bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Score for Differentiating Pleural Tuberculosis from Malignant Effusion
Authors: González Alejandra , Fielli Mariano , Ceccato Adrián , Luna Carlos
Published: February 2019

Differential diagnosis of lymphocytic pleural effusions between tuberculous (TBE) and malignant (ME) effusion is usually difficult in daily practice. Our aim was to develop a score to differentiate TBE from ME effusions. A cohort of 138 consecutive patients with pleural effusion was prospectively studied from May 2014 through June 2017. Glucose, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), proteins, white cell count, lactic acid, and pH in the pleural fluid were measured. Pleural effusions other than lymphocytic, patients with a final diagnosis other than tuberculosis or malignancy, and patients who met Light’s criteria for transudate were excluded. Eighty-two samples (47 TBE and 35 ME) were included in the analysis. Using logistic regression analysis and Wald test, we developed a score including age, glucose, proteins, and lactic acid. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) for the score was determined, and the area under the curve (AUC) was calculated. A cutoff of eight points was required to achieve 93.5% sensitivity, 78% specificity, and a likelihood ratio of 4.26 to distinguish tuberculosis from malignant pleural effusion. The AUC of the score was 0.915 (95% CI = 0.82–0.96).
Intensive Care in Traumatic Brain Injury Including Multi-Modal Monitoring and Neuroprotection
Authors: Stocker Reto A.
Published: February 2019

Moderate to severe traumatic brain injuries (TBI) require treatment in an intensive care unit (ICU) in close collaboration of a multidisciplinary team consisting of different medical specialists such as intensivists, neurosurgeons, neurologists, as well as ICU nurses, physiotherapists, and ergo-/logotherapists. Major goals include all measurements to prevent secondary brain injury due to secondary brain insults and to optimize frame conditions for recovery and early rehabilitation. The distinction between moderate and severe is frequently done based on the Glascow Coma Scale and therefore often is just a snapshot at the early time of assessment. Due to its pathophysiological pathways, an initially as moderate classified TBI may need the same sophisticated surveillance, monitoring, and treatment as a severe form or might even progress to a severe and difficult to treat affection. As traumatic brain injury is rather a syndrome comprising a range of different affections to the brain and as, e.g., age-related comorbidities and treatments additionally may have a great impact, individual and tailored treatment approaches based on monitoring and findings in imaging and respecting pre-injury comorbidities and their therapies are warranted.
Characterization of Microstructural Evolution by Ultrasonic Nonlinear Parameters Adjusted by Attenuation Factor
Authors: Li Weibin , Chen Bingyao , Qing Xinlin , Cho Younho
Published: February 2019

The use of an acoustic nonlinear response has been accepted as a promising alternative for the assessment of micro-structural damage in metallic solids. However, the full mechanism of the acoustic nonlinear response caused by the material micro-damages is quite complex and not yet well understood. In this paper, the effect of material microstructural evolution on acoustic nonlinear response of ultrasonic waves is investigated in rolled copper and brass. Microstructural evolution in the specimens is artificially controlled by cold rolling and annealing treatments. The correlations of acoustic nonlinear responses of ultrasonic waves in the specimens corresponding to the microstructural changes are obtained experimentally. To eliminate the influence of attenuation, which was induced by microstructural changes in specimens, experimentally-measured nonlinear parameters are corrected by an attenuation correction term. An obvious decrease of nonlinearity with the increase of grain size is found in the study. In addition, the influences of material micro-damages introduced by cold rolling on the acoustic nonlinear response in specimens are compared with the ones of grain boundaries controlled by heat treatment in specimens. The experimental results show that the degradation of material mechanical properties is not always accompanied by the increase of acoustic nonlinearity generated. It suggested that the nonlinear ultrasonic technique can be used to effectively characterize the material degradations, under the condition that the variations of grain sizes in the specimens under different damage states are negligible.
Characterization of Chaotic Electroconvection near Flat Inert Electrodes under Oscillatory Voltages
Authors: Kim Jeonglae , Davidson Scott , Mani Ali
Published: February 2019

The onset of electroconvective instability in an aqueous binary electrolyte under external oscillatory electric fields at a single constant frequency is investigated in a 2D parallel flat electrode setup. Direct numerical simulations (DNS) of the Poisson–Nernst–Planck equations coupled with the Navier–Stokes equations at a low Reynolds number are carried out. Previous studies show that direct current (DC) electric field can create electroconvection near ion-selecting membranes in microfluidic devices. In this study, we show that electroconvection can be generated near flat inert electrodes when the applied electric field is oscillatory in time. A range of applied voltage, the oscillation frequency and the ratio of ionic diffusivities is examined to characterize the regime in which electroconvection takes place. Similar to electroconvection under DC voltages, AC electroconvection occurs at sufficiently high applied voltages in units of thermal volts and is characterized by transverse instabilities, physically manifested by an array of counter-rotating vortices near the electrode surfaces. The oscillating external electric field periodically generate and destroy such unsteady vortical structures. As the oscillation frequency is reduced to O ( 10 − 1 ) of the intrinsic resistor–capacitor (RC) frequency of electrolyte, electroconvective instability is considerably amplified. This is accompanied by severe depletion of ionic species outside the thin electric double layer and by vigorous convective transport involving a wide range of scales including those comparable to the distance L between the parallel electrodes. The underlying mechanisms are distinctly nonlinear and multi-dimensional. However, at higher frequencies of order of the RC frequency, the electrolyte response becomes linear, and the present DNS prediction closely resembles those explained by 1D asymptotic studies. Electroconvective instability supports increased electric current across the system. Increasing anion diffusivity results in stronger amplification of electroconvection over all oscillation frequencies examined in this study. Such asymmetry in ionic diffusivity, however, does not yield consistent changes in statistics and energy spectrum at all wall-normal locations and frequencies, implying more complex dynamics and different scaling for electrolytes with unequal diffusivities. Electric current is substantially amplified beyond the ohmic current at high oscillation frequencies. Also, it is found that anion diffusivity higher than cation has stronger impact on smaller-scale motions (≲ 0.1 L).
Experimental Setup for Dynamic Analysis of Micro- and Nano-Mechanical Systems in Vacuum, Gas, and Liquid
Authors: van den Brink Bram , Alijani Farbod , Ghatkesar Murali
Published: February 2019

An experimental setup to perform dynamic analysis of a micro- and nano-mechanical system in vacuum, gas, and liquid is presented. The setup mainly consists of a piezoelectric excitation part and the chamber that can be either evacuated for vacuum, or filled with gas or water. The design of the piezoelectric actuator was based on a Langevin transducer. The chamber is made out of materials that can sustain: vacuum, variety of gases and different types of liquids (mild acids, alkalies, common alcohols and oils). All the experiments were performed on commercial cantilevers used for contact and tapping mode Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) with stiffness 0.2 N/m and 48 N/m, respectively, in vacuum, air and water. The performance of the setup was evaluated by comparing the measured actuator response to a finite element model. The frequency responses of the two AFM cantilevers measured were compared to analytical equations. A vacuum level of 0.6 mbar was obtained. The setup has a bandwidth of 10–550 kHz in vacuum and air, and a bandwidth of 50–550 kHz in liquid. The dynamic responses of the cantilevers show good agreement with theory in all media.
Bioreductive Dissolution as a Pretreatment for Recalcitrant Rare-Earth Phosphate Minerals Associated with Lateritic Ores
Authors: Nancucheo Ivan , Oliveira Guilherme , Lopes Manoel , Johnson David Barrie
Published: February 2019

Recent research has demonstrated the applicability of a biotechnological approach for extracting base metals using acidophilic bacteria that catalyze the reductive dissolution of ferric iron oxides from oxidized ores, using elemental sulfur as an electron donor. In Brazil, lateritic deposits are frequently associated with phosphate minerals such as monazite, which is one of the most abundant rare-earth phosphate minerals. Given the fact that monazite is highly refractory, rare earth elements (REE) extraction is very difficult to achieve and conventionally involves digesting with concentrated sodium hydroxide and/or sulfuric acid at high temperatures; therefore, it has not been considered as a potential resource. This study aimed to determine the effect of the bioreductive dissolution of ferric iron minerals associated with monazite using Acidithiobacillus (A.) species in pH- and temperature-controlled stirred reactors. Under aerobic conditions, using A. thiooxidans at extremely low pH greatly enhanced the solubilization of iron from ferric iron minerals, as well that of phosphate (about 35%), which can be used as an indicator of the dissolution of monazite. The results from this study have demonstrated the potential of using bioreductive mineral dissolution, which can be applied as pretreatment to remove coverings of ferric iron minerals in a process analogous to the bio-oxidation of refractory golds and expand the range of minerals that could be processed using this approach.
Gold Prospects in the Western Segment of the Russian Arctic: Regional Metallogeny and Distribution of Mineralization
Authors: Kalinin Arkady A. , Kazanov Oleg V. , Bezrukov Vladimir I. , Prokofiev Vsevolod Yu.
Published: February 2019

Location of the deposits and occurrences of gold mineralization in metamorphic complexes of the Kola region is controlled by tectonic zones at the regional scale at the boundaries of major segments of the Fennoscandian Shield. Three zones are the most important: (1) the system of Neoarchean greenstone belts Kolmozero–Voron’ya–Ura-guba along the southern boundary of the Murmansk craton; (2) the suture, delineating the core of the Lapland–Kola orogeny in the north; and (3) the series of overthrusts and faults at the eastern flank of the Salla–Kuolajarvi belt. Gold deposits and occurrences are located within greenstone belts of Neoarchean and Paleoproterozoic age, and hosted by rocks of different primary compositions (mafic metavolcanics, diorite porphyry, and metasedimentary terrigenous rocks). The grade of metamorphism varies from greenschist to upper amphibolite facies, but the mineralized rocks are mainly lower amphibolite metamorphosed, close to the transition from greenschist to amphibolite facies. Gold deposits and occurrences in the northeastern part of the Fennoscandian Shield formed during two periods: the Neoarchean 2.7–2.6 Ga and the Paleoproterozoic 1.9–1.7 Ga. According to paleo-geodynamic reconstructions, these were the periods of collisional and accretionary orogeny in the region. Those Archean greenstone belts, which were reworked in the Paleoproterozoic (e.g., Strel’na and Tiksheozero belts), can contain gold deposits of Paleoproterozoic age.
Scrubbing and Inhibiting Coagulation Effect on the Purification of Natural Powder Quartz
Authors: Du Xin , Liang Chao , Hou Donglai , Sun Zhiming , Zheng Shuilin
Published: February 2019

The low removal efficiency of fine clay impurities in natural powder quartz (NPQ) is the main problem that affects the practical utilization of this natural resource. In this work, detailed characterizations of NPQ and clay impurities in NPQ were analyzed by SEM-EDS, mineral liberation analysis (MLA) and impurities distribution analysis. A combined physical purification process, including sieving, scrubbing and centrifugation, was applied to remove the clay impurities. It was observed that the fine clay impurities adhering on quartz surface were effectively liberated by scrubbing, and the content of Fe2O3 and Al2O3 in the concentrate decreased from 0.48% and 0.40% to less than 0.01% and 0.02% at pH 9.3 or when the dosage of sodium hexametaphosphate (SHMP) was 1 × 103 g/t. The coagulation interaction between quartz and impurities including hematite and orthoclase were analyzed based on the classical Deyaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) theory. The results indicated that the main coagulation affecting the separation efficiency was the heterocoagulation between quartz and impurities and homocoagulation among hematite particles. Furthermore, adding regulators such as sodium hydroxide (NaOH) or SHMP could significantly decrease the zeta potential of minerals and thus increase the total interaction energy (VT), which could effectively improve the dispersion of these fine impurity particles, and consequently improve the removal efficiency of impurities. Reverse increase of the zeta potential of minerals in strongly alkaline solutions or excessive SHMP were detected, which was likely the main factor limiting the further improvement of the purification efficiency.
Iron Transport from Ferrous Bisglycinate and Ferrous Sulfate in DMT1-Knockout Human Intestinal Caco-2 Cells
Authors: Yu Xiaonan , Chen Lingjun , Ding Haoxuan , Zhao Yang , Feng Jie
Published: February 2019

This experiment was conducted to investigate the transport characteristics of iron from ferrous bisglycinate (Fe-Gly) in intestinal cells. The divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1)-knockout Caco-2 cell line was developed by Crispr-Cas9, and then the cells were treated with ferrous sulfate (FeSO4) or Fe-Gly to observe the labile iron pool and determine their iron transport. The results showed that the intracellular labile iron increased significantly with Fe-Gly or FeSO4 treatment, and this phenomenon was evident over a wide range of time and iron concentrations in the wild-type cells, whereas in the knockout cells it increased only after processing with high concentrations of iron for a long time (p < 0.05). DMT1-knockout suppressed the synthesis of ferritin and inhibited the response of iron regulatory protein 1 (IRP-1) and IRP-2 to these two iron sources. The expression of peptide transporter 1 (PepT1) was not altered by knockout or iron treatment. Interestingly, the expression of zinc-regulated transporter (ZRT) and iron-regulated transporter (IRT)-like protein 14 (Zip14) was elevated significantly by knockout and iron treatment in wild-type cells (p < 0.05). These results indicated that iron from Fe-Gly was probably mainly transported into enterocytes via DMT1 like FeSO4; Zip14 may play a certain role in the intestinal iron transport.
Short-Term Low-Carbohydrate High-Fat Diet in Healthy Young Males Renders the Endothelium Susceptible to Hyperglycemia-Induced Damage, An Exploratory Analysis
Authors: Durrer Cody , Lewis Nia , Wan Zhongxiao , Ainslie Philip N. , Jenkins Nathan T. , Little Jonathan P.
Published: February 2019

Postprandial hyperglycemia has been linked to elevated risk of cardiovascular disease. Endothelial dysfunction and/or damage may be one of the mechanisms through which this occurs. In this exploratory study, we determined whether acute glucose ingestion would increase markers of endothelial damage/activation and impair endothelial function before and after a short-term low-carbohydrate high-fat diet (HFD) designed to induce relative glucose intolerance. Nine healthy young males (body mass index 23.2 ± 2 kg/m2) consumed a 75 g glucose drink before and <24 hours after consuming seven days of an iso-energetic HFD consisting of ~70% energy from fat, ~10% energy from carbohydrates, and ~20% energy from protein. CD31+/CD42b- and CD62E+ endothelial microparticles (EMPs) were enumerated at fasting, 1 hour (1 h), and 2 hours (2 h) post-consumption of the glucose drink. Flow-mediated dilation (FMD), arterial stiffness, and diameter, velocity, and flow of the common and internal carotid, and vertebral arteries were assessed in the fasting state and 1 h post glucose consumption. After the HFD, CD31+/CD42b- EMPs were elevated at 1 h compared to 2 h (p = 0.037), with a tendency for an increase above fasting (p = 0.06) only post-HFD. CD62E EMPs followed the same pattern with increased concentration at 1 h compared to 2 h (p = 0.005) post-HFD, with a tendency to be increased above fasting levels (p = 0.078). FMD was reduced at 1 h post glucose consumption both pre- (p = 0.01) and post-HFD (p = 0.005). There was also a reduction in FMD in the fasting state following the HFD (p = 0.02). In conclusion, one week of low-carbohydrate high-fat feeding that leads to a relative impairment in glucose homeostasis in healthy young adults may predispose the endothelium to hyperglycemia-induced damage.
Mechanistic Models of Inducible Synthetic Circuits for Joint Description of DNA Copy Number, Regulatory Protein Level, and Cell Load
Authors: Pasotti Lorenzo , Bellato Massimo , De Marchi Davide , Magni Paolo
Published: February 2019

Accurate predictive mathematical models are urgently needed in synthetic biology to support the bottom-up design of complex biological systems, minimizing trial-and-error approaches. The majority of models used so far adopt empirical Hill functions to describe activation and repression in exogenously-controlled inducible promoter systems. However, such equations may be poorly predictive in practical situations that are typical in bottom-up design, including changes in promoter copy number, regulatory protein level, and cell load. In this work, we derived novel mechanistic steady-state models of the lux inducible system, used as case study, relying on different assumptions on regulatory protein (LuxR) and cognate promoter (Plux) concentrations, inducer-protein complex formation, and resource usage limitation. We demonstrated that a change in the considered model assumptions can significantly affect circuit output, and preliminary experimental data are in accordance with the simulated activation curves. We finally showed that the models are identifiable a priori (in the analytically tractable cases) and a posteriori, and we determined the specific experiments needed to parametrize them. Although a larger-scale experimental validation is required, in the future the reported models may support synthetic circuits output prediction in practical situations with unprecedented details.
Realizing Energy Savings in Integrated Process Planning and Scheduling
Authors: Jin Liangliang , Zhang Chaoyong , Fei Xinjiang
Published: February 2019

The integration of scheduling and process planning can eliminate resource conflicts and hence improve the performance of a manufacturing system. However, the focus of most existing works is mainly on the optimization techniques to improve the makespan criterion instead of more efficient uses of energy. In fact, with a deteriorating global climate caused by massive coal-fired power consumption, carbon emission reduction in the manufacturing sector is becoming increasingly imperative. To ease the environmental burden caused by energy consumption, e.g., coal-fired power consumption in use of machine tools, this research considers both makespan as well as environmental performance criteria, e.g., total power consumption, in integrated process planning and scheduling using a novel multi-objective memetic algorithm to facilitate a potential amount of energy savings; this can be realized through a better use of resources with more efficient scheduling schemes. A mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model based on the network graph is formulated with both makespan as well as total power consumption criteria. Due to the complexity of the problem, a multi-objective memetic algorithm with variable neighborhood search (VNS) technique is then developed for this problem. The Kim’s benchmark instances are employed to test the proposed algorithm. Moreover, the TOPSIS decision method is used to determine the most satisfactory non-dominated solution. Several scenarios are considered to simulate different machine automation levels and different machine workload levels. Computational results show that the proposed algorithm can strike a balance between the makespan criterion and the total power consumption criterion, and the total power consumption can be affected by machine tools with different automation levels and different workloads. More importantly, results also show that energy saving can be realized by completing machining as early as possible on a machine tool and taking advantage of machine flexibility.
Correction: Krysinska, K. et al. Does Religion/Spirituality Modify the Association of Stressful Life Events and Suicidal Ideation in Australian Men? Religions 9 (2018): 180
Authors: Krysinska Karolina , Spittal Matthew J. , Pirkis Jane , Currier Dianne
Published: February 2019

The authors wish to make the following corrections to (Krysinska et al [...]
The Three Hebrew Boys Revisited: Exploring Border Crossing “Brotha”-Ship in the Journeys of Three Tenured Black Male Seventh-Day Adventist Professors
Authors: Douglas Ty-Ron M. O. , Freeman Sydney , Denham André R.
Published: February 2019

This paper explores the educational journeys of three tenured, Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) professors who serve at public research-intensive universities as professors of education. We discuss how our journeys in and through Adventist education impact our pedagogy and offer insights that can be helpful to other Christian educators, students, and parents who would like to learn how to navigate a path to a career in higher education. The three of us could be described as somewhat of an anomaly in terms of our identities and positionalities as Black male Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) professors in public universities—yet we know that there are many other people from the neighborhoods and churches where we grew up who could be doing similar work but for various reasons did not get access to this opportunity. The goal of this critical trio-ethnographic paper is to offer a counter-narrative on Black male SDA education and possibilities, through our personal reflections and analyses of our educational experiences in SDA education that inform the way we engage our students now as SDA and culturally relevant teachers in public universities.
Financial Development and Bioenergy Consumption in the EU28 Region: Evidence from Panel Auto-Regressive Distributed Lag Bound Approach
Authors: Alsaleh Mohd , Abdul-Rahim A. S.
Published: February 2019

This paper investigates the relationship between financial development and bio-energy consumption in the European Union (EU28) countries for the period from 1990 to 2013 through the panel autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) approach and causality analysis. The empirical results show that financial development shows a significant positive impact, at a 1% statistical level, on bio-energy consumption for the EU28 during the studied period. In developing countries, the financial market indicator affects bio-energy consumption outgrowth positively and significantly at a 1% statistical level. For developed countries, there is a positive influence of financial institutions and financial market indicators on bio-energy consumption growth at the 1% and 10% levels, respectively. The study concludes that there is a significant relationship between the consumption of bio-energy and financial development factors. The study provides recommendations that are useful when formulating policy related to energy consumption and the promotion of bio-energy consumption. Financial development and economic outgrowth show a significant influence on the outgrowth of bio-energy consumption at a 1% statistical level.
The OFR Financial Stress Index
Authors: Monin Phillip J.
Published: February 2019

We introduce a financial stress index that was developed by the Office of Financial Research (OFR FSI) and detail its purpose, construction, interpretation, and use in financial market monitoring. The index employs a novel and flexible methodology using daily data from global financial markets. Analysis for the 2000–2018 time period is presented. Using a logistic regression framework and dates of government intervention in the financial system as a proxy for stress events, we found that the OFR FSI performs well in identifying systemic financial stress. In addition, we find that the OFR FSI leads the Chicago Fed National Activity Index in a Granger causality analysis, suggesting that increases in financial stress help predict decreases in economic activity.
Radiance Uncertainty Characterisation to Facilitate Climate Data Record Creation
Authors: Merchant Christopher J. , Holl Gerrit , Mittaz Jonathan P. D. , Woolliams Emma R.
Published: February 2019

The uncertainty in a climate data records (CDRs) derived from Earth observations in part derives from the propagated uncertainty in the radiance record (the fundamental climate data record, FCDR) from which the geophysical estimates in the CDR are derived. A common barrier to providing uncertainty-quantified CDRs is the inaccessibility to CDR creators of appropriate radiance uncertainty information in the FCDR. Here, we propose radiance uncertainty information designed directly to facilitate estimation of propagated uncertainty in derived CDRs at full resolution and in gridded products. Errors in Earth observations are typically highly structured and complex, and the uncertainty information we propose is of intermediate complexity, sufficient to capture the main variability in propagated uncertainty in a CDR, while avoiding unfeasible complexity or data volume. The uncertainty and error correlation characteristics of uncertainty are quantified for three classes of error with different propagation properties: independent, structured and common radiance errors. The meaning, mathematical derivations, practical evaluation and example applications of this set of uncertainty information are presented.
L-Band UAVSAR Tomographic Imaging in Dense Forests: Gabon Forests
Authors: El Moussawi Ibrahim , Ho Tong Minh Dinh , Baghdadi Nicolas , Abdallah Chadi , Jomaah Jalal , Strauss Olivier , Lavalle Marco
Published: February 2019

Developing and enhancing strategies to characterize actual forests structure is a timely challenge, particularly for tropical forests. P-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) tomography (TomoSAR) has previously been demonstrated as a powerful tool for characterizing the 3-D vertical structure of tropical forests, and its capability and potential to retrieve tropical forest structure has been discussed and assessed. On the other hand, the abilities of L-band TomoSAR are still in the early stages of development. Here, we aim to provide a better understanding of L-band TomoSAR capabilities for retrieving the 3-D structure of tropical forests and estimating the top height in dense forests. We carried out tomographic analysis using L-band UAVSAR data from the AfriSAR campaign conducted over Gabon Lopé Park in February 2016. First, it was found that L-band TomoSAR was able to penetrate into and through the canopy down to the ground, and thus the canopy and ground layers were detected correctly. The resulting TomoSAR vertical profiles were validated with a digital terrain model and canopy height model extracted from small-footprint Lidar (SFL) data. Second, there was a strong correlation between the L-band Capon beam forming profile in HH and HV polarizations with Land Vegetation Ice Sensor (LVIS) Level 1B waveform Lidar over different kinds of forest in Gabon Lopé National Park. Finally, forest top height from the L-band data was estimated and validated with SFL data, resulting in a root mean square error of 3 m and coefficient of determination of 0.92. The results demonstrate that L-band TomoSAR is capable of characterizing 3-D structure of tropical forests.
Thermal Stability Optimization of the Luojia 1-01 Nighttime Light Remote-Sensing Camera’s Principal Distance
Authors: Zhang Kun , Zhong Xing , Zhang Guo , Li Deren , Su Zhiqiang , Meng Yao , Jiang Yonghua
Published: February 2019

The instability of the principal distance of the nighttime light remote-sensing camera of the Luojia 1-01 satellite directly affects the geometric accuracy of images, consequently affecting the results of analysis of nighttime light remote-sensing data. Based on the theory of optical passive athermal design, a mathematical model of optical-passive athermal design for principal distance stabilization is established. Positive and negative lenses of different materials and the mechanical structures of different materials are matched to optimize the optical system. According to the index requirements of the Luojia 1-01 camera, an image-telecentric optical system was designed under the guidance of the established mathematical model. In the temperature range of −20 °C to +60 °C, the principal distance of the system changes from −0.01 μm to +0.28 μm. After on-orbit testing, the geometric accuracy of the designed nighttime light remote-sensing camera is better than 0.20 pixels and less than index requirement of 0.3 pixels, which indicating that the principal distance maintains good stability on-orbit and meets the application requirements of nighttime light remote sensing.
The Development of CMOS Amperometric Sensing Chip with a Novel 3-Dimensional TiN Nano-Electrode Array
Authors: Lien Chun-Lung , Yuan Chiun-Jye
Published: February 2019

An electrochemical sensing chip with an 8 × 8 array of titanium nitride three-dimensional nano-electrodes (TiN 3D-NEA) was designed and fabricated via a standard integrated complementary metal oxide semiconductor process. Each nano-electrode in 3D-NEA exhibited a pole-like structure with a radius of 100 nm and a height of 35 nm. The numeric simulation showed that the nano-electrode with a radius of around 100 nm exhibited a more uniformly distributed electric field and a much higher electric field magnitude compared to that of the microelectrode. Cyclic voltammetry study with Ru(NH3)63+ also revealed that the TiN 3D-NEA exhibited a much higher current density than that obtained from the microelectrode by two orders of magnitude. Further studies showed that the electrocatalytical reduction of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) could occur on a TiN 3D-NEA-based sensing chip with a high sensitivity of 667.2 mA⋅mM−1⋅cm−2. The linear detection range for H2O2 was between 0.1 μM and 5 mM with a lowest detection limit of 0.1 μM. These results indicated that the fabricated TiN 3D-NEA exhibited high catalytic activity and sensitivity to H2O2 and could be a promising sensor for H2O2 measurement.
Single-Shot Waterless Low-Profile Photoacoustic System: Near-Field Volumetric Imaging In Vivo for Blood Vessels Based on Capacitive Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer (CMUT)
Authors: Choi Won Young , Kim Young Hun , Jo Hyeong Geun , Pyun Joo Young , Kwon Soo Won , Park Kwan Kyu
Published: February 2019

Intensive research on photoacoustics (PA) for imaging of the living human body, including the skin, vessels, and tumors, has recently been conducted. We propose a PA measurement system based on a capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) with waterless coupling, short measurement time (<1 s), backward light irradiation, and a low-profile ultrasonic receiver unit (<1 cm). We fabricate a 64-element CMUT ring array with 6.2 mm diameter and 10.4 MHz center frequency in air, and 100% yield and uniform element response. To validate the PA tissue characterization, we employ pencil lead and red ink as solid and liquid models, respectively, and a living body to target moles and vessels. The system implements a near-field imaging system consisting of a 6 mm polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matching layer between the object and CMUT, which has a 3.7 MHz center frequency in PDMS. Experiments were performed in a waterless contact on the PDMS and the laser was irradiated with a 1 cm diameter. The experimental results show the feasibility of this near-field PA imaging system for position and depth detection of skin, mole, vessel cells, etc. Therefore, a system applicable to a low-profile compact biomedical device is presented.
Producer’s Self-Declared Wind Energy ECO-Labeling Consequences on the Market: A Canadian Case Study
Authors: D’Souza Clare , Yiridoe Emmanuel K.
Published: February 2019

The demand for environmental labels is increasingly becoming important for consumers to differentiate products and to make an informed choice. This study reports the findings of a business case study in Nova Scotia (Canada) that demonstrates how renewable wind energy and wind labeling can extend the competitive advantage of a producer. By using qualitative case study techniques, the study generates evidence which suggests on the firm level that wind energy and labelling influences competitive advantage of firms, can dictate a premium price, can differentiate products, yet achieve a low-cost advantage. Wind labels also have the potential to drive the supply chain’s environmental value to the consumer as the end user by requiring the distribution chain to follow good environmental practices. On the consumer level, in terms of label information, whereby product qualities cannot be evaluated by a search prior to purchase or by experience after purchase, eco-friendliness of the product can take predominance. Not all consumers will buy eco-friendly eggs; instead, there are other factors that drive consumers, such as their opinions towards wind technology, consumer psychographics, personality, and other behavioural determinants and, hence, attract a strong niche market. Finally, for the trust in labels, though the producer does not have third party accreditation, the labels work for them, through the means-end chain analysis where egoistic and altruistic intentions persuade environmental behaviour. As such, this study highlights the probability that in principle, there appears to be an opportunity for wind labelling to be successful; in practice, wind labelling is bound to attract a particular niche market through differentiation strategies.
Taiwan’s Marketing Strategies for Green Conferences and Exhibitions
Authors: Wang Shao-Ping , Chen Miao-Sheng , Li Mou-Jian
Published: February 2019

This study investigates the status of conference and exhibition industry in Taiwan and its future development by examining the “green conferences and exhibitions” marketing strategy. The findings show that factor and demand conditions are the most important determinants of exhibition location. Moreover, a SWOT analysis of the industry’s features and a holistic marketing strategy will ensure that countries with limited resources, such as regional Asian economies, derive integrated economic benefits from such exhibitions. The results and recommendations should provide organizations with a useful reference for promoting green conferences and exhibitions.
Research on the Survival and Sustainable Development of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in China under the Background of Low-Carbon Economy
Authors: Tong Peng , Zhao Chao , Wang Huaqing
Published: February 2019

Given the increase in energy consumption and pollution emissions, China has formulated a low-carbon economic development strategy. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are mostly at the bottom of the industrial chain and face problems of high energy consumption and low output. The problems of survival and sustainable development of SMEs are serious under the background of low-carbon economy. SMEs play an important role in optimizing economic structure and social stability. Thus, studying the survival and sustainable development strategies of SMEs in China is necessary. This study adopts the method of market survey to perform the questionnaire design, sample selection, questionnaire issuance, and data analysis from three perspectives of policy, social, and internal environments of SMEs. This study summarizes seven factors, including financing and operation management, which restrict the survival and sustainable development of SMEs in China under the background of low-carbon economy. Moreover, this study proposes specific suggestions from internal and external environments.
Distribution-Free Stochastic Closed-Loop Supply Chain Design Problem with Financial Management
Authors: Yang Dapeng , Wu Daqing , Shi Luyan
Published: February 2019

Financial flow is an important part of supply chain management (SCM) and increasingly playing a crucial role as the amount of global trade increases. Reasonable and scientific financial operation is necessary in closed-loop supply chain management, especially when customer demand is uncertain. However, financial flow, which may lead to an increase in effectiveness, has rarely been considered in the literature. In this paper, we present a closed-loop supply chain design with financial management problem, which is tackled as a stochastic programming model with ambiguity demand set. The main contributions of this work include: (i) A joint chance constrained programming model is proposed to maximize the total profit, and (ii) financial flow and uncertain demand are both taken into consideration. According to the characteristic of the problem, we chose four approaches, namely sample average approximation (SAA), enhanced sample average approximation (ESAA), Markov approximation (MA), and mixed integer second-order conic program (MI-SOCP). Computational experiments were conducted to compare the adopted methods, and 10,000 scenarios were generated to examine the reliability of the methods. Numerical results revealed that the Markov approximation approach can achieve more reliable solutions.
Elemental Composition and Flue Gas Emissions of Different Components from Five Semi-Arid Woody Species in Pyrolysed and Non-Pyrolysed Material
Authors: Ngangyo Heya Maginot , Foroughbakhch Pournavab Rahim , Carrillo Parra Artemio , Zelinski Volker , Salas Cruz Lidia Rosaura
Published: February 2019

Biofuels are sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels. However, they must comply with energy efficiency requirements and contribute to environmental protection. This study was focused on elemental composition (carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, sulphur and chlorine) of different plants’ components (stems, branches, twigs and leaves) from pyrolysed (charcoal) and non-pyrolysed samples of five semi-arid trees: Acacia berlandieri, A. wrightii, Ebenopsis ebano, Havardia pallens and Helietta parvifolia. Carbon fluctuated from 80.77% to 89.30% in charcoal and 44.99% to 49.70% in non-pyrolysed biomass, and hydrogen ranged from 2.38% to 2.69% in charcoal and 5.89% to 6.62% in non-pyrolysed biomass. Nitrogen accounted for 0.39%–0.65% (branches) and 0.32%–0.64% (stems) in charcoal, and the ranges for non-pyrolyzed material were 2.33–4.00% (leaves), 1.06%–1.76% (twigs), 0.21%–0.52% (branches) and 0.15%–0.28% (stems). Considerably higher concentrations of sulphur compared to chlorine were found, with increasing values for both elements from the base of trees to the leaves. Non-pyrolysed samples were characterized by 68.05 mg/kg–769.16 mg/kg (stems), 118.02 mg/kg–791.68 mg/kg (branches), 225.11 mg/kg–1742.25 mg/kg (twigs) and 374.73 mg/kg–6811.52 mg/kg (leaves) for sulphur, and 117.86 mg/kg–528.08 mg/kg (stems), 109.18 mg/kg–464.15 mg/kg (branches), 905.47 mg/kg–4205.19 mg/kg (twigs) and 2799.68 mg/kg–5072.76 mg/kg (leaves) for chlorine. In charcoal, the concentration ranges for sulphur were 47.54 mg/kg–376.95 mg/kg (branches) and 42.73–292.20 mg/kg (stems) and 139.34 mg/kg–419.68 mg/kg (branches) and 177.39 mg/kg–479.16 (stems) for chlorine. The study has shown that pyrolysis increased the amount of carbon and decreased the amount of hydrogen. Coincidentally, the amount of nitrogen, chlorine and sulphur could be decreased significantly by pyrolysis which means an improvement of the fuel considering the flue gas emissions. Besides the influence of the type of combustion plant and the influence of the source of biofuel, the treatment has a significant influence on the amount and composition of flue gases emitted in the combustion.
Lipid Exchange Factors at Membrane Contact Sites in African Swine Fever Virus Infection
Authors: Galindo Inmaculada , Cuesta-Geijo Miguel Ángel , del Puerto Ana , Soriano Eva , Alonso Covadonga
Published: February 2019

African swine fever (ASF) is a hemorrhagic fever of wild and domestic pigs with a high rate of mortality. Originally endemic in Africa, this disease is currently disseminating in Europe and China, causing a large socioeconomic impact. ASF is caused by a DNA virus, African swine fever virus (ASFV). There is no vaccine available against ASFV, limiting the options for disease control. ASFV reorganizes intracellular membranes to generate viral factories (VFs) in order to amplify its genome. However, little is known about the process involved in the formation of these viral replication organelles. Membrane contact sites (MCSs) allow nonvesicular lipids and ion exchange between organelles. Lipid exchange to form VFs apparently requires a number of proteins at MCSs, such as the oxysterol-binding protein (OSBP), the acyl-coenzyme A binding domain containing 3 (ACBD3) and the phosphatidylinositol-phosphate-4-kinase III beta (PI4Kβ). Itraconazole (ITZ) is an antifungal agent that targets sterol-transport molecules such as OSBP and OSBP-related protein 4 (ORP4). 25-Hydroxycholesterol (25-HC) inhibits lipid transport by high affinity binding OSBP. In this work, we analyzed the antiviral function of ITZ and 25-HC against ASFV in Vero cell cultures using the cell-adapted Ba71V isolate. ITZ and 25-HC decreased significantly ASFV replication. Our study revealed OSBP distribution in cytoplasmic membranes in uninfected Vero cells and to the periphery of VFs in infected cells. In addition, we showed that OSBP and OSBP-related proteins, PI4Kβ and ACBD3 were recruited to VFs in the context ASFV infection.
Contesting Hydropower Dams in the Eastern Himalaya: The Cultural Politics of Identity, Territory and Self-Governance Institutions in Sikkim, India
Authors: Dukpa Rinchu Doma , Joshi Deepa , Boelens Rutgerd
Published: February 2019

In India’s Eastern Himalayan State of Sikkim, the indigenous Bhutia communities, Lachungpas and Lachenpas, successfully contested all proposed hydropower projects and have managed to sustain an anti-dam opposition in their home regions, Lachung and Lachen. In this paper, we discuss this remarkable, un-researched, effective collective action against hydropower development, examining how identity and territory influence collective action through production, creation and application of vernacular knowledge systems. The role of the Dzumsa, a prevailing traditional system of self-governance among the Lachungpas and Lachenpas, has been central in their collective resistance against large dams in Lachung and Lachen. Our findings show that contrary to popular imageries, the Dzumsa is neither an egalitarian nor a democratic institution—rather, it is an exercise of an “agonistic unity”. The Dzumsas operate as complex collectives, which serve to politicize identity, decision-making and place-based territoriality in their struggle against internal and external threats. Principles of a “vernacular statecraft” helped bringing the local communities together in imperfect unions to oppose modernist designs of hydropower development. However, while such vernacular institutions were able to construct a powerful local adversary to neoliberal agendas, they also pose high social, political and emotional risks to the few within the community, who chose not to align with the normative principles of the collective.
A method for measuring continuity of care in day-to-day general practice: a quantitative analysis of appointment data
Authors: Sidaway-Lee Kate , Gray Denis Pereira , Evans Philip
Published: February 2019

Background

Despite patient preference and many known benefits, continuity of care is in decline in general practice. The most common method of measuring continuity is the Usual Provider of Care (UPC) index. This requires a number of appointments per patient and a relatively long timeframe for accuracy, reducing its applicability for day-to-day performance management.

Aim

To describe the St Leonard’s Index of Continuity of Care (SLICC) for measuring GP continuity regularly, and demonstrate how it has been used in service in general practice.

Design and setting

Analysis of appointment audit data from 2016–2017 in a general practice with 8823–9409 patients and seven part-time partners, in Exeter, UK.

Method

The percentage of face-to-face appointments for patients on each doctor’s list, with the patient’s personal doctor (the SLICC), was calculated monthly. The SLICC for different demographic groupings of patients (for example, sex and frequency of attendance) was compared. The UPC index over the 2 years was also calculated, allowing comparisons between indices.

Results

In the 2-year study period, there were 35 622 GP face-to-face appointments; 1.96 per patient per year. Overall, 51.7% (95% confidence interval = 51.2 to 52.2) of GP appointments were with the patients’ personal doctor. Patients aged ≥65 years had a higher level of continuity with 64.9% of appointments being with their personal doctor. The mean whole-practice UPC score was 0.61 (standard deviation 0.23), with ‘usual provider’ being the personal GP for 52.8% and a trainee or locum for 8.1% of patients.

Conclusion

This method could provide working GPs with a simple way to track continuity of care and inform practice management and decision making.
ALEKSANDRAS ČYRAS AND OPTIMIZATION IN STRUCTURAL MECHANICS
Authors: Atkočiūnas Juozas , Čižas Algirdas
Published: February 2019

The study describes how in Lithuania (mostly in Vilnius) during some past decades a new trend of investigations in structural mechanics thanks to Aleksandras Čyras' (1927–2001) research and organisational activities has been developed. The main distinguished features of the trend are: application of mathematical programming, and especially the duality theory, to the optimization of elastic-plastic and other structures, formulation of mathematical models of structural mechanics problems, elaborating algorithms and programmes for their solution. The advantages of the research results are shown, a large information concerning the publication of the results and the evolution of investigations initiated by A. Čyras are presented.