matrix do not prevent high-temperature corrosion of the studied Fe-Si alloys. During exposure to air at 870 K, a systematic growth of an α-Fe2O3 compound was observed. Finally, the Mössbauer results show that, during exposure to air, oxygen atoms diffuse to the studied polycrystalline materials not only through the oxide/metal interface on the surface but also along the grain boundaries. Such effects result in the formation of iron oxides in deeper parts of the alloy.
Globalizing the Undergraduate Experience in Agricultural Leadership, Education, Extension, and Communication
Authors: Heinert Seth B. , Roberts T. Grady
Published: January 2018

University graduates are entering a workforce where global competencies are important; yet, a vast majority graduate with limited international educational experience. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to describe themes of international educational experiences currently being offered to students of agricultural leadership, education, extension, and communication. The study was guided by Roberts’ (2006) model of experiential learning contexts. Interviews were conducted with twelve faculty representing diverse departments of agricultural leadership, education, extension, and communications geographically from the West, Southeast, Northeast, and Midwest. Participants indicated five major themes of international educational experiences: curricular experiences, seminars, interactions with international students, co-curricular and extracurricular activities, and international travel. Overall intended outcomes from cited international educational experiences were global awareness, applying theory to practice, providing on roads for students and recruitment, empathy, meeting demand for global learners from industry, and for them to be “life changing.” Recommendations for practice and future research are addressed, as are possible implications for the discipline.
The Chasm Between Beliefs and Practice: A Case Study of the Epistemological Positions of Pre-Service Agricultural Education Teachers
Authors: Roberts Richie , Baker Marshall A. , Goossen Carmelita E.
Published: January 2018

Recent trends in epistemological research suggest that teachers’ epistemological beliefs influence the approaches he or she employs in both teaching and learning. Therefore, the purpose of this instrumental case study was to understand the initial epistemological positions of pre-service agricultural education teachers at Oklahoma State University. The study’s findings are reported through five themes. Themes one, two, three, and four align with Perry’s (1970) four epistemological positions. However, the fifth theme represents an interesting departure from the theory. This theme showcases the lack of continuity between participants’ articulated views and how they propose to operationalize those beliefs as an agricultural educator. As such, we recommend examination into the following questions, “Does the chasm exist beyond first year pre-service teachers?” and “How can the chasm be bridged?”
The Meaning and Relevancy of Innovation and Entrepreneurship: An Exploration of Agriculture Teacher Preparation and Perspectives
Authors: Mars Matthew M.
Published: January 2018

Innovation and entrepreneurship are central components of the nation’s current economic strategy and thus have direct influence over workforce competitiveness within agricultural industries and environments. In this multiple case study, the experiences and perspectives specific to these two components of 21 graduate students preparing or further preparing for careers as school-based agriculture teachers at three Land Grant universities are qualitatively explored. The study reveals how the participants generally understand innovation and entrepreneurship, as well as provides indication of how the formal, non-formal, and informal/incidental learning that takes place during graduate programs of study influence how the participants’ relate the two concepts to their future roles as school-based agriculture teachers. Recommendations for including principles and concepts of innovation and entrepreneurship in graduate-level agriculture teacher preparation programs are developed.