bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Foundation Modeling of a Jack-Up Crane Vessel on the Dynamic Motion Response of an Offshore Wind Turbine Blade During Installation
Authors: Zhao Yuna , Cheng Zhengshun , Gao Zhen , Moan Torgeir
Published: December 2018

Nowadays, there is an increasing demand for use of jack-up crane vessels to install offshore wind turbines. These vessels usually have shallow soil penetration during offshore crane operations because of the requirement of frequent repositioning. The soil-structure interaction should thus be properly modeled for evaluating the motion responses, especially at crane tip at large lifting height. Excessive crane tip motion affects the dynamic responses of the lifted components and subsequently affects the safety and efficiency of operations. The present study addresses the effects of soil behaviour modeling of a typical jack-up crane vessel on the dynamic motion responses of a wind turbine blade during installation using a fully coupled method. The coupled method account for wind loads on the blade and the vessel hull, wave loads on the vessel legs, soil-structure interaction, structural flexibility of the vessel legs and crane, and the mechanical wire couplings. Three models for the soil-leg interactions and two soil types are considered. The foundation modeling is found to have vital effects on the system dynamic motion responses. The characteristics of system motion differ under different types of soil. Compared to the combined linear spring and damper model, the simplified pinned and fixed foundations respectively lead to significant overestimation and underestimation of the motion responses of the blade during installation by jack-up crane vessels. To ensure safe and efficient offshore operations, detailed site specific soil properties should be used in numerical studies of offshore crane operations using jack-up crane vessels.
Snap Load Criteria for Mooring Lines of a Floating Offshore Wind Turbine
Authors: Hsu Wei-Ting , Thiagarajan Krish P. , Manuel Lance
Published: December 2018

There are several challenges facing the design of mooring system of floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs), including installation costs, stability of lightweight minimalistic platforms, and shallow water depths (50–300m). For station keeping of FOWTs, a proper mooring system is required in order to maintain the translational motions in surge and sway and the rotational motions in yaw of the platform within an adequate range. A combination of light pre-tension, shallow water depth and large platform motions in response to a survival storm condition can result in snap-type impact events on mooring lines, thus increasing the line tension dramatically.

In this paper, we present a new snap load criterion applicable to a catenary mooring system and compare it with Det Norske Veritas’ criterion for marine operations. As a case study, we examine the extreme tension on a catenary mooring system of a semi-submersible FOWT exposed to a 100-year storm condition. The software OrcaFlex was used for numerical simulations of the mooring system. NREL’s FAST software was coupled to OrcaFlex to obtain aerodynamic loads along with hydrodynamic loads for FOWT analyses. Snap-type impact events were observed in the numerical simulations and were characterized by two criteria. Tension maxima were fitted using composite Weibull distributions (CWDs) and comparisons of probability exceedance were made for the two different snap load criteria.
Experimental and Numerical Comparison of the Wave Dynamics and Guy Wire Forces of a Very Light FOWT Considering Hydroelastic Behavior
Authors: Xiong Jiang , do Carmo Lucas H. S. , Vieira Daniel P. , de Mello Pedro C. , Malta Edgard B. , Simos Alexandre N. , Suzuki Hideyuki , Gonçalves Rodolfo T.
Published: December 2018

Floating offshore wind turbines (FOWT) have many pros and cons. Among the pros, we can mention the availability of more constant winds and a velocity more suitable to the use of turbines in their optimum efficiency. Among the cons, there are the high costs for installation, mooring lines and the large length of cables required for the energy transmission. In this context, saving structural weights of the floater is, certainly, very welcome.

This paper describes the results of an experimental campaign of a 1/80th scale model FOWT performed in a wave basin. The model consists of a central column connected by pontoons to three equally spaced columns by an angle of 120 degrees. The offset columns are connected to the central tower by guywires. Being structurally light, both pontoons and guywires are subject to the effects of hydroelasticity. In these preliminary tests of the concept, only waves were considered, hence wind effects are not yet addressed. The analysis is based on the first order motions of the FOWT, the tension at the guywires, and the strain at the pontoons.

The results are compared with numerical simulations obtained with the software NK-UTWind, developed at the University of Tokyo, and METiS - USP, currently being developed at the University of São Paulo. Furthermore, the floater motions are also analyzed using the commercial software WAMIT, to provide a better insight on the physics involved by using a different approach to the calculation of hydrodynamic forces.
On Short-Term Fatigue Analysis for Wind Turbine Tower of Two Semi-Submersible Wind Turbines Including Effect of Startup and Shutdown Processes
Authors: Luan Chenyu , Moan Torgeir
Published: December 2018

Fatigue limit state design check based on S-N curve and Palmgren-Miner rule approach is required by design standards for floating wind turbines since floating wind turbines are subjected cyclically varying environmental loads. Fatigue damage over a given period could be considered as a summation of short-term fatigue damage of each stationary environmental condition multiplying by the number of occurrence of the environmental condition during the given period. In reality, environmental condition varies continuously. While fatigue damage due to transient load processes that are induced by startup and shutdown operations cannot be captured by this conventional approach. Large data bases of real-time measurements show shutdown and startup operations may appear in any operational conditions and the number of the operations could be considerable. Analysis for startup and shutdown operations induced fatigue damage is required by standards for offshore wind turbines. However, relevant publications addressing this issue are very limited in particular for floating wind turbines. In contrast to bottom fixed wind turbines, floating wind turbines have rigid-body motions in 6 d.o.f.s, while the floating wind turbine hulls are moored by mooring lines rather than directly mounted on sea bed or land.

This paper focuses on shedding light on the importance of startup and shutdown induced transient load processes on fatigue damage in the tower of two MW-level horizontal axis semi-submersible wind turbines by comparing short-term fatigue damage in several environmental conditions with and without transient load processes induced by startup and shutdown of the wind turbines. In some situations, 4,600 seconds short-term fatigue damage may be dominated by the transient load process induced fatigue damage which may make the fatigue damage be increased by up to 300%, while in many cases, the fatigue damage may be increased by 10% to 100%. The importance of the transient load processes on long-term fatigue damage is related to occurrence frequency of startup and shutdown events and needs more analysis in future.
Parametric Study of a Counter Weight Suspension System for the TetraSpar Floating Wind Turbine
Authors: Pereyra Brandon T. , Jiang Zhiyu , Gao Zhen , Andersen Morten T. , Stiesdal Henrik
Published: December 2018

New floating wind turbine designs are needed to reduce production costs and to increase mass production feasibility. The TetraSpar floating wind turbine achieves these goals by being constructed using components highly suitable for standardization and industrialization. The design makes use of a suspended submerged counter weight to obtain a low center of gravity of the floating system, while also allowing a low draft during transport and installation. This novel concept requires a multibody modeling approach to perform a dynamic load and response analysis, as the stiffness between the floating platform and the counter weight is provided by chains. Additional design criteria are required for the counter weight system dependent on a combination of chain capacity and maintaining positive tension in all of the lines. To satisfy these design criteria a global hydrodynamic load and response analysis of the floater and counter weight is performed. In this concept, the counter weight depth contributes significantly to the dynamic properties of the system and therefore a parametric study is conducted. The global response parameters of the rigid-body motion natural frequencies, nacelle accelerations, counter weight chain tensions, and maximum platform-pitch angles are compared. Design recommendations are made for the configuration of counter weight depth and suspension system layout.
Simulation of a Floating Offshore Wind Turbine With an Integrated Response Mitigation Technology
Authors: Allen Christopher K. , Goupee Andrew J. , Lindner Jeffrey , Berry Robert
Published: December 2018

This work investigates the implementation of a novel, NASA-developed Fluid Harmonic Absorber (FHA) technology to mitigate platform motions and structural loads that can lead to lighter platforms, increased turbine performance, and ultimately, a lower LCOE. The novel damping strategy takes advantage of existing water ballast in the VolturnUS semi-submersible platform to achieve significant performance gains with minimal additional equipment and complexity. NREL’s FOWT software FAST is modified to include the primary features of the FHA technology. A study of the University of Maine-developed VolturnUS semi-submersible FOWT augmented with FHA technology is undertaken to quantify global performance of the system. When compared to the baseline technology, numerical simulations of a redesigned platform utilizing the FHA dampers indicate a reduction of 15.8% in hull structural material. Finally, the improvements in LCOE resulting from this mass reduction are assessed to demonstrate the advantages of NASA’s FHA technology for FOWT applications.
Modeling Breaking Waves for Fixed-Bottom Support Structures for Offshore Wind Turbines
Authors: Johlas Hannah M. , Hallowell Spencer , Xie Shengbai , Lomonaco Pedro , Lackner Matthew A. , Arwade Sanjay A. , Myers Andrew T. , Schmidt David P.
Published: December 2018

Fixed-bottom offshore wind turbines (OWTs) are typically located in shallow to intermediate water depth, where waves are likely to break. Support structure designs for such turbines must account for loads due to breaking waves, but predictions from breaking wave models often disagree with each other and with observed behavior. This variability indicates the need for a better understanding of each model’s strengths and limitations, especially for different ocean conditions. This work evaluates and improves the accuracy of common breaking wave criteria through comparison to Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations of breaking waves. The simulated ocean conditions are representative of potential U.S. East Coast offshore wind energy development sites, but the discussion of model accuracy and limitations can be applied to any location with similar ocean conditions. The waves are simulated using CONVERGE, a commercial CFD software that uses a Volume of Fluid (VOF) approach and includes adaptive mesh refinement at the evolving air-water interface. First, the CFD model is validated against experimental data for shoaling and breaking wave surface elevations. Second, 2D simulations of breaking waves are compared to widely-used breaking wave limits (McCowan, Miche, and Goda) for different combinations of wave height, wavelength, water depth, and seafloor slope. Based on these comparisons, the accuracy and limitations of each breaking limit model are discussed. General usage guidelines are then recommended.
Multicomponent new particle formation from sulfuric acid, ammonia, and biogenic vapors
Authors: Lehtipalo Katrianne , Yan Chao , Dada Lubna , Bianchi Federico , Xiao Mao , Wagner Robert , Stolzenburg Dominik , Ahonen Lauri R. , Amorim Antonio , Baccarini Andrea , Bauer Paulus S. , Baumgartner Bernhard , Bergen Anton , Bernhammer Anne-Kathrin , Breitenlechner Martin , Brilke Sophia , Buchholz Angela , Mazon Stephany Buenrostro , Chen Dexian , Chen Xuemeng , Dias Antonio , Dommen Josef , Draper Danielle C. , Duplissy Jonathan , Ehn Mikael , Finkenzeller Henning , Fischer Lukas , Frege Carla , Fuchs Claudia , Garmash Olga , Gordon Hamish , Hakala Jani , He Xucheng , Heikkinen Liine , Heinritzi Martin , Helm Johanna C. , Hofbauer Victoria , Hoyle Christopher R. , Jokinen Tuija , Kangasluoma Juha , Kerminen Veli-Matti , Kim Changhyuk , Kirkby Jasper , Kontkanen Jenni , Kürten Andreas , Lawler Michael J. , Mai Huajun , Mathot Serge , Mauldin Roy L. , Molteni Ugo , Nichman Leonid , Nie Wei , Nieminen Tuomo , Ojdanic Andrea , Onnela Antti , Passananti Monica , Petäjä Tuukka , Piel Felix , Pospisilova Veronika , Quéléver Lauriane L. J. , Rissanen Matti P. , Rose Clémence , Sarnela Nina , Schallhart Simon , Schuchmann Simone , Sengupta Kamalika , Simon Mario , Sipilä Mikko , Tauber Christian , Tomé António , Tröstl Jasmin , Väisänen Olli , Vogel Alexander L. , Volkamer Rainer , Wagner Andrea C. , Wang Mingyi , Weitz Lena , Wimmer Daniela , Ye Penglin , Ylisirniö Arttu , Zha Qiaozhi , Carslaw Kenneth S. , Curtius Joachim , Donahue Neil M. , Flagan Richard C. , Hansel Armin , Riipinen Ilona , Virtanen Annele , Winkler Paul M. , Baltensperger Urs , Kulmala Markku , Worsnop Douglas R.
Published: December 2018

Atmospheric aerosol formation from biogenic vapors is strongly affected by air pollutants, like NO

x

, SO
2
, and NH
3
.
Reimagining the human
Authors: Crist Eileen
Published: December 2018

A human-centric worldview is blinding humanity to the consequences of our actions
(Over)eating out at major UK restaurant chains: observational study of energy content of main meals
Authors: Robinson Eric , Jones Andrew , Whitelock Victoria , Mead Bethan R , Haynes Ashleigh
Published: December 2018

Objectives

To examine the energy content of main meals served in major UK restaurant chains and compare the energy content of meals in fast food and “full service” restaurant chains.

Design

Observational study.

Setting

Menu and nutritional information provided by major UK restaurant chains.

Main outcome measures

Mean energy content of meals, proportion of meals meeting public health recommendations for energy consumption (≤600 kcal), and proportion of meals with excessive energy content (≥1000 kcal).

Results

Main meals from 27 restaurant chains (21 full service; 6 fast food) were sampled. The mean energy content of all eligible restaurant meals (13 396 in total) was 977 (95% confidence interval 973 to 983) kcal. The percentage of all meals that met public health recommendations for energy content was low (9%; n=1226) and smaller than the percentage of meals with an excessive energy content (47%; 6251). Compared with fast food restaurants, full service restaurants offered significantly more excessively calorific main meals, fewer main meals meeting public health recommendations, and on average 268 (103 to 433) kcal more in main meals.

Conclusions

The energy content of a large number of main meals in major UK restaurant chains is excessive, and only a minority meet public health recommendations. Although the poor nutritional quality of fast food meals has been well documented, the energy content of full service restaurant meals in the UK tends to be higher and is a cause for concern.

Registration

Study protocol and analysis strategy pre-registered on Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/w5h8q/).
Updated BTS Adult Bronchiectasis Guideline 2018: a multidisciplinary approach to comprehensive care
Authors: Hill Adam T , Welham Sally A , Sullivan Anita L , Loebinger Michael R
Published: December 2018

The new British Thoracic Society (BTS) Guideline for Bronchiectasis in Adults has been published. This article provides a summary of key highlights of the new BTS Guideline and covers who to investigate, what investigations should be carried out and a management strategy.
Experimental and numerical studies of bolted joints subjected to torsional excitation
Authors: Liu Xuetong , Liu Jianhua , Ouyang Huajiang , Cai Zhenbing , Peng Jinfang , Zhu Minhao
Published: December 2018

The dynamic response of bolted joints subjected to torsional excitation is investigated experimentally and numerically. First, the effects of the initial preload and the angular amplitude on axial force loss of the bolt were studied. Second, the change of hysteresis loops with the increasing number of loading cycles was found under a larger torsional angle. At last, a fine-meshed three-dimensional finite element model was built to simulate the bolted joint under torsional excitation, from which the hysteresis loops were obtained under varying angular amplitudes. The results of numerical analysis are in good agreement with those of experiments.
Geometric classification of warped product submanifolds of nearly Kaehler manifolds with a slant fiber
Authors: Ali Akram , Lee Jae Won , Alkhaldi Ali H.
Published: December 2018

There are two types of warped product pseudo-slant submanifolds, [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], in a nearly Kaehler manifold. We derive an optimization for an extrinsic invariant, the squared norm of second fundamental form, on a nontrivial warped product pseudo-slant submanifold [Formula: see text] in a nearly Kaehler manifold in terms of a warping function and a slant angle when the fiber [Formula: see text] is a slant submanifold. Moreover, the equality is verified for depending on what [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are, and also we show that if the equality holds, then [Formula: see text] is a simply Riemannian product. As applications, we prove that the warped product pseudo-slant submanifold has the finite Kinetic energy if and only if [Formula: see text] is a totally real warped product submanifold.
RelationLines
Authors: Chen Wei , Xia Jing , Wang Xumeng , Wang Yi , Chen Jun , Chang Liang
Published: December 2018

The increased accessibility of urban sensor data and the popularity of social network applications is enabling the discovery of crowd mobility and personal communication patterns. However, studying the egocentric relationships of an individual can be very challenging because available data may refer to direct contacts, such as phone calls between individuals, or indirect contacts, such as paired location presence. In this article, we develop methods to integrate three facets extracted from heterogeneous urban data (timelines, calls, and locations) through a progressive visual reasoning and inspection scheme. Our approach uses a detect-and-filter scheme such that, prior to visual refinement and analysis, a coarse detection is performed to extract the target individual and construct the timeline of the target. It then detects spatio-temporal co-occurrences or call-based contacts to develop the egocentric network of the individual. The filtering stage is enhanced with a line-based visual reasoning interface that facilitates a flexible and comprehensive investigation of egocentric relationships and connections in terms of time, space, and social networks. The integrated system, RelationLines, is demonstrated using a dataset that contains taxi GPS data, cell-base mobility data, mobile calling data, microblog data, and point-of-interest (POI) data from a city with millions of citizens. We examine the effectiveness and efficiency of our system with three case studies and user review.
Permeability, Interoperability, and Velocity
Authors: Jabbar Karim , Bjørn Pernille
Published: December 2018

Blockchain can potentially be appropriated as a social computing technology, which enables transactions across people and artefacts via a large socio-technical information infrastructure constituted by the actions of multiple people and computers. However, Blockchain is not a social computing technology
a priori
; instead to emerge as one, much effort and work is required to radically transform existing domains, including wrestling with traditions, standards, and legacy. In this article, we expand on previous work on Blockchain as an information infrastructure, and on the notion of
infrastructural grind.
Infrastructural grind allows us to analytically explore how the emerging Blockchain technology is appropriated into established business domains, in our case the shipping industry. We present ethnographic data unpacking three different accounts of infrastructural grind taking place at the intersection of the shipping and the Blockchain information infrastructures. The results demonstrate that infrastructural grind occurs as a result of various infrastructuring activities taking place at different intersections between the two infrastructures and is constituted of the sum of these activities. We propose a framework in which infrastructural grind is constituted of three entangled dimensions:
permeability, interoperability
, and
velocity
. These socio-technical dimensions relate to infrastructural properties such as legacy, embeddedness, and standards, as well as to technical properties of specific solutions deployed at specific points of infrastructural grind. Our analysis shows that these dimensions are enacted differently along the shipping supply chain, and depending on the dynamic interplay between them at various points of infrastructural grind. At different points in time, the infrastructural grind between Blockchain and the shipping domain will thus manifest itself differently and at differential velocity.
Interview with Dr. Magda El Zarki and Dr. De-Yu Chen
Authors: Zarki Magda El , Chen De-Yu , Engelbrecht Herman
Published: December 2018

The ACM Multimedia Systems conference (MMSys'18) was recently held in Amsterdam from 9-15 June 2018. The conferencs brings together researchers in multimedia systems. Four workshops were co-located with MMSys, namely PV'18, NOSSDAV'18, MMVE'18, and NetGames'18. In this column we interview Magda El Zarki and De-Yu Chen, the authors of the best workshop paper entitled "Improving the Quality of 3D Immersive Interactive Cloud-Based Services Over Unreliable Network" that was presented at MMVE'18.
Pharyngoesophageal and cardiorespiratory interactions: potential implications for premature infants at risk of clinically significant cardiorespiratory events
Authors: Hasenstab Kathryn A. , Nawaz Saira , Lang Ivan M. , Shaker Reza , Jadcherla Sudarshan R.
Published: December 2018

The aims of this study were to 1) examine pharyngoesophageal and cardiorespiratory responses to provoking pharyngeal stimuli, and 2) to determine potential contributory factors impacting heart rate (HR) changes to provide insight into cardiorespiratory events occurring in preterm infants. Forty-eight neonates (19 females and 29 males, born at 27.7 ± 0.5 wk; mean ± SE) pending discharge on full oral feeds were studied at 38.7 ± 0.2 wk postmenstrual age using concurrent pharyngoesophageal manometry, electrocardiography, respiratory inductance plethysmography, and nasal airflow thermistor. Pharyngoesophageal and cardiorespiratory responses (prevalence, latency, and duration) were quantified upon abrupt pharyngeal water stimuli (0.1, 0.3, and 0.5 ml in triplicate). Mixed linear models and generalized estimating equations were used for comparisons between HR changes. Contributory factors included stimulus characteristics and subject characteristics. Of 338 pharyngeal stimuli administered, HR increased in 23 (7%), decreased in 108 (32%), and remained stable in 207 (61%) neonates. HR decrease resulted in repetitive swallowing, increased respiratory-rhythm disturbance, and decreased esophageal propagation rates (all, P < 0.05). HR responses were related to stimulus volume, stimulus flow rate, and extreme prematurity (all, P < 0.05). In preterm infants, HR remains stable in a majority of pharyngeal provocations. HR decrease, due to pharyngeal stimulation, is related to aberrant pharyngoesophageal motility and respiratory dysregulation and is magnified by prematurity. We infer that the observed aberrant responses across digestive, respiratory, and cardiovascular systems are related to maladaptive maturation of the parasympathetic nervous system. These aberrant responses may provide diagnostic clues for risk stratification of infants with troublesome cardiorespiratory events and swallowing difficulty.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Cardiorespiratory rhythms concurrent with pharyngeal, upper esophageal sphincter, and esophageal body responses were examined upon pharyngeal provocation in preterm-born infants who were studied at full-term maturation. Decreased heart rate (HR) was associated with extreme preterm birth and stimulus flow/volume. With HR decrease responses, aerodigestive reflex abnormalities were present, characterized by prolonged respiratory rhythm disturbance, repetitive multiple swallowing, and poor esophageal propagation. Promoting esophageal peristalsis may be a potential therapeutic target.
A Turn-On Fluorescent Probe for Sensitive Detection of Cysteine in a Fully Aqueous Environment and in Living Cells
Authors: Ma Xiaohua , Wu Guoguang , Zhao Yuehua , Yuan Zibo , Zhang Yu , Xia Ning , Yang Mengnan , Liu Lin
Published: December 2018

We reported here a turn-on fluorescent probe (1) for the detection of cysteine (Cys) by incorporating the recognition unit of 2,4-dinitrobenzenesulfonyl ester (DNBS) to a coumarin derivative. The structure of the obtained probe was confirmed by NMR and HRMS techniques. The probe shows a remarkable fluorescence off-on response (∼52-fold) by the reaction with Cys in 100% aqueous buffer. The sensing mechanism was verified by the HPLC test. Probe 1 also displays high selectivity towards Cys. The detection limit was calculated to be 23 nM. Moreover, cellular experiments demonstrated that the probe is highly biocompatible and can be used for monitoring intracellular Cys.
The Diagnosis and Therapy of Degenerative Knee Joint Disease: Expert Consensus from the Chinese Pain Medicine Panel
Authors: Huang Dong , Liu Yan-Qing , Liang Li-Shuang , Lin Xue-Wu , Song Tao , Zhuang Zhi-Gang , Wang Suo-Liang , Bao Hong-Guang , Wang Lin , Zhang Xian-Wei , Cheng Zhi-Gang , Duan Bao-Lin , Qiu Wei-Dong , Xiong Yuan-Chang , Liu Jin-Feng
Published: December 2018

At present, there are many constantly updated guidelines and consensuses on the diagnosis and treatment of osteoarthritis both at home and abroad. The recommendations established using methods of evidence-based medicine has experienced strict research on controlling bias and promoting reproduction rate. As a result, the previous evidence was reevaluated, and a lot of changes were provoked in the diagnosis and treatment concept of osteoarthritis. However, several methods not recommended by foreign guidelines are still in use in the current clinical practice in China. On the one hand, Chinese experts have not reached extensive consensus on whether it is necessary to make changes according to foreign guidelines. On the other hand, almost all the current relevant guidelines are on osteoarthritis, but the lesions around knee joints which, as a whole, bear the largest weight in human body, cannot be ignored. For this purpose, Chinese Association for the Study of Pain (CASP) organized some leading experts to formulate this Chinese Pain Specialist Consensus on the diagnosis and treatment of degenerative knee osteoarthritis (DKOA) in combination with the guidelines in foreign countries and the expert experience of clinical practice in China. The consensus, which includes the definition, pathophysiology, epidemiology, clinical manifestation, diagnostic criteria, and treatments of DKOA, is intended to be used by first-line doctors, including pain physicians to manage patients with DKOA.
Defensive Driving: Directing HIV-1 Vaccine-Induced Humoral Immunity to the Mucosa with Chemokine Adjuvants
Authors: Gary Ebony N. , Kutzler Michele A.
Published: December 2018

A myriad of pathogens gain access to the host via the mucosal route; thus, vaccinations that protect against mucosal pathogens are critical. Pathogens such as HIV, HSV, and influenza enter the host at mucosal sites such as the intestinal, urogenital, and respiratory tracts. All currently licensed vaccines mediate protection by inducing the production of antibodies which can limit pathogen replication at the site of infection. Unfortunately, parenteral vaccination rarely induces the production of an antigen-specific antibody at mucosal surfaces and thus relies on transudation of systemically generated antibody to mucosal surfaces to mediate protection. Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissues (MALTs) consist of a complex network of immune organs and tissues that orchestrate the interaction between the host, commensal microbes, and pathogens at these surfaces. This complexity necessitates strict control of the entry and exit of lymphocytes in the MALT. This control is mediated by chemoattractant chemokines or cytokines which recruit immune cells expressing the cognate receptors and adhesion molecules. Exploiting mucosal chemokine trafficking pathways to mobilize specific subsets of lymphocytes to mucosal tissues in the context of vaccination has improved immunogenicity and efficacy in preclinical models. This review describes the novel use of MALT chemokines as vaccine adjuvants. Specific attention will be placed upon the use of such adjuvants to enhance HIV-specific mucosal humoral immunity in the context of prophylactic vaccination.
Effective Denoising of Firing Shock Force on Shoulder by Morphological Wavelet
Authors: Lu Ye , Zhou Ke-dong , Gong Peng-han , Li Bing
Published: December 2018

Wavelet transform is one of the most desirable tools for depressing noise. However, the traditional linear wavelets are not always suitable for any real world signals with strong background noises. In this work, we present a new morphological wavelet, named averaged dilation‐erosion morphological wavelet (ADEMW), for depressing the noise in signals of firing shock force on the shoulder. Simulated signals with different SNRs are generated to evaluate and compare the proposed new wavelet scheme with the traditional linear wavelet and another two morphological wavelets presented in literature. Experimental results reveal that the presented ADEMW gives the most promising noise suppression performance. Then, the ADEMW is employed to process the real‐world signals acquired from a firing shock force testing system. Processing results demonstrate that the ADEMW also outperforms another three wavelets obviously for depressing the strong background noise in the signals of firing shock force on the shoulder. The main impulsive components in the firing shock force can be clearly detected for analyzing the impacts on shoulder during the shooting process. The presented ADEMW scheme has provided a novel desirable tool for analyzing the complicated signals with strong noise.
Evaluation and Correction of GPM IMERG Precipitation Products over the Capital Circle in Northeast China at Multiple Spatiotemporal Scales
Authors: Sun Wei , Sun Yonghua , Li Xiaojuan , Wang Tao , Wang Yanbing , Qiu Qi , Deng Zhitian
Published: December 2018

Accurate remote-sensed precipitation data are crucial to the effective monitoring and analysis of floods and climate change. The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) satellite product offers new options for the global study of precipitation. This paper evaluates the applicability of GPM IMERG products at different time resolutions in comparison to ground-measured data. Based on precipitation data from 107 meteorological stations in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, GPM products were analysed at three timescales: half-hourly (GPM-HH), daily (GPM-D), and monthly (GPM-M). We use a cumulative distribution function (CDF) model to correct GPM-D and GPM-M products to analyse temporal and spatial distributions of precipitation. We came to the following conclusions: (1) The GPM-M product is strongly correlated with ground station data. Based on five evaluation indexes, NRMSE (Normalized Root Mean Square Error), NSE (Nash-Sutcliffe), FAR (False Alarm Ratio), UR (Underreporting Rate), and CSI (Critical Success Index), the monthly GPM products showed the best performance, better than GPM-HH products and GPM-D products. (2) The performance of GPM products in summer and autumn was better than in winter and spring. However, the GPM satellite’s precision in undulating terrain was poor, which could easily lead to serious errors. (3) CDF models were successfully used to modify GPM-D and GPM-M products and improve their accuracy. (4) The range of 0–100 mm precipitation could be corrected best, but the GPM-M products were underestimated. Corrected GPM-M data in the range >100 mm were overestimated. According to this analysis, the GPM IMERG Final Run products at daily and monthly timescales have good detection ability and can provide data support for long-time series analyses in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.
Human Factors and Errors in Security Aviation: An Ergonomic Perspective
Authors: Arcúrio Michelle S. F. , Nakamura Eliane S. , Armborst Talita
Published: December 2018

In a previous study we have identified the incidence of human factors and errors in the security screening process, concerning the Brazilian civil aviation. This finding led to the analysis of labor activity in the security checkpoint from an ergonomic perspective. The objective of this study was to evaluate the various labor conditions in the security checkpoints of Brazilian airports, in order to promote safer and higher performance of the AVSEC professionals, as well as the security equipment. For this purpose, we analyzed 14 of 60 questions of a self-observation questionnaire based on the theory of Generic Error–Modelling System (GEMS) and the four themes about human factors recommended by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The questionnaire was responded to by 602 AVSEC professionals who worked in the security checkpoints of 18 Brazilian airports. Our analysis focused on the preponderant indexes of each question, taking into account the sequential arrangement in which the questions were displaced in the questionnaire and the classification of human factors and errors.
A Thin and Broadband Linear-to-Circular Polarizer Based on Grid-Patch Structure for Ku-Band
Authors: Hu Hao-ming , Zhou Dong-fang , Lei Xue , Wu Jun-mo
Published: December 2018

A three-layer circular polarization selective surface operating in Ku-band is proposed in this communication. We design a thin grid-patch structure to achieve linear-to-circular polarization transformation over a wide frequency band. The periodic structure could be analyzed via equivalent circuit model theory. Numerical simulations have been carried out and the prototype structures have been fabricated and experimentally validated. The axial ratio (AR) of the transmitted field remained below 3 dB over the entire bandwidth, and the 3 dB AR bandwidth is approximately 44.6%. The design has a subwavelength thickness of 6 mm (0.28λc). Besides, this design could be also applied to beam scanning antennas because of its capability in condition of large oblique incidence angle (±50 deg).
Decay of Strong Solutions for 4D Navier-Stokes Equations Posed on Lipschitz Domains
Authors: Larkin N. A.
Published: December 2018

Initial-boundary value problems for 4D Navier-Stokes equations posed on bounded and unbounded 4D parallelepipeds were considered. The existence and uniqueness of regular global solutions on bounded parallelepipeds and their exponential decay as well as the existence, uniqueness, and exponential decay of strong solutions on an unbounded parallelepiped have been established provided that initial data and domains satisfy some special conditions.
Dietary Diversity and Associated Factors among HIV Positive Adult Patients Attending Public Health Facilities in Motta Town, East Gojjam Zone, Northwest Ethiopia, 2017
Authors: Tesfaw Addisu , Jara Dube , Temesgen Habtamu
Published: December 2018

Introduction. Dietary diversity is defined as the amount of different food groups or foods that are consumed over a specific reference time. The human immune deficiency virus problem remains one of the main public health challenges, especially in low and middle income countries. Nutrition has been linked to both the transmission of human immune deficiency virus and poor outcomes related to human immune deficiency virus. Objective. To assess dietary diversity and associated factors among human immune deficiency virus positive adult patients in Motta administrative town, Northwest Ethiopia, 2017. Methods. A facility based cross-sectional study design was conducted on 410 study participants selected using a stratified sampling technique with proportional allocation. The data were collected using semi-structured and pretested questionnaire. Data were entered into Epi-Data version 3.1 and analysis was performed using SPSS version 20. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the number and percentage of the study variables. The bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were done to identify the independent factors associated with dietary diversity among adult human immune virus (HIV) positive patients. Result. A total of 410 study participants were included in the analysis. Of the total, 121 (29.5%) of adult HIV positive respondents consumed diversified diet with the mean dietary diversity score of 3.2 (SD±1.88). The predominant food item consumed during the study periods was starchy staples (96.1%) and legumes (81.7%). Having means of communication cell phone (mobile phone) [(AOR= 2.13 (1.16, 3.60)], media exposure status in the household [(AOR =1.95 (1.22, 3.11)] and nutrition counselling [(AOR =2.17 (1.09, 4.67)] were significant factors associated with dietary diversified feeding at 95% CI. Conclusion. The study revealed that low dietary diversity score was significant nutritional problem among HIV positive adults in Motta town health facilities. Having mobile cell phone, media exposure status and nutritional counseling were significantly associated with dietary diversity score. Therefore efforts should be strengthened to improve the counseling service at each health institution and encourage the patients to use media for the source of information.
Microscale Patterning of Electrochromic Polymer Films via Soft Lithography
Authors: Jung Jae-Yeong , Joo Seokwon , Kim Da-Seul , Kim Kyoung-Hwan , Shim Tae Soup , Seo Soonmin , Kim Ju-Hyung
Published: December 2018

We present a direct fabrication technique of patterned polymeric electrochromic (EC) devices via soft lithography, enabling both negative patterning and positive patterning of the polymer. For this work, elastomeric polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) molds were employed as not only stamps for direct contact printing of polymer inks but also templates for dewetting of polymer solutions under mild experimental conditions. We performed both negative patterning and positive patterning of a prototypical EC polymer and investigated the EC device characteristics according to solvents, solution concentrations, and pattern types. Eventually, the complex patterns, which cannot be realized by conventional shadow masking processes, and large-area structures were successfully demonstrated. We anticipate that these results will be applied to the development of various patterned devices and circuits, which may lead to further applications.
Comparison of the Proliferation and Differentiation Potential of Human Urine-, Placenta Decidua Basalis-, and Bone Marrow-Derived Stem Cells
Authors: Wu Chengguang , Chen Long , Huang Yi-zhou , Huang Yongcan , Parolini Ornella , Zhong Qing , Tian Xiaobin , Deng Li
Published: December 2018

Human multipotent stem cell-based therapies have shown remarkable potential in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering applications due to their abilities of self-renewal and differentiation into multiple adult cell types under appropriate conditions. Presently, human multipotent stem cells can be isolated from different sources, but variation among their basic biology can result in suboptimal selection of seed cells in preclinical and clinical research. Thus, the goal of this study was to compare the biological characteristics of multipotent stem cells isolated from human bone marrow, placental decidua basalis, and urine, respectively. First, we found that urine-derived stem cells (USCs) displayed different morphologies compared with other stem cell types. USCs and placenta decidua basalis-derived mesenchymal stem cells (PDB-MSCs) had superior proliferation ability in contrast to bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs); these cells grew to have the highest colony-forming unit (CFU) counts. In phenotypic analysis using flow cytometry, similarity among all stem cell marker expression was found, excluding CD29 and CD105. Regarding stem cell differentiation capability, USCs were observed to have better adipogenic and endothelial abilities as well as vascularization potential compared to BMSCs and PDB-MSCs. As for osteogenic and chondrogenic induction, BMSCs were superior to all three stem cell types. Future therapeutic indications and clinical applications of BMSCs, PDB-MSCs, and USCs should be based on their characteristics, such as growth kinetics and differentiation capabilities.
Effect of a Topical Combination of Latanoprost and Pranoprofen on Intraocular Pressure and the Ocular Surface in Open-Angle Glaucoma Patients
Authors: Zhu Simin , Wang Dabo , Han Jing
Published: December 2018

Objective. A prospective study was performed to observe the effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) eyedrops on intraocular pressure (IOP) and the ocular surface in primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) patients treated with 0.005% latanoprost eyedrops.Methods. Forty-eight subjects were randomized into two study groups (NSAID and control). Latanoprost was continued for 10 weeks in all subjects. At the end of week 4, pranoprofen was added in the NSAID group, and treatment lasted for 4 weeks, whereas patients in the control group were treated with latanoprost alone. IOP was measured in both groups every 2 weeks, and the changes in the ocular surface in the NSAID group were evaluated once a month.Results. Pranoprofen addition resulted in a decrease in IOP in the NSAID group compared to the control group (p<0.01). After pranoprofen was discontinued, IOP significantly increased in the NSAID group (p<0.01), remaining approximately at the same IOP as when they were being treated with latanoprost alone. During the same examination, no significant variations in IOP were found in the control group. Patients who were treated with latanoprost alone showed gradual improvements in ocular surface symptom scores and conjunctival hyperemia scores during the first four weeks of treatment (p<0.01). When pranoprofen eyedrops were added, ocular surface symptom scores decreased (p<0.01), but conjunctival hyperemia scores did not change significantly.Conclusions. For POAG patients treated with latanoprost, the combination of pranoprofen can not only significantly enhance the latanoprost-induced IOP-lowering effect but also relieve the uncomfortable ocular symptoms caused by latanoprost.
Thermal Stress Coupling Analysis of Ventilated Disc Brake Based on Moving Heat Source
Authors: Pan Gongyu , Cai Rongyu
Published: December 2018

There is a thermomechanical coupling phenomenon in the braking process of vehicle disc brakes. Since the solution time of the direct coupling method is long and it is hard to converge, it is not suitable for analyzing heavy‐load braking conditions with long braking time. Meanwhile, the sequential coupling method based on fixed heat source cannot achieve the rotation of friction heat source of the brake disc or accurately simulate the change of temperature. Therefore, Abaqus user subroutine is invoked to achieve the heat source rotation. The results of the simulated temperature field are compared with the results of the complete thermodynamic coupling method, the sequential coupling method based on fixed heat source and dyno test. The comparison shows that the new method combines the advantages of the first two methods and has a better engineering value.
Mechanical Transformation of Compounds Leading to Physical, Chemical, and Biological Changes in Pharmaceutical Substances
Authors: Syroeshkin A. V. , Uspenskaya E. V. , Pleteneva T. V. , Morozova M. A. , Zlatskiy I. A. , Koldina A. M. , Nikiforova M. V.
Published: December 2018

This study demonstrates the link between the modification of the solid-phase pharmaceutical substances mechanical structure and their activity in waters with different molar ratio «deuterium-protium». Mechanochemical transformation of the powders of lactose monohydrate and sodium chloride as models of nutrients and components of dosage forms was investigated by the complex of physicochemical and biological methods. The solubility and kinetic activity of substances dispersed in various ways showed a positive correlation with the solvent isotope profile. Substances dissolved in heavy water were more active than solutes in natural water. Differential IR spectroscopy confirmed the modification of substituents in the sample of lactose monohydrate, demonstrating physicochemical changes during mechanical intervention. The biological activity of the compounds was determined by the method of Spirotox. The activation energy was determined by Arrhenius. Compared with the native compound, dispersed lactose monohydrate showed lower activation energy and, therefore, greater efficiency. In conclusion, proposed data confirm the statement that mechanical changes in compounds can lead to physicochemical changes that affect chemical and biological profiles.
A Study and Comparison of the Preparation of Gadolinium Aluminate Nanoparticles Using γ‐Irradiated and Unirradiated Precursors
Authors: Al-Muhimeed Tehani I. , Al-Kahtani Abdullah A. , Mahfouz Refaat M. , Khan Mujeeb , Siddiqui M. Rafiq H.
Published: December 2018

The effects of γ‐irradiation and the application of different precursors on the formation of gadolinium aluminate (GdAlO3) nanoparticles (NPs) have been studied in detail. GdAlO3 NPs were prepared by using different gadolinium‐based precursors including gadolinium acetate (Gd(CH3COO)3·4H2O) and gadolinium nitrate (Gd(NO3)3·6H2O), while Al2O3 and Al(NO3)3·9H2O were used as the source of Al3+. The preparation of GdAlO3 was carried out by two different methods, solid‐state reaction and sol‐gel process. To study the effect of γ‐irradiation, both irradiated and unirradiated Gd(CH3COO)3·4H2O have been tested for the preparation of gadolinium aluminate (GdAlO3). Notably, Gd(CH3COO)3·4H2O did not produce GdAlO3 in both solid‐state and sol‐gel processes even after optimizing various parameters, including the application of γ‐irradiation. However, single‐phase nanocrystalline GdAlO3 NPs were successfully obtained from the reaction of gadolinium nitrate Gd(NO3)3·6H2O and Al(NO3)3·9H2O by a sol‐gel process. The formation of NPs has been confirmed by X‐ray diffraction analysis (XRD) and Fourier‐transform infrared (FT‐IR) spectroscopy. The results indicate towards the formation of an orthorhombic perovskite structure of GdAO3 in the Pbnm space group. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has been employed for the particle‐size analysis, which revealed the formation of spherical‐shaped nanoparticles with the size range of 50–70 nm. Surface morphology of the sintered pellet was obtained from high‐resolution scanning electron microscopy (HR‐SEM). Besides, the effect of irradiation with γ‐rays on the quality of resultant NPs has also been studied.