bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
History of the War in the Peninsula and in the South of France
Authors: Napier William Francis Patrick
Published: April 2014

Published between 1828 and 1840, Napier's History of the War in the Peninsula was a tremendously influential, if controversial, work. Napier had been actively involved in the campaigns, turning to history in peacetime, in part to refute Southey's account of Sir John Moore. The first volume had a mixed reception, getting both high praise and bitter criticism from participants in the wars. He published several works rebutting his critics while producing the later volumes. Because of his obvious lack of impartiality, modern military historians treat the work with caution, but it remains widely read in the many editions and abridgements which were subsequently produced. Volume 1 covers the period from the Treaty of Tilsit in 1807, which ended war on the eastern front and so left Napoleon free to turn his attention to Iberia, to the aftermath of the death of Sir John Moore, Napier's mentor, at Coruña.
A History of Egypt
Authors: Petrie William Matthew Flinders
Published: April 2014

Published in six volumes between 1894 and 1905, this collection served as a valuable reference work for students and scholars of Egyptology at a time when ongoing archaeological excavations were adding significantly to the understanding of one of the world's oldest civilisations. At the forefront of this research was Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie (1853–1942), whose pioneering methods made Near Eastern archaeology a much more systematic and scientific discipline. Many of his other publications are also reissued in this series. Britain's first professor of Egyptology from 1892, Petrie was conscious of the fact that there was no textbook he could recommend to his students. The work of Weidemann was in German and out of date, so Petrie and his collaborators incorporated the latest theories and discoveries in this English-language resource. In Volume 2 (1896), Petrie covers the seventeenth and eighteenth dynasties.
Studies of a Biographer
Authors: Stephen Leslie
Published: April 2014

Sir Leslie Stephen (1832–1904) was founding Editor of the Dictionary of National Biography (DNB). Also a writer on philosophy, ethics, and literature, he was educated at Eton, King's College, London, and Trinity Hall, Cambridge, where he remained as a Fellow and a tutor for a number of years. Though a sickly child, he later became a keen and successful mountaineer, taking part in first ascents of nine peaks in the Alps. These biographical essays and critiques were written originally for the National Review and published as two two-volume sets in 1898 and 1902. These vignettes show that, despite the years of preparing material for the DNB to its particular editorial requirements, Stephen was still a master of the finely crafted depiction of the essence of his chosen subjects. Volume 1 includes a consideration of the art of biography, a critique of works on Johnson, and essays on Gibbon and Wordsworth.
Life of Edward William Lane
Authors: Lane-Poole Stanley
Published: April 2014

The orientalist Edward William Lane (1801–1876) is best remembered for his mighty Arabic–English Lexicon and his classic translation of One Thousand and One Nights. Fascinated by Egypt, he made his first visit in 1825, undertaking a study of Egyptian life and customs which became his Description of Egypt, unpublished until more than a century after his death. His two-volume Modern Egyptians (also reissued in this series) remains an important text today. Material for the lexicon was collected in Cairo between 1842 and 1849 and, upon returning to England, Lane became a virtual recluse while compiling it. Following his death, the publication of the last three volumes was supervised by his great-nephew Stanley Lane-Poole (1854–1931). The sixth was prefaced with this biographical account, first published separately in 1877. It is based upon family recollections, the manuscript of Description of Egypt, and Lane's diary of his second stay there.
C. G. J. Jacobi's Gesammelte Werke
Authors: Jacobi Carl Gustav Jacob
Published: April 2014

One of the greatest mathematicians of the nineteenth century, Carl Gustav Jacob Jacobi (1804–51) burst into the limelight with his redevelopment, together with Niels Henrik Abel (1802–29), of the theory of elliptic functions. His pioneering work was characterised by the variety of problems tackled and the power of the tools used to tackle them. His lasting influence on rational mechanics, number theory, partial differential equations, complex variable theory and computation is marked by the number of fundamental concepts that bear his name (the Jacobian, the Jacobi sum and the Jacobi symbol, among others). His collected works, comprising treatises, letters and papers written in German, Latin and French, were published in eight volumes between 1881 and 1891. Edited by fellow German mathematician Karl Weierstrass (1815–97), Volume 5 appeared in 1890.
A Treatise on Pulmonary Consumption
Authors: Clark James
Published: April 2014

Having trained in Edinburgh as a surgeon and served aboard Royal Navy vessels, Sir James Clark (1788–1870) developed a particular interest in the spread of the tuberculosis pandemic in Europe. A licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians from 1826, and elected to the Royal Society in 1832, he became a trusted physician and friend to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. This influential work of 1835 focuses on the treatment and prevention of tuberculosis. Written for a general as well as medical readership, it was lauded by The Lancet and ran to several English editions along with translations into other languages. Also reissued in this series are Clark's Medical Notes on Climate, Diseases, Hospitals, and Medical Schools in France, Italy, and Switzerland (1820), The Influence of Climate in the Prevention and Cure of Chronic Diseases (1829) and his Memoir of John Conolly (1869).
Bibliographia zoologiae et geologiae
Authors: Agassiz Louis
Published: April 2014

Born in Switzerland, Louis Agassiz (1807–73) distinguished himself as one of the most capable and industrious naturalists of the nineteenth century, working in fields as diverse as ichthyology and glaciology. In the late 1840s, he moved to North America, where he became a professor of zoology at Harvard and established the Museum of Comparative Zoology. His extensive bibliography of all known works relating to zoology and geology, which he had compiled for private use, was revised and substantially expanded by the English naturalist Hugh Edwin Strickland (1811–53) and published by the Ray Society in four volumes between 1848 and 1854. As such, it stands as the fullest record of the existing scientific literature just prior to the publication of Darwin's On the Origin of Species. Volume 1 (1848) provides a global list of all relevant periodicals before beginning the principal list of works, arranged alphabetically by author, ranging here from Aalborg to Bywater.
Surge in Hospitalizations Associated With Mechanical Ventilator Use During Influenza Outbreaks
Authors: King James C. , Ajao Adebola , Lichenstein Richard , Magder Laurence S.
Published: April 2014

Objective

Information on surges in critical care services including mechanical ventilator use during seasonal influenza outbreaks is limited. To potentially facilitate preparedness plans for future pandemics, we retrospectively quantitated surges in all-cause mechanical ventilator use during peak influenza for 12 consecutive years in all certified hospitals in Maryland.

Methods

Influenza testing data obtained for the Centers for Disease Control and Protection, Health and Human Services region 3, included defined peak influenza outbreak periods (PIOP), non-influenza time periods (non-ITP), and proportions of circulating influenza types for all study years. Procedure codes for mechanical ventilator use and diagnostic codes for medically attended acute respiratory illness (MAARI) were reviewed for every Maryland hospitalization. Daily counts of hospitalizations associated with ventilator use or MAARI during PIOP compared to non-ITP were analyzed using Poisson regression adjusted for month and year.

Results

Ventilator use increased during PIOP by 7% (95% CI, 5-10) over non-ITP (P < .0001) for all study years. These annual surges correlated with influenza season intensity, as measured by MAARI-related hospitalizations (correlation coefficient = 0.91, P < .0001).

Conclusions

Surges in ventilator use were temporally associated with PIOP and were positively correlated with influenza season intensity, as measured by hospitalizations associated with acute respiratory illness. This information may assist resource planning for future pandemics. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2014;x:1-7)
Slender axisymmetric Stokesian swimmers
Authors: Toppaladoddi S. , Balmforth N. J.
Published: April 2014

Slender-body theory is used to study axisymmetric swimmers propelled by motions of their surfaces. To leading order, the locomotion speed is given by an integral involving the fluid velocity at the surface of the slender body. Locomotion speeds are calculated for fixed-shape swimmers with prescribed fluid surface velocities and for impermeable swimmers driven by propagating surface waves. Next, the internal mechanics is considered, modelling the swimmer as a viscous fluid bounded by an elastic shell. Prescribed forces are exerted on the shell to drive both the internal and external fluid flow and the surface waves. The internal fluid mechanics is determined using lubrication theory. Locomotion speeds are calculated for transverse and longitudinal waves of surface deformation, and the efficiency of the motions is determined. Transverse surface waves are both weaker and less efficient at driving locomotion than longitudinal waves. The results indicate how estimates of swimming speed based on nearly spherical swimmers with low-amplitude surface waves can be adapted for slender swimmers with nonlinear surface deformations.
Peacebuilding as counterinsurgency in the occupied Palestinian territory
Authors: TURNER MANDY
Published: April 2014

It is often suggested that Western peacebuilding in the occupied Palestinian territory has failed because it has not delivered a viable Palestinian state. But if peacebuilding is reinterpreted as a form of counterinsurgency whose goal is to secure a population, then it has not failed – in fact, on the contrary, it has been quite successful. This article therefore critically evaluates the idea and practice of peacebuilding as counterinsurgency by exploring the symbiosis in the philosophy and methods of COIN and peacebuilding, and charts its implementation in the oPt through the realms of governance, development, and security. It argues that peacebuilding in this context operates as another layer of pacification techniques whose goal is to secure the Palestinian population and ensure acquiescence in the face of violent dispossession.
Sub-optimal trajectory planning for mobile manipulators
Authors: Pajak Grzegorz , Pajak Iwona
Published: April 2014

This paper presents a method of planning a sub-optimal trajectory for a mobile manipulator subject to mechanical and control constraints. The path of the end-effector is defined as a curve that can be parameterised by any scaling parameter—the reference trajectory of a mobile platform is not needed. Constraints connected with the existence of mechanical limits for a given manipulator configuration, collision avoidance conditions and control constraints are considered. Nonholonomic constraints in a Pfaffian form are explicitly incorporated to the control algorithm. To avoid manipulator singularities, the motion of the robot is planned in order to maximise the manipulability measure.
A kinematic calibration method based on the product of exponentials formula for serial robot using position measurements
Authors: He Ruibo , Li Xiwen , Shi Tielin , Wu Bo , Zhao Yingjun , Han Fenglin , Yang Shunian , Huang Shuhong , Yang Shuzi
Published: April 2014

Based on product of exponentials (POE) formula, three explicit error models are given in this paper for kinematic calibration of serial robot through measuring its end-effector positions. To obtain these error models, the tool frame should be chosen as reference frame at first, and then each position–error-related segment in the error models using pose measurement should be selected. And during kinematic parameter identification, all the errors in joint twists are identifiable, and the initial transformation errors and the joint zero-position errors can be identified conditionally. Namely, the initial transformation errors are identifiable if they do not contain orientation errors. And the joint zero-position errors are identifiable when a robot only consists of prismatic joints and the coordinates of its joint twists are linearly independent.

The effectiveness of this calibration method has been validated by simulations and experiments. The results show that: (1) the identification algorithms are robust and practical. (2) The method of position measurement is superior to that of pose measurement.
Emergency Department Visit Rates and Patterns in Canada’s Vancouver Coastal Health Region
Authors: McGregor Margaret J. , McGrail Kimberlyn M. , Abu-Laban Riyad B. , Ronald Lisa A. , Baumbusch Jennifer , Andrusiek Douglas , Cox Michelle B.
Published: April 2014

Cette étude a utilisé des données sur la santé administratives pour décrire des visites effectuées par les résidents de vie assistée et ceux des foyers de soins infirmiers à domicile au service d’urgence (SU) dans la région de Vancouver Coastal Health, Colombie-Britannique. Nous avons comparé taux de visite SU, la répartition des visites par résident, et les dispositions SU des deux populations—d’aide à la vie autonome ou du foyer de soins infirmiers pendant une période de 3 ans (2005-2008). Il y avait 13 051 personnes dans la population étudiée. Taux de visite (intervalle de confiance de 95 pourcent) étaient de 124,8 (118,1 à 131,7) et 64,1 (62,9 à 65,3) visites par 100 ans résidants dans les logements avec assistance et les foyers de soins infirmier à domicile, respectivement. Une plus faible proportion de visites à l’urgence par les résidents de vie assistée ont entraîné une hospitalisation par rapport aux résidents des foyers de soins (45% vs 48%, p<0,01). Le taux de visite à l’urgence chez les résidents de vie assistée est significativement plus élevée par rapport à celle des résidents des foyers de soins. De nouvelles recherches s’imposent sur les causes sous-jacentes de cette constation.
RÍO BEC SETTLEMENT PATTERNS AND LOCAL SOCIOPOLITICAL ORGANIZATION
Authors: Nondédéo Philippe , Arnauld M. Charlotte , Michelet Dominique
Published: April 2014

Based on settlement patterns in the Río Bec micro-region, a study zone (100 km2) focused on the eponymous site, there is no evidence that any of the monumental groups underwent true processes of significant, sustainable nucleation on a broad sociopolitical level. This paper analyzes Río Bec settlement patterns in order to better understand why processes of agglomeration did not occur at the site. Our approach to this question consists of analyzing the spatial distribution of settlements in relation to their internal hierarchy, while taking in account evolution through time. The study was carried out at two different scales of analysis, and results are presented for both the “micro-region” and “nuclear zone” (159 ha) scales. The overarching objective of this contribution is to gain greater insight into the social dimensions of the processes that took place at Río Bec during the Classic period.
Probability in quantum computation and quantum computational logics: a survey
Authors: DALLA CHIARA MARIA LUISA , GIUNTINI ROBERTO , SERGIOLI GIUSEPPE
Published: April 2014

Quantum computation and quantum computational logics give rise to some non-standard probability spaces that are interesting from a formal point of view. In this framework, events represent quantum pieces of information (qubits, quregisters, mixtures of quregisters), while operations on events are identified with quantum logic gates (which correspond to dynamic reversible quantum processes). We investigate the notion of Shi–Aharonov quantum computational algebra. This structure plays the role for quantum computation that is played by σ-complete Boolean algebras in classical probability theory.
The effect of reducing the pre-harvest burning of sugar cane on respiratory health in Brazil
Authors: Nicolella Alexandre C. , Belluzzo Walter
Published: April 2014

This paper analyzes the effect of reducing pre-harvest burning of sugar cane on the population's respiratory health in Brazil. We collected data for the municipalities in the state of São Paulo for two different periods: 2000, before the state law requiring the gradual elimination of sugar cane area utilizing pre-burning, and 2007. We used panel models for inpatient visits due to respiratory diseases, outpatient visits for inhalation procedures and length of stay for inpatient visits due to respiratory diseases, controlling for the endogeneity between health and pollution. The results show that increasing the area of raw sugar cane harvested reduces the number of inpatient visits and does not affect the number of inhalation procedures or length of stay.
Determining minimum food intake amounts for diet diversity scores to maximize associations with nutrient adequacy: an analysis of schoolchildren’s diets in rural Kenya
Authors: Gewa Constance A , Murphy Suzanne P , Weiss Robert E , Neumann Charlotte G
Published: April 2014

Objective

To explore multiple methods of calculating diet diversity scores (DDS) to maximize associations with predicted dietary micronutrient adequacy among schoolchildren in rural Kenya.

Design

Up to three 24 h recall interviews were administered for each child for a total of 1544 d of intake from all schoolchildren. Daily amounts of food consumed were assigned to one of eight food groups. Five DDS were developed based on various minimum intake amounts from each food group: (i) 1 g; (ii) 15 g; (iii) a variable minimum based on the content of a target nutrient for each group; (iv) the median intake level for each group; and (v) the 90th percentile intake level for each group. A diet was assigned 1 point towards the daily DDS if the food group intake was above the defined minimum level. Five scores were calculated for each child, and bivariate longitudinal random-effects models were used to assess the correlation between each DDS and the mean probability of adequacy for fourteen nutrients.

Setting

Embu District, Kenya.

Subjects

Schoolchildren (n529), mean age 7·00 (sd1·41) years.

Results

Only DDS based on a 15 g minimum and DDS based on nutrient content were significantly associated with mean probability of adequacy after adjusting for energy intake (0·21 and 0·41, respectively).

Conclusions

A DDS using minimum intakes based on nutrients contributed by a food group best predicted nutrient adequacy in this population. These analyses contribute to the continued search for simpler and more valid dietary quality indicators among low-income nations.
The Vibrio cholerae type VI secretion system employs diverse effector modules for intraspecific competition
Authors: Unterweger Daniel , Miyata Sarah T. , Bachmann Verena , Brooks Teresa M. , Mullins Travis , Kostiuk Benjamin , Provenzano Daniele , Pukatzki Stefan
Published: April 2014

Vibrio cholerae is a Gram-negative bacterial pathogen that consists of over 200 serogroups with differing pathogenic potential. Only strains that express the virulence factors cholera toxin (CT) and toxin-coregulated pilus (TCP) are capable of pandemic spread of cholera diarrhoea. Regardless, all V. cholerae strains sequenced to date harbour genes for the type VI secretion system (T6SS) that translocates effectors into neighbouring eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. Here we report that the effectors encoded within these conserved gene clusters differ widely among V. cholerae strains, and that immunity proteins encoded immediately downstream from the effector genes protect their host from neighbouring bacteria producing corresponding effectors. As a consequence, strains with matching effector-immunity gene sets can coexist, while strains with different sets compete against each other. Thus, the V. cholerae T6SS contributes to the competitive behaviour of this species.
Atypical stoichiometry for a 3D bimetallic oxalate-based long-range ordered magnet exhibiting high proton conductivity
Authors: Maxim Catalin , Ferlay Sylvie , Tokoro Hiroko , Ohkoshi Shin-Ichi , Train Cyrille
Published: April 2014

A 3D achiral oxalate based coordination compound of formula (NH4)5[MnII2CrIII3(ox)9]·10H2O, with an unusual MnII/CrIIIratio, exhibits an antiferromagnetic long-range ordering whereas its guests favour high proton conductivity.
Lead isotope analysis of melt inclusions by LA-MC-ICP-MS
Authors: Zhang Le , Ren Zhong-Yuan , Nichols Alexander R. L. , Zhang Yin-Hui , Zhang Yan , Qian Sheng-Ping , Liu Jian-Qiang
Published: April 2014

This study provides a method for measuring Pb isotopes of olivine-hosted melt inclusions with diameters larger than 40 micrometers.
Evaluating steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence as a tool to study the behavior of asphaltene in toluene
Authors: Zhang Hui Ting , Li Rui , Yang Zixin , Yin Cindy-Xing , Gray Murray R. , Bohne Cornelia
Published: April 2014

A combination of steady-state fluorescence, fluorescence lifetime measurements and the determination of time-resolved emission spectra were employed to characterize asphaltene toluene solutions. Lifetime measurements were shown to be insensitive to the source of asphaltene or the alkane solvent from which asphaltene was precipitated. This insensitivity suggests that either the composition of Athabasca and Cold Lake asphaltene is very similar or that the fluorescence behavior is dominated by the same subset of fluorophores for the different samples. These results highlight the limitations in using fluorescence to characterize asphaltene solutions. Different dependencies were observed for the average lifetimes with the asphaltene concentration when measured at two different emission wavelengths (420 nm and 520 nm). This result suggests that different fluorophores underwent diverse interactions with other asphaltene molecules as the asphaltene concentration was raised, suggesting that models for asphaltene aggregation need to include molecular diversity.
GPUs as high‐performance random sources
Authors: Pyo Changwoo , Lee Gyungho
Published: April 2014

A non‐algorithmic physical random bit generator is introduced, using a graphic processing unit (GPU) as a random source. The generator takes randomness from parallel threads executing atomic instructions. The generator in terms of pass rates from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)’s statistical test suite and bit generation throughput is evaluated. The generator compares favourably with pseudorandom bit generators known to have fine statistical properties. The test bed Nvidia's GPU GTX 680 can generate random bits at the rate of hundreds of megabits per second. The cost‐effectiveness of GPUs as random key generators can be increased, as GPUs are now readily available in most desktop computers, and even in smart phones.
Efficient space–frequency block coded pilot‐aided channel estimation method for multiple‐input–multiple‐output orthogonal frequency division multiplexing systems over mobile frequency‐selective fading channels
Authors: Delestre Fabien , Owojaiye Gbenga , Sun Yichuang
Published: April 2014

An iterative pilot‐aided channel estimation technique for space–frequency block coded (SFBC) multiple‐input multiple‐output orthogonal frequency division multiplexing systems is proposed. Traditionally, when channel estimation techniques are utilised, the SFBC information signals are decoded one block at a time. In the proposed algorithm, multiple blocks of SFBC information signals are decoded simultaneously. The proposed channel estimation method can thus significantly reduce the amount of time required to decode information signals compared to similar channel estimation methods proposed in the literature. The proposed method is based on the maximum likelihood approach that offers linearity and simplicity of implementation. An expression for the pairwise error probability (PEP) is derived based on the estimated channel. The derived PEP is then used to determine the optimal power allocation for the pilot sequence. The performance of the proposed algorithm is demonstrated in high frequency selective channels, for different number of pilot symbols, using different modulation schemes. The algorithm is also tested under different levels of Doppler shift and for different number of transmit and receive antennas. The results show that the proposed scheme minimises the error margin between slow and high speed receivers compared to similar channel estimation methods in the literature.
Signal leakage neutralisation in instantaneous non‐regenerative relaying networks under channel uncertainty
Authors: Ho Zuleita , Jorswieck Eduard
Published: April 2014

In a multi‐user wireless network, physical layer security is an important issue, especially when some of the served users are malicious. As these users actively participate in the network, their channel state information can be estimated or feedback, although not perfectly known. With this channel uncertainty, the worst‐case signal leakage to eavesdropping users’ needs to be managed. The authors propose a robust instantaneous relay design that improves the worst‐case secrecy rate performance, and decompose the problem into two sub‐problems: First, the achievable signal leakage or leakage‐to‐noise ratio region is studied. Second, for fixed signal leakage constraints, the achievable secrecy rate region is computed. To approach the non‐convex optimisation problems, the authors propose to iteratively solve for the phases and magnitudes of the equivalent channel matrix, a function of the relay matrix. The numerical simulations illustrate that the proposed alternating optimisation algorithm achieves higher secrecy rates than those in a system without an instantaneous relay.
Decoding scheme for relay networks with parity forwarding cooperation protocol
Authors: Khalaf Taha A. , Ramzy Safwat M.
Published: April 2014

The maximum a posterior (MAP) decoding scheme is presented here for cooperative communication networks that adopt the parity forwarding as a cooperation protocol. The MAP decoder is optimal in the sense that it minimises the error probability. The authors consider a wireless network that is composed of two sources: two relays and a single destination. A closed‐form expression is derived for upper bound on the bit error probability. The complexity of derivation comes from the fact that although the source generates data with equal probability, the data received at the destination does not have the same a priori probability. That is because of the error that occurs in the source‐to‐relay link. Therefore, the MAP decoding rule cannot be simplified to the maximum likelihood decoding rule. The results show that the analytical upper bound is very tight and almost coincides with the exact error probability obtained from simulations at higher values of the signal‐to‐noise ratio. Accordingly, the closed‐form expression of the upper bound can be used to fully study and understand the diversity performance of the system.
Detecting synchrophasors computed over fault/switching transients
Authors: Das Sarasij , Sidhu Tarlochan
Published: April 2014

Faults and switching operations often cause step changes in voltage and current waveforms. A fault/switching transient synchrophasor is computed over a window of pre‐ and post‐fault/switching samples. Many synchrophasor applications are not designed to use these transient synchrophasors. So, there is a need to detect fault/switching transient synchrophasors. A robust algorithm is proposed to detect synchrophasors computed over switching/fault transients. The proposed algorithm runs in phasor measurement unit. The proposed algorithm performs satisfactorily in the presence of noises, harmonics, off nominal frequencies, decaying DC and missing/bad samples. The proposed algorithm can detect fault/switching transient synchrophasors caused by smaller or larger disturbances. The proposed algorithm is simple, non‐iterative and mainly needs additions. Possible applications of the proposed algorithm are also discussed.
Controlling voltage profile in smart grids with remotely controlled switches
Authors: Močnik Jure , Žemva Andrej
Published: April 2014

An algorithm for controlling the voltage profile in a power distribution network with dispersed energy resources (DER) is described. The algorithm is based on predictions and fast communication links between the feeders remotely controlled switches, power lines, substations, end users and DERs. The advantages of using the algorithm are in establishing a reliable power distribution network, with a proper voltage profile, appropriate communications and strong interdependences between the components of the power distribution network. A special benefit of this concept is the possibility of having it included in the existing IEC61850 standard.
Development of energy and reserve pre‐dispatch and re‐dispatch models for real‐time price risk and reliability assessment
Authors: Ding Yi , Xie Min , Wu Qiuwei , Østergaard Jacob
Published: April 2014

In the future, energy framework of European Union and other countries, renewable energy plays an important role tackling the problems of the climate change and security of energy supply. The high penetration of renewable energy sources will increase the burden of system operator for maintaining system reliabilities. However, the current strategy of reliability management developed for conventional power systems and existing electricity market design may not cope with the future challenges the power system faces. The development of smart grid will enable power system scheduling and the electricity market to operate in a shorter time horizon for better integrating renewable energy sources into power systems. This study presents an electricity market scheme including a multi‐period energy and reserve pre‐dispatch model and an energy re‐dispatch model for real time operation, respectively. The multi‐period energy and reserve pre‐dispatch model is formulated using the multi‐period optimal power flow technique. During the real time operation, the energy re‐dispatch model is used for contingency management and providing balancing services. The proposed market scheme coupled with a contingency analysis methodology has been used to evaluate both real‐time electricity price risk and short term reliabilities during the operational hour in the new environment.
Efficient adaptive fuzzy‐based switching weighted average filter for the restoration of impulse corrupted digital images
Authors: Varghese Justin , Ghouse Mohamed , Subash Saudia , Siddappa Madappa , Khan Mohamed Samiulla , Hussain Omer Bin
Published: April 2014

This study proposes a new fuzzy adaptive filter for the restoration of impulse corrupted digital images. The proposed filter incorporates fuzzy functions to model the uncertainties, while detecting and correcting impulses. The traditional, SMALL fuzzy function is used to identify the non‐impulsive nature of the detected corrupted pixels in the initial step. For the better restoration of detected impulsive pixels, a modified version of Gaussian function is utilised to determine the similarity among the detected uncorrupted pixels. The proposed correction scheme provides more weight to the uncorrupted pixels that show much similarity with other uncorrupted pixels in the window while replacing impulses. The proposed filter adapts to various noisy and image conditions and is capable of suppressing noise while preserving image details. The experimental results in terms of subjective and objective metrics favour the proposed algorithm than many other prominent filters in literature.
Feasibility of GaAs‐based metal strip surface plasmon nano‐lasers
Authors: Lafone Lucas , Sidiropoulos Themistoklis P.H. , Hamm Joachim M. , Oulton Rupert F.
Published: April 2014

The authors present a theoretical analysis of metallic strip surface plasmon nano‐lasers that are compatible with III–V semiconductor materials and fabrication technologies. The design mimics a ridge waveguide laser, where the ridge is a metallic strip that sits on top of a semiconductor slab waveguide. We discuss the formation and characteristics of a mode that is bound to the metallic strip and evaluate the possibility of compensating its propagation loss with the gain from the semiconductor slab. We find that the bound mode is a hybrid of the modes of the metallic strip and those of the semiconductor slab and that by varying the internal coupling, it is possible to engineer extremely strong lateral mode confinement while also mitigating the high propagation losses that are typically associated with surface plasmon modes. Using a realistic gain model for GaAs and a new analysis of the confinement factor, we find that carrier concentrations in the region of 3 × 1018 cm−3 can compensate for the bound mode's propagation losses, in the region of 1000 cm−1, at room temperature. This design has many desirable features including single lateral mode operation, a high confinement‐to‐loss figure of merit and the potential for relatively straightforward in‐situ fabrication.
Modelling the dynamics of a micro‐cavity switch
Authors: Dias Hasula K. , Kaunga‐Nyirenda Simeon Newton , Lim Jun Jun , Phillips Andrew J. , Larkins Eric C.
Published: April 2014

A model that accounts for the switching operation of a photonic crystal micro‐cavity is presented. The model accounts for the bipolar drift‐diffusion in the micro‐cavity. The impact of surface recombination on the surface charge and carrier transport is modelled self‐consistently. The optical fields in the micro‐cavity are modelled using coupled‐mode theory.
Optical tracking of drug release from porous silicon delivery vectors
Authors: Tonkin James A. , Shamsudeen Sabeel , Brown Martyn Rowan , Serda Rita E. , Rees Paul , Summers Huw D.
Published: April 2014

The controlled and sustained delivery of drugs to a specific location within the body is vitally important for effective treatment of chronic diseases such as cancer. One route in achieving this is to develop drug carrying systems from which release of the drug molecules can be controlled. In this study, the authors present characterisation measurements on such a system – porous silicon microparticles. The kinetic of release of the anti‐cancer agent, doxorubicin is tracked in live, endothelial cells over a period of 24 h. The results are consistent with a release process of molecular diffusion from a fixed supply reservoir, with a characteristic release lifetime of 2 h. Detailed stochastic modelling of the diffusion process, mimicking the random walk of drug molecules within a heterogeneous size distribution of pores, provides an excellent fit to the data and indicates a doxorubicin diffusion constant of 2 × 10−11 m2 s−1.
In‐depth study of direct power control strategies for power converters
Authors: Hu Jiefeng , Zhu Jianguo , Dorrell David G.
Published: April 2014

Direct power control (DPC) has received a significant amount of research attention because of its benefits such as simplicity, robustness and excellent dynamic response. In the last few years DPC has been widely used in power electronics and electric drives. Recently, because of the rapid increase in the penetration of distributed generation sources connected to the local AC and/or DC common buses through power electronic converters, further development of DPC strategies is highly required. In addition, given the fact that the requirements of the system performance vary in different applications, it is very useful to provide an in‐depth analysis so as to select the suitable control approach. This study presents an investigation of DPC of power converters. The theoretical principles are analysed and studied. The performance of each control method is then validated by experimental tests on a laboratory power converter system. The evaluated characteristics include the power ripple, line current total harmonic distortion (THD), switching behaviour, control complexity, etc. The reported results provide engineers and researchers on the subject with valuable insights into the features and implementation constraints of the DPC strategies in power and energy systems.
Binary‐based tracer of photovoltaic array characteristics
Authors: Rivai Ahmad , Rahim Nasrudin Abd
Published: April 2014

Conventional photovoltaic (PV) I–V‐curve tracer uses a lot of resistors and switches to produce a smooth curve. We propose a binary I–V‐curve tracer with an adjustable‐resistance load, which means fewer switches and resistors to achieve the same smooth curve. The prototype was built in an ATMega 8535 microcontroller and then tested in various shade conditions of the PV array.
Comprehensive study of tumour single nucleotide polymorphism array data reveals significant driver aberrations and disrupted signalling pathways in human hepatocellular cancer
Authors: Liu Yuanning , Wang Minghui , Feng Huanqing , Li Ao
Published: April 2014

The authors describe an integrated method for analysing cancer driver aberrations and disrupted pathways by using tumour single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arrays. The authors new method adopts a novel statistical model to explicitly quantify the SNP signals, and therefore infers the genomic aberrations, including copy number alteration and loss of heterozygosity. Examination on the dilution series dataset shows that this method can correctly identify the genomic aberrations even with the existence of severe normal cell contamination in tumour sample. Furthermore, with the results of the aberration identification obtained from multiple tumour samples, a permutation‐based approach is proposed for identifying the statistically significant driver aberrations, which are further incorporated with the known signalling pathways for pathway enrichment analysis. By applying the approach to 286 hepatocellular tumour samples, they successfully uncover numerous driver aberration regions across the cancer genome, for example, chromosomes 4p and 5q, which harbour many known hepatocellular cancer related genes such as alpha‐fetoprotein (AFP) and ectodermal‐neural cortex (ENC1). In addition, they identify nine disrupted pathways that are highly enriched by the driver aberrations, including the systemic lupus erythematosus pathway, the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signalling pathway and so on. These results support the feasibility and the utility of the proposed method on the characterisation of the cancer genome and the downstream analysis of the driver aberrations and the disrupted signalling pathways.
IT Resources, Organizational Capabilities, and Value Creation in Public-Sector Organizations: A Public-Value Management Perspective
Authors: Pang Min-Seok , Lee Gwanhoo , DeLone William H
Published: April 2014

What value does information technology (IT) create in governments and how does it do so? While business value of IT has been extensively studied in the information systems field, this has not been the case for public value. This is in part due to a lack of theoretical bases for investigating IT value in the public sector. To address this issue, we present a conceptual model on the mechanism by which IT resources contribute to value creation in the public-sector organizations. We propose that the relationship between IT resources and organizational performance in governments is mediated by organizational capabilities and develop a theoretical model that delineates the paths from IT resources to organizational performance, drawing upon public-value management theory. This theory asserts that public managers, on behalf of the public, should actively strive to generate greater public value, as managers in the private sector seek to achieve greater private business value. On the basis of the review of public-value management literature, we suggest that the following five organizational capabilities mediate the relationship between IT resources and public value - public service delivery capability, public engagement capability, co-production capability, resource-building capability, and public-sector innovation capability. We argue that IT resources in public organizations can enable public managers to advance public-value frontiers by cultivating these five organizational capabilities and to overcome conflicts among competing values.
Excess conductivity analysis and infrared absorption spectroscopy of Mg-doped TlBa2Ca2Cu3O10-δ superconductor
Authors: Mumtaz M. , Zubair M. , Khan Nawazish A. , Abbas Saleem
Published: April 2014

Fluctuation induced conductivity (FIC) analysis on dc resistivity versus temperature data of as-prepared and oxygen post-annealed TlBa2(Ca2-yMgy)Cu3O10-δ (y = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0) superconductor samples are carried out by using Aslamazov–Larkin model for excess conductivity. The microscopic parameters such as zero temperature coherence length along c axis {ξc(0)}, interlayer coupling (J), intergrain coupling (α), critical exponent (λ) and dimensionality of superconducting fluctuations are calculated with the help of aforementioned model. The crossover temperature (To) is shifted towards higher temperature values with the increase of Mg contents up to y = 0.5 and then start to decrease but still remains greater than those values of undoped samples. The increase in ξc(0) and J after Mg-doping at Ca sites shows the improvement of interplane coupling in TlBa2(Ca2-yMgy)Cu3O10-δ samples. The appreciable change in all the microscopic parameters extracted from the FIC analysis indicates the optimization of oxygen in all the oxygen post-annealed samples. The increase in relative intensity of almost all the oxygen modes indicates the oxygen diffusion in the unit cell after oxygen post-annealing. The diffusion of oxygen can take place at intergranular sites along with intragranular sites, which increases the grains size, intergrain connectivity and carrier density in CuO2 planes.
Design and evaluation of a device for fast multispectral time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy and imaging
Authors: Yankelevich Diego R. , Ma Dinglong , Liu Jing , Sun Yang , Sun Yinghua , Bec Julien , Elson Daniel S. , Marcu Laura
Published: April 2014

The application of time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy (TRFS) to in vivo tissue diagnosis requires a method for fast acquisition of fluorescence decay profiles in multiple spectral bands. This study focusses on development of a clinically compatible fiber-optic based multispectral TRFS (ms-TRFS) system together with validation of its accuracy and precision for fluorescence lifetime measurements. It also presents the expansion of this technique into an imaging spectroscopy method. A tandem array of dichroic beamsplitters and filters was used to record TRFS decay profiles at four distinct spectral bands where biological tissue typically presents fluorescence emission maxima, namely, 390, 452, 542, and 629 nm. Each emission channel was temporally separated by using transmission delays through 200 μm diameter multimode optical fibers of 1, 10, 19, and 28 m lengths. A Laguerre-expansion deconvolution algorithm was used to compensate for modal dispersion inherent to large diameter optical fibers and the finite bandwidth of detectors and digitizers. The system was found to be highly efficient and fast requiring a few nano-Joule of laser pulse energy and <1 ms per point measurement, respectively, for the detection of tissue autofluorescent components. Organic and biological chromophores with lifetimes that spanned a 0.8–7 ns range were used for system validation, and the measured lifetimes from the organic fluorophores deviated by less than 10% from values reported in the literature. Multi-spectral lifetime images of organic dye solutions contained in glass capillary tubes were recorded by raster scanning the single fiber probe in a 2D plane to validate the system as an imaging tool. The lifetime measurement variability was measured indicating that the system provides reproducible results with a standard deviation smaller than 50 ps. The ms-TRFS is a compact apparatus that makes possible the fast, accurate, and precise multispectral time-resolved fluorescence lifetime measurements of low quantum efficiency sub-nanosecond fluorophores.
Estimating the density-scaling exponent of a monatomic liquid from its pair potential
Authors: Bøhling Lasse , Bailey Nicholas P. , Schrøder Thomas B. , Dyre Jeppe C.
Published: April 2014

This paper investigates two conjectures for calculating the density dependence of the density-scaling exponent γ of a single-component, pair-potential liquid with strong virial potential-energy correlations. The first conjecture gives an analytical expression for γ directly in terms of the pair potential. The second conjecture is a refined version of this involving the most likely nearest-neighbor distance determined from the pair-correlation function. The conjectures are tested by simulations of three systems, one of which is the standard Lennard-Jones liquid. While both expressions give qualitatively correct results, the second is more accurate.
Disorder improves nanophotonic light trapping in thin-film solar cells
Authors: Paetzold U. W. , Smeets M. , Meier M. , Bittkau K. , Merdzhanova T. , Smirnov V. , Michaelis D. , Waechter C. , Carius R. , Rau U.
Published: April 2014

We present a systematic experimental study on the impact of disorder in advanced nanophotonic light-trapping concepts of thin-film solar cells. Thin-film solar cells made of hydrogenated amorphous silicon were prepared on imprint-textured glass superstrates. For periodically textured superstrates of periods below 500 nm, the nanophotonic light-trapping effect is already superior to state-of-the-art randomly textured front contacts. The nanophotonic light-trapping effect can be associated to light coupling to leaky waveguide modes causing resonances in the external quantum efficiency of only a few nanometer widths for wavelengths longer than 500 nm. With increasing disorder of the nanotextured front contact, these resonances broaden and their relative altitude decreases. Moreover, overall the external quantum efficiency, i.e., the light-trapping effect, increases incrementally with increasing disorder. Thereby, our study is a systematic experimental proof that disorder is conceptually an advantage for nanophotonic light-trapping concepts employing grating couplers in thin-film solar cells. The result is relevant for the large field of research on nanophotonic light trapping in thin-film solar cells which currently investigates and prototypes a number of new concepts including disordered periodic and quasi periodic textures.
Ignition experiments and models of a plastic bonded explosive (PBX 9502)
Authors: Hobbs M. L. , Kaneshige M. J.
Published: April 2014

Ignition experiments from various sources, including our own laboratory, have been used to develop a simple four-step, pressure-dependent ignition model for PBX 9502, which is composed of 95% by mass triaminotrinitrobenzene (TATB) and a 5% by mass chlorotrifluoroethylene/vinylidine fluoride binder. The four-steps include drying, mono-furazan formation, and decomposition of mono-furazan and TATB into equilibrium products. Our experiments were both sealed and vented and included various ullage percentages ranging from 18% to 75% of unfilled confinement volume. Our sample densities ranged from 38% of the theoretical maximum density (TMD) to 98% TMD. We observed a decrease in ignition times with the higher density samples, an increase in ignition times with increased venting, and an increase in ignition times with increased ullage. From our experiments, we conclude that decomposition of PBX 9502 is pressure dependent, open pore decomposition occurs in low-density experiments, and that closed pore decomposition occurs when the samples are pressed to near full density. In some of our confined high-density experiments we have observed for the first time, multiple temperature excursions prior to ignition caused by internal pressure generation.