bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Formation of Light-Weight Ferroalloys in the Fe2O3-Al2O3-C System at 1550 °C: Influence of Silica Impurities
Authors: Ikram-Ul-Haq Muhammad , Mukherjee Partha , Khanna Rita
Published: September 2017

Light-weight ferro-aluminium alloys are finding increasing application in the transport sector to reduce overall weights, energy costs and CO2 emissions. As the primary production processes of both Fe and Al are among the most energy-intensive industrial processes in the world, there is an urgent need to develop alternate routes for producing Fe-Al alloys. Our group has successfully produced these alloys in the Fe2O3-Al2O3-C system by producing molten iron in situ, followed by the reduction of alumina at 1550 °C and pick-up of Al by Fe. In this article, we report on the influence of silica, a typical impurity present in iron oxide and reductant carbon, on the reduction reactions in this system, and on the formation of ferroalloys. In-depth investigations were carried out on the Fe2O3-SiO2-C and Fe2O3-Al2O3-SiO2-C systems at 1550 °C for times of up to 60 min. Detailed HRSEM/EDS and XRD analysis was carried on the quenched reaction products recovered after various heat treatments. A complete reduction of silica and alumina was observed in the Fe2O3-SiO2-C system, along with the formation of FeSi and SiC. The reduction reactions were relatively slow in the Fe2O3-Al2O3-SiO2-C system. While the formation of SiC, FeSi and mullite (Al6Si2O13) was observed, even small amounts of Fe-Al alloys could not be detected. The presence of silica impurities reduced the formation of Fe-Al to negligible levels by depleting molten iron from the reaction zone, a key ingredient for the low-temperature carbothermic reduction of alumina. This study shows that some impurities can be highly detrimental to the reaction kinetics and the formation of ferroalloys, and great care needs to be exercised during the choice of reaction constituents.
Monolayer Colloidal Crystals by Modified Air-Water Interface Self-Assembly Approach
Authors: Ye Xin , Huang Jin , Zeng Yong , Sun Lai-Xi , Geng Feng , Liu Hong-Jie , Wang Feng-Rui , Jiang Xiao-Dong , Wu Wei-Dong , Zheng Wan-Guo
Published: September 2017

Hexagonally ordered arrays of polystyrene (PS) microspheres were prepared by a modified air-water self-assembly method. A detailed analysis of the air-water interface self-assembly process was conducted. Several parameters affect the quality of the monolayer colloidal crystals, i.e., the colloidal microsphere concentration on the latex, the surfactant concentration, the polystyrene microsphere diameter, the microsphere polydispersity, and the degree of sphericity of polystyrene microspheres. An abrupt change in surface tension was used to improve the quality of the monolayer colloidal crystal. Three typical microstructures, i.e., a cone, a pillar, and a binary structure were prepared by reactive-ion etching using a high-quality colloidal crystal mask. This study provides insight into the production of microsphere templates with flexible structures for large-area patterned materials.
Tissue Specific Modulation of cyp2c and cyp3a mRNA Levels and Activities by Diet-Induced Obesity in Mice: The Impact of Type 2 Diabetes on Drug Metabolizing Enzymes in Liver and Extra-Hepatic Tissues
Authors: Maximos Sarah , Chamoun Michel , Gravel Sophie , Turgeon Jacques , Michaud Veronique
Published: September 2017

Various diseases such as type 2 diabetes (T2D) may alter drug clearance. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of T2D on CYP450 expressions and activities using high-fat diet (HFD) as a model of obesity-dependent diabetes in C57BL6 mice. The cyp450 mRNA expression levels for 15 different isoforms were determined in the liver and extra-hepatic tissues (kidneys, lungs and heart) of HFD-treated animals (n = 45). Modulation of cyp450 metabolic activities by HFD was assessed using eight known substrates for specific human ortholog CYP450 isoforms: in vitro incubations were conducted with liver and extra-hepatic microsomes. Expression levels of cyp3a11 and cyp3a25 mRNA were decreased in the liver (>2–14-fold) and kidneys (>2-fold) of HFD groups which correlated with a significant reduction in midazolam metabolism (by 21- and 5-fold in hepatic and kidney microsomes, respectively, p < 0.001). HFD was associated with decreased activities of cyp2b and cyp2c subfamilies in all organs tested except in the kidneys (for tolbutamide). Other cyp450 hepatic activities were minimally or not affected by HFD. Taken together, our data suggest that substrate-dependent and tissue-dependent modulation of cyp450 metabolic capacities by early phases of T2D are observed, which could modulate drug disposition and pharmacological effects in various tissues.
Band Selection-Based Dimensionality Reduction for Change Detection in Multi-Temporal Hyperspectral Images
Authors: Liu Sicong , Du Qian , Tong Xiaohua , Samat Alim , Pan Haiyan , Ma Xiaolong
Published: September 2017

This paper proposes to use band selection-based dimensionality reduction (BS-DR) technique in addressing a challenging multi-temporal hyperspectral images change detection (HSI-CD) problem. The aim of this work is to analyze and evaluate in detail the CD performance by selecting the most informative band subset from the original high-dimensional data space. In particular, for cases where ground reference data are available or unavailable, either supervised or unsupervised CD approaches are designed. The following sub-problems in HSI-CD are investigated, including: (1) the estimated number of multi-class changes; (2) the binary CD; (3) the multiple CD; (4) the estimated optimal number of selected bands; and (5) computational efficiency. The main contribution of this paper is to provide for the first time a thorough analysis of the impacts of band selection on the HSI-CD problem, thus to fix the gap in the state-of-the-art techniques either by simply utilizing the full dimensionality of the data or exploring a complex hierarchical change analysis. It is applicable to CD problems in multispectral or PolSAR images when the feature space is expanded for discriminant feature extraction. Two real multi-temporal hyperspectral Hyperion datasets are used to validate the proposed approaches. Quantitative and qualitative experimental results demonstrated that by selecting a subset of the most informative and distinct spectral bands, the proposed approaches offered better CD performance than the state-of-the-art techniques using original full bands, without losing the change representative and discriminable capabilities of a detector.
Real-Valued 2D MUSIC Algorithm Based on Modified Forward/Backward Averaging Using an Arbitrary Centrosymmetric Polarization Sensitive Array
Authors: Si Weijian , Wang Yan , Hou Changbo , Wang Hong
Published: September 2017

Two-dimensional multiple signal classification (MUSIC) algorithm based on polarization sensitive array (PSA) has excellent performance. However, it suffers a high computational complexity due to a multitude of complex operations. In this paper, we propose a real-valued two-dimensional MUSIC algorithm based on conjugate centrosymmetric signal model, which is applicable to arbitrary centrosymmetric polarization sensitive array. The modified forward/backward averaging, which can be applied to the PSA, is presented. Hence, the eigen-decomposition analysis process and spectrum function computation are converted into real domain, prominently reducing the computational complexity. Then, the direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation is decoupled from the polarization parameter estimation so that the four-dimensional spectral peak search process is avoided. The theoretical computational complexity is discussed and the Cramer-Rao bound (CRB) of DOA estimation is derived in this paper. The simulation results indicate that the proposed algorithm achieves superior accuracy in DOA estimation and has low computational complexity.
Advancing a Distributive-Bargaining and Integrative-Negotiation Integral System: A Values-Based Negotiation Model (VBM)
Authors: Gan Ivan
Published: September 2017

The proposed values-based negotiation model (VBM) agrees with and extends principled negotiation’s recognition of personal values and emotions as important negotiation elements. First, building upon Martin Buber’s existentialist treatment of religion and secularism, VBM centers on religion as one of many possible sources of personal values that informs respectful and mutually beneficial interactions without needing one to necessarily be religious. Just as one need not be a Buddhist or a Hindu to practice yoga, negotiators of any theological outlook can profit from a model grounded in broad, common tenets drawn from a range of organized religions. Second, VBM distinguishes feelings from emotions because the long-lasting and intrinsically stimulated effects of feelings have greater implications on the perception of negotiated outcomes. VBM negotiators view negotiations as a constitutive prosocial process whereby parties consider the outcome important enough to invest time and energy. Negotiators who use VBM appeal to the goodness of their counterparts by doing good first so that both parties avoid a win-lose outcome. This counterintuitive move contradicts the self-centered but understandably normal human behavior of prioritizing one’s own interests before others’ interests. However, when one appeals to the goodness of one’s Buberian Thou counterparts, he or she stimulates positive emotions that promote understanding. Third, VBM provides a framework that draws upon an individual’s personal values (religious or otherwise) and reconfigures the distributive-bargaining-and-integrative-negotiation distinction so that negotiators can freely apply distributive tactics to claim maximum intangible and tangible outcomes without compromising on their personal values or valuable relationships.
Executive Function and the P300 after Treadmill Exercise and Futsal in College Soccer Players
Authors: Won Junyeon , Wu Shanshan , Ji Hongquing , Smith J. , Park Jungjun
Published: September 2017

(1) Background: Although a body of evidence demonstrates that acute exercise improves executive function, few studies have compared more complex, laboratory-based modes of exercise, such as soccer that involve multiple aspects of the environment. (2) Methods: Twelve experienced soccer players (24.8 ± 2 years) completed three counterbalanced 20 min sessions of (1) seated rest; (2) moderate intensity treadmill exercise; and (3) a game of futsal. Once heart rate returned to within 10% of pre-activity levels, participants completed the Stroop Color Word Conflict Task while reaction time (RT) and P300 event-related potentials were measured. (3) Results: Reaction time during Stroop performance was significantly faster following the futsal game and treadmill exercise compared to the seated rest. The P300 amplitude during Stroop performance was significantly greater following futsal relative to both treadmill and seated-rest conditions. (4) Conclusions: These findings suggest that single bouts of indoor soccer among college-aged soccer players, compared to treadmill and seated-rest conditions, may engender the greatest effect on brain networks controlling attention allocation and classification speed during the performance of an inhibitory control task. Future research is needed to determine if cognitively engaging forms of aerobic exercise may differentially impact executive control processes in less experienced and older adult participants.
Sustainable Post-Mining Land Use: Are Closed Metal Mines Abandoned or Re-Used Space?
Authors: Kivinen Sonja
Published: September 2017

Sustainable land use in post-mining areas has received more attention only recently. This study examined landscape characteristics and post-mining land use in 51 metal mining sites in Finland. Studied mines were closed during the period of 1924–2016, and over half of them had been active more than 10 years. Mines were typically located in sparsely populated forest landscapes. Cultural and recreational functions were found in one third of the sites, especially in significant historical mining areas close to the population centers. Further, nearly one third of the post-mining sites included new activities related to industry and infrastructure. The diversity of post-mining functions was generally limited in small and isolated sites. Re-opening of five closed mines was planned or under development, and exploration permits (or claims) were applied or admitted for half of the post-mining areas. The results showed that every closed mine is unique and thus, sustainable post-mining land use requires careful evaluation of potentials and limitations (e.g., contamination and other hazards) of the sites. Increasing sizes of new mining projects calls for paying more attention on future post-mining landscapes in order to avoid degraded and underused areas from environmental, social and economic perspectives.
Urban Food Systems Strategies: A Promising Tool for Implementing the SDGs in Practice †
Authors: Ilieva Rositsa T.
Published: September 2017

The UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the transition from Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), heralds an important turn in global sustainability policy. With implementation now taking place in all countries, regardless of GDP, a key question is how affluent governments in large metropolitan areas can effectively contribute to global sustainable development. This paper argues that urban food systems strategies—a relatively new tool in local policymaking in the Global North—have the potential to amplify and consolidate national and international efforts in this direction and facilitate a more synergistic approach to SDG implementation. An in-depth comparative analysis of the 2030 Agenda and the sustainable food systems strategies of five of the ten largest cities in North America—New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Toronto—helps to uncover key gaps and areas of convergence between goals, objectives, and evaluation frameworks. Goal- and indicator-level analyses cast light on promising areas for cross-jurisdictional cooperation and suggest that, while not without limitations, urban food systems strategies offer manifold pathways to streamline global, national, and local implementation efforts and effectively forward the 2030 Agenda over the next decade.
Sustainability-Based Flood Hazard Mapping of the Swannanoa River Watershed
Authors: Ahmadisharaf Ebrahim , Kalyanapu Alfred , Chung Eun-Sung
Published: September 2017

An integrated framework is presented for sustainability-based flood hazard mapping of the Swannanoa River watershed in the state of North Carolina, U.S. The framework uses a hydrologic model for rainfall–runoff transformation, a two-dimensional unsteady hydraulic model flood simulation and a GIS-based multi-criteria decision-making technique for flood hazard mapping. Economic, social, and environmental flood hazards are taken into account. The importance of each hazard is quantified through a survey to the experts. Utilizing the proposed framework, sustainability-based flood hazard mapping is performed for the 100-year design event. As a result, the overall flood hazard is provided in each geographic location. The sensitivity of the overall hazard with respect to the weights of the three hazard components were also investigated. While the conventional flood management approach is to assess the environmental impacts of mitigation measures after a set of feasible options are selected, the presented framework incorporates the environmental impacts into the analysis concurrently with the economic and social influences. Thereby, it provides a more sustainable perspective of flood management and can greatly help the decision makers to make better-informed decisions by clearly understanding the impacts of flooding on economy, society and environment.
A Governance and Management Framework for Green IT
Authors: Patón-Romero J. , Baldassarre Maria , Piattini Mario , García Rodríguez de Guzmán Ignacio
Published: September 2017

In recent years, Green Information Technology (IT) has grown enormously, and has become an increasingly important and essential area, providing multiple benefits to the organizations that focus on it. It is for this reason that there is an increasing number of organizations embracing the idea of Green IT. However, Green IT is a very young field and each organization implements it according to its own criteria. That is why it is extremely important to develop the bases or best practices of governance and management that allow organizations to implement Green IT practices correctly and standardize them. In this article, we propose the “Governance and Management Framework for Green IT”, establishing the characteristics needed to carry out the governance and management of Green IT in an organization, and perform audits in this area. This framework is based on COBIT 5, which is a general framework for the control and audit of different areas related to IT. The results obtained through different validations demonstrate the validity and usefulness of the framework developed in the field of Green IT, providing a complete guide to the organizations in their efforts to implement, control and/or improve the practices of Green IT in their processes and day-to-day operations.
Emergence of Nasal Carriage of ST80 and ST152 PVL+ Staphylococcus aureus Isolates from Livestock in Algeria
Authors: Agabou Amir , Ouchenane Zouleikha , Ngba Essebe Christelle , Khemissi Salim , Chehboub Mohamed , Chehboub Ilyes , Sotto Albert , Dunyach-Remy Catherine , Lavigne Jean-Philippe
Published: September 2017

The spread of toxinogenic Staphylococcus aureus is a public health problem in Africa. The objectives of the study were to investigate the rate of S. aureus nasal carriage and molecular characteristics of these strains in livestock and humans in three Algerian provinces. Nasal samples were collected from camels, horses, cattle, sheep and monkeys, as well as humans in contact with them. S. aureus isolates were genotyped using DNA microarray. The rate of S. aureus nasal carriage varied between species: camels (53%), humans and monkeys (50%), sheep (44.2%), horses (15.2%) and cattle (15%). Nine methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) isolates (7.6%) were identified, isolated from camels and sheep. The S. aureus isolates belonged to 15 different clonal complexes. Among them, PVL+ (Panton–Valentine Leukocidin) isolates belonging to ST80-MRSA-IV and ST152-MSSA were identified in camels (n = 3, 13%) and sheep (n = 4, 21.1%). A high prevalence of toxinogenic animal strains was noted containing TSST-1- (22.2%), EDINB- (29.6%) and EtD- (11.1%) encoding genes. This study showed the dispersal of the highly human pathogenic clones ST152-MSSA and ST-80-MRSA in animals. It suggests the ability of some clones to cross the species barrier and jump between humans and several animal species.
Antiviral Properties of Chemical Inhibitors of Cellular Anti-Apoptotic Bcl-2 Proteins
Authors: Bulanova Daria , Ianevski Aleksandr , Bugai Andrii , Akimov Yevhen , Kuivanen Suvi , Paavilainen Henrik , Kakkola Laura , Nandania Jatin , Turunen Laura , Ohman Tiina , Ala-Hongisto Hanna , Pesonen Hanna , Kuisma Marika , Honkimaa Anni , Walton Emma , Oksenych Valentyn , Lorey Martina , Guschin Dmitry , Shim Jungmin , Kim Jinhee , Than Thoa , Chang So , Hukkanen Veijo , Kulesskiy Evgeny , Marjomaki Varpu , Julkunen Ilkka , Nyman Tuula , Matikainen Sampsa , Saarela Jani , Sane Famara , Hober Didier , Gabriel Gülsah , De Brabander Jef , Martikainen Miika , Windisch Marc , Min Ji-Young , Bruzzone Roberto , Aittokallio Tero , Vähä-Koskela Markus , Vapalahti Olli , Pulk Arto , Velagapudi Vidya , Kainov Denis
Published: September 2017

Viral diseases remain serious threats to public health because of the shortage of effective means of control. To combat the surge of viral diseases, new treatments are urgently needed. Here we show that small-molecules, which inhibit cellular anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins (Bcl-2i), induced the premature death of cells infected with different RNA or DNA viruses, whereas, at the same concentrations, no toxicity was observed in mock-infected cells. Moreover, these compounds limited viral replication and spread. Surprisingly, Bcl-2i also induced the premature apoptosis of cells transfected with viral RNA or plasmid DNA but not of mock-transfected cells. These results suggest that Bcl-2i sensitizes cells containing foreign RNA or DNA to apoptosis. A comparison of the toxicity, antiviral activity, and side effects of six Bcl-2i allowed us to select A-1155463 as an antiviral lead candidate. Thus, our results pave the way for the further development of Bcl-2i for the prevention and treatment of viral diseases.
Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Virus Capsid—The Clever Caper
Authors: Lundberg Lindsay , Carey Brian , Kehn-Hall Kylene
Published: September 2017

Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) is a New World alphavirus that is vectored by mosquitos and cycled in rodents. It can cause disease in equines and humans characterized by a febrile illness that may progress into encephalitis. Like the capsid protein of other viruses, VEEV capsid is an abundant structural protein that binds to the viral RNA and interacts with the membrane-bound glycoproteins. It also has protease activity, allowing cleavage of itself from the growing structural polypeptide during translation. However, VEEV capsid protein has additional nonstructural roles within the host cell functioning as the primary virulence factor for VEEV. VEEV capsid inhibits host transcription and blocks nuclear import in mammalian cells, at least partially due to its complexing with the host CRM1 and importin α/β1 nuclear transport proteins. VEEV capsid also shuttles between the nucleus and cytoplasm and is susceptible to inhibitors of nuclear trafficking, making it a promising antiviral target. Herein, the role of VEEV capsid in viral replication and pathogenesis will be discussed including a comparison to proteins of other alphaviruses.
Investigation of Algal Biotoxin Removal during SWRO Desalination through a Materials Flow Analysis
Authors: Manheim Derek , Jiang Sunny
Published: September 2017

The operation of seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination facilities has become challenged by the increasing frequency and severity of harmful algal blooms (HABs). The efficiency of algal toxins removal during SWRO and pretreatment processes has critical human health implications. Therefore, a probabilistic materials flow analysis (pMFA) was developed to predict the removal of algal toxins in source water by various pretreatment configurations and operations during SWRO desalination. The results demonstrated that an appreciable quantity of toxins exists in the SWRO permeate (ng/L–µg/L levels), the backwash of pretreatment, and final brine rejects (µg/L–mg/L levels). Varying the pretreatment train configuration resulted in statistically significant differences in toxin removals, where higher removal efficiencies were evidenced in systems employing microfiltration/ultrafiltration (MF/UF) over granular media filtration (GMF). However, this performance depended on operational practices including coagulant addition and transmembrane pressures of MF/UF systems. Acute human health risks during lifetime exposure to algal toxins from ingestion of desalinated water were benign, with margins of safety ranging from 100 to 4000. This study highlights the importance of pretreatment steps during SWRO operation in the removal of algal toxins for managing marine HABs.
Regional Climate Change Impacts on Irrigation Vulnerable Season Shifts in Agricultural Water Availability for South Korea
Authors: Nam Won-Ho , Kim Taegon , Hong Eun-Mi , Choi Jin-Yong
Published: September 2017

Reservoirs are principal water resources that supply irrigation water to paddy fields and play an important role in water resources management in South Korea. For optimal irrigation reservoir operation and management, it is necessary to determine the duration of irrigation water shortages. Management of reservoir operation and irrigation scheduling should take into consideration essential variables that include the water supply in a reservoir and the water demand in the associated irrigation district. The agricultural water supply and demand show different patterns based on the variability and uncertainty of meteorological and hydrological phenomena. The duration of excessive water supply can be quantitatively determined through analysis of deviations and changes in the timing of agricultural water supply and demand. In this study, we introduce an approach to assess the vulnerable seasons of paddy irrigation to enable more effective operation and management of reservoirs. The vulnerable seasons were evaluated through comparison of the potential water supply capacity and irrigation water requirements based on water budget analysis via a time series change analysis. We have assessed the changing in the total duration and duration shifts of the vulnerable irrigation seasons for four agricultural reservoirs using past observed data (1981–2010) from meteorological stations maintained by the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) and projected climate change scenarios (2011–2100) as depicted by the Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) emission scenarios. For irrigation vulnerable seasons under both the RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 scenarios, the results showed periods of significant increases in which total vulnerable seasons compared to the historical period; the longest duration of vulnerability occurred during the 2071–2100 period under the RCP 8.5. Identification of the vulnerable seasons for paddy irrigation can be applied in agricultural water management to more effectively manage reservoir operation during irrigation periods with climate changes.
Analysis of Secular Variations of Geomagnetic Field in Lithuania Based on the Survey in 2016
Authors: Būga Arūnas , Einorytė Simona , Obuchovski Romuald , Puškorius Vytautas , Petroškevičius Petras
Published: September 2017

Lithuania is successfully integrated in the European geomagnetic field research activities. Six secular variation research stations were established in 1999 and precise geomagnetic field measurements were performed there in 1999, 2001, 2004, 2007 and 2016. Obtained diurnal magnetic field variations at measuring station and neighbouring observatories were analysed. All measurements are reduced to the mean of the year using data from geomagnetic observatory of Belsk. Based on the measured data the analysis of geomagnetic field parameter secular changes was performed. Results of the presented research are useful for updating the old geomagnetic data as well as for estimation of accuracy of declination model.
UAV Data for Coastal Dune Mapping
Authors: Suo Chen , McGovern Eugene , Gilmer Alan
Published: September 2017

High resolution topographic maps are critical for the development of rigorous and quantitative numerical
simulation landscape models. These models can inform targeted land management actions that maintain biodiversity
and ecological functions. Mapping functional vegetation communities to obtain accurate distribution and population
estimates is an important element of landscape models and is a challenging task which requires a considerable investment
in time and resources. A recent development in surveying technologies, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV’s), also
known as drones, has enabled high resolution and high accuracy ground-based data to be gathered quickly and easily
on-site. The application of UAV’s represents a new opportunity to survey relatively large areas in significantly less time
compared to other on-site surveying methods, including GPS, robotic total stations and terrestrial laser scanners. The
objective of this research is to use UAV technology to create topographical and vegetation mapping of coastal dune
complexes with particular reference to the Brittas-Buckroney dune complex in Co. Wicklow. As the area of study site
was about 60 hectares, it was divided into three sections, North, Centre and South. This paper presents the five steps to
achieve the objective, setting ground control points, making an autonomous flight plan, flying the UAV for data collection,
data processing and result analysis via ArcGIS. The final result, processed by specific software PIX4D, was a
topographical map of the study site in the Irish Transverse Mercator coordinate system, with a resolution of 0.125 m
and Root-Mean-Square (RMS) error 0.050 m. In conclusion, UAV technology provides new possibilities for mapping
as it maximizes improvement of the data quality while reducing the investment in time and labour.
Soil Profile and Ground Properties Influence on Vertical Ground Heat Exchanger Efficiency
Authors: Chwieduk Michał , Rusowicz Artur , Jędzrzejuk Hanna
Published: September 2017

Soil properties have a significant impact on the performance of ground heat exchangers. Exchangers cooperating with heat pumps are a reliable and efficient source of renewable energy. In the article concentric vertical ground heat exchanger is analysed, which is a common application cooperating with heat pumps. Soil and ground properties have great im-portance during sizing the system, i.e.: determining the length, configuration and deployment of ground heat exchangers. With the depth the soil/ground type and its properties can change significantly. In addition, occurrence of a ground water can influence physical and thermal properties. Determination of soil type present at different depths in a specific location is possible by performing a soil profile. The article presents an analysis of the impact of two soil profiles on the efficien-cy of the vertical ground heat exchanger. The analysis was performed based on the model of a single heat exchanger made using CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) program. The model is divided into two parts: model of heat ex-changer together with grout filling the borehole, second: axis-symmetric model of the ground surrounding the exchanger. Both models are coupled by first-type boundary condition. Simulations of ground heat exchanger work are made for a part of heating season period. The calculation results were compared to reference one with uniform ground profiles. Dif-ference in heat rejected form ground in two analysed does not show high influence of ground layers on ground heat ex-changer performance. On the other hand, results strongly depends on analysed soil profile.
Moisture Buffering Potential of Plasters for Energy Efficiency
in Modern Buildings
Authors: Fořt Jan , Doleželová Magdaléna , Černý Robert
Published: September 2017

Moisture level significantly affects durability of constructions, their thermal performance and quality of
indoor air. Since building envelopes are subjected to a moisture gradient, additional ventilation systems are employed
to maintain relative humidity on the desired level. Although modern advanced ventilation systems provide sufficient air
exchange rate, their wider application is in conflict with sustainability development principles due to high energy
demands. Moreover, according to the European legislation related to the Nearly Zero Energy Buildings (European
Directives 2002/91/EC and 2010/31/EU), air tightness of building envelopes in order to provide high thermal resistance
leads to large moisture loads in building interiors. Among other factors, a high level of relative humidity has negative
effect on the work efficiency and health of building inhabitants. A detailed insight into building materials behavior
during cyclic moisture loading was accessed within this study. The moisture buffering values of three interior plasters
were investigated in order to describe influence of plasters on moderation of indoor environment. Particular materials
were loaded according to the NORDTEST protocol by 8/16 h loading schema at 70/30% RH. Here, the excellent
moisture buffer classification was obtained for lightweight perlite plaster (PT) with the highest total open porosity.
However, contrary to the higher total open porosity of renovation plaster (PS), the core plaster (CP) achieved higher
moisture buffer capacity than PS. This discrepancy refers to the influence of the pore size distribution which is, besides
the total open porosity, essential for a detailed characterization of moisture buffering potential of building materials.
Based on the results of Mercury intrusion porosimetry, a correlation between pore size distribution and moisture buffer
value was revealed.
Energy Recovery Methods in Adsorption Refrigeration Units
Authors: Grzebielec Andrzej , Szelągowski Adam , Ruciński Adam
Published: September 2017

Adsorption refrigeration systems, as opposed to absorption type operate in a cyclic manner. The result is that at the beginning of each process must be fed into the adsorber state in which they will adsorb or desorb a refrigerant. In the case of two adsorbers at the start of a cycle, the one of the adsorber must be refrigerated while the second has to be heated. These processes are causing unnecessary energy loss. The aim of the work is to show how these processes can be connected and the heat received from one adsorber is transported to another adsorber. As part of the study, the heat and mass recovery processes will be considered. It turns out that in the thermal wave type systems, it is possible to recover more than 25% of the energy lost to bring the adsorber to the states in which they will operate efficiently to desorb and adsorb refrigerant. That is, it is possible to improve the efficiency of the adsorption refrigeration unit using the proposed improvements.
Comparison of an Adsorption Refrigeration Unit Operating with Two and Four Adsorbers
Authors: Grzebielec Andrzej
Published: September 2017

Adsorption refrigeration systems can be built with one, two or more adsorbers. The most common devices are built of two adsorbers. This fact makes the achieved cooling capacity is variable over time, and in some periods of operation is even 0 kW. Increased number of adsorbers causes the cooling capacity obtained in time is more balanced. The aim of the study is to compare the most popular operating unit with two adsorbers with the installation which continuously work with four adsorbers. It turns out that such a solution can align cooling capacity during the entire process. This solution does not affect the effectiveness of the device, but only on its size. Absorbers are the largest part of the device. So this type of solution is dedicated to wherever it is needed fluently providing cooling capacity and there is no possibility of collecting cooling in tanks.
Preliminary Results of Testing a Solar Air Heater Equipped
with Turbulators
Authors: Zukowski Miroslaw , Woroniak Grzegorz
Published: September 2017

The paper presents the thermal performance of a newly designed device for preheating ventilation air. This new
type of a solar air collector is equipped with turbulators to increase heat exchange and eventually to obtain more energy from
the Sun. Support elements of this type have not yet been implemented in such heat exchangers. The panel has the following
dimensions: width – 0.97 m, length – 1.9 m, thickness – 0.1 m, the area where solar radiation enters the collector – 1.49 m2.
Air flow through the exchanger is forced by two radial high flow fans, typically used to cool down servers. The test stand beside
the collectors is equipped with an inlet and outlet temperature data recorder and an anemometer to control the air flow
rate through the collector. Meteorological data such as solar radiation, wind speed and ambient temperature is obtained from
a weather station. The parameters of the working installation have been analysed through the monitoring of measurement
variables collected on one-minute time intervals from April to September 2016. The measurement results have been used to
determine the thermal performance of the air solar collector of this type. The results of the energy analysis have shown the
validity of such an installation.
Characterization of Near-Earth Asteroids Using KMTNET-SAAO
Authors: Erasmus N. , Mommert M. , Trilling D. E. , Sickafoose A. A. , van Gend C. , Hora J. L.
Published: September 2017

We present here VRI spectrophotometry of 39 near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) observed with the Sutherland, South Africa, node of the Korea Microlensing Telescope Network (KMTNet). Of the 39 NEAs, 19 were targeted, but because of KMTNet’s large 2° × 2° field of view, 20 serendipitous NEAs were also captured in the observing fields. Targeted observations were performed within 44 days (median: 16 days, min: 4 days) of each NEA’s discovery date. Our broadband spectrophotometry is reliable enough to distinguish among four asteroid taxonomies and we were able to confidently categorize 31 of the 39 observed targets as either an S-, C-, X-, or D-type asteroid by means of a Machine Learning algorithm approach. Our data suggest that the ratio between “stony” S-type NEAs and “not-stony” (C+X+D)-type NEAs, with H magnitudes between 15 and 25, is roughly 1:1. Additionally, we report ∼1 hr light curve data for each NEA, and of the 39 targets, we were able to resolve the complete rotation period and amplitude for six targets and report lower limits for the remaining targets.
Determining Exoplanetary Oblateness Using Transit Depth Variations
Authors: Biersteker John , Schlichting Hilke
Published: September 2017

The measurement of an exoplanet’s oblateness and obliquity provides insights into the planet’s internal structure and formation history. Previous work using small differences in the shape of the transit light curve has been moderately successful, but was hampered by the small signal and extreme photometric precision required. The measurement of changes in transit depth, caused by the spin precession of an oblate planet, was proposed as an alternative method. Here, we present the first attempt to measure these changes. Using Kepler photometry, we examined the brown dwarf Kepler-39b and the warm Saturn Kepler-427b. We could not reliably constrain the oblateness of Kepler-39b. We find transit depth variations for Kepler-427b at

significance (

) consistent with a precession period of

and an oblateness of

. This oblateness is comparable to solar system gas giants and would raise questions about the dynamics and tidal synchronization of Kepler-427b.
Deep Full-sky Coadds from Three Years of WISE and NEOWISE Observations
Authors: Meisner A. M. , Lang D. , Schlegel D. J.
Published: September 2017

We have reprocessed over 100 terabytes of single-exposure Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE)/NEOWISE images to create the deepest ever full-sky maps at 3–5 microns. We include all publicly available W1 and W2 imaging—a total of ∼8 million exposures in each band—from ∼37 months of observations spanning 2010 January to 2015 December. Our coadds preserve the native WISE resolution and typically incorporate ∼3× more input frames than those of the AllWISE Atlas stacks. Our coadds are designed to enable deep forced photometry, in particular for the Dark Energy Camera Legacy Survey (DECaLS) and Mayall z-Band Legacy Survey (MzLS), both of which are being used to select targets for the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument. We describe newly introduced processing steps aimed at leveraging added redundancy to remove artifacts, with the intent of facilitating uniform target selection and searches for rare/exotic objects (e.g., high-redshift quasars and distant galaxy clusters). Forced photometry depths achieved with these coadds extend 0.56 (0.46) magnitudes deeper in W1 (W2) than is possible with only pre-hibernation WISE imaging.
Details of Resonant Structures within a Nice Model Kuiper Belt: Predictions for High-perihelion TNO Detections
Authors: Pike R. E. , Lawler S. M.
Published: September 2017

We analyze a detailed Nice model simulation of Kuiper Belt emplacement from Brasser & Morbidelli, where Neptune undergoes a high-eccentricity phase and migrates outward. In this work, which follows from Pike et al., we specifically focus on the details of structures within Neptune’s mean-motion resonances and in the high-pericenter population of simulated trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs). We find several characteristics of these populations that should be observable in the distant solar system in future large-scale TNO surveys as a diagnostic of whether or not this mode of Neptune migration occurred in the early solar system. We find that the leading asymmetric libration islands of the n:1 resonances are generally much more populated than the trailing islands. We also find the nonresonant high-q population of TNOs should have higher inclinations than the low-q population due to the importance of Kozai cycling during their emplacement histories. Finally, high-q TNOs should be present in roughly equal numbers on either side of distant mean-motion resonances. These predictions contrast with predictions from other Kuiper Belt emplacement simulations and will be testable by upcoming surveys.
The Hunt for Red Quasars: Luminous Obscured Black Hole Growth Unveiled in the Stripe 82 X-Ray Survey
Authors: LaMassa Stephanie M. , Glikman Eilat , Brusa Marcella , Rigby Jane R. , Ananna Tonima Tasnim , Stern Daniel , Lira Paulina , Urry C. Megan , Salvato Mara , Alexandroff Rachael , Allevato Viola , Cardamone Carolin , Civano Francesca , Coppi Paolo , Farrah Duncan , Komossa S. , Lanzuisi Giorgio , Marchesi Stefano , Richards Gordon , Trakhtenbrot Benny , Treister Ezequiel
Published: September 2017

We present results of a ground-based near-infrared campaign with Palomar TripleSpec, Keck NIRSPEC, and Gemini GNIRS to target two samples of reddened active galactic nucleus (AGN) candidates from the 31 deg2 Stripe 82 X-ray survey. One sample, which is ∼89% complete to

(Vega), consists of eight confirmed AGNs, four of which were identified with our follow-up program, and is selected to have red R − K colors (

, Vega). The fainter sample (

, Vega) represents a pilot program to follow-up four sources from a parent sample of 34 that are not detected in the single-epoch SDSS catalog and have WISE quasar colors. All 12 sources are broad-line AGNs (at least one permitted emission line has an FWHM exceeding 1300 km s−1) and span a redshift range

. Half the (R − K)-selected AGNs have features in their spectra suggestive of outflows. When comparing these sources to a matched sample of blue Type 1 AGNs, we find that the reddened AGNs are more distant (

), and a greater percentage have high X-ray luminosities (

erg s−1). Such outflows and high luminosities may be consistent with the paradigm that reddened broad-line AGNs represent a transitory phase in AGN evolution as described by the major merger model for black hole growth. Results from our pilot program demonstrate proof of concept that our selection technique is successful in discovering reddened quasars at

missed by optical surveys.
Robo-AO Kepler Asteroseismic Survey. I. Adaptive Optics Imaging of 99 Asteroseismic Kepler Dwarfs and Subgiants
Authors: Schonhut-Stasik Jessica S. , Baranec Christoph , Huber Daniel , Ziegler Carl , Atkinson Dani , Gaidos Eric , Law Nicholas M. , Riddle Reed , Hagelberg Janis , Marel Nienke van der , Hodapp Klaus W.
Published: September 2017

We used the Robo-AO laser adaptive optics (AOs) system to image 99 main sequence and subgiant stars that have Kepler-detected asteroseismic signals. Robo-AO allows us to resolve blended secondary sources at separations as close as ∼0.″15 that may contribute to the measured Kepler light curves and affect asteroseismic analysis and interpretation. We report eight new secondary sources within 4.″0 of these Kepler asteroseismic stars. We used Subaru and Keck AOs to measure differential infrared photometry for these candidate companion systems. Two of the secondary sources are likely foreground objects, while the remaining six are background sources; however, we cannot exclude the possibility that three of the objects may be physically associated. We measured a range of i′-band amplitude dilutions for the candidate companion systems from 0.43% to 15.4%. We find that the measured amplitude dilutions are insufficient to explain the previously identified excess scatter in the relationship between asteroseismic oscillation amplitude and the frequency of maximum power.
Non-local Thermodynamic Equilibrium Abundance Analyses of the Extreme Helium Stars V652 Her and HD 144941
Authors: Pandey Gajendra , Lambert David L.
Published: September 2017

Optical high-resolution spectra of V652 Her and HD 144941, the two extreme helium stars with exceptionally low C/He ratios, have been subjected to a non-LTE abundance analysis using the tools TLUSTY and SYNSPEC. Defining atmospheric parameters were obtained from a grid of non-LTE atmospheres and a variety of spectroscopic indicators including He i and He ii line profiles, and the ionization equilibrium of ion pairs such as C ii/C iii and N ii/N iii. The various indicators provide a consistent set of atmospheric parameters: T
eff = 25,000 ± 300 K, log g = 3.10 ± 0.12(cgs), and ξ = 13 ± 2 km s−1 are provided for V652 Her, and T
eff = 22,000 ± 600 K, log g = 3.45 ± 0.15 (cgs), and ξ = 10 km s−1 are provided for HD 144941. In contrast to the non-LTE analyses, the LTE analyses—LTE atmospheres and an LTE line analysis—with the available indicators do not provide a consistent set of atmospheric parameters. The principal non-LTE effect on the elemental abundances is on the neon abundance. It is generally considered that these extreme helium stars with their very low C/He ratio result from the merger of two helium white dwarfs. Indeed, the derived composition of V652 Her is in excellent agreement with predictions by Zhang & Jeffery, who model the slow merger of helium white dwarfs; a slow merger results in the merged star having the composition of the accreted white dwarf. In the case of HD 144941, which appears to have evolved from metal-poor stars, a slow merger is incompatible with the observed composition but variations of the merger rate may account for the observed composition. More detailed theoretical studies of the merger of a pair of helium white dwarfs are to be encouraged.
Experimental Evaluation of Internet of Things in the Educational Environment
Authors: Elsaadany Amr , Soliman Mohamed
Published: September 2017

In the trials of utilization of technology for the society, efforts have shown benefits of the ICT use in facilitating education from different perspectives based on different waves of technological change. The recent development in technologies has also resulted in change of user behavior and usage patterns towards different areas of life, and consequently in the area of education. A new wave of change has started and is expecting to proliferate with stronger connectivity and interoperability of various devices, named as the Internet of Things (IoT). The internet of things is expected to give strong impacts on different areas of life including healthcare, transportation, smart homes, smart campus, and more. Consequently, there are inherent benefits to the education environment that are not yet well established in literature. The paper studies the potential benefit and impact of the IoT evolution concept in both the physical and the virtual learning environment and suggests a paradigm with use case scenarios. The results of an experimental evaluation on the aspects of applying IoT technology in education are presented and discussed in order to verify the set of related hypotheses.