bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigation Into the Impact of Span-Wise Flow Distribution on the Performance of a Mixed Flow Turbine
Authors: Lee Samuel P. , Barrans Simon M. , Jupp Martyn L. , Nickson Ambrose K.
Published: August 2018

Current trends in the automotive industry towards engine downsizing means turbocharging now plays a vital role in engine performance. A turbocharger increases charge air density using a turbine to extract waste energy from the exhaust gas to drive a compressor.

Most turbocharger applications employ a radial inflow turbine. However, to ensure radial stacking of the blade fibers and avoid excessive blade stresses, the inlet blade angle must remain at zero degrees. Alternately, mixed flow turbines can offer non-zero blade angles while maintaining radial stacking of the blade fibers. The additional freedom to manipulate the blade leading edge and varying tip speed allow for varying leading edge incidence in the span-wise direction. Furthermore, the flow development in the volute does not necessarily lead to uniform inlet conditions.

The current paper investigates the performance of a mixed flow rotor passage under a range of span-wise flow distributions including that produced by a turbine volute. Initial unsteady pulsating simulations were conducted and the volute exit flows extracted. These distributions were then applied as boundary conditions to a single passage model. All simulations were carried out at a constant MFP and average leading edge relative flow angle.

It was observed that the different inlet flow distributions resulted in marked difference in passage flow characteristics. A 2.17% variation was observed between cases in the radial passage. A tilted passage was also included providing an increased axial flow component at the inlet. This passage was found to result in greater swallowing capacity when compared to that of the radial passage.
Numerical Design of a Novel Reheat Combustor Experiment for the Analysis of High-Frequency Flame Dynamics
Authors: Romero Vega Pedro , Berger Frederik M. , Hummel Tobias , Schuermans Bruno , Sattelmayer Thomas
Published: August 2018

High-frequency (HF) thermoacoustic instabilities in stationary gas turbine combustors are receiving increased attention as they reduce the operational flexibility and increase the emissions of such machines. This paper deals with the numerical work regarding the acoustic and flow design needed to commission a reheat combustor test rig with the aim of revealing the physics behind high frequency flame-acoustics interactions. Methods and workflow that allow for the design of such a reheat test rig are presented. The ultimate objective of the testbed is to give insight into the response of non-compact flames to the first transverse (T1) resonant mode of the combustion chamber. Therefore, the acoustic design promotes a thermoacoustically unstable T1 mode. Furthermore, the combustor is of a flat quasi two-dimensional geometry, which allows to clearly distinguish between flame zones stabilized by auto-ignition and by aerodynamics, respectively. Details on the experimental setup and operation of the test rig are provided in a joint publication. In the paper at hand, first the acoustic design is presented. Second, the isothermal flow design to optimize the combustion regime is outlined. Third, the acoustic characterization of the test rig is performed. To do so, the Helmholtz equation for the whole test rig, including the first stage, is solved via FEM. The simulated T1 mode appears at about 1600 Hz, which matches the experimental observations. Finally, an a priori assessment of linear acoustic damping and driving for the T1 mode is carried out. For the damping part, the two main effects are taken into account: damping due to the acoustic boundary layer and damping due to mean flow-acoustic coupling i.e. acoustic energy dissipated in the shear layers. The linear acoustic driving is estimated by means of source terms of deformation and displacement. The required heat release fields are artificially created and later validated with experimental OH* chemiluminiscence images. Driving and damping together define the linear stability behavior of the test rig.
Double Wall Cooling of a Full Coverage Effusion Plate With Cross Flow Supply Cooling and Main Flow Pressure Gradient
Authors: Allgaier Christopher , Ren Zhong , Vanga Sneha Reddy , Ligrani Phil , Liberatore Federico , Patel Rajeshriben , Srinivasan Ram , Ho Yin-Hsiang
Published: August 2018

Experimentally measured results are presented for different experimental conditions for a test plate with double wall cooling, comprised of full-coverage effusion-cooling on the hot-side of the plate, and cross-flow cooling on the cold-side of the plate. The results presented are different from those from past investigations, because of the addition of a significant mainstream pressure gradient. Main stream flow is provided along a passage with a contraction ratio of 4, given by the ratio upstream flow area, to downstream flow area. With this arrangement, local blowing ratio decreases significantly with streamwise development along the test section, for every value of initial blowing ratio considered, where this initial value is determined at the most upstream row of effusion holes. Experimental data are given for a sparse effusion hole array. The experimental results are provided for mainstream Reynolds numbers of 128400 to 135300, and initial blowing ratios of 3.6, 4.4, 5.2, 6.1–6.3, and 7.3–7.4. Results illustrate the effects of blowing ratio for the hot-side and the cold-side of the effusion plate. Of particular interest are values of line-averaged film cooling effectiveness and line-averaged heat transfer coefficient, which are generally different for contraction ratio of 4, compared to a contraction ratio of 1, because of different amounts and concentrations of effusion coolant near the test surface. In regard to cold-side measurements on the crossflow side of the effusion plate, line-averaged Nusselt numbers for contraction ratio 4 are often less than values for contraction ratio 1, when compared at the same main flow Reynolds number, initial blowing ratio, and streamwise location.
Computational Modeling of a 1MW Scale Combustor for a Direct Fired sCO2 Power Cycle
Authors: Delimont Jacob , Andrews Nathan , Chordia Lalit
Published: August 2018

Direct fired oxy-fuel combustion provides a promising method for heat addition into a supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) power cycle. Using this method of thermal energy input into the cycle allows for potentially higher fuel to bus bar cycle efficiency. In addition, the nature of the sCO2 power cycle lends itself to easy and efficient capture of 99% of the CO2 generated in the combustion process. sCO2 power cycles typically operate at pressures above 200 bar, and due to the high degree of recuperation found in these cycles, have a very high combustor inlet temperature. Past works have explored combustor inlet temperatures high enough to be in the autoignition regime. The inlet temperatures which will be explored in this work will be limited to 700°C, which will allows for very different combustor geometry than that which has been studied in the past. While this combustor inlet temperature is lower than that previously studied, when combined with the extremely high pressure, this poses several unique and difficult design challenges.

In order to explore these unique design conditions a reliable and robust CFD solution method was developed. This reliable CFD solution methodology enables rapid iteration on various geometries. This paper will explore the CFD modeling setup and the assumptions which were made in the absence of well experimental data in this combustor regime. Exploration of methodology to account for possible variations in chemical kinetics due to the lack of validated kinetic models in the current literature will also be discussed.

The results from the CFD runs will be discussed and the combustor design, and next steps to complete a detailed combustor design will also be discussed. This work will enable future work in the development of oxy-fuel combustors for direct fired sCO2 power. This promising technology enables the use of fossil fuels with up to 99% carbon capture, while maintaining an overall cycle efficiency competitive with natural gas combined cycle power plants.
Crack Growth Resistance of Ceramic Matrix Composites and Anisotropic Stiffness Prediction/Measurement
Authors: Godines Cody , DorMohammadi Saber , Ahmad Jalees , Mansour Rabih , Morscher Gregory N. , Choi Sung , Abdi Frank
Published: August 2018

A Durability and Damage Tolerance (D&DT) analysis of an S200 Nicalon/SiNC and Oxide/Oxide Ceramic Matrix Composite (CMC) was conducted to determine the crack growth resistance (GIc) of Wedge Loaded DCB (WDCB) at Room and Elevated temperatures (RT/ET) and compared with experimental tests observations. Wedge Loading gives proper crack path without mixed mode effects and can be used at high temperature in a furnace. Load displacement, GIc, electrical resistivity and acoustic emission was measured by tests and compared to FE based Multi Scale Progressive Failure Analysis (PFA) of the WDCB specimen. The critical damage events studied included damage initiation, damage propagation, fracture initiation, and fracture propagation as the components were being loaded.

Effect of defects on Modulus (E11, E22, and E33) was conducted by Electrical Resistance (ER) Measurement at Room temperature (RT). Multi-Scale modeling simulation considered de-homogenized nano-assisted micromechanics analytical formulation, a Mori Tanaka based stiffness correction including void shape, size, distribution and orientation effects. Emitted/received signal amplitude by ER Vs. time was used to evaluate reduction of stiffness in all directions resulting in anisotropic stiffness of As-Built specimens. WDCB specimen was tested to failure at RT/ET to produce reliable GIc values with minimum specimen size. Many parameters that contribute to specimen failure included interface coating thickness, mixed mode failure evolution, interlaminar defects, delamination damage, crack bridging, and fiber fracture which were all studied in detail in this work. All simulations correlated well with test.
PAHs and Soot Emissions in Oxygenated Ethylene Diffusion Flames at Elevated Pressures
Authors: Kalvakala Krishna C. , Aggarwal Suresh K.
Published: August 2018

Operating combustion systems at elevated pressures has the advantage of improved thermal efficiency and system compactness. However, it also leads to increased soot emission. We report herein a computational study to characterize the effect of oxygenation on PAHs (Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons) and soot emissions in ethylene diffusion flames at pressures 1–8atm. Laminar oxygenated flames are established in a counterflow configuration by using N2 diluted fuel stream along with O2 enriched oxidizer stream such that the stoichiometric mixture fraction (ζst) is varied, but the adiabatic flame temperature is not materially changed. Simulations are performed using a validated fuel chemistry model and a detailed soot model. The primary objective of the study was to expand the fundamental understanding of PAH and soot formation in oxygenated flames at elevated pressures. At a given pressure, as the level of oxygenation (ζst) is increased, we observe a significant reduction in PAHs (benzene and pyrene) and consequently in soot formation. Further, at a fixed ζst, as pressure is increased, it leads to increased benzene and pyrene formation, and thus increased soot emission. The reaction path analysis indicates that this can be attributed to the fact that at higher pressures, the C2/C4 path becomes more significant for benzene formation compared to the propargyl recombination path.
Full Surface Heat Transfer Measurement of a Turbine Internal Cooling System Using a Large Scaled Model
Authors: Park Nojin , Son Changmin , Yang Jangsik , Lee Changyong , Lee Kidon
Published: August 2018

A series of experiments were conducted to investigate the detailed heat transfer characteristics of a large scaled model of a turbine blade internal cooling system. The cooling system has one passage in the leading edge and a triple passage for the remained region with two U-bends. A large scaled model (2 times) is designed to acquire high resolution measurement. The similarity of the test model was conducted with Reynolds number at the inlet of the internal cooling system. The model is designed to simulate the flow at engine condition including film extractions to match the changes in flowrates through the internal cooling system. Also, 45 deg ribs were installed for heat transfer enhancement. The experiments were performed varying Reynolds number in the range of 20,000 to 100,000 with and without ribs under stationary condition. This study employs transient heat transfer technique using thermochromic liquid crystal (TLC) to obtain full surface heat transfer distributions. The results show the detailed heat transfer distributions and pressure loss. The characteristics of pressure loss is largely dependent on the changes in cross-sectional area along the passages, the presence of U-bends and the extraction of coolant flow through film holes. The local and area averaged Nusselt number were compared to available correlations. Finally, the thermal performance counting the heat transfer enhancement as well as pressure penalty is presented.
Microstructure and Thermomechanical Fatigue Behavior of Directionally Solidified Ni-Based Superalloys in OP Condition
Authors: Seo Dongyi , Seo Seong-Moon , Yoo Young-Soo , Kim Daejin
Published: August 2018

Two directionally solidified (DS) Ni-base superalloys, one with the GTD-111 composition and the other with a modified composition derived by numerical simulation, were produced using the Bridgman method. Solution and aging heat treatments were applied to the DS alloys to produce the desired microstructures. Thermomechanical fatigue (TMF) tests were conducted under fully reversed mechanical strain (R = −1) in the temperature range of 538–927°C in laboratory air. The tests were performed under the out-of-phase (OP) loading condition at the mechanical strain range of 0.8–1.5% with multiple specimens tested at each test condition to confirm the trend in fatigue lives. In general, the OP-TMF lives of the DS alloys depended on the applied mechanical strain range as well as the microstructural features of the alloys. By analyzing the fracture surface and longitudinal section of the tested specimens, the TMF lives of the DS alloys tested at mechanical strain ranges lower than 1.5% were found to be primarily affected by the coarse carbides formed in the interdendritic regions. In this study, the main damage mechanism of each alloy under the OP-TMF condition was elucidated in terms of its microstructural features, and recommendations were made to control the microstructures of the DS alloys to achieve enhanced TMF resistance.
On Improving Full-Coverage Effusion Cooling Efficiency by Varying Cooling Arrangements and Wall Thickness in Double Wall Cooling Application
Authors: Li Weihong , Lu Xunfeng , Li Xueying , Ren Jing , Jiang Hongde
Published: August 2018

Overall cooling effectiveness was determined for a full-coverage effusion cooled surface which simulated a portion of a double wall cooling gas turbine blade. The overall cooling effectiveness was measured with high thermal-conductivity artificial marble using infra-red thermography. The Biot number of artificial marble was matched to real gas turbine blade conditions. Blowing ratio ranged from 0.5 to 2.5 with the density ratio of DR = 1.5. A variation of cooling arrangements, including impingement-only, film cooling-only, film cooling with impingement and film cooling with impingement and pins, as well as forward/backward film injection, were employed to provide a systematic understanding on their contribution to improve cooling efficiency. Also investigated was the effect of reducing wall thickness. Local, laterally-averaged, and area-averaged overall cooling effectiveness were shown to illustrate the effects of cooling arrangements and wall thickness. Results showed that adding impingement and pins to film cooling, and decreasing wall thickness increase the cooling efficiency significantly. Also observed was that adopting backward injection for thin full-coverage effusion plate improves the cooling efficiency.
Humidified Micro Gas Turbine for Carbon Capture Applications: Preliminary Experimental Results With CO2 Injection
Authors: Giorgetti Simone , Parente Alessandro , Contino Francesco , Bricteux Laurent , De Paepe Ward
Published: August 2018

The large adoption of renewable energies is crucial to achieve a low-carbon economy, however, in the transition period, a flexible and clean production from fossil fuels is still necessary. With the current shift towards decentralized power production, micro Gas Turbines (mGTs) appear as a promising technology for small-scale generation. The target of a carbon-clean power production calls for the implementation of Carbon Capture Use and Storage (CCUS) technologies. Compared to coal fired power production, the low CO2 concentration in the exhaust gas of a mGT makes Carbon Capture (CC) much more expensive. However, the CO2 concentration can be increased by performing Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR), therefore reducing the CC energy penalty. Additionally, cycle humidification can also help to increase the electrical efficiency of the turbine plant. Nevertheless, the higher CO2 content in the inlet air, in combination with the high humidity level, will affect the operation of the mGT. This paper presents a numerical study of this innovative cycle combined with preliminary experimental validation of CO2 injection. To the authors’ best knowledge, experimental analysis of EGR together with humidification applied to a mGT has never been carried out. Experimental results showed a stable turbo-machinery operation under a moderate CO2 injection. The results of this paper are a first step towards a more severe dilution conditions, with the aim of a full implementation of EGR on a micro Humid Air Turbine (mHAT).
Laboratory Method to Evaluate Fog Rejection Effectiveness of Hydrophobic Coatings for Steam Turbine Applications
Authors: Bühlmann Stefan , Limacher Daniela , Manyoky Thomas , Melas Mauro
Published: August 2018

The application of hydrophobic coatings in steam turbines is expected to partially inhibit the formation of water films on blade surfaces, and consequently reduce the associated efficiency loss and mechanical damage.

Since testing coatings in real steam turbines is impractical, a method is presented to assess, under laboratory conditions, the tendency of materials to reject rather than collect water droplets impinging on them.

This behavior was demonstrated to poorly correlate with wetting angle measurements which proved the necessity to use a more complex approach.

A test rig was therefore used which allows evaluating fog-rejection effectiveness, by placing coated specimens on a rotor and exposing them to a flow of saturated steam carrying micron size droplets. Steam condition, impact angle, droplet size and velocity are kept close to what is expected in low pressure steam turbines.

While rotating, the formed water film is centrifuged and captured in tanks within the supports holding the coated specimens. The mass of their content is measured upon experiment completion. Having tanks in 4 different locations along a specimen’s edge gives an additional insight about variations in collection location and film flow direction.

Repeatability and parameter variation tests have shown that the collection is reasonably insensitive to the changes in operation conditions, yet the scatter in the data remained high. Nevertheless, statistical analysis showed that the method is able to clearly detect differences in collection behavior, thus enabling the industrial partner to select coatings that provide enduring steam turbine efficiency increase.
Single-particle cryo-EM—How did it get here and where will it go
Authors: Cheng Yifan
Published: August 2018

Cryo–electron microscopy, or simply cryo-EM, refers mainly to three very different yet closely related techniques: electron crystallography, single-particle cryo-EM, and electron cryotomography. In the past few years, single-particle cryo-EM in particular has triggered a revolution in structural biology and has become a newly dominant discipline. This Review examines the fascinating story of its start and evolution over the past 40-plus years, delves into how and why the recent technological advances have been so groundbreaking, and briefly considers where the technique may be headed in the future.
High-performance perovskite/Cu(In,Ga)Se
2
monolithic tandem solar cells
Authors: Han Qifeng , Hsieh Yao-Tsung , Meng Lei , Wu Jyh-Lih , Sun Pengyu , Yao En-Ping , Chang Sheng-Yung , Bae Sang-Hoon , Kato Takuya , Bermudez Veronica , Yang Yang
Published: August 2018

Perovskite/CIGS tandem cells

Tandem solar cells can boost efficiency by using more of the available solar spectrum. Han
et al.
fabricated a two-terminal tandem cell with an inorganicorganic hybrid perovskite top layer and a Cu(In,Ga)Se
2
(CIGS) bottom layer. Control of the roughness of the CIGS surface and the use of a heavily doped organic hole transport layer were crucial to achieve a 22.4% power conversion efficiency. The unencapsulated tandem cells maintained almost 90% of their efficiency after 500 hours of operation under ambient conditions.

Science
, this issue p.
904
Visualizing and discovering cellular structures with super-resolution microscopy
Authors: Sigal Yaron M. , Zhou Ruobo , Zhuang Xiaowei
Published: August 2018

Super-resolution microscopy has overcome a long-held resolution barrier—the diffraction limit—in light microscopy and enabled visualization of previously invisible molecular details in biological systems. Since their conception, super-resolution imaging methods have continually evolved and can now be used to image cellular structures in three dimensions, multiple colors, and living systems with nanometer-scale resolution. These methods have been applied to answer questions involving the organization, interaction, stoichiometry, and dynamics of individual molecular building blocks and their integration into functional machineries in cells and tissues. In this Review, we provide an overview of super-resolution methods, their state-of-the-art capabilities, and their constantly expanding applications to biology, with a focus on the latter. We will also describe the current technical challenges and future advances anticipated in super-resolution imaging.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 gp120 and Tat Induce Mitochondrial Fragmentation and Incomplete Mitophagy in Human Neurons
Authors: Teodorof-Diedrich Carmen , Spector Stephen A.
Published: August 2018

Despite viral suppression by antiretrovirals, HIV proteins continue to be detected in infected cells and neurologic complications remain common in infected people. Although HIV is unable to infect neurons, viral proteins, including gp120 and Tat, can enter neurons and can cause neuronal degeneration and neurocognitive impairment. Neuronal health is dependent on the functional integrity of mitochondria, and damaged mitochondria are subjected to mitochondrial control mechanisms. Multiple lines of evidence suggest that specific elimination of damaged mitochondria through mitophagy and mitochondrial dynamics play an important role in CNS diseases. Here, we show that in human primary neurons, gp120 and Tat favor the balance of mitochondrial dynamics toward enhanced fragmentation through the activation of mitochondrial translocation of DRP1 to the damaged mitochondria. However, mitophagy fails to go to completion, leading to neuronal damage. These findings support a role for altered mitophagy in HIV-associated neurological disorders and provide novel targets for potential intervention.
Engaging use of social media as a research tool to capture the daily life experiences of young people with chronic pain
Authors: Caes Line , Jones Abigail , Jordan Abbie
Published: August 2018

EBN engages readers through a range of online social media activities to debate issues important to nurses and nursing. EBN Opinion papers highlight and expand on these debates.
The effect of acute morphine on obstructive sleep apnoea: a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled crossover trial
Authors: Rowsell Luke , Wong Keith K H , Yee Brendon J , Eckert Danny J , Somogyi Andrew A , Duffin James , Grunstein Ronald R , Wang David
Published: August 2018

Objective

Anaesthesiology guidelines suggest that opioids worsen obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) despite no randomised controlled trial evidence. We therefore conducted a randomised controlled trial to evaluate the effects of a common clinical dose of morphine on OSA, and to identify clinical phenotype and genotype vulnerability to opioid-respiratory depression.

Methods

Under a double-blind, randomised, crossover design, 60 male patients with OSA attended two visits to the hospital sleep laboratory, at least 1 week apart. Either 40 mg controlled-release oral morphine or placebo was administered. Awake ventilatory chemoreflex tests were performed post dose and prior to overnight polysomnography monitoring. Blood was sampled before sleep and the next morning for toxicology and genotype analyses. Sleep time with oxygen saturation (SpO2) <90% (T90) was the primary outcome.

Results

Despite a large inter-individual variability, 40 mg morphine did not worsen T90 and apnoea–hypopnoea index, and only decreased the SpO2 nadir by 1.3%. In patients with severe OSA, a lower baseline CO2ventilatory response threshold correlated with the worsening of T90, apnoea–hypopnoea index and oxygen desaturation index with morphine use. Patients with OSA and the A118G OPRM1 polymorphism of A/A and A/G had a significantly different morphine effect on awake ventilatory chemosensitivity and T90 during sleep.

Conclusions

40 mg oral controlled-release morphine did not worsen OSA in men, challenging traditional thinking that OSA will be worsened by opioids. Individual opioid response in patients with OSA may relate to baseline CO2 response threshold and OPRM1 genotype. Our study findings may pave the way for a precision medicine approach to avoid opioid-related risks.

Trial registration number

The Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry, ACTRN12613000858796.
Awareness, experience and prevalence of heated tobacco product, IQOS, among young Korean adults
Authors: Kim Jinyoung , Yu Hyunjae , Lee Sungkyu , Paek Yu-Jin
Published: August 2018

Introduction

Philip Morris International introduced ‘IQOS’ to the Korean market in June 2017. To monitor the use of IQOS among young Korean adults, we identified their awareness, experience and current use of IQOS.

Methods

Three months after the introduction of IQOS in Korea, we conducted an online survey with 228 general young adults, aged 19–24 years.

Results

87 participants (38.1%) were aware of IQOS, 13 (5.7%) were IQOS ever users and 8 (3.5%) were current IQOS users. All the current IQOS users were triple users of conventional cigarettes and electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes). There were no IQOS-only users and one IQOS ever user was a non-cigarette smoker. Among the eight current IQOS users who smoked 9.1 conventional cigarettes a day on average, four smoked 10–20 HEETS sticks a day. The current IQOS users decided to use IQOS because they believed it was less harmful or to stop smoking. The current conventional cigarette smokers were much more likely to be aware of IQOS (OR 4.496; 95% CI 2.185 to 9.250) and to be IQOS ever users (OR 11.649; 95% CI 1.024 to 132.564).

Conclusion

Awareness, experience and use of IQOS among young Korean adults were relatively higher than among their Japanese counterparts. Current IQOS users were more likely to smoke conventional cigarettes and/or e-cigarettes, which contradicts the tobacco industry’s claims that conventional cigarette smokers will switch to heated tobacco products. Until obtaining robust evidence concerning heated tobacco products, the government should regulate the tobacco industry’s marketing tactics and health claims.
Assessing progress in protecting non-smokers from secondhand smoke
Authors: Semple Sean , Mueller Will , Leyland Alastair H , Gray Linsay , Cherrie John W
Published: August 2018

Objective

To examine trends in population exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) and consider two exposure metrics as appropriate targets for tobacco control policy-makers.

Design

Comparison of adult non-smokers’ salivary cotinine data available from 11 Scottish Health Surveys between 1998 and 2016.

Methods

The proportions of non-smoking adults who had measurable levels of cotinine in their saliva were calculated for the 11 time points. The geometric mean (GM) concentrations of cotinine levels were calculated using Tobit regression. Changes in both parameters were assessed for the whole period and also for the years since implementation of smoke-free legislation in Scotland in 2006.

Results

Salivary cotinine expressed as a GM fell from 0.464 ng/mL (95% CI 0.444 to 0.486 ng/mL) in 1998 to 0.013 ng/mL (95% CI 0.009 to 0.020 ng/mL) in 2016: a reduction of 97.2%. The percentage of non-smoking adults who had no measurable cotinine in their saliva increased by nearly sixfold between 1998 (12.5%, 95% CI 11.5% to 13.6%) and 2016 (81.6%, 95% CI 78.6% to 84.6%). Reductions in population exposure to SHS have continued even after smoke-free legislation in 2006.

Conclusions

Scotland has witnessed a dramatic reduction in SHS exposure in the past two decades, but there are still nearly one in five non-smoking adults who have measurable exposure to SHS on any given day. Tobacco control strategies globally should consider the use of both the proportion of non-smoking adults with undetectable salivary cotinine and the GM as targets to encourage policies that achieve a smoke-free future.
Kinetic study on aminolysis of aryl X-substituted-cinnamates in acetonitrile: differential medium effect determines reactivity and reaction mechanism
Authors: Um Ik-Hwan , Bae Ae-Ri , Dust Julian M.
Published: August 2018

A kinetic study on nucleophilic substitution reactions of 2,4-dinitrophenyl X-substituted-cinnamates (1a–1f) and Y-substituted-phenyl cinnamates (2a–2g) with a series of alicyclic secondary amines in MeCN at 25.0 ± 0.1 °C is reported. The Brønsted-type plots for the reactions of 1a–1f are linear with βnuc = 0.47∼0.50, indicating that the bond formation between the amine nucleophile and the electrophilic center is advanced slightly in the transition state. The Brønsted-type plot for the reactions of 2a–2g with piperidine is also linear with βlg = –0.66, which is a typical βlg value for reactions reported previously to proceed through a concerted mechanism. Furthermore, the Hammett plot correlated with σ– constants results in much better linearity than that correlated with σo constants, implying that expulsion of the leaving group is advanced in the rate-determining step (RDS). Thus, the reactions are concluded to proceed through a concerted mechanism. The Hammett plots for the reactions of 1a–1f consist of two intersecting straight lines, whereas the corresponding Yukawa–Tsuno plots exhibit excellent linear correlations with ρX = 0.62∼0.71 and r = 0.65∼0.68. Apparently, the nonlinear Hammett plots are not due to a change in the reaction mechanism (or the RDS) but are caused by stabilization of the substrate possessing an electron-donating group (EDG) in the cinnamoyl moiety through resonance interactions between the EDG and the C=O bond of the substrate. Medium effects on reactivity and reaction mechanism are also discussed.
Burgers and mKdV equation for car-following model considering drivers’ characteristics on a gradient highway
Authors: Sun Di-Hua , Tan Peng , Chen Dong , Xie Fei , Guan Lin-Hui
Published: August 2018

In this paper, we propose a new car-following model considering driver’s timid and aggressive characteristics on a gradient highway. Based on the control theory, the linear stability analysis of the model was conducted. It shows that the stability of traffic flow on the gradient highway varies with the drivers’ characteristics and the slope. Adopting nonlinear stability analysis, the Burgers equation and modified Korteweg–de Vries (mKdV) equation are derived to describe the triangular shock waves and kink–antikink waves, respectively. The theoretical and numerical results show that aggressive drivers tend to stabilize traffic flow but timid drivers tend to destabilize traffic flow on a gradient highway both on an uphill situation and on a downhill situation. Moreover, the slope of the road also plays an important role in traffic jamming transition.
Sketch Face Recognition: P-HOG Multi-Features Fusion
Authors: Chen Zhenxue , Yao Saisai , Liu Chengyun , Cai Lei
Published: August 2018

With the development of biometric recognition technology, sketch face recognition has been widely applied to assist the police to confirm the identity of the criminal suspect. Most of the present recognition methods use the image features directly, in which the key parts can’t be used sufficiently. This paper presents a sketch face recognition method based on P-HOG multi-features weighted fusion. Firstly, the global face image and the local face image which contains key components of the face are divided into patches based on spatial scale pyramid, and then the global P-HOG features and local P-HOG features are extracted, respectively. After that, the dimensions of global and local features are reduced using PCA and NLDA. Finally, the features are weighted based on sensitivity and fused. The nearest neighbor classifier is used to complete the final recognition. The experimental results on different databases show that the proposed method outperforms state-of-the-art methods.
Primitive transformation shift registers over finite fields
Authors: Awasthi Ambrish , Sharma Rajendra K.
Published: August 2018

Linear feedback shift registers (LFSRs) are widely used cryptographic primitives for generating pseudorandom sequences. Here, we consider systems which are efficient generalizations of LFSRs and produce pseudorandom vector sequences. We study problems related to the cardinality, existence and construction of these systems and give certain results in this direction.
Porous Co3O4 nanoplatelets as efficient catalyst precursor for hydrogen generation from the hydrolysis of alkaline sodium borohydride solution
Authors: Ma Maixia , Wei Lei , Jin Fang
Published: August 2018

For hydrogen generation from sodium borohydride hydrolysis, high-efficient catalyst precursor of porous Co3O4 nanoplatelets was successfully achieved by a combined process of hydrothermal synthesis and calcination treatment. Effects of calcination temperature on catalyst morphology and activity were mainly investigated, and the optimal condition was established. Using a reaction solution comprising 10[Formula: see text]wt.% NaBH4 and 2[Formula: see text]wt.% NaOH, the porous Co3O4 nanoplatelets exhibited a maximum hydrogen generation rate up to 19.52[Formula: see text]L[Formula: see text]min[Formula: see text] g[Formula: see text] at the temperature of 25[Formula: see text]C, which was much higher than similar Co3O4 catalyst precursors and noble metal catalysts in literature.
On Algebraic Branching Programs of Small Width
Authors: Bringmann Karl , Ikenmeyer Christian , Zuiddam Jeroen
Published: August 2018

In 1979, Valiant showed that the complexity class
VP
e
of families with polynomially bounded formula size is contained in the class
VP
s
of families that have algebraic branching programs (ABPs) of polynomially bounded size. Motivated by the problem of separating these classes, we study the topological closure
VP
e
, i.e., the class of polynomials that can be approximated arbitrarily closely by polynomials in
VP
e
. We describe
VP
e
using the well-known continuant polynomial (in characteristic different from 2). Further understanding this polynomial seems to be a promising route to new formula size lower bounds.

Our methods are rooted in the study of ABPs of small constant width. In 1992, Ben-Or and Cleve showed that formula size is polynomially equivalent to width-3 ABP size. We extend their result (in characteristic different from 2) by showing that approximate formula size is polynomially equivalent to approximate width-2 ABP size. This is surprising because in 2011 Allender and Wang gave explicit polynomials that cannot be computed by width-2 ABPs at all! The details of our construction lead to the aforementioned characterization of
VP
e
.

As a natural continuation of this work, we prove that the class
VPN
can be described as the class of families that admit a hypercube summation of polynomially bounded dimension over a product of polynomially many affine linear forms. This gives the first separations of algebraic complexity classes from their nondeterministic analogs.
Cluster Programming using the OpenMP Accelerator Model
Authors: Yviquel Hervé , Cruz Lauro , Araujo Guido
Published: August 2018

Computation offloading is a programming model in which program fragments (e.g., hot loops) are annotated so that their execution is performed in dedicated hardware or accelerator devices. Although offloading has been extensively used to move computation to GPUs, through directive-based annotation standards like OpenMP, offloading computation to very large computer clusters can become a complex and cumbersome task. It typically requires mixing programming models (e.g., OpenMP and MPI) and languages (e.g., C/C++ and Scala), dealing with various access control mechanisms from different cloud providers (e.g., AWS and Azure), and integrating all this into a single application. This article introduces computer cluster nodes as simple OpenMP offloading devices that can be used either from a local computer or from the cluster head-node. It proposes a methodology that transforms OpenMP directives to Spark runtime calls with fully integrated communication management, in a way that a cluster appears to the programmer as yet another accelerator device. Experiments using LLVM 3.8, OpenMP 4.5 on well known cloud infrastructures (Microsoft Azure and Amazon EC2) show the viability of the proposed approach, enable a thorough analysis of its performance, and make a comparison with an MPI implementation. The results show that although data transfers can impose overheads, cloud offloading from a local machine can still achieve promising speedups for larger granularity: up to 115× in 256 cores for the2MMbenchmark using 1GB sparse matrices. In addition, the parallel implementation of a complex and relevant scientific application reveals a 80× speedup on a 320 core machine when executed directly from the headnode of the cluster.
Morpheus
Authors: Tseng Hung-Wei , Zhao Qianchen , Zhou Yuxiao , Gahagan Mark , Swanson Steven
Published: August 2018

In modern computing systems, object deserialization can become a surprisingly important bottleneck-in our test, a set of generalpurpose, highly parallelized applications spends 64% of total execution time deserializing data into objects. This paper presents the Morpheus model, which allows applications to move such computations to a storage device and bypass the overhead on the host system. We use this model to deserialize data into application objects inside storage devices, rather than in the host CPU. Using the Morpheus model for object deserialization avoids unnecessary system overheads, frees up scarce CPU and main memory resources for compute-intensive workloads, saves I/O bandwidth, and reduces power consumption. In heterogeneous, coprocessor- equipped systems, Morpheus allows application objects to be sent directly from a storage device to a co-processor (e.g., a GPU) by peer-to-peer transfer, further improving application performance as well as reducing the CPU and main memory utilizations. This paper implements Morpheus-SSD, an SSD supporting the Morpheus model. Morpheus-SSD improves the performance of object deserialization by 1.66x, reduces power consumption by 7%, uses 42% less energy, and speeds up the total execution time by 1.32x. By using NVMe-P2P that realizes peer-to-peer communication between Morpheus-SSD and a GPU, Morpheus-SSD can speed up the total execution time by 1.39x in a heterogeneous computing platform.
Effects of the Calcium-Activated Chloride Channel Inhibitors T16Ainh-A01 and CaCCinh-A01 on Cardiac Fibroblast Function
Authors: Tian Xiang-qin , Ma Ke-tao , Wang Xian-wei , Wang Yang , Guo Zhi-kun , Si Jun-qiang 
Published: August 2018

Background/Aims: Calcium-activated chloride channels (CaCCs) regulate numerous physiological processes including cell proliferation, migration, and extracellular matrix secretion. T16Ainh-A01 and CaCCinh-A01 are selective inhibitors of CaCCs. But it is unknown whether these two compounds have functional effects on cardiac fibroblasts (CFs). Methods: Primary CFs were obtained by enzymatic dissociation of cardiomyocytes from neonatal rat hearts. Intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) and Cl- ([Cl-]i) were measured using the fluorescent calcium indicators (Fluo-4 AM) and N-(ethoxycarbonylmethyl)-6-methoxyquinolinium bromide respectively. The expression of anoctamin-1 (ANO1) and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) was detected by quantitative RT-PCR, immunofluorescence, and western blotting. A hydroxyproline assay was used to examine collagen secretion. Cell proliferation, cell cycle distribution, and cell migration were assessed by Cell Counting Kit-8, flow cytometry, and Transwell assays, respectively. Results: ANO1 was preferentially expressed on the nuclear membrane and partially within intracellular compartments around the nucleus. T16Ainh-A01 and CaCCinh-A01 displayed different inhibitory effects on [Cl-]i in CFs. T16Ainh-A01 considerably decreased [Cl-]i in the nucleus, whereas CaCCinh-A01 reduced [Cl-]i in intracellular compartments around the nucleus, and both inhibitors exhibited a minimal effect on [Ca2+]i in CFs. ANO1 and α-SMA expression levels were significantly repressed by CaCCinh-A01. T16Ainh-A01 showed a marked inhibitory effect on the mRNA levels of ANO1 and α-SMA, but had a negligible effect on ANO1 at the protein level. T16Ainh-A01 and CaCCinh-A01 led to the significant repression of cell proliferation, cell migration, and collagen secretion in CFs. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that T16Ainh-A01 and CaCCinh-A01 have the potential to inhibit the proliferation and collagen secretion of CFs and may serve as novel anti-fibrotic therapeutic drugs in the future.
Diagnostic and Prognostic Potential of Circulating Long Non-Coding RNAs in Non Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Peng Wei , Wang Jun , Shan Bin , Peng Zhenzi , Dong Yeping , Shi Wenwen , He Dan , Cheng Yuanda , Zhao Wenyuan , Zhang Chunfang , Li Bin , Duan Chaojun
Published: August 2018

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Approximately 80% of lung cancer cases are non–small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). However current diagnostic and therapeutic modalities against NSCLC are ineffective due to incomplete understanding of molecular pathogenesis of NSCLC. Emerging evidence shows that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) can function as biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis. LncRNAs can control transcription, translation, and protein function via diverse mechanisms although they lack the protein coding potential. LncRNAs have attracted intense investigations on their roles in cancer. Mounting evidence indicates that lncRNAs are promising biomarkers in diagnosis and prognosis for NSCLC, especially their presence in body fluids. Herein we will review recent advances in the research that explores the diagnostic and prognostic potentials of lncRNAs in NSCLC. We will also discuss emerging evidence that suggested lncRNAs as therapeutic targets in NSCLC.
O Socialismo Reformista e a Participaçao do Movimento Socialista na Ordem Democrática Capitalista
Authors: Wang Daniel Wei Liang
Published: August 2018

O presente trabalho analisa dois grandes debates travados dentro do pensa- mento socialista nos séculos XIX e XX: entre organização partidária e espontanei- dade e entre revolução e participação na democracia parlamentar. A partir dos principais autores que participaram destes debates, juntamen- te com a experiência histórica, analiso como o socialismo reformista, que de- fendia a participação dos socialistas na democracia burguesa, foi fundamental nos países em que logrou sucesso para o desenvolvimento do Estado de Bem- Estar Social e, ao mesmo tempo, colaborou para enfraquecer os movimentos socialistas revolucionários. A escolha pela participação no jogo democrático trouxe também mudanças dentro do próprio movimento em relação aos rumos que pretendia seguir.
A Vinculação dos Particulares a Direitos Fundamentais no Supremo Tribunal Federal: O Julgamento do “Caso UBC” (re 201.819/rj) e a Mudança de Comportamento do Tribunal
Authors: Gorzoni Paula Fernanda Alves da Cunha
Published: August 2018

Foi possível observar, por meio do acompanhamento crítico de jurisprudência, que o Supremo Tribunal Federal decidiu confl itos envolvendo direitos fundamentais entre particulares por tempo considerável da seguinte forma: sem maiores cuidados, de forma implícita, com argumentação um tanto superfi cial. Porém, com a decisão do RE 201.819/RJ, essa tendência pode estar sendo alterada, pois parece ter ocorrido uma mudança da atuação do STF. Tratava-se de recurso de um associado da União Brasileira de Compositores — (UBC), sociedade civil sem fi ns lucrativos, que foi excluído do quadro desta sociedade sem direito de defesa. Neste caso, admitiu-se expressamente, pela primeira vez na história do tribunal, que se tratava de “caso típico de aplicação dos direitos fundamentais às relações privadas”. Por isso, o que se pretende aqui é avaliar essa mudança de comportamento do tribunal a partir do “Caso UBC”.
Boi da Cara Preta: Transfiguração do Escravo, Humanização do Boi
Authors: Feijó Ivan Luiz Chaves
Published: August 2018

Tendo como ponto de partida a literatura de cordel nordestina, o texto analisa o ciclo do gado no sertão e a representação simbólica da figura do boi preto, como criatura mítica no qual o escravo é travestido. Podemos enxergar na saga do boi o drama dos africanos escravizados no Brasil, entoada por cantadores de origem ou de descendência africana, amalgamando realidade e imaginário. Tais expressões populares apontam o quanto foi conflituosa e complexa a transformação do africano em escravo para ser comprado no Brasil. O universo dos folhetos de cordel produziu imagens referentes à não aceitação dessa condição escrava, na figura do boi preto mágico, misterioso, veloz e livre, quebrando as correntes do confinamento e da submissão. Estas referências também são presentes nos cantos populares, nas cantigas de capoeira, nos cantos cerimoniais do candomblé e nas cantigas de ninar.
Atitude Natural e Fenomenológica em Husserl
Authors: Gargano Rafael
Published: August 2018

O estudo da fenomenologia husserliana é, sem dúvida, penoso, seja pelo imenso aparato conceitual da obra, seja porque uma nova maneira de fazer filosofia nasce de seus livros e trabalhos inéditos. As estruturas da sua fenomenologia estão organizadas de tal forma que é impossível tratar de questões como existência, consciência, intencionalidade, constituição, redução, percepção e essência sem compreender de maneira clara a distinção entre atitude natural e atitude fenomenológica. Essa distinção nos possibilitará compreender qual o rumo dado à fenomenologia husserliana.
Marx: da Crítica da Economia Política às Bases da Teoria da História
Authors: Rivetti Ugo
Published: August 2018

O presente texto procura analisar a constituição da teoria da História de Marx – qualificada como “materialismo histórico” – com atenção especial para a formulação desta teoria exposta n’A Ideologia Alemã, procurando enfatizar o papel da crítica dos conceitos da Economia Política empreendida por Marx, especialmente da categoria de divisão do trabalho, para a elaboração das linhas gerais dessa teoria.