bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Narrative Medicine Meets Planetary Health: Mindsets Matter in the Anthropocene
Authors: Prescott Susan L. , Logan Alan C.
Published: February 2019

The emerging concept of planetary health—defined as the interdependent vitality of all natural and anthropogenic ecosystems (social, political, and otherwise)—emphasizes that the health of human civilization is intricately connected to the health of natural systems within the Earth’s biosphere. In the clinical setting, narrative medicine underscores the importance of absorbing, reflecting upon, and responding to the narratives—the stories—conveyed by patients. Education and interventions using the tenets of narrative medicine have demonstrated value to both patient and provider. Given the grand interconnected challenges of our time—compounded by misinformation and quasi-scientific narratives propagated by the ideology of neoliberalism—we argue that the principles and practice of narrative medicine can be applied on a larger scale, one with planetary health in mind. The role of beliefs, expectations, and agency—mindsets—in the link between narrative and planetary health are emphasized. We use a story of our own to demonstrate that the biological buffering capacity in response to a fast-food meal does not sit on a level socioeconomic playing field. Patient, community, and global health narratives are melding with powerful narratives set by commercial entities. The success of planetary health as a new concept will be strengthened by attention to the ways in which storytelling can influence positive change. No less important is an understanding of the ways in which stories contribute to what ails person, place, and planet.
Review on Nanomaterial-Based Melamine Detection
Authors: Shellaiah Muthaiah , Sun Kien Wen
Published: February 2019

Illegal adulteration of milk products by melamine and its analogs has become a threat to the world. In 2008, the misuse of melamine with infant formula caused serious effects on babies of China. Thereafter, the government of China and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) limited the use of melamine of 1 mg/kg for infant formula and 2.5 mg/kg for other dairy products. Similarly, the World Health Organization (WHO) has also limited the daily intake of melamine of 0.2 mg/kg body weight per day. Many sensory schemes have been proposed by the scientists for carrying out screening on melamine poisoning. Among them, nanomaterial-based sensing techniques are very promising in terms of real-time applicability. These materials uncover and quantify the melamine by means of diverse mechanisms, such as fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), aggregation, inner filter effect, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), and self-assembly, etc. Nanomaterials used for the melamine determination include carbon dots, quantum dots, nanocomposites, nanocrystals, nanoclusters, nanoparticles, nanorods, nanowires, and nanotubes. In this review, we summarize and comment on the melamine sensing abilities of these nanomaterials for their suitability and future research directions.
Observed Recent Change in Climate and Potential for Decay of Norwegian Wood Structures
Authors: Grøntoft Terje
Published: February 2019

The wood rot decay of structures and buildings in Norway represents high costs. This paper reports the observed trends for the potential rot decay of Norwegian wood structures in the cities of Oslo and Bergen over the recent 55 years, calculated as the “wood rot climate index” developed by Scheffer, and compares the reports with previous reported values based on climate change modelling. The observed change in the wood rot climate index was close to the modelling result. Bergen is exposed directly to the westerly Atlantic winds and has among the highest rain amounts in Norway, whereas Oslo is shielded by the Scandinavian mountain chain and has much less rain. The change in the wood rot climate index since 1961 was about 20% in both cities, but the trend in the index (climate index change per year) was about 80% stronger in Bergen. The absolute index changes were largest in the summer; then spring (50 to 60% of the summer increase); and small, zero, or even negative (autumn in Oslo) in the remaining seasons. The relative changes were higher in the spring than summer and very high in Bergen in the winter from a low value. The change to positive index values in the spring and winter indicates temperature and humidity conditions favoring the growth of wood rot and, thus, extended the rot duration through the year. The expected increase in the future wood rot decay potential in Norway shows the need for increased focus on adaption measures to reduce the related damages and costs.
Fishers’ Decisions to Adopt Adaptation Strategies and Expectations for Their Children to Pursue the Same Profession in Chumphon Province, Thailand
Authors: Sereenonchai Sukanya , Arunrat Noppol
Published: February 2019

Coastal communities and small-scale fisheries are highly vulnerable to climate change. In this study, we aimed to examine fishers’ decisions to adapt to climate change and their expectations for their children to pursue the same profession. Data were obtained from fisher households covering 8 districts and 22 sub-districts in the coastal area of Chumphon Province, Thailand, using participatory observation, focus group discussion, and in-person field surveys. A binary logistic regression model was used to determine factors influencing the fishers’ decisions and their expectations for their children to inherit their occupation. Results showed that the fishers are aware of the increasing trends in air temperature, sea water temperature, inland precipitation, offshore precipitation, and storms. Increased fishing experience and fishing income increased the likelihood of the fishers applying adaptations to climate change. Looking to the future, fishers with high fishing incomes expect their children to pursue the occupation, whereas increased fishing experience, non-fishing incomes, and perceptions of storms likely discourage them from expecting their children to be fishers. Of the fishers interviewed, 58.06% decided to apply adaptations in response to climate change by incorporating climate-smart agriculture, particularly by cultivating rubber, oil palm, and orchards as a second income source. The adoption of climate-smart fisheries should be considered in relation to the body of local knowledge, as well as the needs and priorities of the fisher community. To cope with the impacts of current and future climate change on coastal communities, the national focal point of adaptation should be climate change, and related governmental agencies should pay more attention to these key factors for adaptation.
Fabrication of Cu2ZnSnS4 Thin Films Based on Facile Nanocrystals-Printing Approach with Rapid Thermal Annealing (RTA) Process
Authors: Chen Jin , Wang Fengchao , Yang Bobo , Peng Xiaogai , Chen Qinmiao , Zou Jun , Dou Xiaoming
Published: February 2019

In the current study, Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) thin film was successfully fabricated by the facile nanocrystals (NCs)-printing approach combined with rapid thermal annealing (RTA) process. Firstly, the CZTS NCs were synthesized by a thermal solution method and the possible formation mechanism was analyzed briefly. Then the influences of RTA toleration temperature and duration time on the various properties of as-printed thin films were examined via XRD, Raman, FE-SEM, UV-vis-IR spectroscopy, EDS and XPS treatments in detail. As observed, the RTA factors of temperature and time had significant impacts on the structure and morphology of as-prepared thin films, while there were no obvious effects on the band gap energy in studied conditions. The results showed that the obtained thin film at optimal RTA conditions of (600 °C, 20 min) featured a kesterite structure in pure phase and an irregular morphology consisting of large grains. Moreover, the satisfactory composition of a Cu-poor, Zn-rich state and an ideal band gap energy of 1.4 eV suggests that as-fabricated CZTS thin film is a suitable light-absorbing layer candidate for the application in thin film solar cells.
Argon Plasma Surface Modified Porcine Bone Substitute Improved Osteoblast-Like Cell Behavior
Authors: Choy Cheuk Sing , Salamanca Eisner , Lin Pei Ying , Huang Haw-Ming , Teng Nai-Chia , Pan Yu-Hwa , Chang Wei-Jen
Published: February 2019

Low-temperature plasma-treated porcine grafts (PGPT) may be an effective means for treating demanding osseous defects and enhance our understanding of plasma-tissue engineering. We chemically characterized porcine grafts under low-temperature Argon plasma treatment (CAP) and evaluated their biocompatibility in-vitro. Our results showed that PGPT did not differ in roughness, dominant crystalline phases, absorption peaks corresponding to phosphate band peaks, or micro-meso pore size, compared to non-treated porcine grafts. The PGPT Ca/P ratio was 2.16; whereas the porcine control ratio was 2.04 (p < 0.05). PGPT’s [C 1s], [P 2p] and [Ca 2p] values were 24.3%, 5.6% and 11.0%, respectively, indicating that PGPT was an apatite without another crystalline phase. Cell viability and alkaline phosphatase assays revealed enhanced proliferation and osteoblastic differentiation for the cells cultivated in the PGPT media after 5 days (p < 0.05). The cells cultured in PGPT medium had higher bone sialoprotein and osteocalcin relative mRNA expression compared to cells cultured in non-treated porcine grafts (p < 0.05). CAP treatment of porcine particles did not modify the biomaterial’s surface and improved the proliferation and differentiation of osteoblast-like cells.
Surface Modification on Cellulose Nanofibers by TiO2 Coating for Achieving High Capture Efficiency of Nanoparticles
Authors: Zhang Chenning , Uchikoshi Tetsuo , Ichinose Izumi , Liu Lihong
Published: February 2019

Cellulose nanofibers were modified by TiO2 gel layer (~25 nm in thickness) via hydrolysis reaction on the surface of the cellulose nanofibers. After the TiO2 coating, the surface charge of the nanofiber dramatically changed from negative to positive. A high efficiency (~100%) of capturing negatively charged Au nanoparticles (5 nm) was successfully obtained by effectively utilizing the electrostatic interaction of surface charge between the TiO2-coated cellulose nanofibers and Au nanoparticles. Therefore, this technique of surface modification will be potentially used in improving filtration efficiency for membrane applications.
Hair Care Cosmetics: From Traditional Shampoo to Solid Clay and Herbal Shampoo, A Review
Authors: Gubitosa Jennifer , Rizzi Vito , Fini Paola , Cosma Pinalysa
Published: February 2019

Hair is an important part of the body appeal and its look is a health indicator. Accordingly, recent advances in hair science and hair care technologies have been reported in literature claiming innovations and strategies for hair treatments and cosmetic products. The treatment of hair and scalp, primarily, involved the use of shampoo for an effective, but gentle cleansing; however, for years, the shampoo is considered not only as a cosmetic product having the purifying purpose, but it is also responsible for maintaining the health and the beauty of hair, imparting gloss and improving manageability. For meeting the needs of a multitasking formulation, following also the recent marketing-trend addressed to the "natural world", new challenges for cosmetic technology are aimed towards the research of natural ingredients, as well as new techniques for shampoo formulation. Regarding the recent development of solid shampoos, little information is available about their use, formulation and advantages. This review is largely focused on the description of solid shampoos, mainly based on the use of clays, herbs or flours as washing bases alternative to the traditional ones, consisting of a combination of synthetic surfactants, together with other usual ingredients expected in a shampoo formulation.
The Effect of Pressure on Magnetic Properties of Prussian Blue Analogues
Authors: Zentkova Maria , Mihalik Marian
Published: February 2019

We present the review of pressure effect on the crystal structure and magnetic properties of Cr(CN)6-based Prussian blue analogues (PBs). The lattice volume of the fcc crystal structure space group Fm 3 ¯ m in the Mn-Cr-CN-PBs linearly decreases for p ≤ 1.7 GPa, the change of lattice size levels off at 3.2 GPa, and above 4.2 GPa an amorphous-like structure appears. The crystal structure recovers after removal of pressure as high as 4.5 GPa. The effect of pressure on magnetic properties follows the non-monotonous pressure dependence of the crystal lattice. The amorphous like structure is accompanied with reduction of the Curie temperature (TC) to zero and a corresponding collapse of the ferrimagnetic moment at 10 GPa. The cell volume of Ni-Cr-CN-PBs decreases linearly and is isotropic in the range of 0–3.1 GPa. The Raman spectra can indicate a weak linkage isomerisation induced by pressure. The Curie temperature in Mn2+-CrIII-PBs and Cr2+-CrIII-PBs with dominant antiferromagnetic super-exchange interaction increases with pressure in comparison with decrease of TC in Ni2+-CrIII-PBs and Co2+-CrIII-PBs ferromagnets. TC increases with increasing pressure for ferrimagnetic systems due to the strengthening of magnetic interaction because pressure, which enlarges the monoelectronic overlap integral S and energy gap ∆ between the mixed molecular orbitals. The reduction of bonding angles between magnetic ions connected by the CN group leads to a small decrease of magnetic coupling. Such a reduction can be expected on both compounds with ferromagnetic and ferrimagnetic ordering. In the second case this effect is masked by the increase of coupling caused by the enlarged overlap between magnetic orbitals. In the case of mixed ferro–ferromagnetic systems, pressure affects μ(T) by a different method in Mn2+–N≡C–CrIII subsystem and CrIII–C≡N–Ni2+ subsystem, and as a consequence Tcomp decreases when the pressure is applied. The pressure changes magnetization processes in both systems, but we expect that spontaneous magnetization is not affected in Mn2+-CrIII-PBs, Ni2+-CrIII-PBs, and Co2+-CrIII-PBs. Pressure-induced magnetic hardening is attributed to a change in magneto-crystalline anisotropy induced by pressure. The applied pressure reduces saturated magnetization of Cr2+-CrIII-PBs. The applied pressure p = 0.84 GPa induces high spin–low spin transition of cca 4.5% of high spin Cr2+. The pressure effect on magnetic properties of PBs nano powders and core–shell heterostructures follows tendencies known from bulk parent PBs.
Spatial Organization of the Gene Regulatory Program: An Information Theoretical Approach to Breast Cancer Transcriptomics
Authors: de Anda-Jáuregui Guillermo , Espinal-Enriquez Jesús , Hernández-Lemus Enrique
Published: February 2019

Gene regulation may be studied from an information-theoretic perspective. Gene regulatory programs are representations of the complete regulatory phenomenon associated to each biological state. In diseases such as cancer, these programs exhibit major alterations, which have been associated with the spatial organization of the genome into chromosomes. In this work, we analyze intrachromosomal, or cis-, and interchromosomal, or trans-gene regulatory programs in order to assess the differences that arise in the context of breast cancer. We find that using information theoretic approaches, it is possible to differentiate cis-and trans-regulatory programs in terms of the changes that they exhibit in the breast cancer context, indicating that in breast cancer there is a loss of trans-regulation. Finally, we use these programs to reconstruct a possible spatial relationship between chromosomes.
Centroid-Based Clustering with αβ-Divergences
Authors: Sarmiento Auxiliadora , Fondón Irene , Durán-Díaz Iván , Cruces Sergio
Published: February 2019

Centroid-based clustering is a widely used technique within unsupervised learning algorithms in many research fields. The success of any centroid-based clustering relies on the choice of the similarity measure under use. In recent years, most studies focused on including several divergence measures in the traditional hard k-means algorithm. In this article, we consider the problem of centroid-based clustering using the family of α β -divergences, which is governed by two parameters, α and β . We propose a new iterative algorithm, α β -k-means, giving closed-form solutions for the computation of the sided centroids. The algorithm can be fine-tuned by means of this pair of values, yielding a wide range of the most frequently used divergences. Moreover, it is guaranteed to converge to local minima for a wide range of values of the pair ( α , β ). Our theoretical contribution has been validated by several experiments performed with synthetic and real data and exploring the ( α , β ) plane. The numerical results obtained confirm the quality of the algorithm and its suitability to be used in several practical applications.
Attribute Selection Based on Constraint Gain and Depth Optimal for a Decision Tree
Authors: Sun Huaining , Hu Xuegang , Zhang Yuhong
Published: February 2019

Uncertainty evaluation based on statistical probabilistic information entropy is a commonly used mechanism for a heuristic method construction of decision tree learning. The entropy kernel potentially links its deviation and decision tree classification performance. This paper presents a decision tree learning algorithm based on constrained gain and depth induction optimization. Firstly, the calculation and analysis of single- and multi-value event uncertainty distributions of information entropy is followed by an enhanced property of single-value event entropy kernel and multi-value event entropy peaks as well as a reciprocal relationship between peak location and the number of possible events. Secondly, this study proposed an estimated method for information entropy whose entropy kernel is replaced with a peak-shift sine function to establish a decision tree learning (CGDT) algorithm on the basis of constraint gain. Finally, by combining branch convergence and fan-out indices under an inductive depth of a decision tree, we built a constraint gained and depth inductive improved decision tree (CGDIDT) learning algorithm. Results show the benefits of the CGDT and CGDIDT algorithms.
An Analysis of the Visual Representation of Redox Reactions in Secondary Chemistry Textbooks from Different Chinese Communities
Authors: Chen Xiaoge , de Goes Luciane F. , Treagust David F. , Eilks Ingo
Published: February 2019

This study provides an analysis of selected aspects of the intended curriculum related to redox reactions as represented in secondary chemistry textbooks from the People’s Republic of China, with a special view also on Hong Kong, Shanghai, Taiwan, and the Chinese minority in Malaysia. This study reveals how chemistry textbooks deal with visual representations related to redox reactions and whether or not the visualizations provide any indication for the orientation of the intended curriculum, characterized by contexts suggested for chemistry learning. Specific criteria were derived from a literature review of the discussion on different levels of chemical representations and from a total of 346 visual representations related to redox reactions identified and analyzed from the textbooks. Based on the frequencies and levels of visual representations in the textbooks, this study showed that representations in textbooks from the People’s Republic of China mostly focus on the macro and macro-symbolic levels and indicate some aspects of everyday life as well as orientations towards industry and technology. The findings show that the textbook from Taiwan uses multiple macroscopic, submicroscopic, and symbolic representations to illustrate the redox reactions. The textbook from Hong Kong has a strong orientation along the content structure of chemistry, with mostly macro level representations. The textbook from the Chinese minority in Malaysia follows a strong structure-of-discipline orientation with limited visual support.
Design of a Low-Cost PV Emulator Applied for PVECS
Authors: Moussa Intissar , Khedher Adel , Bouallegue Adel
Published: February 2019

Applied tests on a real photovoltaic panel for a consolidated analysis require complex experiment setup and permanent availability of climatic conditions. This method is ineffective and can damage the PV system. As a result, PV emulators are highly requested in solar energy conversion and generation research, which rests essentially on a maximum power point tracking control algorithm (MPPT) and an adapting power stage as the DC-DC converter and PV inverter. The PV emulator guarantees a controllable light source environment to act as a real PV system in the laboratory. This paper deals with the study and development of an experimental PV emulator based on logarithmic approximation of the ideal single diode model (ISDM), which is implemented using analog electronic components. Mainly, the PV model, the controller, and the power stages, forming the PV emulator, are described. This simple, low-cost, and efficient device is considered as a nonlinear power supply template replacing the real PV system for any operating point irrespective of the environmental condition changes. The emulated current-voltage and power-voltage curves are validated via resistive load and batteries. Then, the performance of the proposed PV emulator is evaluated by its ability to recharge properly two 12V 7 Ah batteries.
Two-Dimensional Imaging of Permittivity Distribution by an Activated Meta-Structure with a Functional Scanning Defect
Authors: Itami Go , Sakai Osamu , Harada Yoshinori
Published: February 2019

A novel 2D imaging method for permittivity imaging using a meta-structure with a functional scanning defect is proposed, working in the millimeter wave-range. The meta-structure we used here is composed of a perforated metal plate with subwavelength-holes and a needle-like conductor that can scan two-dimensionally just beneath the plate. The metal plate, which is referred to as a metal hole array (MHA) in this study, is known as a structure supporting propagation of spoof surface plasmon polaritons (SSPPs). High-frequency waves with frequencies higher than microwaves, including SSPPs, have the potential to detect signals from inner parts embedded beneath solid surfaces such as living cells or organs under the skin, without physical invasion, because of the larger skin depth penetration of millimeter wave-bands than optical wave-bands. Focused on activated SSPPs, the localized distortion of SSPP modes on an MHA is used in the proposed method to scan the electromagnetic properties of the MHA with a needle-like conductor (conductive probe), which is a kind of active defect-initiator. To show the validity of the proposed method, electromagnetic analyses of the localized distortions of wave fields were performed, and one- and two-dimensional imaging experiments were conducted with the aim of detecting both conductive and dielectric samples. The analytical results confirmed the localized distortion of the electric field distribution of SSPP modes and also indicated that the proposed method has scanning ability. In experimental studies, the detection of conductive and dielectric samples was successful, where the detected dielectrics contained pseudo-biological materials, with an accuracy on the order of millimeters. Finally, a biomedical diagnosis in the case of a rat lung is demonstrated by using the experimental system. These results indicate that the proposed method may be usable for non-invasive and low-risk biomedical diagnosis.
Diesel Engine Valve Clearance Fault Diagnosis Based on Improved Variational Mode Decomposition and Bispectrum
Authors: Bi Xiaoyang , Cao Shuqian , Zhang Daming
Published: February 2019

The evaluation and fault diagnosis of a diesel engine’s health conditions without disassembly are very important for diesel engine safe operation. Currently, the research on fault diagnosis has focused on the time domain or frequency domain processing of vibration signals. However, early fault signals are mostly weak energy signals, and the fault information cannot be completely extracted by time domain and frequency domain analysis. Thus, in this article, a novel fault diagnosis method of diesel engine valve clearance using the improved variational mode decomposition (VMD) and bispectrum algorithm is proposed. First, the experimental study was designed to obtain fault vibration signals. The improved VMD method by choosing the optimal decomposition layers is applied to denoise vibration signals. Then the bispectrum analysis of the reconstructed signal after VMD decomposition is carried out. The results show that bispectrum image under different working conditions exhibits obviously different characteristics respectively. At last, the diagonal projection method proposed in this paper was used to process the bispectrum image, and the fourth order cumulant is calculated. The calculation results show that three states of the valve clearance are successfully distinguished.
Effect of Surface Wettability on Immiscible Displacement in a Microfluidic Porous Media
Authors: Avendaño Jorge , Lima Nicolle , Quevedo Antonio , Carvalho Marcio
Published: February 2019

Wettability has a dramatic impact on fluid displacement in porous media. The pore level physics of one liquid being displaced by another is a strong function of the wetting characteristics of the channel walls. However, the quantification of the effect is still not clear. Conflicting data have shown that in some oil displacement experiments in rocks, the volume of trapped oil falls as the porous media becomes less water-wet, while in some microfluidic experiments the volume of residual oil is higher in oil-wet media. The reasons for this discrepancy are not fully understood. In this study, we analyzed oil displacement by water injection in two microfluidic porous media with different wettability characteristics that had capillaries with constrictions. The resulting oil ganglia size distribution at the end of water injection was quantified by image processing. The results show that in the oil-wet porous media, the displacement front was more uniform and the final volume of remaining oil was smaller, with a much smaller number of large oil ganglia and a larger number of small oil ganglia, when compared to the water-wet media.
Forced Convection of Fe3O4-Water Nanofluid in a Bifurcating Channel under the Effect of Variable Magnetic Field
Authors: Selimefendigil Fatih , Oztop Hakan F. , Sheremet Mikhail A. , Abu-Hamdeh Nidal
Published: February 2019

In this study, forced convection of Fe 3 O 4 –water nanofluid in a bifurcating channel was numerically studied under the influence of variable magnetic. Galerkin residual finite element method was used for numerical simulations. Effects of various values of Reynolds number (between 100 and 500), Hartmann number (between 0 and 3), and solid nanoparticle volume fraction (between 0% and 4%) on the convective heat transfer characteristics were analyzed. It was observed that location and size of the re-circulation zones established in the walls of the bifurcating channel strongly influenced by the variable magnetic field and Reynolds number. Average Nusselt number versus Hartmann number showed different characteristics for hot walls of the vertical and horizontal branching channels. The average Nusselt number enhancements were in the range of 12–15% and 9–12% for hot walls of the branching channel in the absence and presence of magnetic field (at Hartmann number of 3).
Flow Characteristics in Volute of a Double-Suction Centrifugal Pump with Different Impeller Arrangements
Authors: Song Yu , Fan Honggang , Zhang Wei , Xie Zhifeng
Published: February 2019

As an important type of centrifugal pump, the double-suction pump has been widely used due to its high efficiency region and large flow rate. In the present study, the complex flow in volute of a double-suction centrifugal pump is investigated by numerical simulation using a re-normalization group (RNG) k-ε model with experimental validation. Axial flows are observed in volute near the impeller outlet and compared with four staggered angles. The net area-weighted average axial velocities decrease as the staggered angle increases. The axial flows are mainly caused by the different circumferential pressure distribution at the twin impeller outlet. The dominant frequencies of the axial velocities for different staggered angles are fBP and its harmonic. The pressure fluctuations in most regions of the volute are obtained by superimposing the pressure generated by the two impellers.
On the Variation of Turbulence in a High-Velocity Tidal Channel
Authors: Greenwood Charles , Vogler Arne , Venugopal Vengatesan
Published: February 2019

This study presents the variation in turbulence parameters derived from site measurements at a tidal energy test site. Measurements were made towards the southern end of the European Marine Energy Centre’s tidal energy test site at the Fall of Warness (Orkney, Scotland). Four bottom mounted divergent-beam Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCPs) were deployed at three locations over an area of 2 km by 1.4 km to assess the spatial and temporal variation in turbulence in the southern entrance to the channel. During the measurement campaign, average flood velocities of 2 ms−1 were recorded with maximum flow speeds of 3 ms−1 in the absence of significant wave activity. The velocity fluctuations and turbulence parameters show the presence of large turbulent structures at each location. The easternmost profiler located in the wake of a nearby headland during ebb tide, recorded flow shielding effects that reduced velocities to almost zero and produced large turbulence intensities. The depth-dependent analysis of turbulence parameters reveals large velocity variations with complex profiles that do not follow the standard smooth shear profile. Furthermore, turbulence parameters based on data collected from ADCPs deployed in a multi-carrier frame at the same location and time period, show significant differences. This shows a large sensitivity to the make and model of ADCPs with regards to turbulence. Turbulence integral length scales were calculated, and show eddies exceeding 30 m in size. Direct comparison of the length scales derived from the streamwise velocity component and along-beam velocities show very similar magnitudes and distributions with tidal phase.
Wind Power Prediction Based on Extreme Learning Machine with Kernel Mean p-Power Error Loss
Authors: Li Ning , He Fuxing , Ma Wentao
Published: February 2019

In recent years, more and more attention has been paid to wind energy throughout the world as a kind of clean and renewable energy. Due to doubts concerning wind power and the influence of natural factors such as weather, unpredictability, and the risk of system operation increase, wind power seems less reliable than traditional power generation. An accurate and reliable prediction of wind power would enable a power dispatching department to appropriately adjust the scheduling plan in advance according to the changes in wind power, ensure the power quality, reduce the standby capacity of the system, reduce the operation cost of the power system, reduce the adverse impact of wind power generation on the power grid, and improve the power system stability as well as generation adequacy. The traditional back propagation (BP) neural network requires a manual setting of a large number of parameters, and the extreme learning machine (ELM) algorithm simplifies the time complexity and does not need a manual setting of parameters, but the loss function in ELM based on second-order statistics is not the best solution when dealing with nonlinear and non-Gaussian data. For the above problems, this paper proposes a novel wind power prediction method based on ELM with kernel mean p-power error loss, which can achieve lower prediction error compared with the traditional BP neural network. In addition, to reduce the computational problems caused by the large amount of data, principal component analysis (PCA) was adopted to eliminate some redundant data components, and finally the efficiency was improved without any loss in accuracy. Experiments using the real data were performed to verify the performance of the proposed method.
Policies to Overcome Barriers for Renewable Energy Distributed Generation: A Case Study of Utility Structure and Regulatory Regimes in Michigan
Authors: Prehoda Emily , Pearce Joshua , Schelly Chelsea
Published: February 2019

Because of its environmental damage and now often being the most expensive source for electricity production, coal use is declining throughout the United States. Michigan has no active coal mining and seemingly supportive legislation for distributed generation (DG) and renewable energy (RE) technologies. However, Michigan still derives approximately half of its power production from large centralized coal plants, despite the availability of much lower cost RE DG technologies. To understand this conundrum, this study reviews how Michigan investor owned utilities utilize their political power to perpetuate utility structures that work toward the financial interests of the utilities rather than the best interests of the state’s electricity consumers, including other firms and residents. Background is provided covering the concept of DG, the cost savings associated with DG, and utility regulatory regimes at the national, regional, state, and local levels. Recent case studies from specific utility strategies are provided in order to illustrate how Michigan utilities manipulate regulatory regimes via policy misinterpretation to deter or hinder the proliferation of DG in favor of maintaining the existing interests in centralized, fossil fuel-based electrical energy production. The results of this study demonstrate how DG proliferation is hindered by Michigan regulated utilities via the exercise of political power within existing legal and regulatory regimes. This highlights the need to think about how utilities may interpret and implement rules when designing energy legislation and policy to maximize the benefits for consumers and society. Policy recommendations and alternate strategies are provided to help enhance the role of energy policy to improve rather than limit the utilization of RE DG.
Techno-Economic and Life Cycle Impacts Analysis of Direct Methanation of Glycerol to Bio-Synthetic Natural Gas at a Biodiesel Refinery
Authors: White Robert , Segundo Navarro-Pineda Freddy , Cockerill Timothy , Dupont Valerie , César Sacramento Rivero Julio
Published: February 2019

An economic and environmental feasibility study were carried out on the thermochemical conversion of glycerol to medium methane content biological synthetic natural gas (bio-SNG). A plant that processed 497 kg·h−1 of glycerol to bio-SNG was modelled as an on-site addition to a soybean biodiesel plant based in Missouri (USA) that produced 30 million litres of soybean biodiesel per year. Assuming the glycerol contained only 80 wt% free glycerol, the bio-SNG could substitute up to 24% of the natural gas at the soybean biodiesel plant. The discounted cash flow analysis showed it was possible to generate positive NPVs and achieve internal rates of return within the hurdle rate (12%) for biomass gasification technologies. From the environmental analysis it was found that the bio-SNG could reduce global warming potential by 28% when compared to conventional natural gas in the USA and translates to roughly 7% reduction in biodiesel natural gas emissions, if the maximum 24% of natural gas were to be substituted by bio-SNG. The work highlights the potential to divert waste glycerol to an onsite energy vector at soybean biodiesel plants with minimal change to the main biodiesel production process and potential reductions to soybean biodiesel global warming potential.
An Optimized Impedance Model for the Estimation of the State-of-Charge of a Li-Ion Cell: The Case of a LiFePO4 (ANR26650)
Authors: Pizarro-Carmona Victor , Cortés-Carmona Marcelo , Palma-Behnke Rodrigo , Calderón-Muñoz Williams , Orchard Marcos E. , Estévez Pablo A.
Published: February 2019

This article focused on the estimation of the state of charge (SoC) of a Li-con Cell by carrying out a series of experimental tests at various operating temperatures and SoC. The cell was characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) tests, from which the impedance frequency spectrum for different SoC and temperatures was obtained. Indeed, the cell model consisted of a modified Randles circuit type that included a constant phase element so-called Warburg impedance. Each circuit parameter was obtained from the EIS tests. The obtained were been used to develop two numerical models for each parameter, i.e., one based on numerical correlations and the other based on the artificial neural network (ANN) method. A genetic algorithm was used to solve and optimize the numerical models. The accuracy of the models was examined and the results showed that the ANN-based model was more accurate than the correlations-based model. The root mean square relative error (RMSRE) of the parameters Rs, R1, C1 and W for the ANN-based model were: 4.63%, 13.65%, 10.96% and 4.4%, respectively, compared to 7.09%, 27.45%, 34.36% and 7.07% for the correlations-based model, respectively. The SoC was estimated using the extended Kalman filter based on a Randles model, with an estimation RMSRE of about 1.19%.
Optimal Distribution Grid Operation Using DLMP-Based Pricing for Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure in a Smart City
Authors: Canizes Bruno , Soares João , Vale Zita , Corchado Juan M.
Published: February 2019

The use of electric vehicles (EVs) is growing in popularity each year, and as a result, considerable demand increase is expected in the distribution network (DN). Additionally, the uncertainty of EV user behavior is high, making it urgent to understand its impact on the network. Thus, this paper proposes an EV user behavior simulator, which operates in conjunction with an innovative smart distribution locational marginal pricing based on operation/reconfiguration, for the purpose of understanding the impact of the dynamic energy pricing on both sides: the grid and the user. The main goal, besides the distribution system operator (DSO) expenditure minimization, is to understand how and to what extent dynamic pricing of energy for EV charging can positively affect the operation of the smart grid and the EV charging cost. A smart city with a 13-bus DN and a high penetration of distributed energy resources is used to demonstrate the application of the proposed models. The results demonstrate that dynamic energy pricing for EV charging is an efficient approach that increases monetary savings considerably for both the DSO and EV users.
Wind Turbines from the Swedish Wind Energy Program and the Subsequent Commercialization Attempts—A Historical Review
Authors: Möllerström Erik
Published: February 2019

This paper summarizes wind turbines of Swedish origin, 50 kW and above. Both the large governmental-funded prototypes from the early 1980s and following attempts to build commercial turbines are covered. After the 1973 oil crisis, a development program for wind turbine technology was initiated in Sweden, culminating in the early 1980s with the 2 and 3-MW machines at Maglarp and Näsudden. However, government interest declined, and Sweden soon lost its position as one of the leading countries regarding wind turbine development. Nevertheless, several attempts to build commercial wind turbines in Sweden were made in the following decades. Most attempts have, like the earlier prototypes, used a two-bladed rotor, which has become synonymous with the Swedish wind turbine development line. The current ongoing Swedish endeavors primarily focus on the niche-concept of vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs), which is a demonstration of how far from the broad commercial market of Sweden has moved. Thus far, none of the Swedish attempts have been commercially successful, and unlike countries like Denmark or Germany, Sweden currently has no large wind turbine producer. Suggested reasons include early government interventions focusing on two-bladed prototypes and political disinterest, with wind power grants cut in half by 1985, and the domestic industry not being favored in government policies for deploying wind power.
Assessing Hydrological Ecosystem Services in a Rubber-Dominated Watershed under Scenarios of Land Use and Climate Change
Authors: Thellmann Kevin , Golbon Reza , Cotter Marc , Cadisch Georg , Asch Folkard
Published: February 2019

Land use and climate change exert pressure on ecosystems and threaten the sustainable supply of ecosystem services (ESS). In Southeast-Asia, the shift from swidden farming to permanent cash crop systems has led to a wide range of impacts on ESS. Our study area, the Nabanhe Reserve in Yunnan province (PR China), saw the loss of extensive forest areas and the expansion of rubber (Hevea brasiliensis Müll. Arg.) plantations. In this study, we model water yield and sediment export for a rubber-dominated watershed under multiple scenarios of land use and climate change in order to assess how both drivers influence the supply of these ESS. For this we use three stakeholder-validated land use scenarios, varying in their degree of rubber expansion and land management rules. As projected climate change varies remarkably between different climate models, we combined the land use scenarios with datasets of temperature and precipitation changes, derived from nine General Circulation Models (GCMs) of the Fifth Assessment Report of the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) in order to model water yield and sediment export with InVEST (Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs). Simulation results show that the effect of land use and land management decisions on water yield in Nabanhe Reserve are relatively minor (4% difference in water yield between land use scenarios), when compared to the effects that future climate change will exert on water yield (up to 15% increase or 13% decrease in water yield compared to the baseline climate). Changes in sediment export were more sensitive to land use change (15% increase or 64% decrease) in comparison to the effects of climate change (up to 10% increase). We conclude that in the future, particularly dry years may have a more pronounced effect on the water balance as the higher potential evapotranspiration increases the probability for periods of water scarcity, especially in the dry season. The method we applied can easily be transferred to regions facing comparable land use situations, as InVEST and the IPCC data are freely available.
Influence of Site Conditions and Quality of Birch Wood on Its Properties and Utilization after Heat Treatment. Part I—Elastic and Strength Properties, Relationship to Water and Dimensional Stability
Authors: Borůvka Vlastimil , Dudík Roman , Zeidler Aleš , Holeček Tomáš
Published: February 2019

This work deals with the quality of birch (Betula pendula) wood from different sites and the impact of heat treatment on it. Two degrees of heat treatment were used, 170 °C and 190 °C. The resulting property values were compared with reference to untreated wood samples. These values were wood density, compressive strength, modulus of elasticity (MOE), bending strength (MOR), impact bending strength (toughness), hardness, swelling, limit of hygroscopicity, moisture content and color change. It was supposed that an increase in heat-treatment temperature could reduce strength properties and, adversely, lead to better shape and dimensional stability, which was confirmed by experiments. It was also shown that the properties of the wood before treatment affected their condition after heat treatment, and that the characteristic values and variability of birch properties from 4 sites, 8 stems totally, were reflected in the properties of the heat-treated wood. Values of static MOR were the exception, where the quality of the input wood was less significant at a higher temperature, and this was even more significant in impact bending strength, where it manifested at a lower temperature degree. Impact bending strength also proved to be significantly negatively affected by heat treatment, about 48% at 170 °C, and up to 67% at 190 °C. On the contrary, the most positive results were the MOE and hardness increases at 170 °C by about 30% and about 21%, respectively, with a decrease in swelling at 190 °C by about 31%. On the basis of color change and other ascertained properties, there is a possibility that, after suitable heat treatment, birch could replace other woods (e.g., beech) for certain specific purposes, particularly in the furniture industry.
Effects of Light-Emitting Diodes on the Accumulation of Glucosinolates and Phenolic Compounds in Sprouting Canola (Brassica napus L.)
Authors: Park Chang Ha , Kim Nam Su , Park Jong Seok , Lee Sook Young , Lee Jong-Won , Park Sang Un
Published: February 2019

In this study, we investigated optimal light conditions for enhancement of the growth and accumulation of glucosinolates and phenolics in the sprouts of canola (Brassica napus L.). We found that the shoot lengths and fresh weights of red light-irradiated sprouts were higher than those of sprouts exposed to white, blue, and blue + red light, whereas root length was not notably different among red, blue, white, and blue + red light treatments. The accumulations of total glucosinolates in plants irradiated with white, blue, and red lights were not significantly different (19.32 ± 0.13, 20.69 ± 0.05, and 20.65 ± 1.70 mg/g dry weight (wt.), respectively). However, sprouts exposed to blue + red light contained the lowest levels of total glucosinolates (17.08 ± 0.28 mg/g dry wt.). The accumulation of total phenolic compounds was the highest in plants irradiated with blue light (3.81 ± 0.08 mg/g dry wt.), 1.33 times higher than the lowest level in plants irradiated with red light (2.87 ± 0.05 mg/g dry wt.). These results demonstrate that red light-emitting diode (LED) light is suitable for sprout growth and that blue LED light is effective in increasing the accumulation of glucosinolates and phenolics in B. napus sprouts.
Carotenoid Biosynthesis in Oriental Melon (Cucumis melo L. var. makuwa)
Authors: Tuan Pham Anh , Lee Jeongyeo , Park Chang Ha , Kim Jae Kwang , Noh Young-Hee , Kim Yeon Bok , Kim HyeRan , Park Sang Un
Published: February 2019

Full-length cDNAs encoding ξ-carotene desaturase (CmZDS), lycopene ε-cyclase (CmLCYE), β-ring carotene hydroxylase (CmCHXB), and zeaxanthin epoxidase (CmZEP), and partial-length cDNA encoding ε-ring carotene hydroxylase (CmCHXE) were isolated in Chamoe (Cucumis melo L. var. makuwa), an important commercial fruit. Sequence analyses revealed that these proteins share high identity and common features with other orthologous genes. Expression levels of entire genes involved in the carotenoid biosynthetic pathway were investigated in the peel, pulp, and stalk of chamoe cultivars Ohbokggul and Gotgam. Most of the carotenoid biosynthetic genes were expressed at their highest levels in the stalk, whereas carotenoids were highly distributed in the peel. The expression levels of all carotenoid biosynthetic genes in fruits of the native cultivar Gotgam chamoe were higher than those in the cultivar Ohbokggul chamoe, consistent with the abundant carotenoid accumulation in Gotgam chamoe fruits and trace carotenoid content of Ohbokggul chamoe fruit. Lutein and β-carotene were the dominant carotenoids; high levels (278.05 μg g−1 and 112.02 μg g−1 dry weight, respectively) were found in the peel of Gotgam chamoe. Our findings may provide a foundation for elucidating the carotenoid biosynthetic mechanism in C. melo and inform strategies for developing new chamoe cultivars with improved characteristics.