bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Analysis of Different Solar-Assisted Heating Systems and Their Effect on the Energy Performance of Multifamily Buildings—A Swedish Case
Authors: Thygesen Richard
Published: January 2017

Today, the household sector in the European Union and in Sweden accounts for approximately 25% and 22% of the final energy demand, respectively, and the sector will continue to grow in the next decades. To limit the impact on the energy demand of buildings, the European Union has introduced the Energy Performance of Building Directive. In Sweden, a proposal for building regulations adapted to the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive has been released, but no decision on implementation of it has been made. In this article, a real building is simulated to evaluate how different combinations of heating and decentralized energy generation systems are affecting the specific energy demand of the building. Also, an analysis on how the Swedish incentive schemes affect the choice of decentralized energy generation systems is conducted. Furthermore, it is investigated if it is necessary to adopt the incentive schemes to steer towards systems that reduce the specific energy demand of the building. The conclusion in this article is that the current incentive system is ineffective in terms of specific energy demand reduction of buildings. It needs to be adapted so it steers towards a reduction of the specific energy demand of buildings.
A Combinatorial Reasoning Mechanism with Topological and Metric Relations for Change Detection in River Planforms: An Application to GlobeLand30’s Water Bodies
Authors: Leng Liang , Yang Guodong , Chen Shengbo
Published: January 2017

Changes in river plane shapes are called river planform changes (RPCs). Such changes can impact sustainable human development (e.g., human habitations, industrial and agricultural development, and national border security). RPCs can be identified through field surveys—a method that is highly precise but time-consuming, or through remote sensing (RS) and geographic information system (GIS), which are less precise but more efficient. Previous studies that have addressed RPCs often used RS, GIS, or digital elevation models (DEMs) and focused on only one or a few rivers in specific areas with the goal of identifying the reasons underlying these changes. In contrast, in this paper, we developed a combinatorial reasoning mechanism based on topological and metric relations that can be used to classify RPCs. This approach does not require DEMs and can eliminate most false-change information caused by varying river water levels. First, we present GIS models of river planforms based on their natural properties and, then, modify these models into simple GIS river planform models (SGRPMs) using straight lines rather than common lines to facilitate computational and human understanding. Second, we used double straight line 4-intersection models (DSL4IMs) and intersection and difference models (IDMs) of the regions to represent the topological relations between the SGRPMs and used double-start-point 8-distance models (DS8DMs) to express the metric relations between the SGRPMs. Then, we combined topological and metric relations to analyse the changes in the SGRPMs. Finally, to compensate for the complexity of common river planforms in nature, we proposed three segmentation rules to turn common river planforms into SGRPMs and used combinatorial reasoning mechanism tables (CRMTs) to describe the spatial relations among different river planforms. Based on our method, users can describe common river planforms and their changes in detail and confidently reject false changes. Future work should develop a method to automatically or semi-automatically adjust the segmentation rules and the combinatorial reasoning mechanism.
How They Move Reveals What Is Happening: Understanding the Dynamics of Big Events from Human Mobility Pattern
Authors: Mazimpaka Jean , Timpf Sabine
Published: January 2017

The context in which a moving object moves contributes to the movement pattern observed. Likewise, the movement pattern reflects the properties of the movement context. In particular, big events influence human mobility depending on the dynamics of the events. However, this influence has not been explored to understand big events. In this paper, we propose a methodology for learning about big events from human mobility pattern. The methodology involves extracting and analysing the stopping, approaching, and moving-away interactions between public transportation vehicles and the geographic context. The analysis is carried out at two different temporal granularity levels to discover global and local patterns. The results of evaluating this methodology on bus trajectories demonstrate that it can discover occurrences of big events from mobility patterns, roughly estimate the event start and end time, and reveal the temporal patterns of arrival and departure of event attendees. This knowledge can be usefully applied in transportation and event planning and management.
NHERF1 Enhances Cisplatin Sensitivity in Human Cervical Cancer Cells
Authors: Tao Tao , Yang Xiaomei , Qin Qiong , Shi Wen , Wang Qiqi , Yang Ying , He Junqi
Published: January 2017

Cervical cancer is one of the most common female malignancies, and cisplatin-based chemotherapy is routinely utilized in locally advanced cervical cancer patients. However, resistance has been the major limitation. In this study, we found that Na+/H+ Exchanger Regulatory Factor 1 (NHERF1) was downregulated in cisplatin-resistant cells. Analysis based on a cervical cancer dataset from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) showed association of NHERF1 expression with disease-free survival of patients received cisplatin treatment. NHERF1 overexpression inhibited proliferation and enhanced apoptosis in cisplatin-resistant HeLa cells, whereas NHERF1 knockdown had inverse effects. While parental HeLa cells were more resistant to cisplatin after NHERF1 knockdown, NHERF1 overexpression in CaSki cells promoted cisplatin sensitivity. Overexpression and knockdown studies also showed that NHERF1 significantly inhibited AKT and extracellular signal–regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathways in cisplatin-resistant cells. Taken together, our results provide the first evidence that NHERF1 can sensitize cisplatin-refractory cervical cancer cells. This study may help to increase understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying cisplatin resistance in tumors.
Hydrostatic Pressure Regulates MicroRNA Expression Levels in Osteoarthritic Chondrocyte Cultures via the Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway
Authors: Cheleschi Sara , De Palma Anna , Pecorelli Alessandra , Pascarelli Nicola , Valacchi Giuseppe , Belmonte Giuseppe , Carta Serafino , Galeazzi Mauro , Fioravanti Antonella
Published: January 2017

Mechanical loading and hydrostatic pressure (HP) regulate chondrocytes’ metabolism; however, how mechanical stimulation acts remain unclear. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in cartilage homeostasis, mechanotransduction, and in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis (OA). This study investigated the effects of a cyclic HP (1–5 MPa), in both normal and OA human chondrocytes, on the expression of miR-27a/b, miR-140, miR-146a/b, and miR-365, and of their target genes (MMP-13, ADAMTS-5, IGFBP-5, and HDAC-4). Furthermore, we assessed the possible involvement of Wnt/β-catenin pathway in response to HP. Chondrocytes were exposed to HP for 3h and the evaluations were performed immediately after pressurization, and following 12, 24, and 48 h. Total RNA was extracted and used for real-time PCR. β-catenin was detected by Western blotting analysis and immunofluorescence. In OA chondrocytes, HP induced a significant increase (p < 0.01) of the expression levels of miR-27a/b, miR-140, and miR-146a, and a significant reduction (p < 0.01) of miR-365 at all analyzed time points. MMP-13, ADAMTS-5, and HDAC-4 were significantly downregulated following HP, while no significant modification was found for IGFBP-5. β-catenin levels were significantly increased (p < 0.001) in OA chondrocytes at basal conditions and significantly reduced (p < 0.01) by HP. Pressurization did not cause any significant modification in normal cells. In conclusion, in OA chondrocytes, HP restores the expression levels of some miRNAs, downregulates MMP-13, ADAMTS-5, and HDAC-4, and modulates the Wnt/β-catenin pathway activation.
Shp2 Inhibits Proliferation of Esophageal Squamous Cell Cancer via Dephosphorylation of Stat3
Authors: Qi Chen , Han Tao , Tang Hua , Huang Kenan , Min Jie , Li Jing , Ding Xinyu , Xu Zhifei
Published: January 2017

Shp2 (Src-homology 2 domain-containing phosphatase 2) was originally reported as an oncogene in kinds of solid tumors and hematologic malignancies. However, recent studies indicated that Shp2 may act as tumor suppressors in several tumor types. We investigated the function of Shp2 in esophageal squamous cell cancer (ESCC). The expression level of Shp2 was analyzed in tumor tissues in comparison with adjacent normal tissues of ESCC patients by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. Shp2 was knocked down by Short hairpin RNA to evaluate its function in ESCC cell lines. The relationship between Shp2 and p-Stat3 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 3) in human ESCC tissues was statistically examined. A significant low expression of Shp2 was found in ESCC tissues. Low expression of Shp2 was related to poorer overall survival in patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset. Knockdown of Shp2 increased the growth of ESCC cell lines both in vivo and vitro. Activation of Stat3 (p-Stat3) was induced by Shp2 depletion. Expression of p-Stat3 was negatively correlated with Shp2 expression in ESCC tissues. Furthermore, knockdown of Shp2 attenuated cisplatin-sensitivity of ESCC cells. Shp2 might suppress the proliferation of ESCC by dephosphorylation of p-Stat3 and represents a novel research field for targeted therapy.
Enantioselective Effects of Metalaxyl Enantiomers on Breast Cancer Cells Metabolic Profiling Using HPLC-QTOF-Based Metabolomics
Authors: Zhang Ping , Zhu Wentao , Wang Dezhen , Yan Jin , Wang Yao , He Lin
Published: January 2017

In this study, an integrative high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-QTOF) based metabolomics approach was performed to evaluate the enantioselective metabolic perturbations in MCF-7 cells after treatment with R-metalaxyl and S-metalaxyl, respectively. Untargeted metabolomics profile, multivariate pattern recognition, metabolites identification, and pathway analysis were determined after metalaxyl enantiomer exposure. Principal component analysis (PCA) and partitial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) directly reflected the enantioselective metabolic perturbations induced by metalaxyl enantiomers. On the basis of multivariate statistical results, a total of 49 metabolites including carbohydrates, amino acids, nucleotides, fatty acids, organic acids, phospholipids, indoles, derivatives, etc. were found to be the most significantly changed metabolites and metabolic fluctuations caused by the same concentration of R-metalaxyl and S-metalaxyl were enantioselective. Pathway analysis indicated that R-metalaxyl and S-metalaxyl mainly affected the 7 and 10 pathways in MCF-7 cells, respectively, implying the perturbed pathways induced by metalaxyl enantiomers were also enantioselective. Furthermore, the significantly perturbed metabolic pathways were highly related to energy metabolism, amino acid metabolism, lipid metabolism, and antioxidant defense. Such results provide more specific insights into the enantioselective metabolic effects of chiral pesticides in breast cancer progression, reveal the underlying mechanisms, and provide available data for the health risk assessments of chiral environmental pollutants at the molecular level.
On Improving Reliability of SRAM-Based Physically Unclonable Functions
Authors: Vijayakumar Arunkumar , Patil Vinay , Kundu Sandip
Published: January 2017

Physically unclonable functions (PUFs) have been touted for their inherent resistance to invasive attacks and low cost in providing a hardware root of trust for various security applications. SRAM PUFs in particular are popular in industry for key/ID generation. Due to intrinsic process variations, SRAM cells, ideally, tend to have the same start-up behavior. SRAM PUFs exploit this start-up behavior. Unfortunately, not all SRAM cells exhibit reliable start-up behavior due to noise susceptibility. Hence, design enhancements are needed for improving reliability. Some of the proposed enhancements in literature include fuzzy extraction, error-correcting codes and voting mechanisms. All enhancements involve a trade-off between area/power/performance overhead and PUF reliability. This paper presents a design enhancement technique for reliability that improves upon previous solutions. We present simulation results to quantify improvement in SRAM PUF reliability and efficiency. The proposed technique is shown to generate a 128-bit key in ≤0.2 μ s at an area estimate of 4538 μ m 2 with error rate as low as 10 − 6 for intrinsic error probability of 15%.
Thermal Recirculation Modeling for Power Plants in an Estuarine Environment
Authors: Salehi Mehrdad
Published: January 2017

Many power plants require large quantities of water for cooling purposes. The water taken from the source water body (e.g., lakes, estuaries, bays and rivers) circulates through the plant and returns to the source through outfall with a higher temperature. For optimal performance of the power plant, the intake inlet and discharge outlet should be meticulously placed so that the heated water will not recirculate back into the power plant. In this study, the Flow module of the Delft3D software is employed to simulate the temperature transport within the study area in three-dimensional and nested format. Model results are used to optimize the location of intake inlets, outfall outlets and diffuser port orientations. The physical processes used in the study are tidal fluctuations, winds, river discharges, salinity and temperature. The subject power plant (power plant parameters presented in this paper are realistic; however, they do not target any specific power plant within the study area) has a nominal capacity of 2600 MW and is planned to be located in Delaware Bay, USA. Existing field measurements are used to calibrate the model in a coupled two-staged fashion for main tidal constituents, currents and water temperature. The sensitivity of the model against various input parameters is tested, and conservative values are selected. The location of the intake is fixed, and the location of the outfall is changed until the thermal impact to the intake is less than 1 °C. Analysis of the results shows that there is a linear logarithmic relation between the excess temperatures at the intake inlet and horizontal eddy diffusivity. The k - ϵ turbulence closure results in higher excess temperature and a more conservative design. Extending the outfall location to the deeper portion of the estuary combined with port orientations reduces the impact by keeping the thermal plume away from the intake inlet and meeting the established criteria. It is concluded that an approximate distance of 1300 m is the optimal location for the power plant outfall outlets. In addition, the diffuser ports should not discharge the heated water toward the intake and have to be oriented away from the line connecting outfall to the intake.
Creep Deformation by Dislocation Movement in Waspaloy
Authors: Whittaker Mark , Harrison Will , Deen Christopher , Rae Cathie , Williams Steve
Published: January 2017

Creep tests of the polycrystalline nickel alloy Waspaloy have been conducted at Swansea University, for varying stress conditions at 700 °C. Investigation through use of Transmission Electron Microscopy at Cambridge University has examined the dislocation networks formed under these conditions, with particular attention paid to comparing tests performed above and below the yield stress. This paper highlights how the dislocation structures vary throughout creep and proposes a dislocation mechanism theory for creep in Waspaloy. Activation energies are calculated through approaches developed in the use of the recently formulated Wilshire Equations, and are found to differ above and below the yield stress. Low activation energies are found to be related to dislocation interaction with γ′ precipitates below the yield stress. However, significantly increased dislocation densities at stresses above yield cause an increase in the activation energy values as forest hardening becomes the primary mechanism controlling dislocation movement. It is proposed that the activation energy change is related to the stress increment provided by work hardening, as can be observed from Ti, Ni and steel results.
A Cytotoxic and Anti-inflammatory Campesterol Derivative from Genetically Transformed Hairy Roots of Lopezia racemosa Cav. (Onagraceae)
Authors: Moreno-Anzúrez Norma , Marquina Silvia , Alvarez Laura , Zamilpa Alejandro , Castillo-España Patricia , Perea-Arango Irene , Torres Pilar , Herrera-Ruiz Maribel , Díaz García Edgar , García Jaime , Arellano-García Jesús
Published: January 2017

The genetically transformed hairy root line LRT 7.31 obtained by infecting leaf explants of Lopezia racemosa Cav with the Agrobacterium rhizogenes strain ATCC15834/pTDT, was evaluated to identify the anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic compounds reported previously for the wild plant. After several subcultures of the LRT 7.31 line, the bio-guided fractionation of the dichloromethane–methanol (1:1) extract obtained from dry biomass afforded a fraction that showed important in vivo anti-inflammatory, and in vitro cytotoxic activities. Chemical separation of the active fraction allowed us to identify the triterpenes ursolic (1) and oleanolic (2) acids, and (23R)-2α,3β,23,28-tetrahydroxy-14,15-dehydrocampesterol (3) as the anti-inflammatory principles of the active fraction. A new molecule 3 was characterized by spectroscopic analysis of its tetraacetate derivative 3a. This compound was not described in previous reports of callus cultures, in vitro germinated seedlings and wild plant extracts of whole L. racemosa plants. The anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic activities displayed by the fraction are associated to the presence of compounds 1–3. The present study reports the obtaining of the transformed hairy roots, the bioguided isolation of the new molecule 3, and its structure characterization.
Deep Eutectic Solvents as Novel and Effective Extraction Media for Quantitative Determination of Ochratoxin A in Wheat and Derived Products
Authors: Piemontese Luca , Perna Filippo , Logrieco Antonio , Capriati Vito , Solfrizzo Michele
Published: January 2017

An unprecedented, environmentally friendly, and faster method for the determination of Ochratoxin A (OTA) (a mycotoxin produced by several species of Aspergillus and Penicillium and largely widespread in nature, in wheat and derived products) has, for the first time, been set up and validated using choline chloride (ChCl)-based deep eutectic solvents (DESs) (e.g., ChCl/glycerol (1:2) and ChCl/ urea (1:2) up to 40% (w/w) water) as privileged, green, and biodegradable extraction solvents. This also reduces worker exposure to toxic chemicals. Results are comparable to those obtained using conventional, hazardous and volatile organic solvents (VOCs) typical of the standard and official methods. OTA recovery from spiked durum wheat samples, in particular, was to up to 89% versus 93% using the traditional acetonitrile-water mixture with a repeatability of the results (RSDr) of 7%. Compatibility of the DES mixture with the antibodies of the immunoaffinity column was excellent as it was able to retain up to 96% of the OTA. Recovery and repeatability for durum wheat, bread crumbs, and biscuits proved to be within the specifications required by the current European Commission (EC) regulation. Good results in terms of accuracy and precision were achieved with mean recoveries between 70% (durum wheat) and 88% (bread crumbs) and an RSDr between 2% (biscuits) and 7% (bread).
Development of Conjugated Polymers for Memory Device Applications
Authors: Yen Hung-Ju , Shan Changsheng , Wang Leeyih , Xu Ping , Zhou Ming , Wang Hsing-Lin
Published: January 2017

This review summarizes the most widely used mechanisms in memory devices based on conjugated polymers, such as charge transfer, space charge traps, and filament conduction. In addition, recent studies of conjugated polymers for memory device applications are also reviewed, discussed, and differentiated based on the mechanisms and structural design. Moreover, the electrical conditions of conjugated polymers can be further fine-tuned by careful design and synthesis based on the switching mechanisms. The review also emphasizes and demonstrates the structure-memory properties relationship of donor-acceptor conjugated polymers for advanced memory device applications.
Investigation of Urbanization Effects on Land Surface Phenology in Northeast China during 2001–2015
Authors: Yao Rui , Wang Lunche , Huang Xin , Guo Xian , Niu Zigeng , Liu Hongfu
Published: January 2017

The urbanization effects on land surface phenology (LSP) have been investigated by many studies, but few studies have focused on the temporal variations of urbanization effects on LSP. In this study, we used the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), MODIS Land Surface Temperature (LST) data and China’s Land Use/Cover Datasets (CLUDs) to investigate the temporal variations of urban heat island intensity (UHII) and urbanization effects on LSP in Northeast China during 2001–2015. LST and phenology differences between urban and rural areas represented the urban heat island intensity and urbanization effects on LSP, respectively. A Mann–Kendall nonparametric test and Sen’s slope were used to evaluate the trends of urbanization effects on LSP and urban heat island intensity. The results indicated that the average LSP during 2001–2015 was characterized by high spatial heterogeneity. The start of the growing season (SOS) in old urban areas had become earlier and earlier compared to rural areas, and the differences in SOS between urbanized areas and rural areas changed greatly during 2001–2015 (−0.79 days/year, p < 0.01). Meanwhile, the length of the growing season (LOS) in urban and adjacent areas had become increasingly longer than rural areas, especially in urbanized areas (0.92 days/year, p < 0.01), but the differences in the end of the growing season (EOS) between urban and adjacent areas did not change significantly. Next, the UHII increased in spring and autumn during the whole study period. Moreover, the correlation analysis indicated that the increasing urban heat island intensity in spring contributed greatly to the increases of urbanization effects on SOS, but the increasing urban heat island intensity in autumn did not lead to the increases of urbanization effects on EOS in Northeast China.
Monitoring Forest Dynamics in the Andean Amazon: The Applicability of Breakpoint Detection Methods Using Landsat Time-Series and Genetic Algorithms
Authors: Santos Fabián , Dubovyk Olena , Menz Gunter
Published: January 2017

The Andean Amazon is an endangered biodiversity hot spot but its forest dynamics are less studied than those of the Amazon lowland and forests from middle or high latitudes. This is because its landscape variability, complex topography and cloudy conditions constitute a challenging environment for any remote-sensing assessment. Breakpoint detection with Landsat time-series data is an established robust approach for monitoring forest dynamics around the globe but has not been properly evaluated for implementation in the Andean Amazon. We analyzed breakpoint detection-generated forest dynamics in order to determine its limitations when applied to three different study areas located along an altitude gradient in the Andean Amazon in Ecuador. Using all available Landsat imagery for the period 1997–2016, we evaluated different pre-processing approaches, noise reduction techniques, and breakpoint detection algorithms. These procedures were integrated into a complex function called the processing chain generator. Calibration was not straightforward since it required us to define values for 24 parameters. To solve this problem, we implemented a novel approach using genetic algorithms. We calibrated the processing chain generator by applying a stratified training sampling and a reference dataset based on high resolution imagery. After the best calibration solution was found and the processing chain generator executed, we assessed accuracy and found that data gaps, inaccurate co-registration, radiometric variability in sensor calibration, unmasked cloud, and shadows can drastically affect the results, compromising the application of breakpoint detection in mountainous areas of the Andean Amazon. Moreover, since breakpoint detection analysis of landscape variability in the Andean Amazon requires a unique calibration of algorithms, the time required to optimize analysis could complicate its proper implementation and undermine its application for large-scale projects. In exceptional cases when data quality and quantity were adequate, we recommend the pre-processing approaches, noise reduction algorithms and breakpoint detection algorithms procedures that can enhance results. Finally, we include recommendations for achieving a faster and more accurate calibration of complex functions applied to remote sensing using genetic algorithms.
Efficient DV-HOP Localization for Wireless Cyber-Physical Social Sensing System: A Correntropy-Based Neural Network Learning Scheme
Authors: Xu Yang , Luo Xiong , Wang Weiping , Zhao Wenbing
Published: January 2017

Integrating wireless sensor network (WSN) into the emerging computing paradigm, e.g., cyber-physical social sensing (CPSS), has witnessed a growing interest, and WSN can serve as a social network while receiving more attention from the social computing research field. Then, the localization of sensor nodes has become an essential requirement for many applications over WSN. Meanwhile, the localization information of unknown nodes has strongly affected the performance of WSN. The received signal strength indication (RSSI) as a typical range-based algorithm for positioning sensor nodes in WSN could achieve accurate location with hardware saving, but is sensitive to environmental noises. Moreover, the original distance vector hop (DV-HOP) as an important range-free localization algorithm is simple, inexpensive and not related to the environment factors, but performs poorly when lacking anchor nodes. Motivated by these, various improved DV-HOP schemes with RSSI have been introduced, and we present a new neural network (NN)-based node localization scheme, named RHOP-ELM-RCC, through the use of DV-HOP, RSSI and a regularized correntropy criterion (RCC)-based extreme learning machine (ELM) algorithm (ELM-RCC). Firstly, the proposed scheme employs both RSSI and DV-HOP to evaluate the distances between nodes to enhance the accuracy of distance estimation at a reasonable cost. Then, with the help of ELM featured with a fast learning speed with a good generalization performance and minimal human intervention, a single hidden layer feedforward network (SLFN) on the basis of ELM-RCC is used to implement the optimization task for obtaining the location of unknown nodes. Since the RSSI may be influenced by the environmental noises and may bring estimation error, the RCC instead of the mean square error (MSE) estimation, which is sensitive to noises, is exploited in ELM. Hence, it may make the estimation more robust against outliers. Additionally, the least square estimation (LSE) in ELM is replaced by the half-quadratic optimization technique. Simulation results show that our proposed scheme outperforms other traditional localization schemes.
Analysis of Ionospheric Scintillation Characteristics in Sub-Antarctica Region with GNSS Data at Macquarie Island
Authors: Guo Kai , Liu Yang , Zhao Yan , Wang Jinling
Published: January 2017

Ionospheric scintillation has a great impact on radio propagation and electronic system performance, thus is extensively studied currently. The influence of scintillation on Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) is particularly evident, making GNSS an effective medium to study characteristics of scintillation. Ionospheric scintillation varies greatly in relation with temporal and spatial distribution. In this paper, both temporal and spatial characteristics of scintillation are investigated based on Macquarie Island’s GNSS scintillation data collected from 2011 to 2015. Experiments demonstrate that occurrence rates of amplitude scintillation have a close relationship with solar activity, while phase scintillation is more likely to be generated by geomagnetic activity. In addition, scintillation distribution behaviors related to elevation and azimuth angles are statistically analyzed for both amplitude and phase scintillation. The proposed work is valuable for a deeper understanding of theoretical mechanisms of ionospheric scintillation in this region, and provides a reference for GNSS applications in certain regions around sub-Antarctica.
Scenario Prediction of Energy Consumption and CO2 Emissions in China’s Machinery Industry
Authors: Lin Boqiang , Liu Weisheng
Published: January 2017

Energy conservation and CO2 abatement is currently an important development strategy for China. It is significant to analyze how to reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions in China’s energy-intensive machinery industry. We not only employ a cointegration method and scenario analysis to predict the future energy demand and CO2 emissions in China’s machinery industry, but we also use the Monte Carlo simulation to test the validity of the predictions. The results show that energy demand in the industry will respectively reach 678.759 Mtce (million ton coal equivalent) in 2020 and 865.494 Mtce in 2025 under the baseline scenario. Compared with the baseline scenario, the energy savings in 2020 will respectively be 63.654 Mtce and 120.787 Mtce in the medium and advanced scenarios. Furthermore, we forecast the corresponding CO2 emissions as well as the reduction potential respectively in 2020 and 2025. In order to achieve energy conservation and emissions reduction, the government should increase energy price, levy environmental taxes based on the emissions level of machinery enterprises, promote mergers and acquisitions of enterprises, and expand the scale of enterprises. This paper provides a reference for energy conservation and CO2 abatement policy in China’s machinery industry.
Prognosis Essay Scoring and Article Relevancy Using Multi-Text Features and Machine Learning
Authors: Mehmood Arif , On Byung-Won , Lee Ingyu , Choi Gyu
Published: January 2017

This study develops a model for essay scoring and article relevancy. Essay scoring is a costly process when we consider the time spent by an evaluator. It may lead to inequalities of the effort by various evaluators to apply the same evaluation criteria. Bibliometric research uses the evaluation criteria to find relevancy of articles instead. Researchers mostly face relevancy issues while searching articles. Therefore, they classify the articles manually. However, manual classification is burdensome due to time needed for evaluation. The proposed model performs automatic essay evaluation using multi-text features and ensemble machine learning. The proposed method is implemented in two data sets: a Kaggle short answer data set for essay scoring that includes four ranges of disciplines (Science, Biology, English, and English language Arts), and a bibliometric data set having IoT (Internet of Things) and non-IoT classes. The efficacy of the model is measured against the Tandalla and AutoP approach using Cohen’s kappa. The model achieves kappa values of 0.80 and 0.83 for the first and second data sets, respectively. Kappa values show that the proposed model has better performance than those of earlier approaches.
The Demands of Geometry on Color Vision
Authors: Purves Dale , Yegappan Chidambaram
Published: January 2017

While studies of human color vision have made enormous strides, an overarching rationale for the circular sense of color relationships generated by two classes of color opponent neurons and three cone types is still lacking. Here we suggest that color circularity, color opponency and trichromacy may have arisen, at least in part, because of the geometrical requirements needed to unambiguously distinguish all possible spectrally different regions on a plane.
UV-LEDs Efficiently Inactivate DNA and RNA Coliphages
Authors: Zyara Alyaa , Heinonen-Tanski Helvi , Veijalainen Anna-Maria , Torvinen Eila
Published: January 2017

UV-LEDs are a new method of disinfecting drinking water. Some viruses are very resistant to UV and the efficiency of UV-LEDs to disinfect them needs to be studied. Drinking water was disinfected with UV-LEDs after spiking the water with MS2 and four UV- and/or Cl-resistant coliphages belonging to RNA or DNA coliphages isolated from municipal wastewater. UV-LEDs operating at a wavelength of 270 nm for 2 min with 120 mW of irradiation caused 0.93–2.73 Log10-reductions of coliphages tested in a reactor of a 5.2 L volume. Irradiation time of 10 min in the same system increased the Log10-reductions to 4.30–5.16. Traditional mercury UV (Hg-UV) lamp at a 254 nm wavelength caused 0.67–4.08 Log10-reductions in 2 min and 4.56–7.21 Log10-reductions in 10 min in 10 mL of water. All coliphages tested except MS2 achieved 4 Log10-reductions with UV-LEDs at a dose that corresponded to 70 mWs/cm2 using Hg-UV. Thus, UV-LEDs are a promising method of disinfecting UV- and/or Cl-resistant viruses.
Tandem polymer solar cells: simulation and optimization through a multiscale scheme
Authors: Wei Fanan , Yao Ligang , Lan Fei , Li Guangyong , Liu Lianqing
Published: January 2017

In this paper, polymer solar cells with a tandem structure were investigated and optimized using a multiscale simulation scheme. In the proposed multiscale simulation, multiple aspects – optical calculation, mesoscale simulation, device scale simulation and optimal power conversion efficiency searching modules – were studied together to give an optimal result. Through the simulation work, dependencies of device performance on the tandem structures were clarified by tuning the thickness, donor/acceptor weight ratio as well as the donor–acceptor distribution in both active layers of the two sub-cells. Finally, employing searching algorithms, we optimized the power conversion efficiency of the tandem polymer solar cells and located the optimal device structure parameters. With the proposed multiscale simulation strategy, poly(3-hexylthiophene)/phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester and (poly[2,6-(4,4-bis-(2-ethylhexyl)-4H-cyclopenta[2,1-b;3,4-b]dithiophene)-alt-4,7-(2,1,3-benzothiadiazole)])/phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester based tandem solar cells were simulated and optimized as an example. Two configurations with different sub-cell sequences in the tandem photovoltaic device were tested and compared. The comparison of the simulation results between the two configurations demonstrated that the balance between the two sub-cells is of critical importance for tandem organic photovoltaics to achieve high performance. Consistency between the optimization results and the reported experimental results proved the effectiveness of the proposed simulation scheme.
HIGH-PRECISION ASTROMETRIC MILLIMETER VERY LONG BASELINE INTERFEROMETRY USING A NEW METHOD FOR MULTI-FREQUENCY CALIBRATION
Authors: Dodson Richard , Rioja María J. , Molina Sol N. , Gómez José L.
Published: January 2017

In this paper we describe a new approach for millimeter Very Long Baseline Interferometry (mm-VLBI) calibration that provides bona-fide astrometric alignment of the millimeter-wavelength images from a single source, for the measurement of frequency-dependent effects, such as “core-shifts” near the black hole of active galactic nucleus jets. We achieve our astrometric alignment by solving first for the ionospheric (dispersive) contributions using wide-band centimeter-wavelength observations. Second, we solve for the tropospheric (non-dispersive) contributions by using fast frequency-switching at the target millimeter-wavelengths. These solutions can be scaled and transferred from low frequency to the high frequency. To complete the calibration chain an additional step is required to remove a residual constant phase offset on each antenna. The result is an astrometric calibration and the measurement of the core-shift between 22 and 43 GHz for the jet in BL Lacertae to be −8 ± 5, 20 ± 6 μas, in R.A. and decl., respectively. By comparison to conventional phase referencing at centimeter-wavelengths we are able to show that this core shift at millimeter-wavelengths is significantly less than what would be predicted by extrapolating the low-frequency result, which closely followed the predictions of the Blandford & Königl conical jet model. As such it would be the first demonstration for the association of the VLBI core with a recollimation shock, normally hidden at low frequencies due to the optical depth, which could be responsible for the γ-ray production in blazar jets.
A NEARLY NAKED SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLE
Authors: Condon J. J. , Darling Jeremy , Kovalev Y. Y. , Petrov L.
Published: January 2017

During a systematic search for supermassive black holes (SMBHs) not in galactic nuclei, we identified the compact, symmetric radio source B3 1715+425 with an emission-line galaxy offset

≈
8.5

kpc

from the nucleus of the brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) in the redshift z = 0.1754 cluster ZwCl 8193. B3 1715+425 is too bright (brightness temperature

T

b

∼
3
×

10

10

K

at observing frequency

ν
=
7.6

GHz

) and too luminous (1.4 GHz luminosity

L

1.4

GHz

∼

10

25

W

Hz

−
1

) to be powered by anything but an SMBH, but its host galaxy is much smaller (

∼
0.9

kpc
×
0.6

kpc

full width between half-maximum points) and optically fainter (R-band absolute magnitude

M

r

≈
−
18.2

) than any other radio galaxy. Its high radial velocity

v

r

≈
1860

km

s

−
1

relative to the BCG, continuous ionized wake extending back to the BCG nucleus, and surrounding debris indicate that the radio galaxy was tidally shredded passing through the BCG core, leaving a nearly naked SMBH fleeing from the BCG with space velocity

v
≳
2000

km

s

−
1

. The radio galaxy has mass

M
≲
6
×

10

9

M

⊙

and infrared luminosity

L

IR

∼
3
×

10

11

L

⊙

close to its dust Eddington limit, so it is vulnerable to further mass loss from radiative feedback.
DETERMINING THE LARGE-SCALE ENVIRONMENTAL DEPENDENCE OF GAS-PHASE METALLICITY IN DWARF GALAXIES
Authors: Douglass Kelly A. , Vogeley Michael S.
Published: January 2017

We study how the cosmic environment affects galaxy evolution in the universe by comparing the metallicities of dwarf galaxies in voids with dwarf galaxies in more dense regions. Ratios of the fluxes of emission lines, particularly those of the forbidden [O iii] and [S ii] transitions, provide estimates of a region’s electron temperature and number density. From these two quantities and the emission line fluxes [O ii] λ3727, [O iii] λ4363, and [O iii] λλ4959, 5007, we estimate the abundance of oxygen with the direct Te
 method. We estimate the metallicity of 42 blue, star-forming void dwarf galaxies and 89 blue, star-forming dwarf galaxies in more dense regions using spectroscopic observations from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7, as reprocessed in the MPA-JHU value-added catalog. We find very little difference between the two sets of galaxies, indicating little influence from the large-scale environment on their chemical evolution. Of particular interest are a number of extremely metal-poor dwarf galaxies that are less prevalent in voids than in the denser regions.
Discovery of a Very Bright and Intrinsically Very Luminous, Strongly Lensed Lyα Emitting Galaxy at z = 2.82 in the BOSS Emission-Line Lens Survey*
Authors: Marques-Chaves Rui , Pérez-Fournon Ismael , Shu Yiping , Martínez-Navajas Paloma I. , Bolton Adam S. , Kochanek Christopher S. , Oguri Masamune , Zheng Zheng , Mao Shude , Montero-Dorta Antonio D. , Cornachione Matthew A. , Brownstein Joel R.
Published: January 2017

We report the discovery of a very bright (r = 20.16), highly magnified, and yet intrinsically very luminous Lyα emitter (LAE) at

. This system comprises four images in the observer plane with a maximum separation of

and it is lensed by a

massive early-type galaxy. It was initially identified in the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey Emission-Line Lens Survey for GALaxy-Lyα EmitteR sYstems survey, and follow-up imaging and spectroscopic observations using the Gran Telescopio Canarias and William Herschel Telescope confirmed the lensing nature of this system. A lens model using a singular isothermal ellipsoid in an external shear field reproduces the main features of the system quite well, yielding an Einstein radius of 2.″95 ± 0.″10, and a total magnification factor for the LAE of 8.8 ± 0.4. This LAE is one of the brightest and most luminous galaxy–galaxy strong lenses known. We present initial imaging and spectroscopy showing the basic physical and morphological properties of this lensed system.
Causes et conséquences des taux d’intérêt négatifs
Authors: Blot Christophe , Hubert Paul
Published: January 2017

Cette étude résume les objectifs et les conséquences sur l’économie des taux négatifs fixés par les banques centrales sur les facilités de dépôts et les réserves excédentaires. Depuis 2014, la BCE applique un taux négatif sur les réserves excédentaires (et facilités de dépôts) des banques commerciales. Cette politique vise à amplifier le caractère expansionniste de la politique monétaire. Elle est complémentaire du Quantitative Easing (QE), programme par lequel la BCE achète des titres sur les marchés. En effet, le QE fournit des liquidités aux banques et les incite à réallouer ces liquidités. Le taux négatif sur les réserves renforce l’incitation des banques à opérer des arbitrages sur leur portefeuille d’actifs et amplifie la baisse des taux de court terme. Alors que le coût brut de cette rémunération négative pour les banques est d’environ 3,5 milliards d’euros par an, il convient de rappeler que les réserves excédentaires représentent seulement 2,5 % des actifs des banques (800 milliards sur 31 000 milliards d’euros), que les banques font des gains en capital sur les titres qu’elles revendent à la BCE dans le cadre du QE, et que la BCE leur offre la possibilité de se financer elles-mêmes à taux négatifs auprès de la BCE dans le cadre du programme TLTRO II.
“I show that size is only development”: The Poetics of Relation in “Song of Myself”
Authors: Athenot Éric
Published: January 2017

Malgré les nombreuses études dont « Song of Myself » a fait l’objet, les notions de taille et de longueur ne sont que très rarement invoquées comme des traits fondamentaux. Le mélange des modes épique et lyrique est ici proposé comme le moyen d’équilibrer macro- et micro-éléments dans le but d’offrir aux lecteurs le moyen de s’approprier le poème au fil d’une rhétorique de l’inclusion. La contradiction devient de ce fait le moyen de résoudre tensions politiques et esthétiques et d’échapper au risque de clôture par le biais d’une écriture multiple, ironique et dont la cohérence paradoxale n’est pas immédiatement apparente sous un état trompeusement informe.
Gender and the 1980s Prose Poem: Rosmarie Waldrop’s Curves to the Apple
Authors: Dewey Anne
Published: January 2017

Rosmarie Waldrop a écrit Curves to the Apple (2006) pour sortir de l’impasse que constituent la poésie confessionnelle, le poème épique et le Bildungsroman quant à l’expression féministe. S’inscrivant en faux contre la deuxième vague de poésie confessionnelle féministe, Waldrop opte pour le poème en prose, à l’instar de H.D., de Gertrude Stein et de Virginia Woolf en d’autres temps, pour mieux éluder un sujet lyrique confinant les femmes au statut d’objet ou de muse. Le poème en prose ancre la construction du genre ( gender ) dans l’espace social plutôt que dans l’individu, dans la mesure où il permet la représentation d’un moi s’inscrivant dans un environnement profondément genré. La trilogie de Waldrop adapte ainsi le cadre intime et érotique de la sphère domestique, par l’entremise duquel ces auteurs modernistes proposent des lectures alternatives du genre et de la sexualité, pour donner lieu à un dialogue entre des voix masculines et féminines. Fondée sur la traduction réciproque, sa poétique invite chaque voix à tenir compte de l’autre et à prendre conscience du monde qu’elle projette, créant ainsi de nouveaux sens qui viennent transgresser les binarités hétérosexuelles.
Un regard décalé sur la santé publique
Authors: Lombrail Pierre
Published: January 2017

La politique de santé de notre pays a connu un événement marquant ces dernières années avec l’adoption d’une Stratégie nationale de santé, doublée d’une Stratégie nationale de recherche, affichant résolument l’objectif de réduction des inégalités de santé. Les premières mesures prises commencent à traduire cette ambition dans les textes. Mais les résistances au changement sont fortes, portées par des lobbies puissants qui rendent difficiles autant les mesures de protection que de promotion de la santé. Elles tiennent aussi à l’héritage d’un passé qui obère l’avenir quand il empêche de redéfinir les missions des différents professionnels de santé comme leurs modalités de rémunération en ville, ou plus généralement de dépasser des modes de financement cloisonnés à l’intérieur du système de soins et entre sanitaire et social. Pourtant, les inégalités de santé s’aggravent et seule une mobilisation véritablement intersectorielle est à même d’inverser la tendance. Au plus haut niveau de l’État comme sur les lieux de vie, en renforçant le pouvoir d’initiative des citoyens.
La fin de vie au cœur du débat
Authors: Aubry Régis
Published: January 2017

Le quinquennat 2012-2017 aura été marqué par une volonté du président de la République de questionner le rapport de notre société à la fin de la vie. Deux « affaires », l’affaire Vincent Lambert et l’affaire Nicolas Bonnemaison, à la fois portées en justice et fortement relayées par les médias, ont également obligé à interroger le rapport de notre société sur ce sujet. Le fruit de ces affaires médiatisées, des nombreux débats et de plusieurs rapports relatifs à la fin de vie est une modification de la loi française relative à la fin de vie qui sera exposée et questionnée dans cet article.
Cancer et hasard. Une dérive médiatique passée au crible
Authors: Chevrel Stéphanie
Published: January 2017

Le 1 er janvier 2015, à 20 h en France, paraissent les premiers articles relayant la publication des résultats d’une étude à paraître le 2 janvier dans la revue Science . Au fil des heures, elle va être dénaturée par les médias du monde entier, avec des titres tels que « Santé : deux cancers sur trois seraient dus au hasard ». Le lendemain, près de cent cinquante articles aux titres globalement similaires sont référencés sur Google, de nature à pouvoir remettre en cause le bien-fondé des politiques de prévention. Il faudra quinze jours à l’OMS pour diffuser un communiqué exprimant son désaccord sur la médiatisation de cette étude. Or, ce type d’information tronquée et spectaculaire reprise instantanément dans le monde entier est de plus en plus fréquent. Comment comprendre l’emballement médiatique interplanétaire qu’a suscité cette étude ? Quels intérêts et enjeux pour les acteurs en présence ? Quels enseignements en retirer ? La présentation de cette étude dans Science , puis la mécanique de communication – impressionnante et très efficace – développée conjointement par Science et l’université Johns Hopkins, dans laquelle travaillent les deux éminents auteurs de l’étude, le nobélisable Bert Vogelstein et le biostatisticien Christian Tomasetti, méritaient d’être analysées.