bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Actuator Control Unit for Safety-Critical Mechatronic Applications with Embedded Energy Storage Backup
Authors: Saponara Sergio
Published: March 2016

This paper presents an actuator control unit (ACU) with a 450-J embedded energy storage backup to face safety critical mechatronic applications. The idea is to ensure full operation of electric actuators, even in the case of battery failure, by using supercapacitors as a local energy tank. Thanks to integrated switching converter circuitry, the supercapacitors provide the required voltage and current levels for the required time to guarantee actuator operation until the system enters into safety mode. Experimental results are presented for a target application related to the control of servomotors for a robotized prosthetic arm. Mechatronic devices for rehabilitation or assisted living of injured and/or elderly people are available today. In most cases, they are battery powered with lithium-based cells, providing high energy density and low weight, but at the expense of a reduced robustness compared to lead-acid- or nickel-based battery cells. The ACU of this work ensures full operation of the wearable robotized arm, controlled through acceleration and electromyography (EMG) sensor signals, even in the case of battery failure, thanks to the embedded energy backup unit. To prove the configurability and scalability of the proposed solution, experimental results related to the electric actuation of the car door latch and of a robotized gearbox in vehicles are also shown. The reliability of the energy backup device has been assessed in a wide temperature range, from −40 to 130 °C, and in a durability test campaign of more than 10,000 cycles. Achieved results prove the suitability of the proposed approach for ACUs requiring a burst of power of hundreds of watts for only a few seconds in safety-critical applications. Alternatively, the aging and temperature characterizations of energy backup units is limited to supercapacitors of thousands of farads for high power applications (e.g., electric/hybrid propulsion) and with a temperature range limited to 70 °C.
Application of Breathing Architectural Members to the Natural Ventilation of a Passive Solar House
Authors: Park Kyung-Soon , Kim Sang-Woo , Yoon Seong-Hwan
Published: March 2016

The efficient operation of a passive solar house requires an efficient ventilation system to prevent the loss of energy and provide the required ventilation rates. This paper proposes the use of “breathing architectural members” (BAMs) as passive natural ventilation devices to achieve much improved ventilation and insulation performance compared to mechanical ventilation. Considering the importance of evaluating the ventilation and insulation performances of the members, we also propose numerical models for predicting the heat and air movements afforded by the members. The numerical model was validated by comparison with experimental results. The effectiveness of the BAMs was also verified by installation in houses located in an area with warm climate. For this purpose, chamber experiments were performed using samples of the BAMs, as well as numerical simulations to assess natural ventilation and heat load. The main findings of the study are as follows: (1) the one-dimensional chamber experiments confirmed the validity of the numerical models for predicting the heat and air movements afforded by the BAMs. Comparison of the experimental and calculated values for the temperature of air that flowed into the room from outside revealed a difference of less than 5%; (2) observations of the case studies in which BAMs were installed in the ceilings and exterior walls of Tokyo model houses revealed good annual ventilation and energy-saving effects. When BAMs with an opening area per unit area of A = 0.002 m2/m2 were applied to three surfaces, the required ventilation rate was 0.5 ACH (air changes per hour), and this was achieved consistently. Compared to a house with general insulation and conventional mechanical ventilation, heating load was reduced by 15.3%–40.2% depending on the BAM installation points and the differing areas of the house models.
Evaluation of a Mixed Method Approach for Studying User Interaction with Novel Building Control Technology
Authors: Painter Birgit , Irvine Katherine , Kelly Waskett Ruth , Mardaljevic John
Published: March 2016

Energy-efficient building performance requires sophisticated control systems that are based on realistic occupant behaviour models. To provide robust data for the development of these models, research studies in real-world settings are needed. Yet, such studies are challenging and necessitate careful design in terms of data collection methods and procedures. This paper describes and critiques the design of a mixed methods approach for occupant behaviour research. It reviews the methodology developed for a longitudinal study in a real-world office environment where occupants’ experience with a novel facade technology (electrochromic glazing) was investigated. The methodology integrates objective physical measurements, observational data and self-reported experience data. Using data from one day of the study, this paper illustrates how the different sources can be combined in order to derive an in-depth understanding of the interplay between external daylight conditions, characteristics of the facade technology, occupant interaction with the technology and the resulting occupant experience. It was found that whilst the individual methods may be affected by practical limitations, these can be partially offset by combining physical measurements and observations with self-reported data. The paper critically evaluates the individual techniques, as well as the benefits of their integration and makes recommendations for the design of future occupant behaviour studies in real-world settings.
Life Course, Green Space and Health: Incorporating Place into Life Course Epidemiology
Authors: Pearce Jamie , Shortt Niamh , Rind Esther , Mitchell Richard
Published: March 2016

Researchers interested in the relationships between place and health have been slow to incorporate a life course perspective, probably due to the lack of readily available historical environmental data. This hinders the identification of causal relationships. It also restricts our understanding as to whether there are accumulative effects over the life course and if there are critical periods in people’s lives when places are particularly pertinent. This study considers the feasibility of constructing longitudinal data on the availability of urban green space. The suitability of various historical and contemporary data sources is considered, including paper maps, aerial photographs and tabular land use data. Measures of urban green space are created for all neighbourhoods across the Edinburgh region of Scotland at various points during the past 100 years. We demonstrate that it is feasible to develop such measures, but there are complex issues involved in doing so. We also test the utility of the measures via an analysis of how accessibility to green space might alter over the life course of both people, and their residential neighbourhoods. The findings emphasise the potential for utilising historical data to significantly enhance understanding of the relationships between nature and health, and between health and place more generally. We encourage researchers to use data from other locations to consider including a longitudinal perspective to examine relationships between people’s health and their environment.
Spatial Temporal Dynamics and Molecular Evolution of Re-Emerging Rabies Virus in Taiwan
Authors: Lin Yung-Cheng , Chu Pei-Yu , Chang Mei-Yin , Hsiao Kuang-Liang , Lin Jih-Hui , Liu Hsin-Fu
Published: March 2016

Taiwan has been recognized by the World Organization for Animal Health as rabies-free since 1961. Surprisingly, rabies virus (RABV) was identified in a dead Formosan ferret badger in July 2013. Later, more infected ferret badgers were reported from different geographic regions of Taiwan. In order to know its evolutionary history and spatial temporal dynamics of this virus, phylogeny was reconstructed by maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods based on the full-length of glycoprotein (G), matrix protein (M), and nucleoprotein (N) genes. The evolutionary rates and phylogeographic were determined using Beast and SPREAD software. Phylogenetic trees showed a monophyletic group containing all of RABV isolates from Taiwan and it further separated into three sub-groups. The estimated nucleotide substitution rates of G, M, and N genes were between 2.49 × 10−4–4.75 × 10−4 substitutions/site/year, and the mean ratio of dN/dS was significantly low. The time of the most recent common ancestor was estimated around 75, 89, and 170 years, respectively. Phylogeographic analysis suggested the origin of the epidemic could be in Eastern Taiwan, then the Formosan ferret badger moved across the Central Range of Taiwan to western regions and separated into two branches. In this study, we illustrated the evolution history and phylogeographic of RABV in Formosan ferret badgers.
Insecticide Resistance in Fleas
Authors: Rust Michael
Published: March 2016

Fleas are the major ectoparasite of cats, dogs, and rodents worldwide and potential vectors of animal diseases. In the past two decades the majority of new control treatments have been either topically applied or orally administered to the host. Most reports concerning the development of insecticide resistance deal with the cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis felis. Historically, insecticide resistance has developed to many of the insecticides used to control fleas in the environment including carbamates, organophosphates, and pyrethroids. Product failures have been reported with some of the new topical treatments, but actual resistance has not yet been demonstrated. Failures have often been attributed to operational factors such as failure to adequately treat the pet and follow label directions. With the addition of so many new chemistries additional monitoring of flea populations is needed.
Cavitation Erosion of Cermet-Coated Aluminium Bronzes
Authors: Mitelea Ion , Oancă Octavian , Bordeaşu Ilare , Crăciunescu Corneliu
Published: March 2016

The cavitation erosion resistance of CuAl10Ni5Fe2.5Mn1 following plasma spraying with Al2O3·30(Ni20Al) powder and laser re-melting was analyzed in view of possible improvements of the lifetime of components used in hydraulic environments. The cavitation erosion resistance was substantially improved compared with the one of the base material. The thickness of the re-melted layer was in the range of several hundred micrometers, with a surface microhardness increasing from 250 to 420 HV 0.2. Compositional, structural, and microstructural explorations showed that the microstructure of the re-melted and homogenized layer, consisting of a cubic Al2O3 matrix with dispersed Ni-based solid solution is associated with the hardness increase and consequently with the improvement of the cavitation erosion resistance.
Computational Study of the Effect of Cortical Porosity on Ultrasound Wave Propagation in Healthy and Osteoporotic Long Bones
Authors: T. Potsika Vassiliki , N. Grivas Konstantinos , Gortsas Theodoros , Iori Gianluca , C. Protopappas Vasilios , Raum Kay , Polyzos Demosthenes , I. Fotiadis Dimitrios
Published: March 2016

Computational studies on the evaluation of bone status in cases of pathologies have gained significant interest in recent years. This work presents a parametric and systematic numerical study on ultrasound propagation in cortical bone models to investigate the effect of changes in cortical porosity and the occurrence of large basic multicellular units, simply called non-refilled resorption lacunae (RL), on the velocity of the first arriving signal (FAS). Two-dimensional geometries of cortical bone are established for various microstructural models mimicking normal and pathological tissue states. Emphasis is given on the detection of RL formation which may provoke the thinning of the cortical cortex and the increase of porosity at a later stage of the disease. The central excitation frequencies 0.5 and 1 MHz are examined. The proposed configuration consists of one point source and multiple successive receivers in order to calculate the FAS velocity in small propagation paths (local velocity) and derive a variation profile along the cortical surface. It was shown that: (a) the local FAS velocity can capture porosity changes including the occurrence of RL with different number, size and depth of formation; and (b) the excitation frequency 0.5 MHz is more sensitive for the assessment of cortical microstructure.
Nitric Acid-Treated Carbon Fibers with Enhanced Hydrophilicity for Candida tropicalis Immobilization in Xylitol Fermentation
Authors: Wang Le , Liu Na , Guo Zheng , Wu Dapeng , Chen Weiwei , Chang Zheng , Yuan Qipeng , Hui Ming , Wang Jinshui
Published: March 2016

Nitric acid (HNO3)-treated carbon fiber (CF) rich in hydrophilic groups was applied as a cell-immobilized carrier for xylitol fermentation. Using scanning electron microscopy, we characterized the morphology of the HNO3-treated CF. Additionally, we evaluated the immobilized efficiency (IE) of Candida tropicalis and xylitol fermentation yield by investigating the surface properties of nitric acid treated CF, specifically, the acidic group content, zero charge point, degree of moisture and contact angle. We found that adhesion is the major mechanism for cell immobilization and that it is greatly affected by the hydrophilic–hydrophilic surface properties. In our experiments, we found 3 hto be the optimal time for treating CF with nitric acid, resulting in an improved IE of Candida tropicalis of 0.98 g∙g−1 and the highest xylitol yield and volumetric productivity (70.13% and 1.22 g∙L−1∙h−1, respectively). The HNO3-treated CF represents a promising method for preparing biocompatible biocarriers for multi-batch fermentation.
Fatigue Life Prediction of Fiber-Reinforced Ceramic-Matrix Composites with Different Fiber Preforms at Room and Elevated Temperatures
Authors: Li Longbiao
Published: March 2016

In this paper, the fatigue life of fiber-reinforced ceramic-matrix composites (CMCs) with different fiber preforms, i.e., unidirectional, cross-ply, 2D (two dimensional), 2.5D and 3D CMCs at room and elevated temperatures in air and oxidative environments, has been predicted using the micromechanics approach. An effective coefficient of the fiber volume fraction along the loading direction (ECFL) was introduced to describe the fiber architecture of preforms. The statistical matrix multicracking model and fracture mechanics interface debonding criterion were used to determine the matrix crack spacing and interface debonded length. Under cyclic fatigue loading, the fiber broken fraction was determined by combining the interface wear model and fiber statistical failure model at room temperature, and interface/fiber oxidation model, interface wear model and fiber statistical failure model at elevated temperatures, based on the assumption that the fiber strength is subjected to two-parameter Weibull distribution and the load carried by broken and intact fibers satisfies the Global Load Sharing (GLS) criterion. When the broken fiber fraction approaches the critical value, the composites fatigue fracture.
Solution of Differential Equations with Polynomial Coefficients with the Aid of an Analytic Continuation of Laplace Transform
Authors: Morita Tohru , Sato Ken-ichi
Published: March 2016

In a series of papers, we discussed the solution of Laplace’s differential equation (DE) by using fractional calculus, operational calculus in the framework of distribution theory, and Laplace transform. The solutions of Kummer’s DE, which are expressed by the confluent hypergeometric functions, are obtained with the aid of the analytic continuation (AC) of Riemann–Liouville fractional derivative (fD) and the distribution theory in the space D′R or the AC of Laplace transform. We now obtain the solutions of the hypergeometric DE, which are expressed by the hypergeometric functions, with the aid of the AC of Riemann–Liouville fD, and the distribution theory in the space D′r,R, which is introduced in this paper, or by the term-by-term inverse Laplace transform of AC of Laplace transform of the solution expressed by a series.
Proteomic Profiling of Iron Overload-Induced Human Hepatic Cells Reveals Activation of TLR2-Mediated Inflammatory Response
Authors: Li Xiang , Li Shiwei , Lu Mize , Yang Guohua , Shen Yunfeng , Zhou Xin
Published: March 2016

Background: Hepatic iron overload is common in patients who have undergone hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) and may predispose to peri- and post-HCT toxicity. To better reveal more molecules that might be involved in iron overload-induced liver injury, we utilized proteomics to investigate differentially expressed proteins in iron overload-induced hepatocytes vs. untreated hepatocytes. Methods and Results: HH4 hepatocytes were exposed to ferric ammonium citrate (FAC) to establish an in vitro iron overload model. Differentially expressed proteins initiated by the iron overload were studied by two-dimensional liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (2D-LC-MS) analysis. We identified 93 proteins whose quantity statistically significantly changes under excess hepatocyte iron conditions. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis showed that these differentially expressed proteins in HH4 cells are involved in various biological process including endocytosis, response to wounding, di-, trivalent inorganic cation homeostasis, inflammatory response, positive regulation of cytokine production, and etc. Meanwhile, proteomics data revealed protein level of TLR2 and IL6ST significantly increased 7 times and 2.9 times, respectively, in iron overloaded HH4 cells. Our subsequent experiments detected that FAC-treated HH4 cells can activate IL6 expression through TLR2-mediated inflammatory responses via the NF-κB pathway. Conclusions: In this study, we demonstrated that iron overload induced hepatocytes triggering TLR2-mediated inflammatory response via NF-κB signaling pathway in HH4 cells.
Decorating Nanoparticle Surface for Targeted Drug Delivery: Opportunities and Challenges
Authors: Shen Zhiqiang , Nieh Mu-Ping , Li Ying
Published: March 2016

The size, shape, stiffness (composition) and surface properties of nanoparticles (NPs) have been recognized as key design parameters for NP-mediated drug delivery platforms. Among them, the surface functionalization of NPs is of great significance for targeted drug delivery. For instance, targeting moieties are covalently coated on the surface of NPs to improve their selectively and affinity to cancer cells. However, due to a broad range of possible choices of surface decorating molecules, it is difficult to choose the proper one for targeted functions. In this work, we will review several representative experimental and computational studies in selecting the proper surface functional groups. Experimental studies reveal that: (1) the NPs with surface decorated amphiphilic polymers can enter the cell interior through penetrating pathway; (2) the NPs with tunable stiffness and identical surface chemistry can be selectively accepted by the diseased cells according to their stiffness; and (3) the NPs grafted with pH-responsive polymers can be accepted or rejected by the cells due to the local pH environment. In addition, we show that computer simulations could be useful to understand the detailed physical mechanisms behind these phenomena and guide the design of next-generation NP-based drug carriers with high selectivity, affinity, and low toxicity. For example, the detailed free energy analysis and molecular dynamics simulation reveals that amphiphilic polymer-decorated NPs can penetrate into the cell membrane through the “snorkeling” mechanism, by maximizing the interaction energy between the hydrophobic ligands and lipid tails. We anticipate that this work will inspire future studies in the design of environment-responsive NPs for targeted drug delivery.
Assessing Earthquake-Induced Tree Mortality in Temperate Forest Ecosystems: A Case Study from Wenchuan, China
Authors: Zeng Hongcheng , Lu Tao , Jenkins Hillary , Negrón-Juárez Robinson , Xu Jiceng
Published: March 2016

Earthquakes can produce significant tree mortality, and consequently affect regional carbon dynamics. Unfortunately, detailed studies quantifying the influence of earthquake on forest mortality are currently rare. The committed forest biomass carbon loss associated with the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake in China is assessed by a synthetic approach in this study that integrated field investigation, remote sensing analysis, empirical models and Monte Carlo simulation. The newly developed approach significantly improved the forest disturbance evaluation by quantitatively defining the earthquake impact boundary and detailed field survey to validate the mortality models. Based on our approach, a total biomass carbon of 10.9 Tg∙C was lost in Wenchuan earthquake, which offset 0.23% of the living biomass carbon stock in Chinese forests. Tree mortality was highly clustered at epicenter, and declined rapidly with distance away from the fault zone. It is suggested that earthquakes represent a significant driver to forest carbon dynamics, and the earthquake-induced biomass carbon loss should be included in estimating forest carbon budgets.
An Efficient Distributed Coverage Hole Detection Protocol for Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Kumar Sahoo Prasan , Chiang Ming-Jer , Wu Shih-Lin
Published: March 2016

In wireless sensor networks (WSNs), certain areas of the monitoring region may have coverage holes and serious coverage overlapping due to the random deployment of sensors. The failure of electronic components, software bugs and destructive agents could lead to the random death of the nodes. Sensors may be dead due to exhaustion of battery power, which may cause the network to be uncovered and disconnected. Based on the deployment nature of the nodes in remote or hostile environments, such as a battlefield or desert, it is impossible to recharge or replace the battery. However, the data gathered by the sensors are highly essential for the analysis, and therefore, the collaborative detection of coverage holes has strategic importance in WSNs. In this paper, distributed coverage hole detection algorithms are designed, where nodes can collaborate to detect the coverage holes autonomously. The performance evaluation of our protocols suggests that our protocols outperform in terms of hole detection time, limited power consumption and control packet overhead to detect holes as compared to other similar protocols.
TYPE II SUPERNOVA ENERGETICS AND COMPARISON OF LIGHT CURVES TO SHOCK-COOLING MODELS
Authors: Rubin Adam , Gal-Yam Avishay , De Cia Annalisa , Horesh Assaf , Khazov Danny , Ofek Eran O. , Kulkarni S. R. , Arcavi Iair , Manulis Ilan , Yaron Ofer , Vreeswijk Paul , Kasliwal Mansi M. , Ben-Ami Sagi , Perley Daniel A. , Cao Yi , Cenko S. Bradley , Rebbapragada Umaa D. , Woźniak P. R. , Filippenko Alexei V. , Clubb K. I. , Nugent Peter E. , Pan Y.-C. , Badenes C. , Howell D. Andrew , Valenti Stefano , Sand David , Sollerman J. , Johansson Joel , Leonard Douglas C. , Horst J. Chuck , Armen Stephen F. , Fedrow Joseph M. , Quimby Robert M. , Mazzali Paulo , Pian Elena , Sternberg Assaf , Matheson Thomas , Sullivan M. , Maguire K. , Lazarevic Sanja
Published: March 2016

During the first few days after explosion, Type II supernovae (SNe) are dominated by relatively simple physics. Theoretical predictions regarding early-time SN light curves in the ultraviolet (UV) and optical bands are thus quite robust. We present, for the first time, a sample of 57 R-band SN II light curves that are well-monitored during their rise, with

detections during the first 10 days after discovery, and a well-constrained time of explosion to within 1–3 days. We show that the energy per unit mass (E/M) can be deduced to roughly a factor of five by comparing early-time optical data to the 2011 model of Rabinak & Waxman, while the progenitor radius cannot be determined based on R-band data alone. We find that SN II explosion energies span a range of E/M = (0.2–20) × 1051 erg/(10

), and have a mean energy per unit mass of

erg/(10

), corrected for Malmquist bias. Assuming a small spread in progenitor masses, this indicates a large intrinsic diversity in explosion energy. Moreover, E/M is positively correlated with the amount of 56Ni produced in the explosion, as predicted by some recent models of core-collapse SNe. We further present several empirical correlations. The peak magnitude is correlated with the decline rate (

), the decline rate is weakly correlated with the rise time, and the rise time is not significantly correlated with the peak magnitude. Faster declining SNe are more luminous and have longer rise times. This limits the possible power sources for such events.
EN ROUTE TO DESTRUCTION: THE EVOLUTION IN COMPOSITION OF ICES IN COMET D/2012 S1 (ISON) BETWEEN 1.2 AND 0.34 AU FROM THE SUN AS REVEALED AT INFRARED WAVELENGTHS*
Authors: DiSanti M. A. , Bonev B. P. , Gibb E. L. , Paganini L. , Villanueva G. L. , Mumma M. J. , Keane J. V. , Blake G. A. , Russo N. Dello , Meech K. J. , Vervack R. J. , McKay A. J.
Published: March 2016

We report production rates for H2O and eight trace molecules (CO, C2H6, CH4, CH3OH, NH3, H2CO, HCN, C2H2) in the dynamically new, Sun-grazing Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON), using high-resolution spectroscopy at Keck II and the NASA IRTF on 10 pre-perihelion dates encompassing heliocentric distances R
h = 1.21–0.34 AU. Measured water production rates spanned two orders of magnitude, consistent with a long-term heliocentric power law Q(H2O)

. Abundance ratios for CO, C2H6, and CH4 with respect to H2O remained constant with R
h and below their corresponding mean values measured among a dominant sample of Oort Cloud comets. CH3OH was also depleted for R
h > 0.5 AU, but was closer to its mean value for R
h ≤ 0.5 AU. The remaining four molecules exhibited higher abundance ratios within 0.5 AU: for R
h > 0.8 AU, NH3 and C2H2 were consistent with their mean values while H2CO and HCN were depleted. For R
h < 0.5 AU, all four were enriched, with NH3, H2CO, and HCN increasing most. Spatial profiles of gas emission in ISON consistently peaked sunward of the dust continuum, which was asymmetric antisunward and remained singly peaked for all observations. NH3 within 0.5 AU showed a broad spatial distribution, possibly indicating its release in the coma provided that optical depth effects were unimportant. The column abundance ratio NH2/H2O at 0.83 AU was close to the “typical” NH/OH from optical wavelengths, but was higher within 0.5 AU. Establishing its production rate and testing its parentage (e.g., NH3) require modeling of coma outflow.
THE SOLAR INTERNETWORK. II. FLUX APPEARANCE AND DISAPPEARANCE RATES
Authors: Gošić M. , Rubio L. R. Bellot , Iniesta J. C. del Toro , Suárez D. Orozco , Katsukawa Y.
Published: March 2016

Small-scale internetwork magnetic fields are important ingredients of the quiet Sun. In this paper we analyze how they appear and disappear on the solar surface. Using high resolution Hinode magnetograms, we follow the evolution of individual magnetic elements in the interior of two supergranular cells at the disk center. From up to 38 hr of continuous measurements, we show that magnetic flux appears in internetwork regions at a rate of 120 ± 3 Mx cm−2 day−1 (3.7 ± 0.4 × 1024 Mx day−1 over the entire solar surface). Flux disappears from the internetwork at a rate of 125 ± 6 Mx cm−2 day−1 (3.9 ± 0.5 × 1024 Mx day−1) through fading of magnetic elements, cancelation between opposite-polarity features, and interactions with network patches, which converts internetwork elements into network features. Most of the flux is lost through fading and interactions with the network, at nearly the same rate of about 50 Mx cm−2 day−1. Our results demonstrate that the sources and sinks of internetwork magnetic flux are well balanced. Using the instantaneous flux appearance and disappearance rates, we successfully reproduce the time evolution of the total unsigned flux in the two supergranular cells.
LIFETIMES AND ACCRETION RATES OF PROTOPLANETARY DISKS
Authors: Li Min , Xiao Lin
Published: March 2016

Protoplanetary disks originate in the collapse of molecular cloud cores. The formation and evolution of disks are influenced by the properties of molecular cloud cores. In this paper we investigate the dependence of disk lifetimes and accretion rates on cloud core properties. We find that the lifetime increases as the angular velocities and the mass of cloud cores increase and that the lifetime decreases as the core temperature increases. We have calculated the distribution of disk lifetimes and disk fractions with stellar age. Our calculations show that the lifetime is in the range of 1–15 Myr and that the typical lifetime is 1–3 Myr. There are a few disks with lifetimes greater than 10 Myr and

of the disks have lifetimes less than 1 Myr. We also fit the disk fraction by an exponential decay curve with characteristic time ∼3.7 Myr. Our results explain the observations of disk lifetimes. We also find that the accretion rate does not change significantly with ω and generally decreases with

. At the early evolution of the disks, the

relation is about

. Since the effects of the photoevaporation are weak at this stage, this relation is the consequence of the cloud core properties. At the late evolution of the disks, the

relation is about

. For low accretion rates at this stage, the

relation results from the effects of X-ray photoevaporation. The calculated

relations are consistent with the observations.
HIGH-CADENCE, HIGH-CONTRAST IMAGING FOR EXOPLANET MAPPING: OBSERVATIONS OF THE HR 8799 PLANETS WITH VLT/SPHERE SATELLITE-SPOT-CORRECTED RELATIVE PHOTOMETRY
Authors: Apai Dániel , Kasper Markus , Skemer Andrew , Hanson Jake R. , Lagrange Anne-Marie , Biller Beth A. , Bonnefoy Mickaël , Buenzli Esther , Vigan Arthur
Published: March 2016

Time-resolved photometry is an important new probe of the physics of condensate clouds in extrasolar planets and brown dwarfs. Extreme adaptive optics systems can directly image planets, but precise brightness measurements are challenging. We present VLT/SPHERE high-contrast, time-resolved broad H-band near-infrared photometry for four exoplanets in the HR 8799 system, sampling changes from night to night over five nights with relatively short integrations. The photospheres of these four planets are often modeled by patchy clouds and may show large-amplitude rotational brightness modulations. Our observations provide high-quality images of the system. We present a detailed performance analysis of different data analysis approaches to accurately measure the relative brightnesses of the four exoplanets. We explore the information in satellite spots and demonstrate their use as a proxy for image quality. While the brightness variations of the satellite spots are strongly correlated, we also identify a second-order anti-correlation pattern between the different spots. Our study finds that KLIP reduction based on principal components analysis with satellite-spot-modulated artificial-planet-injection-based photometry leads to a significant (∼3×) gain in photometric accuracy over standard aperture-based photometry and reaches 0.1 mag per point accuracy for our data set, the signal-to-noise ratio of which is limited by small field rotation. Relative planet-to-planet photometry can be compared between nights, enabling observations spanning multiple nights to probe variability. Recent high-quality relative H-band photometry of the b–c planet pair agrees to about 1%.
MODELING GD-1 GAPS IN A MILKY WAY POTENTIAL
Authors: Carlberg R. G.
Published: March 2016

The GD-1 star stream is currently the best available for identifying density fluctuations, “gaps,” along its length as a test of the LCDM prediction of large numbers of dark matter sub-halos orbiting in the halo. Density variations of some form are present, since the variance of the density along the stream is three times that expected from the empirically estimated variation in the filtered mean star counts. The density variations are characterized with filters that approximate the shape of sub-halo, gravitationally induced stream gaps. The filters locate gaps and measure their amplitude, leading to a measurement of the distribution of gap widths. To gain an understanding of the factors influencing the gap width distribution, a suite of collisionless n-body simulations for a GD-1-like orbit in a Milky-Way-like potential provides a dynamically realistic statistical prediction of the gap distribution. The simulations show that every location in the stream has been disturbed to some degree by a sub-halo. The small gaps found via the filtering are largely noise. Larger gaps, those longer than 1 kpc, or 10° for GD-1, are the source of the excess variance. The suite of stream simulations shows that sub-halos at the predicted inner halo abundance or possibly somewhat higher can produce the required large-scale density variations.
EVOLUTION OF THE PROTON VELOCITY DISTRIBUTION DUE TO STOCHASTIC HEATING IN THE NEAR-SUN SOLAR WIND
Authors: Klein Kristopher G. , Chandran Benjamin D. G.
Published: March 2016

We investigate how the proton distribution function evolves when the protons undergo stochastic heating by strong, low-frequency, Alfvén-wave turbulence under the assumption that β is small. We apply our analysis to protons undergoing stochastic heating in the supersonic fast solar wind and obtain proton distributions at heliocentric distances ranging from 4 to 30 solar radii. We find that the proton distribution develops non-Gaussian structure with a flat core and steep tail. For

, the proton distribution is well approximated by a modified Moyal distribution. Comparisons with future measurements from Solar Probe Plus could be used to test whether stochastic heating is occurring in the solar-wind acceleration region.
DIFFICULTY IN THE FORMATION OF COUNTER-ORBITING HOT JUPITERS FROM NEAR-COPLANAR HIERARCHICAL TRIPLE SYSTEMS: A SUB-STELLAR PERTURBER
Authors: Xue Yuxin , Suto Yasushi
Published: March 2016

Among 100 transiting planets with a measured projected spin–orbit angle λ, several systems are suggested to be counter-orbiting. While these cases may be due to the projection effect, the mechanism that produces a counter-orbiting planet has not been established. A promising scenario for counter-orbiting planets is the extreme eccentricity evolution in near-coplanar hierarchical triple systems with eccentric inner and outer orbits. We examine this scenario in detail by performing a series of systematic numerical simulations, and consider the possibility of forming hot Jupiters (HJs), especially a counter-orbiting one under this mechanism with a distant sub-stellar perturber. We incorporate quadrupole and octupole secular gravitational interaction between the two orbits, and also short-range forces (correction for general relativity, star and inner planetary tide, and rotational distortion) simultaneously. We find that most systems are tidally disrupted and that a small fraction of the surviving planets turn out to be prograde. The formation of counter-orbiting HJs in this scenario is possible only in a very restricted parameter region, and thus is very unlikely in practice.
EFFECT OF ADIABATIC FOCUSING ON THE DIFFUSION OF ENERGETIC CHARGED PARTICLES
Authors: Wang Yang , Qin Gang
Published: March 2016

An approximate analytic description of a diffusion coefficient, including the effect of adiabatic focusing, has been developed. This description is formulated with the aid of stochastic differential equations and the steady perturbation solution of the Fokker–Plank transport equation. The analytical formula is based on three important assumptions. First, the pitch-angle diffusion coefficient is set to be separable from the spatial coordinate and the pitch-angle cosine. Second, the spatial dependence of the ratio between the mean-free path and focusing length is assumed to be weak. Third, the pitch-angle distribution relaxes quickly to a steady state. The new analytic formula could be applied to calculate the spatial diffusion coefficient in the interplanetary and interstellar space.
A MIXTURE EVOLUTION SCENARIO OF THE AGN RADIO LUMINOSITY FUNCTION
Authors: Yuan Zunli , Wang Jiancheng , Zhou Ming , Mao Jirong
Published: March 2016

We propose a mixture evolution scenario to model the evolution of the radio luminosity function (RLF) of steep-spectrum AGNs (active galactic nuclei), based on a Bayesian method. In this scenario, the shape of the RLF is determined by both the density and luminosity evolution. Our models indicate that the density evolution is positive until a redshift of

, at which point it becomes negative, while the luminosity evolution is positive to a higher redshift (

for model B and

for model C), where it becomes negative. Our mixture evolution model works well, and the modeled RLFs are in good agreement with previous determinations. The mixture evolution scenario can naturally explain the luminosity-dependent evolution of the RLFs.
Reflections on Teaching a Global Markets Course at Jesuit Commons
Authors: Faustino-Pulliam Vivian , Garcia Carlos Ballesteros , Beqiri Mirjeta
Published: March 2016

In a world, increasingly confronted with conflict and various social issues, universities play a larger role in regards to understanding how education can be best deployed to advance social justice, freedom, equality, and human development. This chapter aims to share with readers - students and educators - valuable insights gathered from the online teaching experience of three educators based in various parts of the globe, who have come together “virtually” to teach a global markets course to refugees and indigenous people of diverse cultural backgrounds from various refugee camps in Africa- Kakuma, Kenya and Dzaleka, Malawi, and Amman in Jordan. The chapter provides insights into how digital pedagogy, culturally relevant curriculum design, support from community partners and commitment from volunteer educators can sustain the goal of educating those at the margins and promote social change towards sustainable human development.
Turning Marketing Students into Active Citizens
Authors: Nuttavuthisit Krittinee
Published: March 2016

This chapter discusses the learning of consumption and marketing within the context of social-related issues. The objectives are to expand dimensions of marketing education into a wider perspective beyond the economic focus to the social domain. Exploring the different contexts can help uncover a deeper perspective beyond general concepts of consumption and marketing. Moreover, considering the social aspect can enhance a longer perspective of business beyond current profit maximization, particularly in the 21st century with its emphasis on sustainability. The learning process can follow the four main steps of understanding the problem, introducing the solution, engaging participation (with real actions to support the project or organization), and evaluating output and outcome. These processes are elaborated together with examples of real practices and summarized learning derived from the classes conducted in Thailand. Not only can this benefit the students, but also the overall business and the society by turning marketing students into active citizens.
Two Different Aspects of Technology Regarding Marketing Education
Authors: Porath Amiram
Published: March 2016

The role of technology in marketing education can be described from two different points of view, the role of the technology as a tool for marketing education and the role of technology in marketing as part of the curriculum of marketing education. We begin with a description of the role of technology in education in general. That has been a focal point for research for the last two decades and in that aspect marketing education is no exception, in fact it is even more relevant for marketing education as marketing uses communication as a major tool. Alternatively, the changing world of communication changes how marketing is viewed, opening new venues for opportunities but also exposing new threats, one cannot be called a marketing expert without understanding the new rules of communication. The chapter will than present two cases one of a threat and another of an opportunity to demonstrate that point while also discussing the role of technology in education in an effective way for marketing education. It ends with a suggestion for electives for marketing education curriculum.
Fuzzy Multisets and Fuzzy Computing
Authors: Syropoulos Apostolos
Published: March 2016

Multisets and Multirelations are extensions of ordinary sets and relations while fuzzy multisets and fuzzy multirelations are fuzzy extensions of these concept. Although many generalizations tend to be meaningless, these are quite useful as one can model things we see every day. In addition, these structures have found uses in the theory of computation. In particular, fuzzy multisets are used in fuzzy models of computation, that is, models of computation where vagueness is manifested by fuzzy sets play central role. These fuzzy models of computation include fuzzy P systems, the fuzzy chemical abstract machine, and fuzzy Petri nets.
Generalized Rough Sets
Authors: Hosny Mona , Kandil Ali , El-Tantawy Osama A. , El-Sheikh Sobhy A.
Published: March 2016

This chapter concerns construction of a new rough set structure for an ideal ordered topological spaces and ordered topological filters. The approximation space approached depend on general binary relation, partially order relation, ideal and filter concepts. Properties of lower and upper approximation are extended to an ideal order topological approximation spaces. The main aim of the rough set theory is reducing the bouwndary region by increasing the lower approximation and decreasing the upper approximation. So, in this chapter different methods are proposed to reduce the boundary region. Comparisons between the current approximations and the previous approximations (El-Shafei et al.,2013) are introduced. It's therefore shown that the current approximations are more generally and reduce the boundary region by increasing the lower approximation and decreasing the upper approximation. The lower and upper approximations satisfy some properties in analogue of Pawlak's spaces (Pawlak, 1982). Moreover, we give several examples for comparison between the current approach and (El-Shafei et al., 2013).
Generalized Fuzzy Closed Sets in Smooth Bitopological Spaces
Authors: El-Tantawy Osama A. , El-Sheikh Sobhy A. , Majeed Rasha N.
Published: March 2016

This chapter is devoted to the study of r-generalized fuzzy closed sets (briefly, gfc sets) in smooth bitopological spaces (briefly, smooth bts) in view definition of Šostak (1985). The chapter is divided into seven sections. The aim of Sections 1-2 is to introduce the fundamental concepts related to the work. In Section 3, the concept of r-(ti,tj)-gfc sets in the smooth bts's is introduce and investigate some notions of these sets, generalized fuzzy closure operator induced from these sets. In Section 4, (i,j)-GF-continuous (respectively, irresolute) mappings are introduced. In Section 5, the supra smooth topology which generated from a smooth bts is used to introduce and study the notion of r-t12-gfc sets for smooth bts's and supra generalized fuzzy closure operator . The present notion of gfc sets and the notion which introduced in section 3, are independent. In Section 6, two types of generalized supra fuzzy closure operators introduced by using two different approaches. Finally, Section 7 introduces and studies different types of fuzzy continuity which are related to closure.
An Overview of E-Government Technological Divide in Developing Countries
Authors: Oyekunle Rafiat A. , Akanbi-Ademolake H. B.
Published: March 2016

This chapter presents an overview of e-Government technological divide in developing countries. Technological divide here does not consist simply of telecommunications and computer equipment (i.e. ICTs), but it is also e-Readiness (i.e. the available capacity as indicated by workforce capacity to build, deploy, and maintain ICT infrastructure), ICT literacy (using digital technology, communication tools, and/or networks appropriately to access, manage, integrate, evaluate, and create information), e-Inclusion and/or e-Exclusion (i.e. no one is left behind in enjoying the benefits of ICT), etc., which are factors also necessary in order for people to be able to use and benefit from e-Government applications. Most of the currently published works on e-Government strategies are based on successful experiences from developed countries, which may not be directly applicable to developing countries. Based on a literature review, this chapter reveals the status of e-Government technological divide in developing countries and also underscores the challenges associated with e-Government in developing countries, thus bringing to the limelight the factors that influence the growth of the technological divide and different approaches that have been put in place to overcome the divide. In conclusion, this chapter advocates education and training, local content development, enhancing network infrastructure, and capacity building, among others, as ways of bridging the divide.
Global Market Trends
Authors: Amone William
Published: March 2016

This chapter provides a discussion of competitiveness, globalization, and trade, including their recent transformations. The global market has witnessed several changes including reductions in trade costs, increased global trade, growth of industrialization in developing countries, and a complete change in the nature of goods traded. The drivers of global market changes include shifts in production and consumption patterns, technological innovations, new ways of conducting business, and policy changes. Many governments have lately opened their economies to international trade, enabling them to reap several benefits. Openness to trade is believed to have supported the growth of many countries and has greatly contributed to the success of most Asian countries, especially China and India. Although the global market offers numerous benefits, many developing countries still face serous limitations to fully access it; they are constrained by factors such as quality inferiority, distance, quantitative restrictions, poor technical skills, bad governance, and border controls.
B2B E-Commerce Success among Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises
Authors: Ghobakhloo Morteza , Hong Tang Sai , Standing Craig
Published: March 2016

E-commerce (EC) success and related influencing factors have not been investigated properly in the context of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), while these businesses possess very different characteristics as compared to large businesses. The purpose of this study is to provide a better and clearer understanding of business-to-business (B2B) EC value and success within SMEs, particularly in emerging economies. Rooted in the information system (IS) diffusion and success literature and organizational research background, this paper develops an integrative research model to assess the success of B2B EC among Iranian and Malaysian SMEs. To interpret the success of B2B EC, we viewed EC success dimensions and relevant determinants from the perspectives of all users at the business network unit level. The result of testing this model on 130 business network units revealed that in addition to technological characteristics of EC including information, system and service quality, different SME-related organizational determinants such as perceived usefulness of EC, top management support and commitment and EC knowledge are crucial for successful B2B EC among SMEs. The findings offer valuable insights to managers, EC/IS experts and policy makers responsible for assisting SMEs with successfully engaging in B2B EC.