bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Asymmetric Bimodal Exponential Power Distribution on the Real Line
Authors: Çankaya Mehmet
Published: January 2018

The asymmetric bimodal exponential power (ABEP) distribution is an extension of the generalized gamma distribution to the real line via adding two parameters that fit the shape of peakedness in bimodality on the real line. The special values of peakedness parameters of the distribution are a combination of half Laplace and half normal distributions on the real line. The distribution has two parameters fitting the height of bimodality, so capacity of bimodality is enhanced by using these parameters. Adding a skewness parameter is considered to model asymmetry in data. The location-scale form of this distribution is proposed. The Fisher information matrix of these parameters in ABEP is obtained explicitly. Properties of ABEP are examined. Real data examples are given to illustrate the modelling capacity of ABEP. The replicated artificial data from maximum likelihood estimates of parameters of ABEP and other distributions having an algorithm for artificial data generation procedure are provided to test the similarity with real data. A brief simulation study is presented.
Recent Developments in Cointegration
Authors: Juselius Katarina
Published: January 2018

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Rate Decline Analysis for Modeling Volume Fractured Well Production in Naturally Fractured Reservoirs
Authors: Wang Mingxian , Fan Zifei , Xing Guoqiang , Zhao Wenqi , Song Heng , Su Penghui
Published: January 2018

Based on the property discontinuity in the radial direction, this paper develops a new composite model to simulate the productivity of volume fractured wells in naturally fractured reservoirs. The analytical solution of this model is derived in detail and its accuracy is verified by the same model’s numerical solution. Detailed analyses of the traditional transient and cumulative rate are provided for the composite model. Results show that volume fracturing mainly contributes to the early-flow period’s production rate. As interregional diffusivity ratio increases or interregional conductivity ratio decreases, the transient rate at the same wellbore pressure increases. Three characteristic decline stages may be observed on transient rate curves and the shape of traditional rate curves in the middle- and late-flow periods depends on naturally fractured medium and boundary condition. By introducing a new pseudo-steady constant, new Blasingame type curves are also established and their features are more salient than those of traditional rate curves. Five typical flow regimes can be observed on these new type curves. Sensitivity analysis indicates that new Blasingame type curves for varied interregional diffusivity ratio, interregional conductivity ratio, interporosity coefficient and dimensionless reservoir radius, except storativity ratio, will normalize in the late-flow period.
Transient Stability Analysis of Islanded AC Microgrids with a Significant Share of Virtual Synchronous Generators
Authors: Yuan Chang , Xie Peilin , Yang Dan , Xiao Xiangning
Published: January 2018

As an advanced control method that could bring extra inertia and damping characteristics to inverter-based distributed generators, the virtual synchronous generator (VSG) has recently drawn considerable attention. VSGs are expected to enhance the frequency regulation capability of the local power grid, especially the AC microgrid in island mode. However, the cost of that performance promotion is potential instability. In this paper, the unstable phenomena of the islanded microgrid dominated by SGs and distributed generators (DSs) are addressed after mathematical modeling and detailed eigenvalue analyses respectively. The influence of VSG key parameters, e.g., virtual inertia, damping factor, and droop coefficient on system stability is investigated, and the corresponding mathematical calculation method of unstable region is obtained. The theoretical analysis is well supported by time domain simulation results. The predicted frequency oscillation suggests the consideration of stability constrain during the VSG parameters design procedure.
Analysis on the Amplitude and Frequency Characteristics of the Rotor Unbalanced Magnetic Pull of a Multi-Pole Synchronous Generator with Inter-Turn Short Circuit of Field Windings
Authors: Zhang Guangtao , Wu Junyong , Hao Liangliang
Published: January 2018

Inter-turn short circuit of field windings (ISCFW) is a common generator fault which can result in serious safety accidents for power systems, if the fault is not eliminated in time. Taking advantage of the electrical and mechanical characteristics of the generator after a fault as a fault criterion is a new idea for fault monitoring, so finding out the frequency and amplitude frequency characteristics of rotor unbalanced magnetic pull (UMP)—the vibration excitation source of the fault—is the basis and key of the research. Taking a six-pole generator as an example, the effects of harmonic magnetic motive force (MMF) interaction on rotor UMP, as well as the frequency characteristics of rotor UMP after generator faults in different stator windings, are obtained based on the analysis of the air-gap MMF of the generator after a fault, and the results of theoretical analysis are verified by simulation. Based on the above results, the simulation calculation on rotor UMP of generators with three stator winding forms under different operating conditions has been achieved, to get the relation between rotor UMP amplitude and active power and field current, and to find out the mechanism of rotor UMP amplitude change along with operating conditions and effect of stator winding forms on UMP amplitude by theoretical analysis. The conclusions are of important significance for studying fault mechanical characteristics of generators and lay a foundation for online monitoring on ISCFW by integrating mechanical and electrical information.
Combined Supporting Technology with Bolt-Grouting and Floor Pressure-Relief for Deep Chamber: An Underground Coal Mine Case Study
Authors: Zhai Xinxian , Huang Guangshuai , Chen Chengyu , Li Rubo
Published: January 2018

Based on the engineering geological conditions of the Number 2 chamber in the slope at Xinzhuang coal mine, which is located in the eastern part of Yongcheng City, Henan Province, China, the authors conducted a systematic research on the anchoring-grouting and the floor pressure-relief supporting technology by using theoretical analysis, numerical calculation and field industrial test. Results showed that: (1) the lithology of the surrounding rock was poor, and the stress and effective loading coefficient on the chamber surrounding rock were high due to the abutment pressure that was induced by the shaft protective pillar. Both of them resulted in the floor heave and the surrounding rock deformation damage of the chamber; (2) The numerical calculation showed that, after the floor pressure-relief slot was excavated in the head chamber, the vertical stress of the floor surrounding rock of chamber and the horizontal stress of the side surrounding rock were significantly reduced when compared with the stress before the pressure-relief, and the floor vertical displacement basically remained unchanged. So the floor pressure-relief slot could effectively control the chamber floor heave and was helpful for the long-term stability of the chamber. After the severe deformation chamber was renovated by using a combined support with bolt-mesh-shotcreting and anchor cables, several other techniques were also applied to ensure the stability of the chamber. The floor pressure-relief slot was excavated, both the roof and the sides surrounding rock of chamber were grouted with grouting bolt, and both sides and the floor (including pressure-relief slot) of the chamber were grouted with anchor cable bundles. After implementation of above systematic techniques, the surrounding rock of chamber is in a stable state, which demonstrated that the field test is successful. The combined supporting technology with the anchoring-grouting and the floor pressure-relief has an important practical significance for the long-term stability of the chamber to ensure the safe and efficient production of the mine.
Improved Krill Herd Algorithm with Novel Constraint Handling Method for Solving Optimal Power Flow Problems
Authors: Chen Gonggui , Lu Zhengmei , Zhang Zhizhong
Published: January 2018

As one of the most important tools used in operation and planning of power systems, the optimal power flow (OPF) problem considering the economy and security is large-scale, complex and hard to solve. In this paper, an improved krill herd algorithm (IKHA) has been proposed. In IKHA, the onlooker search mechanism is introduced to reduce the probability of falling into local optimum; and the parameter values of the proposed algorithm including inertia weight and step-length scale factor are varied according to the iteration of evolutionary process, which improves the exploration and exploitation capabilities. Moreover, a novel constraint handling method is proposed to guide the individual to the feasible space and ensure that the optimal solution satisfies the security constraints. Then, IKHA is combined with the novel constraint handling method to solve the multi-constrained OPF problem, and its performance is tested on the IEEE 30 bus, IEEE 57 bus and IEEE 118 bus systems for 10 different simulation cases containing linear and non-linear objective functions. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method can solve the OPF problem successfully and obtain better solutions compared with other methods reported in the recent literatures, which prove the feasibility and effectiveness of the improvements in this work.
Experimental Study on the Heat Release Operational Characteristics of a Soil Coupled Ground Heat Exchanger with Assisted Cooling Tower
Authors: Yang Weibo , Yang Binbin , Xu Rui
Published: January 2018

Hybrid ground source heat pump systems (HGSHPS) with assisted cooling towers is one of the most efficient cooling and heating technologies for buildings with cooling-dominated loads. For the system, the coupled heat release mode between the ground heat exchanger (GHE) and cooling tower is vital for underground soil temperature recovery characteristics and system operation performance. In order to obtain the heat release operation characteristics with different coupled modes of the GHE and cooling tower, a set of multi-functional heat release experimental systems of soil coupled GHE with assisted cooling tower was constructed. The experimental investigations on the system heat release operation characteristics operated in the separate GHE heat release mode, combination heat release mode and day and night alternate heat release mode were undertaken based on the experimental system. The results show that for the separate GHE heat release mode, the heat release rate of GHE rises rapidly during the first two hours of operation, then, gradually tends to be steady, and the soil excess temperatures at various depths gradually rise with time. For the combination heat release mode with continuous operation of cooling tower, in view of reducing soil heat accumulation and accelerating soil temperature recovery, it is more conducive to the heat release by opening the cooling tower on sunny days. For the combination heat release mode with intermittent operation of cooling tower, when the total time ratio of cooling tower running to stop is constant, the intermittent time is longer, the better the effect of soil temperature recovery. Additionally, the soil temperature recovery rate can be improved greatly by the release heat operation of cooling tower during night, and the longer the cooling tower runs, the closer the soil temperature is to the initial temperature.
Three-D Numerical Thermal Analysis of Electric Motor with Cooling Jacket
Authors: Rehman Zabdur , Seong Kwanjae
Published: January 2018

The need of a sustainable clean future has paved the way for environmental friendly electric vehicle technology. In electric vehicles, overloading is limited by the maximum temperature rise in the electric motor. Although an improved cooling jacket design is of vital importance in lowering the maximum temperature of the motor, there has not been as much study in the thermal analysis of motors compared to electromagnetic design studies. In this study, a three-dimensional steady state numerical method is used to investigate the performance of a cooling jacket using water as the primary coolant of a three-phase induction motor with special emphasis on the maximum temperature and the required pumping power. The effective thermal conductivity approach is employed to model the stator winding, stator yoke, rotor winding and rotor yoke. Heat transfer by induced air is treated as forced convection at the motor ends and effective conductivity is obtained for air in the stator-rotor gap. Motor power losses, i.e., copper and iron losses, are treated as heat generation sources. The effect of bearings and end windings is not considered in the current model. Pressure and temperature distributions under various coolant flow rates, number of flow passes and different cooling jacket configurations are obtained. The study is successful in identifying the hot spots and understanding the critical parameters that affect the temperature profile. The cooling jacket configuration affects the region of maximum temperature inside the motor. Increasing the number of flow passes and coolant flow rate decreases maximum motor temperature but results in an increase in the pumping power. Of the cooling jacket configurations and operating conditions investigated, a cooling jacket with six passes at a flow rate of 10 LPM with two-port configuration was found to be optimal for a 90-kW induction motor for safe operation at the maximum output.
On the Evolution of the Integral Time Scale within Wind Farms
Authors: Liu Huiwen , Hayat Imran , Jin Yaqing , Chamorro Leonardo
Published: January 2018

A wind-tunnel investigation was carried out to characterize the spatial distribution of the integral time scale ( T u ) within, and in the vicinity of, two model wind farms. The turbine arrays were placed over a rough wall and operated under high turbulence. The two layouts consisted of aligned units distinguished only by the streamwise spacing ( Δ x T ) between the devices, set at five and ten rotor diameters d T (or S x = Δ x T / d T = 5 and 10). They shared the same spanwise spacing between turbines of 2.5 d T ; this resulted in arrays of 8 × 3 and 5 × 3 horizontal-axis turbines. Hotwire anemometry was used to characterize the instantaneous velocity at various vertical and transverse locations along the central column of the wind farms. Results show that T u was modulated by the wind farm layout. It was significantly reduced within the wind farms and right above them, where the internal boundary layer develops. The undisturbed levels above the wind farms were recovered only at ≈ d T / 2 above the top tip. This quantity appeared to reach adjusted values starting the fifth row of turbines in the S x = 5 wind farm, and earlier in the S x = 10 counterpart. Within the adjusted zone, the distribution of T u at hub height exhibited a negligible growth in the S x = 5 case; whereas it underwent a mild growth in the S x = 10 wind farm. In addition, the flow impinging the inner turbines exhibited T u / T i n c u < 1 , where T i n c u is the integral time scale of the overall incoming flow. Specifically, T u → β T i n c u at z = z h u b , where β < 1 within standard layouts of wind farms, in particular β ≈ 0.5 and 0.7 for S x = 5 and 10.
Modelling and Designing Cryogenic Hydrogen Tanks for Future Aircraft Applications
Authors: Winnefeld Christopher , Kadyk Thomas , Bensmann Boris , Krewer Ulrike , Hanke-Rauschenbach Richard
Published: January 2018

In the near future, the challenges to reduce the economic and social dependency on fossil fuels must be faced increasingly. A sustainable and efficient energy supply based on renewable energies enables large-scale applications of electro-fuels for, e.g., the transport sector. The high gravimetric energy density makes liquefied hydrogen a reasonable candidate for energy storage in a light-weight application, such as aviation. Current aircraft structures are designed to accommodate jet fuel and gas turbines allowing a limited retrofitting only. New designs, such as the blended-wing-body, enable a more flexible integration of new storage technologies and energy converters, e.g., cryogenic hydrogen tanks and fuel cells. Against this background, a tank-design model is formulated, which considers geometrical, mechanical and thermal aspects, as well as specific mission profiles while considering a power supply by a fuel cell. This design approach enables the determination of required tank mass and storage density, respectively. A new evaluation value is defined including the vented hydrogen mass throughout the flight enabling more transparent insights on mass shares. Subsequently, a systematic approach in tank partitioning leads to associated compromises regarding the tank weight. The analysis shows that cryogenic hydrogen tanks are highly competitive with kerosene tanks in terms of overall mass, which is further improved by the use of a fuel cell.
Drying and Pelletizing Analysis of Waste from Cork Granulated Industry
Authors: Sepúlveda Francisco , Arranz José , Miranda María , Montero Irene , Rojas Carmen
Published: January 2018

Cork granulated industries generate a considerable amount of wastes, such as grinding powder and granulometric separation powder. Some of these industries have started using these wastes as fuels for their own boilers, mixing them previously. However, there are differences between both wastes, especially the high moisture of grinding powder. This fact causes stratification during storage and makes boiler feed and its control more difficult, due to the heterogeneity of the resulting fuel. In the present research work, an overall study for combined pelletizing of these two wastes was carried out, with the aim of assessing their use in the same industries where they were generated or for other industrial uses. Thus, the optimum conditions for the highest yield of the pelletizing process were determined, and an analysis of the dry residue from grinding powder was carried out. Finally, the total specific energy was determined for the whole process. Among the main findings, it should be pointed out the obtaining of pellets with suitable physical properties and the high ash content that makes its possible commercialization difficult. Concerning the specific energy used, most of it corresponded to the drying process of grinding powder, recommending that it come from an exothermic process of cork granulated industry.
Energy Analysis of Cascade Heating with High Back-Pressure Large-Scale Steam Turbine
Authors: Ge Zhihua , Zhang Fuxiang , Sun Shimeng , He Jie , Du Xiaoze
Published: January 2018

To reduce the exergy loss that is caused by the high-grade extraction steam of traditional heating mode of combined heat and power (CHP) generating unit, a high back-pressure cascade heating technology for two jointly constructed large-scale steam turbine power generating units is proposed. The Unit 1 makes full use of the exhaust steam heat from high back-pressure turbine, and the Unit 2 uses the original heating mode of extracting steam condensation, which significantly reduces the flow rate of high-grade extraction steam. The typical 2 × 350 MW supercritical CHP units in northern China were selected as object. The boundary conditions for heating were determined based on the actual climatic conditions and heating demands. A model to analyze the performance of the high back-pressure cascade heating supply units for off-design operating conditions was developed. The load distributions between high back-pressure exhaust steam direct supply and extraction steam heating supply were described under various conditions, based on which, the heating efficiency of the CHP units with the high back-pressure cascade heating system was analyzed. The design heating load and maximum heating supply load were determined as well. The results indicate that the average coal consumption rate during the heating season is 205.46 g/kWh for the design heating load after the retrofit, which is about 51.99 g/kWh lower than that of the traditional heating mode. The coal consumption rate of 199.07 g/kWh can be achieved for the maximum heating load. Significant energy saving and CO2 emission reduction are obtained.
Database of Near-Wall Turbulent Flow Properties of a Jet Impinging on a Solid Surface under Different Inclination Angles
Authors: Ries Florian , Li Yongxiang , Rißmann Martin , Klingenberg Dario , Nishad Kaushal , Böhm Benjamin , Dreizler Andreas , Janicka Johannes , Sadiki Amsini
Published: January 2018

In the present paper, direct numerical simulation (DNS) and particle image velocimetry (PIV) have been applied complementarily in order to generate a database of near-wall turbulence properties of a highly turbulent jet impinging on a solid surface under different inclination angles. Thereby, the main focus is placed on an impingement angle of 45 ∘ , since it represents a good generic benchmark test case for a wide range of technical fluid flow applications. This specific configuration features very complex flow properties including the presence of a stagnation point, development of the shear boundary layer and strong streamline curvature. In particular, this database includes near-wall turbulence statistics along with mean and rms velocities, budget terms in the turbulent kinetic energy equation, anisotropy invariant maps, turbulent length/time scales and near-wall shear stresses. These properties are useful for the validation of near-wall modeling approaches in the context of Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) and large-eddy simulations (LES). From this study, in which further impingement angles ( 0 ∘ , 90 ∘ ) have been considered in the experiments only, it turns out that (1) the production of turbulent kinetic energy appears negative at the stagnation point for an impingement angle other than 0 ∘ and is balanced predominantly by pressure-related diffusion, (2) quasi-coherent thin streaks with large characteristic time scales appear at the stagnation region, while the organization of the flow is predominantly toroidal further downstream, and (3) near-wall shear stresses are low at the stagnation region and intense in regions where the direction of the flow changes suddenly.
Microvariability in BL Lacertae: “Zooming” into the Innermost Blazar Regions
Authors: Bhatta Gopal , Webb James
Published: January 2018

In this work, we present the results of our multi-band microvariability study of the famous blazar BL Lac. We performed microvariablity observations of the source in the optical VRI bands for four nights in 2016. We studied the intranight flux and spectral variability of the source in detail with an objective to characterize microvariability in the blazars, a frequently observed phenomenon in blazars. The results show that the source often displays a fast flux variability with an amplitude as large as ~0.2 magnitude within a few hours, and that the color variability in the similar time scales can be characterized as “bluer-when-brighter” trend. We also observed markedly curved optical spectrum during one of the nights. Furthermore, the correlation between multi-band emission shows that in general the emission in all the bands are highly correlated; and in one of the nights V band emission was found to lead the I band emission by ~13 min. The search for characteristic timescale using z-transformed auto-correlation function and the structure function analyses reveals characteristic timescale of ~50 min in one of the R band observations. We try to explain the observed results in the context of the passage of shock waves through the relativistic outflows in blazars.
The Biology of SUMO-Targeted Ubiquitin Ligases in Drosophila Development, Immunity, and Cancer
Authors: Abed Mona , Bitman-Lotan Eliya , Orian Amir
Published: January 2018

The ubiquitin and SUMO (small ubiquitin-like modifier) pathways modify proteins that in turn regulate diverse cellular processes, embryonic development, and adult tissue physiology. These pathways were originally discovered biochemically in vitro, leading to a long-standing challenge of elucidating both the molecular cross-talk between these pathways and their biological importance. Recent discoveries in Drosophila established that ubiquitin and SUMO pathways are interconnected via evolutionally conserved SUMO-targeted ubiquitin ligase (STUbL) proteins. STUbL are RING ubiquitin ligases that recognize SUMOylated substrates and catalyze their ubiquitination, and include Degringolade (Dgrn) in Drosophila and RNF4 and RNF111 in humans. STUbL are essential for early development of both the fly and mouse embryos. In the fly embryo, Dgrn regulates early cell cycle progression, sex determination, zygotic gene transcription, segmentation, and neurogenesis, among other processes. In the fly adult, Dgrn is required for systemic immune response to pathogens and intestinal stem cell regeneration upon infection. These functions of Dgrn are highly conserved in humans, where RNF4-dependent ubiquitination potentiates key oncoproteins, thereby accelerating tumorigenesis. Here, we review the lessons learned to date in Drosophila and highlight their relevance to cancer biology.
Weyl and Marchaud Derivatives: A Forgotten History
Authors: Ferrari Fausto
Published: January 2018

In this paper, we recall the contribution given by Hermann Weyl and André Marchaud to the notion of fractional derivative. In addition, we discuss some relationships between the fractional Laplace operator and Marchaud derivative in the perspective to generalize these objects to different fields of the mathematics.
Improved Physicochemical Properties of Yogurt Fortified with Fish Oil/γ-Oryzanol by Nanoemulsion Technology
Authors: Zhong Jinfeng , Yang Rong , Cao Xiaoyi , Liu Xiong , Qin Xiaoli
Published: January 2018

Fish oil has several dietary benefits, but its application in food formulations is limited because of its poor water-solubility, easy oxidation and strong odor. The purposes of this study were to produce a fish oil/γ-oryzanol nanoemulsion and to evaluate the effect of adding this nanoemulsion on the physicochemical and sensory characteristics of yogurts. Adding fish oil/γ-oryzanol nanoemulsion resulted in a significant reduction in the acidity and syneresis of yogurt. Yogurt with the nanoemulsion had significantly lower peroxide value (0.28 mmol/L after 21 days) and higher retention of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid contents (decreased to 95% and 94% of its initial value, respectively) than yogurt with fish oil/γ-oryzanol (peroxide value = 0.65 mmol/L; eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid contents decreased to 72% and 53% of its initial value, respectively). Fish oil/γ-oryzanol nanoemulsion incorporated into yogurt had closer sensory attributes scores to plain yogurt. This study may have important implications for the application of fish oil/γ-oryzanol nanoemulsion in yogurt.
Recent Advances in the Chemistry of Glycoconjugate Amphiphiles
Authors: Latxague Laurent , Gaubert Alexandra , Barthélémy Philippe
Published: January 2018

Glyconanoparticles essentially result from the (covalent or noncovalent) association of nanometer-scale objects with carbohydrates. Such glyconanoparticles can take many different forms and this mini review will focus only on soft materials (colloids, liposomes, gels etc.) with a special emphasis on glycolipid-derived nanomaterials and the chemistry involved for their synthesis. Also this contribution presents Low Molecular Weight Gels (LMWGs) stabilized by glycoconjugate amphiphiles. Such soft materials are likely to be of interest for different biomedical applications.
The Impact of Lipid Types and Liposomal Formulations on Osteoblast Adiposity and Mineralization
Authors: Chang Shun-Fu , Yeh Chih-Chang , Chen Pin-Jyun , Chang Hsin-I
Published: January 2018

Recent studies have demonstrated that fat accumulation in bone cells is detrimental to bone mass. Both adipocytes and osteoblasts are derived from common multipotent mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and hence the presence of fat may increase adipocyte proliferation, differentiation and fat accumulation while inhibiting osteoblast differentiation and bone formation. Lipids are common constituents in supramolecular vesicles (e.g., micelles or liposomes) that serve as drug delivery systems. Liposomal formulations such as Meriva® were proven to decrease joint pain and improve joint function in osteoarthritis (OA) patients. In this study, we evaluated how lipid types and liposomal formulations affect osteoblast behavior including cell viability, differentiation, mineralization and inflammation. Various liposomal formulations were prepared using different types of lipids, including phosphatidylcholine (PC), 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-ethanolamine (DOPE), cholesterol (Chol), 3β-[N-(N′,N′-dimethylaminoethane)-carbamoyl] cholesterol hydrochloride (DC-cholesterol HCl), and 1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium-propane chloride salt (DOTAP) to investigate the impact on osteoblast differentiation and inflammation. The results indicated that cationic lipids, DC-cholesterol and DOTAP, presented higher dose-dependent cytotoxicity and caused high level of inflammatory responses. Due to the natural properties of lipids, all the lipids can induce lipid droplet formation in osteoblasts but the level of lipid droplet accumulation was different. In comparison with cationic lipids, neutral lipids induced less adiposity, and maintained high osteoblast mineralization. Similar to previous researches, we also confirmed an inverse relationship between lipid droplet formation and osteoblast mineralization in 7F2 mouse osteoblasts. Importantly, PC containing liposomes (PC only and PC/DOTAP) suppressed IL-1β-induced gene expression of COX-2 and MMP-3 but not Chol/DOTAP liposomes or DC-Chol/DOPE liposomes. Taken together, we suggested that PC contained liposomes could provide the best liposomal formulation for the treatment of bone diseases.
Research on Localization Algorithms Based on Acoustic Communication for Underwater Sensor Networks
Authors: Luo Junhai , Fan Liying , Wu Shan , Yan Xueting
Published: January 2018

The water source, as a significant body of the earth, with a high value, serves as a hot topic to study Underwater Sensor Networks (UWSNs). Various applications can be realized based on UWSNs. Our paper mainly concentrates on the localization algorithms based on the acoustic communication for UWSNs. An in-depth survey of localization algorithms is provided for UWSNs. We first introduce the acoustic communication, network architecture, and routing technique in UWSNs. The localization algorithms are classified into five aspects, namely, computation algorithm, spatial coverage, range measurement, the state of the nodes and communication between nodes that are different from all other survey papers. Moreover, we collect a lot of pioneering papers, and a comprehensive comparison is made. In addition, some challenges and open issues are raised in our paper.
Energy-Efficient Region Shift Scheme to Support Mobile Sink Group in Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Yim Yongbin , Kim Kyong , Aldwairi Monther , Kim Ki-Il
Published: January 2018

Mobile sink groups play crucial roles to perform their own missions in many wireless sensor network (WSN) applications. In order to support mobility of such sink groups, it is important to design a mechanism for effective discovery of the group in motion. However, earlier studies obtain group region information by periodic query. For that reason, the mechanism leads to significant signaling overhead due to frequent flooding for the query regardless of the group movement. Furthermore, the mechanism worsens the problem by the flooding in the whole expected area. To deal with this problem, we propose a novel mobile sink group support scheme with low communication cost, called Region-Shift-based Mobile Geocasting Protocol (RSMGP). In this study, we utilize the group mobility feature for which members of a group have joint motion patterns. Thus, we could trace group movement by shifting the region as much as partial members move out of the previous region. Furthermore, the region acquisition is only performed at the moment by just deviated members without collaboration of all members. Experimental results validate the improved signaling overhead of our study compared to the previous studies.
Integrated Temperature and Hydrogen Sensors with MEMS Technology
Authors: Jiang Hongchuan , Huang Min , Yu Yibing , Tian Xiaoyu , Zhao Xiaohui , Zhang Wanli , Zhang Jianfeng , Huang Yifan , Yu Kun
Published: January 2018

In this work, a PdNi thin film hydrogen gas sensor with integrated Pt thin film temperature sensor was designed and fabricated using the micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) process. The integrated sensors consist of two resistors: the former, based on Pt film, is used as a temperature sensor, while the latter had the function of hydrogen sensing and is based on PdNi alloy film. The temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) in both devices was measured and the output response of the PdNi film hydrogen sensor was calibrated based on the temperature acquired by the Pt temperature sensor. The SiN layer was deposited on top of Pt film to inhibit the hydrogen diffusion and reduce consequent disturbance on temperature measurement. The TCR of the PdNi film and the Pt film was about 0.00122/K and 0.00217/K, respectively. The performances of the PdNi film hydrogen sensor were investigated with hydrogen concentrations from 0.3% to 3% on different temperatures from 294.7 to 302.2 K. With the measured temperature of the Pt resistor and the TCR of the PdNi film, the impact of the temperature on the performances of the PdNi film hydrogen sensor was reduced. The output response, response time and recovery time of the PdNi film hydrogen sensors under the hydrogen concentration of 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5% and 2.0% were measured at 313 K. The output response of the PdNi thin film hydrogen sensors increased with increasing hydrogen concentration while the response time and recovery time decreased. A cycling test between pure nitrogen and 3% hydrogen concentration was performed at 313 K and PdNi thin film hydrogen sensor demonstrated great repeatability in the cycling test.
Data Governance Taxonomy: Cloud versus Non-Cloud
Authors: Al-Ruithe Majid , Benkhelifa Elhadj , Hameed Khawar
Published: January 2018

Forward-thinking organisations believe that the only way to solve the data problem is the implementation of effective data governance. Attempts to govern data have failed before, as they were driven by information technology, and affected by rigid processes and fragmented activities carried out on a system-by-system basis. Until very recently, governance has been mostly informal, with very ambiguous and generic regulations, in siloes around specific enterprise repositories, lacking structure and the wider support of the organisation. Despite its highly recognised importance, the area of data governance is still underdeveloped and under-researched. Consequently, there is a need to advance research in data governance in order to deepen practice. Currently, in the area of data governance, research consists mostly of descriptive literature reviews. The analysis of literature further emphasises the need to build a standardised strategy for data governance. This task can be a very complex one and needs to be accomplished in stages. Therefore, as a first and necessary stage, a taxonomy approach to define the different attributes of data governance is expected to make a valuable contribution to knowledge, helping researchers and decision makers to understand the most important factors that need to be considered when implementing a data governance strategy for cloud computing services. In addition to the proposed taxonomy, the paper clarifies the concepts of data governance in contracts with other governance domains.
Successful Treatment of Reticular Blue Veins of the Lower Eyelid by Long-Pulse Nd: YAG – Case Report with 8-Year Follow-Up
Authors: Goldman Alberto , Lotti Torello , Tchernev Georgi , Wollina Uwe
Published: December 2017

BACKGROUND: Facial reticular blue veins are of esthetic concern. Most often these veins develop on the lower lids. The safest and most effective way of treatment is by vascular lasers.CASE REPORT: We report on a successful reticular vein treatment using a long-pulsed 1064 nm Nd: YAG laser. We present a follow-up of 8 years with constant esthetic improvement without unwanted adverse events.CONCLUSION: There was no relapse demonstrating the efficacy of Nd: YAG laser.
Mais participação, melhor saúde : um caso de ativismo virtual na saúde
Authors: Crisóstomo Sofia , Matos Ana Raquel , Borges Marta , Santos Margarida
Published: December 2017

Nos últimos anos, têm surgido novas formas de mobilização, novos atores e novos reportórios de ação, impulsionados pela agenda política e pelo dinamismo crescente da sociedade civil, que reivindica maior participação cidadã. Simultaneamente, a internet assumiu centralidade na relação dos cidadãos com a política e as instituições e como mecanismo de mobilização pelos coletivos e movimentos sociais. O projeto de investigação-ação MAIS PARTICIPAÇÃO, melhor saúde, que tem como objetivo promover a participação dos cidadãos e/ou seus representantes na definição de políticas públicas de saúde e na organização do SNS, é analisado como dinâmica específica de ativismo na saúde em Portugal, na perspetiva da sua estratégia virtual. Os resultados mostram que a internet constituiu uma alavanca fundamental para a mobilização, ação coletiva e sensibi­lização pública.
Visibilidades virtuais de uma Associação de Pessoas com Doença Falciforme na Bahia, Brasil : enfrentamentos e empoderamentos pelo Facebook
Authors: Gomberg Estélio , Mandarino Ana Cristina de Souza , Junior Hugo de Carvalho Mandarino , Borges Wilson Couto
Published: December 2017

O presente estudo teve como objetivo apreender as diversas campanhas virtuais relacionadas à doença falciforme desenvolvidas pela Associação de Pessoas com Doença Falciforme de Ilhéus – APEDFI (Bahia/Brasil) – no Facebook, entre os anos de 2012 a 2016. O potencial deste perfil é que permite externar experiências de adoecimentos, de sofrimentos e de solidariedades, rompendo desta maneira uma fronteira : em outros momentos históricos, pareciam ser os meios tradicionais de comunicação o único canal de oferta de temas e conteúdos ao debate público. Com relatos de participantes no perfil da Associação, busca-se eminentemente um empoderamento dos portadores da doença focalizada, estimulando, com palavras e imagens a construção de contextos de interatividades, a disseminação de informações sobre os contextos de tratamentos e as redes de solidariedades à doença.
Mães pela cannabis medicinal em um Brasil aterrorizado entre luzes e fantasmas
Authors: Carvalho Virgínia Martins , Brito Margarete Santos de , Gandra Mário
Published: December 2017

Desde a proibição da planta Cannabis sativa L. (cannabis ou maconha), diversos estudos científicos vêm sendo publicados demonstrando tanto os riscos à saúde do uso social como as evidências que embasam o uso farmacêutico. Acompanhando a ciência, ativistas têm se organizado pleiteando a regulação do uso social à semelhança das drogas lícitas como álcool e tabaco. No entanto, nem a ciência nem o movimento ativista pela legalização puderam sozinhos impingir tamanha revolução na regulação sanitária brasileira como a que vem sendo liderada por mulheres/mães que adotaram a desobediência civil pacífica como estratégia para garantir o direito à saúde e qualidade de vida de seus filhos. Este artigo trata desse movimento feminino e materno que tem transformado a realidade com auxílio das tecnologias digitais e impulsionado instituições públicasa se voltarem ao tema.
Grupos de entreajuda de doentes com hepatite C no ciberespaço
Authors: Maia Marta
Published: December 2017

Este artigo descreve experiências de pessoas com hepatite C, como expressam a sua vivência da doença em grupos franceses de entreajuda na internet, como esta doença e o seu tratamento afetam o seu quotidiano e também a sua identidade, e como se percecionam em relação aos não­-doentes. Faz-se também uma reflexão sobre a identidade das pessoas que utilizam estes grupos de entreajuda online na sua gestão da doença (os “hépatants”). O ciberespaço é um lugar onde os doentes podem buscar informações e expressar-se. Os diálogos que aí se tecem tornam-se para muitos uma narrativa terapêutica.
A “religião da higiene” : a acção político-sanitária de Bissaya Barreto, durante o Estado Novo
Authors: Silva​ Ricardo Jerónimo
Published: January 2018

Bissaya Barreto foi um influente político regional, histórico republicano e amigo íntimo de Salazar que, ao longo de cinco décadas, dominou a intervenção sanitária no território da Beira Litoral. Médico com raízes maçónicas, a carga espiritual associada a uma moral colectiva foi transmitida por si para um plano de intervenção político-sanitário que implementou, na sua região, durante o Estado Novo. Apoiado em diversos modelos de assistência que se vinham afirmando entre o final do século XIX e o início do seguinte, materializou uma visão holística e sistémica no campo da saúde, onde eram cruciais os esforços de propaganda e profilaxia, bem como a disseminação territorial. Mas foi a arquitectura o eixo fundamental para a consolidação e operatividade de uma rede de estabelecimentos dedicados à saúde, através da qual os edifícios eram encarados como dispositivos higiénicos e autênticos templos de cura.
Employability of higher education graduates in Spain: crisis and new challenges
Authors: Martínez-Pastor Juan-Ignacio
Published: January 2018

This article analyses the employability of university graduates in Spain, in terms of both the quan­tity and quality of employment. Regarding quantity, graduate employment rates are higher than those for people with other education levels. Furthermore, both in times of crisis and of bonanza, graduates are more protected against unemployment. This is fundamentally due to the fact that they work in sectors and occupations that are less exposed to cycles. Regarding the quality of their jobs, graduates are less likely to have fixed-term contracts, although not much less than those who have vocational training or upper secondary education. On the other hand, depending on how it is measured, the proportion of underemployed university graduates is between 26% and 38%. The article also confirms that the salaries of university graduates are higher than of those who have other levels of education; but they have decreased considerably over the last two decades, especially in the last bonanza period.
Ethical Information and Communication Technologies for Development Solutions
Authors: Goosen Leilani
Published: January 2018

The purpose of this chapter is firstly to build on the existing literature in the field of research methodology, especially as applicable in the emerging areas of information and communication technologies for development (ICT4D) and massive open online courses (MOOCs). This chapter is further aimed at enabling readers to understand why ethics is important in research relating to ICT4D and MOOCs, as well as identifying other elements critical to the responsible conduct of research in the areas of ICT4D and MOOCs. The chapter specifically discusses research integrity in the context of a MOOC entitled Ethical Information and Communication Technologies for Development Solutions.
Biodegradation of Natural and Synthetic Polymer
Authors: Pathak Vinay Mohan , Navneet  , Bisht Tara Singh , Pandey Anupam
Published: January 2018

Polymer contamination with the advent of fast industrialization has become one of the serious threat to the natural environment. Due to lack of proper knowledge, poor waste management practice and unavailability of potential microbial strains, preference toward the biodegradable manmade and natural polymers. The prevalent occurrence of synthetic polymers is related to industrialization and domestic practices which affect the marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Scientific approaches exploited for polymer degradation include physical, chemical and biological treatments. Among them, biodegradation serves as eco-friendly approach to remediate polluted environment using living organisms. In this chapter biodegradation of natural (cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin), synthetic (polyurethane, polyethylene succinate, polycaprolactone, polyvinyl alcohol and polyethylene) polymers and associated factors that influence the polymer biodegradation process have been discussed.
Mushroom Crop in Agricultural Waste Cleanup
Authors: Barh Anupam , Upadhyay R. C. , Kamal Shwet , Annepu Sudheer Kumar , Sharma V. P. , Shirur Mahantesh , Banyal Sunny
Published: January 2018

The environment is a life support system and it significantly influences the living organisms and their genes. Decomposers and microorganisms play a major role in maintaining the sustainability of the environment by converting toxic products into a mineralized form and maintaining the nutrient cycle. It is estimated that 62% of the 22 million tons of surplus rice straw is burnt in the field every year and contributes significantly to the black carbon emission from biomass burning. This alarming situation calls for a sustainable approach in crop residue management. Mushroom cultivation offers one such approach. Mushroom farms can act as disposal sites of agriculture residue and at the same time produce quality protein to meet the increasing protein demand. The macro fungi can play a major role in synthesis of non-toxic metal nano-particles from their salts and degradation of diverse crop residues through various enzymes present in them such as ligninases, cellulases, and laccases. Their role also extends to degrading the pesticides and persisting chemicals. This chapter explains the recent advances in mushrooms for effective crop residue utilization.
Theories of Appraisal in Archives
Authors: Mosweu Olefhile , Kenosi Lekoko Sylvester
Published: January 2018

Appraisal is defined as a set of recordkeeping processes involved with determining how long to keep records and what ultimately will become the archival representation for the future. It has been described as the most intellectually demanding, controversial, and debated issue in archival science. This is because there are different opinions regarding how records appraisal should be undertaken and thus no two archivists will approach records appraisal in exactly the same way due to the absence of a perfect formula. The objective of this chapter is to discuss appraisal theories and their applicability in appraisal practice. The thesis of this chapter is that any of the four appraisal methodologies would be able to select the future archive, including a combination of the various appraisal methodologies as it allows one to tap from the strength of each.
Managing Public Sector Records in Namibia
Authors: Nengomasha Cathrine T.
Published: January 2018

The benefits of records management have been well documented; from preserving evidence and supporting accountability and transparency, to preserving nations' documentary heritage. Governments as with many other organisations have realised the importance of records management for good governance and have put in place policies, programmes and procedures aimed at managing their records effectively and efficiently. In spite of the many benefits that can be derived from records management and efforts made, challenges continue to be reported. This chapter discusses these challenges within the context of the records management programme of the Namibia public sector. The author cites studies conducted by various researchers on records management in a variety of public sector institutions ranging from central government, regional and local authorities and academic institutions. Some recommendations to address a number of the challenges identified are presented.