bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Risk Factors for Peer Victimization among Middle and High School Students
Authors: Vidourek Rebecca A. , King Keith A.
Published: January 2019

Peer victimization at school is a pressing public health issue. Peer victimization has a deleterious impact on the victim and can lead to lifelong negative outcomes such as depression. The purpose of the present study is to examine peer victimization and potential individual, school, and peer correlates in a national sample of middle and high school students. A secondary data analysis of the School Crime and Safety survey was conducted to investigate study aims. Greater than one in 20 (7.2%) of students reported peer victimization at school. Multiple individual factors were found to increase the odds of victimization including grade level, grades received, and school avoidance among other variables. School and peer factors were also found to be significant. Study findings may be useful to school personnel for reducing peer victimization at school. Specific recommendations for school personnel are offered.
Strong and Reversible Adhesion of Interlocked 3D-Microarchitectures
Authors: Seong Minho , Park Hyun-Ha , Hwang Insol , Jeong Hoon Eui
Published: January 2019

Diverse physical interlocking devices have recently been developed based on one-dimensional (1D), high-aspect-ratio inorganic and organic nanomaterials. Although these 1D nanomaterial-based interlocking devices can provide reliable and repeatable shear adhesion, their adhesion in the normal direction is typically very weak. In addition, the high-aspect-ratio, slender structures are mechanically less durable. In this study, we demonstrate a highly flexible and robust interlocking system that exhibits strong and reversible adhesion based on physical interlocking between three-dimensional (3D) microscale architectures. The 3D microstructures have protruding tips on their cylindrical stems, which enable tight mechanical binding between the microstructures. Based on the unique 3D architectures, the interlocking adhesives exhibit remarkable adhesion strengths in both the normal and shear directions. In addition, their adhesion is highly reversible due to the robust mechanical and structural stability of the microstructures. An analytical model is proposed to explain the measured adhesion behavior, which is in good agreement with the experimental results.
Numerical Simulation on Supercritical CO2 Fluid Dynamics in a Hollow Fiber Membrane Contactor
Authors: Valdés Hugo , Unda Kevin , Saavedra Aldo
Published: January 2019

This research answers the following question: What is the fluid dynamic behavior of a supercritical fluid (SCF) inside a membrane module? At this time, there is very little or no reported information that can provide an answer to this question. The research studies related to the themes of supercritical CO2 (SC-CO2), hollow fiber membrane contactors (HFMCs), and numerical simulations have mainly reported on 2D simulations, but in this work, 3D profiles are presented. Simulations were performed based on the experimental results and other simulations, using the geometry of a commercial module. The results were mainly based on the different operating conditions and geometric dimensions. A mesh study was performed to ensure the mesh non-dependence of the results presented here. It was observed that the velocity profile developed at 10 mm from the wall of the supercritical CO2 entrance pipe. A profile equilibrium around the fiber close to the entrance of the module was achieved in the experimental hollow fiber membrane contactor when compared to the case of the commercial hollow fiber membrane contactor. The results of this research provided a visualization of the boundary layer, which did not cover the entire fiber length. Finally, the results of this paper are interesting for technical applications and contribute to our understanding of the hydrodynamics of SCFs.
Crystal Structure of the Disordered Non-Centrosymmetric Compound Fe0.43Mo2.56SbO9.5
Authors: Ali Sk Imran , Lidin Sven , Johnsson Mats
Published: January 2019

Single crystals of Fe0.43Mo2.56SbO9.5 were obtained by hydrothermal techniques at 230 °C. The crystal structure was determined from single crystal X-ray diffraction data. The compound crystallizes in the non-centrosymmetric space group Pc with unit cell parameters a = 4.0003(2) Å, b = 7.3355(3) Å, c = 12.6985(6) Å, β = 90°. The crystal structure comprises five crystallographically independent M atoms and one Sb3+ atom, M atoms are of two kinds of partially occupied sites Mo6+ and Fe3+. The building blocks consist of [SbO3O0.5O0.5E] octahedra (E = lone electron pair) and [(Mo/Fe)O6] octahedra. The M = (Mo, Fe) and O atoms are arranged in a distorted hexagonal 2D-net, not the Sb atoms. The distortion of the net and consequently the symmetry reduction results mainly from the location of the Sb atoms. Disorder manifests itself as a splitting of the metal sites and as a consequent shortening of the Mo–Fe distances. Six (Mo/Fe)O6 octahedra are connected to form a pseudohexagonal channel. The Sb3+ atom is displaced from the pseudo-six-fold axis.
Muddy Boots Beget Wisdom: Implications for Rare or Endangered Plant Species Distribution Models
Authors: Oleas Nora H. , Feeley Kenneth J. , Fajardo Javier , Meerow Alan W. , Gebelein Jennifer , Francisco-Ortega Javier
Published: January 2019

Species distribution models (SDMs) are popular tools for predicting the geographic ranges of species. It is common practice to use georeferenced records obtained from online databases to generate these models. Using three species of Phaedranassa (Amaryllidaceae) from the Northern Andes, we compare the geographic ranges as predicted by SDMs based on online records (after standard data cleaning) with SDMs of these records confirmed through extensive field searches. We also review the identification of herbarium collections. The species’ ranges generated with corroborated field records did not agree with the species’ ranges based on the online data. Specifically, geographic ranges based on online data were significantly inflated and had significantly different and wider elevational extents compared to the ranges based on verified field records. Our results suggest that to generate accurate predictions of species’ ranges, occurrence records need to be carefully evaluated with (1) appropriate filters (e.g., altitude range, ecosystem); (2) taxonomic monographs and/or specialist corroboration; and (3) validation through field searches. This study points out the implications of generating SDMs produced with unverified online records to guide species-specific conservation strategies since inaccurate range predictions can have important consequences when estimating species’ extinction risks.
Predicting the Influence of Rain on LIDAR in ADAS
Authors: Goodin Christopher , Carruth Daniel , Doude Matthew , Hudson Christopher
Published: January 2019

While it is well known that rain may influence the performance of automotive LIDAR sensors commonly used in ADAS applications, there is a lack of quantitative analysis of this effect. In particular, there is very little published work on physically-based simulation of the influence of rain on terrestrial LIDAR performance. Additionally, there have been few quantitative studies on how rain-rate influences ADAS performance. In this work, we develop a mathematical model for the performance degradation of LIDAR as a function of rain-rate and incorporate this model into a simulation of an obstacle-detection system to show how it can be used to quantitatively predict the influence of rain on ADAS that use LIDAR.
A Review on Hybrid Empirical Mode Decomposition Models for Wind Speed and Wind Power Prediction
Authors: Bokde Neeraj , Feijóo Andrés , Villanueva Daniel , Kulat Kishore
Published: January 2019

Reliable and accurate planning and scheduling of wind farms and power grids to ensure sustainable use of wind energy can be better achieved with the use of precise and accurate prediction models. However, due to the highly chaotic, intermittent and stochastic behavior of wind, which means a high level of difficulty when predicting wind speed and, consequently, wind power, the evolution of models capable of narrating data of such a complexity is an emerging area of research. A thorough review of literature, present research overviews, and information about possible expansions and extensions of models play a significant role in the enhancement of the potential of accurate prediction models. The last few decades have experienced a remarkable breakthrough in the development of accurate prediction models. Among various physical, statistical and artificial intelligent models developed over this period, the models hybridized with pre-processing or/and post-processing methods have seen promising prediction results in wind applications. The present review is focused on hybrid empirical mode decomposition (EMD) or ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) models with their advantages, timely growth and possible future in wind speed and power forecasting. Over the years, the practice of EEMD based hybrid models in wind data predictions has risen steadily and has become popular because of the robust and accurate nature of this approach. In addition, this review is focused on distinct attributes including the evolution of EMD based methods, novel techniques of treating Intrinsic Mode Functions (IMFs) generated with EMD/EEMD and overview of suitable error measures for such studies.
Numerical and Experimental Estimation of the Efficiency of a Quadcopter Rotor Operating at Hover
Authors: Pérez Gordillo Andres M. , Villegas Santos Juan Sebastian , Lopez Mejia Omar D. , Suárez Collazos Laura Juliana , Escobar Jaime A.
Published: January 2019

Globalization has led to an increase in the use of small copters for different activities such as geo-referencing, agricultural fields monitoring, survillance, among others. This is the main reason why there is a strong interest in the performance of small-scale propellers used in unmanned aerial vehicles. The flow developed by rotors is complex and the estimation of its aerodynamic performance is not a trivial process. In addition, viscous effects, when the rotor operates at low Reynolds, affect its performance. In the present paper, two different computational methods, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and the Unsteady Vortex Lattice Method (UVLM) with a viscous correction, were used to study the performance of an isolated rotor of a quadcopter flying at hover. The Multi Reference Frame model and transition S S T κ − ω turbulence model were used in the CFD simulations. The tip vortex core growth was used to account for the viscous effects in the UVLM. The wake structure, pressure coefficient, thrust and torque predictions from both methods are compared. Thrust and torque results from simulations were validated by means of experimental results of a characterization of a single rotor. Finally, figure of merit of the rotor is evaluated showing that UVLM overestimates the efficiency of the rotor; meanwhile, CFD predictions are close to experimental values.
Epitranscriptomic Signatures in lncRNAs and Their Possible Roles in Cancer
Authors: Dinescu Sorina , Ignat Simona , Lazar Andreea Daniela , Constantin Carolina , Neagu Monica , Costache Marieta
Published: January 2019

In contrast to the amazing exponential growth in knowledge related to long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) involved in cell homeostasis or dysregulated pathological states, little is known so far about the links between the chemical modifications occurring in lncRNAs and their function. Generally, ncRNAs are post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression, but RNA modifications occurring in lncRNAs generate an additional layer of gene expression control. Chemical modifications that have been reported in correlation with lncRNAs include m6A, m5C and pseudouridylation. Up to date, several chemically modified long non-coding transcripts have been identified and associated with different pathologies, including cancers. This review presents the current level of knowledge on the most studied cancer-related lncRNAs, such as the metastasis associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1), the Hox transcript antisense intergenic RNA (HOTAIR), or the X-inactive specific transcript (XIST), as well as more recently discovered forms, and their potential roles in different types of cancer. Understanding how these RNA modifications occur, and the correlation between lncRNA changes in structure and function, may open up new therapeutic possibilities in cancer.
Serial Multiple Mediation Analyses: How to Enhance Individual Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response to Environmental Disasters
Authors: Hong Yuxiang , Lee Taesam , Kim Jong-Suk
Published: January 2019

Recent environmental disasters have revealed the government’s limitations in real-time response and mobilization to help the public, especially when disasters occur in large areas at the same time. Therefore, enhancing the ability to prepare for public health emergencies at the grassroots level and extend public health emergency response mechanisms to communities, and even to individual families, is a research question that is of practical significance. This study aimed to investigate mechanisms to determine how media exposure affects individual public health emergency preparedness (PHEP) to environmental disasters; specifically, we examined the mediating role of knowledge and trust in government. The results were as follows: (1) knowledge had a significant mediating effect on the relationship between media exposure and PHEP; (2) trust in government had a significant mediating effect on the relationship between media exposure and PHEP; (3) knowledge and trust in government had significant multiple mediating effects on the relationship between media exposure and PHEP.
Effects of Walking in a Forest on Young Women
Authors: Song Chorong , Ikei Harumi , Kagawa Takahide , Miyazaki Yoshifumi
Published: January 2019

The effects of forest activities on health promotion have received increasing attention. The aim of this study was to evaluate the physiological and psychological effects of brief walks in forests on young women. The experiments were conducted in 6 forests (test) and 6 city areas (control). Overall, 12 participants in each area (60 participants in total, mean age: 21.0 ± 1.3 years) were instructed to walk in a forest and a city area for approximately 15 min; simultaneously, their heart rate variability, heart rate, blood pressure, and pulse rate were measured to quantify their physiological responses to walking. The modified semantic differential method, Profile of Mood States (POMS), and the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) were used to determine their psychological responses. Walking in a forest was associated with significantly higher parasympathetic nervous activity and lower sympathetic nervous activity and heart rate. In addition, scores for the comfortable, relaxed, and natural parameters and vigor subscale of POMS were significantly higher, whereas scores for negative feelings, such as tension–anxiety, depression–dejection, anger–hostility, fatigue, and confusion, were significantly lower, as were the total mood disturbance of POMS and the anxiety dimension of the STAI. The subjective evaluations were generally in accordance with the physiological responses. A brief walk in a forest resulted in physiological and psychological relaxation effects in young women.
Association between Race and Cancer-Related Mortality among Patients with Colorectal Cancer in the United States: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Alshareef Sayaf H. , Alsobaie Nasser A. , Aldeheshi Salman A. , Alturki Sultan T. , Zevallos Juan Carlos , Barengo Noël C.
Published: January 2019

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cause of mortality in the United States (US). Differences in CRC mortality according to race have been extensively studied; however, much more understanding with regard to tumor characteristics’ effect on mortality is needed. The objective was to investigate the association between race and mortality among CRC patients in the US during 2007–2014. A retrospective cohort study using data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program, which collects cancer statistics through selected population-based cancer registries during in the US, was conducted. The outcome variable was CRC-related mortality in adult patients (≥18 years old) during 2007–2014. The independent variable was race of white, black, Asian/Pacific Islander (API), and American Indian/Alaska Native (others). The covariates were, age, sex, marital status, health insurance, tumor stage at diagnosis, and tumor size and grade. Bivariate analysis was performed to identify possible confounders (chi-square tests). Unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression models were used to study the association between race and CRC-specific mortality. The final number of participants consisted of 70,392 patients. Blacks had a 32% higher risk of death compared to whites (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.32; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.22–1.43). Corresponding OR for others were 1.41 (95% CI 1.10–1.84). API had nonsignificant adjusted odds of mortality compared to whites (0.95; 95% CI 0.87–1.03). In conclusion, we observed a significant increased risk of mortality in black and American Indian/Alaska Native patients with CRC compared to white patients.
Effect of DEM Interpolation Neighbourhood on Terrain Factors
Authors: Zhu Ying , Liu Xuejun , Zhao Jing , Cao Jianjun , Wang Xiaolei , Li Dongliang
Published: January 2019

Topographic factors such as slope and aspect are essential parameters in depicting the structure and morphology of a terrain surface. We study the effect of the number of points in the neighbourhood of a digital elevation model (DEM) interpolation method on mean slope, mean aspect, and RMSEs of slope and aspect from the interpolated DEM. As the moving least squares (MLS) method can maintain the inherent properties and other characteristics of a surface, this method is chosen for DEM interpolation. Three areas containing different types of topographic features are selected for study. Simulated data from a Gauss surface is also used for comparison. First, the impact of the number of points on the DEM root mean square error (RMSE) is analysed. The DEM RMSE in the three study areas decreases gradually with the number of points in the neighbourhood. In addition, the effect of the number of points in the neighbourhood on mean slope and mean aspect was studied across varying topographies through regression analysis. The two variables respond differently to changes in terrain. However, the RMSEs of the slope and aspect in all study areas are logarithmically related to the number of points in the neighbourhood and the values decrease uniformly as the number of points in the neighbourhood increases. With more points in the neighbourhood, the RMSEs of the slope and aspect are not sensitive to topography differences and the same trends are observed for the three studied quantities. Results for the Gauss surface are similar. Finally, this study analyses the spatial distribution of slope and aspect errors. The slope error is concentrated in ridges, valleys, steep-slope areas, and ditch edges while the aspect error is concentrated in ridges, valleys, and flat regions. With more points in the neighbourhood, the number of grid cells in which the slope error is greater than 15° is gradually reduced. With similar terrain types and data sources, if the calculation efficiency is not a concern, sufficient points in the spatial autocorrelation range should be analysed in the neighbourhood to maximize the accuracy of the slope and aspect. However, selecting between 10 and 12 points in the neighbourhood is economical.
Probabilistic Model of Random Encounter in Obstacle Space
Authors: Yin Zhang-Cai , Liu Hui , Zhang Zhi-Jun , Jin Zhang-Hao-Nan , Li San-Juan , Xiao Jia-Qiang
Published: January 2019

Based on probabilistic time-geography, the encounter between two moving objects is random. The quantitative analysis of the probability of encounter needs to consider the actual geographical environment. The existing encounter probability algorithm is based on homogeneous space, ignoring the wide range of obstacles and their impact on encounter events. Based on this, this paper introduces obstacle factors, proposes encounter events that are constrained by obstacles, and constructs a model of the probability of encounters of moving objects based on the influence of obstacles on visual perception with the line-of-sight view analysis principle. In realistic obstacle space, this method provides a quantitative basis for predicting the encountering possibility of two mobile objects and the largest possible encounter location. Finally, the validity of the model is verified by experimental results. The model uses part of the Wuhan digital elevation model (DEM) data to calculate the encounter probability of two moving objects on it, and analyzes the temporal and spatial distribution characteristics of these probabilities.
Targeting of LRRC59 to the Endoplasmic Reticulum and the Inner Nuclear Membrane
Authors: Blenski Marina , Kehlenbach Ralph H.
Published: January 2019

LRRC59 (leucine-rich repeat-containing protein 59) is a tail-anchored protein with a single transmembrane domain close to its C-terminal end that localizes to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the nuclear envelope. Here, we investigate the mechanisms of membrane integration of LRRC59 and its targeting to the inner nuclear membrane (INM). Using purified microsomes, we show that LRRC59 can be post-translationally inserted into ER-derived membranes. The TRC-pathway, a major route for post-translational membrane insertion, is not required for LRRC59. Like emerin, another tail-anchored protein, LRRC59 reaches the INM, as demonstrated by rapamycin-dependent dimerization assays. Using different approaches to inhibit importin α/β-dependent nuclear import of soluble proteins, we show that the classic nuclear transport machinery does not play a major role in INM-targeting of LRRC59. Instead, the size of the cytoplasmic domain of LRRC59 is an important feature, suggesting that targeting is governed by passive diffusion.
Development of Natural Product-Conjugated Metal Complexes as Cancer Therapies
Authors: Ma Dik-Lung , Wu Chun , Cheng Sha-Sha , Lee Fu-Wa , Han Quan-Bin , Leung Chung-Hang
Published: January 2019

Platinum-based drugs have revolutionized cancer care, but are unfortunately associated with various adverse effects. Meanwhile, natural product scaffolds exhibit multifarious bioactivities and serve as an attractive resource for cancer therapy development. Thus, the conjugation of natural product scaffolds to metal complexes becomes an attractive strategy to reduce the severe side effects arising from the use of metal bearing drugs. This review aims to highlight the recent examples of natural product-conjugated metal complexes as cancer therapies with enhanced selectivity and efficacy. We discuss the mechanisms and features of different conjugate complexes and present an outlook and perspective for the future of this field.
Histone Deacetylation Inhibitors as Therapy Concept in Sepsis
Authors: von Knethen Andreas , Brüne Bernhard
Published: January 2019

Sepsis is characterized by dysregulated gene expression, provoking a hyper-inflammatory response occurring in parallel to a hypo-inflammatory reaction. This is often associated with multi-organ failure, leading to the patient’s death. Therefore, reprogramming of these pro- and anti-inflammatory, as well as immune-response genes which are involved in acute systemic inflammation, is a therapy approach to prevent organ failure and to improve sepsis outcomes. Considering epigenetic, i.e., reversible, modifications of chromatin, not altering the DNA sequence as one tool to adapt the expression profile, inhibition of factors mediating these changes is important. Acetylation of histones by histone acetyltransferases (HATs) and initiating an open-chromatin structure leading to its active transcription is counteracted by histone deacetylases (HDACs). Histone deacetylation triggers a compact nucleosome structure preventing active transcription. Hence, inhibiting the activity of HDACs by specific inhibitors can be used to restore the expression profile of the cells. It can be assumed that HDAC inhibitors will reduce the expression of pro-, as well as anti-inflammatory mediators, which blocks sepsis progression. However, decreased cytokine expression might also be unfavorable, because it can be associated with decreased bacterial clearance.
Full Support for Efficiently Mining Multi-Perspective Declarative Constraints from Process Logs
Authors: Sturm Christian , Fichtner Myriel , Schönig Stefan
Published: January 2019

Declarative process management has emerged as an alternative solution for describing flexible workflows. In turn, the modelling opportunities with languages such as Declare are less intuitive and hard to implement. The area of process discovery covers the automatic discovery of process models. It has been shown that the performance of process mining algorithms, particularly when considering the multi-perspective declarative process models, are not satisfactory. State-of-the-art mining tools do not support multi-perspective declarative models at this moment. We address this open research problem by proposing an efficient mining framework that leverages the latest big data analysis technology and builds upon the distributed processing method MapReduce. The paper at hand further completes the research on multi-perspective declarative process mining by extending our previous work in various ways; in particular, we introduce algorithms and descriptions for the full set of commonly accepted types of MP-Declare constraints. Additionally, we provide a novel implementation concept allowing an easy introduction and discovery of customised constraint templates. We evaluated the mining performance and effectiveness of the presented approach on several real-life event logs. The results highlight that, with our efficient mining technique, multi-perspective declarative process models can be extracted in reasonable time.
A Multicentre Study of Burnout Prevalence and Related Psychological Variables in Medical Area Hospital Nurses
Authors: Ramirez-Baena Lucia , Ortega-Campos Elena , Gomez-Urquiza Jose Luis , Cañadas-De la Fuente Gustavo R. , De la Fuente-Solana Emilia I. , Cañadas-De la Fuente Guillermo A.
Published: January 2019

Background: Nursing burnout is an important problem that affects nurses’ wellness, the quality of care and the health institutions. Study aims were to estimate levels of burnout; to determine the phase of burnout experienced by nurses in the medical area; to analyse the relationship between burnout and personality and psychological factors. Methods: Quantitative, cross-sectional, multicentre study. Hospitals from eight cities were included. The study sample was n = 301 nurses, working in the medical area of hospitals in the Andalusian Health Service during the second semester of 2017. Sociodemographic, occupational and personality variables were studied using the Revised NEO Personality Inventory together with the Educational-Clinical Questionnaire: Anxiety and Depression, and burnout was measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Results: Almost 40% of the nurses presented high levels of burnout. The three burnouts (emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and personal accomplishment) presented statistically significant correlations with the personality factors of neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness, and also with the scores recorded for anxiety and depression. Multiple linear regression models showed agreeableness and depression to be statistically significant predictors of all dimensions of the syndrome. Conclusion: Hospital nurses working in the medical area in Andalusia experience high levels of burnout.
The Situation of Cervical Cancers in the Context of Female Genital Cancer Clustering and Burden of Disease in Arad County, Romania
Authors: Tataru Ana-Liana , Furau Gheorghe , Afilon Jompan , Ionescu Cringu , Dimitriu Mihai , Bratu Ovidiu Gabriel , Tit Delia Mirela , Bungau Simona , Furau Cristian
Published: January 2019

Romania has the highest incidence of cervical cancer morbidity and mortality in Europe. This study identifies the major clusters for genital cancers, observes the features of genital and cervical cancer, and determines the extent to which cancer is a contributor to total Disability-Adjusted Life Year (DALY). Spatial analysis used Besag and Newell’s method for genital cancer distribution, prevalence considered Arad County patients records (2008–2017), and DALY was determined according to WHO methodology and GLOBOCAN 2013 data. Diagnosis was established by histopathological examination of diagnostic biopsies or tissues obtained by surgical procedures, followed by clinical staging. 1695 women were recorded with genital cancer. Of these, 14.9% of lesions were in situ (n = 252) and 74.20% of cases were recorded in stage III or IV (n = 1258) (p < 0.0001). Over 90% of cervical cancers were squamous cell carcinomas (n = 728), 33.76% of endometrial cancers were adenocarcinomas in situ (n = 131), 32.42% of ovarian cancers were serous adenocarcinomas (n = 131), and 70.58% of vulvar cancers were squamous cell carcinomas (n = 48) (p < 0.0001). DALY/1000 was 67.2 for genital cancers and 33 for cervical cancers. From the point of view of Romanian women, cervical cancer remains one of the major problems that need to be dealt with and access to optimal treatment proves to be extremely limited.
The Influence of Wind Energy and Biogas on Farmland Prices
Authors: Myrna Olena , Odening Martin , Ritter Matthias
Published: January 2019

In the context of the rapid development of renewable energy in Germany in the last decade, and increased concerns regarding its potential impacts on farmland prices, this paper investigates the impact of wind energy and biogas production on agricultural land purchasing prices. To quantify the possible impact of the cumulative capacity of wind turbines and biogas plants on arable land prices in Saxony-Anhalt, we estimate a community-based and a transaction-based model using spatial econometrics and ordinary least squares. Based on data from 2007 to 2016, our analysis shows that a higher cumulative capacity of wind turbines in communities leads to higher farmland transaction prices, though the effect is very small: if the average cumulative capacity of wind turbines per community doubles, we expect that farmland prices per hectare increase by 0.4%. Plots that are directly affected by a wind turbine or part of a regional development plan, however, experience strong price increases.
Improved Impact Properties in Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) Blends Containing Cellulose Acetate (CA) Prepared by Reactive Extrusion
Authors: Coltelli Maria-Beatrice , Mallegni Norma , Rizzo Sara , Cinelli Patrizia , Lazzeri Andrea
Published: January 2019

Poly(lactic acid)/triacetine plasticized cellulose acetate (PLA/pCA) blends were prepared by extrusion at two different temperatures and tetrabutylammonium tetraphenyl borate (TBATPB) was added as a transesterification catalyst to reactively promote the formation of PLA-CA copolymer during the reactive extrusion. The occurrence of chain scission in the PLA phase and branching/crosslinking in the CA phase in the presence of TBATPB, resulting also in a darkening of the material, were demonstrated by studying torque measurements and by performing proper thermogravimetric tests on CA with the different additives. Tensile and impact tests onto the blends prepared at the lower temperature showed better properties than the ones obtained at a higher temperature. Then, the mechanical properties of PLA/plasticized cellulose acetate (pCA) blends prepared at the lower temperature were investigated as a function of the content of plasticized CA in the blend. A range of compositions was observed where blends exhibited improved impact properties with respect to pure PLA without a significant decrease in their elastic modulus. The study of the phase morphology of the blends revealed that the occurrence of reactive compatibilization did not significantly affect the phase distribution. In general, fibrillar CA particles were formed in the PLA matrix during extrusion, thus allowing the preparation of CA fibre reinforced composites. The trend of morphology as a function of the composition and processing conditions was then discussed by considering the evolution of phase morphology in immiscible polymer blends.
Differential Bacterial Colonization and Biofilm Formation on Punctal Occluders
Authors: Hadjiargyrou Michael , Donnenfeld Eric D. , Grillo Lola M. , Perry Henry D.
Published: January 2019

Dry eye is a common condition that is treated primarily by topical lubricants, immunomodulation, and a variety of punctal and canalicular plugs (occluders). Biofilm formation has been reported as an ongoing problem with the clinical use of occluders. In order to explore the role of biofilm formation on occluders, we tested the bacteria strain, Staphylococcus aureus, with three different types of occluders, DeltaR, OdysseyR, and AlphamedR. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of these occluders revealed a variation in surface appearance, with OdysseyR being the smoothest (but with grooves), followed by DeltaR, and AlphamedR. Exposing each type of occluder to dynamically grown bacterial cultures of S. aureus, a ~3 fold statistically significant difference in bacteria colonization between the OdysseyR and AlphamedR occluder and a ~2 fold higher trend between OdysseyR and DeltaR were detected. These quantitative results were also verified with SEM, showing extensive S. aureus colonization and biofilm formation on the surface of the OdysseyR occluder. The results also indicate that bacterial colonization readily occurs on all three types of occluders. The occluder with the smoothest but grooved surface (OdysseyR), displayed increased biofilm formation when compared to those with rougher surfaces.
A Study of the Impact of Pitch Misalignment on Wind Turbine Performance
Authors: Astolfi Davide
Published: January 2019

Pitch angle control is the most common means of adjusting the torque of wind turbines. The verification of its correct function and the optimization of its control are therefore very important for improving the efficiency of wind kinetic energy conversion. On these grounds, this work is devoted to studying the impact of pitch misalignment on wind turbine power production. A test case wind farm sited onshore, featuring five multi-megawatt wind turbines, was studied. On one wind turbine on the farm, a maximum pitch imbalance between the blades of 4.5 ° was detected; therefore, there was an intervention for recalibration. Operational data were available for assessing production improvement after the intervention. Due to the non-stationary conditions to which wind turbines are subjected, this is generally a non-trivial problem. In this work, a general method was formulated for studying this kind of problem: it is based on the study, before and after the upgrade, of the residuals between the measured power output and a reliable model of the power output itself. A careful formulation of the model is therefore crucial: in this work, an automatic feature selection algorithm based on stepwise multivariate regression was adopted, and it allows identification of the most meaningful input variables for a multivariate linear model whose target is the power of the wind turbine whose pitch has been recalibrated. This method can be useful, in general, for the study of wind turbine power upgrades, which have been recently spreading in the wind energy industry, and for the monitoring of wind turbine performances. For the test case of interest, the power of the recalibrated wind turbine is modeled as a linear function of the active and reactive power of the nearby wind turbines, and it is estimated that, after the intervention, the pitch recalibration provided a 5.5% improvement in the power production below rated power. Wind turbine practitioners, in general, should pay considerable attention to the pitch imbalance, because it increases loads and affects the residue lifetime; in particular, the results of this study indicate that severe pitch misalignment can heavily impact power production.
Interpolative Ćirić-Reich-Rus Type Contractions via the Branciari Distance
Authors: Aydi Hassen , Chen Chi-Ming , Karapınar Erdal
Published: January 2019

In this paper, we initiate the concept of interpolative Ćirić-Reich-Rus type contractions via the Branciari distance and prove some related fixed points results for such mappings. Moreover, an example is provided to show the useability of our obtained results.
Alexandrov L-Fuzzy Pre-Proximities
Authors: Kim Yong Chan , Oh Ju-Mok
Published: January 2019

In this paper, we introduce the concepts of Alexandrov L-fuzzy pre-proximities on complete residuated lattices. Moreover, we investigate their relations among Alexandrov L-fuzzy pre-proximities, Alexandrov L-fuzzy topologies, L-fuzzy upper approximate operators, and L-fuzzy lower approximate operators. We give their examples.
Secondary, Near Chaotic Patterns from Analogue Drawing Machines
Authors: Tait Jack
Published: January 2019

Chaos is now recognized as one of three emergent topics of study in the 21c. It is seen as appropriate to examine this in art practice. Accordingly, this paper is written from an art perspective. It does not mimic a traditional mathematical or science format, presenting hypothesis, repeat testing, and a conclusion. The art process operates differently, and chaos is seen in graphic terms, veers more to philosophy, and is obviously subjective. The intent in researching secondary patterns, near the edge of chaos, is to make expressive graphic art images as art works, testing how close they might come to a chaotic state whilst retaining visual coherence. This underpins the author’s current research, but it is recognised as being a very narrow and specialized subset of analogue art activity. The way in which analogue generative art differs from the more common use of digital computers is addressed. Unlike the latter, the work involves designing and making the machines, making the programmers, and writing the algorithms; this is implicit in the text. A brief look at drawing machine history is presented, demonstrating how the author’s machines differ from others. A contextual cross refence is also made, where appropriate, to artists using digital means. The author’s research has documented practitioners who choose an analogue route to make art. However, hardly any of them create programmes to generate coherent images. This shortage creates problems when attempting to cite similar work. Whilst the general principle underlying the work presented is algorithmic, a significant element of quasi-random input is incorporated, consistent with a study of chaos. Emergent facets are implicit, such as the art process, design problem solving, the relationship between quasi-random and determinism, the psychology of evaluation, and the philosophy of how art works. From the author’s Programmable Analogue Drawing Machines, two are selected for this paper which draw Lissajous figures, use X:Y axes, turntables, Direct Current motors, and an asynchronous pen-lift mechanism. Simple instructions generate complex patterns in a similar vein to Alan Turings topics of phyllotaxis and morphogenesis. These aspects will be discussed, presenting two machines that demonstrate these properties.
Integrated Design and Control of Various Hydrogen Production Flowsheet Configurations via Membrane Based Methane Steam Reforming
Authors: Kyriakides Alexios-Spyridon , Voutetakis Spyros , Papadopoulou Simira , Seferlis Panos
Published: January 2019

This work focuses on the development and implementation of an integrated process design and control framework for a membrane-based hydrogen production system based on low temperature methane steam reforming. Several alternative flowsheet configurations consisted of either integrated membrane reactor modules or successive reactor and membrane separation modules are designed and assessed by considering economic and controller dynamic performance criteria simultaneously. The design problem is expressed as a non-linear dynamic optimization problem incorporating a nonlinear dynamic model for the process system and a linear model predictive controller aiming to maintain the process targets despite the effect of disturbances. The large dimensionality of the disturbance space is effectively addressed by focusing on disturbances along the direction that causes the maximum process variability revealed by the analysis of local sensitivity information for the process system. Design results from a multi-objective optimization study, where only the annualized equipment and operational costs are minimized, are used as reference case in order to evaluate the proposed design framework. Optimization results demonstrate the controller’s ability to track the imposed setpoint changes and alleviate the effects of multiple simultaneous disturbances. Also, significant economic improvements are observed by the implementation of the integrated design and control framework compared to the traditional design methodology, where process and controller design are performed sequentially.
Glucose Can Protect Membranes against Dehydration Damage by Inducing a Glassy Membrane State at Low Hydrations
Authors: Dhaliwal Alexander , Khondker Adree , Alsop Richard , Rheinstädter Maikel
Published: January 2019

The physical effects of small sugars on membranes have been studied for decades, primarily because of their membrane stabilization in cold or dehydrated environments. We studied the effects of up to 20 mol% glucose in bilayers made of 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) at low hydration by combining X-ray diffraction and Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations. In agreement with previous studies, we observe membrane thinning at low and membrane thickening at high sugar concentrations. Glucose was found to preferentially localize to the outer head region of phospholipid bilayers at all concentrations, and partitioning of sugar in the membranes was found to monotonically increase with increasing sugar concentration. While the number of gauche defects in the lipid acyl tails and the lipid packing in the presence of sugar resembled values of a fluid lipid bilayer, tail dynamics, as assessed by autocorrelation of the carbon atoms in the phospholipid tails, were slowed down significantly with increasing glucose content. Thus, our findings suggest that sugar leads to a a disordered, glassy state of the hydrophobic membrane core. The non-monotonic effect of glucose on membrane thickness was found to be an effect of fluidification at low concentrations and decreased interdigitation in the higher sugar concentration regime.
Effect of Temperature and Texture on Hall–Petch Strengthening by Grain and Annealing Twin Boundaries in the MnFeNi Medium-Entropy Alloy
Authors: Schneider Mike , Werner Felicitas , Langenkämper Dennis , Reinhart Christian , Laplanche Guillaume
Published: January 2019

Among equiatomic alloys of the Cr-Mn-Fe-Co-Ni system, MnFeNi was shown to exhibit a strong anti-invar behavior but little is known regarding its mechanical properties. The objective of the present study is to investigate Hall–Petch strengthening by grain and annealing twin boundaries in MnFeNi. For this purpose, seven different grain sizes between 17 and 216 µm were produced. Mean grain sizes (excluding annealing twin boundaries) and crystallite sizes (including them) were determined using the linear intercept method. Overall, 25% of the boundaries were found to be annealing twin boundaries regardless of the grain size. In some cases, two twin boundaries can be present in one grain forming an annealing twin, which thickness represents one quarter of the mean grain size. Based on a comparison of the mean twin thickness of different alloys with different stacking fault energy (SFE), we estimated an SFE of 80 ± 20 mJ/m2 for MnFeNi. Compression tests of MnFeNi with different grain sizes were performed between 77 and 873 K and revealed a parallel shift of the Hall–Petch lines with temperature. The interaction between dislocations and boundaries was investigated by scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) in a deformed specimen. It was found that a large number of dislocations are piling up against grain boundaries while the pile-ups at annealing twin boundaries contain much fewer dislocations. This indicates that annealing twin boundaries in this alloy are less effective obstacles to dislocation motion than grain boundaries.
Editorial for the Special Issue: Human Pathogenic Filamentous Fungi from Food/Water and Mycotoxins from Water
Authors: Paterson R. Russell M.
Published: January 2019

This special issue was conceived due to the success of the book by Paterson and Lima [...]
Serpentine–Hisingerite Solid Solution in Altered Ferroan Peridotite and Olivine Gabbro
Authors: Tutolo Benjamin M. , Evans Bernard W. , Kuehner Scott M.
Published: January 2019

We present microanalyses of secondary phyllosilicates in altered ferroan metaperidotite, containing approximately equal amounts of end-members serpentine ((Mg,Fe2+)3Si2O5(OH)4) and hisingerite (□Fe3+2Si2O5(OH)4·nH2O). These analyses suggest that all intermediate compositions can exist stably, a proposal that was heretofore impossible because phyllosilicate with the compositions reported here have not been previously observed. In samples from the Duluth Complex (Minnesota, USA) containing igneous olivine Fa36–44, a continuous range in phyllosilicate compositions is associated with hydrothermal Mg extraction from the system and consequent relative enrichments in Fe2+, Fe3+ (hisingerite), Si, and Mn. Altered ferroan–olivine-bearing samples from the Laramie Complex (Wyoming, USA) show a compositional variability of secondary FeMg–phyllosilicate (e.g., Mg–hisingerite) that is discontinuous and likely the result of differing igneous olivine compositions and local equilibration during alteration. Together, these examples demonstrate that the products of serpentinization of ferroan peridotite include phyllosilicate with iron contents proportionally larger than the reactant olivine, in contrast to the common observation of Mg-enriched serpentine in “traditional” alpine and seafloor serpentinites. To augment and contextualize our analyses, we additionally compiled greenalite and hisingerite analyses from the literature. These data show that greenalite in metamorphosed banded iron formation contains progressively more octahedral-site vacancies (larger apfu of Si) in higher XFe samples, a consequence of both increased hisingerite substitution and structure modulation (sheet inversions). Some high-Si greenalite remains ferroan and seems to be a structural analogue of the highly modulated sheet silicate caryopilite. Using a thermodynamic model of hydrothermal alteration in the Fe–silicate system, we show that the formation of secondary hydrothermal olivine and serpentine–hisingerite solid solutions after primary olivine may be attributed to appropriate values of thermodynamic parameters such as elevated a S i O 2 ( a q ) and decreased a H 2 ( a q ) at low temperatures (~200 °C). Importantly, recent observations of Martian rocks have indicated that they are evolved magmatically like the ferroan peridotites analyzed here, which, in turn, suggests that the processes and phyllosilicate assemblages recorded here are more directly relevant to those occurring on Mars than are traditional terrestrial serpentinites.