bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Low-Altitude Aerial Methane Concentration Mapping
Authors: Emran Bara , Tannant Dwayne , Najjaran Homayoun
Published: August 2017

Detection of leaks of fugitive greenhouse gases (GHGs) from landfills and natural gas infrastructure is critical for not only their safe operation but also for protecting the environment. Current inspection practices involve moving a methane detector within the target area by a person or vehicle. This procedure is dangerous, time consuming, labor intensive and above all unavailable when access to the desired area is limited. Remote sensing by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipped with a methane detector is a cost-effective and fast method for methane detection and monitoring, especially for vast and remote areas. This paper describes the integration of an off-the-shelf laser-based methane detector into a multi-rotor UAV and demonstrates its efficacy in generating an aerial methane concentration map of a landfill. The UAV flies a preset flight path measuring methane concentrations in a vertical air column between the UAV and the ground surface. Measurements were taken at 10 Hz giving a typical distance between measurements of 0.2 m when flying at 2 m/s. The UAV was set to fly at 25 to 30 m above the ground. We conclude that besides its utility in landfill monitoring, the proposed method is ready for other environmental applications as well as the inspection of natural gas infrastructure that can release methane with much higher concentrations.
Automatic Power Line Inspection Using UAV Images
Authors: Zhang Yong , Yuan Xiuxiao , Li Wenzhuo , Chen Shiyu
Published: August 2017

Power line inspection ensures the safe operation of a power transmission grid. Using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) images of power line corridors is an effective way to carry out these vital inspections. In this paper, we propose an automatic inspection method for power lines using UAV images. This method, known as the power line automatic measurement method based on epipolar constraints (PLAMEC), acquires the spatial position of the power lines. Then, the semi patch matching based on epipolar constraints (SPMEC) dense matching method is applied to automatically extract dense point clouds within the power line corridor. Obstacles can then be automatically detected by calculating the spatial distance between a power line and the point cloud representing the ground. Experimental results show that the PLAMEC automatically measures power lines effectively with a measurement accuracy consistent with that of manual stereo measurements. The height root mean square (RMS) error of the point cloud was 0.233 m, and the RMS error of the power line was 0.205 m. In addition, we verified the detected obstacles in the field and measured the distance between the canopy and power line using a laser range finder. The results show that the difference of these two distances was within ±0.5 m.
Terrestrial Laser Scanner Two-Face Measurements for Analyzing the Elevation-Dependent Deformation of the Onsala Space Observatory 20-m Radio Telescope’s Main Reflector in a Bundle Adjustment
Authors: Holst Christoph , Schunck David , Nothnagel Axel , Haas Rüdiger , Wennerbäck Lars , Olofsson Henrik , Hammargren Roger , Kuhlmann Heiner
Published: August 2017

For accurate astronomic and geodetic observations based on radio telescopes, the elevation-dependent deformation of the radio telescopes’ main reflectors should be known. Terrestrial laser scanning has been used for determining the corresponding changes of focal lengths and areal reflector deformations at several occasions before. New in this publication is the situation in which we minimize systematic measurement errors by an improved measurement and data-processing concept: Sampling the main reflector in both faces of the laser scanner and calibrating the laser scanner in situ in a bundle adjustment. This concept is applied to the Onsala Space Observatory 20-m radio telescope: The focal length of the main reflector decreases by 9.6 mm from 85 ∘ to 5 ∘ elevation angle. Further local deformations of the main reflector are not detected.
Amalgam Electrode-Based Electrochemical Detector for On-Site Direct Determination of Cadmium(II) and Lead(II) from Soils
Authors: Nejdl Lukas , Kynicky Jindrich , Brtnicky Martin , Vaculovicova Marketa , Adam Vojtech
Published: August 2017

Toxic metal contamination of the environment is a global issue. In this paper, we present a low-cost and rapid production of amalgam electrodes used for determination of Cd(II) and Pb(II) in environmental samples (soils and wastewaters) by on-site analysis using difference pulse voltammetry. Changes in the electrochemical signals were recorded with a miniaturized potentiostat (width: 80 mm, depth: 54 mm, height: 23 mm) and a portable computer. The limit of detection (LOD) was calculated for the geometric surface of the working electrode 15 mm2 that can be varied as required for analysis. The LODs were 80 ng·mL−1 for Cd(II) and 50 ng·mL−1 for Pb(II), relative standard deviation, RSD ≤ 8% (n = 3). The area of interest (Dolni Rozinka, Czech Republic) was selected because there is a deposit of uranium ore and extreme anthropogenic activity. Environmental samples were taken directly on-site and immediately analysed. Duration of a single analysis was approximately two minutes. The average concentrations of Cd(II) and Pb(II) in this area were below the global average. The obtained values were verified (correlated) by standard electrochemical methods based on hanging drop electrodes and were in good agreement. The advantages of this method are its cost and time effectivity (approximately two minutes per one sample) with direct analysis of turbid samples (soil leach) in a 2 M HNO3 environment. This type of sample cannot be analyzed using the classical analytical methods without pretreatment.
Construction Condition and Damage Monitoring of Post-Tensioned PSC Girders Using Embedded Sensors
Authors: Shin Kyung-Joon , Lee Seong-Cheol , Kim Yun , Kim Jae-Min , Park Seunghee , Lee Hwanwoo
Published: August 2017

The potential for monitoring the construction of post-tensioned concrete beams and detecting damage to the beams under loading conditions was investigated through an experimental program. First, embedded sensors were investigated that could measure pre-stress from the fabrication process to a failure condition. Four types of sensors were installed on a steel frame, and the applicability and the accuracy of these sensors were tested while pre-stress was applied to a tendon in the steel frame. As a result, a tri-sensor loading plate and a Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensor were selected as possible candidates. With those sensors, two pre-stressed concrete flexural beams were fabricated and tested. The pre-stress of the tendons was monitored during the construction and loading processes. Through the test, it was proven that the variation in thepre-stress had been successfully monitored throughout the construction process. The losses of pre-stress that occurred during a jacking and storage process, even those which occurred inside the concrete, were measured successfully. The results of the loading test showed that tendon stress and strain within the pure span significantly increased, while the stress in areas near the anchors was almost constant. These results prove that FBG sensors installed in a middle section can be used to monitor the strain within, and the damage to pre-stressed concrete beams.
Slippage Detection with Piezoresistive Tactile Sensors
Authors: Romeo Rocco , Oddo Calogero , Carrozza Maria , Guglielmelli Eugenio , Zollo Loredana
Published: August 2017

One of the crucial actions to be performed during a grasping task is to avoid slippage. The human hand can rapidly correct applied forces and prevent a grasped object from falling, thanks to its advanced tactile sensing. The same capability is hard to reproduce in artificial systems, such as robotic or prosthetic hands, where sensory motor coordination for force and slippage control is very limited. In this paper, a novel algorithm for slippage detection is presented. Based on fast, easy-to-perform processing, the proposed algorithm generates an ON/OFF signal relating to the presence/absence of slippage. The method can be applied either on the raw output of a force sensor or to its calibrated force signal, and yields comparable results if applied to both normal or tangential components. A biomimetic fingertip that integrates piezoresistive MEMS sensors was employed for evaluating the method performance. Each sensor had four units, thus providing 16 mono-axial signals for the analysis. A mechatronic platform was used to produce relative movement between the finger and the test surfaces (tactile stimuli). Three surfaces with submillimetric periods were adopted for the method evaluation, and 10 experimental trials were performed per each surface. Results are illustrated in terms of slippage events detection and of latency between the slippage itself and its onset.
Headgear Accessories Classification Using an Overhead Depth Sensor
Authors: Luna Carlos , Macias-Guarasa Javier , Losada-Gutierrez Cristina , Marron-Romera Marta , Mazo Manuel , Luengo-Sanchez Sara , Macho-Pedroso Roberto
Published: August 2017

In this paper, we address the generation of semantic labels describing the headgear accessories carried out by people in a scene under surveillance, only using depth information obtained from a Time-of-Flight (ToF) camera placed in an overhead position. We propose a new method for headgear accessories classification based on the design of a robust processing strategy that includes the estimation of a meaningful feature vector that provides the relevant information about the people’s head and shoulder areas. This paper includes a detailed description of the proposed algorithmic approach, and the results obtained in tests with persons with and without headgear accessories, and with different types of hats and caps. In order to evaluate the proposal, a wide experimental validation has been carried out on a fully labeled database (that has been made available to the scientific community), including a broad variety of people and headgear accessories. For the validation, three different levels of detail have been defined, considering a different number of classes: the first level only includes two classes (hat/cap, and no hat/cap), the second one considers three classes (hat, cap and no hat/cap), and the last one includes the full class set with the five classes (no hat/cap, cap, small size hat, medium size hat, and large size hat). The achieved performance is satisfactory in every case: the average classification rates for the first level reaches 95.25%, for the second one is 92.34%, and for the full class set equals 84.60%. In addition, the online stage processing time is 5.75 ms per frame in a standard PC, thus allowing for real-time operation.
A Novel Online Sequential Extreme Learning Machine for Gas Utilization Ratio Prediction in Blast Furnaces
Authors: Li Yanjiao , Zhang Sen , Yin Yixin , Xiao Wendong , Zhang Jie
Published: August 2017

Gas utilization ratio (GUR) is an important indicator used to measure the operating status and energy consumption of blast furnaces (BFs). In this paper, we present a soft-sensor approach, i.e., a novel online sequential extreme learning machine (OS-ELM) named DU-OS-ELM, to establish a data-driven model for GUR prediction. In DU-OS-ELM, firstly, the old collected data are discarded gradually and the newly acquired data are given more attention through a novel dynamic forgetting factor (DFF), depending on the estimation errors to enhance the dynamic tracking ability. Furthermore, we develop an updated selection strategy (USS) to judge whether the model needs to be updated with the newly coming data, so that the proposed approach is more in line with the actual production situation. Then, the convergence analysis of the proposed DU-OS-ELM is presented to ensure the estimation of output weight converge to the true value with the new data arriving. Meanwhile, the proposed DU-OS-ELM is applied to build a soft-sensor model to predict GUR. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed DU-OS-ELM obtains better generalization performance and higher prediction accuracy compared with a number of existing related approaches using the real production data from a BF and the created GUR prediction model can provide an effective guidance for further optimization operation.
A Compressed Sensing Based Method for Reducing the Sampling Time of A High Resolution Pressure Sensor Array System
Authors: Sun Chenglu , Li Wei , Chen Wei
Published: August 2017

For extracting the pressure distribution image and respiratory waveform unobtrusively and comfortably, we proposed a smart mat which utilized a flexible pressure sensor array, printed electrodes and novel soft seven-layer structure to monitor those physiological information. However, in order to obtain high-resolution pressure distribution and more accurate respiratory waveform, it needs more time to acquire the pressure signal of all the pressure sensors embedded in the smart mat. In order to reduce the sampling time while keeping the same resolution and accuracy, a novel method based on compressed sensing (CS) theory was proposed. By utilizing the CS based method, 40% of the sampling time can be decreased by means of acquiring nearly one-third of original sampling points. Then several experiments were carried out to validate the performance of the CS based method. While less than one-third of original sampling points were measured, the correlation degree coefficient between reconstructed respiratory waveform and original waveform can achieve 0.9078, and the accuracy of the respiratory rate (RR) extracted from the reconstructed respiratory waveform can reach 95.54%. The experimental results demonstrated that the novel method can fit the high resolution smart mat system and be a viable option for reducing the sampling time of the pressure sensor array.
Inhomogeneous Oxygen Vacancy Distribution in Semiconductor Gas Sensors: Formation, Migration and Determination on Gas Sensing Characteristics
Authors: Liu Jianqiao , Gao Yinglin , Wu Xu , Jin Guohua , Zhai Zhaoxia , Liu Huan
Published: August 2017

The density of oxygen vacancies in semiconductor gas sensors was often assumed to be identical throughout the grain in the numerical discussion of the gas-sensing mechanism of the devices. In contrast, the actual devices had grains with inhomogeneous distribution of oxygen vacancy under non-ideal conditions. This conflict between reality and discussion drove us to study the formation and migration of the oxygen defects in semiconductor grains. A model of the gradient-distributed oxygen vacancy was proposed based on the effects of cooling rate and re-annealing on semiconductive thin films. The model established the diffusion equations of oxygen vacancy according to the defect kinetics of diffusion and exclusion. We described that the steady-state and transient-state oxygen vacancy distributions, which were used to calculate the gas-sensing characteristics of the sensor resistance and response to reducing gases under two different conditions. The gradient-distributed oxygen vacancy model had the applications in simulating the sensor performances, such as the power law, the grain size effect and the effect of depletion layer width.
Comparing Food Provided and Wasted before and after Implementing Measures against Food Waste in Three Healthcare Food Service Facilities
Authors: Strotmann Christina , Friedrich Silke , Kreyenschmidt Judith , Teitscheid Petra , Ritter Guido
Published: August 2017

The aim of the study was to reduce food waste in a hospital, a hospital cafeteria, and a residential home by applying a participatory approach in which the employees were integrated into the process of developing and implementing measures. Initially, a process analysis was undertaken to identify the processes and structures existing in each institution. This included a 2-week measurement of the quantities of food produced and wasted. After implementing the measures, a second measurement was conducted and the results of the two measurements were compared. The average waste rate in the residential home was significantly reduced from 21.4% to 13.4% and from 19.8% to 12.8% in the cafeteria. In the hospital, the average waste rate remained constant (25.6% and 26.3% during the reference and control measurements). However, quantities of average daily food provided and wasted per person in the hospital declined. Minimizing overproduction, i.e., aligning the quantity of meals produced to that required, is essential to reducing serving losses. Compliance of meal quality and quantity with customer expectations, needs, and preferences, i.e., the individualization of food supply, reduces plate waste. Moreover, establishing an efficient communication structure involving all actors along the food supply chain contributes to decreasing food waste.
Are Rainfall and Temperature Really Changing? Farmer’s Perceptions, Meteorological Data, and Policy Implications in the Tanzanian Semi-Arid Zone
Authors: Mkonda Msafiri , He Xinhua
Published: August 2017

Although various climate models, statistical crop models and economic simulations have been established to determine the level of farmers’ vulnerability, there has been little systematic assessment of farmers’ perception towards climate change in association with meteorological analyses and policy implications in Tanzania. The results from this assessment will enhance the formation of robust policies that improve resilient livelihoods and the capacity to adapt to climate change and variability. This paper seeks to (i) reveal the farmers’ perception on variation, change of rainfall, and temperature in the Tanzanian semi-arid area; (ii) depict meteorological evidence for the perceived rainfall and temperature changes; (iii) assess the policy perception and responses for the changing climate; and (iv) discuss the correlation between farmers’ perception and meteorological data. Household surveys, informative interviews and discussions were employed during data collection. The Mann-Kendall Test and SPSS (version 20) were used for climate data analyses, while qualitative data were thematically analyzed. The results showed that from 1980 to 2015 the mean annual rainfall decreased ( R2 = 0.21) while temperature increased (R2 = 0.30). Even though majority farmers agreed with these results, they had not yet taken serious measures to curb the situation. Besides, Agricultural Policy has lightly addressed and enforced the implementations of adaptation strategies to reduce climate impacts and vulnerability. Thereby, creation of awareness and intensification of climate adaptation strategies is needed at both farm and policy level.
Floristic response to urbanization: Filtering of the bioregional flora in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Authors: Dolan Rebecca W. , Aronson Myla F.J. , Hipp Andrew L.
Published: August 2017

PREMISE OF THE STUDY:

Globally, urban plant populations are becoming increasingly important, as these plants play a vital role in ameliorating effects of ecosystem disturbance and climate change. Urban environments act as filters to bioregional flora, presenting survival challenges to spontaneous plants. Yet, because of the paucity of inventory data on plants in landscapes both before and after urbanization, few studies have directly investigated this effect of urbanization.

METHODS:

We used historical, contemporary, and regional plant species inventories for Indianapolis, Indiana USA to evaluate how urbanization filters the bioregional flora based on species diversity, functional traits, and phylogenetic community structure.

KEY RESULTS:

Approximately 60% of the current regional flora was represented in the Indianapolis flora, both historically and presently. Native species that survived over time were significantly different in growth form, life form, and dispersal and pollination modes than those that were extirpated. Phylogenetically, the historical flora represented a random sample of the regional flora, while the current urban flora represented a nonrandom sample. Both graminoid habit and abiotic pollination are significantly more phylogenetically conserved than expected.

CONCLUSIONS:

Our results likely reflect the shift from agricultural cover to built environment, coupled with the influence of human preference, in shaping the current urban flora of Indianapolis. Based on our analyses, the urban environment of Indianapolis does filter the bioregional species pool. To the extent that these filters are shared by other cities and operate similarly, we may see increasingly homogenized urban floras across regions, with concurrent loss of evolutionary information.
Uptake and intracellular accumulation of diamond nanoparticles – a metabolic and cytotoxic study
Authors: Brož Antonín , Bačáková Lucie , Štenclová Pavla , Kromka Alexander , Potocký Štěpán
Published: August 2017

Diamond nanoparticles, known as nanodiamonds (NDs), possess several medically significant properties. Having a tailorable and easily accessible surface gives them great potential for use in sensing and imaging applications and as a component of cell growth scaffolds. In this work we investigate in vitro interactions of human osteoblast-like SAOS-2 cells with four different groups of NDs, namely high-pressure high-temperature (HPHT) NDs (diameter 18–210 nm, oxygen-terminated), photoluminescent HPHT NDs (diameter 40 nm, oxygen-terminated), detonation NDs (diameter 5 nm, H-terminated), and the same detonation NDs further oxidized by annealing at 450 °C. The influence of the NDs on cell viability and cell count was measured by the mitochondrial metabolic activity test and by counting cells with stained nuclei. The interaction of NDs with cells was monitored by phase contrast live-cell imaging in real time. For both types of oxygen-terminated HPHT NDs, the cell viability and the cell number remained almost the same for concentrations up to 100 µg/mL within the whole range of ND diameters tested. The uptake of hydrogen-terminated detonation NDs caused the viability and the cell number to decrease by 80–85%. The oxidation of the NDs hindered the decrease, but on day 7, a further decrease was observed. While the O-terminated NDs showed mechanical obstruction of cells by agglomerates preventing cell adhesion, migration and division, the H-terminated detonation NDs exhibited rapid penetration into the cells from the beginning of the cultivation period, and also rapid cell congestion and a rapid reduction in viability. These findings are discussed with reference to relevant properties of NDs such as surface chemical bonds, zeta potential and nanoparticle types.
Surviving a Genome Collision: Genomic Signatures of Allopolyploidization in the Recent Crop Species Brassica napus
Authors: Samans Birgit , Chalhoub Boulos , Snowdon Rod J.
Published: August 2017

Polyploidization has played a major role in crop plant evolution, leading to advantageous traits that have been selected by humans. Here, we describe restructuring patterns in the genome of Brassica napus L., a recent allopolyploid species. Widespread segmental deletions, duplications, and homeologous chromosome exchanges were identified in diverse genome sequences from 32 natural and 20 synthetic accessions, indicating that homeologous exchanges are a major driver of postpolyploidization genome diversification. Breakpoints of genomic rearrangements are rich in microsatellite sequences that are known to interact with the meiotic recombination machinery. In both synthetic and natural B. napus, a subgenome bias was observed toward exchanges replacing larger chromosome segments from the C‐subgenome by their smaller, homeologous A‐subgenome segments, driving postpolyploidization genome size reduction. Selection in natural B. napus favored segmental deletions involving genes associated with immunity, reproduction, and adaptation. Deletions affecting mismatch repair system genes, which are assumed to control homeologous recombination, were also found to be under selection. Structural exchanges between homeologous subgenomes appear to be a major source of novel genetic diversity in de novo allopolyploids. Documenting the consequences of genomic collision by genomic resequencing gives insights into the adaptive processes accompanying allopolyploidization.
Constraining Accretion Signatures of Exoplanets in the TW Hya Transitional Disk
Authors: Uyama Taichi , Tanigawa Takayuki , Hashimoto Jun , Tamura Motohide , Aoyama Yuhiko , Brandt Timothy D. , Ishizuka Masato
Published: August 2017

We present a near-infrared direct imaging search for accretion signatures of possible protoplanets around the young stellar object (YSO) TW Hya, a multi-ring disk exhibiting evidence of planet formation. The Paβ line (1.282 μm) is an indication of accretion onto a protoplanet, and its intensity is much higher than that of blackbody radiation from the protoplanet. We focused on the Paβ line and performed Keck/OSIRIS spectroscopic observations. Although spectral differential imaging (SDI) reduction detected no accretion signatures, the results of the present study allowed us to set 5σ detection limits for Paβ emission of 5.8 × 10−18 and 1.5 × 10−18 erg−1 s−1 cm−2 at 0.″4 and 1.″6, respectively. We considered the mass of potential planets using theoretical simulations of circumplanetary disks and hydrogen emission. The resulting masses were 1.45 ± 0.04 M
J and

at 25 and 95 au, respectively, which agree with the detection limits obtained from previous broadband imaging. The detection limits should allow for the identification of protoplanets as small as ∼1 M
J, which may assist in direct imaging searches around faint YSOs for which extreme adaptive optics instruments are unavailable.
Are Fossil Groups Early-forming Galaxy Systems?
Authors: Kundert A. , D’Onghia E. , Aguerri J. A. L.
Published: August 2017

Using the Illustris cosmological simulation, we investigate the origin of fossil groups in the

mass regime. We examine the formation of the two primary features of fossil groups: the large magnitude gap between their two brightest galaxies and their exceptionally luminous brightest group galaxy (BGG). For fossils and nonfossils identified at z = 0, we find no difference in their halo mass assembly histories at early times, departing from previous studies. However, we do find a significant difference in the recent accretion history of fossil and nonfossil halos; in particular, fossil groups show a lack of recent accretion and have in majority assembled 80% of their

mass before

. For fossils, massive satellite galaxies accreted during this period have enough time to merge with the BGG by the present day, producing a more massive central galaxy. In addition, the lack of recent group accretion prevents replenishment of the bright satellite population, allowing for a large magnitude gap to develop within the past few Gyr. We thus find that the origin of the magnitude gap and overmassive BGG of fossils in Illustris depends on the recent accretion history of the groups and merger history of the BGGs after their collapse at

. This indicates that selecting galaxy groups by their magnitude gap does not guarantee obtaining either early-forming galaxy systems or undisturbed central galaxies.
A Further Study of the
of GRBs: Rest-frame Properties, External Plateau Contributions, and Multiple Parameter Analysis
Authors: Gao He , Ren An-Bing , Lei Wei-Hua , Zhang Bin-Bin , Lü Hou-Jun , Li Ye
Published: August 2017

Zhang et al. propose to redefine the true γ-ray burst (GRB) central engine activity duration,

, by considering the contributions from the prompt γ-ray emission, X-ray flare, and internal plateau features. With a comprehensive study of a large sample of Swift GRBs, it is shown that the

distribution in the observer frame consists of a bimodal feature, suggesting the existence of a new population of ultra-long GRBs. In this work, we make a series of further studies on

: we update the Swift GRB sample up to 2016 June; we investigate the properties of

distribution in the rest frame; we redefine

by involving external plateau contributions; and we make a multiple parameter analysis to investigate whether the bursts within the ultra-long population are statistically different in the sense of other features besides the duration distribution. We find that for all situations, the distribution of

requires two normal distributions in logarithmic space to provide a good fit both in the observer frame and in the rest frame. Considering the observational gap effect would not completely erase the bimodal distribution feature. However, the bursts within the ultra-long population may have no statistical difference in the sense of other features besides the duration term. We thus suggest that if the ultra-long population of GRBs indeed exists, their central engine and radiation mechanisms should be similar to those of the normal population, but they have a longer central engine activity timescale.
Spatial Variations of Turbulent Properties of Neutral Hydrogen Gas in the Small Magellanic Cloud Using Structure-function Analysis
Authors: Nestingen-Palm David , Stanimirović Snežana , González-Casanova Diego F. , Babler Brian , Jameson Katherine , Bolatto Alberto
Published: August 2017

We investigate spatial variations of turbulent properties in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) by using neutral hydrogen (H i) observations. With the goal of testing the importance of stellar feedback on H i turbulence, we define central and outer SMC regions based on the star formation rate (SFR) surface density, as well as the H i integrated intensity. We use the structure function and the velocity channel analysis to calculate the power-law index (γ) for both underlying density and velocity fields in these regions. In all cases, our results show essentially no difference in γ between the central and outer regions. This suggests that H i turbulent properties are surprisingly homogeneous across the SMC when probed at a resolution of 30 pc. Contrary to recent suggestions from numerical simulations, we do not find a significant change in γ due to stellar feedback as traced by the SFR surface density. This could be due to the stellar feedback being widespread over the whole of the SMC, but more likely due to a large-scale gravitational driving of turbulence. We show that the lack of difference between central and outer SMC regions cannot be explained by the high optical depth H I.
Is HESS J1912+101 Associated with an Old Supernova Remnant?
Authors: Su Yang , Zhou Xin , Yang Ji , Chen Yang , Chen Xuepeng , Gong Yan , Zhang Shaobo
Published: August 2017

HESS J1912+101 is a shell-like TeV source that has no clear counterpart in multiwavelength. Using CO and H i data, we reveal that V
LSR ∼ +60 km s−1 molecular clouds (MCs), together with shocked molecular gas and high-velocity neutral atomic shells, are concentrated toward HESS J1912+101. The prominent wing profiles up to V
LSR ∼ +80 km s−1 seen in 12CO (J = 1–0 and J = 3–2) data, as well as the high-velocity expanding H i shells up to V
LSR ∼ +100 km s−1, exhibit striking redshifted-broadening relative to the quiescent gas. These features provide compelling evidences for large-scale perturbation in the region. We argue that the shocked MCs and the high-velocity H i shells may originate from an old supernova remnant (SNR). The distance to the SNR is estimated to be ∼4.1 kpc based on the H i self-absorption method, which leads to a physical radius of 29.0 pc for the ∼(0.7–2.0) × 105 years old remnant with an expansion velocity of ≳40 km s−1. The +60 km s−1 MCs and the disturbed gas are indeed found to coincide with the bright TeV emission, supporting the physical association between them. Naturally, the shell-like TeV emission comes from the decay of neutral pions produced by interactions between the accelerated hadrons from the SNR and the surrounding high-density molecular gas.
The Cosmic V-Web
Authors: Pomarède Daniel , Hoffman Yehuda , Courtois Hélène M. , Tully R. Brent
Published: August 2017

The network of filaments with embedded clusters surrounding voids, which has been seen in maps derived from redshift surveys and reproduced in simulations, has been referred to as the cosmic web. A complementary description is provided by considering the shear in the velocity field of galaxies. The eigenvalues of the shear provide information regarding whether or not a region is collapsing in three dimensions, which is the condition for a knot, expanding in three dimensions, which is the condition for a void, or in the intermediate condition of a filament or sheet. The structures that are quantitatively defined by the eigenvalues can be approximated by iso-contours that provide a visual representation of the cosmic velocity (V) web. The current application is based on radial peculiar velocities from the Cosmicflows-2 collection of distances. The three-dimensional velocity field is constructed using the Wiener filter methodology in the linear approximation. Eigenvalues of the velocity shear are calculated at each point on a grid. Here, knots and filaments are visualized across a local domain of diameter

.
The Effect of Combined Magnetic Geometries on Thermally Driven Winds. I. Interaction of Dipolar and Quadrupolar Fields
Authors: Finley Adam J. , Matt Sean P.
Published: August 2017

Cool stars with outer convective envelopes are observed to have magnetic fields with a variety of geometries, which on large scales are dominated by a combination of the lowest-order fields such as the dipole, quadrupole, and octupole modes. Magnetized stellar wind outflows are primarily responsible for the loss of angular momentum from these objects during the main sequence. Previous works have shown the reduced effectiveness of the stellar wind braking mechanism with increasingly complex but singular magnetic field geometries. In this paper, we quantify the impact of mixed dipolar and quadrupolar fields on the spin-down torque using 50 MHD simulations with mixed fields, along with 10 each of the pure geometries. The simulated winds include a wide range of magnetic field strength and reside in the slow-rotator regime. We find that the stellar wind braking torque from our combined geometry cases is well described by a broken power-law behavior, where the torque scaling with field strength can be predicted by the dipole component alone or the quadrupolar scaling utilizing the total field strength. The simulation results can be scaled and apply to all main-sequence cool stars. For solar parameters, the lowest-order component of the field (dipole in this paper) is the most significant in determining the angular momentum loss.
Critically Evaluated Energy Levels, Spectral Lines, Transition Probabilities, and Intensities of Singly Ionized Vanadium (V ii)
Authors: Saloman Edward B. , Kramida Alexander
Published: August 2017

The energy levels, observed spectral lines, and transition probabilities of singly ionized vanadium, V ii, have been compiled. The experimentally derived energy levels belong to the configurations 3d
4, 3d
3
ns (n = 4, 5, 6), 3d
3
np, and 3d
3
nd (n = 4, 5), 3d
34f, 3d
24s
2, and 3d
24s4p. Also included are values for some forbidden lines that may be of interest to the astrophysical community. Experimental Landé g-factors and leading percentages for the levels are included when available, as well as Ritz wavelengths calculated from the energy levels. Wavelengths and transition probabilities are reported for 3568 and 1896 transitions, respectively. From the list of observed wavelengths, 407 energy levels are determined. The observed intensities, normalized to a common scale, are provided. From the newly optimized energy levels, a revised value for the ionization energy is derived, 118,030(60) cm−1, corresponding to 14.634(7) eV. This is 130 cm−1 higher than the previously recommended value from Iglesias et al.
Teaching Teamwork in University Settings
Authors: Clack Lesley A.
Published: August 2017

Teamwork is essential to the success of any organization, as well as to the success of employees. Particularly in multidisciplinary professions, individuals from different backgrounds must be able to effectively work together. Teaching students how to work well on teams in a variety of roles is vital. There is increasing emphasis in university settings for students to be required to work in teams, however, instruction on how to succeed at teamwork is rarely given. This often results in conflict within teams and poor productivity. Within the Human Resources and Organizational Behavior domains, reducing conflict and improving productivity through successful teamwork are important concepts that students must learn. It is not sufficient to simply place students in teams and instruct them to work together. Students need to be taught the skills they will need to function successfully in the workplace.
Internet of Things in Pervasive Healthcare Systems
Authors: Guarda Teresa , Augusto Maria Fernanda , Barrionuevo Oscar , Pinto Filipe Mota
Published: August 2017

Throughout the stunning development of wireless communication technologies, sensors and wireless sensor networks (WSN) are being used in almost every area, such as in healthcare field. The ubiquitous sensing enabled by WSN technologies, in particularly the wireless medical sensor network (WMSN), might be one important key success factor in the modern medical system. The recent advances, and wireless devices proliferation, had proved the technical feasibility of the pervasive health care systems. The data collected by sensors are very sensitive and important, and the leakage of them could compromise security and privacy. This work presents the pervasive health care systems (PHCS) focusing on security and privacy of pervasive environments.
Bio-Inspired Techniques in Human-Computer Interface for Control of Assistive Devices
Authors: Geethanjali P.
Published: August 2017

Most of the assistive devices are of user contact based control like body-powered prosthetic hand, joystick control of wheelchair, sip-and-puff, etc. and have a limited number of control movements. The performance of these assistive devices improves using bio-signals/gesture based control embedded in the processor. Gesture based control is widely used in wheelchair navigation control, communication with external world for neuromuscular impaired subjects. On the other hand, bio-signals are used widely in prosthetic devices, wheelchair control, orthotic devices, etc. with pattern recognition based control strategy. The choice and number of features used in pattern recognition for accurate control of assistive device is crucial. Further, these features performance also varies with the classifier. The appropriate selection of combination of pattern recognition will enhance the accuracy. This chapter focuses on bio-inspired techniques in selection of features and classification for the pattern recognition based assistive device control.
Stereotyping in Tourism Discourse
Authors: Mikolič Vesna
Published: August 2017

The aim of the chapter is to present stereotyping as an important discourse strategy and culture-specific linguistic phenomena in tourism advertising discourse. Stereotyping in tourism advertising occurs when the authors of advertisments generalise underlining only those qualities that make a competitive advantage of the advertisied product. Stereotypes therefore play the key role in constituting the identity of tourism product. Besides the tourism product, also the addressee is stereotyped, since the persuasion strategy of the tourism advertising should be adapted to a generalised representation of the specific target audience. In the chapter the stereotyping in the tourism advertising discourse is observed regarding the choice of arguments and modification of their intensity. Further, the intercultural comparison is made between the arguments and their modification in Slovenian and Italian tourism advertising texts. In the final part of the chapter the metaphorization is shown as a discourse strategy complementary to stereotyping.
The Discourse of Tourism from a Systemic Functional Perspective
Authors: Stoian Claudia Elena
Published: August 2017

Tourism has undergone a shift from physical to online. This is obvious even in its promotional materials, as websites are the most usual type of online tourism promotion. The present chapter proposes Systemic Functional Theory for the analysis of websites. It first presents a brief description of the theory of the metafunctions, applied to both language (Halliday & Matthiessen, 2004) and images (Kress & van Leeuwen, 1996). Then, it analyzes two websites in order to show the application of the theory, focusing on language, image and their composition as multimodal acts. The chapter concludes by highlighting practical benefits for web designers, copywriters and/or tourism promoters.
A Genre-Register Analysis of a Tourism Brochure Written by Students in an EMI University Context
Authors: Pérez María del Mar Sánchez , de los Ríos María Enriqueta Cortés
Published: August 2017

Research conducted at university level reveals that students usually have difficulties in performing cognitive and discursive operations involved in the production of academic and specialized texts, which aggravate when these activities are developed in non-native language. The purpose of this chapter is to analyze a tourism brochure written by students in an English-Medium Instruction (EMI) higher education context from a combined genre-register approach. Particularly, it aims to examine the students' main strengths and weaknesses when writing this particular text genre. A compilation of 37 tourism brochures written in English by Spanish university students is analyzed qualitatively according to an analytic rating scale inspired by Friedl and Auer (2007). Results show that students perform better in terms of register, whereas significant deficiencies regarding genre and discourse are found. This reveals that explicit teaching of discourse and genre issues in university classrooms is necessary in order to help students produce higher-quality specialized texts.
The Challenging Dynamics of Nascent Entrepreneurship
Authors: França Alexandra , Vilares Alexandra , Frankenbach Silja , Vereb Vanda , Moreira António C.
Published: August 2017

Nascent entrepreneurship has long been studied from a variety of perspectives. A major stream of work by psychologists and sociologists suggests that nascent entrepreneurs have distinctive traits and competences. A second focus for research has been studying the environment in which nascent entrepreneurs operates. Recently, the identification and exploitation of entrepreneurial opportunities has emerged as a third focus. In this paper we will address the following questions: (1) what are the individual characteristics of those individuals who are attracted to becoming an entrepreneur? (2) What are the environmental factors contributing to new venture creation? (3) What are the steps in the creation process? We will attempt to answer these three questions by arguing that the central process of nascent entrepreneurship is centred on opportunity recognition, evaluation and exploitation, and influenced by contextual factors (e.g. external knowledge) and personal characteristics and competences (e.g. internal knowledge).
Nascent Cultural and Creative Entrepreneurship
Authors: Vecco Marilena , Srakar Andrej
Published: August 2017

Despite the topic of Nascent Entrepreneurship (NE) receiving quite extent in coverage in the scientific literature there is very few, if any, knowledge on the characteristics of nascent firms in the cultural and creative sector. Using 10 years of data (2006-2015) collected in Amadeus from a selected sample of European countries, the authors highlight the variations in the measurement of NE in the cultural and creative sectors across time and geographic context. The authors test the influence of a set of formal institutions on NE in the cultural and creative sectors. In particular, the authors find evidence on their effects on the performance of NE in the cultural and creative sectors, but evidence that sometimes institutional quality and general development can have opposite effects on the performance of NE in the cultural and creative sectors. The chapter concludes by reflections and research recommendations.
Stress and Violence in the Academic Space
Authors: Neacsu Ioan , Oprea Anca Cristina
Published: August 2017

The study deals with the diversity of the values of the connections that appear between stress and violence in the academic social environment in the context of the research in the field, of the specialized literature, of the psychological and pedagogical semantics and pragmatics. The configuration of the study is a multiple one: definitions and terminological connections, authorities that have roles in the psycho- academic counseling, factors, contexts and risk situations with stress generative potential, behavior with violent potential. It has been identified and examined a rich set of group or psycho individual social, institutional factors, such as group conflicts, asymmetrical interrelationships, motivations of risk, explanatory mechanisms, and situations with reductive, tense release potential. The model of the approach is also defined by methodological- empirical explorations, syntheses, and statistical results which are useful for the community of the university actors. The study ends with proposals and suggestions of analysis and psycho-socio/ pedagogical intervention.
Cyber-Aggression in Higher Education
Authors: Wright Michelle F.
Published: August 2017

Emerging adults are actively engaged in a digital world in which blogs, social networking sites, watching videos, and instant messaging are a typical part of their daily lives. Their immersion in the digital world has occurred for as long as many of them can remember, with many not knowing a world without our modern technological advances. Although the digital age has brought us many conveniences in our daily lives, there is a darker side to emerging adults' involvement with these technologies, such as cyber aggression involvement. This chapter draws on research from around the world, utilizing a variety of research designs, to describe the nature, extent, and consequences associated with emerging adults' involvement in cyber aggression. Concluding the chapter is a solutions and recommendation section in which various recommendations are given to help colleges and universities strive to reduce cyber aggression on their campuses among their students.
Psychological Well-Being, Self-Concept, and Couple Relations in University Students
Authors: Torres Lucía Herrera , Mohand Laila Mohamed , Espinosa Sergio Cepero
Published: August 2017

The aim of this chapter is to analyze the psychological well-being of university students, their self-concept and certain behaviours and attitudes of violence in couple relationships by gender and cultural group (European vs. Amazigh) as well as to determine the relationship amongst the three constructs evaluated. For it, 100 university students of the University Campus of Melilla, Spain, participated in the research. The Psychological Well-Being Scale (PWBS), the Test of Self-Concept Form 5 (AF-5), and the Dating Violence Questionnaire (DVQ) were the instruments used for the data collection. Main results showed differences by gender on the Degree of distress experienced by the presence of violent behaviours and attitudes in couple relationships, the Academic/Professional Self-concept and Self-Esteem. Regarding cultural group, differences were showed on the Couple Relationships Scale of PWBS. In addition, different correlations were found. Finally, the need to address the elements analyzed at the university context is discussed.