bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigation and Analysis of Space Vector Modulation with Matrix Converter Determined Based on Fuzzy C-Means Tuned Modulation Indexs
Authors: Amarendra Ch. , Reddy K. Harinadh
Published: March 2017

Matrix converter performs energy conversion by directly connecting input phases with output phases through bidirectional switches. Conventional power converters make use of bulky reactive elements which are subjected to ageing, reduce the system reliability. The matrix converter (MC) stands as an alternative to conventional power converter. Furthermore MC’s provide bidirectional power flow nearly sinusoidal input and sinusoidal output waveform and controllable input power factor. In this work, three modulation methods have been simulated using MATLAB and compared on the basis of input current harmonics, output voltage harmonics and number of switching per cycle.  The three techniques simulated are, Optimal Venturini method, Direct Space Vector Modulation (DSVM) and Indirect Space Vector Modulation (ISVM) on Conventional Matrix Converter (CMC) and obtained form Fuzzy c-Means (FCM).  DSVM with FCM is proposed for obtainting best results compared to other three techniques.
Sign Language Recognition System Simulated for Video Captured with Smart Phone Front Camera
Authors: Ananth Rao G. , Kishore P.V.V.
Published: March 2017

This works objective is to bring sign language closer to real time implementation on mobile platforms. A video database of Indian sign language is created with a mobile front camera in selfie mode. This video is processed on a personal computer by constraining the computing power to that of a smart phone with 2GB ram. Pre-filtering, segmentation and feature extraction on video frames creates a sign language feature space. Minimum distance classification of the sign feature space converts signs to text or speech. ASUS smart phone with 5M pixel front camera captures continuous sign videos containing around 240 frames at a frame rate of 30fps. Sobel edge operator’s power is enhanced with morphology and adaptive thresholding giving a near perfect segmentation of hand and head portions. Word matching score (WMS) estimates performance of the proposed method with an average WMS of around 90.58%.
Salt and Pepper Noise Removal Using Resizable Window and Gaussian Estimation Function
Authors: Ali Suhad A. , A. Abbood C. Elaf , LKadhm Shaymaa Abdu
Published: March 2017

Most types of the images are corrupted in many ways that because exposed to different types of noises. The corruptions happen during transmission from space to another, during storing or capturing. Image processing has various techniques to process the image. Before process the image, there is need to remove noise that corrupt the image and enhance it to be as near as to the original image. This paper proposed a new method to process a particular common type of noise. This method removes salt and pepper noise by using many techniques. First, detect the noisy pixel, then increasing the size of the pixel window depending on some criteria to be enough to estimate the results. To estimates the pixels of image, the Gaussian estimation function is used. The resulted image quality is measured by the statistical quantity measures that's Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR) and The Structural Similarity (SSIM) metrics. The results illustrate the quality of the enhanced image compared with the other traditional techniques. The slight gradual of SSIM metric described the performance of the proposed method with high increasing of noise levels.
Fibonary Spray and Wait Routing in Delay Tolerant Networks
Authors: Das Priyanka , Chowdhury Prosenjit , Poudel Bikash , De Tanmay
Published: March 2017

Although there has been a tremendous rise in places being connected through the Internet or any other network protocol, there still lie areas, which remain out of reach due to various reasons. For all such places the answer is a Delay Tolerant Network (DTN). A DTN is such a network where there is no fixed or predefined route for messages and no such guarantee whatsoever of all messages being correctly routed. DTN can be considered as a superset of networks wherein other networks such as adhoc, mobile, vehicular etc. form the subset. Therefore routing in DTN is a very chancy affair where one has to maximize on the present network scenarios to get any fruitful result other than depending on past information. Also protocols here need to be less complex and not increase the already high nodal overhead. In this paper we propose a new approach, the Fibonary Spray and Wait, which does exactly this. It forwards copies of a message in a modified Binary Spray and Wait manner so that it performs well even in non independent and identically distributed node structure. We have supported our statements with mathematical as well as simulation analysis.
Improved Denoising Method for Ultrasonic Echo with Mother Wavelet Optimization and Best-Basis Selection
Authors: Doost Mohammadi Mohammad Hossein
Published: March 2017

Weak features of ultrasonicnondestructive test signals are usually immersed in noisy signals. So, in this paper, we proposed an improved scheme for noise reduction and feature extraction based on discrete wavelet transform. The basis of the mother wavelet was selected to be matched to a given signal. Three different constraints were presented to minimize the error between the denoised and the given signal. It should be mentioned that such an optimum wavelet can represent the signal more compactly with a few large coefficients which can be considered as the signal features. Standard signals and simulated ultrasonic echo were used to evaluate the performance of the presented algorithms. Signal to error ratio was used to compare the designed wavelet performance with that of standard wavelets. Simulation results revealed that the proposed method outperformed the other presented methods and even standard wavelets. The results also has shown that the signal-based noise reduction algorithms make the feature extraction more reliable. Finally, the performance of the proposed algorithm was compared with other methods from different literatures.
Pursuit Algorithm for Robot Trash Can Based on Fuzzy-Cell Decomposition
Authors: Padang Tunggal Tatiya , Supriyanto Andi , Zaidatur Rochman Nur Mukhammad , Faishal Ibnu , Pambudi Imam , Iswanto Iswanto
Published: March 2017

Scooby Smart Trash can is a trash can equipped with artificial intelligence algorithms that is able to capture and clean up garbages thrown by people who do not care about the environment. The can is called smart because it acts like scoobydoo in a children's cartoon in that the can will react if there is garbage thrown and it catches and cleans them up. This paper presents pursuit algorithm that uses cell decomposition algorithm in which algorithms are used to create a map of the robot's path and fuzzy algorithm as one of the artificial intelligence algorithm for robot path planning. By using the combined algorithms, the robot is able to pursuit and chases the trash carelessly discarded, but it has not been able to find the shortest distance. Therefore, this paper considers a second modification of the algorithm by adding a potential field algorithm used to add weight values on the map, so that the robot can pursue trash by finding the shortest path. The proposed algorithm shows that the robot can avoid obstacles and find the shortest path so that the time required to get to the destination point is fast.
Improved Capacity Image Steganography Algorithm using 16-Pixel Differencing with n-bit LSB Substitution for RGB Images
Authors: Arya Meenakshi S , Rani Meenu , Singh Bedi Charndeep
Published: March 2017

With the intrusion of internet into the lives of every household and terabytes of data being transmitted over the internet on daily basis, the protection of content being transmitted over the internet has become an extremely serious concern. Various measures and methods are being researched and devised everyday to ensure content protection of digital media. To address this issue of content protection, this paper proposes an RGB image steganography based on sixteen-pixel differencing with n-bit Least Significant Bit (LSB) substitution. The proposed technique provides higher embedding capacity without sacrificing the imperceptibility of the host data. The image is divided into 4×4 non overlapping blocks and in each block the average difference value is calculated. Based on this value the block is classified to fall into one of four levels such as, lower, lower-middle, higher-middle and higher. If block belongs to lower level then 2-bit LSB substitution is used in it. Similarly, for lower-middle, higher-middle and higher level blocks 3, 4, and 5 bit LSB substitution is used. In our proposed method there is no need of pixel value readjustment for minimizing distortion. The experimental results show that stego-images are imperceptible and have huge hiding capacity.
Time Independent Signature Verification using Normalized Weighted Coefficients
Authors: Singhal Manas , Trikha Manish , Dutta Maitreyee
Published: March 2017

Signature verification is one of the most widely accepted verification methods in use. The application of handwritten signatures includes the banker’s checks, the credit and debit cards issued by banks and various legal documents. The time factor plays an important role in the framing of signature of an individual person. Signatures can be classified as: offline signature verification and online signature verification. In this paper a time independent signature verification using normalized weighted coefficients is presented. If the signature defining parameters are updated regularly according to the weighted coefficients, then the performance of the system can be increased to a significant level. Results show that by taking normalized weighted coefficients the performance parameters, FAR and FRR, can be improved significantly.
Evaluation of Recognition-Based Graphical Password Schemes in Terms of Usability and Security Attributes
Authors: Khodadadi Touraj , Muzahidul Islam A.K.M. , Baharun Sabariah , Komaki Shozo
Published: March 2017

User Authentication is a critical component in information security. Several widely used mechanisms for security to protect services from illegal access include alphanumerical usernames passwords. However, there are several drawbacks attached in this method. For instance, the users themselves usually those passwords that are easy to guess. As difficult passwords are difficult to recall. A new alternative is the graphic-based password and there has been a growing trend in the use of such a password. The human psychology study reveals that humans find it easier to remember pictures as opposed to words. There are two main aspects to the graphical password scheme, namely security and usability. This study comprises of a comprehensive research in the current Recognition-Based graphical password schemes. The common usability attributes and possible attacks on the Recognition-Based graphical password are reviewed, identified and examined in detail. There are several previous surveys on the graphical passwords. The latest research review and summarize graphical password systems concisely and at the same time, analyze usability features for every design. However it was found that there is not a single method that has the most resounding usability attributes. Therefore, this research suggests a set of usability attributes that can be applied into a single Recognition-Based graphical password system. In addition, this study examines and compares success rates on login, login time and memorability of existing systems which are the usability measures most often reported in user studies of graphical passwords.  Lastly, a comparison table is revealed to put forth the limitations and strengths of each approach in terms of security and usability.
A Hybrid Cryptographic System for Secured Device to Device Communication
Authors: Krishna A. Rama , Chakravarthy A. S. N. , Sastry A. S. C. S.
Published: March 2017

It is general fact that even after enormous expansion of wireless communication there are still dead regions that hampers the effective communication. With exponential rise in the smart phones, a new layer of communication has evolved that could address the concerns of dead regions and capacity barriers. D2D is the evolving communication technology which focuses on short distance hops between the public devices to reach the destination. The major drawback of this technology is that most of the devices are public hence trustworthiness of the entire channel needs to be addressed in order to make it a viable solution. In this paper, we introduce a novel hybrid cryptographic approach that could address multiple eavesdroppers’ scenario. This approach incorporates both Huffman coding and Binary coding to enhance the crypto benefits for the information transmitted over D2D channel that consists of several public devices. The dual-crypto nature of the proposed algorithm offers higher efficiency, better security and improved key transmission.  Thus, the proposed hybrid cryptographic approach is robust in nature while easy and simple to operate. In addition, the proposed approach could recover the original information without any distortion from the encrypted data making the approach lossless in nature. Further simulation results prove that the proposed offers confidentiality to the transmitted to data while addressing the network capacity crunch.
An Optimal Energy Management System for PV/Battery Standalone System
Authors: Jyothi Vellanki Mehar , Muni T. Vijay , Lalitha S V N L
Published: March 2017

This paper presents an optimal energy management for PV/battery stand-alone system. The system comprises photovoltaic array, battery, inverter and AC loads. PV array is an uncontrollable source due to the variations in irradiations and temperature. To deliver the highest point to the load a maximum power point tracking technique is used. In synchronization with battery bank the system becomes controllable. Modes of operation of the system are defined by the battery bank. Modes of operation are based on the difference between supply and load demand. This paper project proposes an optimal energy management strategy to improve the performance of the PV system. The anticipated system performance is evaluated for varying loads in MATLAB/simulink.
Goal Model to Business Process Model: A Methodology for Enterprise Government Tourism System Development
Authors: Fajar Ahmad Nurul , Shofi Imam Marzuki
Published: March 2017

The critcal factor in successfully in system development is the requirement phase. The requirement should meets with its purpose. In order to achieve it, the methodology for requrement analysis is needed. Nowdays, the complexity of e-governemnt applications is grown significantly in the government environment. E-government applications should be developed based on regulations in order to achieve the goal model of government entitties. However, the goal model could not used directly to make business process model. In order to solve this problem,this paper presents and proposed a Methodology to extract goal model into business process model that called GBPM Methodology. It can support the requirement analysis phase, especially in enterprise government tourism system. This methodology consists of two methods, there are (1) Method for convert goal model to business use case diagram, (2) Method for convert business use case diagram to activity diagram. We do the experiment in e-government applications domain. This methodology suitable with enterprise government tourism system development.
An Integrated Interactive Technique for Image Segmentation using Stack based Seeded Region Growing and Thresholding
Authors: Hore Sirshendu , Chakraborty Souvik , Chatterjee Sankhadeep , Dey Nilanjan , S. Ashour Amira , Chung Le Van , Le Dac-Nhuong
Published: March 2017

Image segmentation is a challenging process in numerous applications. Region growing is one of the segmentation techniques as a basis for the Seeded Region Growing method. A novel real time integrated method was developed in the current work to locate the segmented region of interest of an image based on the Region Growing segmentation method along with the thresholding supported image segmentation. Through the proposed work, a homogeneity based on pixel intensity was suggested as well as the threshold value can be decided via a variety of schemes such as manual selection, Iterative method, Otsu’s method, local thresholding to obtain the best possible threshold. The experimental results were performed on different images obtained from an Alpert dataset. A comparative study was arried out with the human segmented image, threshold based region growing, and the proposed integrated method. The results established that the proposed integrated method outperformed the region growing method in terms of the recall and F-score. Although, it had comparable recall values with that gained by the human segmented images. It was noted that as the image under test had a dark background with the brighter object, thus the proposed method provided the superior recall value compared to the other methods.
Optimal Location of SVC using Particle Swarm Optimization and Voltage Stability Indexes
Authors: Dazahra M.N. , Elmariami F. , Belfqih A. , Boukherouaa J.
Published: March 2017

Flexible AC transmission system are widley used in power sytems to ensure voltage stability, in virtue of their high cost the choise of the best location in electrical network is essential. The porpose of this paper is to present a new method for finding the optimal location, size and number of Static Var Compensator in order to enhace the voltage stability of electrical network. The optimal solution has been found by using the evolutionary programming algorithm, particle swarm optimization, combined with voltage stability indexes used for the estimation of the voltage collapse in power systems.The proposed algorithm has been validated by application on both simulation network model IEEE 30-Buses under different load cases and the electric network model of Casablanca region in Morocco.The results of the application have been analysed and compared in each case in order to get the optimal number of Static Var Compensator to be used.
Optical Interconnect Waveguide in Electronic Circuit
Authors: Binti Md Sallah Siti Sarah , Md Ali Sawal Hamid , Binti Juhari Nurjuliana , Menon P. Sushitha , Islam Md Shabiul
Published: March 2017

The increasing demand in silicon nano-photonics has encouraged many researchers to put more efforts to explore the feasibility of using optics in the communication medium in order to replace the conventional electrical interconnects (EIs). In this paper, we proposed a SOI- based waveguide in the optical interconnect (OI) link at an operating frequency of 1550nm to work as an interconnection path in a circuit. The performance capability of the OI link was tested using a two-stage CE amplifier to work as the interconnection path from the 1st stage to the 2nd stage amplifier. In term of optical performances, the optical waveguide interconnect managed to achieve a single mode condition for a TE mode and fulfill the receiver sensitivity of a photodiode. While, in term of electrical performance, a two-stage CE amplifier is able to produce a high gain, a wide bandwidth and high slew rate. The proposed implementation of the OIs waveguide is succesfully enhance the performance of the two-stage CE amplifier as well as the analog electronic circuit applications.
Convergence Evaluation of a Load Flow Method based on Cespedes' Approach to Distribution System Analysis
Authors: Issicaba Diego , Coelho Jorge
Published: March 2017

This paper evaluates the convergence of a load flow method based on Cespedes' formulation to distribution system steady-state analysis. The method is described and the closed-form of its convergence rate is deduced. Furthermore, convergence dependence of loading and the consequences of choosing particular initial estimates are verified mathematically. All mathematical results have been tested in numerical simulations, some of them presented in the paper.
A Modified ABC Algorithm for Solving Non-Convex Dynamic Economic Dispatch Problems
Authors: Hardiansyah Hardiansyah
Published: March 2017

In this paper, a modified artificial bee colony (MABC) algorithm is presented to solve non-convex dynamic economic dispatch (DED) problems considering valve-point effects, the ramp rate limits and transmission losses. Artificial bee colony algorithm is a recent population-based optimization method which has been successfully used in many complex problems. A new mutation strategy inspired from the differential evolution (DE) is introduced in order to improve the exploitation process. The feasibility of the proposed method is validated on 5 and 10 units test system for a 24 h time interval. The results are compared with the results reported in the literature. It is shown that the optimum results can be obtained more economically and quickly using the proposed method in comparison with the earlier methods.
Performance Enhancement of TCP Friendly Rate Control Protocol over Wired networks
Authors: Reddy N. Ramanjaneya , Pakanati Chenna Reddy , Padmavathamma M.
Published: March 2017

One of the main aims of transport layer protocol is achieving best throughput without any congestion or reduced congestion.  With rapid growing application needs and with increasing number of networks in Internet, there is a primary need to design new protocols to transport layer.  To transmit multimedia applications, one of the suitable congestion control mechanisms in transport layer is TCP Friendly Rate Control Protocol (TFRC).  It controls congestion based on its equation. However, every packet requires an acknowledgement in TFRC. It creates congestion in the network when the transmitted data is very large, which results in reduced throughput. This paper aims to increase the throughput when the transmitted data is large with minimal congestion by reducing the number of acknowledgements in the network.  We modified some fixed parameters in the TFRC equation. The results show the increased throughput with minimal congestion.
Face Detection in a Mixed-Subject Document
Authors: Bouhou Lhoussaine , El Ayachi Rachid , Baslam Mohamed , Oukessou Mohamed
Published: March 2017

Before you recognize anyone, it is essential to identify various characteristics variations from one person to another. among of this characteristics, we have those relating to the face. Nowadays the detection of skin regions in an image has become an important research topic for the location of a face in the image. In this research study, unlike previous research studies  related  to  this  topic  which  have  focused  on  images  inputs  data  faces,  we  are  more interested to the fields face detection in mixed-subject documents (text + images). The face detection system developed is based on the hybrid method to distinguish two categories of objects from the mixed document. The first category is all that is text or images containing figures having no skin color, and the second category is any figure with the same color as the skin. In the second phase the detection system is based on Template Matching method to distinguish among the figures of the second category only those that contain faces to detect them. To validate this study, the system developed is tested on the various documents which including text and image.
Power Quality Enhancement of Integration Photovoltaic Generator to Grid under Variable Solar Irradiance Level using MPPT-Fuzzy
Authors: Amirullah Amirullah , Kiswantono Agus
Published: March 2017

The paper presents power quality enhancement on low voltage of three phase grid caused by PV generator integration under variabel solar irradiance level on constant temperature and load. MPPT Fuzzy helps to generate duty cycle to control DC/DC boost converter of PV generators. This model was expected to improve power quality due to unbalance voltage and current, low voltage and current harmonics, and low input power factor. There were eigth scenarios PV generator connected to three phase grid using MPPT Fuzzy and compared with MPPT P and O. The research results that application of two methods on different irradiance and PV generator integration level produces unbalanced voltage value stable at 0%. At the same conditions, the use of MPPT Fuzzy results unbalanced current was greater than MPPT P and O. On solar irradiance level fixed, the greater number of PV generator connected to three-phase grid, then value of average voltage and current harmonics (THD) will increases. At the level of solar radiation increases, average grid voltage and current THD also have increased. The average grid voltage and current THD was reduced after using MPPT Fuzzy. The application of MPPT Fuzzy was able to enhance profile of grid voltage and current THD due to integration of a number of PV generator to three phase grid corresponding with IEEE Standard 519-1992. MPPT Fuzzy was capable to improve input power factor better than MPPT P and O.
New Lossless Compression Method using Cyclic Reversible Low Contrast Mapping (CRLCM)
Authors: Mesra Hendra , Tjandrasa Handayani , Fatichah Chastine
Published: March 2017

In general, the compression method is developed to reduce the redundancy of data. This study uses a different approach to embed some bits of datum in image data into other datum using a Reversible Low Contrast Mapping (RLCM) transformation. Besides using the RLCM for embedding, this method also applies the properties of RLCM to compress the datum before it is embedded. In its algorithm, the proposed method engages Queue and Recursive Indexing. The algorithm encodes the data in a cyclic manner. In contrast to RLCM, the proposed method is a coding method as Huffman coding. This research uses publicly available image data to examine the proposed method. For all testing images, the proposed method has higher compression ratio than the Huffman coding.
Collaboration Management System between the Device based on Machine Socialization
Authors: Kim Han Kyung , Kang In Shik , Kim Wung Jun , Jung Hoe Kyung
Published: March 2017

The basis of IoT is in the interconnection and communication between different devices to achieve common goals through internet. These devices are interconnected through a network which enables communication within these devices without any direct human intervention. But with such great potential, this technology reached a road-block due to incompatibility within various manufacturers of the same type of device and proprietary standards. I started this project with this problem in mind and I have created a brand and platform independent machine socialization device manager system. In this paper, to overcome the above mentioned problem, I have utilized micro controllers to connect to various existing device to solve the problem and propose a device to device communication with collaboration management. This technology is not restricted to usage in only the new network module enabled smart devices but also this can be used to operate the existing old (not smart) home appliances. Machine socialization was made possible with the use of XML, (an internet standard schema language) which we have used to gather device, task and relationship information of all the devices to show schema information.
A new small bent-toed gecko of the genus Cyrtodactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from the lower slopes of Mount Tambora, Sumbawa Island, Indonesia
Authors: RIYANTO AWAL , MULYADI MULYADI , MCGUIRE JIMMY A. , KUSRINI MIRZA D. , FEBYLASMIA FEBYLASMIA , BASYIR IRFAN HAIDAR , KAISER HINRICH
Published: March 2017

We describe the sixth species of bent-toed gecko from the Lesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia. This species was first collected on the banks of the Oi Marai River on the low northern slopes of Gunung (Mount) Tambora on Sumbawa Island. The new species is differentiated from Greater Sunda Islands (including Sulawesi) and Lesser Sunda Islands congeners by having the following unique combination of characters: (1) two scales between the second pair of postmentals in contact with the first pair; (2) dorsal surface of antebrachium tuberculate; (3) no tubercles on dorsal surface of brachium; (4) dorsal surfaces of thigh and crus tuberculate; (5) 18 irregularly aligned, longitudinal rows of keeled tubercles at midbody; (6) 26–27 paravertebral tubercles; (7) 40 ventral scales between indistinct ventrolateral folds; (8) 16–17 fourth-toe subdigital scales; (9) a continuous enlarged precloacal and femoral scales present, with the enlarged femoral scales arranged in three rows; (10) males with five to six precloacal pores, with four larger pores situated in a short groove; (11) femoral pores absent in both sexes; (12) lack of transversely enlarged subcaudal scales; and (13) 7–9 irregular, paired black blotches on the body.
Studies in Guatemalan Ensifera: New Glaphyrosoma species (Orthoptera: Anostostomatidae) and additional data for other described species
Authors: CADENA-CASTAÑEDA OSCAR J. , MONZÓN-SIERRA JOSÉ
Published: March 2017

We describe three new species in the genus Glaphyrosoma: G. magnaproctalis n. sp., G. franciscoasturiasi n. sp. and G. hectorcentenoi n. sp. We provide new data on the distribution of G. karnyi, G. beretka and G. anderi in Guatemala. We propose G. bruneri as nomen dubium and we define the status of specimens recorded as G. gracile in Guatemala and Costa Rica. We also include a species distribution map of this genus with the information available to us up to date and a key to species.
Description of four new genera and five new species of cicadas from New Caledonia (Insecta: Hemiptera, Cicadoidea, Cicadidae)
Authors: DELORME QUENTIN
Published: March 2017

The four endemic new genera Paulaudalna gen. nov., Bispinalta gen. nov., Melanesiana gen. nov. and Strepuntalna gen. nov. are described from New Caledonia. The genus Paulaudalna includes two new species: Paulaudalna marginata sp. nov., as type species, and Paulaudalna amieuensis sp. nov. The genus Bispinalta is described from the new species Bispinalta caledonica sp. nov., and comes from bushy forest at summit of pic Ouitchambo at Boulouparis. The genus Melanesiana is described from the new species Melanesiana kataouii sp. nov., that is found in bushy forest at massif du Kepeto (Pouembout). The genus Strepuntalna is represented by the new species Strepuntalna. renaudetii sp. nov., and is encountered in bushy forest of south and central chain. Except Paulaudalna amieuensis, male calling songs of the new species are described from field recordings.
New species and records of Leuctridae (Plecoptera) from Guangxi, China, on the basis of morphological and molecular data, with emphasis on Rhopalopsole
Authors: LI WEIHAI , MURÁNYI DÁVID , GAMBOA MARIBET , YANG DING , WATANABE KOZO
Published: March 2017

The species of Leuctridae (Plecoptera) from Guangxi, China are reviewed. Two species of Rhopalopsole are described as new to science, R. cestroidea sp. nov. and R. triangulis sp. nov., belonging to the R. vietnamica group and the R. magnicerca group, respectively. Six species of Leuctridae are now known for Guangxi including two additional species of Rhopalopsole and one Paraleuctra recorded for the first time. The previously unknown female of R. duyuzhoui Sivec & Harper, 2008 is described from specimens from Guangxi. Characters are illustrated for the separation of R. furcospina (Wu, 1973) and R. sinensis Yang & Yang, 1993. Mitochondrial sequences of five Rhopalopsole species support their specific recognition.
A new stem-coenagrionoid genus of damselflies (Odonata: Zygoptera) from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber
Authors: MÖSTEL CLAUDIA , SCHORR MARTIN , BECHLY GÜNTER
Published: March 2017

A new genus and species of damselfly, Burmagrion marjanmatoki, gen. et sp. nov., is described from Early Cretaceous Burmese amber. It is attributed to the basal stem group of Coenagrionoidea. The inclusion of five wings from the same species suggests that the amber piece contains the remains of a mating pair of damselflies.
Rossby Wave Breaking and Transient Eddy Forcing during Euro-Atlantic Circulation Regimes
Authors: Swenson Erik T. , Straus David M.
Published: March 2017

The occurrence of boreal winter Rossby wave breaking (RWB) along with the quantitative role of synoptic transient eddy momentum and heat fluxes directly associated with RWB are examined during the development of Euro-Atlantic circulation regimes using ERA-Interim. Results are compared to those from seasonal reforecasts made using the Integrated Forecast System model of ECWMF coupled to the NEMO ocean model. The development of both Scandinavian blocking and the Atlantic ridge is directly coincident with anticyclonic wave breaking (AWB); however, the associated transient eddy fluxes do not contribute to (and, in fact, oppose) ridge growth, as indicated by the local Eliassen–Palm (EP) flux divergence. Evidently, other factors drive development, and it appears that wave breaking assists more with ridge decay. The growth of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) in its positive phase is independent of RWB in the western Atlantic but strongly linked to AWB farther downstream. During AWB, the equatorward flux of cold air at upper levels contributes to a westerly tendency just as much as the poleward flux of momentum. The growth of the negative phase of the NAO is almost entirely related to cyclonic wave breaking (CWB), during which equatorward momentum flux dominates at jet level, yet low-level heat fluxes dominate below. The reforecasts yield realistic frequencies of CWB and AWB during different regimes, as well as realistic estimates of their roles during development. However, a slightly weaker role of RWB is simulated, generally consistent with a weaker anomalous circulation.
Sequential Factor Separation for the Analysis of Numerical Model Simulations
Authors: Schär Christoph , Kröner Nico
Published: March 2017

Models are attractive tools to deepen the understanding of atmospheric and climate processes. In practice, such investigations often involve numerical experiments that switch on or off individual factors (such as latent heating, nonlinear coupling, or some climate forcing). However, as in general many factors can be considered, the analysis of these experiments is far from straightforward. In particular, as pointed out in an influential study on factor separation by Stein and Alpert, the analysis will often require the consideration of nonlinear interaction terms.

In the current paper an alternative factor separation methodology is proposed and analyzed. Unlike the classical method, sequential factor separation (SFS) does not involve the derivation of the interaction terms but, rather, provides some uncertainty measure that addresses the quality of the separation. The main advantage of the proposed methodology is that in the case of n factors it merely requires 2n simulations (rather than 2n for the classical analysis). The paper provides an outline of the methodology, a detailed mathematical analysis, and a theoretical intercomparison against the classical methodology. In addition, an example and an intercomparison using regional climate model experiments with n = 3 factors are presented. The results relate to the Mediterranean amplification and demonstrate that—at least in the particular example considered—the two methodologies yield almost identical results and that the SFS is rather insensitive with respect to design choices.
Potential Vorticity Perspective of Vortex Structure Changes of Tropical Cyclone Bilis (2006) during a Heavy Rain Event following Landfall
Authors: Deng Difei , Davidson Noel E. , Hu Liang , Tory Kevin J. , Hankinson Mai C. N. , Gao Shouting
Published: March 2017

Tropical Cyclone (TC) Bilis made landfall on the China coast at 0500 UTC 14 July 2006. Following the landfall, sudden and unforecast torrential rain commenced some 400 km southwest of the weakening circulation center at around 1200 UTC 14 July 2006. At least 843 people were killed and the direct economic loss was estimated at up to $5 billion (U.S. dollars) in this event.

Prior to the rain event, as the environmental fields evolved, the vertical vorticity weakened and deformation increased around Bilis’s circulation. It is illustrated that a strong gradient wind imbalance (GWI) through midlevels became established over the northwestern quadrant of Bilis, from which a large quantity of air with high potential vorticity (PV) was redistributed from the inner circulation to the outer radii. Both backward and forward Lagrangian trajectories show this redistribution as an outward bulge of midlevel PV toward the rainfall areas. The transport of midlevel PV from inner to outer radii provides a dynamical reason for the rapid decline in rainfall around Bilis’s center. It is also associated with large differential horizontal PV advection below 400 hPa over the rainfall area. Diagnostic analysis further demonstrates that the redistribution of high PV to over the rainfall areas is associated with a raising of the local isentropic surfaces and the formation of a cold dome in the mid- to lower troposphere. This is not only a direct lifting mechanism but also establishes favorable conditions for warm advection and ascent on the raised isentropic surfaces. These adiabatic ascent mechanisms are considered to have released conditional instability, resulting in broadscale convection and heavy rainfall.
Theorizing Regulatory Intermediaries
Authors: Abbott Kenneth W. , Levi-faur David , Snidal Duncan
Published: March 2017

Regulation is typically conceived as a two-party relationship between a rule-maker or regulator (R) and a rule-taker or target (T). We set out an agenda for the study of regulation as a three- (or more) party relationship, with intermediaries (I) at the center of the analysis. Intermediaries play major and varied roles in regulation, from providing expertise and feedback to facilitating implementation, from monitoring the behavior of regulatory targets to building communities of assurance and trust. After developing the basic regulator-intermediary-target (RIT) model, we discuss important extensions and variations of the model. We then discuss the varieties of regulatory capture that may appear where intermediaries are involved.
Rule-Making Feedbacks through Intermediation and Evaluation in Transnational Private Governance
Authors: Auld Graeme , Renckens Stefan
Published: March 2017

Feedback from rule-making is an important facet of regulatory processes. By examining the operations of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), a transnational private certification program, we explore two types of feedback that operate within and outside R-I-T relationships and potentially influence agenda-setting and rule-reformulation. Within R-I-T relationships, intermediation feedback results from the knowledge that intermediaries acquire as they translate rules into practical forms applicable to specific regulatory targets. Intermediaries may communicate this knowledge to the regulator to strategically inform rule-reformulation. But the regulator may also have access to this information if transparency obligations come with the responsibility of performing intermediation functions. Outside R-I-T relationships, evaluation feedback involves external evaluative audiences—actors outside the regulatory process that hold an interest in evaluating and influencing that process. Transparency about R-I-T relationships should strengthen this feedback, though lack of information will not prevent external evaluators from rendering judgments and seeking to influence rule-reformulation.
Models of Assurance
Authors: Loconto Allison Marie
Published: March 2017

Assurance—an intermediary’s guarantee of compliance with regulatory standards—is critical for legitimate governance within the sustainability field. This legitimacy classically depends on the degrees of separation that are needed between the RIT roles to create trust in regulators and enforce the compliance of targets. Following the emergence of the ISEAL Alliance—an apex organization of sustainability standards-setters—there has been a general shift in the sustainability field whereby standard-setters have delegated some of their authority to certifiers and accreditors. This article examines this movement, through the analysis of four different models of assurance, and reveals increasing complexity being built into private systems of regulation in the sustainability field. There is an increasing incidence of multiple actors who engage in processes of intermediation and accreditation, which is rising in importance. The result is empirical and conceptual confusion around previously sacred notions such as independence and conflict of interest as measures of regulatory effectiveness.
Intermediary Complexity in Regulatory Governance
Authors: De Silva Nicole
Published: March 2017

While regulatory governance can be theorized as a three-party game in which regulators use intermediaries to influence targets, I show how regulatory intermediaries can, through delegation and orchestration, engage their own “subintermediaries” to increase their capacity for fulfilling their regulatory mandates and their influence on regulators and targets. I elucidate how the International Criminal Court (ICC)—the key intermediary in the regulatory regime for international crimes—has used nongovernmental organizations’ (NGOs’) advocacy, expertise, and operational capacities to compensate for its limited capabilities. Through NGO intermediaries, the ICC has aimed to increase its ability to prosecute, punish, and thus regulate international crimes; amplify its influence on state regulators and potential perpetrators; and improve the regulation of international crimes overall.
The Early Days of Commercial FT-IR Spectrometry: A Personal Perspective
Authors: Griffiths Peter R.
Published: March 2017

The development of Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometers in the mid-1960s followed along three lines. Interferometers for far-infrared FT spectrometry typically had a slow scan speed and the beam of radiation was modulated by a rotating chopper. Several instruments based on this system were developed commercially. Very high-resolution near-infrared FT spectrometers were based on cats-eye retroreflectors mounted in a step-scan interferometer; the beam of radiation was usually modulated by dithering one of the cats-eyes (phase modulation). No commercial instruments based on this principle were developed. In the third type of FT spectrometer, the beam was modulated by rapidly scanning one of the mirrors of a Michelson interferometer. While the early instruments based on this principle only gave rise to low-resolution spectra, the incorporation of laser fringe referencing at the end of the decade led to instruments that were the fore-runners of contemporary FT-IR spectrometers. In this article, the author’s experiences with instruments of the first and third category are described.
Near-Infrared Spectroscopy and Geostatistical Analysis for Modeling Spatial Distribution of Analytical Constituents in Bulk Animal By-Product Protein Meals
Authors: Adame-Siles José A. , Fearn Tom , Guerrero-Ginel José E. , Garrido-Varo Ana , Maroto-Molina Francisco , Pérez-Marín Dolores
Published: March 2017

Control and inspection operations within the context of safety and quality assessment of bulk foods and feeds are not only of particular importance, they are also demanding challenges, given the complexity of food/feed production systems and the variability of product properties. Existing methodologies have a variety of limitations, such as high costs of implementation per sample or shortcomings in early detection of potential threats for human/animal health or quality deviations. Therefore, new proposals are required for the analysis of raw materials in situ in a more efficient and cost-effective manner. For this purpose, a pilot laboratory study was performed on a set of bulk lots of animal by-product protein meals to introduce and test an approach based on near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and geostatistical analysis. Spectral data, provided by a fiber optic probe connected to a Fourier transform (FT) NIR spectrometer, were used to predict moisture and crude protein content at each sampling point. Variographic analysis was carried out for spatial structure characterization, while ordinary Kriging achieved continuous maps for those parameters. The results indicated that the methodology could be a first approximation to an approach that, properly complemented with the Theory of Sampling and supported by experimental validation in real-life conditions, would enhance efficiency and the decision-making process regarding safety and adulteration issues.
Photonic and Plasmonic Nanotweezing of Nano- and Microscale Particles
Authors: Conteduca Donato , Dell’Olio Francesco , Krauss Thomas F. , Ciminelli Caterina
Published: March 2017

The ability to manipulate and sense biological molecules is important in many life science domains, such as single-molecule biophysics, the development of new drugs and cancer detection. Although the manipulation of biological matter at the nanoscale continues to be a challenge, several types of nanotweezers based on different technologies have recently been demonstrated to address this challenge. In particular, photonic and plasmonic nanotweezers are attracting a strong research effort especially because they are efficient and stable, they offer fast response time, and avoid any direct physical contact with the target object to be trapped, thus preventing its disruption or damage. In this paper, we critically review photonic and plasmonic resonant technologies for biomolecule trapping, manipulation, and sensing at the nanoscale, with a special emphasis on hybrid photonic/plasmonic nanodevices allowing a very strong light–matter interaction. The state-of-the-art of competing technologies, e.g., electronic, magnetic, acoustic and carbon nanotube-based nanotweezers, and a description of their applications are also included.
College-going and Trajectories of Drinking from Adolescence into Adulthood
Authors: Crosnoe Robert , Kendig Sarah , Benner Aprile
Published: March 2017

To explore an exception to the association between educational attainment and health, this study unpacked variability in the drinking of U.S. college students by applying life course concepts to analyses of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). Growth curve models showed that youth who graduated from four-year colleges before turning 25 without later reentering higher education had the highest peaks in drinking after adolescence and the shallowest declines into their 30s. Deviations from this pathway in terms of type, timing, and order of college transitions flattened out drinking trajectories from adolescence into adulthood. Expectations that more alignment between precollege and college social contexts (defined by family backgrounds, high school academic performance, and peer norms) would predict the most problematic drinking trajectories among young four-year college-goers were not supported. Instead, youth who appeared headed for the early four-year college pathway but did not make it there had problematic drinking trajectories.
Argumentation by Self-Model: Missing Methods and Opportunities in the Personal Narratives of Popular Health Coaches
Authors: Gigante Maria E
Published: March 2017

This essay expands Perelman and Olbrechts-Tyteca’s concept of argumentation by model to bring more attention to the persuasive effects of using the self as a model. To illuminate this technique, I analyze the personal narratives of popular health coaches, who are championing a holistic health movement toward what I refer to as “do-it-yourself healthcare.” This case involves arguments regarding the efficacy of methods in evidence-based medicine and “alternative” or holistic health, as popular health coaches predicate their ability to heal themselves and others on abandoning traditional medicine. In brief, the purpose of this article is twofold: first, to characterize the rhetoric of the movement toward alternative or holistic health, and, second, to extend Perelman and Olbrechts-Tyteca’s concept of argumentation by model and address the implications of this expansion.