bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Nitrogen Gas on Microstructural and Mechanical Properties of TIG Welded S32205 Duplex Stainless Steel
Authors: Başyiğit Aziz , Kurt Adem
Published: April 2018

Duplex stainless steels are gaining greater interest due to their increasing amounts of application fields. Accordingly, there is a need for awareness of problems associated with improper microstructural distributions such as δ-ferrite (delta-ferrite), austenite and other important intermetallic phases that may form in these steel weldments. Since δ-ferrite versus austenite ratio profoundly influences corrosion and mechanical properties, optimum δ-ferrite ratios must be kept approximately within 35–65 vol % and balance austenite to maintain satisfactory corrosion and mechanical properties on welding of these steels. Cooling rates of welds and alloying elements in base metal are the major factors that determine the final microstructure of these steels. In this work, 3 mm thickness of 2205 duplex stainless-steel plates were TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) welded with various amounts of nitrogen gas added to argon shielding gas. Specimens were joined within the same welding parameters and cooling conditions. As nitrogen is a potential austenite stabilizer and an interstitial solid solution hardener, the effects of nitrogen on mechanical properties such as hardness profiles, grain sizes and microstructural modifications are investigated thoroughly by changing the welding shielding gas compositions. Increasing the nitrogen content in argon shielding gas also increases the amount of austenitic phase while δ-ferrite ratios decreases. Nitrogen spherodized the grains of austenitic structure much more than observed in δ-ferrite. The strength values of specimens that welded with the addition of nitrogen gas into the argon shielding gas are increased more in both austenitic and delta-ferritic structure as compared to specimens that welded with plain argon shielding gas. The addition of 1 vol % of nitrogen gas into argon shielding gas provided the optimum phase balance of austenite and δ-ferrite in S32205 duplex stainless-steel TIG-welded specimens.
Light Manipulation in Inhomogeneous Liquid Flow and Its Application in Biochemical Sensing
Authors: Zuo Yunfeng , Zhu Xiaoqiang , Shi Yang , Liang Li , Yang Yi
Published: April 2018

Light manipulation has always been the fundamental subject in the field of optics since centuries ago. Traditional optical devices are usually designed using glasses and other materials, such as semiconductors and metals. Optofluidics is the combination of microfluidics and optics, which brings a host of new advantages to conventional solid systems. The capabilities of light manipulation and biochemical sensing are inherent alongside the emergence of optofluidics. This new research area promotes advancements in optics, biology, and chemistry. The development of fast, accurate, low-cost, and small-sized biochemical micro-sensors is an urgent demand for real-time monitoring. However, the fluid flow in the on-chip sensor is usually non-uniformed, which is a new and emerging challenge for the accuracy of optical detection. It is significant to reveal the principle of light propagation in an inhomogeneous liquid flow and the interaction between biochemical samples and light in flowing liquids. In this review, we summarize the current state of optofluidic lab-on-a-chip techniques from the perspective of light modulation by the unique dynamic properties of fluid in heterogeneous media, such as diffusion, heat transfer, and centrifugation etc. Furthermore, this review introduces several novel photonic phenomena in an inhomogeneous liquid flow and demonstrates their application in biochemical sensing.
Correction: Athanasiou, C.-E. et al. A Monolithic Micro-Tensile Tester for Investigating Silicon Dioxide Polymorph Micromechanics, Fabricated and Operated Using a Femtosecond Laser. Micromachines, 2015, 6, 1365–1386
Authors: Athanasiou Christos-Edward , Bellouard Yves
Published: April 2018

The authors would like to make the following changes to the published paper [1]: Equation (5) should be written as follows:[...]
Undifferentiated Inorganics in Coal Fly Ash and Bottom Ash: Calcispheres, Magnesiacalcispheres, and Magnesiaspheres
Authors: Valentim Bruno , Białecka Barbara , Gonçalves Paula , Guedes Alexandra , Guimarães Renato , Cruceru Mihai , Całus-Moszko Joanna , Popescu Luminiţa , Predeanu Georgeta , Santos Ana
Published: April 2018

During a study aiming to recover strategic elements and minerals from coal fly ash and bottom ash (RAREASH and CHARPHITE projects funded, respectively, by the 2nd ERA-MIN and 3rd ERA-MIN Programs of the European Union Commission), it was found that in coal fly ash and bottom ash from Romania and Poland, several morphotypes did not fit into the general fly ash classifications, unless grouped together as “undifferentiated inorganics”. However, the combination of reflected light optical microscopy under oil immersion, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray microanalysis (SEM/EDS) showed that many of these morphotypes not only have distinctive petrographic patterns but are also characterized by a chemical assemblage dominated by Ca, Mg, and P. In this paper, a survey of the literature is presented together with several detailed studies of samples from the RAREASH and CHARPHITE projects from which the following nomenclature are proposed: “calcispheres” for spongy Ca-rich morphotypes, “calcimagnesiaspheres” for (Ca + Mg)-rich morphotypes with visible MgO nodules and/or periclase (MgO) exsolved from Ca aluminate-silicate glass, and “magnesiaspheres” divided into “magnesiaferrospheres” for (Mg + Fe)-rich morphotypes with magnesioferrite, and “magnesiaoxyspheres” for magnesiaspheres mainly composed of (Mg + Fe)-rich amorphous material with visible MgO nodules and/or periclase.
Performance Analysis of Thiocarbonohydrazide as a Novel Selective Depressant for Chalcopyrite in Molybdenite-Chalcopyrite Separation
Authors: Guan Changping , Yin Zhigang , Ahmed Khoso Sultan , Sun Wei , Hu Yuehua
Published: April 2018

A novel surfactant, thiocarbonohydrazide (TCH), was synthesized and tested for the first time as a selective chalcopyrite depressant in Cu-Mo separation. Its adsorption mechanisms on chalcopyrite were studied by flotation tests, zeta potential, FTIR, XPS and ToF-SIMS measurements. FTIR and zeta potential analyses suggested that there was a strong chemisorption reaction between TCH and chalcopyrite, resulting in the formation of TCH–copper complexes. XPS and ToF-SIMS measurements further confirmed the chemisorption of TCH onto the chalcopyrite surface and showed that this chemisorption reaction is due to its S and N atoms, which form five-membered chelating rings by releasing H ions.
Webometrics: Some Critical Issues of WWW Size Estimation Methods
Authors: Mohana Arunachalam Srinivasan , Koumpis Adamantios , Handschuh Siegfried
Published: April 2018

The number of webpages in the Internet has increased tremendously over the last two decades however only a part of it is indexed by various search engines. This small portion is the indexable web of the Internet and can be usually reachable from a Search Engine. Search engines play a big role in making the World Wide Web accessible to the end user, and how much of the World Wide Web is accessible on the size of the search engine’s index. Researchers have proposed several ways to estimate this size of the indexable web using search engines with and without privileged access to the search engine’s database. Our report provides a summary of methods used in the last two decades to estimate the size of the World Wide Web, as well as describe how this knowledge can be used in other aspects/tasks concerning the World Wide Web.
Mediterranean Diet and Health Outcomes in the SUN Cohort
Authors: Carlos Silvia , De La Fuente-Arrillaga Carmen , Bes-Rastrollo Maira , Razquin Cristina , Rico-Campà Anaïs , Martínez-González Miguel , Ruiz-Canela Miguel
Published: April 2018

The Mediterranean Dietary (MedDiet) Pattern has been linked to many beneficial health effects. This review summarizes the main findings of a prospective cohort study, the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra (SUN) cohort, specifically focused on MedDiet and the risk of major chronic disease. It is an open cohort in which 22,786 Spanish university graduates have participated since 1999 until February 2018. Data on diet, lifestyle and clinical diagnosis are collected at baseline and every two years. After reviewing 21 publications from the SUN cohort on the effects of the MedDiet, we conclude that this cohort has provided good evidence that a high MedDiet adherence is associated with a reduced incidence of all-cause mortality, fatal and non-fatal major cardiovascular disease (CVD), type 2 diabetes, weight gain, metabolic syndrome, depression, cognitive decline, and nephrolithiasis. An inverse dose-response relationship was found for many of these associations. The MedDiet was also associated with lower average heart rate, a mitigation of the harmful effects of overweight/obesity on the risk of CVD, and an attenuation of the effects of obesity on type 2 diabetes. A suggestion that the MedDiet may enhance fertility was also found.
The Uptake and Metabolism of Amino Acids, and Their Unique Role in the Biology of Pathogenic Trypanosomatids
Authors: Marchese Letícia , Nascimento Janaina , Damasceno Flávia , Bringaud Frédéric , Michels Paul , Silber Ariel
Published: April 2018

Trypanosoma brucei, as well as Trypanosoma cruzi and more than 20 species of the genus Leishmania, form a group of flagellated protists that threaten human health. These organisms are transmitted by insects that, together with mammals, are their natural hosts. This implies that during their life cycles each of them faces environments with different physical, chemical, biochemical, and biological characteristics. In this work we review how amino acids are obtained from such environments, how they are metabolized, and how they and some of their intermediate metabolites are used as a survival toolbox to cope with the different conditions in which these parasites should establish the infections in the insects and mammalian hosts.
Material Considerations for Fused-Filament Fabrication of Solid Dosage Forms
Authors: Fuenmayor Evert , Forde Martin , Healy Andrew , Devine Declan , Lyons John , McConville Christopher , Major Ian
Published: April 2018

Material choice is a fundamental consideration when it comes to designing a solid dosage form. The matrix material will ultimately determine the rate of drug release since the physical properties (solubility, viscosity, and more) of the material control both fluid ingress and disintegration of the dosage form. The bulk properties (powder flow, concentration, and more) of the material should also be considered since these properties will influence the ability of the material to be successfully manufactured. Furthermore, there is a limited number of approved materials for the production of solid dosage forms. The present study details the complications that can arise when adopting pharmaceutical grade polymers for fused-filament fabrication in the production of oral tablets. The paper also presents ways to overcome each issue. Fused-filament fabrication is a hot-melt extrusion-based 3D printing process. The paper describes the problems encountered in fused-filament fabrication with Kollidon® VA64, which is a material that has previously been utilized in direct compression and hot-melt extrusion processes. Formulation and melt-blending strategies were employed to increase the printability of the material. The paper defines for the first time the essential parameter profile required for successful 3D printing and lists several pre-screening tools that should be employed to guide future material formulation for the fused-filament fabrication of solid dosage forms.
Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude and Barriers towards Pharmacovigilance among Physicians and Pharmacists of Abbottabad, Pakistan
Authors: Syed Akash , Azhar Saira , Raza Muhammad , Saeed Humaira , Jamshed Shazia
Published: April 2018

Objectives: Pharmacovigilance in Pakistan needs robust preference in terms of implementation and consistent movement of structured approaches. The objective of this study is to explore the knowledge, attitude and barriers towards adverse drug reaction (ADR) reporting among physicians and pharmacists and to explore the encouraging factors of ADR reporting. Methods: The current research was a cross-sectional study design in which a pre-validated questionnaire was administered to physicians and pharmacists in Abbottabad, Pakistan. The study was conducted for two months from January 2016 to February 2016. Results: A total of 194 physicians and pharmacists responded with a response rate of 35.3%. All the respondents either strongly agreed or agreed that ADRs reporting is a part of their duty. Half of the respondents agreed that monitoring of drug safety is important. Around three quarters of respondents (74.2%) stated that they did not report ADRs due to unavailability of reporting forms while 70% cited lack of a proper pharmacovigilance center as one of the key barriers. Half of the respondents (52.2%) did not report due to their insufficient knowledge. A large majority (81.8%) said that they would report ADRs if there is pharmacovigilance center. On the point of incentives, opinion seems to be divided. Slightly less than half (47.8%) cited their wish to have few incentives while the remaining 52.2% either preferred to be neutral or disagreed. Conclusion: Based on the study findings, barriers were mostly related to general unfamiliarity with ADRs reporting guidelines and the non-existence of a pharmacovigilance center. It is highlighted that the regulatory body should carve a niche for a properly functional pharmacovigilance center and initiate educational programs for strengthening knowledge and attitudes towards ADR reporting.
The Length of Hydrophobic Chain in Amphiphilic Polypeptides Regulates the Efficiency of Gene Delivery
Authors: Zhang Ying , Zhou Zhiping , Chen Mingsheng
Published: April 2018

The major challenges of non-viral carriers are low transfection efficiency and high toxicity. To overcome this bottleneck, it is very important to investigate the structure-property-function (transfection efficiency) relationships of polycations. Herein, different length hydrophobic poly(l-leucine) chains in amphiphilic polypeptides were precisely synthesized by α-amino acid N-carboxyanhydrides (NCA) ring-opening polymerization and these biocompatible polypeptides were chosen as a model to further examine the transfection in vitro. These polypeptides were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) and size exclusion chromatography (SEC). Agarose gel electrophoresis (AGE) was employed to validate the ability of DNA condensation and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to observe the assemblies of polyplexes. Cytotoxicity was evaluated in COS-7 cell lines and transfection was performed in normal cell COS-7 and cancer cell Hep G2. The results showed that NCA monomers were prepared and the amphiphilic polypeptides, poly(lysine(CBZ))50-block-poly(l-leucine)10, poly(l-lysine(CBZ))50-block-poly(l-leucine)15, and poly(l-lysine(CBZ))50-block-poly(l-leucine)25, were successfully synthesized with controlled molecular weight and narrow distribution. After deprotection of CBZ, these materials can condense plasmid DNA into 100 nm nanoparticles and the cellular uptake of polyplexes was as fast as 30 min. The transfection data shown these materials had a good transfection efficiency comparing to polyethylenimine (Branched, 25 kDa) while they displayed ignored cytotoxicity. More importantly, we discovered the length of hydrophobic poly(l-leucine) in amphiphilic polypeptides steadily regulates gene delivery efficiency in two kinds of cells ranking poly(l-lysine)50-block-poly(l-leucine)25 > poly(l-lysine)50-block-poly(l-leucine)15 > poly(l-lysine)50-block-poly(l-leucine)10.
The Effect of Maleated Polypropylene on the Non-Isothermal Crystallization Kinetics of Wood Fiber-Reinforced Polypropylene Composites
Authors: Huang Chung-Wei , Yang Teng-Chun , Hung Ke-Chang , Xu Jin-Wei , Wu Jyh-Horng
Published: April 2018

The influence of maleated polypropylene (MAPP) on the non-isothermal crystallization behavior of wood fiber (WF)-reinforced PP composites (WPCs) was investigated by a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). The results showed that MAPP as a nucleation agent accelerated the crystallization rate of the PP matrix in WPC under the cooling process. The corresponding crystallization kinetics and activation energy were further analyzed using the Avrami method, Avrami–Ozawa method, Kissinger method, and Friedman method. The results demonstrated that MAPP significantly changed the crystal growth mechanism of the PP matrix to heterogeneous nucleation for acicular and tabular crystal growth during the annealing step. A remarkably lower cooling rate can achieve a certain relative crystallinity degree at the unit crystallization time for WPC with 3 wt % MAPP (WPCM3). Similarly, the lowest crystallization activation energy was observed for the WPCM3 among all WPCs by the Kissinger method. Furthermore, based on the Friedman method, the addition of MAPP easily caused the PP matrix to crystallize in the WPC at the initial stage of relative crystallinity.
Exploring the Molecular Distributions in Dilute Polymer Solutions Using a Multi-Scale Numerical Solver
Authors: Liu Yi , Yang Canqun , Wu Cheng-Kun , Zhang Xiang , Zhang Xin , Guo Xiao-Wei
Published: April 2018

Simulating the rheological behaviors of polymer solutions is intrinsically a multi-scale problem. To study the macroscopic and microscopic characteristics in the fluid flow of dilute polymer solutions, we designed a multi-scale solver, which couples the Brownian Configuration Fields with the macroscopic hydrodynamic governing equations. Numerical simulation results using the multi-scale solver exhibited good accordance with the macroscopic only approach. Through a scalar field D we also quantitatively studied the flow behaviours in 2D planar channels, and analyzed the correlation between the molecular distribution and the macroscopic fluid flow in polymer solutions. Our results verified the correctness of the solver, which could provide valuable guidance for multi-scale simulations of complex fluids based on OpenFOAM.
Single-Point Incremental Forming of Two Biocompatible Polymers: An Insight into Their Thermal and Structural Properties
Authors: Lozano-Sánchez Luis , Bagudanch Isabel , Sustaita Alan , Iturbe-Ek Jackeline , Elizalde Luis , Garcia-Romeu Maria , Elías-Zúñiga Alex
Published: April 2018

Sheets of polycaprolactone (PCL) and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) were fabricated and shaped by the Single-Point Incremental Forming process (SPIF). The performance of these biocompatible polymers in SPIF was assessed through the variation of four main parameters: the diameter of the forming tool, the spindle speed, the feed rate, and the step size based on a Box–Behnken design of experiments of four variables and three levels. The design of experiments allowed us to identify the parameters that most affect the forming of PCL and UHMWPE. The study was completed by means of a deep characterization of the thermal and structural properties of both polymers. These properties were correlated to the performance of the polymers observed in SPIF, and it was found that the polymer chains are oriented as a consequence of the SPIF processing. Moreover, by X-ray diffraction it was proved that polymer chains behave differently on each surface of the fabricated parts, since the chains on the surface in contact with the forming tool are oriented horizontally, while on the opposite surface they are oriented in the vertical direction. The unit cell of UHMWPE is distorted, passing from an orthorhombic cell to a monoclinic due to the slippage between crystallites. This slippage between crystallites was observed in both PCL and UHMWPE, and was identified as an alpha star thermal transition located in the rubbery region between the glass transition and the melting point of each polymer.
Genome-Scale In Silico Analysis for Enhanced Production of Succinic Acid in Zymomonas mobilis
Authors: Widiastuti Hanifah , Lee Na-Rae , Karimi Iftekhar , Lee Dong-Yup
Published: April 2018

Presented herein is a model-driven strategy for characterizing the production capability of expression host and subsequently identifying targets for strain improvement by resorting to network structural comparison with reference strain and in silico analysis of genome-scale metabolic model. The applicability of the strategy was demonstrated by exploring the capability of Zymomonas mobilis, as a succinic acid producer. Initially, the central metabolism of Z. mobilis was compared with reference producer, Mannheimia succiniciproducens, in order to identify gene deletion targets. It was followed by combinatorial gene deletion analysis. Remarkably, resultant in silico strains suggested that knocking out pdc, ldh, and pfl genes encoding pyruvate-consuming reactions as well as the cl gene leads to fifteen-fold increase in succinic acid molar yield. The current exploratory work could be a promising support to wet experiments by providing guidance for metabolic engineering strategies and lowering the number of trials and errors.
ELIMAIA: A Laser-Driven Ion Accelerator for Multidisciplinary Applications
Authors: Margarone Daniele , Cirrone G. , Cuttone Giacomo , Amico Antonio , Andò Lucio , Borghesi Marco , Bulanov Stepan , Bulanov Sergei , Chatain Denis , Fajstavr Antonín , Giuffrida Lorenzo , Grepl Filip , Kar Satyabrata , Krasa Josef , Kramer Daniel , Larosa Giuseppina , Leanza Renata , Levato Tadzio , Maggiore Mario , Manti Lorenzo , Milluzzo Guliana , Odlozilik Boris , Olsovcova Veronika , Perin Jean-Paul , Pipek Jan , Psikal Jan , Petringa Giada , Ridky Jan , Romano Francesco , Rus Bedřich , Russo Antonio , Schillaci Francesco , Scuderi Valentina , Velyhan Andriy , Versaci Roberto , Wiste Tuomas , Zakova Martina , Korn Georg
Published: April 2018

The main direction proposed by the community of experts in the field of laser-driven ion acceleration is to improve particle beam features (maximum energy, charge, emittance, divergence, monochromaticity, shot-to-shot stability) in order to demonstrate reliable and compact approaches to be used for multidisciplinary applications, thus, in principle, reducing the overall cost of a laser-based facility compared to a conventional accelerator one and, at the same time, demonstrating innovative and more effective sample irradiation geometries. The mission of the laser-driven ion target area at ELI-Beamlines (Extreme Light Infrastructure) in Dolní Břežany, Czech Republic, called ELI Multidisciplinary Applications of laser-Ion Acceleration (ELIMAIA) , is to provide stable, fully characterized and tuneable beams of particles accelerated by Petawatt-class lasers and to offer them to the user community for multidisciplinary applications. The ELIMAIA beamline has been designed and developed at the Institute of Physics of the Academy of Science of the Czech Republic (IoP-ASCR) in Prague and at the National Laboratories of Southern Italy of the National Institute for Nuclear Physics (LNS-INFN) in Catania (Italy). An international scientific network particularly interested in future applications of laser driven ions for hadrontherapy, ELI MEDical applications (ELIMED), has been established around the implementation of the ELIMAIA experimental system. The basic technology used for ELIMAIA research and development, along with envisioned parameters of such user beamline will be described and discussed.
From Antisemitism to Philosemitism? Trends in American Attitudes toward Jews from 1964 to 2016
Authors: Cohen Jeffrey
Published: April 2018

This paper uses the feeling thermometer toward Jews on the American National Election (ANES) surveys from 1964 through 2016 to track trends in Americans’ attitudes toward Jews. The feeling thermometer is one of the longest continuous time series studies in which Americans are asked about their attitudes toward Jews, and there are items on the ANES surveys that can be used to partially correct for social desirability response effects. The analysis compares several demographic groups, an important focus of extant research. Findings indicate a modest warming trend for most groups, with older Americans and the least educated displaying the greatest warmth increases. In contrast, Catholics have become slightly cooler. Analysis suggests that the immigration of Catholics from Latin America, nations that lack the religious tolerance tradition, may account for this counter-trend. The conclusion offers suggestions for future research and discusses the implications of the rising proportion of Hispanic immigrants into the US for future levels of antisemitism in the US.
Fog Detection Based on Meteosat Second Generation-Spinning Enhanced Visible and InfraRed Imager High Resolution Visible Channel
Authors: Nilo Saverio , Romano Filomena , Cermak Jan , Cimini Domenico , Ricciardelli Elisabetta , Cersosimo Angela , Di Paola Francesco , Gallucci Donatello , Gentile Sabrina , Geraldi Edoardo , Larosa Salvatore , Ripepi Ermann , Viggiano Mariassunta
Published: April 2018

In this study, the Meteosat Second Generation (MSG)—Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager (SEVIRI) High Resolution Visible channel (HRV) is used in synergy with the narrow band MSG-SEVIRI channels for daytime fog detection. A new algorithm, named MSG-SEVIRI SatFog, has been designed and implemented. MSG-SEVIRI SatFog provides the indication of the presence of fog in near real time and at the high spatial resolution of the HRV channel. The HRV resolution is useful for detecting small scale daytime fog that would be missed in the MSG-SEVIRI low spatial resolution channels. By combining textural, physical and tonal tests, a distinction between fog and low stratus is performed for pixels identified as low/middle clouds or clear by the Classification-MAsk Coupling of Statistical and Physical Methods (C-MACSP) cloud detection algorithm. Suitable thresholds have been determined using a specific dataset covering different geographical areas, seasons and time of the day. MSG-SEVIRI SatFog is evaluated against METeorological Aerodrome Reports (METAR) data observations. Evaluation results in an accuracy of 69.9%, a probability of detection of 68.7%, a false alarm ratio of 31.3% and a probability of false detection of 30.0%.
A Monolithic Electrochemical Micro Seismic Sensor Capable of Monitoring Three-Dimensional Vibrations
Authors: Chen Lianhong , Sun Zhenyuan , Li Guanglei , Chen Deyong , Wang Junbo , Chen Jian
Published: April 2018

A monolithic electrochemical micro seismic sensor capable of monitoring three-axial vibrations was proposed in this paper. The proposed micro sensor mainly consisted of four sensing units interconnected within flow channels and by interpreting the voltage outputs of the sensing units, vibrations with arbitrary directions can be quantified. The proposed seismic sensors are fabricated based on MEMS technologies and characterized, which produced sensitivities along x, y, and z axes as 2473.2 ± 184.5 V/(m/s), 2261.7 ± 119.6 V/(m/s), and 3480.7 ± 417.2 V/(m/s) at 30 Hz. In addition, the vibrations in x-y, x-z, and y-z planes were applied to the developed seismic sensors, leading to comparable monitoring results after decoupling calculations with the input velocities. Furthermore, the results have shown its feasibilities for seismic data recording.
A Power-Frequency Electric Field Sensor for Portable Measurement
Authors: Xiao Dongping , Ma Qichao , Xie Yutong , Zheng Qi , Zhang Zhanlong
Published: April 2018

In this paper, a new type of electric field sensor is proposed for the health and safety protection of inspection staff in high-voltage environments. Compared with the traditional power frequency electric field measurement instruments, the portable instrument has some special performance requirements and, thus, a new kind of double spherical shell sensor is presented. First, the mathematical relationships between the induced voltage of the sensor, the output voltage of the measurement circuit, and the original electric field in free space are deduced theoretically. These equations show the principle of the proposed sensor to measure the electric field and the effect factors of the measurement. Next, the characteristics of the sensor are analyzed through simulation. The simulation results are in good agreement with the theoretical analysis. The influencing rules of the size and material of the sensor on the measurement results are summarized. Then, the proposed sensor and the matching measurement system are used in a physical experiment. After calibration, the error of the measurement system is discussed. Lastly, the directional characteristic of the proposed sensor is experimentally tested.
Sky Detection in Hazy Image
Authors: Song Yingchao , Luo Haibo , Ma Junkai , Hui Bin , Chang Zheng
Published: April 2018

Sky detection plays an essential role in various computer vision applications. Most existing sky detection approaches, being trained on ideal dataset, may lose efficacy when facing unfavorable conditions like the effects of weather and lighting conditions. In this paper, a novel algorithm for sky detection in hazy images is proposed from the perspective of probing the density of haze. We address the problem by an image segmentation and a region-level classification. To characterize the sky of hazy scenes, we unprecedentedly introduce several haze-relevant features that reflect the perceptual hazy density and the scene depth. Based on these features, the sky is separated by two imbalance SVM classifiers and a similarity measurement. Moreover, a sky dataset (named HazySky) with 500 annotated hazy images is built for model training and performance evaluation. To evaluate the performance of our method, we conducted extensive experiments both on our HazySky dataset and the SkyFinder dataset. The results demonstrate that our method performs better on the detection accuracy than previous methods, not only under hazy scenes, but also under other weather conditions.
Delving Deep into Multiscale Pedestrian Detection via Single Scale Feature Maps
Authors: Fu Xinchuan , Yu Rui , Zhang Weinan , Wu Jie , Shao Shihai
Published: April 2018

The standard pipeline in pedestrian detection is sliding a pedestrian model on an image feature pyramid to detect pedestrians of different scales. In this pipeline, feature pyramid construction is time consuming and becomes the bottleneck for fast detection. Recently, a method called multiresolution filtered channels (MRFC) was proposed which only used single scale feature maps to achieve fast detection. However, there are two shortcomings in MRFC which limit its accuracy. One is that the receptive field correspondence in different scales is weak. Another is that the features used are not scale invariance. In this paper, two solutions are proposed to tackle with the two shortcomings respectively. Specifically, scale-aware pooling is proposed to make a better receptive field correspondence, and soft decision tree is proposed to relive scale variance problem. When coupled with efficient sliding window classification strategy, our detector achieves fast detecting speed at the same time with state-of-the-art accuracy.
Cu, Pb, and Zn Sorption to Biogenic Iron (Oxyhydr)Oxides Formed in Circumneutral Environments
Authors: Whitaker Andrew , Duckworth Owen
Published: April 2018

The transportation and immobilization of potentially toxic metals in near-surface environments may be partially controlled by sorption processes at the solid-water interface. Myriad studies have shown that iron (oxyhydr)oxides have large sorption capacities and form strong surface complexes with metal ions. Biogenic iron (oxyhydr)oxides (BIOS) form at redox gradients where dissolved ferrous iron encounters oxygenated conditions, allowing bacteria to outcompete abiotic Fe oxidation. This process produces biominerals with distinct surface and structural properties (incorporation of cell-derived organic matter, poor crystallinity, and small particle sizes) that may alter their metal-binding affinity and sorption processes. To better understand metal binding by BIOS, Cu, Pb, and Zn, sorption rate and isotherm studies were conducted with synthetic two-line ferrihydrite and BIOS. Additionally, X-ray absorption spectroscopy and total scattering were used to elucidate the BIOS mineral structure and metal ion surface structures. On a mass normalization basis, BIOS sorbed approximately 8, 4, and 2 times more Cu, Pb, and Zn, respectively, than 2LFh over similar dissolved concentrations. Spectroscopic analyses revealed poorly crystalline structures and small coherent scattering domain sizes for BIOS. Additionally, extended X-ray absorption fine-structure spectroscopy revealed Cu, Pb, and Zn sorbed to BIOS via inner-sphere complexes, similar to 2LFh. These results suggest that, in metal contaminated environments, BIOS are more efficient in metal binding than their synthetic counterparts.
Inevitable Relative Age Effects in Different Stages of the Selection Process among Male and Female Youth Soccer Players
Authors: Lagestad Pål , Steen Ingebrigt , Dalen Terje
Published: April 2018

The relative age effect (RAE) in the selection of young soccer players is a well-known phenomenon. The purpose of this study was to examine the relative age effect existing despite strategies that have been implemented to avoid its presence in the selection process. We also aimed to investigate the RAE during the three different selection stages for B13, B14 (boys), and G13, G14 (girls), and gender differences in the RAE. This was achieved by collecting data from everyone who played soccer in Troendelag, and data that would illuminate the RAE during the three stages of selection for the regional teams of the 2015/2016 season. Mann–Whitney U-tests and Chi-square tests were used as statistical methods. The main finding of this study is that, despite the intention to reduce RAE in the selection process according to the criterion that at least 40% of the players should be born in the second half of the year, both the early-born boys and girls are more likely to be selected. The results also show that the RAE occurs gradually, and the longer the players are in the selection process the more prominent it is. This study highlights the importance of being aware of the RAE when selecting young players.
A Path Walkability Assessment Index Model for Evaluating and Facilitating Retail Walking Using Decision-Tree-Making (DTM) Method
Authors: Keyvanfar Ali , Ferwati M. Salim , Shafaghat Arezou , Lamit Hasanuddin
Published: April 2018

Transportation is the major contributor of ever-increasing CO2 and Greenhouse Gas emissions in cities. The ever-increasing hazardous emissions of transportation and energy consumption have persuaded transportation and urban planners to motivate people to non-motorized mode of travel, especially walking. Currently, there are several urban walkability assessment models; however, coping with a limited range of walkability assessment variables make these models not fully able to promote inclusive walkable urban neighborhoods. In this regard, this study develops the path walkability assessment (PWA) index model which evaluates and analyzes path walkability in association with the pedestrian’s decision-tree-making (DTM). The model converts the pedestrian’s DTM qualitative data to quantifiable values. This model involves ninety-two (92) physical and environmental walkability assessment variables clustered into three layers of DTM (Layer 1: features; Layer 2: Criteria; and Layer 3: Sub-Criteria), and scoped to shopping and retail type of walking. The PWA model as a global decision support tool can be applied in any neighborhood in the world, and this study implements it at Taman Universiti neighborhood in Skudai, Malaysia. The PWA model has established the walkability score index which determines the grading rate of walkability accomplishment for each walkability variable of the under-survey neighborhood. Using the PWA grading index enables urban designers to manage properly the financial resource allocation for inspiring walkability in the targeted neighborhood.
Influence of Waste Brick Powder in the Mechanical Properties of Recycled Aggregate Concrete
Authors: Letelier Viviana , Ortega José , Muñoz Pedro , Tarela Ester , Moriconi Giacomo
Published: April 2018

Brick and concrete are the main materials contributing to demolition and construction waste. Considering this precedent, the effects of using both residuals in medium strength concretes are analyzed. Waste brick powder is used as a cement replacement in three different levels: 5%, 10%, and 15%, and it is tested in concretes with no recycled aggregates and concretes with 30% of recycled coarse aggregates replacing natural ones. The compressive strength, the flexural strength, and modulus of elasticity are calculated and compared to a control concrete with no brick powder and no recycled aggregates. The effects of the simultaneous use of both residuals on the physical properties of the recycled concrete are highlighted. Results show that 15% of cement can be replaced by waste brick powder together with 30% of recycled aggregates without suffering significant losses in the strength of the final material when compared to a control concrete.
Adapting Chinese Forest Operations to Socio-Economic Developments: What is the Potential of Plantations for Strengthening Domestic Wood Supply?
Authors: Hoffmann Stephan , Jaeger Dirk , Shuirong Wu
Published: April 2018

Over recent decades, China’s forestry sector went through a transition phase characterized by a management and institutional reform process, with a constant rethinking of the ecological and societal role of forests within a unique political system. Nevertheless, despite impressive achievements in forest restoration and conservation efforts, the enhancement of ecosystem services and forest area expansion through plantation development, China was not able to improve its domestic timber supply capacities according to its demands. Consequently, the continually growing wood processing industry is facing a severe demand-and-supply gap, causing high dependencies on timber imports. Outdated forest operations practices, dominated by manual labour, are not able to meet supply demands or to implement new silvicultural strategies for enhancing forest quality and productivity and are a widely unnoted disruption of a sustainable development. Therefore, this review presents the status quo of China’s forest operations sector, how it is shaped by forest policy reforms and recent socio-economic developments. In addition, suggestions are developed how the sector can progress through policy adaptations in order to develop sustainable timber supply capacities based on a domestic plantation sector.
Assessment of Sweet Sorghum-Based Ethanol Potential in China within the Water–Energy–Food Nexus Framework
Authors: Yan Xiaoxi , Jiang Dong , Fu Jingying , Hao Mengmeng
Published: April 2018

As bio-ethanol is developing rapidly, its impacts on food security, water security and the environment begin to receive worldwide attention, especially within the Water–Energy–Food nexus framework. The aim of this study is to present an integrated method of assessing sweet sorghum-based ethanol potential in China in compliance with the Water–Energy–Food nexus principles. Life cycle assessment is coupled with the DSSAT (the Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer) model and geographic information technology to evaluate the spatial distribution of water consumption, net energy gain and Greenhouse Gas emission reduction potentials of developing sweet sorghum-based ethanol on marginal lands instead of cultivated land in China. Marginal lands with high water stress are excluded from the results considering their unsuitability of developing sweet sorghum-based ethanol due to possible energy–water conflicts. The results show that the water consumption, net energy gain and Greenhouse Gas emission reduction of developing sweet sorghum-based ethanol in China are evaluated as 348.95 billion m3, 182.62 billion MJ, and 2.47 million t carbon per year, respectively. Some regions such as Yunnan Province in south China should be given priority for sweet sorghum-based ethanol development, while Jilin Province and Heilongjiang Province need further studies and assessment.
Facilitating Low-Carbon Living? A Comparison of Intervention Measures in Different Community-Based Initiatives
Authors: Schäfer Martina , Hielscher Sabine , Haas Willi , Hausknost Daniel , Leitner Michaela , Kunze Iris , Mandl Sylvia
Published: April 2018

The challenge of facilitating a shift towards sustainable housing, food and mobility has been taken up by diverse community-based initiatives ranging from “top-down” approaches in low-carbon municipalities to “bottom-up” approaches in intentional communities. This paper compares intervention measures in four case study areas belonging to these two types, focusing on their potential of re-configuring daily housing, food, and mobility practices. Taking up critics on dominant intervention framings of diffusing low-carbon technical innovations and changing individual behavior, we draw on social practice theory for the empirical analysis of four case studies. Framing interventions in relation to re-configuring daily practices, the paper reveals differences and weaknesses of current low-carbon measures of community-based initiatives in Germany and Austria. Low-carbon municipalities mainly focus on introducing technologies and offering additional infrastructure and information to promote low-carbon practices. They avoid interfering into residents’ daily lives and do not restrict carbon-intensive practices. In contrast, intentional communities base their interventions on the collective creation of shared visions, decisions, and rules and thus provide social and material structures, which foster everyday low-carbon practices and discourage carbon-intensive ones. The paper discusses the relevance of organizational and governance structures for implementing different types of low-carbon measures and points to opportunities for broadening current policy strategies.
Automatic Generation of Dynamic Skin Deformation for Animated Characters
Authors: Bian Shaojun , Zheng Anzong , Chaudhry Ehtzaz , You Lihua , Zhang Jian
Published: April 2018

Since non-automatic rigging requires heavy human involvements, and various automatic rigging algorithms are less efficient in terms of computational efficiency, especially for current curve-based skin deformation methods, identifying the iso-parametric curves and creating the animation skeleton requires tedious and time-consuming manual work. Although several automatic rigging methods have been developed, but they do not aim at curve-based models. To tackle this issue, this paper proposes a new rigging algorithm for automatic generation of dynamic skin deformation to quickly identify iso-parametric curves and create an animation skeleton in a few milliseconds, which can be seamlessly used in curve-based skin deformation methods to make the rigging process fast enough for highly efficient computer animation applications.
Anti-3D Weapon Model Detection for Safe 3D Printing Based on Convolutional Neural Networks and D2 Shape Distribution
Authors: Pham Giao , Lee Suk-Hwan , Kwon Oh-Heum , Kwon Ki-Ryong
Published: April 2018

With the development of 3D printing, weapons are easily printed without any restriction from the production managers. Therefore, anti-3D weapon model detection is necessary issue in safe 3D printing to prevent the printing of 3D weapon models. In this paper, we would like to propose an anti-3D weapon model detection algorithm to prevent the printing of anti-3D weapon models for safe 3D printing based on the D2 shape distribution and an improved convolutional neural networks (CNNs). The purpose of the proposed algorithm is to detect anti-3D weapon models when they are used in 3D printing. The D2 shape distribution is computed from random points on the surface of a 3D weapon model and their geometric features in order to construct a D2 vector. The D2 vector is then trained by improved CNNs. The CNNs are used to detect anti-3D weapon models for safe 3D printing by training D2 vectors which have been constructed from the D2 shape distribution of 3D weapon models. Experiments with 3D weapon models proved that the D2 shape distribution of 3D weapon models in the same class is the same. Training and testing results also verified that the accuracy of the proposed algorithm is higher than the conventional works. The proposed algorithm is applied in a small application, and it could detect anti-3D weapon models for safe 3D printing.
Metallic Glasses as Potential Reinforcements in Al and Mg Matrices: A Review
Authors: Jayalakshmi S. , Singh R. , Gupta Manoj
Published: April 2018

Development of metal matrix composites (MMCs) with metallic glass/amorphous alloy reinforcements is an emerging research field. As reinforcements, metallic glasses with their high strength (up to ~2 GPa) and high elastic strain limit (~2%) can provide superior mechanical properties. Being metallic in nature, the glassy alloys can ensure better interfacial properties when compared to conventional ceramic reinforcements. Given the metastable nature of metallic glasses, lightweight materials such as aluminum (Al) and magnesium (Mg) with relatively lower melting points are suitable matrix materials. Synthesis of these advanced composites is a challenge as selection of processing method and appropriate reinforcement type (which does not allow devitrification of the metallic glass during processing) is important. Non-conventional techniques such as high frequency induction sintering, bidirectional microwave sintering, friction stir processing, accumulative roll-bonding, and spark plasma sintering are being explored to produce these novel materials. In this paper, an overview on the synthesis and properties of aluminum and magnesium based composites with glassy reinforcement produced by various unconventional methods is presented. Evaluation of properties of the produced composites indicate: (i) retention of amorphous state of the reinforcement after processing; (ii) significant improvement in hardness and strength; (iii) improvement/retention of ductility; and (iv) high wear resistance and low coefficient of friction. Further, a comparative understanding of the properties highlights that the selection of the processing method is important in producing high performance composites.
The Impact of Warming and Nutrients on Algae Production and Microcystins in Seston from the Iconic Lake Lesser Prespa, Greece
Authors: Maliaka Valentini , Faassen Elisabeth , Smolders Alfons , Lürling Miquel
Published: April 2018

Lake Lesser Prespa and its adjacent pond, Vromolimni in Greece, is a shallow freshwater system and a highly protected area hosting an exceptional biodiversity. The occurrence of microcystins (MCs) producing cyanobacterial blooms in these waters during recent years can be harmful to the wildlife. We tested the hypothesis that both cyanobacterial biomass and MCs are strongly influenced by nutrients (eutrophication) and warming (climate change). Lake and pond water was collected from two sites in each water body in 2013 and incubated at three temperatures (20 °C, 25 °C, 30 °C) with or without additional nutrients (nitrogen +N, phosphorus +P and both +N and +P). Based on both biovolume and chlorophyll-a concentrations, cyanobacteria in water from Lesser Prespa were promoted primarily by combined N and P additions and to a lesser extent by N alone. Warming seemed to yield more cyanobacteria biomass in these treatments. In water from Vromolimni, both N alone and N+P additions increased cyanobacteria and a warming effect was hardly discernible. MC concentrations were strongly increased by N and N+P additions in water from all four sites, which also promoted the more toxic variant MC-LR. Hence, both water bodies seem particularly vulnerable to further N-loading enhancing MC related risks.