bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Silagem ácida de pescado na alimentação de Cyprinus carpio
Authors: Pretto Alexandra , Tellechea Rodrigues Andressa , Silva Camargo Antonio Cleber da , Stefanello Cristiano Miguel , Moraes Carrazzoni Bruna Raphaela , Constant Maik Dos Santos
Published: March 2018

A elaboração de silagem de pescado, além de ser alternativa para aproveitar resíduos do processamento do pescado, gera fonte de proteína animal de elevada qualidade para uso na alimentação de peixes. O objetivo deste estudo foi elaborar silagem ácida de pescado e aplicar em dietas para juvenis de carpa comum. A silagem foi produzida com exemplares de Serrassalmus macultus e vinagre comercial foi utilizado como agente ácido (75% do peso em volume). Após seca e moída, a silagem foi incorporada às rações nas proporções 0; 10; 20 ou 30% (tratamentos D0; D10; D20 ou D30, respectivamente). Foram distribuídos 20 juvenis de carpa comum (medidas iniciais 7,22 ± 0,22 g e 79,26 ± 0,94 mm) em cada uma das 12 unidades experimentais (tanques-rede de 0,175 m2). Os tanques-rede foram distribuídos em viveiro de 200 m2. Os peixes foram alimentados durante 46 dias, recebendo 4-5% da biomassa em ração, fracionado em duas alimentações diárias. No final do período experimental foram avaliados parâmetros de crescimento e composição corporal dos peixes. Maior peso final, comprimento total, ganhos em peso relativo e médio diário foram observados nos juvenis alimentados com D30 comparado à D0 e D10 sem diferir dos resultados apresentados pelos peixes alimentados com D20. Maior teor de matéria seca e cinzas foi observado para os peixes recebendo D0 e D10 e maior proteína bruta para os alimentados com D20. A incorporação de 20 ou 30% de silagem de pescado na ração é recomendada pois melhorou resultados zootécnicos para juvenis de carpa comum.
Obtenção de farinha do mesocarpo de pequi
Authors: Costa Ana Paula , Pinto Ellen , Soares Dayana
Published: March 2018

O pequi é um fruto do cerrado brasileiro, apresenta sabor característico agradando grande parte da população do centro-oeste. Aproximadamente 80% do total do fruto é representado por casca que é descartada. Tendo em vista a importância social e econômica que o pequi representa para o cerrado, objetivou-se com este estudo obter farinha da casca do pequi visando sua aplicação como matéria-prima de alimentos, além de possibilitar o uso integral do fruto. A farinha do mesocarpo de pequi foi obtida por secagem em estufa. O mesocarpo e a farinha foram avaliados quanto a umidade, cinzas, pH, acidez titulável, teor de compostos fenólicos e cor. Avaliou-se o teor de sólidos solúveis no mesocarpo enquanto a capacidade de absorção de água e gordura e capacidade de formação de gel foram determinadas na farinha. Observou-se maiores valores dos parâmetros físico-químicos da farinha da casca de pequi em relação ao mesocarpo, com exceção da umidade. O mesocarpo apresentou cor mais escura que a farinha, porém a farinha apresentou coloração amarela mais intensa. A farinha apresentou capacidade de absorção de água e óleo de 450% e 173%, respectivamente, além de apresentar boa capacidade de formação de gel. Com isso, observou-se que a farinha apresenta potencial aplicação como matéria-prima na elaboração de panificados.
A pretensa objetividade e imparcialidade da narrativa jurídica simples
Authors: Lopes Monclar Guimarães
Published: March 2018

Neste trabalho, defende-se que a objetividade e a imparcialidade atribuídas à narrativa jurídica simples representam uma abstração, na medida em que todo texto é constituído a partir de uma subjetividade. Nesse sentido, sustenta-se que aquilo que se obtém na redação de tal sequência linguística é um efeito de isenção e neutralidade, mas não a objetividade e a imparcialidade por si mesmas. Tal ponto de vista, na verdade, representa um conhecimento compartilhado entre os linguistas que, em suas análises, levam em consideração o contexto em que se erige a enunciação. Sob esse prisma, considera-se que o material linguístico sempre denuncia a perspectiva do produtor do texto, mesmo quando, na escolha lexical, selecionam-se elementos que não apresentam natureza dêitica ou avaliativa, pois outros fatores operam na construção da subjetividade: a categorização, a conceptualização das cenas e o emprego de operadores argumentativos, por exemplo. Para a comprovação de nossa hipótese, faz-se o estudo de dois relatórios extraídos de pareceres técnicos jurídicos, redigidos em narrativa simples. Vale ressaltar que a seleção dos textos se deu a partir de uma obra cujo objetivo é ensinar aos graduandos de Direito os aspectos fundamentais dessa sequência textual.
A mulher nas propagandas de cerveja: uma análise referencial
Authors: Araújo Cristina Batista , Silva Cleodete Mendes da
Published: March 2018

É comum encontrar, nas propagandas de cerveja da propaganda brasileira, a recorrência do discurso midiático com implicações apelativas e com a exploração da sensualidade feminina. Dialogando com esta temática, a presente pesquisa tem como objetivo apontar, em alguns anúncios de cerveja, o discurso usado não apenas para seduzir o consumidor, mas também para estereotipar a mulher, destacando suas características físicas e as igualando a um produto de consumo. Este estudo teve como base teórica de discussão autores como Koch (2004), Marcuschi (2007), com vistas a compreender como os discursos publicitários de propagandas de cerveja estão inscritos na rede discursiva. Procuramos, no decorrer do estudo, investigar como os elementos referenciais da linguagem são articulados para construírem o estereótipo da mulher como objeto de consumo.
Análise Econômica do Combate ao Aedes aegypti no Brasil segundo a Perspectiva da Eficiência Dinâmica
Authors: Sousa Thiago De Castro , Paranaiba Adriano De Carvalho
Published: March 2018

O presente trabalho pretende identificar as características de um ambiente econômico propício ao desenvolvimento de soluções eficientes para o combate ao mosquito Aedes aegypti no Brasil. Para tanto, foram feitos um breve histórico do combate ao vetor no país, destacando-se a recente proibição do uso do Dicloro-Difenil-Tricloroetano (DDT), e uma análise teórica das chamadas falhas de mercado e falhas de governo. Em seguida, foi abordado o conceito de “Eficiência Dinâmica”, conforme as teorias de Kirzner e Huerta de Soto, para embasar a conclusão de que o combate ao vetor contagioso poderá obter maiores ganhos sociais em um ambiente de forte respeito à propriedade privada e a acordos voluntários.
A Grande Fome de Mao
Authors: Barbieri Fábio
Published: March 2018

Resenha do livro: A Grande Fome de Mao: a história da catástrofe mais devastadora da China, 1958-62

Autor: Frank DikötterRio de Janeiro: Record, 2017 (530 páginas)ISBN 978-85-014-0161-8
“The Wonders of India so Near our Front Doors”: Consuming India, Imagining America
Authors: Arora Anupama
Published: March 2018

This article examines the period diaries or narratives of bourgeois white women from Salem, Massachusetts, to explore Salem as a contact zone or port through which goods and stories about India entered the early national spaces of the United States. Focusing on a range of social and symbolic meanings surrounding the consumption of “India goods,” this article illuminates the global connections of the early republic and sheds light on it as a society animated by, and entangled in, global and imperial encounters of maritime trade, a culture enmeshed in an international economy.
The Sole Mbira: An Ecomusicological Critique of Singularity and North American Zimbabwean Music
Authors: Mark Andrew
Published: March 2018

Ethnomusicological institutions transform traditional Zimbabwean musics into what is practiced in North America and understood by thousands as “Shona music.” This process produces a false narrative within North America of endangered and scarce traditional Zimbabwean musical practices, and these ends serve neocolonial imaginings of the need and right for white stewardship over and charity towards traditional Zimbabwean music(ians). Such a history strikingly reflects dominant and reductive North American settler conceptions of the wilderness, national parks and Indigenous peoples as ecologically vulnerable and in need of protection. Though this process has also fostered a worthy musical bond between Africans and North Americans, it has come at the expense of unfettered economic, artistic and political agency for Zimbabwean musicians and instrument builders who transact their traditional musics internationally. Working towards an anti-oppressive, ethnographic, ecocritical and ecomusicological approach to interpreting the phenomenon of North American Zimbabwean music, this article addresses the proposal that North America could be an archive for scarce authentic traditional Zimbabwean musics.
Nutritional guidelines and school lunches: Federal efforts to shape the American diet
Authors: Mart Michelle
Published: March 2018

Starting in the mid-twentieth century, the US federal government played an increasingly important role in shaping food production and consumption. This paper examines how politics shapes what modern Americans ate, especially as reflected in the evolution of nutritional guidelines and the National School Lunch Program. Both initiatives assumed that the federal government had a prescriptive role in good nutrition and were based on the confidence that - with modern scientific knowledge and an industrialised food system - good nutrition and ready access to food happened by design. In addition, both nutritional guidelines and the school lunch programme viewed food as a collection of nutrients, stripped of cultural or environmental importance. The school lunch programme also had an economic goal: trying to dispose of surplus agricultural commodities created by industrial agriculture. Thus, while the school lunch programme was intended to solve an economic problem, it might have had a role in perpetuating the problem.
The Soy paradox: The Western nutrition transition revisited, 1950-2010
Authors: Langthaler Ernst
Published: March 2018

The article addresses the Western nutrition transition from the mid-twentieth century onwards through the lens of soy. The soybean and its products have mostly been neglected in accounts of the nutrition transition. If anything, the soybean appears as an antagonist of the nutrition transition. The article argues that soy simultaneously played an opposite - though less obvious - role as a protagonist of the nutrition transition. As both antagonist and protagonist, soy's role was quite paradoxical. Based on time-series and cross-section analyses of country-level data, the article sketches a more nuanced picture of dietary change in the past as a challenge of global society and its environment in the future.
Cognitive Decline: Not Always Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Villalba Noel Lorenzo , Laboulbene Stephane , Merzouki Tawoufik , Méndez Bailon Manuel , Kechida Melek , Sigonney Vanessa , Tabue Teguo Maturin
Published: March 2018

A 66-year-old woman presented with slowly progressive cognitive decline. MRI showed bi-frontotemporal atrophy, but the 14.3.3 protein was not present in cerebrospinal fluid. Electroencephalogram was irrelevant. Interview with relatives led doctors to search for a genetic cause and confirmed the diagnosis of Gerstmann–Sträussler–Scheinker syndrome.
‘A pinch of unseen, unguarded dust’: The World and Self in Thomas Hardy's Poems
Authors: Szuba Monika
Published: March 2018

The essay discusses selected poems from Thomas Hardy's vast body of poetry, focusing on representations of the self and the world. Employing Maurice Merleau-Ponty's concepts such as the body-subject, wild being, flesh, and reversibility, the essay offers an analysis of Hardy's poems in the light of phenomenological philosophy. It argues that far from demonstrating ‘cosmic indifference’, Hardy's poetry offers a sympathetic vision of interrelations governing the universe. The attunement with voices of the Earth foregrounded in the poems enables the self's entanglement in the flesh of the world, a chiasmatic intertwining of beings inserted between the leaves of the world. The relation of the self with the world is established through the act of perception, mainly visual and aural, when the body becomes intertwined with the world, thus resulting in a powerful welding. Such moments of vision are brief and elusive, which enhances a sense of transitoriness, and, yet, they are also timeless as the self becomes immersed in the experience. As time is a recurrent theme in Hardy's poetry, this essay discusses it in the context of dwelling, the provisionality of which is demonstrated in the prevalent sense of temporality, marked by seasons and birdsong, which underline the rhythms of the world.
An Accumulation-of-Evidence Task Using Visual Pulses for Mice Navigating in Virtual Reality
Authors: Pinto Lucas , Koay Sue A. , Engelhard Ben , Yoon Alice M. , Deverett Ben , Thiberge Stephan Y. , Witten Ilana B. , Tank David W. , Brody Carlos D.
Published: March 2018

The gradual accumulation of sensory evidence is a crucial component of perceptual decision making, but its neural mechanisms are still poorly understood. Given the wide availability of genetic and optical tools for mice, they can be useful model organisms for the study of these phenomena; however, behavioral tools are largely lacking. Here, we describe a new evidence-accumulation task for head-fixed mice navigating in a virtual reality (VR) environment. As they navigate down the stem of a virtual T-maze, they see brief pulses of visual evidence on either side, and retrieve a reward on the arm with the highest number of pulses. The pulses occur randomly with Poisson statistics, yielding a diverse yet well-controlled stimulus set, making the data conducive to a variety of computational approaches. A large number of mice of different genotypes were able to learn and consistently perform the task, at levels similar to rats in analogous tasks. They are sensitive to side differences of a single pulse, and their memory of the cues is stable over time. Moreover, using non-parametric as well as modeling approaches, we show that the mice indeed accumulate evidence: they use multiple pulses of evidence from throughout the cue region of the maze to make their decision, albeit with a small overweighting of earlier cues, and their performance is affected by the magnitude but not the duration of evidence. Additionally, analysis of the mice's running patterns revealed that trajectories are fairly stereotyped yet modulated by the amount of sensory evidence, suggesting that the navigational component of this task may provide a continuous readout correlated to the underlying cognitive variables. Our task, which can be readily integrated with state-of-the-art techniques, is thus a valuable tool to study the circuit mechanisms and dynamics underlying perceptual decision making, particularly under more complex behavioral contexts.
Measurement of Strain and Strain Rate during the Impact of Tennis Ball Cores
Authors: Lane Ben , Sherratt Paul , Hu Xiao , Harland Andy
Published: March 2018

The aim of this investigation was to establish the strains and strain rates experienced by tennis ball cores during impact to inform material characterisation testing and finite element modelling. Three-dimensional surface strains and strain rates were measured using two high-speed video cameras and corresponding digital image correlation software (GOM Correlate Professional). The results suggest that material characterisation testing to a maximum strain of 0.4 and a maximum rate of 500 s−1 in tension and to a maximum strain of −0.4 and a maximum rate of −800 s−1 in compression would encapsulate the demands placed on the material during impact and, in turn, define the range of properties required to encapsulate the behavior of the material during impact, enabling testing to be application-specific and strain-rate-dependent properties to be established and incorporated in finite element models.
Hybrid Genetic Algorithm Fuzzy-Based Control Schemes for Small Power System with High-Penetration Wind Farms
Authors: Lotfy Mohammed , Senjyu Tomonobu , Farahat Mohammed , Abdel-Gawad Amal , Lei Liu , Datta Manoj
Published: March 2018

Wind is a clean, abundant, and inexhaustible source of energy. However, wind power is not constant, as windmill output is proportional to the cube of wind speed. As a result, the generated power of wind turbine generators (WTGs) fluctuates significantly. Power fluctuation leads to frequency deviation and voltage flicker inside the system. This paper presents a new methodology for controlling system frequency and power. Two decentralized fuzzy logic-based control schemes with a high-penetration non-storage wind–diesel system are studied. First, one is implemented in the governor of conventional generators to damp frequency oscillation, while the other is applied to control the pitch angle system of wind turbines to smooth wind output power fluctuations and enhance the power system performance. A genetic algorithm (GA) is employed to tune and optimize the membership function parameters of the fuzzy logic controllers to obtain optimal performance. The effectiveness of the suggested controllers is validated by time domain simulation for the standard IEEE nine-bus three-generator test system, including three wind farms. The robustness of the power system is checked under normal and faulty operating conditions.
Symmetry-Breaking Effect on the Electromagnetic Properties of Plasmonic Trimers Composed of Graphene Nanodisks
Authors: Qiu Weibin , Chen Houbo , Ren Junbo , Qiu Pingping , Lin Zhili , Wang Jiaxian , Kan Qiang , Pan Jiaoqing
Published: March 2018

Plasmonic trimers composed of equal-sized graphene nanodisks are proposed in this paper. The symmetry-breaking effect on the electromagnetic properties of the nanostructure is numerically investigated by studying plasmon energy diagrams and optical scattering spectra in mid-infrared range with a gradient vertex angle. The degenerate plasmonic modes are lifted and new modes appear with increased vertex angle. The energy diagrams are consistent with scattering extinction spectra, about which the dipole moment distribution of the proposed structure is discussed to demonstrate the coupling strength of the collective plasmonic modes of the trimer. More specifically, the frequency tunability of the plasmonic trimer is pointed out by modifying the chemical potential of the graphene nanodisks without varying the geometric configuration. The proposed structure might find applications such as light-matter interaction, single molecule detection, and high-sensitivity chemical sensing.
Aesthetics and Survival of Immediately Restored Implants in Partially Edentulous Anterior Maxillary Patients
Authors: Kolerman Roni , Tal Haim , Calvo Guirado Jose , Barnea Eitan , Chaushu Liat , Abu Wasel Manar , Nissan Joseph
Published: March 2018

This retrospective study was undertaken to determine survival rates and aesthetic outcomes of immediate placement of multiple implants at anterior maxilla sites. One hundred and eighteen implants placed in 39 patients (21 women and 18 men; average age 58.3 years) were immediately restored (24–72 h after placement). Aesthetic assessment, radiographic bone loss, and biological and prosthetic complications were evaluated. Data collection between 12 and 84 months (mean 32.2 ± 18) after final prosthetic installation revealed that no implants were lost, and that 106/118 (89.8%) implants had no more than 1.5 mm of bone loss by the end of the first year and an additional 0.2 mm for each successive year. The marginal bone loss was higher for extractions due to periodontitis compared to extractions due to caries (mean mesial loss of 1.37 mm vs. 1.01 mm, respectively, and mean distal loss of 1.37 mm and 0.99 mm, respectively, p = 0.001). The mesial papilla was present in 83/118 implants (70.3%), while the distal papilla was present in 76/118 implants (64.4%). The cervical metallic part of the abutment was exposed in 16/118 (13.5%) implants. There was a higher ratio of recessions and missing papillae in patients in whom the extractions were performed due to periodontal reasons. Within the limitations of the present study, aesthetic and radiographic parameters support immediate restoration of partially edentulous maxillae.
Improving the Electrochemical Performance of LiNi0.80Co0.15Al0.05O2 in Lithium Ion Batteries by LiAlO2 Surface Modification
Authors: Song Chunhua , Wang Wenge , Peng Huili , Wang Ying , Zhao Chenglong , Zhang Huibin , Tang Qiwei , Lv Jinzhao , Du Xianjun , Dou Yanmeng
Published: March 2018

LiNi0.80Co0.15Al0.05O2 (NCA) as a lithium ion battery cathode material has received attention for its highly specific capacity and excellent low temperature performance. However, the disadvantages of its high surface lithium compound residues and high pH value have influenced its processing performance and limited its application. This paper uses a facile method to modify NCA through LiAlO2 coating. The results showed that when the molar ratio of Al(NO3)3·9H2O and lithium compound residues at the surface of NCA cathode material was 0.25:1, the pH of the cathode material decreased from 12.70 to 11.80 and the surface lithium compound residues decreased from 3.99% to 1.48%. The NCA cell was charged and discharged for 100 cycles at 1 C in the voltage range of 3.0–4.3 V, to test the capacity retention of NCA. It was found to be as high as 94.67%, which was 5.36% higher than the control NCA cell. The discharge capacity of NCA-0.25-500 °C was 139.8 mAh/g even at 8 C rate, which was 15% higher than the raw NCA. Further research indicated that Al(NO3)3·9H2O reacted with the surface lithium compound residues of NCA and generated LiAlO2, which improved the NCA electrochemical performance.
A Multi-Modality Deep Network for Cold-Start Recommendation
Authors: Sun Mingxuan , Li Fei , Zhang Jian
Published: March 2018

Collaborative filtering (CF) approaches, which provide recommendations based on ratings or purchase history, perform well for users and items with sufficient interactions. However, CF approaches suffer from the cold-start problem for users and items with few ratings. Hybrid recommender systems that combine collaborative filtering and content-based approaches have been proved as an effective way to alleviate the cold-start issue. Integrating contents from multiple heterogeneous data sources such as reviews and product images is challenging for two reasons. Firstly, mapping contents in different modalities from the original feature space to a joint lower-dimensional space is difficult since they have intrinsically different characteristics and statistical properties, such as sparse texts and dense images. Secondly, most algorithms only use content features as the prior knowledge to improve the estimation of user and item profiles but the ratings do not directly provide feedback to guide feature extraction. To tackle these challenges, we propose a tightly-coupled deep network model for fusing heterogeneous modalities, to avoid tedious feature extraction in specific domains, and to enable two-way information propagation from both content and rating information. Experiments on large-scale Amazon product data in book and movie domains demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed model for cold-start recommendation.
Some Popular Energy Shots and Their Ingredients: Are They Safe and Should They Be Used? A Literature Review
Authors: Higgins John , Liras George , Liras Ioannis
Published: March 2018

The current demanding and busy lifestyle has spawned the development of supplements that are marketed as energy and concentration boosters. Energy shots are one of the most popular such supplements due to their small volume and efficient packaging. The components of energy shots have very limited evidence supporting their effects, and their efficacy is not consistently proven. This literature review from the past 40 years utilized PubMed, MEDLINE, SCOPUS and EMBASE, using the following keywords: ‘energy beverage’, ‘energy drink’, ‘energy shot’, ‘power shot’, ‘power energy’, ‘exercise’, ‘caffeine’, ‘glucose’, ‘ginseng’, ‘guarana’, ‘l-tyrosine’, ‘green tea extract’, ‘quercetin’, ‘garcinia cambogia extract’, ‘yerba mate’, and ‘taurine’. The effects of each ingredient individually, as well as of energy shots in general, were summarized, and recommendations on use and safety of energy shots are provided.
A DNA-Based Assay for Digoxin Detection
Authors: Kjelstrup Michael , Nielsen Line , Hansen-Bruhn Malthe , Gothelf Kurt
Published: March 2018

The most common method for quantifying small-molecule drugs in blood samples is by liquid chromatography in combination with mass spectrometry. Few immuno-based assays are available for the detection of small-molecule drugs in blood. Here we report on a homogeneous assay that enables detection of the concentration of digoxin spiked into in a plasma sample. The assay is based on a shift in the equilibrium of a DNA strand displacement competition reaction, and can be performed in 30 min for concentrations above 10 nM. The equilibrium shift occurs upon binding of anti-digoxigenin antibody. As a model, the assay provides a potential alternative to current small-molecule detection methods used for therapeutic drug monitoring.
Age-Related Changes in the Behavior of Apolipoprotein E Knockout Mice
Authors: Fuentes Dasha , Fernández Nidia , García Yenela , García Teidy , Morales Ana , Menéndez Roberto
Published: March 2018

The knockout mouse model, B6.129P2-Apoetm1Unc is homozygotic for the Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) deletion; thus, it is capable of developing hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis but ApoE is also a lipid-transport protein abundantly expressed in most neurons in the central nervous system, so these animals could also be models of neurodegenerative diseases. The aim of this study was to determine age-related changes in spontaneous behavior and in learning and memory of Apolipoprotein E knockout mice. Spontaneous behavioral measurements included sleeping pattern, motor coordination and balance by rotarod and open field activity, whereas learning and memory tests included forced alternation in Y-maze, novel object recognition and passive avoidance conditioning. Significant behavioral differences between aged knockout mice and age-matched wild type strain, C57Bl/6 were found in all the behavioral tests, except for the rotarod test. Genetically’ modified mice exhibited less huddling contact during sleeping, decreased locomotor activity in novel environments and in learning and memory deficits. These results are consistent with the cognitive impairment and memory loss seen as the earliest clinical symptoms in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. The ApoE knockout mice might therefore be an appropriate model for studying the underlying mechanisms involved in behavioral changes caused by neurodegenerative diseases as well as for evaluating new therapies for these pathologies.
An Individual’s Connection to Nature Can Affect Perceived Restorativeness of Natural Environments. Some Observations about Biophilia
Authors: Berto Rita , Barbiero Giuseppe , Barbiero Pietro , Senes Giulio
Published: March 2018

This study investigates the relationship between the level to which a person feels connected to Nature and that person’s ability to perceive the restorative value of a natural environment. We assume that perceived restorativeness may depend on an individual’s connection to Nature and this relationship may also vary with the biophilic quality of the environment, i.e., the functional and aesthetic value of the natural environment which presumably gave an evolutionary advantage to our species. To this end, the level of connection to Nature and the perceived restorativeness of the environment were assessed in individuals visiting three parks characterized by their high level of “naturalness” and high or low biophilic quality. The results show that the perceived level of restorativeness is associated with the sense of connection to Nature, as well as the biophilic quality of the environment: individuals with different degrees of connection to Nature seek settings with different degrees of restorativeness and biophilic quality. This means that perceived restorativeness can also depend on an individual’s “inclination” towards Nature.
Evaluation of Cyclodextrins as Environmentally Friendly Wettability Modifiers for Enhanced Oil Recovery
Authors: Da Cruz Adriana , Sanches Ramon , Miranda Caetano , Brochsztain Sergio
Published: March 2018

In the present work, the use of Cyclodextrins (CDs) as wettability modifiers for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) was evaluated. Cyclodextrins (CDs) are cyclic oligosaccharides that form inclusion complexes with various organic molecules, including n-alkanes. Wettability was evaluated through the contact angle (θ) of an n-dodecane drop in contact with a quartz surface and immersed in a 0.6 M NaCl aqueous solution containing the CDs. The quartz surface was functionalized with octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS), rendering the surface oil-wet (C18-quartz). Here, the n-dodecane, the saline solution and the C18-quartz represent the oil, the reservoir brine and an oil-wet rock surface, respectively. In the absence of CDs, the n-dodecane drops spread well over the C18-quartz, showing that the surface was oleophilic. In the presence of CDs, remarkable effects on the wettability were observed. The most dramatic effects were observed with α-cyclodextrin (α-CD), in which case the C18-quartz surface changed from oil-wet (θ = 162°) in the absence of CD to water-wet (θ = 33°) in the presence of 1.5% (w/v) α-CD. The effects of the CDs can be explained by the formation of surface-active inclusion complexes between the CDs and n-dodecane molecules. The CD inclusion complexes can be regarded as pseudo-surfactants, which are less harmful to the environment than the traditional surfactants employed by the petroleum industry.
Advances in GaN Crystals and Their Applications
Authors: Lo Ikai
Published: March 2018

This special issue looks at the potential applications of GaN-based crystals in both fields of nano-electronics and optoelectronics. The contents will focus on the fabrication and characterization of GaN-based thin films and nanostructures. It consists of six papers, indicating the current developments in GaN-related technology for high-efficiency sustainable electronic and optoelectronic devices, which include the role of the AlN layer in high-quality AlGaN/GaN heterostructures for advanced high-mobility electronic applications and simulation of GaN-based nanorod high-efficiency light-emitting diodes for optoelectronic applications. From the results, one can learn the information and experience available in the advanced fabrication of nanostructured GaN-based crystals for nano-electronic and optoelectronic devices.
Tuning the Spin States of Two Apical Iron(II) Ions in a Pentanuclear Iron(II) Cluster Helicate through the Choice of Anions
Authors: Fan Kuan-Hui , Huang Qi , Fang Xiao-Yu , Zhu Lian-Wen , Yan Zheng
Published: March 2018

Spin-crossover clusters with iron(II) high nuclearity are rare. By using 3,5-bis(pyridin-2-yl)-1,2,4-triazole (bptH) as the ligand with two bidentate chelating sites, we successfully obtained three pentanuclear iron(II) cluster helicate compounds [{FeII(μ-bpt)3}2FeII3(μ3-O)][FeII2(μ-Br)(μ-bpt)(NCS)4(H2O)]·2H2O·C2H5OH (1), [{FeII(μ-bpt)3}2FeII3(μ3-O)][FeII2(μ-bpt)2(NCS)4] (2), and [{FeII(μ-bpt)3}2FeII3(μ3-O)]I2·2C2H5OH (3). Research on single-crystal structure and magnetism has indicated that tuning the spin state of two iron(II) ions in axial direction is successfully realized by regulating the different counter anions: one apical [FeII(bpt)3]− unit exhibits spin-crossover behavior while the other [FeII(bpt)3]− unit remains in low spin state in 1, both apical ions are of high spin states in 2, and are of low spin states in 3.
Thermoluminescent Properties of Cerium-Doped Lu2SO5 and Y2SiO5 Single Crystalline Films Scintillators Grown from PbO-B2O3 and Bi2O3 Fluxes
Authors: Kilian Anna , Bilski Paweł , Gorbenko Vitalii , Zorenko Tetiana , Witkiewicz Sandra , Paprocki Kazimierz , Zorenko Yuriy
Published: March 2018

In this work we show the influence of material preparation technology on the thermoluminescent properties of single crystalline films (SCFs) of Ce3+-doped Lu2SiO5 (LSO) and Y2SiO5 (YSO) orthosilicates. LSO:Ce and YSO:Ce SCFs were grown by the liquid phase epitaxy method from two different melt-solutions based on PbO-B2O3 and Bi2O3 fluxes. Absorption, cathodoluminescence, and thermoluminescent properties of LSO:Ce and YSO:Ce SCFs grown from the two previously mentioned types of fluxes were compared, and results of spectrally resolved thermoluminescence measurements and thermoluminescent glow curves of SCFs recorded in different spectral ranges were presented. We have found that the observed differences in thermoluminescent properties of the SCFs under study can be caused by the domination of Ce4+ and Pb2+ emission centers in LSO:Ce and YSO:Ce SCFs grown using PbO-B2O3 flux, and Ce3+ and Bi3+ emission centers in the SCFs grown from Bi2O3 flux.
Fluorine Translational Anion Dynamics in Nanocrystalline Ceramics: SrF2-YF3 Solid Solutions
Authors: Breuer Stefan , Stanje Bernhard , Pregartner Veronika , Lunghammer Sarah , Hanzu Ilie , Wilkening Martin
Published: March 2018

Nanostructured materials have already become an integral part of our daily life. In many applications, ion mobility decisively affects the performance of, e.g., batteries and sensors. Nanocrystalline ceramics often exhibit enhanced transport properties due to their heterogeneous structure showing crystalline (defect-rich) grains and disordered interfacial regions. In particular, anion conductivity in nonstructural binary fluorides easily exceeds that of their coarse-grained counterparts. To further increase ion dynamics, aliovalent substitution is a practical method to influence the number of (i) defect sites and (ii) the charge carrier density. Here, we used high energy-ball milling to incorporate Y 3 + ions into the cubic structure of SrF 2 . As compared to pure nanocrystalline SrF 2 the ionic conductivity of Sr 1 − x Y x F 2 + x with x = 0.3 increased by 4 orders of magnitude reaching 0.8 × 10 − 5 S cm − 1 at 450 K. We discuss the effect of YF 3 incorporation on conductivities isotherms determined by both activation energies and Arrhenius pre-factors. The enhancement seen is explained by size mismatch of the cations involved, which are forced to form a cubic crystal structure with extra F anions if x is kept smaller than 0.5.
Uncertainty Evaluation in Multistage Assembly Process Based on Enhanced OOPN
Authors: Huang Yubing , Dai Wei , Mou Weiping , Zhao Yu
Published: March 2018

This study investigated the uncertainty of the multistage assembly process from the viewpoint of a stream of defects in the product assembly process. The vulnerable spots were analyzed and the fluctuations were controlled during this process. An uncertainty evaluation model was developed for the assembly process on the basis of an object-oriented Petri net (OOPN) by replacing its transition function with a fitted defect changing function. The definition of entropy in physics was applied to characterize the uncertainty of the model in evaluating the assembly process. The uncertainty was then measured as the entropy of the semi-Markov chain, which could be used to calculate the uncertainty of a specific subset of places, as well as the entire process. The OOPN model could correspond to the Markov process because its reachable token can be directly mapped to the Markov process. Using the steady-state probability combined with the uncertainty evaluation, the vulnerable spots in the assembly process were identified and a scanning test program was proposed to improve the quality of the assembly process. Finally, this work analyzed the assembly process on the basis of the uncertainty of the assembly structure and the variables of the assembly process. Finally, the case of a certain product assembly process was analyzed to test the advantages of this method.
Statistics of Correlations and Fluctuations in a Stochastic Model of Wealth Exchange
Authors: Bertotti Maria , Chattopadhyay Amit , Modanese Giovanni
Published: March 2018

In our recently proposed stochastic version of discretized kinetic theory, the exchange of wealth in a society is modelled through a large system of Langevin equations. The deterministic part of the equations is based on non-linear transition probabilities between income classes. The noise terms can be additive, multiplicative or mixed, both with white or Ornstein–Uhlenbeck spectrum. The most important measured correlations are those between Gini inequality index G and social mobility M, between total income and G, and between M and total income. We describe numerical results concerning these correlations and a quantity which gives average stochastic deviations from the equilibrium solutions in dependence on the noise amplitude.
The Identity of Information: How Deterministic Dependencies Constrain Information Synergy and Redundancy
Authors: Chicharro Daniel , Pica Giuseppe , Panzeri Stefano
Published: March 2018

Understanding how different information sources together transmit information is crucial in many domains. For example, understanding the neural code requires characterizing how different neurons contribute unique, redundant, or synergistic pieces of information about sensory or behavioral variables. Williams and Beer (2010) proposed a partial information decomposition (PID) that separates the mutual information that a set of sources contains about a set of targets into nonnegative terms interpretable as these pieces. Quantifying redundancy requires assigning an identity to different information pieces, to assess when information is common across sources. Harder et al. (2013) proposed an identity axiom that imposes necessary conditions to quantify qualitatively common information. However, Bertschinger et al. (2012) showed that, in a counterexample with deterministic target-source dependencies, the identity axiom is incompatible with ensuring PID nonnegativity. Here, we study systematically the consequences of information identity criteria that assign identity based on associations between target and source variables resulting from deterministic dependencies. We show how these criteria are related to the identity axiom and to previously proposed redundancy measures, and we characterize how they lead to negative PID terms. This constitutes a further step to more explicitly address the role of information identity in the quantification of redundancy. The implications for studying neural coding are discussed.
Correntropy Based Matrix Completion
Authors: Yang Yuning , Feng Yunlong , Suykens Johan
Published: March 2018

This paper studies the matrix completion problems when the entries are contaminated by non-Gaussian noise or outliers. The proposed approach employs a nonconvex loss function induced by the maximum correntropy criterion. With the help of this loss function, we develop a rank constrained, as well as a nuclear norm regularized model, which is resistant to non-Gaussian noise and outliers. However, its non-convexity also leads to certain difficulties. To tackle this problem, we use the simple iterative soft and hard thresholding strategies. We show that when extending to the general affine rank minimization problems, under proper conditions, certain recoverability results can be obtained for the proposed algorithms. Numerical experiments indicate the improved performance of our proposed approach.
Efficient Algorithms for Searching the Minimum Information Partition in Integrated Information Theory
Authors: Kitazono Jun , Kanai Ryota , Oizumi Masafumi
Published: March 2018

The ability to integrate information in the brain is considered to be an essential property for cognition and consciousness. Integrated Information Theory (IIT) hypothesizes that the amount of integrated information ( Φ ) in the brain is related to the level of consciousness. IIT proposes that, to quantify information integration in a system as a whole, integrated information should be measured across the partition of the system at which information loss caused by partitioning is minimized, called the Minimum Information Partition (MIP). The computational cost for exhaustively searching for the MIP grows exponentially with system size, making it difficult to apply IIT to real neural data. It has been previously shown that, if a measure of Φ satisfies a mathematical property, submodularity, the MIP can be found in a polynomial order by an optimization algorithm. However, although the first version of Φ is submodular, the later versions are not. In this study, we empirically explore to what extent the algorithm can be applied to the non-submodular measures of Φ by evaluating the accuracy of the algorithm in simulated data and real neural data. We find that the algorithm identifies the MIP in a nearly perfect manner even for the non-submodular measures. Our results show that the algorithm allows us to measure Φ in large systems within a practical amount of time.
Quantifying Chaos by Various Computational Methods. Part 1: Simple Systems
Authors: Awrejcewicz Jan , Krysko Anton V. , Erofeev Nikolay P. , Dobriyan Vitalyj , Barulina Marina A. , Krysko Vadim A.
Published: March 2018

The aim of the paper was to analyze the given nonlinear problem by different methods of computation of the Lyapunov exponents (Wolf method, Rosenstein method, Kantz method, the method based on the modification of a neural network, and the synchronization method) for the classical problems governed by difference and differential equations (Hénon map, hyperchaotic Hénon map, logistic map, Rössler attractor, Lorenz attractor) and with the use of both Fourier spectra and Gauss wavelets. It has been shown that a modification of the neural network method makes it possible to compute a spectrum of Lyapunov exponents, and then to detect a transition of the system regular dynamics into chaos, hyperchaos, and others. The aim of the comparison was to evaluate the considered algorithms, study their convergence, and also identify the most suitable algorithms for specific system types and objectives. Moreover, an algorithm of calculation of the spectrum of Lyapunov exponents based on a trained neural network has been proposed. It has been proven that the developed method yields good results for different types of systems and does not require a priori knowledge of the system equations.
Environmental Analysis of Waste-to-Energy—A Portuguese Case Study
Authors: Ramos Ana , Afonso Teixeira Carlos , Rouboa Abel
Published: March 2018

Environmental evaluation of the waste treatment processes for the area of Greater Porto (Portugal) is presented for the year 2015. The raw data for the energy recovery plant (ERP) provided by the waste management entity were modelled into nine environmental impact categories, resorting to a life cycle assessment dedicated software (GaBi) for the treatment of 1 tonne of residues. Also, a sensitivity analysis was conducted for five scenarios in order to verify the assessment quality. Results were compared to two European average situations (typical incineration plant and sanitary landfill with no waste pre-treatment), which showed that these facilities perform better or at the same level as the average European situation, mostly due to the high efficiency observed at the ERP and to the electricity production in the incineration process. A detailed analysis concluded that these helped to mitigate the environmental impacts caused by some of the processes involved in the waste-to-energy technology (landfill showing the harder impacts), by saving material resources as well as avoiding emissions to fresh water and air. The overall performance of the energy recovery plant was relevant, 1 tonne of waste saving up to 1.3 million kg of resources and materials. Regarding the environmental indicators, enhanced results were achieved especially for the global warming potential (−171 kgCO2-eq.), eutrophication potential (−39 × 10−3 kgPO4-eq.) and terrestrial ecotoxicity potential (−59 × 10−3 kgDCB-eq.) categories. This work was the first to characterize this Portuguese incineration plant according to the used methodology, supporting the necessary follow-up required by legal frameworks proposed by European Union (EU), once this facility serves a wide populational zone and therefore is representative of the current waste management tendency in the country. LCA (life cycle assessment) was confirmed as a suitable and reliable approach to evaluate the environmental impacts of the waste management scenarios, acting as a functional tool that helps decision-makers to proceed accordingly.
Optimal Integration of Intermittent Renewables: A System LCOE Stochastic Approach
Authors: Lucheroni Carlo , Mari Carlo
Published: March 2018

We propose a system level approach to value the impact on costs of the integration of intermittent renewable generation in a power system, based on expected breakeven cost and breakeven cost risk. To do this, we carefully reconsider the definition of Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) when extended to non-dispatchable generation, by examining extra costs and gains originated by the costly management of random power injections. We are thus lead to define a ‘system LCOE’ as a system dependent LCOE that takes properly into account intermittent generation. In order to include breakeven cost risk we further extend this deterministic approach to a stochastic setting, by introducing a ‘stochastic system LCOE’. This extension allows us to discuss the optimal integration of intermittent renewables from a broad, system level point of view. This paper thus aims to provide power producers and policy makers with a new methodological scheme, still based on the LCOE but which updates this valuation technique to current energy system configurations characterized by a large share of non-dispatchable production. Quantifying and optimizing the impact of intermittent renewables integration on power system costs, risk and CO

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emissions, the proposed methodology can be used as powerful tool of analysis for assessing environmental and energy policies.
Data-Driven Method for Wind Turbine Yaw Angle Sensor Zero-Point Shifting Fault Detection
Authors: Pei Yan , Qian Zheng , Jing Bo , Kang Dahai , Zhang Lizhong
Published: March 2018

Wind turbine yaw control plays an important role in increasing the wind turbine production and also in protecting the wind turbine. Accurate measurement of yaw angle is the basis of an effective wind turbine yaw controller. The accuracy of yaw angle measurement is affected significantly by the problem of zero-point shifting. Hence, it is essential to evaluate the zero-point shifting error on wind turbines on-line in order to improve the reliability of yaw angle measurement in real time. Particularly, qualitative evaluation of the zero-point shifting error could be useful for wind farm operators to realize prompt and cost-effective maintenance on yaw angle sensors. In the aim of qualitatively evaluating the zero-point shifting error, the yaw angle sensor zero-point shifting fault is firstly defined in this paper. A data-driven method is then proposed to detect the zero-point shifting fault based on Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) data. The zero-point shifting fault is detected in the proposed method by analyzing the power performance under different yaw angles. The SCADA data are partitioned into different bins according to both wind speed and yaw angle in order to deeply evaluate the power performance. An indicator is proposed in this method for power performance evaluation under each yaw angle. The yaw angle with the largest indicator is considered as the yaw angle measurement error in our work. A zero-point shifting fault would trigger an alarm if the error is larger than a predefined threshold. Case studies from several actual wind farms proved the effectiveness of the proposed method in detecting zero-point shifting fault and also in improving the wind turbine performance. Results of the proposed method could be useful for wind farm operators to realize prompt adjustment if there exists a large error of yaw angle measurement.