bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identifying Optimal High-Risk Driver Segments for Safety Messaging
Authors: Eguakun George , Park Peter Y. , Quaye Kwei
Published: December 2015

Given the public safety risk posed by high-risk drivers, most traffic safety agencies consider this group a key target for strategic planning purposes. The aim of this research was to develop a framework that could be used to efficiently and effectively target high-risk drivers. The specific objectives were to establish whether high-risk drivers were homogeneous and if not, to determine the optimal set of primary and secondary clusters for efficient and effective targeting with minimal resources. The study area was Saskatchewan, Canada. Multiple databases (including traffic collisions, insurance claims, and conviction data) formed the basis for the research. In this study, high-risk drivers were defined as all drivers who were enrolled both in the Driver Improvement Program of Saskatchewan Government Insurance and in the negative or penalty zone of Saskatchewan Government Insurance's safety driver rating scale as a result of accumulated demerit points. Geodemographic modeling with the neighborhood as the unit of analysis, a large number of variables, and a set of probabilistic clustering techniques were used in the analysis. The results indicated that the high-risk driver group was heterogeneous; it fell into subclusters with varying collision and traffic behavior profiles. The study found that Saskatchewan high-risk drivers were mainly in the major cities (56%) but also in rural municipalities (18%) and towns (15%). The optimal primary high-risk segments for efficient targeting were those major cities and towns where both the risk of collision involvement and the concentration of high-risk drivers were higher than the driver population. Drivers in the primary target area for messaging showed higher levels of distracted, impaired, and aggressive driving behaviors; driver inexperience; extreme fatigue; falling asleep behind the wheel; and inattention.
Integrated Real-Time Transit Signal Priority Control for High-Frequency Segregated Transit Services
Authors: Delgado Felipe , Muñoz Juan Carlos , Giesen Ricardo , Wilson Nigel H. M.
Published: December 2015

Bus bunching affects transit operations by increasing passenger waiting time and variability. To tackle this phenomenon, a wide range of control strategies has been proposed. However, none of them have considered station and interstation control together. In this study station and interstation control were tackled to determine the optimal vehicle control strategy for various stops and traffic lights in a single service transit corridor. The strategy minimized the total time that users must devote to making a trip, taking into account delays for transit and general traffic users. Based on a high-frequency, capacity-constrained, and unscheduled service (no timetable) for which real-time information about bus position (GPS) and bus load (automated passenger counter) is available, this study focused on strategies for traffic signal priority in the form of green extension considered together with holding buses at stops and limiting passenger boarding at stops. The decisions on transit signal priority were made according to a rolling horizon scheme in which effects over the whole corridor were considered in every single decision. The proposed strategy was evaluated in a simulated environment under different operational conditions. Results showed that the proposed control strategy achieves reductions in the excess delay for transit users close to 61.4% compared with no control, while general traffic increases only by 1.5%.
Queue Jump Lane, Transit Signal Priority, and Stop Location Evaluation of Transit Preferential Treatments Using Microsimulation
Authors: Cesme Burak , Altun Selman Z. , Lane Barrett
Published: December 2015

Transit preferential treatments offer the potential to improve transit travel time and reliability. However, the benefits of these treatments vary greatly depending on the specific characteristics of the study area, including turning movement and pedestrian volumes, signal timing parameters, and transit stop location. To evaluate the performance of preferential treatments, practitioners typically rely on microscopic simulation models, which require a considerable amount of effort, or a review of previous studies, which may reflect a bias toward the area characteristics. This paper develops a test bed and a planning-level framework to help practitioners determine benefits offered by various preferential treatments without developing a detailed simulation model. To evaluate preferential treatment benefits, the authors performed extensive simulation runs under various scenarios at an isolated intersection with VISSIM. The analyses show that the greatest benefit comes from relocating a nearside stop to a farside stop, in which farside stops can reduce delay up to 30 s per intersection. The highest saving that could be obtained with a queue jump lane is approximately 9 s per intersection. As the number of right turns increases along with the number of conflicting pedestrians, the benefit of a queue jump lane disappears. Transit signal priority with 15 s of green extension and red truncation can offer up to 19 s of reduction in delay; the benefits become more pronounced with a high volume-to-capacity (v/c) ratio. With a low v/c ratio, granting 10 s of green extension without red truncation provides very marginal benefits; only a 2-s delay reduction per intersection is gained.
Visioning the Bus System of the Future: Stakeholders’ Perspective
Authors: Musso Antonio , Corazza Maria Vittoria
Published: December 2015

The European Bus System of the Future (2008–2013) was a project funded by the European Commission within the seventh Framework Program. The core of the project was to develop a new generation of bus systems to increase the attractiveness and improve the image of this transport mode. Seven European cities were selected to test the innovative measures described in this paper: Bremerhaven, Germany; Brunoy, France; Budapest, Hungary; Gothenburg, Sweden; Madrid, Spain; Rome; and Rouen, France. The results served as a basis to develop the transferability exercise, that is, the assessment of drivers and barriers that might endorse or hinder the transferability of the measures to other cities. The transferability exercise required a specific method to define what was transferable from the experience of the seven cities (the use cases) and “to which contexts,” according to the panel of stakeholders who took part in the transferability exercise. The paper describes how the method was applied and the outcomes of the transferability exercise, which simulated the transferability of the experience of the seven use cases to a cluster of target cities across Europe. The resulting key factors for transferring (or not) the innovations and for developing a new generation of buses far beyond Europe's borders are reported.
Analytical Five-Phase Bus Rapid Transit Traffic Flow Model
Authors: Hyland Michael F. , Mahmassani Hani S.
Published: December 2015

Bus rapid transit (BRT) systems are becoming increasingly popular in cities worldwide because of their ( a) efficiency and reliability advantages over traditional bus service and ( b) cost advantages over rail transit systems. As transportation decision makers consider the implementation and planning of BRT systems, it is important that they be able to analyze different operational components of these systems. This paper describes an analytical five-phase BRT traffic flow model that is able to model the movement of a bus throughout an entire BRT corridor and network. The five-phase model includes ( a) a queuing model to determine the time a bus spends waiting for access to the loading area, ( b) an access time model to determine the time that it takes a bus to access a loading area position from the queue when a loading position becomes available, ( c) a nonlinear dwell time model to determine the time that a bus spends at a loading area position, and ( d and e) a two-part model of the following behavior of buses between bus stations, dependent on whether there is a bus between the following bus and the approaching station. The five-phase BRT traffic flow model provides a comprehensive modeling framework for a networkwide simulation of a separate right-of-way BRT system. The model builds on research in the areas of car-following (and more recently bus-following) models, dwell time models, and bus station queuing models.
Dangers of Infant Formula
Authors: Rahman Md Ekhlasur
Published: December 2015

Abstract not availableJ Bangladesh Coll Phys Surg 2014; 32: 184-185
Role of Insulin Sensitizers in Raised Alanine Aminotransferase in Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Glucose Intolerance Patients: A Short-Term Experience with Metformin Plus Pioglitazone Versus Metformin Alone
Authors: Sultana Syeda Rezina , Amin Mohammod Feroz , Rahim Muhammad Abdur , Rahman Md Mahbubur , Hoque Md Nazmul , Bhuian Tareq Mahmud , Datta Indrajit Kumar , Rahman Md Anisur
Published: December 2015

Objectives:To evaluate and compare the effectiveness of metformin plus pioglitazone versus metformin alone in treatment of raised alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in patients with newly detected diabetes mellitus (DM) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT).Materials and methods: In this open label clinical trial, newly detected DM and IGT patients with raised ALT and ultrasound proven NAFLD were treated with either metformin and pioglitazone combination (group 1) or metformin alone (group 2). They were followed up upto 6 months.Results:Total number of patients was 49 (27 in group 1 and 22 in group 2) and there was male predominance in either group. Age was almost identical between two groups (46±9.3 and 45.4±5.7 years in group 1 and group 2 respectively). Significant reduction in values of fasting blood glucose (FBG), 2 hours post breakfast values (ABF), HbA1c, cholesterol (CHOL), triglycerides (TG) and ALT of the study subjects were achieved in either group after six months (Group 1: FBG 8.89±1.4 vs 6.37±0.5 mmol/l, ABF 13.2±2.07 vs 8.34±0.84 mmol/l, HbA1c 8.15±0.87 % vs6.7±0.40%, CHOL 205.26±30.74 vs 178.89±18.59 mg/dl, TG 226.15±50.06 vs 155.85±20.99 mg/dl, ALT 91.52±23.14 vs 45.74±12.63 mg/dl and in Group 2 : FBG 9.39±2.26 vs 6.98±1.20 mmol/l, ABF 13.38±2.93 vs 9.13±1.46 mmol/l, HbA1c 8.10±0.92 % vs7.03±0.71%, CHOL 206.55±29.9 vs 195±23.55 mg/dl, TG 235.59±46.22 vs 178.91±38.24 mg/ dl, ALT 105.59±18.63 vs 66.36±16.02 mg/dl).In comparison between two groups, Group 1 had better metabolic control compared to their counterpart of Group 2 at the end of 6 months [Group 1 vs Group 2: FBG (p=0.024), ABF (p=0.022), CHOL (p = 0.010), TG (p =0.010)]. There was significant reduction in ALT as well (p = 0.000).Conclusion:Combination of metformin and pioglitazone is more effective than metformin alone in reducing ALT in NAFLD in newly detected DM and IGT patients.J Bangladesh Coll Phys Surg 2014; 32: 194-199
Self-monitoring of Blood Glucose (SMBG): Cornerstone of Diabetes Management- Bangladesh Perspective: A Recommendation
Authors: Latif Zafar Ahmed
Published: December 2015

SMBG is a crucial factor in diabetes management. It offersa quick check of glycemic status, helps to identify hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia. In addition SMBG assists in clinical decision making and as such it complements HbA1c. But due to many reasons SMBG is not practiced properly and adequately. In recent years several international guidelines higllighted the importance of SMBG for diabetes management. Very few diabetic patients in Bangladesh actually perform SMBG regularly at home. The awareness of the benefits of SMBG is also low. There is no uniformity in SMBG practice among the patients as there is no local guideline to help the physicians in determining the optimum SMBG frequency for their patients. So a working guideline on SMBG is the call of the day. This article is an attempt in that direction. Exploring international guidelines and evaluating their applicability in local context a number of recommendations have been proposed.J Bangladesh Coll Phys Surg 2014; 32: 218-223
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Simulating Kikuchi Fujimotos Disease: A Case Report
Authors: Islam Mohammad Rafiqul , Manik Abul Hayat , Jeeba Jannat , Kasru Mohammod Omar , Mohammed Rakib Hasan , Amin Md Robed
Published: December 2015

Kikuchi Fujimotos disease (KFD) is a rare, immunemediated, self-limiting disorder with unique histopathological features. KFD is usually seen in young Asian females; however, cases have been reported throughout the world and in all ethnicities. It has been recognized that there is a rare association between Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) and KFD via sporadic case reports. The exact pathophysiological relationship between these two diseases is still unclear. We report a case of a young Asian female who presented with persistent fever followed by development of lymphadenopathy and was diagnosed as Kikuchi Fujimotos disease based on lymph node biopsy. Although an SLE workup was done and she initially did not meet the American Rheumatology Association (ARA) diagnostic criteria for lupus.The lymph node biopsy did not show typical features of SLE. At last criteria of SLE became obvious with time and case was diagnosed as SLE.J Bangladesh Coll Phys Surg 2014; 32: 231-234
From the desk of editor in Chief
Authors: Ahasan HAM Nazmul
Published: December 2015

Abstract not availableJ Bangladesh Coll Phys Surg 2014; 32: 251
Oxidative Stress and Antioxidant Status in Patients of acute Myocardial Infarction before and after Regular Treatment
Authors: Bashar Tahmina , Akhter Nargis
Published: December 2015

In acute myocardial infarction (AMI), generation of free radicals contribute to its pathogenesis. We evaluated the extent of oxidative stress and its amelioration in AMI patients after regular treatment and assessed its association with risk factors like dyslipidemia and diabetes mellitus (DM). Plasma MDA level increased (p<0.001) and erythrocyte GSH and plasma vitamin E levels decreased (p<0.001) in AMI patients. On the 5th day of regular treatment MDA level reduced (p<0.001) and erythrocyte GSH and vitamin E levels increased (p<0.001). The rise in MDA and fall in vitamin E levels were significant (p<0.001) in patients with both dyslipidemia and DM in comparison to patients without dyslipidemia or DM. It is concluded that an imbalance exists between oxidant and antioxidant molecules in AMI patients which shifts towards oxidative side and treatment restores this balance. There may be some association between oxidative stress in AMI and risk factors like dyslipidemia and diabetes mellitus.University Heart Journal Vol. 10, No. 2, July 2014; 60-65
Status of Lipid Profile among the Hypertensive Patients in Bangladesh
Authors: Forhad CM Reza Qureshi , Kabir Asma , Biswas Tuhin , Choudhury Kamrun Nahar , Rahman Md Zahidur , Hussain Deena AS , Ghosh Shantanu Kumar
Published: December 2015

Back ground: Hypertension and dyslipidemia are associated with oxidative stress and are major causes of cardiovascular disease amounting to 30% of global death rate. It is widely accepted that cardiovascular disease is associated with hypertension and increased blood levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), total cholesterol (TC), and triglycerides. In contrast, a low level of high density lipoprotein (HDL) is a risk factor for mortality from cardiovascular disease. Hypertension is a major public health problem in developed and developing countries. Methods: This study was a cross sectional study in which 159 diagnosed hypertensive patient and 75 with normal blood pressure (normotensive) were enrolled for compare. These patients sought a through health cheek up including blood pressure assessment between May 2012 to April 2013 in Tairunnessa Memorial Medical College and Hospital. Lipid parameters total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein ( LDLc) and high density lipoprotein (HDLc) were estimated by enzymatic colorimetric test. Results: The mean of Systolic blood pressure and Diastolic blood pressure of hypertensive were higher than normotensive (p<0.001). The serum levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride and LDL-C in hypertensive subject were higher than normotensive and statistically significant (p<0.001). Serum HDL-C was significantly lower (p<0.001) in hypertensive patients than in normotensive. Age, waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI) showed significant association with hypertensive patients (p<0.001) than in normotensive subjects.The logistic regression analysis indicates hypertensive were 1.2 times higher total cholesterol, 1.3 times higher triglyceride and 1.2 times higher LDL-C than normotensive and was statistically significant (p<0.001). HDL-C was 1.08 times lower in hypertensive than normotensive and statistically significant p<0.001). Conclusion: Analytical results of the study revealed that hypertensive patients have been found to have close association with dyslipidemia. Hypertension and dyslipidemia can be modified either by proper life style changes or medical management or by the combination of the both. This study suggests that hypertensive patients need measurement of blood pressure and lipid profile at regular interval to prevent heart diseases and stroke.University Heart Journal Vol. 10, No. 2, July 2014; 73-77
Prediction of Location of Infarct-related Artery in acute Myocardial Infarction from Surface Electrocardiogram, its Clinical Importance and Therapeutic Strategy: A Review
Authors: Haque Mostashirul , Alam Md Shafiul , Ahmed Sabbir Jashim , Khatun Sufia , Urmi Nusrat Jahan , Joarder Ariful Islam , Amin Md Rasul , Islam Lohani Md Tajul , Hasan Md Nazmul
Published: December 2015

Abstract not availableUniversity Heart Journal Vol. 10, No. 2, July 2014; 85-87
Relationship between Mineral Soil Surface Area and the Biological Degradation of Biosolids Added to Soil
Authors: Wen Dongqi , Zhai Wenjuan , Moschandreas Demetrios , Tian Guanglong , Noll Kenneth
Published: December 2015

Geochemical and biological processes that operate in the soil matrix and on the soil surface are important to the degradation of biosolids in soil. Due to the large surface area of soils it is assumed that the microbial ecology is associated with mineral soil surface area. The total mineral surface areas were determined for soils from eight different fields selected from a long term study (1972–2006) of annual biosolids application to 41 fields in central Illinois varying in size from 3.6 to 66 ha. The surface areas for the soils varied from 1 to 9 m2/g of soil. The biological degradation rates for the eight soils were determined using a biological degradation rate model (DRM) and varied from 0.02 to 0.20/year−1. Regression analysis revealed that the degradation rate was positively associated with mineral soil surface area (1 m2/g produces 0.018 year−1 increase in the degradation rate). The annual soil sequestration rate was calculated to increase from 1% to 6% when the soil total surface area increased from 1 to 9 m2/g of soil. Therefore, land application of biosolids is an effective way to enhance carbon sequestration in soils and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
An Optomechanical Elevator: Transport of a Bloch Oscillating Bose–Einstein Condensate up and down an Optical Lattice by Cavity Sideband Amplification and Cooling
Authors: Prasanna Venkatesh B. , O’Dell Duncan , Goldwin Jonathan
Published: December 2015

In this paper we give a new description, in terms of optomechanics, of previous work on the problem of an atomic Bose–Einstein condensate interacting with the optical lattice inside a laser-pumped optical cavity and subject to a bias force, such as gravity. An atomic wave packet in a tilted lattice undergoes Bloch oscillations; in a high-finesse optical cavity the backaction of the atoms on the light leads to a time-dependent modulation of the intracavity lattice depth at the Bloch frequency which can in turn transport the atoms up or down the lattice. In the optomechanical picture, the transport dynamics can be interpreted as a manifestation of dynamical backaction-induced sideband damping/amplification of the Bloch oscillator. Depending on the sign of the pump-cavity detuning, atoms are transported either with or against the bias force accompanied by an up- or down-conversion of the frequency of the pump laser light. We also evaluate the prospects for using the optomechanical Bloch oscillator to make continuous measurements of forces by reading out the Bloch frequency. In this context, we establish the significant result that the optical spring effect is absent and the Bloch frequency is not modified by the backaction.
Acoustic Intervention in a Cultural Heritage: The Chapel of the Royal Palace in Caserta, Italy
Authors: Berardi Umberto , Iannace Gino , Ianniello Carmine
Published: December 2015

The modern use of ancient heritage sites can be, to say the least, challenging from an acoustical perspective. In fact, modern needs may require acoustical interventions in contrast with the preservation issues of the cultural heritage. This paper deals with this topic in an UNESCO designated world heritage site, the Palatine Chapel of the Royal Palace in Caserta, Italy. Since this chapel is currently being used for meetings and music chamber concerts, the acoustical characteristics of the chapel, originally used for religious purposes, are investigated. Field measurements were undertaken to evaluate the acoustical performance of the empty chapel. The measurements were then used to calibrate and validate a computer simulation model. Different acoustical treatments are then considered and simulations are used to determine the related acoustical improvements. Finally, the benefits of different acoustical treatments which are respectful of the aesthetic and historical value of this cultural heritage are discussed.
Hybrids of Gold Nanoparticles with Core-Shell Hyperbranched Polymers: Synthesis, Characterization, and Their High Catalytic Activity for Reduction of 4-Nitrophenol
Authors: Liu Yi , Xu Li , Liu Xunyong , Cao Mengnan
Published: December 2015

Hyperbranched core-shell structure can be constructed by the modification of hyperbranched polyethylenimine (HPEI) with different amide shells. Functionalized HPEI with acetic amide (HPEI-ACAm), propionic amide (HPEI-PRAm), butyric amide (HPEI-BUAm) and isobutyric amide (HPEI-IBAm) shells have been successfully prepared and used as protectors for gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Novel AuNP composites were obtained through the non-covalent interaction between HPEI-XXAm and gold nanoparticles (XXAm represents ACAm, PRAm, BUAm or IBAm). The resulted AuNP composites can catalyze the reduction reaction of 4-nitrophenol by NaBH4. Interestingly, the catalytic activity of the AuNPs mainly depends on the structure of protectors and the degree of carbon chain arrangement denseness, which should affect the diffusivity of the reactants. In addition, the order of reaction rate is HPEI10K-IBAm0.80 > HPEI10K-ACAm0.80 > HPEI10K-PRAm0.82 > HPEI10K-BUAm0.83. It was found that the increase of the concentrations of the capping HPEI-XXAm polymers can enhance both the reaction rate and the turnover frequency (TOF) values. Furthermore, the reaction rate was accelerated with increasing the reaction temperature for AuNPs-HPEI10K-ACAm0.80 and AuNPs-HPEI10K-PRAm0.82 systems. Interestingly, the reaction rate was accelerated with elevating reaction temperature at the beginning but reached a plateau or decreased sharply for AuNPs-HPEI10K-IBAm0.80 and AuNPs-HPEI10K-BUAm0.82 systems, owing to the thermoresponsivity of the corresponding AuNP composites. As a consequence, the catalytic activity could be controlled by adjusting the different shells of the hyperbranched polyethylenimine.
Synthesis, Crystal Structure, DFT Study and Antifungal Activity of 4-(5-((4-Bromobenzyl) thio)-4-Phenyl-4H-1,2,4-Triazol-3-yl)pyridine
Authors: Mu Jin-Xia , Zhai Zhi-Wen , Yang Ming-Yan , Sun Zhao-Hui , Wu Hong-Ke , Liu Xing-Hai
Published: December 2015

The title compound 4-(5-((4-bromobenzyl)thio)-4-phenyl-4H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)pyridine (C20H15BrN4S) was synthesized, and its structure was confirmed by 1H NMR, MS and elemental analyses and single-crystal X-ray structure determination. It crystallizes in the triclinic space group P-1 with a = 7.717(3), b = 9.210(3), c = 13.370(5) Å, α = 80.347(13), β = 77.471(13), γ = 89.899(16)°, V = 913.9(6) Å3, Z = 2 and R = 0.0260 for 3145 observed reflections with I > 2σ(I). A Density functional theory (DFT) (B3LYP/6-31G) calculation of the title molecule was carried out. The full geometry optimization was carried out using a 6-31G basis set, and the frontier orbital energy. Atomic net charges are discussed. Calculated bond lengths and bond angles were found to differ from experimental values, and the compound exhibits moderate antifungal activity.
Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Past and Future of Molecular Target Therapy
Authors: Nguyen Khanh , Jack Kerri , Sun Weijing
Published: December 2015

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common causes of cancer related mortality worldwide. The incidence of HCC has been increasing annually. Viral infection, alcohol usage, and other causes of cirrhosis have been identified as major risk factors for HCC development. The underlying pathogenesis has not been as well defined. There have been multiple hypotheses to the specific mechanisms of hepatocarcinogenesis and they share the common theme of chronic inflammation, increase oxidative stress, and genomic alteration. Therapeutic options of HCC have been primarily local and/or regional including transplantation, resection, and radial frequency ablation, chemoembolization or radio-embolization. For unresectable or metastatic disease, the options are limited. Conventional chemotherapeutic options have been noted to have limited benefit. Sorafenib has been the one and only systemic therapy which has demonstrated modest overall survival benefit. This has led to more extensive research with focus on targeted therapy. Numerous pre-clinical and early phase clinical studies have been noted but failed to show efficacy in later phase clinical trials. In an effort to identify new potential therapeutic options, new understanding of underlying pathways to hepatocarcinogenesis should be one of the main focuses. This leads to development of more molecularly targeted agents to specific pathways, and immunotherapy. This article provides a review of major studies of molecular targeted agents which attempts to target these specific pathways in HCC.
Comprehensive Study on Lexicon-based Ensemble Classification Sentiment Analysis
Authors: Augustyniak Łukasz , Szymański Piotr , Kajdanowicz Tomasz , Tuligłowicz Włodzimierz
Published: December 2015

We propose a novel method for counting sentiment orientation that outperforms supervised learning approaches in time and memory complexity and is not statistically significantly different from them in accuracy. Our method consists of a novel approach to generating unigram, bigram and trigram lexicons. The proposed method, called frequentiment, is based on calculating the frequency of features (words) in the document and averaging their impact on the sentiment score as opposed to documents that do not contain these features. Afterwards, we use ensemble classification to improve the overall accuracy of the method. What is important is that the frequentiment-based lexicons with sentiment threshold selection outperform other popular lexicons and some supervised learners, while being 3–5 times faster than the supervised approach. We compare 37 methods (lexicons, ensembles with lexicon’s predictions as input and supervised learners) applied to 10 Amazon review data sets and provide the first statistical comparison of the sentiment annotation methods that include ensemble approaches. It is one of the most comprehensive comparisons of domain sentiment analysis in the literature.
Mechanical Fault Diagnosis of High Voltage Circuit Breakers Based on Wavelet Time-Frequency Entropy and One-Class Support Vector Machine
Authors: Huang Nantian , Chen Huaijin , Zhang Shuxin , Cai Guowei , Li Weiguo , Xu Dianguo , Fang Lihua
Published: December 2015

Mechanical faults of high voltage circuit breakers (HVCBs) are one of the most important factors that affect the reliability of power system operation. Because of the limitation of a lack of samples of each fault type; some fault conditions can be recognized as a normal condition. The fault diagnosis results of HVCBs seriously affect the operation reliability of the entire power system. In order to improve the fault diagnosis accuracy of HVCBs; a method for mechanical fault diagnosis of HVCBs based on wavelet time-frequency entropy (WTFE) and one-class support vector machine (OCSVM) is proposed. In this method; the S-transform (ST) is proposed to analyze the energy time-frequency distribution of HVCBs’ vibration signals. Then; WTFE is selected as the feature vector that reflects the information characteristics of vibration signals in the time and frequency domains. OCSVM is used for judging whether a mechanical fault of HVCBs has occurred or not. In order to improve the fault detection accuracy; a particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is employed to optimize the parameters of OCSVM; including the window width of the kernel function and error limit. If the mechanical fault is confirmed; a support vector machine (SVM)-based classifier will be used to recognize the fault type. The experiments carried on a real SF6 HVCB demonstrated the improved effectiveness of the new approach.
Improving Fraudster Detection in Online Auctions by Using Neighbor-Driven Attributes
Authors: Lin Jun-Lin , Khomnotai Laksamee
Published: December 2015

Online auction websites use a simple reputation system to help their users to evaluate the trustworthiness of sellers and buyers. However, to improve their reputation in the reputation system, fraudulent users can easily deceive the reputation system by creating fake transactions. This inflated-reputation fraud poses a major problem for online auction websites because it can lead legitimate users into scams. Numerous approaches have been proposed in the literature to address this problem, most of which involve using social network analysis (SNA) to derive critical features (e.g., k-core, center weight, and neighbor diversity) for distinguishing fraudsters from legitimate users. This paper discusses the limitations of these SNA features and proposes a class of SNA features referred to as neighbor-driven attributes (NDAs). The NDAs of users are calculated from the features of their neighbors. Because fraudsters require collusive neighbors to provide them with positive ratings in the reputation system, using NDAs can be helpful for detecting fraudsters. Although the idea of NDAs is not entirely new, experimental results on a real-world dataset showed that using NDAs improves classification accuracy compared with state-of-the-art methods that use the k-core, center weight, and neighbor diversity.
A Simple Operating Strategy of Small-Scale Battery Energy Storages for Energy Arbitrage under Dynamic Pricing Tariffs
Authors: Telaretti Enrico , Ippolito Mariano , Dusonchet Luigi
Published: December 2015

Price arbitrage involves taking advantage of an electricity price difference, storing electricity during low-prices times, and selling it back to the grid during high-prices periods. This strategy can be exploited by customers in presence of dynamic pricing schemes, such as hourly electricity prices, where the customer electricity cost may vary at any hour of day, and power consumption can be managed in a more flexible and economical manner, taking advantage of the price differential. Instead of modifying their energy consumption, customers can install storage systems to reduce their electricity bill, shifting the energy consumption from on-peak to off-peak hours. This paper develops a detailed storage model linking together technical, economic and electricity market parameters. The proposed operating strategy aims to maximize the profit of the storage owner (electricity customer) under simplifying assumptions, by determining the optimal charge/discharge schedule. The model can be applied to several kinds of storages, although the simulations refer to three kinds of batteries: lead-acid, lithium-ion (Li-ion) and sodium-sulfur (NaS) batteries. Unlike literature reviews, often requiring an estimate of the end-user load profile, the proposed operation strategy is able to properly identify the battery-charging schedule, relying only on the hourly price profile, regardless of the specific facility’s consumption, thanks to some simplifying assumptions in the sizing and the operation of the battery. This could be particularly useful when the customer load profile cannot be scheduled with sufficient reliability, because of the uncertainty inherent in load forecasting. The motivation behind this research is that storage devices can help to lower the average electricity prices, increasing flexibility and fostering the integration of renewable sources into the power system.
Methods for Global Survey of Natural Gas Flaring from Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite Data
Authors: Elvidge Christopher , Zhizhin Mikhail , Baugh Kimberly , Hsu Feng-Chi , Ghosh Tilottama
Published: December 2015

A set of methods are presented for the global survey of natural gas flaring using data collected by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NASA/NOAA Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS). The accuracy of the flared gas volume estimates is rated at ±9.5%. VIIRS is particularly well suited for detecting and measuring the radiant emissions from gas flares through the collection of shortwave and near-infrared data at night, recording the peak radiant emissions from flares. In 2012, a total of 7467 individual flare sites were identified. The total flared gas volume is estimated at 143 (±13.6) billion cubic meters (BCM), corresponding to 3.5% of global production. While the USA has the largest number of flares, Russia leads in terms of flared gas volume. Ninety percent of the flared gas volume was found in upstream production areas, 8% at refineries and 2% at liquified natural gas (LNG) terminals. The results confirm that the bulk of natural gas flaring occurs in upstream production areas. VIIRS data can provide site-specific tracking of natural gas flaring for use in evaluating efforts to reduce and eliminate routine flaring.
Fumed Silica Nanoparticles Incorporated in Quaternized Poly(Vinyl Alcohol) Nanocomposite Membrane for Enhanced Power Densities in Direct Alcohol Alkaline Fuel Cells
Authors: Rajesh Kumar Selvaraj , Juan Cheng-Hsin , Liao Guan-Ming , Lin Jia-Shiun , Yang Chun-Chen , Ma Wei-Ting , You Jiann-Hua , Jessie Lue Shingjiang
Published: December 2015

A nanocomposite polymer membrane based on quaternized poly(vinyl alcohol)/fumed silica (QPVA/FS) was prepared via a quaternization process and solution casting method. The physico-chemical properties of the QPVA/FS membrane were investigated. Its high ionic conductivity was found to depend greatly on the concentration of fumed silica in the QPVA matrix. A maximum conductivity of 3.50 × 10−2 S/cm was obtained for QPVA/5%FS at 60 °C when it was doped with 6 M KOH. The permeabilities of methanol and ethanol were reduced with increasing fumed silica content. Cell voltage and peak power density were analyzed as functions of fumed silica concentration, temperature, methanol and ethanol concentrations. A maximum power density of 96.8 mW/cm2 was achieved with QPVA/5%FS electrolyte using 2 M methanol + 6 M KOH as fuel at 80 °C. A peak power density of 79 mW/cm2 was obtained using the QPVA/5%FS electrolyte with 3 M ethanol + 5 M KOH as fuel. The resulting peak power densities are higher than the majority of published reports. The results confirm that QPVA/FS exhibits promise as a future polymeric electrolyte for use in direct alkaline alcoholic fuel cells.
Streamflow Regime Variations Following Ecological Management on the Loess Plateau, China
Authors: Zhang Jianjun , Zhang Tingting , Lei Yongnan , Zhang Xiaoping , Li Rui
Published: December 2015

The continuous ecological management of the Loess Plateau is known throughout the world for two strategies: the integrated soil conservation project that began in the 1970s, and the “Grain for Green” project that began in the 1990s. Six sub-catchments nested in the Beiluo River basin were selected to investigate streamflow regime variations during the two project periods. The annual streamflow trends and change points were detected using a bootstrap-based Mann-Kendall test and Pettitt test. Annual streamflow (from the 1950s to 2011) exhibited significantly negative trends in five out of six catchments, varying from −0.15 to −0.30 mm/a. During the integrated soil conservation period, the annual streamflow was reduced due to high flow decreases (5% of time exceeded), whereas in the low flows (95%) it increased in all sub-catchments. During the “Grain for Green” period, the annual streamflow decreased due to daily streamflow reductions at four stations. In addition to high flow and low flow decreases at the Wuqi and Liujiahe stations during the “Grain for Green” period, it is significant that the low flows continuously increased. Compared with trends from the forestry area, which includes the Zhangcunyi and Huangling stations, incremental annual streamflow reductions were observed in other sub-catchments, which can be linked to ecological management. This result implies that streamflow can be moderated by appropriate management options, even in semiarid areas. It was concluded that a stable streamflow regime can be achieved in vegetated areas, and streamflow moderation is dependent on ecological management practices.
Delphinella Shoot Blight on Abies lasiocarpa Provenances in Norway
Authors: Talgø Venche , Skage Jan-Ole , Steffenrem Arne , Junker Corina , Eikemo Håvard , Brurberg May , Johnskås Odd
Published: December 2015

Delphinella shoot blight (Delphinella abietis) attacks true firs (Abies spp.) in Europe and North America. Especially subalpine fir (A. lasiocarpa), one of the main Christmas tree species in Norway, is prone to the disease. The fungus kills current year needles, and in severe cases entire shoots. Dead needles become covered with black fruiting bodies, both pycnidia and pseudothecia. Delphinella shoot blight has mainly been a problem in humid, coastal regions in the northwestern part of Southern Norway, but, probably due to higher precipitation in inland regions during recent years, heavy attacks were found in 2011 in a field trial with 76 provenances of subalpine fir in Southeastern Norway. However, the amount of precipitation seemed less important once the disease had established in the field. Significant differences in susceptibility between provenances were observed. In general, the more bluish the foliage was, the healthier the trees appeared. The analysis of provenance means indicated that, at least for the southern range, the disease ratings were correlated with foliage color. This study also includes isolation, identification, a pathogenicity test, a seed test and electron microscopy of the wax layer on the needles. The fungus was identified based on the morphology of spores and by sequencing the Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) regions of the ribosomal DNA. Koch’s postulates were fulfilled. The fungus was found present on newly harvested seeds and may therefore spread via international seed trade. When comparing the wax layers on green and blue needles, those of the latter were significantly thicker, a factor that may be involved in disease resistance.
Foundation Species Loss and Biodiversity of the Herbaceous Layer in New England Forests
Authors: Ellison Aaron , Barker Plotkin Audrey , Khalid Shah
Published: December 2015

Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) is a foundation species in eastern North American forests. Because eastern hemlock is a foundation species, it often is assumed that the diversity of associated species is high. However, the herbaceous layer of eastern hemlock stands generally is sparse, species-poor, and lacks unique species or floristic assemblages. The rapidly spreading, nonnative hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tusgae) is causing widespread death of eastern hemlock. Loss of individual hemlock trees or whole stands rapidly leads to increases in species richness and cover of shrubs, herbs, graminoids, ferns, and fern-allies. Naively, one could conclude that the loss of eastern hemlock has a net positive effect on biodiversity. What is lost besides hemlock, however, is landscape-scale variability in the structure and composition of the herbaceous layer. In the Harvard Forest Hemlock Removal Experiment, removal of hemlock by either girdling (simulating adelgid infestation) or logging led to a proliferation of early-successional and disturbance-dependent understory species. In other declining hemlock stands, nonnative plant species expand and homogenize the flora. While local richness increases in former eastern hemlock stands, between-site and regional species diversity will be further diminished as this iconic foundation species of eastern North America succumbs to hemlock woolly adelgid.
Profiling of Nutritional and Health-Related Compounds in Oat Varieties
Authors: Van den Broeck Hetty , Londono Diana , Timmer Ruud , Smulders Marinus , Gilissen Ludovicus , Van der Meer Ingrid
Published: December 2015

The use of oats in the human diet has decreased over the past 70 years. This is an unfortunate development from the perspective of human health because oats have a high nutritional value and contain many compounds, including β-glucan, polyphenols, vitamins, and unsaturated fatty acids that are able to maintain or may even improve consumer’s health. In addition, oats fit into a gluten-free diet of celiac disease patients because they lack the T-cell stimulating epitopes from wheat, rye, and barley. We focused on the presence of health-related compounds in oats and how their levels vary among varieties in response to the type of soil. Ten oat varieties were grown in the Netherlands in sandy and clay soil and were analyzed for the presence and concentration of healthy compounds (β-glucan, fatty acids, vitamin E, and antioxidant activity), avenin composition, total protein and starch content, and agronomical characteristics. Principal component analysis showed that genetic background influenced the levels of all analyzed components. Protein, starch, β-glucan, and antioxidants were also affected by the type of soil. The obtained results showed that this kind of analysis can be used to profile oat varieties in general and enables the selection of specific varieties with specific compound characteristics.
Characterization of Water Level Variability of the Main Ethiopian Rift Valley Lakes
Authors: Belete Mulugeta , Diekkrüger Bernd , Roehrig Jackson
Published: December 2015

In this paper, the water level fluctuations of eight Ethiopian Rift Valley lakes were analyzed for their hydrological stability in terms of water level dynamics and their controlling factors. Long-term water balances and morphological nature of the lakes were used as bases for the analyses. Pettit’s homogeneity test and Mann–Kendall trend analysis were applied to test temporal variations of the lake levels. It is found that the hydrological stability of most of the Ethiopian Rift Valley lakes is sensitive to climate variability. In terms of monotonic trends, Lake Ziway, Hawassa, Abaya and Beseka experienced significant increasing trend, while Ziway, Langano and Chamo do not. In addition, homogeneity test revealed that Lake Hawassa and Abaya showed significant upward shift around 1991/1992, which was likely caused by climate anomalies such as the El Niño / Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomena. Lake Abiyata is depicted by its significant decreasing monotonic trend and downward regime shift around 1984/1985, which is likely related to the extended water abstraction for industrial consumption.
Prevalence and Risk Factors of Overweight and Obesity among Adolescents and Their Parents in Central Greece (FETA Project)
Authors: Patsopoulou Anna , Tsimtsiou Zoi , Katsioulis Antonios , Rachiotis George , Malissiova Eleni , Hadjichristodoulou Christos
Published: December 2015

The increasing obesity trend in adolescence is a public health concern. The initial phase of Feeding Exercise Trial in Adolescents (FETA) aimed in investigating the prevalence of overweight and obesity in adolescents and their parents and in identifying associated factors among parents’ and adolescents’ demographics, eating habits, and parental style. The sample consisted of 816 adolescents, aged 12–18 years old, and their parents from 17 middle and high schools in Larissa, central Greece. During school visits, anthropometric measurements were performed along with examination of blood pressure. The students completed the study tool that comprised of demographics and the modified versions of Parental Authority Questionnaire (PAQ), the Parent-Initiated Motivational Climate Questionnaire-2 (PIMCQ-2) and the Family Eating and Activity Habits Questionnaire (FEAHQ). Their parents completed a questionnaire with demographics, anthropometrics and FEAHQ. Normal Body Mass Index was found in 75.2% of the adolescents, 2.6% of the adolescents were underweight, 18% overweight and 4.2% obese. Regarding the parents, 76.3% of the fathers and 39.2% of the mothers were overweight or obese. The logistic regression analysis revealed that, overweight or obesity in adolescence was associated with gender (boy), maternal overweight or obesity, lower maternal educational level, eating without feeling hungry, eating in rooms other than kitchen and having a father that motivates by worrying about failing. A significant proportion of adolescents and their parents are overweight or obese. Future interventions should focus both on the parents and children, taking into account the role of parental authority style, in preventing adolescents’ obesity.
Compartmentalization and Functionality of Nuclear Disorder: Intrinsic Disorder and Protein-Protein Interactions in Intra-Nuclear Compartments
Authors: Meng Fanchi , Na Insung , Kurgan Lukasz , Uversky Vladimir
Published: December 2015

The cell nucleus contains a number of membrane-less organelles or intra-nuclear compartments. These compartments are dynamic structures representing liquid-droplet phases which are only slightly denser than the bulk intra-nuclear fluid. They possess different functions, have diverse morphologies, and are typically composed of RNA (or, in some cases, DNA) and proteins. We analyzed 3005 mouse proteins localized in specific intra-nuclear organelles, such as nucleolus, chromatin, Cajal bodies, nuclear speckles, promyelocytic leukemia (PML) nuclear bodies, nuclear lamina, nuclear pores, and perinuclear compartment and compared them with ~29,863 non-nuclear proteins from mouse proteome. Our analysis revealed that intrinsic disorder is enriched in the majority of intra-nuclear compartments, except for the nuclear pore and lamina. These compartments are depleted in proteins that lack disordered domains and enriched in proteins that have multiple disordered domains. Moonlighting proteins found in multiple intra-nuclear compartments are more likely to have multiple disordered domains. Protein-protein interaction networks in the intra-nuclear compartments are denser and include more hubs compared to the non-nuclear proteins. Hubs in the intra-nuclear compartments (except for the nuclear pore) are enriched in disorder compared with non-nuclear hubs and non-nuclear proteins. Therefore, our work provides support to the idea of the functional importance of intrinsic disorder in the cell nucleus and shows that many proteins associated with sub-nuclear organelles in nuclei of mouse cells are enriched in disorder. This high level of disorder in the mouse nuclear proteins defines their ability to serve as very promiscuous binders, possessing both large quantities of potential disorder-based interaction sites and the ability of a single such site to be involved in a large number of interactions.