bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Stand Age on Fine Root Biomass, Production and Morphology in Chinese Fir Plantations in Subtropical China
Authors: Pei Yameng , Lei Pifeng , Xiang Wenhua , Ouyang Shuai , Xu Yiye
Published: July 2018

Despite the great importance of fine roots, which are referred to as roots smaller than 2 mm in diameter, in terms of carbon and nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems, how fine root biomass, production, and turnover rate change with stand development remains poorly understood. Here we assessed the variations of fine root biomass, production, and morphology of trees and understory vegetation in Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook) plantations at the ages of 7 years old, 17 years old and 25 years old in southern China, representing the sapling, pole and mature stage, respectively. Fine roots of trees and understory vegetation were sampled with sequential coring method to a depth of 60 cm and sliced into 4 layers (0–15, 15–30, 30–45 and 45–60 cm). Fine root biomass and necromass were highest in the pole stages among these three different aged Chinese fir plantations, although the significant differences were only detected for fine root necromass between 25-year-old and 7-year-old plantations. Fine root biomass of Chinese fir was heterogeneous in both temporal and spatial dimensions. Seasonal variation of fine root biomass in three age groups showed a similar pattern that the standing fine root biomass reached a peak in January and fell to the lowest in July. Vertically, the fine root biomass decreased with the increase of soil depth, but this extinction rate decreased with stand development. The effects of stand age on either total fine root length and surface area, or specific root length were not significant. However, the root tissue density increased significantly with Chinese fir stand ages, which suggested that the fine roots on Chinese fir may resort more to the mycorrhizal associations for the nutrient and water acquisition in the later stage of Chinese fir plantations. In addition to the stand age effect, the fine roots exhibited highly spatial and temporal variations in Chinese plantations, indicating different root foraging strategies for soil nutrient and water acquisition. Therefore, the fine root research not only helps to understand its role in carbon sequestration in terrestrial ecosystem under global climate change, but can also improve our understanding of nutrient management in forest ecosystem. At the same time, the research on the productivity of the Chinese fir growth stage provides guiding significance for the construction and management of Chinese fir.
An Empirical Analysis of Green Electricity Adoption Among Residential Consumers in Poland
Authors: Kowalska-Pyzalska Anna
Published: July 2018

This paper investigates the acceptance of green electricity among Polish residential consumers. Our focus was on the socio-economic and environmental attributes of consumers in terms of their willingness to adopt renewable energy sources (RES) and green electricity tariffs. In particular, this study explores the determinants of adoption by examining consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for green electricity, willingness to switch to green electricity tariffs, and willingness to install small-scale generators in the household. The hypotheses were tested empirically with data collected by means of a standardized telephone survey of 502 household electricity consumers in Poland. Most Polish people accept and support the development of RES, but they do not know how to contribute to this process. Their WTP increases with income, education, pro-environmental attitudes, and knowledge. They also care about social influence. To increase the adoption rate of RES among residential consumers, stable legal regulations, clear procedures, subsidies, social campaigns, and educational trainings are needed. We believe that the findings from this study may be valuable for those involved in marketing green electricity offers and for politicians responsible for the increase of the share of renewables in the Polish power system.
Modeling Enablers of Environmentally Conscious Manufacturing Strategy: An Integrated Method
Authors: Ma Lin , Song Wenyan , Zhou Yanru
Published: July 2018

Environmentally conscious manufacturing (ECM) has become an ever-more important strategy for most manufacturing companies to enhance the sustainability of their business. The successful adoption of environmentally conscious manufacturing strategy (ECMS) requires identifying a variety of crucial enablers and understanding their relationships of ECM strategy. However, most previous studies do not consider the interrelationships between enablers, and lack the mechanism of manipulating the vagueness in the decision-making process, which leads to the inaccurate identification of enablers. Thus, to solve these problems, an integrated method based on DEMATEL (Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory) and rough set theory is developed in this paper. The method integrates the strength of DEMATEL in dealing with interactions between factors and the ability of rough set theory to manipulate uncertainty. Finally, the method is applied to analyze the enablers of ECMS in an equipment manufacturing company to reveal the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed approach. The “corporate social responsibility motivation” is identified as the most critical enabler for the case company in implementing ECMS, and it is influenced by other ECMS enablers including “environmental protection equipment” and “environmental design technology”.
Sustainability of Abandoned Slopes in the Hill and Gully Loess Plateau Region Considering Deep Soil Water
Authors: Yu Weijie , Jiao Juying
Published: July 2018

Soil desiccation of the deep soil layer is considered one of the main limiting factors to achieving sustainable development of ecosystems in the hill and gully Loess Plateau region. In this study, slope croplands were selected as the control, and deep soil water was studied on abandoned slopes, including natural abandoned slopes, Robinia pseudoacacia plantations, and Caragana korshinskii plantations. Then, we explored deep soil water characteristics of different vegetation types and slope aspects and the variation tendencies of deep soil water at different recovery stages. The results showed that there were no significant differences in deep soil water content between sunny and shady slopes, and thus, slope aspect was not the key impact factor affecting deep soil water. Deep soil water content on R. pseudoacacia plantations and C. korshinskii plantations was lower than that on natural abandoned slopes; there were no significant differences in soil water content between the natural abandoned slopes and slope croplands. Soil desiccation did not exist on natural abandoned slopes; thus, natural vegetation restoration is an appropriate way to achieve a sustainable ecosystem with respect to deep soil water. In contrast, soil desiccation intensified until it was difficult for vegetation to obtain available water in the deep soil layer on the plantations; soil desiccation began to appear at the 11–20-year stage, and it became increasingly severe until the deep soil water was close to the wilting coefficient at the ≥30-year stage on R. pseudoacacia plantations. Deep soil water was rapidly consumed, and soil desiccation began to appear at the 1–10-year stage and then was close to the wilting coefficient in the later stages on C. korshinskii plantations. According to the results, the plantations needed to be managed in a timely manner to prevent or reduce soil desiccation.
Interdisciplinary Alliances to Deploy Telemedicine Services in Isolated Communities: The Napo Project Case
Authors: Prieto-Egido Ignacio , Simó-Reigadas Javier , Martínez-Fernández Andrés
Published: July 2018

Rural telecommunications projects in developing regions have a long history of unsuccessful experiences due to the complexity of such projects: Practically none of the dimensions of integral sustainability are straight forward in such projects. When sustainability becomes a priority, it is difficult for traditional alliances of development to account for all critical success factors. In the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest, some institutions have developed rural telecommunications projects along the Napo River during the last 10 years. The experience has shown at each stage what aspects of sustainability were not taken into account because the partners involved did not have all the needed capacities, and this has made the alliances of partners evolve in a sustainability-driven manner. This paper analyzes these cases and assesses how sustainability has evolved in relation to the structure of such alliances.
Analysis of the Angular Dependence of Time Delay in Gravitational Lensing
Authors: Alchera Nicola , Bonici Marco , Cardinale Roberta , Domi Alba , Maggiore Nicola , Righi Chiara , Tosi Silvano
Published: July 2018

We consider an alternative formula for time delay in gravitational lensing. Imposing a smoothness condition on the gravitationally deformed paths followed by the photons from the source to the observer, we show that our formula displays the same degrees of freedom as the standard one. In addition to this, it is shown that the standard expression for time delay is recovered when small angles are involved. These two features strongly support the claim that the formula for time delay studied in this paper is the generalization to the arbitrary angles of the standard one, which is valid at small angles. This could therefore result in a useful tool in Astrophysics and Cosmology which may be applied to investigate the discrepancy between the various estimates of the Hubble constant. As an aside, two interesting consequences of our proposal for time delay are discussed: the existence of a constraint on the gravitational potential generated by the lens and a formula for the mass of the lens in the case of central potential.
A Local Approximation Approach for Processing Time-Evolving Graphs
Authors: Ji Shuo , Zhao Yinliang
Published: July 2018

To efficiently process time-evolving graphs where new vertices and edges are inserted over time, an incremental computing model, which processes the newly-constructed graph based on the results of the computation on the outdated graph, is widely adopted in distributed time-evolving graph computing systems. In this paper, we first experimentally study how the results of the graph computation on the local graph structure can approximate the results of the graph computation on the complete graph structure in distributed environments. Then, we develop an optimization approach to reduce the response time in bulk synchronous parallel (BSP)-based incremental computing systems by processing time-evolving graphs on the local graph structure instead of on the complete graph structure. We have evaluated our optimization approach using the graph algorithms single-source shortest path (SSSP) and PageRankon the Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud(EC2), a central part of Amazon.com’s cloud-computing platform, with different scales of graph datasets. The experimental results demonstrate that the local approximation approach can reduce the response time for the SSSP algorithm by 22% and reduce the response time for the PageRank algorithm by 7% on average compared to the existing incremental computing framework of GraphTau.
From Theory to Practice: A Data Quality Framework for Classification Tasks
Authors: Corrales David Camilo , Ledezma Agapito , Corrales Juan Carlos
Published: July 2018

The data preprocessing is an essential step in knowledge discovery projects. The experts affirm that preprocessing tasks take between 50% to 70% of the total time of the knowledge discovery process. In this sense, several authors consider the data cleaning as one of the most cumbersome and critical tasks. Failure to provide high data quality in the preprocessing stage will significantly reduce the accuracy of any data analytic project. In this paper, we propose a framework to address the data quality issues in classification tasks DQF4CT. Our approach is composed of: (i) a conceptual framework to provide the user guidance on how to deal with data problems in classification tasks; and (ii) an ontology that represents the knowledge in data cleaning and suggests the proper data cleaning approaches. We presented two case studies through real datasets: physical activity monitoring (PAM) and occupancy detection of an office room (OD). With the aim of evaluating our proposal, the cleaned datasets by DQF4CT were used to train the same algorithms used in classification tasks by the authors of PAM and OD. Additionally, we evaluated DQF4CT through datasets of the Repository of Machine Learning Databases of the University of California, Irvine (UCI). In addition, 84% of the results achieved by the models of the datasets cleaned by DQF4CT are better than the models of the datasets authors.
A Cluster-Based Boosting Algorithm for Bankruptcy Prediction in a Highly Imbalanced Dataset
Authors: Le Tuong , Hoang Son Le , Vo Minh Thanh , Lee Mi Young , Baik Sung Wook
Published: July 2018

Bankruptcy prediction has been a popular and challenging research topic in both computer science and economics due to its importance to financial institutions, fund managers, lenders, governments, as well as economic stakeholders in recent years. In a bankruptcy dataset, the problem of class imbalance, in which the number of bankruptcy companies is smaller than the number of normal companies, leads to a standard classification algorithm that does not work well. Therefore, this study proposes a cluster-based boosting algorithm as well as a robust framework using the CBoost algorithm and Instance Hardness Threshold (RFCI) for effective bankruptcy prediction of a financial dataset. This framework first resamples the imbalance dataset by the undersampling method using Instance Hardness Threshold (IHT), which is used to remove the noise instances having large IHT value in the majority class. Then, this study proposes a Cluster-based Boosting algorithm, namely CBoost, for dealing with the class imbalance. In this algorithm, the majority class will be clustered into a number of clusters. The distance from each sample to its closest centroid will be used to initialize its weight. This algorithm will perform several iterations for finding weak classifiers and combining them to create a strong classifier. The resample set resulting from the previous module, will be used to train CBoost, which will be used to predict bankruptcy for the validation set. The proposed framework is verified by the Korean bankruptcy dataset (KBD), which has a very small balancing ratio in both the training and the testing phases. The experimental results of this research show that the proposed framework achieves 86.8% in AUC (area under the ROC curve) and outperforms several methods for dealing with the imbalanced data problem for bankruptcy prediction such as GMBoost algorithm, the oversampling-based method using SMOTEENN, and the clustering-based undersampling method for bankruptcy prediction in the experimental dataset.
RIM4J: An Architecture for Language-Supported Runtime Measurement against Malicious Bytecode in Cloud Computing
Authors: Ba Haihe , Zhou Huaizhe , Qiao Huidong , Wang Zhiying , Ren Jiangchun
Published: July 2018

While cloud customers can benefit from migrating applications to the cloud, they are concerned about the security of the hosted applications. This is complicated by the customers not knowing whether their cloud applications are working as expected. Although memory-safety Java Virtual Machine (JVM) can alleviate their anxiety due to the control flow integrity, their applications are prone to a violation of bytecode integrity. The analysis of some Java exploits indicates that the violation results primarily from the given excess sandbox permission, loading flaws in Java class libraries and third-party middlewares and the abuse of sun.misc.UnsafeAPI. To such an end, we design an architecture, called RIM4J, to enforce a runtime integrity measurement of Java bytecode within a cloud system, with the ability to attest this to a cloud customer in an unforgeable manner. Our RIM4J architecture is portable, such that it can be quickly deployed and adopted for real-world purposes, without requiring modifications to the underlying systems and access to application source code. Moreover, our RIM4J architecture is the first to measure dynamically-generated bytecode. We apply our runtime measurement architecture to a messaging server application where we show how RIM4J can detect undesirable behaviors, such as uploading arbitrary files and remote code execution. This paper also reports the experimental evaluation of a RIM4J prototype using both a macro- and a micro-benchmark; the experimental results indicate that RIM4J is a practical solution for real-world applications.
Probability of Conjunction Estimation for Analyzing the Electromagnetic Environment Based on a Space Object Conjunction Methodology
Authors: Baqar Asad Husnain , Jiang Tao , Hussain Ishfaq , Farid Ghulam
Published: July 2018

The introduction of the space object conjunction method in electromagnetic compatibility modeling and simulation is quite a novel concept. It is useful for the stochastic analysis of an electromagnetic (EM) environment which is based on the probability of conjunction assessment. The space conjunction methodology is anticipated as the frontline defense for the protection of active satellites in space. EM congestion occurs in an environment with the increase in the number of operational EM devices. In a theoretical sense, this congestion is analogous to the space conjunction. Therefore, the space conjunction model can be applied in the EM scenarios. In this paper, we have investigated the application of the defined conjunction model by using the analytical expression of the probability of electromagnetic conjunction, which is based on the orbital parameters of the system under test. Additionally, we have elaborated the influence of these orbital parameters on the probability of conjunction. The simulations have been performed by considering different EM scenarios and the results are validated by using Monte Carlo simulations. The results show that errors in the analytical and Monte Carlo simulations are within a 1% range, which makes the analytical model effective. Computationally, the proposed analytical model is cost effective as compared to the numerical method, i.e., Monte Carlo. Moreover, from the results, it has been validated that the probability of conjunction increases with the increase in transmitted power and decreases with the compatible threshold limit of the receiving system, thus, making this method useful for analyzing the electromagnetic environment and as a frontline safety tool for electromagnetic systems.
The Minimum Selection of Crowdsourcing Images under the Resource Budget
Authors: Song Jieqiong , Zhao Ming , Long Sifan
Published: July 2018

Images crowdsourcing of mobile devices can be applied to many real-life application scenarios. However, this type of scenario application often faces issues such as the limitation of bandwidth, insufficient storage space, and the processing capability of CPU. These lead to only a few photos that can be crowdsourced. Therefore, it is a great challenge to use a limited number of resources to select photos and make it possible to cover the target area maximally. In this paper, the geographic and geometric information of the photo called data-unit is used to cover the target area as much as possible. Compared with traditional content-based image delivery methods, the network delay and computational costs can be greatly reduced. In the case of resource constraints, this paper uses the utility of photos to measure the coverage of the target area, and improves a photo utility calculation method based on data-unit. In the meantime, this paper proposes the minimum selection problem of images under the coverage requirements, and designs a selection algorithm based on greedy strategies. Compared with other traditional random selection algorithms, the results prove the effectiveness and superiority of the minimum selection algorithm.
Comparison of Three Modelling Approaches for Predicting Deoxynivalenol Contamination in Winter Wheat
Authors: Liu Cheng , Manstretta Valentina , Rossi Vittorio , Van der Fels-Klerx H. J.
Published: July 2018

Forecasting models for mycotoxins in cereal grains during cultivation are useful for pre-harvest and post-harvest mycotoxin management. Some of such models for deoxynivalenol (DON) in wheat, using two different modelling techniques, have been published. This study aimed to compare and cross-validate three different modelling approaches for predicting DON in winter wheat using data from the Netherlands as a case study. To this end, a published empirical model was updated with a new mixed effect logistic regression method. A mechanistic model for wheat in Italy was adapted to the Dutch situation. A new Bayesian network model was developed to predict DON in wheat. In developing the three models, the same dataset was used, including agronomic and weather data, as well as DON concentrations of individual samples in the Netherlands over the years 2001–2013 (625 records). Similar data from 2015 and 2016 (86 records) were used for external independent validation. The results showed that all three modelling approaches provided good accuracy in predicting DON in wheat in the Netherlands. The empirical model showed the highest accuracy (88%). However, this model is highly location and data-dependent, and can only be run if all of the input data are available. The mechanistic model provided 80% accuracy. This model is easier to implement in new areas given similar mycotoxin-producing fungal populations. The Bayesian network model provided 86% accuracy. Compared with the other two models, this model is easier to implement when input data are incomplete. In future research, the three modelling approaches could be integrated to even better support decision-making in mycotoxin management.
Light Chain Diversity among the Botulinum Neurotoxins
Authors: Gardner Alexander P. , Barbieri Joseph T.
Published: July 2018

Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNT) are produced by several species of clostridium. There are seven immunologically unique BoNT serotypes (A–G). The Centers for Disease Control classifies BoNTs as ‘Category A’ select agents and are the most lethal protein toxins for humans. Recently, BoNT-like proteins have also been identified in several non-clostridia. BoNTs are di-chain proteins comprised of an N-terminal zinc metalloprotease Light Chain (LC) and a C-terminal Heavy Chain (HC) which includes the translocation and receptor binding domains. The two chains are held together by a disulfide bond. The LC cleaves Soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptors (SNAREs). The cleavage of SNAREs inhibits the fusion of synaptic vesicles to the cell membrane and the subsequent release of acetylcholine, which results in flaccid paralysis. The LC controls the catalytic properties and the duration of BoNT action. This review discusses the mechanism for LC catalysis, LC translocation, and the basis for the duration of LC action. Understanding these properties of the LC may expand the applications of BoNT as human therapies.
Universal Thermodynamics in the Context of Dynamical Black Hole
Authors: Bhattacharjee Sudipto , Chakraborty Subenoy
Published: July 2018

The present work is a brief review of the development of dynamical black holes from the geometric point view. Furthermore, in this context, universal thermodynamics in the FLRW model has been analyzed using the notion of the Kodama vector. Finally, some general conclusions have been drawn.
Producing Opportunities Together: Sharing-Based Policy Approaches for Marginal Mobilities in Bogotá
Authors: Vecchio Giovanni
Published: July 2018

Everyday mobility practices are increasingly an element of interest for urban policy, as well as for suggesting alternative solutions to urban issues. Amongst their manifold contributions, practices can be relevant for securing individuals’ access to places and opportunities. They can do so by promoting services and behaviours based on resources that individuals may share between themselves. This role could be significant especially for those settings where the traditional provision of transport services and infrastructures is more difficult, such as in the informal settlements of the urban South. Drawing on these assumption, this paper intends to investigate policy solutions based on mobility practices, as a suitable way to enhance the access to urban opportunities from informal settlements. Policy approaches focused on mobility supply and demand are explored, addressing options such as the coproduction of mobility services and behavioural approaches based on demand matchmaking. A possible operationalization of such approaches is explored in the marginal informal neighbourhoods of Bogotá, considering their accessibility issues, how shared use mobility policies may tackle them, and what features are necessary for the implementation of such measures. The proposed policy measures emerge as suitable operational options that nonetheless require recognition and support by the institutions responsible for urban mobility planning.
HSV as A Platform for the Generation of Retargeted, Armed, and Reporter-Expressing Oncolytic Viruses
Authors: Menotti Laura , Avitabile Elisa , Gatta Valentina , Malatesta Paolo , Petrovic Biljana , Campadelli-Fiume Gabriella
Published: July 2018

Previously, we engineered oncolytic herpes simplex viruses (o-HSVs) retargeted to the HER2 (epidermal growth factor receptor 2) tumor cell specific receptor by the insertion of a single chain antibody (scFv) to HER2 in gD, gH, or gB. Here, the insertion of scFvs to three additional cancer targets—EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor), EGFRvIII, and PSMA (prostate specific membrane antigen)—in gD Δ6–38 enabled the generation of specifically retargeted o-HSVs. Viable recombinants resulted from the insertion of an scFv in place of aa 6–38, but not in place of aa 61–218. Hence, only the gD N-terminus accepted all tested scFv inserts. Additionally, the insertion of mIL12 in the US1-US2 intergenic region of the HER2- or EGFRvIII-retargeted o-HSVs, and the further insertion of Gaussia Luciferase, gave rise to viable recombinants capable of secreting the cytokine and the reporter. Lastly, we engineered two known mutations in gB; they increased the ability of an HER2-retargeted recombinant to spread among murine cells. Altogether, current data show that the o-HSV carrying the aa 6–38 deletion in gD serves as a platform for the specific retargeting of o-HSV tropism to a number of human cancer targets, and the retargeted o-HSVs serve as simultaneous vectors for two molecules.
High-Rate Contact Stabilization Process-Coupled Membrane Bioreactor for Maximal Recovery of Organics from Municipal Wastewater
Authors: Dai Wenchen , Xu Xiaochen , Yang Fenglin
Published: July 2018

The high-rate activated sludge (HRAS) process is being studied for the removal and recovery of organics with short solids retention time (SRT) from wastewater, facilitating energy recovery by the subsequent anaerobic digestion process. In the present study, the feasibility of a novel high-rate contact stabilization (HRCS) process coupled with a membrane bioreactor (MBR) was investigated as a HRAS technique to harvest organics compared to a high-loaded MBR (HL-MBR) process treating the same sewage. Results showed that higher chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency and better bioflocculation performance were obtained using HRCS-MBR compared with HL-MBR with SRTs from 0.5 to 1.8 days. The increased bound extracellular polymeric substances content in the contactor was responsible for the improved biosorption and bioflocculation performance in the HRCS-MBR configuration. At an optimal SRT of 1.2 days, incoming organics of 47.5% and 40.5% were harvested in concentrate for HRCS-MBR and HL-MBR. These harvested organics from the concentrate per liter from HRCS-MBR and HL-MBR produced 4.28 × 10−3 and 3.72 × 10−3 kWh of electricity, respectively. The clear advantage of fouling control for HRCS-MBR was determined because of significantly lower concentrations of colloidal materials and soluble microbial products in the concentrate compared with HL-MBR. Therefore, HRCS-MBR holds promise for organics recovery and sustainable wastewater treatment.
Effect of Temporal Resolution of Rainfall on Simulation of Urban Flood Processes
Authors: Lyu Heng , Ni Guangheng , Cao Xuejian , Ma Yu , Tian Fuqiang
Published: July 2018

Rainfall exhibits substantial variability, and its temporal resolution considerably affects simulation of hydrological processes. This study aims to investigate the effect of the temporal resolution of rainfall (TRR) on urban flood modeling and to explore how high TRR is required. A routing-enhanced detailed urban stormwater (REDUS) model, which has four layers and accounts for complex urban flow paths, was developed and then applied to the campus of Tsinghua University, Beijing, China. For 30 rainfall events at 1-min resolution, the rainfall accuracy index (RAI) was used to describe the discrepancy of rainfall patterns by upscaling. Through hydrodynamic modelling, the effect of TRR was quantified by the relative error of flood volume and peak in typical areas. The results show that (1) flood peak is sensitive to TRR while flood volume is generally not; (2) with lower TRR, discharge peak is underestimated, and a power function is proposed to express the relationship between the effect of TRR and the characteristics of rainfall and underlying surfaces; and (3) rainfall data of 5-min resolution for urban areas smaller than 1 km2, or at least 15-min resolution for larger areas, are required to constrain the relative biases of flood peak within 10%.
The Tale of an Intake Vortex and Its Mitigation Countermeasure: A Case Study from Akkats Hydropower Station
Authors: Yang James , Andreasson Patrik , Högström Carl-Maikel , Teng Penghua
Published: July 2018

The upgrade of Akkats power station in Sweden included a new, separate waterway for the addition of a 75 MW generating unit. The vertical intake of its headrace was formed by means of lake tapping. A physical model was used to help understand the blasting process involving fragmented rock, water, air, and gas. Upon commissioning of the unit, swirling flows occurred unexpectedly at the intake, which gave rise to negative consequences including limitations in power output. Echo-sounding showed that the blasted piercing resulted in an irregular intake. A hydraulic model, as part of the design process, was built to examine potential countermeasures for vortex suppression. The final solution was a segmented barrier between the intake and the dam. It effectively suppressed the intake flow circulations; only minor intermittent vortices were left. The fabricated steel segments were anchored into the bedrock, stretching to 1.0 m below the lowest legal reservoir level. The local intake headloss was also reduced. The implemented solution was tested under full turbine loading and the result was satisfactory. Even during winter seasons with ice cover above the wall, the power station ran normally. The case study is expected to provide guidance for solving similar problems with vortex formation.
Analysis of a Stochastic Programming Model for Optimal Hydropower System Operation under a Deregulated Electricity Market by Considering Forecasting Uncertainty
Authors: Xu Bin , Zhong Ping-An , Du Baoyi , Chen Juan , Liu Weifeng , Li Jieyu , Guo Le , Zhao Yunfa
Published: July 2018

In a deregulated electricity market, optimal hydropower operation should be achieved through informed decisions to facilitate the delivery of energy production in forward markets and energy purchase level from other power producers within real-time markets. This study develops a stochastic programming model that considers the influence of uncertain streamflow on hydropower energy production and the effect of variable spot energy prices on the cost of energy purchase (energy shortfall). The proposed model is able to handle uncertainties expressed by both a probability distribution and discretized scenarios. Conflicting decisions are resolved by maximizing the expected value of net revenue, which jointly considers benefit and cost terms under uncertainty. Methodologies are verified using a case study of the Three Gorges cascade hydropower system. The results demonstrate that optimal operation policies are derived based upon systematic evaluations on the benefit and cost terms that are affected by multiple uncertainties. Moreover, near-optimal operation policy under the case of inaccurate spot price forecasts is also analyzed. The results also show that a proper policy for guiding hydropower operation seeks the best compromise between energy production and energy purchase levels, which explores their nonlinear tradeoffs over different time periods.
SYSTEM DYNAMICS MODEL BASED ON EVOLUTIONARY GAME THEORY FOR QUALITY SUPERVISION AMONG CONSTRUCTION STAKEHOLDERS
Authors: Guo Shengyu , Zhang Pan , Yang Jianying
Published: July 2018

To address the gap, that is, few studies have explored the influence of the participants’ interactions with one another during construction quality supervision, this paper proposes a system dynamics model based on evolutionary game theory to describe the complex and dynamic interactions among tripartite stakeholders in China, including the project owner (PO), construction supervising engineer (CSE), and construction contractor (CC). First, the replicated dynamic equation set is established in terms of expense targets. Second, the equilibrium solutions of the equation set are obtained to test strategy options. The trends of system fluctuations caused by penalty and reward changes are also analyzed. Finally, the stability of the proposed model is improved by integrating a dynamic penalty–reward scenario into the evolutionary strategy of the PO. Simulation results show that: 1) the evolutionary stable strategy does not exist in initial interactions, 2) the degrees of penalty and reward considerably affect the CC’s rate variable, and 3) the dynamic penalty–reward scenario could effectively improve the stability of the proposed model. The unsteadiness of the quality supervision system and the stability control scenario could help in understanding the impact of interactions among stakeholders and provide suggestions for optimizing quality supervision procedures.
DECISION MAKING BY EXTRACTING SOFT INFORMATION FROM CSR NEWS REPORT
Authors: Lin Sin-Jin , Hsu Ming-Fu
Published: July 2018

This study examines the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) news reports on corporate operating performance forecasting using a large database of publicly-listed electronics firms in Taiwan. Applying text mining techniques and latent topic modelling, we construct and measure the intensity of the CSR-corpus index (ICSRI), which can compress tremendous amounts of CSR textual information content into synthesized meaningful dimensions. By doing so, we are able to break down CSR news reports into multiple dimensions and then examine which dimension(s) affects operating performance. To offer decision-makers with a comprehensive, overarching view of the corporate’s operations, this study incorporates balanced scorecards (BSC) and multiple criteria decision analysis (MCDA) to form a final performance rank. The proposed approach, supported by real samples, can assist both internal and external stakeholders in allocating scarce resources to specific CSR dimensions to enhance a corporate’s growth potential as well as to achieve a win-win situation.
Is the Macronova in GW170817 Powered by the Central Engine?
Authors: Matsumoto Tatsuya , Ioka Kunihito , Kisaka Shota , Nakar Ehud
Published: July 2018

The gravitational wave event GW170817 from a binary neutron star merger is accompanied by electromagnetic counterparts, and the optical and near-infrared emission is called a macronova (or kilonova). Although the radioactivity of synthesized r-process elements is widely discussed as an energy source, its decisive evidence is not clearly shown yet. We discuss a macronova powered by central engine activities such as jet activities and X-rays from the matter fallback and show that the engine model allows much broader parameter spaces, in particular, smaller ejecta mass (

), than the r-process model. The blue and red macronovae are naturally explained by various combinations of the ejecta, such as a cocoon and merger ejecta with the energy sources of jets and X-rays. The required energy injection is very similar to the X-ray excess observed in GRB 130603B, with a power-law slope of

. The required lanthanoid fraction for the opacity can also be consistent with the Galactic one. Early or late multiwavelength observations are crucial for revealing the central engine of short gamma-ray bursts and the r-process nucleosynthesis.
Mg ii Line Properties in Lobe-dominated Quasars
Authors: Wildy Conor , Czerny Bozena , Kuźmicz Agnieszka
Published: July 2018

We investigate the relationships between Mg ii
λ2798 emission line properties, as well as between these properties and inclination angle and Fe ii strength, in a lobe-dominated quasar sample. We find no correlation between Mg ii line width and inclination, unlike previous studies of the general quasar population. This suggests that the Mg ii emission region in these objects is not of a thin disk geometry; however, the average equivalent width (EW) of the line negates a spherical alternative. A positive correlation between Mg ii EW and inclination cannot be ruled out, meaning there is no strong evidence that Mg ii emission is anisotropic. Since thin disk emission would be highly directional, the geometric implications of these two findings are compatible. The lack of line width correlation with inclination may also indicate that Mg ii is useful for estimating black hole masses in lobe-dominated quasar samples, since it is unbiased by orientation. Some quasars in our sample have almost edge-on viewing angles and therefore cannot have a smooth toroidal obscurer co-planar with the accretion disk. Alternatives may be a distorted dusty disk or a clumpy obscurer. This could result from the sample selection bias toward high inclination objects, rather than intrinsic differences between lobe-dominated and typical quasars. Five objects have visible [O iii], allowing EW calculation and revealing it to be higher than in typical quasars. Since these objects are of high inclination, this finding supports the positive correlation between [O iii] EW and inclination found in a previous study.
Consequences of Giant Impacts on Early Uranus for Rotation, Internal Structure, Debris, and Atmospheric Erosion
Authors: Kegerreis J. A. , Teodoro L. F. A. , Eke V. R. , Massey R. J. , Catling D. C. , Fryer C. L. , Korycansky D. G. , Warren M. S. , Zahnle K. J.
Published: July 2018

We perform a suite of smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulations to investigate in detail the results of a giant impact on the young Uranus. We study the internal structure, rotation rate, and atmospheric retention of the post-impact planet, as well as the composition of material ejected into orbit. Most of the material from the impactor’s rocky core falls in to the core of the target. However, for higher angular momentum impacts, significant amounts become embedded anisotropically as lumps in the ice layer. Furthermore, most of the impactor’s ice and energy is deposited in a hot, high-entropy shell at a radius of ∼3 R
⊕. This could explain Uranus’ observed lack of heat flow from the interior and be relevant for understanding its asymmetric magnetic field. We verify the results from the single previous study of lower resolution simulations that an impactor with a mass of at least 2 M
⊕ can produce sufficiently rapid rotation in the post-impact Uranus for a range of angular momenta. At least 90% of the atmosphere remains bound to the final planet after the collision, but over half can be ejected beyond the Roche radius by a 2 or 3 M
⊕ impactor. This atmospheric erosion peaks for intermediate impactor angular momenta (∼3 × 1036 kg m2 s−1). Rock is more efficiently placed into orbit and made available for satellite formation by 2 M
⊕ impactors than 3 M
⊕ ones, because it requires tidal disruption that is suppressed by the more massive impactors.
H i Observations of Major-merger Pairs at z = 0: Atomic Gas and Star Formation
Authors: Zuo Pei , Xu Cong K. , Yun Min S. , Lisenfeld Ute , Li Di , Cao Chen
Published: July 2018

We present a study of the H i gas content of a large K-band-selected sample of 88 close major-merger pairs of galaxies (H-KPAIR) that were observed by Herschel. We obtained the 21 cm H i fine-structure emission-line data for a total of 70 pairs from this sample, by observing 58 pairs using the Green Bank Telescope (GBT) and retrieving the H i data for an addition 12 pairs from the literature. In this H i sample, 34 pairs are spiral–spiral (S+S) pairs, and 36 are spiral–elliptical (S+E) pairs. Based on these data, we studied the H i-to-stellar mass ratio, the H i gas fraction, and the H i star formation efficiency (SFEH i
 = star-formation-rate/M
H i
) and searched for differences between S+S and S+E pairs, as well as between pairs with and without signs of merger/interaction. Our results showed that the mean H i-to-stellar mass ratio of spirals in these pairs is =7.6 ± 1.0%, consistent with the average H i gas fraction of spiral galaxies in general. The differences in the H i gas fraction between spirals in S+S and in S+E pairs, and between spirals in pairs with and without signs of merger/interaction, are insignificant (<1σ). On the other hand, the mean SFEH i
 of S+S pairs is ∼4.6× higher than that of S+E pairs. This difference is very significant (∼4σ) and is the main result of our study. There is no significant difference in the mean SFEH i
between galaxies with and without signs of merger/interaction. The mean SFEH i
of the whole pair sample is 10−9.55±0.09 yr−1, corresponding to a H i consumption time of 3.5 ± 0.7 Gyr.
Manihot takape sp. nov. (Euphorbiaceae), a new tuberous subshrub from the Paraguayan Chaco
Authors: De Egea Elsam Juana , Peña-Chocarro María del Carmen , Mereles Fátima , Céspedes Gloria
Published: July 2018

Manihottakape De Egea & Peña-Chocarro, sp. nov. is described and illustrated as a new species from the Paraguayan Chaco. It was collected while carrying out fieldwork related to the study of the most important Wild Crop Relatives of the country’s flora. Morphological characteristics that differentiate this species from closely related taxa, as well as its habitat, geographical distribution and conservation status are provided.
La Maison de Salomon
Authors: Ruellet Aurélien
Published: July 2018

La Maison de Salomon est le nom que donne l'homme d'État anglais Francis Bacon à l'institution imaginaire décrite dans son récit utopique La Nouvelle Atlantide : une confrérie dont les membres s'efforcent de mettre les sciences, les inventions et les techniques au service du bien commun. L'idée est puissamment mobilisatrice et constitue l'un des moteurs, quelques décennies plus tard, de la création des académies scientifiques française et anglaise. Mais cette « maison » existe déjà quand paraît en 1627 l'utopie baconienne. Elle est constituée de tous ceux, inventeurs, professeurs, fabricants d'instruments mathématiques, libraires spécialisés ou ingénieurs qui font des sciences et techniques leur occupation. Comment vivre de son savoir lorsqu'on n'était pas gentilhomme comme Descartes ? Quelles opportunités se présentaient à ceux qui, de part et d'autre de la Manche, cultivaient les sciences et les techniques ? Quelle place leur réservaient des sociétés d'Ancien Régime qu'on croit souvent, avec quelque raison, rétives ou étrangères à la rationalité scientifique moderne ? Comment et par qui ces hommes étaient-ils protégés ? Loin de l'image classique du mécénat aristocratique et royal, cette enquête montre que le patronage dont ils bénéficiaient revêtait bien des aspects et mobilisait de nombreux mécènes au petit pied, dans l'administration monarchique et ailleurs.En revenant sur les carrières de dizaines de savants et techniciens français et anglais du xviie siècle, cet ouvrage éclaire ainsi des aspects méconnus de la formation de l'État moderne et de l'émergence de la science expérimentale.
Experimental Investigation on the Performance of Vortex Tube
Authors: Raghu Vamsi B.V.S. , Jithendra Kumar Repalle , Sastry Malladi R. Ch. , Krishna T. Siva , Tej M. Kamal
Published: July 2018

Non-conventional systems are developed to produce cooling effect which use eco-friendly refrigerants and consuming less energy as input. In this work, a vortex tube refrigerator is fabricated from CPVC material, to which air is supplied through five tangential inlet nozzles at different inlet pressures. The inlet pressure is varied over a span of 1 kg/cm2 to 8 kg/cm2 with an interval of 1 kg/cm2. The difference between the temperatures of hot and cold air streams at outlet is observed to be increasing with time as well as for different inlet pressures. In addition the COP for the cold end side is observed to be more than at the hot end side and isentropic efficiency is observed to be increasing with inlet pressures.
Effect of Heat Treatment of AZ91 Magnesium Alloy on the Electroless Ni-P Deposition
Authors: Singh Charu , Tiwari S.K. , Singh Raghuvir
Published: July 2018

Magnesium alloys are excellent choice for automobile, aerospace, and computer components owing to their light weight, unique physical and mechanical properties. However, poor corrosion resistance has restricted their applications in aggressive environments. The surface coating is one of the viable options to reduce the susceptibility of magnesium alloys to corrosion. The present study focuses on the effect of heat treatment of AZ91 magnesium alloy, for different durations at 400 °C, prior to electroless Ni-P deposition on corrosion resistance. The microstructure and elemental analysis of the heat-treated specimens are performed using SEM and EDS techniques respectively. It is observed that the duration of heat treatment has a significant effect on the surface morphology and microstructure of the alloy. The precipitates in the cast alloy (enriched with Mg and Al) fragmented and the transformed into a new Al and Zn rich phase, after 12 h heat treatment. The dissolution of precipitates, however, observed on heating further to 24 h and exhibited relatively a lesser corrosion current density. The dense electroless Ni-P deposition is formed on the alloy heat treated for 24 h. The corrosion behavior of the single Ni-P layer on the heat treated (for 12 h) and untreated alloy show a marked deterioration, as investigated by the anodic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques. Relatively a better corrosion performance is seen for the double-layer Ni-P deposition. The duplex layer coatings on the as cast and heat treated for 24 h at 400 °C substrates showed an improved corrosion resistance compared to that on the 12 h heat treated substrate.
Evaluation of Coefficient of Thermal Expansion of Zirconium by Using Dilatometer & Ansys
Authors: Jithendra Kumar Repalle , Vamsi B.V.S. Raghu , Krishna T. Siva , Tarun D. , Tej M. Kamal
Published: July 2018

Zirconium alloys are solid solutions of zirconium or other metals. Zirconium has very low absorption cross-section of thermal neutrons. Zirconium has high corrosion resistance, ductility and hardness. Zirconium is mainly used as a good refractory metal. Zirconium can be manufactured by using standard fabrication techniques. In the present scenario zirconium alloys are used in water reactors for the cladding of fuel rods in nuclear reactors in nuclear technology. We use the composition of zirconium alloys as more than 94.5 weight percentage of zirconium and less than 2.45 weight percentage of copper which are added to improve mechanical, thermal properties and corrosion resistance. This paper first focuses on the study of thermal properties of Zirconium. And this particularly concentrated on variation of Coefficient of Thermal Expansion by varying temperatures by using Dilatometer and as well as ANSYS