bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Defining a Trade-off Between Spatial and Temporal Resolution of a Geosynchronous SAR Mission for Soil Moisture Monitoring
Authors: Cenci Luca , Pulvirenti Luca , Boni Giorgio , Pierdicca Nazzareno
Published: December 2018

The next generation of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) systems could foresee satellite missions based on a geosynchronous orbit (GEO SAR). These systems are able to provide radar images with an unprecedented combination of spatial (≤1 km) and temporal (≤12 h) resolutions. This paper investigates the GEO SAR potentialities for soil moisture (SM) mapping finalized to hydrological applications, and defines the best compromise, in terms of image spatio-temporal resolution, for SM monitoring. A synthetic soil moisture–data assimilation (SM-DA) experiment was thus set up to evaluate the impact of the hydrological assimilation of different GEO SAR-like SM products, characterized by diverse spatio-temporal resolutions. The experiment was also designed to understand if GEO SAR-like SM maps could provide an added value with respect to SM products retrieved from SAR images acquired from satellites flying on a quasi-polar orbit, like Sentinel-1 (POLAR SAR). Findings showed that GEO SAR systems provide a valuable contribution for hydrological applications, especially if the possibility to generate many sub-daily observations is sacrificed in favor of higher spatial resolution. In the experiment, it was found that the assimilation of two GEO SAR-like observations a day, with a spatial resolution of 100 m, maximized the performances of the hydrological predictions, for both streamflow and SM state forecasts. Such improvements of the model performances were found to be 45% higher than the ones obtained by assimilating POLAR SAR-like SM maps.
Suppression Technique of HeLa Cell Proliferation Using Ultrasonic Power Amplifiers Integrated with a Series-Diode Linearizer
Authors: Choe Se-woon , Choi Hojong
Published: December 2018

A series-diode linearizer scheme is developed, which can possibly generate higher voltage signals. To verify our proposed concept, ultrasonic power amplifiers with and without the linearizer were tested for HeLa cells proliferation in vitro. In general, ultrasonic stimulus initiates the process of cavitation which can cause cell lysis and disruption of cell attachment. The cavitation can also induce formation of free radicals so that a rigid membrane of malignant cancer cells have increased sensitivity to ultrasonic stimulus. The cell density of the control group increased up to almost 100% on Day 3. However, cell densities of the experimental group when using an isolated ultrasonic power amplifier, and ultrasonic power amplifiers integrated with the linearizer at 1 V and 5 V DC (direct current) bias could be suppressed more than that when using an ultrasonic power amplifier (90.7 ± 1.2%, 75.8 ± 3.5%, and 68.1 ± 1.1%, respectively). Additionally, the proliferation suppressing ratios of each experimental group confirmed that the cell density decrements of the experimental groups exhibited statistical significance compared to the control group (ultrasonic power amplifier = 8.87%, ultrasonic power amplifier with 1 V biased linearizer = 23.87%, and ultrasonic power amplifier with 5 V biased linearizer = 31.56%).
Evaluation of Food Fineness by the Bionic Tongue Distributed Mechanical Testing Device
Authors: Liu Jingjing , Cui Ying , Chen Yizhou , Wang Wei , Tang Yuanyuan , Men Hong
Published: December 2018

In this study, to obtain a texture perception that is closer to the human sense, we designed eight bionic tongue indenters based on the law of the physiology of mandibular movements and tongue movements features, set up a bionic tongue distributed mechanical testing device, performed in vitro simulations to obtain the distributed mechanical information over the tongue surface, and preliminarily constructed a food fineness perception evaluation model. By capturing a large number of tongue movements during chewing, we analyzed and simulated four representative tongue movement states including the tiled state, sunken state, raised state, and overturned state of the tongue. By analyzing curvature parameters and the Gauss curvature of the tongue surface, we selected the regional circle of interest. With that, eight bionic tongue indenters with different curvatures over the tongue surface were designed. Together with an arrayed film pressure sensor, we set up a bionic tongue distributed mechanical testing device, which was used to do contact pressure experiments on three kinds of cookies—WZ Cookie, ZL Cookie and JSL Cookie—with different fineness texture characteristics. Based on the distributed mechanical information perceived by the surface of the bionic tongue indenter, we established a food fineness perception evaluation model by defining three indicators, including gradient, stress change rate and areal density. The correlation between the sensory assessment and model result was analyzed. The results showed that the average values of correlation coefficients among the three kinds of food with the eight bionic tongue indenters reached 0.887, 0.865, and 0.870, respectively, that is, a significant correlation was achieved. The results illustrate that the food fineness perception evaluation model is effective, and the bionic tongue distributed mechanical testing device has a good practical significance for obtaining food texture mouthfeel information.
Design and Analysis of a General Relay-Node Selection Mechanism on Intersection in Vehicular Networks
Authors: Cao Dun , Zheng Bin , Wang Jin , Ji Baofeng , Feng Chunhai
Published: December 2018

Employment of a relay node can extend the coverage of a message in vehicular networks (VNET). In addition, the prior information regarding the road structure, which determines the structure of VNET, can benefit relay-node selection. However, the non-line-of-sight (NLOS) communication in the intersection scenarios and diverse shapes for the intersection hamper the design of a general relay-node selection on intersection. To resolve this problem, in this paper, we build a model to describe the general intersection, and propose a general relay-node selection method on intersection. Additionally, based on our mathematical description of the general intersection, the performance models for the general relay-node selection on the intersection are first explored in terms of message dissemination speed and Packet Delivery Ratio (PDR). The simulation results validate these models and indicate the improvement of our proposal, especially in heavy traffic. The improvement includes, at the high density of 3.0025 vehicles/m, the huge gain of up to 23.35% in terms of message dissemination speed than that of other compared methods and PDR of over 90%.
Ultrasonic Transmission Tomography Sensor Design for Bubble Identification in Gas-Liquid Bubble Column Reactors
Authors: Li Nan , Cao Mingchen , Xu Kun , Jia Jiabin , Du Hangben
Published: December 2018

Scientists require methods to monitor the distribution of gas bubbles in gas-liquid bubble column reactors. One non-destructive method that can potential satisfy this requirement in industrial situations is ultrasonic transmission tomography (UTT). In this paper, an ultrasonic transmission tomography sensor is designed for measuring bubble distribution in a reactor. Factors that influence the transducer design include transmission energy loss, the resonance characteristics and vibration modes of the transducer, and diffusion angles of the transducers, which are discussed. For practical application, it was found that an excitation frequency of 300 kHz could identify the location and size of gas bubbles. The vibration mode and diffusion also directly affect the quality of the imaging. The geometric parameters of the transducer (a cylinder transducer with a 10 mm diameter and 6.7 mm thickness) are designed to achieve the performance requirements. A UTT system, based on these parameters, was built in order to verify the effectiveness of the designed ultrasonic transducer array. A Sector-diffusion-matrix based Linear Back Projection (SLBP) was used to reconstruct the gas/liquid two-phase flow from the obtained measurements. Two other image processing methods, based on SLBP algorithm named SLBP-HR (SLBP-Hybrid Reconstruction) and SLBP-ATF (SLBP-Adaptive Threshold Filtering), were introduced, and the imaging results are presented. The imaging results indicate that a gas bubble with a 3 mm radius can be identified from reconstructed images, and that three different flow patterns, namely, single gas bubble, double gas bubble with different diameters, and eccentric flow, can be identified from reconstructed images. This demonstrates that the designed UTT sensor can effectively measure bubble distribution in gas-liquid bubble column reactors.
Infiltrated Photonic Crystal Fibers for Sensing Applications
Authors: Algorri José , Zografopoulos Dimitrios , Tapetado Alberto , Poudereux David , Sánchez-Pena José
Published: December 2018

Photonic crystal fibers (PCFs) are a special class of optical fibers with a periodic arrangement of microstructured holes located in the fiber’s cladding. Light confinement is achieved by means of either index-guiding, or the photonic bandgap effect in a low-index core. Ever since PCFs were first demonstrated in 1995, their special characteristics, such as potentially high birefringence, very small or high nonlinearity, low propagation losses, and controllable dispersion parameters, have rendered them unique for many applications, such as sensors, high-power pulse transmission, and biomedical studies. When the holes of PCFs are filled with solids, liquids or gases, unprecedented opportunities for applications emerge. These include, but are not limited in, supercontinuum generation, propulsion of atoms through a hollow fiber core, fiber-loaded Bose–Einstein condensates, as well as enhanced sensing and measurement devices. For this reason, infiltrated PCF have been the focus of intensive research in recent years. In this review, the fundamentals and fabrication of PCF infiltrated with different materials are discussed. In addition, potential applications of infiltrated PCF sensors are reviewed, identifying the challenges and limitations to scale up and commercialize this novel technology.
An Improved YOLOv2 for Vehicle Detection
Authors: Sang Jun , Wu Zhongyuan , Guo Pei , Hu Haibo , Xiang Hong , Zhang Qian , Cai Bin
Published: December 2018

Vehicle detection is one of the important applications of object detection in intelligent transportation systems. It aims to extract specific vehicle-type information from pictures or videos containing vehicles. To solve the problems of existing vehicle detection, such as the lack of vehicle-type recognition, low detection accuracy, and slow speed, a new vehicle detection model YOLOv2_Vehicle based on YOLOv2 is proposed in this paper. The k-means++ clustering algorithm was used to cluster the vehicle bounding boxes on the training dataset, and six anchor boxes with different sizes were selected. Considering that the different scales of the vehicles may influence the vehicle detection model, normalization was applied to improve the loss calculation method for length and width of bounding boxes. To improve the feature extraction ability of the network, the multi-layer feature fusion strategy was adopted, and the repeated convolution layers in high layers were removed. The experimental results on the Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT)-Vehicle validation dataset demonstrated that the mean Average Precision (mAP) could reach 94.78%. The proposed model also showed excellent generalization ability on the CompCars test dataset, where the “vehicle face” is quite different from the training dataset. With the comparison experiments, it was proven that the proposed method is effective for vehicle detection. In addition, with network visualization, the proposed model showed excellent feature extraction ability.
Similar Strength and Power Adaptations between Two Different Velocity-Based Training Regimens in Collegiate Female Volleyball Players
Authors: Rauch Jacob T. , Loturco Irineu , Cheesman Nicholas , Thiel Justin , Alvarez Michael , Miller Nicholas , Carpenter Nathan , Barakat Christopher , Velasquez Gloria , Stanjones Alexandria , Aube Daniel , Andersen Jody C. , De Souza Eduardo O.
Published: December 2018

This study investigated the effects of two different velocity-based training (VBT) regimens on muscular adaptations. Fifteen female college volleyball players were randomly assigned into either progressive velocity-based training (PVBT) or optimum training load (OTL). Both groups trained three times a week for seven weeks. PVBT performed a 4-week strength block (e.g., 0.55–0.70 m·s−1) followed by a 3-week power block (e.g., 0.85–1.0 m·s−1), whereas OTL performed training at ~0.85–0.9 m·s−1. 1RM and peak power output (PP) assessments on the back squat (BS), bench press (BP) and deadlift (DL) exercises were assessed pre and post training. There was a main time effect (p ≤ 0.05) for BS and BP 1RM, (PVBT: 19.6%, ES: 1.72; OTL: 18.3%, ES: 1.57) and (PVBT: 8.5%, ES: 0.58; OTL: 10.2%, ES: 0.72), respectively. OTL increased DL 1RM to a greater extent than PVBT (p ≤ 0.05), (OTL: 22.9%, ES: 1.49; PVBT: 10.9%, ES: 0.88). Lastly, there was a main time effect (p ≤ 0.05) for BS, BP and DL PP, (PVBT: 18.3%, ES: 0.86; OTL: 19.8%, ES: 0.79); (PVBT: 14.5%, ES: 0.81; OTL: 27.9%, ES: 1.68); (PVBT: 15.7%, ES: 1.32; OTL: 20.1%, ES: 1.77) respectively. Our data suggest that both VBT regimens are effective for improving muscular performance in college volleyball players during the offseason period.
Skeleton and Infill Housing Construction Delivery Process Optimization Based on the Design Structure Matrix
Authors: Cao Xinying , Li Xiaodong , Yan Yangzhi , Yuan Xiang
Published: December 2018

Skeleton and Infill (SI) housing system is considered as a significant path of sustainably prolonging building life by improving structural durability and infill variability for its nature that the skeleton system is fixed, while the infill system could be rebuilt to satisfy users’ changing demands in different stage without damaging the skeleton system. The application of a SI housing system involves two new characteristics compared to traditional cast-in-place housing system: components production in factories and site construction are carried out simultaneously; the skeleton system and the infill system are constructed in parallel phases, which increase enormous parallel work. Iterations and rework would increase with the improper handling of parallel works, which lead to higher construction cost and lower participant willingness of stakeholders in SI housing construction delivery process. It is essential to establish a model to clarify the dependencies among major parallel work items and recognize parallel work sets to optimize the construction sequence for stakeholders to strengthen communication and coordination on key work items in a more efficiency way. By conducting investigations into the construction delivery process of typical SI housing projects in China, this paper developed a parallel collaborative mode based on the design structure matrix (DSM) to identify the complex dependencies among major cooperative work items. Furthermore, to provide an optimized parallel collaborative process, graph theory was introduced to find parallel work sets and eliminate repetition and iteration caused by improper work execution sequences. The results provide a guide for stakeholders to make appropriate cooperation strategies in implementing major work items and promoting cooperating efficiency by reducing iteration and rework.
Scalable Green Infrastructure—The Case of Domestic Private Gardens in Vuores, Finland
Authors: Tahvonen Outi
Published: December 2018

The planning, implementation, and everyday use of the built environment interweave the green and grey components of urban fabric tightly together. Runoff from grey and impermeable surfaces causes stormwater that is managed in permeable surfaces that simultaneously act as habitats for vegetation. Green infrastructure (GI) is one of the concepts that is used to perceive, manage, and guide the components of urban green spaces. Furthermore, GI pays special attention to stormwater management and urban vegetation at several scales at the same time. This study concentrated on scalable GI in domestic private gardens. A set of garden designs in Vuores, Finland were analyzed and developed by Research by Design. The aim was to study how garden scale choices and designs can enhance GI at the block and neighbourhood scales to rethink design practices to better integrate water and vegetation throughout the scales. As a result, we propose a checklist for designers and urban planners that ensures vegetation-integrated stormwater management to enhance habitat diversity in block scale and possibility to use blocks of private plots for ecological networks. The prerequisite for garden designers is to be capable to balance between water, vegetation, and soil, and their processes and flows in detail the scale.
Adsorption Behavior of Inorganic and Organic Phosphate by Iron Manganese Plaques on Reed Roots in Wetlands
Authors: Zhu Yingjie , Du Xiaoli , Gao Can , Yu Zhenya
Published: December 2018

Inorganic and organic phosphate adsorption by iron–manganese (Fe–Mn) plaques extracted from reed roots was investigated. Scanning electron microscopy indicated the roots had rough surfaces and fine particles attached. X-ray photoelectron spectra indicated that Fe and Mn in the Fe–Mn plaques were mainly in the +III and +IV oxidation states, respectively. The contact time, initial phosphate concentration, and temperature effects on inorganic and organic phosphate adsorption were investigated by performing batch tests. Pseudo-second-order model described inorganic and organic phosphate adsorption, indicating the chemisorption was the dominant adsorption process. Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models were fitted to the equilibrium data, and the Langmuir model fitted best. The maximum inorganic and organic phosphate adsorption capacities at 298 K were 7.69 and 3.66 mg/g, respectively. The inorganic and organic phosphate adsorption processes were spontaneous and exothermic. The inorganic phosphate adsorption capacity was higher than the organic phosphate adsorption capacity, and the presence of organic phosphate did not negatively affect adsorption at inorganic to organic phosphate molar ratios between 1:1 and 3:1. Fourier-transform infrared spectra before and after adsorption showed abundant functional groups on Fe–Mn plaques and that phosphate was probably adsorbed via replacement of hydroxyl groups and inner-sphere surface complexation.
The Evolutionary Game Theoretic Analysis for Sustainable Cooperation Relationship of Collaborative Innovation Network in Strategic Emerging Industries
Authors: Liu Weiwei , Yang Jianing
Published: December 2018

Strategic emerging industries (SEIs) represent the future direction of industrial developments and are crucial in stimulating the overall and long-term development for economy and society. The government plays a key role in promoting the development of SEIs. This paper, for the first time, investigates the cooperation relationship among innovation members, such as enterprises, universities and research institutes in a collaborative innovation network of strategic emerging industries under government intervention. A three-population evolutionary game theory approach was employed under different scenarios for the government acting as the stakeholder, considering the non-profit, definite fit as well as uncertain profit when incentive and punishment policies are adopted. A novel evolutionary game model of the cooperation relationship among collaborative innovation network members under government’s intervention is established. The results of the simulation experiments show that government’s intervention significantly influences the cooperation relationship between enterprises, universities and research institutes. When the sum of financial incentives and punishments is greater than the total additional cost (TAC), enterprises, universities and research institutes should pay for collaborative innovation. Moreover, government’s financial intervention can effectively promote the cooperation between enterprises, universities and research institutes.
Dry Anaerobic Digestion Technologies for Agricultural Straw and Acceptability in China
Authors: Fu Yanran , Luo Tao , Mei Zili , Li Jiang , Qiu Kun , Ge Yihong
Published: December 2018

Dry anaerobic digestion technology (DADT) is considered a highly feasible way to treat agricultural straw waste; however, most practical operations are always in low efficiency, due to the poor fluidity behavior and complex lignocellulosic structure of straw, which is not easily decomposed by anaerobic bacteria. Hence, it is necessary to further investigate the operation boundary, in order to increase biogas production efficiency for effective applications. In this paper, typical DADTs are reviewed and their suitability for application in China is analyzed. The advantages and disadvantages of different anaerobic digestion processes are evaluated considering pretreatment, organic loading rate, anaerobic digestion temperature, and homogenization of the feedstock and inoculate. The suitability of the DADTs is evaluated considering the accessibility of straw resources and the convenience of biogas use. It is concluded that batch anaerobic digestion processes would be more suitable for the development of southern China due to the prevalence of small-scale agriculture, while continuous anaerobic digestion would be preferable in the north where large-scale agriculture is common. However, the DADTs discussed here need to broad application in China.
Conceptualizing Shadow IT Integration Drawbacks from a Systemic Viewpoint
Authors: Huber Melanie , Zimmermann Stephan , Rentrop Christopher , Felden Carsten
Published: December 2018

Business units are increasingly able to fuel the transformation that digitalization demands of organizations. Thereby, they can implement Shadow IT (SIT) without involving a central IT department to create flexible and innovative solutions. Self-reinforcing effects lead to an intertwinement of SIT with the organization. As a result, high complexities, redundancies, and sometimes even lock-ins occur. IT Integration suggests itself to meet these challenges. However, it can also eliminate the benefits that SIT presents. To help organizations in this area of conflict, we are conducting a literature review including a systematic search and an analysis from a systemic viewpoint using path dependency and switching costs. Our resulting conceptual framework for SIT integration drawbacks classifies the drawbacks into three dimensions. The first dimension consists of switching costs that account for the financial, procedural, and emotional drawbacks and the drawbacks from a loss of SIT benefits. The second dimension includes organizational, technical, and level-spanning criteria. The third dimension classifies the drawbacks into the global level, the local level, and the interaction between them. We contribute to the scientific discussion by introducing a systemic viewpoint to the research on shadow IT. Practitioners can use the presented criteria to collect evidence to reach an IT integration decision.
Qualitative Methodologies for the Analysis of Intra-Urban Socio-Environmental Vulnerability in Barcelona (Spain): Case Studies
Authors: Palacios Antonio , Mellado Ana , León Yazmín
Published: December 2018

The city of Barcelona, like other cities in the world, suffers strong internal socio-economic inequalities in its neighborhoods. Numerous works have sought to detect, quantify, characterize, and/or map existing intra-urban differences, almost always based on quantitative methodologies. With this contribution, we intend to show the importance that qualitative methodologies can play in studies on urban socio-environmental vulnerability. We consider aspects that are not quantifiable but that may be inherent to many such vulnerable spaces, both in the constructed environment and in the social ambit. These questions are considered through selected neighborhoods of Barcelona which have been shown (in prior works, mainly studies of quantitative manufacturing) to possess elements of vulnerability including a high presence of immigrants from less-developed countries, low per capita income, aging populations, or low educational levels. The results reveal the multidimensionality of vulnerability in the neighborhoods analyzed, as well as the essential complementarity among methodologies that detect and support possible public actions aimed at reducing or eliminating intra-urban inequalities.
Genetic and Phenotypic Characterization of Cryphonectria hypovirus 1 from Eurasian Georgia
Authors: Rigling Daniel , Borst Nora , Cornejo Carolina , Supatashvili Archil , Prospero Simone
Published: December 2018

Cryphonectria hypovirus 1 (CHV-1) infects the chestnut blight fungus Cryphonectria parasitica and acts as a biological control agent against this harmful tree disease. In this study, we screened the recently characterized C. parasitica population in Eurasian Georgia for the presence of CHV-1. We found 62 CHV-1 infected C. parasitica isolates (9.3%) among a total of 664 isolates sampled in 14 locations across Georgia. The prevalence of CHV-1 at the different locations ranged from 0% in the eastern part of the country to 29% in the western part. Sequencing of two specific regions of the viral genome one each in ORFA and ORFB revealed a unique CHV-1 subtype in Georgia. This subtype has a recombinant pattern combining the ORFA region from the subtype F2 and the ORFB region from subtype D. All 62 viral strains belonged to this Georgian CHV-1 subtype (subtype G). The CHV-1 subtype G strongly reduced the parasitic growth of C. parasitica isolates from Georgia, with a more severe effect on the European genepool compared to the Georgian genepool. The CHV-1 subtype detected in Georgia provides a valuable candidate for biological control applications in the Caucasus region.
Clinical Trials and Administration of Zika Virus Vaccine in Pregnant Women: Lessons (that Should Have Been) Learned from Excluding Immunization with the Ebola Vaccine during Pregnancy and Lactation
Authors: Schwartz David A.
Published: December 2018

As evidenced from recent epidemics, both Ebola and Zika virus infection are potentially catastrophic when occurring in pregnant women. Ebola virus causes extremely high rates of mortality in both mothers and infants; Zika virus is a TORCH infection that produces a congenital malformation syndrome and pediatric neurodevelopmental abnormalities. Production of efficacious vaccines has been a public health priority for both infections. Unfortunately, during the clinical trials and subsequent deployment of a vaccine for the Ebola virus, pregnant and lactating women were, and continue to be, excluded from receiving the life-saving vaccine. The most serious consequence of Zika virus infection, congenital Zika syndrome, results from fetal infection during pregnancy. Thus, pregnant women have a major stake in the ongoing development of a vaccine for Zika virus. The exclusion of pregnant women from the development, clinical trials and administration of a potential Zika vaccine unfairly deprives them and their infants of the protection they need against this potentially catastrophic intrauterine infection. When creating policy about these issues, it is important to critically evaluate vaccine safety in pregnancy in the context of the substantial risk of infection for the pregnant woman and her fetus in the absence of immunization.
Attribution of Runoff Reduction in the Juma River Basin to Climate Variation, Direct Human Intervention, and Land Use Change
Authors: Bu Jingyi , Lu Chunxia , Niu Jun , Gao Yanchun
Published: December 2018

Juma River, located in the Midwest of the Haihe River basin, is an important source of water supply to Beijing and Hebei. Over the past decades, the region has been seriously threatened by water shortages owing to complex climate conditions and intensive human activities. This study investigated the runoff characteristics of the Juma River by employing the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and stochastic methods for the period of 1961–2013. Accordingly, the runoff changes attributed to the climate variation and different types of anthropogenic activities (land use change and direct human intervention) were estimated, respectively, in conjunction with the improved quantitative response analysis. The results indicated that the annual runoff of both Zijingguan station and Zhangfang station has decreased significantly at the 0.001 significance level, and reduction rates were −0.054 billion m3 and −0.10 billion m3, respectively. Moreover, the persistency of this trend has been shown for decades (Hurst coefficient > 0.50). The SWAT model was calibrated and validated during the baseline period of 1961–1978. Significant rising temperatures and declining precipitation were the main reasons for runoff reduction, especially during the two periods of 1998–2002 and 2003–2008. Additionally, water withdrawal of Wuyi canal aggravated the runoff reduction and water scarcity conditions in the region. After 2009, the effects of direct human intervention exceeded those of climate change. However, the impact of land use change can be seen as negligible during the study period. Climate change had a greater effect on runoff reduction in winter, while the impact of human activities was more dramatic in summer.
Experimental Study on the Air Concentration Distribution of Aerated Jet Flows in a Plunge Pool
Authors: Xu Weilin , Chen Chunqi , Wei Wangru
Published: December 2018

There is a lack of knowledge on the air concentration distribution in plunge pools affected by aerated jets. A set of physical experiments was performed on vertical submerged aerated jet flows impinging a plunge pool. The air concentration distribution in the plunge pool was analyzed under different inflow air concentrations, flow velocities, and discharge rate conditions. The experimental results show that the air concentration distribution follows a power-law along the jet axis, and it is independent of the initial flow conditions. A new hypothetical analysis model was proposed for air diffusion in the plunge pool, that is, the air concentration distribution in the plunge pool is superposed by the lateral diffusion of three stages of the aerated jet motion. A set of formulas was proposed to predict the air concentration distribution in the plunge pool, the results of which showed good agreement with the experimental data.
Quantifying the Impact of Climate Change and Human Activities on Streamflow in a Semi-Arid Watershed with the Budyko Equation Incorporating Dynamic Vegetation Information
Authors: Tian Lei , Jin Jiming , Wu Pute , Niu Guo-yue
Published: December 2018

Understanding hydrological responses to climate change and land use and land cover change (LULCC) is important for water resource planning and management, especially for water-limited areas. The annual streamflow of the Wuding River Watershed (WRW), the largest sediment source of the Yellow River in China, has decreased significantly over the past 50 years at a rate of 5.2 mm/decade. Using the Budyko equation, this study investigated this decrease with the contributions from climate change and LULCC caused by human activities, which have intensified since 1999 due to China’s Grain for Green Project (GFGP). The Budyko parameter that represents watershed characteristics was more reasonably configured and derived to improve the performance of the Budyko equation. Vegetation changes were included in the Budyko equation to further improve its simulations, and these changes showed a significant upward trend due to the GFGP based on satellite data. An improved decomposition method based on the Budyko equation was used to quantitatively separate the impact of climate change from that of LULCC on the streamflow in the WRW. Our results show that climate change generated a dominant effect on the streamflow and decreased it by 72.4% in the WRW. This climatic effect can be further explained with the drying trend of the Palmer Severity Drought Index, which was calculated based only on climate change information for the WRW. In the meantime, although human activities in this watershed have been very intense, especially since 1999, vegetation cover increase contributed a 27.6% decline to the streamflow, which played a secondary role in affecting hydrological processes in the WRW.
Nasal balloon autoinflation for glue ear in primary care: a qualitative interview study
Authors: Vennik Jane , Williamson Ian , Eyles Caroline , Everitt Hazel , Moore Michael
Published: December 2018

Background

Nasal balloon autoinflation is an effective, non-surgical treatment for symptomatic children with glue ear, although uptake is variable and evidence about acceptability and feasibility is limited.

Aim

To explore parent and healthcare professional views and experiences of nasal balloon autoinflation for children with glue ear in primary care.

Design and setting

Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with a maximum-variety sample of parents, GPs, and practice nurses. The study took place between February 2013 and September 2014.

Method

Semi-structured face-to-face and telephone interviews were audiorecorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed using inductive thematic analysis.

Results

In all, 14 parents, 31 GPs, and 19 nurses were included in the study. Parents described the nasal balloon as a natural, holistic treatment that was both acceptable and appealing to children. GPs and nurses perceived the method to be a low-cost, low-risk strategy, applicable to the primary care setting. Good instruction and demonstration ensured children mastered the technique and engaged with the treatment, but uncertainties were raised about training provision and potential impact on the GP consultation. Making nasal balloon autoinflation part of a child’s daily routine enhances compliance, but difficulties can arise if children are unwell or refuse to cooperate.

Conclusion

Nasal balloon autoinflation is an acceptable, low-cost treatment option for children with glue ear in primary care. Provision of educational materials and demonstration of the method are likely to promote uptake and compliance. Wider use of the nasal balloon has the potential to enhance early management, and may help to fill the management gap arising from forthcoming changes to care pathways.
Genetic cancer risk assessment in general practice: systematic review of tools available, clinician attitudes, and patient outcomes
Authors: Laforest Flore , Kirkegaard Pia , Mann Baljinder , Edwards Adrian
Published: December 2018

Background

A growing demand for cancer genetic services has led to suggestions for the involvement of GPs. How, and in which conditions, they can be involved, and whether there are important barriers to implementation should be ascertained.

Aim

To review the tools available, clinician attitudes and experiences, and the effects on patients of genetic cancer risk assessment in general practice.

Design and setting

Systematic review of papers published worldwide between 1996 and 2017.

Method

The MEDLINE (via Ovid), EMBASE, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, and PsycINFO databases and grey literature were searched for entries dating from January 1996 to December 2017. Study quality was assessed with relevant Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool checklists and a narrative synthesis of findings was conducted.

Results

In total, 40 studies were included in the review. A variety of testing and screening tools were available for genetic cancer risk assessment in general practice, principally for breast, breast–ovarian, and colorectal cancer risk. GPs often reported low knowledge and confidence to engage with genetic cancer risk assessment; however, despite time pressures and concerns about confidentiality and the impact of results on family members, some recognised the potential importance relating to such a development of the GP’s role. Studies found few reported benefits for patients. Concerns about negative impacts on patient anxiety and cancer worries were largely not borne out.

Conclusion

GPs may have a potential role in identifying patients at risk of hereditary cancer that can be facilitated by family-history tools. There is currently insufficient evidence to support the implementation of population-wide screening for genetic cancer risk, especially given the competing demands of general practice.
Evidence for Downflows in the Narrow Plasma Sheet of 2017 September 10 and Their Significance for Flare Reconnection
Authors: Longcope Dana , Unverferth John , Klein Courtney , McCarthy Marika , Priest Eric
Published: December 2018

Current sheets are believed to form in the wakes of erupting flux ropes and to enable the magnetic reconnection responsible for an associated flare. Multiwavelength observations of an eruption on 2017 September 10 show a long, linear feature widely taken as evidence of a current sheet viewed edge-on. The relation between the high-temperature, high-density plasma thus observed and any current sheet is not yet entirely clear. We estimate the magnetic field strength surrounding the sheet and conclude that approximately one-third of all flux in the active region was opened by the eruption. Subsequently decreasing field strength suggests that the open flux closed down over the next several hours through reconnection at a rate

Mx s−1. We find in AIA observations evidence of downward-moving, dark structures analogous to either supra-arcade downflows, more typically observed above flare arcades viewed face-on, or supra-arcade downflowing loops, previously reported in flares viewed in this perspective. These features suggest that the plasma sheet is composed of the magnetic flux retracting after being reconnected high above the arcade. We model flux tube retraction following reconnection to show that this process can generate high densities and temperatures as observed in the plasma sheet. The retracting flux tubes reach their highest temperatures at the end of their retraction, well below the site of reconnection, consistent with previous analysis of AIA and EIS data showing a peak in the plasma temperature near the base of this particular sheet.
Onset of Secondary Instabilities and Plasma Heating during Magnetic Reconnection in Strongly Magnetized Regions of the Low Solar Atmosphere
Authors: Ni Lei , Lukin Vyacheslav S.
Published: December 2018

We numerically study magnetic reconnection on different spatial scales and at different heights in the weakly ionized plasma of the low solar atmosphere (around 300–800 km above the solar surface) within a reactive 2.5D multifluid plasma–neutral model. We consider a strongly magnetized plasma (β ∼ 6%) evolving from a force-free magnetic configuration and perturbed to initialize formation of a reconnection current sheet. On large scales, the resulting current sheets are observed to undergo a secondary “plasmoid” instability. A series of simulations at different scales demonstrates a cascading current sheet formation process that terminates for current sheets with width of  2 m and length of ∼100 m, corresponding to the critical current sheet aspect ratio of ∼50. We also observe that the plasmoid instability is the primary physical mechanism accelerating the magnetic reconnection in this plasma parameter regime. After plasmoid instabilities appear, the reconnection rate sharply increases to a value of ∼0.035, observed to be independent of the Lundquist number. These characteristics are very similar to magnetic reconnection in fully ionized plasmas. In this low-β guide-field reconnection regime, both the recombination and collisionless effects are observed to have a small contribution to the reconnection rate. The simulations show that it is difficult to heat the dense weakly ionized photospheric plasmas to above 2 × 104 K during the magnetic reconnection process. However, the plasmas in the low solar chromosphere can be heated above 3 × 104 K with reconnection magnetic fields of 500 G or stronger.
Lecanicillium cauligalbarum sp. nov. (Cordycipitaceae, Hypocreales), a novel fungus isolated from a stemborer in the Yao Ren National Forest Mountain Park, Guizhou
Authors: Zhou Ye-Ming , Zhi Jun-Rui , Ye Mao , Zhang Zhi-Yuan , Yue Wen-Bo , Zou Xiao
Published: December 2018

A new species of entomopathogenic fungi,Lecanicilliumcauligalbarum, was discovered from a survey of invertebrate-associated fungi in the Yao Ren National Forest Mountain Park in China. The synnemata of this species emerged from the corpse of a stemborer (Lepidoptera), which was hidden amongst pieces of wood on the forest floor. It differs from morphologically similarLecanicilliumspecies mainly in its short conidiogenous cells and ellipsoid to ovoid and aseptate conidia. Phylogenetic analysis of a combined data set comprising ITS,SSU,LSU,TEF,RPB1andRPB2sequence data supported the inclusion ofL.cauligalbarumin theLecanicilliumgenus and its recognition as a distinct species.
Microhabitat selection and communal nesting in the insular Psychedelic Rock Gecko, Cnemaspis psychedelica, in Southern Vietnam with updated information on trade
Authors: Ngo Hai Ngoc , Nguyen Truong Quang , Nguyen Tan Van , van Schingen Mona , Ziegler Thomas
Published: December 2018

The Psychedelic Rock Gecko,Cnemaspispsychedelica, was described in 2010 and certainly belongs to the most spectacular gecko discoveries worldwide. The species is endemic to two small offshore islands in Rach Gia Bay. Its striking colour pattern makes the species highly attractive for the international pet market. The existentCnemaspispopulation is negatively affected by habitat degradation and predation by introduced macaques. We herein provide the first characterisation of microhabitat selection of this species, including seasonal variation on Hon Khoai and Hon Tuong islands, Ca Mau Province, Vietnam. We found that characteristics of the selected microhabitat, such as substrate type, temperature and canopy cover slightly differed between the wet and dry seasons. We also demonstrated age-related differences in the selection of perch heights. Communal nesting was, for the first time, reported forC.psychedelica, as well as natural predation by a snake species (Lycodoncapucinus). In addition, we documented ongoing habitat destruction on Hon Khoai Island and recorded illegal trade of live Psychedelic Rock Geckos for the first time on local pet markets in both northern and southern Vietnam. Our findings highlight the need for improved conservation measures in order to reduce anthropogenic impacts on wild populations ofC.psychedelica.
Undelivered risk: A counter-factual analysis of the biosecurity risk avoided by inspecting international mail articles
Authors: Clarke Sandy , Stenekes Nyree , Kancans Robert , Woodland Chris , Robinson Andrew
Published: December 2018

International mail articles present an important potential vector for biosecurity and other regulatory risk. Border intervention is a key element in Australia’s biosecurity strategy. Arriving international mail articles are inspected and those that are intercepted with biosecurity risk material are documented, including the address to which the article was to be delivered. Knowledge about patterns in the intended destinations of mail article permits more detailed biosecurity intervention. We used geo-location software to identify the delivery address of mail articles intercepted with biosecurity risk material from 2008–2011. We matched these addresses with demographic data that were recorded at a regional level from the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2011 Census and used random forest statistical analyses to correlate various demographic fields at the regional level with the counts of seized mail articles. The analysis of the seizure counts against demographic characteristics suggests a high correlation between having higher numbers of university students that speak a particular language in a region and higher quantities of intercepted mail articles destined for that region. We also explore metropolitan and regional patterns in the destinations of seized materials. These results can be used to provide information on policy and operational actions to try to reduce the rate at which mail articles that contain biosecurity risk material are sent to Australia.
A revision of Syngalepsus Beier, with the description of two new species from the Central African Republic and Malawi (Mantodea, Tarachodidae)
Authors: Moulin Nicolas
Published: December 2018

The praying mantis subgenus Syngalepsus Beier, 1954 occurs in sub-Saharan region and represents the least diverse subgenus ofGalepsusin Africa (Ehrmann 2002). All species included within the subgenus Syngalepsus are comprehensively revised with a distribution stretching from North of Congo Basin to South Africa. Two new species of Galepsus (Syngalepsus) Beier, 1954 (Mantodea, Tarachodidae) from the Central African Republic (CAR) and Malawi are described. Among severalGalepsusspecimens collected during scientific expeditions of SANGHA, Biodiversité en Terre Pygmée, in CAR’s Dzanga-Ndoki National Park, a specimen differed by genitalia conformation and other morphological characters. Two specimens collected in Malawi proved to differ by genitalia morphology. Galepsus (Syngalepsus) buchetisp. n.and Galepsus (Syngalepsus) dudleyisp. n.are described. An identification key for the six species of the subgenus is provided.
A survey of the Porrhoclubiona Lohmander, 1944 from Central Asia (Araneae, Clubiondae)
Authors: Marusik Yuri M. , Omelko Mikhail M.
Published: December 2018

ClubionaLatreille, 1804, with more than 500 named species, is one of the largest genera of Araneae. The genus has 15 synonyms, most of which are not listed in the World Spider Catalog (2018) and unknown to many arachnologists. The most comprehensive survey ofClubionasensu lato by Wunderlich (2011) also lacked a few synonyms. In this paper all genus group names described inClubionaare listed with their type species. Most of these names correspond to the species groups recognised inClubionasensu lato. We agree thatPorrhoclubionaLohmander, 1944 (=Clubionagenevensis-group) deserves a status of a separate genus and provide the diagnosis of this taxon. Three species ofPorrhoclubionathat occur in Central Asia are surveyed, and two of them are described as new to science:P.laudata(O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1885),comb. n. (♂♀, Xinjiang, Tibet, China),P.bosmansisp. n.(♂♀, Tajikistan), andP.moradmandisp. n.(♂♀, Fars, Iran). It seems that all records ofP.genevensisL. Koch, 1866 from China refer toP.laudata. The records ofClubionavegetaSimon, 1918 from Tajikistan and Iran refer toP.bosmansisp. n. andP.moradmandisp. n., respectively. The following new combinations have been established:Porrhoclubionadecora(Blackwall, 1859),comb. n.,P.diniensis(Simon, 1878),comb. n.,P.leucaspis(Simon, 1932),comb. n.,P.minor(Wunderlich, 1987),comb. n.,P.pseudominor(Wunderlich, 1987),comb. n.,P.pteronetoides(Deeleman-Reinhold, 2001),comb. n.,P.vegeta(Simon, 1918),comb. n.,P.viridula(Ono, 1989),comb. n., andP.wunderlichi(Mikhailov 1992),comb. n.(all ex.Clubiona). SEM study of the structure considered earlier as scopula inClubionaandPorrhoclubionareveals that it is represented by several lateral rows of movable macrosetae (spines) with a locking mechanism.
Nursing Education for Critical Thinking: An Integrative Review
Authors: Adams Barbara L
Published: December 2018

ABSTRACT

This integrative review summarizes 20 research studies reported from 1977 to 1995 that review change in the critical thinking abilities of professional nursing students. The Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Analysis was used in 18 of 20 studies. The primary assumption was that critical thinking skills would increase during nursing education. However, the results of this review are mixed and contradictory. Possible reasons for these results are discussed.