bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High Hydrostatic Pressure (HHP)-Induced Structural Modification of Patatin and Its Antioxidant Activities
Authors: Elahi Rizwan , Mu Tai-Hua
Published: March 2017

Patatin represents a group of homologous primary storage proteins (with molecular weights ranging from 40 kDa to 45 kDa) found in Solanum tuberosum L. This group comprises 40% of the total soluble proteins in potato tubers. Here, patatin (40 kDa) was extracted from potato fruit juice using ammonium sulfate precipitation (ASP) and exposed to high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatment (250, 350, 450, and 550 MPa). We investigated the effect of HHP treatment on the structure, composition, heat profile, and antioxidant potential, observing prominent changes in HHP-induced patatin secondary structure as compared with native patatin (NP). Additionally, significant (p < 0.05) increases in β-sheet content along with decreases in α-helix content were observed following HHP treatment. Thermal changes observed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) also showed a similar trend following HHP treatment; however, the enthalpy of patatin was also negatively affected by pressurization, and free sulfhydryl content and surface hydrophobicity significantly increased with pressurization up to 450 MPa, although both interactions progressively decreased at 550 MPa. The observed physicochemical changes suggested conformational modifications in patatin induced by HHP treatment. Moreover, our results indicated marked enhancement of antioxidant potential, as well as iron chelation activities, in HHP-treated patatin as compared with NP. These results suggested that HHP treatment offers an effective and green process for inducing structural modifications and improving patatin functionality.
Absorption, Metabolism and Excretion of Cranberry (Poly)phenols in Humans: A Dose Response Study and Assessment of Inter-Individual Variability
Authors: Feliciano Rodrigo , Mills Charlotte , Istas Geoffrey , Heiss Christian , Rodriguez-Mateos Ana
Published: March 2017

The beneficial health effects of cranberries have been attributed to their (poly)phenol content. Recent studies have investigated the absorption, metabolism and excretion of cranberry (poly)phenols; however, little is known about whether they follow a dose response in vivo at different levels of intake. An acute double-blind randomized controlled trial in 10 healthy men with cranberry juices containing 409, 787, 1238, 1534 and 1910 mg total (poly)phenols was performed. Blood and urine were analyzed by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS. Sixty metabolites were identified in plasma and urine including cinnamic acids, dihydrocinnamic, flavonols, benzoic acids, phenylacetic acids, benzaldehydes, valerolactones, hippuric acids, catechols, and pyrogallols. Total plasma, but not excreted urinary (poly)phenol metabolites, exhibited a linear dose response (r2 = 0.74, p < 0.05), driven by caffeic acid 4-O-ß-d-glucuronide, quercetin-3-O-ß-d-glucuronide, ferulic acid 4-O-ß-d-glucuronide, 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid, 2,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, ferulic acid, caffeic acid 3-O-ß-d-glucuronide, sinapic acid, ferulic acid 4-O-sulfate, 3-hydroxybenzoic acid, syringic acid, vanillic acid-4-O-sulfate, (4R)-5-(3′-hydroxyphenyl)-γ-valerolactone-4′-O-sulfate, 4-methylgallic acid-3-O-sulfate, and isoferulic acid 3-O-sulfate (all r2 ≥ 0.89, p < 0.05). Inter-individual variability of the plasma metabolite concentration was broad and dependent on the metabolite. Herein, we show that specific plasma (poly)phenol metabolites are linearly related to the amount of (poly)phenols consumed in cranberry juice. The large inter-individual variation in metabolite profile may be due to variations in the gut microbiome.
Buckling a Semiflexible Polymer Chain under Compression
Authors: Pilyugina Ekaterina , Krajina Brad , Spakowitz Andrew , Schieber Jay
Published: March 2017

Instability and structural transitions arise in many important problems involving dynamics at molecular length scales. Buckling of an elastic rod under a compressive load offers a useful general picture of such a transition. However, the existing theoretical description of buckling is applicable in the load response of macroscopic structures, only when fluctuations can be neglected, whereas membranes, polymer brushes, filaments, and macromolecular chains undergo considerable Brownian fluctuations. We analyze here the buckling of a fluctuating semiflexible polymer experiencing a compressive load. Previous works rely on approximations to the polymer statistics, resulting in a range of predictions for the buckling transition that disagree on whether fluctuations elevate or depress the critical buckling force. In contrast, our theory exploits exact results for the statistical behavior of the worm-like chain model yielding unambiguous predictions about the buckling conditions and nature of the buckling transition. We find that a fluctuating polymer under compressive load requires a larger force to buckle than an elastic rod in the absence of fluctuations. The nature of the buckling transition exhibits a marked change from being distinctly second order in the absence of fluctuations to being a more gradual, compliant transition in the presence of fluctuations. We analyze the thermodynamic contributions throughout the buckling transition to demonstrate that the chain entropy favors the extended state over the buckled state, providing a thermodynamic justification of the elevated buckling force.
Spiritual Vulnerability, Spiritual Risk and Spiritual Safety—In Answer to a Question: ‘Why Is Spirituality Important within Health and Social Care?’ at the ‘Second International Spirituality in Healthcare Conference 2016—Nurturing the Spirit.’ Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin
Authors: Keenan Paul
Published: March 2017

In offering an answer to the question, ‘Why is spirituality important within health and social care?’ this paper articulates views on the concepts ‘Spiritual Vulnerability,’ ‘Spiritual Risk’ and ‘Spiritual Safety’ and argues for the centrality of spirituality within holistic, person-centred professional health and social care. It proceeds to offer a definition of Spiritual Safety and then goes on to highlight how the patient being and feeling spiritually safe and how professional carers enabling spiritual safety can reduce spiritual vulnerability and spiritual risk; and may be seen as essential aspects of professional holistic care.
Evaluation of Recently Released Open Global Digital Elevation Models of Hubei, China
Authors: Hu Zhihua , Peng Jianwei , Hou Yaolin , Shan Jie
Published: March 2017

The recent release of worldwide SRTM 1 DEM and AW3D30 adds new members to the open global medium resolution (90–30 m ground spacing) digital elevation models. Together with the previously existing SRTM 3 and ASTER GDEM, their quality is of great interest to various scientific applications. This paper uses 1:50,000 DEM in Hubei Province of China as a reference to assess their vertical accuracy in terms of terrain types, slopes, and land cover. For ASTER GDEM and AW3D30, we further evaluate their accuracy in terms of the stack number, i.e., the number of scenes used to generate the DEM. It is found out that: (1) all of the DEMs have nearly the same horizontal offset due to the adoption of different datums; (2) the vertical accuracy varies in terms of terrain complexity, from ~5 m for plains, ~10 m for hills to ~20 m for mountains; (3) the vertical accuracy is negatively related to the tangent of terrain slope exponentially in forest areas and linearly in cultivated lands; (4) forest areas have the lowest vertical accuracy, comparing to built-up areas, wetland, and cultivate land areas while SRTM 1 and AW3D30 have the highest accuracy in all land cover classes; (5) the large elevation differences over forest areas are likely due to canopy coverage; and (6) for ASTER GDEM and AW3D30, their accuracy is in general positively related to the stack number. This study provides a practically useful quality specification and comprehensive understanding for these four global DEMs, especially the recently released worldwide SRTM 1 DEM and AW3D30.
Selective Sensing of Gas Mixture via a Temperature Modulation Approach: New Strategy for Potentiometric Gas Sensor Obtaining Satisfactory Discriminating Features
Authors: Li Fu-an , Jin Han , Wang Jinxia , Zou Jie , Jian Jiawen
Published: March 2017

A new strategy to discriminate four types of hazardous gases is proposed in this research. Through modulating the operating temperature and the processing response signal with a pattern recognition algorithm, a gas sensor consisting of a single sensing electrode, i.e., ZnO/In2O3 composite, is designed to differentiate NO2, NH3, C3H6, CO within the level of 50–400 ppm. Results indicate that with adding 15 wt.% ZnO to In2O3, the sensor fabricated at 900 °C shows optimal sensing characteristics in detecting all the studied gases. Moreover, with the aid of the principle component analysis (PCA) algorithm, the sensor operating in the temperature modulation mode demonstrates acceptable discrimination features. The satisfactory discrimination features disclose the future that it is possible to differentiate gas mixture efficiently through operating a single electrode sensor at temperature modulation mode.
A Framework of Sustainable Service Supply Chain Management: A Literature Review and Research Agenda
Authors: Liu Weihua , Bai Enze , Liu Liwei , Wei Wanying
Published: March 2017

In recent years, the interdisciplinary research of supply chains and sustainability has received extensive, yet gradual, attention; when compared to the rapid economic growth of the service industry, however, sustainable supply chain management has not been systematically explored yet. It has not only great theoretical significance, but also positive practical significance to provide a framework for the operation of a sustainable service supply chain from a sustainable development point of view. Based on the triple bottom line (TBL), we have analyzed related sustainable supply chain management research between 2006 and 2015, reviewed papers involving two or three bottom lines as well, and then introduced some classical frameworks for manufacturing supply chain management and service supply chain management. Afterward, by analyzing the differences between the manufacturing and service industries, we propose a framework of sustainable service supply chain management (SSSCM). Based on the impacts of sustainable development TBL on service supply chain participants, we have finally made a framework for sustainable operation facing triads service supply chain and proposed a future research agenda.
Analysis of Energy Literacy and Misconceptions of Junior High Students in Taiwan
Authors: Yeh Shin-Cheng , Huang Jing-Yuan , Yu Hui-Ching
Published: March 2017

Decision-making regarding energy determines carbon emissions and the severity of climate change. Energy literacy plays a crucial role because well-informed citizens can support the design and implementation of smart and forward-looking policies. Research has shown that people hold misconceptions about energy, and for young students these may persist into adulthood. Thus, this study is to understand the energy literacy of junior high school students in Taiwan and what their misconceptions are as well as why and how they hold these. Energy literacy scales (ELS) were developed and served as the basis for a survey of 1652 students in five regions of Taiwan, in which most indicators for knowledge were designed corresponding to common misconceptions in the scientific and social context of energy issues. Through analyzing the survey questions and survey results, interview questions were designed and 10 students were interviewed to identify their misconceptions. A “conceptual logic map” model was developed for demonstrating the sources and patterns of misconceptions and their linkages. Potential educational strategies were then proposed, showing the applicability of the model. The combination of concept-oriented energy literacy surveys, interviews, and the conceptual logic map was proven to be an effective design for misconception identification and treatment.
BIM-Based 4D Simulation to Improve Module Manufacturing Productivity for Sustainable Building Projects
Authors: Lee Joosung , Kim Jaejun
Published: March 2017

Modular construction methods, where products are manufactured beforehand in a factory and then transported to the site for installation, are becoming increasingly popular for construction projects in many countries as this method facilitates the use of the advanced technologies that support sustainability in building projects. This approach requires dual factory–site process management to be carefully coordinated and the factory module manufacturing process must therefore be managed in a detailed and quantitative manner. However, currently, the limited algorithms available to support this process are based on mathematical methodologies that do not consider the complex mix of equipment, factories, personnel, and materials involved. This paper presents three new building information modeling-based 4D simulation frameworks to manage the three elements—process, quantity, and quality—that determine the productivity of factory module manufacturing. These frameworks leverage the advantages of 4D simulation and provide more precise information than existing conventional documents. By utilizing a 4D model that facilitates the visualization of a wide range of data variables, manufacturers can plan the module manufacturing process in detail and fully understand the material, equipment, and workflow needed to accomplish the manufacturing tasks. Managers can also access information about material quantities for each process and use this information for earned value management, warehousing/storage, fabrication, and assembly planning. By having a 4D view that connects 2D drawing models, manufacturing errors and rework can be minimized and problems such as construction delays, quality lapses, and cost overruns vastly reduced.
A Biologically-Based Computational Approach to Drug Repurposing for Anthrax Infection
Authors: Bai Jane , Sakellaropoulos Theodore , Alexopoulos Leonidas
Published: March 2017

Developing drugs to treat the toxic effects of lethal toxin (LT) and edema toxin (ET) produced by B. anthracis is of global interest. We utilized a computational approach to score 474 drugs/compounds for their ability to reverse the toxic effects of anthrax toxins. For each toxin or drug/compound, we constructed an activity network by using its differentially expressed genes, molecular targets, and protein interactions. Gene expression profiles of drugs were obtained from the Connectivity Map and those of anthrax toxins in human alveolar macrophages were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus. Drug rankings were based on the ability of a drug/compound’s mode of action in the form of a signaling network to reverse the effects of anthrax toxins; literature reports were used to verify the top 10 and bottom 10 drugs/compounds identified. Simvastatin and bepridil with reported in vitro potency for protecting cells from LT and ET toxicities were computationally ranked fourth and eighth. The other top 10 drugs were fenofibrate, dihydroergotamine, cotinine, amantadine, mephenytoin, sotalol, ifosfamide, and mefloquine; literature mining revealed their potential protective effects from LT and ET toxicities. These drugs are worthy of investigation for their therapeutic benefits and might be used in combination with antibiotics for treating B. anthracis infection.
Characteristics and Lethality of a Novel Recombinant Dermonecrotic Venom Phospholipase D from Hemiscorpius lepturus
Authors: Torabi Elham , Behdani Mahdi , Chafi Mohammad , Moazzami Reza , Sabatier Jean‐Marc , Khalaj Vahid , Shahbazzadeh Delavar , Bagheri Kamran
Published: March 2017

Hemoscorpius lepturus is the most medically important scorpion in Iran. The clinical signs of H. lepturus envenomation are remarkably similar to those reported for brown spiders, including dermonecrosis, hematuria, renal failure and even death. The lethality and toxicity of brown spiders’ venom have been attributed to its phospholipase D activity. This study aims to identify a phospholipase D with possible lethality and dermonecrotic activity in H. lepturus venom. In this study, a cDNA library of the venom glands was generated by Illumina RNA sequencing. Phospholipase D (PLD) from H. lepturus was characterized according to its significant similarity with PLDs from brown spiders. The main chain designated as Hl‐RecPLD1 (the first recombinant isoform of H. lepturus PLD) was cloned, expressed and purified. Sphingomyelinase, dermonecrotic and lethal activities were examined. Hl‐PLD1 showed remarkable sequence similarity and structural homology with PLDs of brown spiders. The conformation of Hl‐PLD1 was predicted as a “TIM beta/alpha‐barrel”. The lethal dose 50 (LD50) and dermonecrotic activities of Hl‐RecPLD1 were determined as 3.1 μg/mouse and 0.7 cm2 at 1 μg respectively. It is the first report indicating that a similar molecular evolutionary mechanism has occurred in both American brown spiders and this Iranian scorpion. In conclusion, Hl‐RecPLD1 is a highly active phospholipase D, which would be considered as the lethal dermonecrotic toxin in H. lepturus venom.
Secondary metabolome and its defensive role in the aeolidoidean Phyllodesmium longicirrum, (Gastropoda, Heterobranchia, Nudibranchia)
Authors: Bogdanov Alexander , Hertzer Cora , Kehraus Stefan , Nietzer Samuel , Rohde Sven , Schupp Peter J , Wägele Heike , König Gabriele M
Published: March 2017

Phyllodesmium longicirrum is the largest aeolidoidean species known to date, and extremely rich in terpenoid chemistry. Herein we report the isolation of a total of 19 secondary metabolites from a single specimen of this species, i.e., steroids 1–4, cembranoid diterpenes 5–13, complex biscembranoids 14 and 15, and the chatancin-type diterpenes 16–19. These compounds resemble those from soft corals of the genus Sarcophyton, of which to date, however, only S. trocheliophorum is described as a food source for P. longicirrum. Fish feeding deterrent activity was determined using the tropical puffer fish Canthigaster solandri, and showed activity for (2S)-isosarcophytoxide (10), cembranoid bisepoxide 12 and 4-oxochatancin (16). Determining the metabolome of P. longicirrum and its bioactivity, makes it evident that this seemingly vulnerable soft bodied animal is well protected from fish by its chemical arsenal.
Orbiting Clouds of Material at the Keplerian Co-rotation Radius of Rapidly Rotating Low-mass WTTs in Upper Sco
Authors: Stauffer John , Cameron Andrew Collier , Jardine Moira , David Trevor J. , Rebull Luisa , Cody Ann Marie , Hillenbrand Lynne A. , Barrado David , Wolk Scott , Davenport James , Pinsonneault Marc
Published: March 2017

Using K2 data, we  identified 23 very-low-mass members of the ρ Oph and Upper Scorpius star-forming region as having periodic photometric variability not easily explained by well-established physical mechanisms such as star spots, eclipsing binaries, or pulsation. All of these unusual stars are mid-to-late M dwarfs without evidence of active accretion, and with photometric periods generally <1 day. Often the unusual light-curve signature takes the form of narrow flux dips; when we also have rotation periods from star spots, the two periods agree, suggesting that the flux dips are due to material orbiting the star at the Keplerian co-rotation radius. We sometimes see “state-changes” in the phased light-curve morphologies where ∼25% of the waveform changes shape on timescales less than a day; often, the “state-change” takes place immediately after a strong flare. For the group of stars with these sudden light-curve morphology shifts, we attribute their flux dips as most probably arising from eclipses of warm coronal gas clouds, analagous to the slingshot prominences postulated to explain transient Hα absorption features in AB Doradus and other rapidly rotating late-type stars. For another group of stars with somewhat longer periods, we find the short-duration flux dips to be highly variable on both short and long timescales, with generally asymmetric flux-dip profiles. We believe that these flux dips are due to particulate clouds possibly associated with a close-in planet or resulting from a recent collisional event.
The X-Ray and Mid-infrared Luminosities in Luminous Type 1 Quasars
Authors: Chen(陳建廷) Chien-Ting J. , Hickox Ryan C. , Goulding Andrew D. , Stern Daniel , Assef Roberto , Kochanek Christopher S. , Brown Michael J. I. , Harrison Chris M. , Hainline Kevin N. , Alberts Stacey , Alexander David M. , Brodwin Mark , Moro Agnese Del , Forman William R. , Gorjian Varoujan , Jones Christine , Murray Stephen S. , Pope Alexandra , Rovilos Emmanouel
Published: March 2017

Several recent studies have reported different intrinsic correlations between the active galactic nucleus (AGN) mid-IR luminosity (

) and the rest-frame 2–10 keV luminosity (L
X) for luminous quasars. To understand the origin of the difference in the observed

relations, we study a sample of 3247 spectroscopically confirmed type 1 AGNs collected from Boötes, XMM-COSMOS, XMM-XXL-North, and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey quasars in the Swift/XRT footprint spanning over four orders of magnitude in luminosity. We carefully examine how different observational constraints impact the observed

relations, including the inclusion of X-ray-nondetected objects, possible X-ray absorption in type 1 AGNs, X-ray flux limits, and star formation contamination. We find that the primary factor driving the different

relations reported in the literature is the X-ray flux limits for different studies. When taking these effects into account, we find that the X-ray luminosity and mid-IR luminosity (measured at rest-frame

, or

) of our sample of type 1 AGNs follow a bilinear relation in the log–log plane:

erg s−1 + (44.60 ± 0.01) for

erg s−1, and

erg s−1 + (44.51 ± 0.01) for

erg s−1. This suggests that the luminous type 1 quasars have a shallower

correlation than the approximately linear relations found in local Seyfert galaxies. This result is consistent with previous studies reporting a luminosity-dependent

relation and implies that assuming a linear

relation to infer the neutral gas column density for X-ray absorption might overestimate the column densities in luminous quasars.
A Chandra X-Ray Census of the Interacting Binaries in Old Open Clusters—Collinder 261
Authors: Vats Smriti , Berg Maureen van den
Published: March 2017

We present the first X-ray study of Collinder 261 (Cr 261), which at an age of 7 Gyr is one of the oldest open clusters known in the Galaxy. Our observation with the Chandra X-Ray Observatory is aimed at uncovering the close interacting binaries in Cr 261, and reaches a limiting X-ray luminosity of

(0.3–7 keV) for stars in the cluster. We detect 107 sources within the cluster half-mass radius r

h
, and we estimate that among the sources with

, ∼26 are associated with the cluster. We identify a mix of active binaries and candidate active binaries, candidate cataclysmic variables, and stars that have “straggled” from the main locus of Cr 261 in the color–magnitude diagram. Based on a deep optical source catalog of the field, we estimate that Cr 261 has an approximate mass of 6500 M
⊙, roughly the same as the old open cluster NGC 6791. The X-ray emissivity of Cr 261 is similar to that of other old open clusters, supporting the trend that they are more luminous in X-rays per unit mass than old populations of higher (globular clusters) and lower (the local neighborhood) stellar density. This implies that the dynamical destruction of binaries in the densest environments is not solely responsible for the observed differences in X-ray emissivity.
The Preparticipation Physical Evaluation
Authors: Lehman Patrick J. , Carl Rebecca L.
Published: March 2017

With rising rates of sports participation among children and adolescents, pediatricians are increasingly being called upon to perform preparticipation physical evaluations (PPEs) for young athletes. The purpose of this review article is to discuss the general structure of a comprehensive PPE and how the PPE differs from a typical health maintenance visit. The PPE focuses attention on screening for cardiac conditions that predispose athletes to sudden cardiac death with exercise. This review also addresses the debate over whether electrocardiogram screening should be a routine required part of the PPE. In addition to cardiac screening, evaluation and management of musculoskeletal injury, concussion, and the female athlete triad will be discussed in greater detail.

[
Pediatr Ann
. 2017;46(3):e85–e92.]
Injury Prevention in Youth Sports
Authors: Stracciolini Andrea , Sugimoto Dai , Howell David R.
Published: March 2017

Children and adolescents are now participating in competitive sports at younger ages and with increasing intensity. As a result, increasing numbers of young athletes are presenting to pediatricians for care of sports-related injuries and advice about prevention. Understanding and identifying modifiable risk factors for injury in the young athletic population is a critical first step in injury prevention. Risk factors vary by sport, age, and sex. This article reviews the most common risk factors for injury and the evidence to support proposed strategies for prevention.

[
Pediatr Ann
. 2017;46(3):e99–e105.]
Intonation models of yes-no questions in Extremadura
Authors: Congosto Martín Yolanda
Published: March 2017

This paper is part of a series of studies carried out within the AMPRAE project (Atlas Multimedia de Prosodia de Andalucía y Extremadura), whose main objective is to trace the geoprosodic map of those two dialectal areas in contact (their possible internal system variability, as well as the establishment of prosodic isoglosses and their influence areas). The present paper focuses on absolute interrogative intonation patterns in Extremadura, where the acoustic analysis revealed the existence of two different intonation patterns. This research is based on a range of seven Extremaduran informants (four women and three men), representative of the selected survey points: two urban areas, the capital city of Cáceres and Mérida (Badajoz), and two rural areas, both Badajoz-based, Don Benito and Segura de León (nevertheless, Alburquerque, another Badajoz-based municipality, close to the border with Portugal, is referred to frequently throughout this paper). Once described the intonative behavior of each of the informants, a comparison and contrast of their results is offered in order to identify the convergence and/or divergence among them. The methodology applied is the one set out in the AMPER project.
Application of Natured-Inspired Algorithms for the Solution of Complex Electromagnetic Problems
Authors: Donelli Massimo
Published: March 2017

In the last decade nature-inspired Optimizers such as genetic algorithms (GAs), particle swarm (PSO), ant colony (ACO), honey bees (HB), bacteria feeding (BFO), firefly (FF), bat algorithm (BTO), invasive weed (IWO) and others algorithms, has been successfully adopted as a powerful optimization tools in several areas of applied engineering, and in particular for the solution of complex electromagnetic problems. This chapter is aimed at presenting an overview of nature inspired optimization algorithms (NIOs) as applied to the solution of complex electromagnetic problems starting from the well-known genetic algorithms (GAs) up to recent collaborative algorithms based on smart swarms and inspired by swarm of insects, birds or flock of fishes. The focus of this chapter is on the use of different kind of natured inspired optimization algorithms for the solution of complex problems, in particular typical microwave design problems, in particular the design and microstrip antenna structures, the calibration of microwave systems and other interesting practical applications. Starting from a detailed classification and analysis of the most used natured inspired optimizers (NIOs) this chapter describes the not only the structures of each NIO but also the stochastic operators and the philosophy responsible for the correct evolution of the optimization process. Theoretical discussions concerned convergence issues, parameters sensitivity analysis and computational burden estimation are reported as well. Successively a brief review on how different research groups have applied or customized different NIOs approaches for the solution of complex practical electromagnetic problem ranging from industrial up to biomedical applications. It is worth noticed that the development of CAD tools based on NIOs could provide the engineers and designers with powerful tools that can be the solution to reduce the time to market of specific devices, (such as modern mobile phones, tablets and other portable devices) and keep the commercial predominance: since they do not require expert engineers and they can strongly reduce the computational time typical of the standard trial errors methodologies. Such useful automatic design tools based on NIOs have been the object of research since some decades and the importance of this subject is widely recognized. In order to apply a natured inspired algorithm, the problem is usually recast as a global optimization problem. Formulated in such a way, the problem can be efficiently handled by natured inspired optimizer by defining a suitable cost function (single or multi-objective) that represent the distance between the requirements and the obtained trial solution. The device under development can be analyzed with classical numerical methodologies such as FEM, FDTD, and MoM. As a common feature, these environments usually integrate an optimizer and a commercial numerical simulator. The chapter ends with open problems and discussion on future applications.
Parameter Settings in Particle Swarm Optimization
Authors: Mohan Kamalapur Snehal , Patil Varsha
Published: March 2017

The issue of parameter setting of an algorithm is one of the most promising areas of research. Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) is population based method. The performance of PSO is sensitive to the parameter settings. In the literature of evolutionary computation there are two types of parameter settings - parameter tuning and parameter control. Static parameter tuning may lead to poor performance as optimal values of parameters may be different at different stages of run. This leads to parameter control. This chapter has two-fold objectives to provide a comprehensive discussion on parameter settings and on parameter settings of PSO. The objectives are to study parameter tuning and control, to get the insight of PSO and impact of parameters settings for particles of PSO.
Automatic Generation Control of Multi-Area Interconnected Power Systems Using Hybrid Evolutionary Algorithm
Authors: Singh Omveer
Published: March 2017

A new technique of evaluating optimal gain settings for full state feedback controllers for automatic generation control (AGC) problem based on a hybrid evolutionary algorithms (EA) i.e. genetic algorithm (GA)-simulated annealing (SA) is proposed in this chapter. The hybrid EA algorithm can take dynamic curve performance as hard constraints which are precisely followed in the solutions. This is in contrast to the modern and single hybrid evolutionary technique where these constraints are treated as soft/hard constraints. This technique has been investigated on a number of case studies and gives satisfactory solutions. This technique is also compared with linear quadratic regulator (LQR) and GA based proportional integral (PI) controllers. This proves to be a good alternative for optimal controller's design. This technique can be easily enhanced to include more specifications viz. settling time, rise time, stability constraints, etc.
Mathematical Optimization by Using Particle Swarm Optimization, Genetic Algorithm, and Differential Evolution and Its Similarities
Authors: Aote Shailendra , Raghuwanshi Mukesh M.
Published: March 2017

To solve the problems of optimization, various methods are provided in different domain. Evolutionary computing (EC) is one of the methods to solve these problems. Mostly used EC techniques are available like Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Genetic Algorithm (GA) and Differential Evolution (DE). These techniques have different working structure but the inner working structure is same. Different names and formulae are given for different task but ultimately all do the same. Here we tried to find out the similarities among these techniques and give the working structure in each step. All the steps are provided with proper example and code written in MATLAB, for better understanding. Here we started our discussion with introduction about optimization and solution to optimization problems by PSO, GA and DE. Finally, we have given brief comparison of these.
Bio-Inspired Computational Intelligence and Its Application to Software Testing
Authors: Pandey Abhishek , Banerjee Soumya
Published: March 2017

Bio inspired algorithms are computational procedure inspired by the evolutionary process of nature and swarm intelligence to solve complex engineering problems. In the recent times it has gained much popularity in terms of applications to diverse engineering disciplines. Now a days bio inspired algorithms are also applied to optimize the software testing process. In this chapter authors will discuss some of the popular bio inspired algorithms and also gives the framework of application of these algorithms for software testing problems such as test case generation, test case selection, test case prioritization, test case minimization. Bio inspired computational algorithms includes genetic algorithm (GA), genetic programming (GP), evolutionary strategies (ES), evolutionary programming (EP) and differential evolution(DE) in the evolutionary algorithms category and Ant colony optimization(ACO), Particle swarm optimization(PSO), Artificial Bee Colony(ABC), Firefly algorithm(FA), Cuckoo search(CS), Bat algorithm(BA) etc. in the Swarm Intelligence category(SI).
Intelligent Expert System to Optimize the Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) Characterization Test
Authors: Calvo-Rolle Jose Luis , Casteleiro-Roca José Luis , Meizoso-López María del Carmen , Piñón-Pazos Andrés José , Mendez-Perez Juan Albino
Published: March 2017

This chapter describes an approach to reduce significantly the time in the frequency sweep test of a Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) characterization method based on the resonance principle of passive components. On this test, the spent time was large, because it was necessary carry out a big frequency sweep due to the fact that the resonance frequency was unknown. Moreover, this frequency sweep has great steps and consequently low accuracy. Then, it was necessary to reduce the sweeps and its steps gradually with the aim to increase the accuracy and thereby being able to find the exact frequency. An intelligent expert system was created as a solution to the disadvantage described of the method. This model provides a much smaller frequency range than the initially employed with the original proposal. This frequency range depends of the circuit components of the method. Then, thanks to the new approach of the QCM characterization is achieved better accuracy and the test time is reduced significantly.
Investigations on Machinability Characteristics of Hardened AISI H13 Steel With Multilayer Coated Carbide Tool Using Statistical Techniques
Authors: Suresh R. , Joshi Ajith G.
Published: March 2017

Hard turning with multilayer coated carbide tool has several benefits over grinding process such as, reduction of processing cost and increased productivity. The objective was to establish a correlation between cutting parameters with cutting force, tool wear and surface roughness on workpiece. In the present study, machinability of AISI H13 steel with TiC/TiCN/Al2O3 coated carbide tool using statistical techniques. An attempt has been made to analyze the effects of process parameters on machinability aspects using design of experiments. Response surface plots are generated for the study of interaction effects of cutting conditions on machinability factors. The obtained results revealed that, the optimal combination of low feed rate and low depth of cut with high cutting speed is beneficial for reducing machining force. The cutting tool wears increases almost linearly with increase in cutting speed and feed rate. The combination of low feed rate and high cutting speed is necessary for minimizing the surface roughness.
Fault Detection Through Vibration Signal Analysis of Rolling Element Bearing in Time Domain
Authors: Gupta Pankaj , Pradhan M. K.
Published: March 2017

Mechanical failure prevention and condition monitoring have been one of the concerns of mechanical engineers in recent years due to the personal safety, cost of failure, reliability and downtime issues of equipment. Rotating machines are one of the most important actuators in the industrial applications as well as in every day applications. Rolling element bearings are very critical components of rotating machines and the presence of defects in the bearing may lead to failure of machines. Hence, early identification of such defects along with the severity of damage under operating condition of the bearing may avoid malfunctioning and breakdown of machines. Defective bearings are source of vibration and these vibration signals can be used to assess the faulty bearings. This chapter presents the brief review of recent trends in research on bearing defects, sources of vibration and vibration measurement techniques in time domain, frequency domain and time-frequency domain. Detailed explanation of defect detection through scalar indicators in time domain.
Designing and Evaluation of Aluminium Thin-Film Electrochemical Sensors for Biomedical Analysis
Authors: Kulkarni Gaurav Dinesh , Nayak Suraj Kumar , Das Kailash , Kar Jyoti Prakash , Mohapatra Biswajit , Tibarewala D. N. , Anis Arfat , Pal Kunal
Published: March 2017

In recent years, Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) has received special attention of the researchers due to its suitability for sensing/analysis of the cells and the biological molecules in a label-free manner. The current study proposes the fabrication of thin-film aluminium electrodes on a glass substrate by thermal evaporation method. The electrodes were fabricated having gaps of varied lengths. Different electrical models were used to determine the electrical stability of the system using an in-lab developed LabVIEW program. The electrode having the best stability was used for EIS analysis of distilled water and saline solutions of different strengths to validate its proper functioning.
Embracing Biometric Voter Registration in Africa
Authors: Eilu Emmanuel
Published: March 2017

One of the major reasons for poor voter turn-up in transitional and post conflict countries in Africa is the credibility and legitimacy of the voter's register. Many voters are disfranchised, and many of the voter's registers are erroneous and lack credibility. This has created a wave of mistrust and discontentment amongst the voters and many prefer not to participate in the election process. Yet, the most fundamental form of exercising good democracy is through participating in regular free and fair elections. However, before a free and fair election is carried out, relevant electoral bodies and authorities normally establish a comprehensive, credible and inclusive voters' list, also called a voters' register. This chapter discusses manual voter registration in Africa and its challenges. It further discusses biometric voter registration systems in different African countries; the opportunities it provides to pacify and redeem voters' registers. Finally, this chapter informs relevant governments in Africa on the most critical success factors for adopting biometric voter registration.
Spatial Modeling and Geovisualization of Rental Prices for Real Estate portals
Authors: Schernthanner Harald , Asche Hartmut , Gonschorek Julia , Scheele Lasse
Published: March 2017

From a geoinformation science perspective real estate portals apply non-spatial methods to analyse and visualise rental price data. Their approach shows considerable shortcomings. Portal operators neglect real estate agents' mantra that exactly three things are important in real estates: location, location and location (Stroisch, 2010). Although real estate portals retacord the spatial reference of their listed apartments, geocoded address data is used insufficiently for analyses and visualisation, and in many cases the data is just used to “pin” map the listings. To date geoinformation science, spatial statistics and geovisualization play a minor role for real estate portals in analysing and visualising their housing data. This contribution discusses the analytical and geovisual status quo of real estate portals and addresses the most serious deficits of the employed non-spatial methods. Alternative analysing approaches from geostatistics, machine learning and geovisualization demonstrate potentials to optimise real estate portals´ analysing and visualisation capacities.
User Modeling Approach for Dyslexic Students in Virtual Learning Environments
Authors: Benmarrakchi Fatima Ezzahra , El Kafi Jamal , Elhore Ali
Published: March 2017

Dyslexia or reading disability is one of the most common learning disabilities. It is defined as a disorder manifested by difficulty in learning to read despite conventional instruction, adequate intelligence, and sociocultural opportunity. In this paper the authors focus on the potential benefits of the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for students with dyslexia to promote the learning process, by considering the relationship between their learning style preferences and their cognitive traits in virtual learning environments. At this propose the authors investigated the relationship between dyslexic's learning style and cognitive trait within the hypothesis that dyslexic learners may have possible preferences in virtual learning environment, which may be used to improve the dyslexic user modelling. The aim of this paper is to provide an adaptive learning environment for users with dyslexia based on their learning styles preferences and their cognitive traits.
Secure Modified Ad Hoc On-Demand Distance Vector (MAODV) Routing Protocol
Authors: Rathee Geetanjali , Saini Hemraj
Published: March 2017

In the context of wireless technology, a secure communication is requisite for stopping the unauthorized access to the network services. This manuscripts aim is to detect and eliminate the malicious nodes involved during routing path formation in mesh environments by doing some amendments in basic AODV routing phenomenon. The proposed mechanism is further merged with previously proposed secure authentication and signature routing (SASR) protocol to address the security threats such as grey hole, black hole attacks and to recover the network metrics in terms of packet loss ratio, packet delivery ratio, computational time and network throughput. Further, the approach is simulated by computing the network throughput in both the scenarios i.e. with the involvement of malicious nodes and without involvement of malicious nodes. Moreover, we have validated the network metrics of proposed mechanism against conventional approaches.
Certain Investigation on Secured Data Transmission in Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Padmaja P. , Marutheswar G.V.
Published: March 2017

Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) need to be more secure while transmitting data as well as should be deployed properly to reduce redundancy and energy consumption. WSNs suffer from many constraints, including low computation capability, small memory, limited energy resources, susceptibility to physical capture and the use of insecure wireless communication channels. These constraints make security in WSNs a challenge. In this paper, a survey of security issues in WSNs is presented and a new algorithm TESDA is proposed, which is an optimized energy efficient secured data aggregation technic. The cluster head is rotated based on residual energy after each round of aggregation so that network lifetime increases. Based on deviation factor calculated, the trust weight is assigned, if more deviation, then the trust value is less. Simulation results observed by using NS-2. From network animator and x-graphs the result are analyzed. Among all protocols tesda is an energy efficient secured data aggregation method.
Case Study of Agile Security Engineering
Authors: Rindell Kalle , Hyrynsalmi Sami , Leppänen Ville
Published: March 2017

Security concerns are increasingly guiding both the design and processes of software-intensive product development. In certain environments, the development of the product requires special security arrangements for development processes, product release, maintenance and hosting, and specific security-oriented processes and governance. Integrating the security engineering processes into agile development methods can have the effect of mitigating the agile methods' intended benefits. This article describes a case of a large ICT service provider building a secure identity management system for a sizable government agency. The project was a subject to strict security regulations due to the end product's critical role. The project was a multi-team, multi-site, standard-regulated security engineering and development work executed following the Scrum framework. The study reports the difficulties in combining security engineering with agile development, provides propositions to enhance Scrum for security engineering activities. Also, an evaluation of the effects of the security work on project cost presented.
Investigating the Factors Affecting Business Intelligence Systems Adoption
Authors: Owusu Acheampong , Ghanbari-Baghestan Abbas , Kalantari Abdolhossein
Published: March 2017

This study explores the factors influencing the adoption of Business Intelligence Systems (BIS) in Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs), and also evaluate the extent of adoption in the universities. A research framework was developed based on the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework and the Diffusion of Innovations (DOI) theory, comprising of ten factors which were hypothesized and tested for the adoption of BIS in HEIs. Data was collected through a paper survey questionnaire from a sample of 120 managers and academicians in twelve private universities in Selangor State, Malaysia which were analyzed through Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings revealed that Absorptive Capacity, Competitive Pressure, Complexity, IT Infrastructure, Presence of Champion, Top Management Support, and Vendor Selection, are the factors influencing BIS adoption in the universities. The results also indicate that most private universities in Malaysia are currently involved in level 2 of BIS adoption. Other implications are also discussed.
Facilitating Enhanced Decision Support Using a Social Norms Approach
Authors: Keller Thomas , Savarimuthu Bastin Tony Roy
Published: March 2017

Social norms constrain behavior of individuals either through obligating or prohibiting certain types of behavior. Norm-based mechanisms have only recently found applications in enhancing decisions of knowledge workers in an automated business process management context. The norms inferred in the context of business process executions are then recommended to users so as to enable them to make informed decisions. The previous work on prohibition norm inference focused on identifying failure cases, which is now complemented by first inferring norms from the successful process execution cases and then inferring prohibition norms. This approach based on considering social feedback (i.e. inferring what is obliged and prohibited from history logs of process execution) shows encouraging results under uncertain business environments. Using simulation results the paper demonstrates that using the norm based mechanism results in reduced failure rates in the decision making of a knowledge worker while still providing maximum flexibility for the user to choose from a range of actions to execute.