bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Review of Success Factors for Piglet Fostering in Lactation
Authors: Alexopoulos Jena , Lines David , Hallett Suzanne , Plush Kate
Published: March 2018

Piglet movement from one sow to another, or fostering, is required in modern pig farming but there is little available literature on the most effective strategy. In this review, we focus on the behavioural and physiological mechanisms responsible for piglet survival and growth, and have identified six key principles. (1) Colostrum provides piglets with warmth, energy and immunity. It is most accessible during the first 12 h from the birth sow, therefore no piglet should be moved before this; (2) To ensure even intake of birth sow colostrum, techniques such as split suckling prior to piglet movement should be implemented; (3) Udder assessment for functional teats should occur at farrowing, with number of fostered piglets not exceeding teat number; (4) Primiparous sows should receive as many piglets as the udder allows to maximise mammary stimulation, although older parities should be assessed for rearing ability; (5) Piglet fostering should occur between 12 and 24 h and movement kept to a minimum to prevent transfer of disease; Litter outliers should be moved and relocated to a litter of similar size; (6) Piglet movement after 24 h should be minimised. When required, strategies such as nurse usage should be employed. These principles will result in improved farrowing house performance by increasing the litter weight weaned per sow.
Dynamic Relaxation Method for Load Capacity Analysis of Reinforced Concrete Elements
Authors: Szcześniak Anna , Stolarski Adam
Published: March 2018

In this paper, an analysis method for the nonlinear behavior of reinforced concrete elements subjected to short-term static loads is proposed. The range of inelastic properties for the structural materials is considered, and the deformation processes of reinforced concrete bar elements are modeled. The structural material properties are modeled using the assumptions from plastic flow theory. The load capacity analysis method for the structural system is developed using the finite difference method. The dynamic relaxation method with critical damping allows for describing the static behavior of a structural element, which is used to solve the nonlinear equilibrium equations. To increase the effectiveness of the method for post-critical analysis, the arc-length parameter on the equilibrium path is included. Numerical experiments for a reinforced concrete beam and eccentrically loaded column are run. Comparative analysis with previously published experimental, numerical, and analytical results demonstrated that the proposed computational method is very effective.
Hesitant Probabilistic Multiplicative Preference Relations in Group Decision Making
Authors: Bashir Zia , Rashid Tabasam , Wątróbski Jarosław , Sałabun Wojciech , Malik Abbas
Published: March 2018

The preference of one alternative over another is a useful way to express the opinion of the decision-maker. In the process of group decision-making, preference relations are used in preference modeling of the alternatives under given criteria. The probability is an important tool to deal with uncertainty and, in many scenarios of decision-making problems, the probabilities of different events affect the decision-making process directly. In order to deal with this issue, the hesitant probabilistic multiplicative preference relation (HPMPR) is defined in this paper. Furthermore, consistency of the HPMPR and consensus among decision makers are studied here. In this respect, many algorithms are developed to achieve consistency of HPMPRs, reasonable consensus between decision-makers and a final algorithm is proposed comprehending all other algorithms, presenting a complete decision support model for group decision-making. Lastly, we present a case study with complete illustration of the proposed model and discuss the effects of probabilities on decision-making validating the importance of the introduction of probability in hesitant multiplicative preference relations.
Examination of Indoor Mobile Mapping Systems in a Diversified Internal/External Test Field
Authors: Tucci Grazia , Visintini Domenico , Bonora Valentina , Parisi Erica
Published: March 2018

Nowadays, simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) algorithms support several commercial sensors which have recently been introduced to the market, and, like the more common mobile mapping systems (MMSs), are designed to acquire three-dimensional and high-resolution point clouds. The new systems are said to work both in external and internal environments, and completely avoid the use of targets and control points. The possibility of increasing productivity in three-dimensional digitization projects is fascinating, but data quality needs to be carefully evaluated to define appropriate fields of application. The paper presents the analytical measurement principle of these indoor mobile mapping systems (IMMSs) and the results of some tests performed on three commercial systems. A common test field was defined in order to acquire comparable data. By taking the already available terrestrial laser scan survey as the ground truth, the datasets under examination were compared with the reference and some assessments are presented which consider both quantitative and qualitative aspects. Geometric deformation in the final models was computed using the so-called Multiscale Model to Model Cloud Comparison (M3C2) algorithm. Cross sections and cloud to mesh (C2M) distances were also employed for a more detailed analysis. The real usability assessment is based on the features of recognizability, double surface evidence, and visualization effectiveness. For these evaluations, comparative images and tables are presented.
Model Predictive Control Home Energy Management and Optimization Strategy with Demand Response
Authors: Godina Radu , Rodrigues Eduardo , Pouresmaeil Edris , Matias João , Catalão João
Published: March 2018

The growing demand for electricity is a challenge for the electricity sector as it not only involves the search for new sources of energy, but also the increase of generation capacity of the existing electrical infrastructure and the need to upgrade the existing grid. Therefore, new ways to reduce the consumption of energy are necessary to be implemented. When comparing an average house with an energy efficient house, it is possible to reduce annual energy bills up to 40%. Homeowners and tenants should consider developing an energy conservation plan in their homes. This is both an ecological and economically rational action. With this goal in mind, the need for the energy optimization arises. However, this has to be made by ensuring a fair level of comfort in the household, which in turn spawns a few control challenges. In this paper, the ON/OFF, proportional-integral-derivative (PID) and Model Predictive Control (MPC) control methods of an air conditioning (AC) of a room are compared. The model of the house of this study has a PV domestic generation. The recorded climacteric data for this case study are for Évora, a pilot Portuguese city in an ongoing demand response (DR) project. Six Time-of-Use (ToU) electricity rates are studied and compared during a whole week of summer, typically with very high temperatures for this period of the year. The overall weekly expense of each studied tariff option is compared for every control method and in the end the optimal solution is reached.
Shifting Hardiness Zones: Trends in Annual Minimum Temperature
Authors: Krakauer Nir
Published: March 2018

Work published in 2012 revealed that annual minimum temperatures over the coterminous United States (USA) have increased faster than mean temperatures, causing a pronounced poleward shift in the positions of hardiness zones defined by the expected annual minimum temperature. Here, estimates of increases in annual minimum temperatures are updated and extended to other land areas where station temperature records are available. Annual minimum temperatures have increased faster than mean temperatures in seasonally cold regions globally, but have warmed at about the same rate as mean temperatures in tropical climates. The mean increase in annual minimum temperature across the available weather stations was 2.0 °C between 1970 and 2016 (or almost 0.5 °C per decade), as compared to an increase of 1.2 °C in mean temperature. Recent cold winters in regions such as Eastern North America did not clearly break with this trend and were within the range of variability seen in past decades. Overall, annual minimum temperatures appear to be increasing steadily, though with considerable inter-annual variability.
The Synthesis and Morphology of a Perfluoroalkyl Oligosiloxane@SiO2 Resin and Its Performance in Anti-Fingerprint Coating
Authors: An Qiufeng , Lyu Zhujun , Shangguan Wenchao , Qiao Bianli , Qin Pengwei
Published: March 2018

In order to improve the hydro- and oleo-phobic properties of anti-fingerprint coating, novel oligosiloxane intermediate bearing perfluorodecyl/octyl and triethoxy silylethylene groups were synthesized; then, a series of nano-hybrid perfluoroalkyl oligosiloxane resins (FSi@SiO2) were synthesized using the hydrolysis and condensation of FVPS with tetraethylorthosilicate. The chemical structure, morphology, and performance of FSi@SiO2 were investigated. The results indicate that the FSi@SiO2 is a nano hybrid fluorinated polysiloxane resin with mean particle sizes of 200–400 nm. And under nanoparticles and perfluoroalkyl groups bonded in the resin, FSi@SiO2 not only showed a micro rough morphology in atomic force microscopy observation but also could provide the treated substrates with excellent hydro- and oleo-phobicity. As a result, the water and oil contact angles reached 120.3° and 87.5° on the treated glass, respectively; meanwhile, fingerprints were easily cleaned without any stains.
Mechanochemical Synthesis and Crystal Structure of the Lidocaine-Phloroglucinol Hydrate 1:1:1 Complex
Authors: Magaña-Vergara Nancy , De la Cruz-Cruz Porfirio , Peraza-Campos Ana , Martínez-Martínez Francisco , González-González Juan
Published: March 2018

Molecular complexation is a strategy used to modify the physicochemical or biopharmaceutical properties of an active pharmaceutical ingredient. Solvent assisted grinding is a common method used to obtain solid complexes in the form of cocrystals. Lidocaine is a drug used as an anesthetic and for the treatment of chronic pain, which bears in its chemical structure an amide functional group able to form hydrogen bonds. Polyphenols are used as cocrystal coformers due to their ability to form O–H···X (X = O, N) hydrogen bond interactions. The objective of this study was to exploit the ability of phloroglucinol to form molecular complexes with lidocaine by liquid assisted grinding. The formation of the complex was confirmed by the shift of the O–H and C=O stretching bands in the IR spectra of the polycrystalline ground powders, suggesting the formation of O–H···O=C hydrogen bonds. Hydration of the complexes also was confirmed by IR spectroscopy and by powder X-ray diffraction. The molecular structure was determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction.
Non-Conventional Thermodynamics and Models of Gradient Elasticity
Authors: Alber Hans-Dieter , Broese Carsten , Tsakmakis Charalampos , Beskos Dimitri
Published: March 2018

We consider material bodies exhibiting a response function for free energy, which depends on both the strain and its gradient. Toupin–Mindlin’s gradient elasticity is characterized by Cauchy stress tensors, which are given by space-like Euler–Lagrange derivative of the free energy with respect to the strain. The present paper aims at developing a first version of gradient elasticity of non-Toupin–Mindlin’s type, i.e., a theory employing Cauchy stress tensors, which are not necessarily expressed as Euler–Lagrange derivatives. This is accomplished in the framework of non-conventional thermodynamics. A one-dimensional boundary value problem is solved in detail in order to illustrate the differences of the present theory with Toupin–Mindlin’s gradient elasticity theory.
Fruit-80: A Secure Ultra-Lightweight Stream Cipher for Constrained Environments
Authors: Amin Ghafari Vahid , Hu Honggang
Published: March 2018

In Fast Software Encryption (FSE) 2015, while presenting a new idea (i.e., the design of stream ciphers with the small internal state by using a secret key, not only in the initialization but also in the keystream generation), Sprout was proposed. Sprout was insecure and an improved version of Sprout was presented in FSE 2017. We introduced Fruit stream cipher informally in 2016 on the web page of IACR (eprint) and few cryptanalysis were published on it. Fortunately, the main structure of Fruit was resistant. Now, Fruit-80 is presented as a final version which is easier to implement and is secure. The size of LFSR and NFSR in Fruit-80 is only 80 bits (for 80-bit security level), while for resistance to the classical time-memory-data tradeoff (TMDTO) attacks, the internal state size should be at least twice that of the security level. To satisfy this rule and to design a concrete cipher, we used some new design ideas. It seems that the bottleneck of designing an ultra-lightweight stream cipher is TMDTO distinguishing attacks. A countermeasure was suggested, and another countermeasure is proposed here. Fruit-80 is better than other small-state stream ciphers in terms of the initialization speed and area size in hardware. It is possible to redesign many of the stream ciphers and achieve significantly smaller area size by using the new idea.
Equilibrium States in Two-Temperature Systems
Authors: Curado Evaldo , Nobre Fernando
Published: March 2018

Systems characterized by more than one temperature usually appear in nonequilibrium statistical mechanics. In some cases, e.g., glasses, there is a temperature at which fast variables become thermalized, and another case associated with modes that evolve towards an equilibrium state in a very slow way. Recently, it was shown that a system of vortices interacting repulsively, considered as an appropriate model for type-II superconductors, presents an equilibrium state characterized by two temperatures. The main novelty concerns the fact that apart from the usual temperature T, related to fluctuations in particle velocities, an additional temperature θ was introduced, associated with fluctuations in particle positions. Since they present physically distinct characteristics, the system may reach an equilibrium state, characterized by finite and different values of these temperatures. In the application of type-II superconductors, it was shown that θ ≫ T , so that thermal effects could be neglected, leading to a consistent thermodynamic framework based solely on the temperature θ . In the present work, a more general situation, concerning a system characterized by two distinct temperatures θ 1 and θ 2 , which may be of the same order of magnitude, is discussed. These temperatures appear as coefficients of different diffusion contributions of a nonlinear Fokker-Planck equation. An H-theorem is proven, relating such a Fokker-Planck equation to a sum of two entropic forms, each of them associated with a given diffusion term; as a consequence, the corresponding stationary state may be considered as an equilibrium state, characterized by two temperatures. One of the conditions for such a state to occur is that the different temperature parameters, θ 1 and θ 2 , should be thermodynamically conjugated to distinct entropic forms, S 1 and S 2 , respectively. A functional Λ [ P ] ≡ Λ ( S 1 [ P ] , S 2 [ P ] ) is introduced, which presents properties characteristic of an entropic form; moreover, a thermodynamically conjugated temperature parameter γ ( θ 1 , θ 2 ) can be consistently defined, so that an alternative physical description is proposed in terms of these pairs of variables. The physical consequences, and particularly, the fact that the equilibrium-state distribution, obtained from the Fokker-Planck equation, should coincide with the one from entropy extremization, are discussed.
Study on Hot Gases Flow in Case of Fire in a Road Tunnel
Authors: Król Aleksander , Król Małgorzata
Published: March 2018

This paper presents the results of hot smoke tests, which were conducted in a real road tunnel. The tunnel is located within the expressway S69 in southern Poland between cities Żywiec and Zwardoń. Its common name is Laliki tunnel. It is a bidirectional non-urban tunnel. The length of the tunnel is 678 m and it is inclined by 4%. It is equipped with the longitudinal ventilation system. Two hot smoke tests have been carried out according to Australian Standard AS 4391-1999. Hot smoke tests corresponded to a Heat Release Rate (HRR) equal to respectively 750 kW and 1500 kW. The fire source was located in the middle of the road lane imitating an initial phase of a car fire (respectively 150 m and 265 m from S portal). The temperature distribution was recorded during both tests using a set of fourteen thermocouples that were mounted at two stand poles located at the main axis of the tunnel on windward. The stand poles were placed at distances of 5 m and 10 m. The recorded data were applied to validate a numerical model, which was built and solved using Ansys Fluent. The calculated temperature distribution matched the measured values.
The Determination of Load Profiles and Power Consumptions of Home Appliances
Authors: Issi Fatih , Kaplan Orhan
Published: March 2018

In recent years, the increment of distributed electricity generation based on renewable energy sources and improvement of communication technologies have caused the development of next-generation power grids known as smart grids. The structures of smart grids have bidirectional communication capability and enable the connection of energy generated from distributed sources to any point on the grid. They also support consumers in energy efficiency by creating opportunities for management of power consumption. The information on power consumption and load profiles of home appliances is essential to perform load management in the dwelling accurately. In this study, the power consumption data for all the basic home appliances, utilized in a two-person family in Çankırı, Turkey, was obtained with high resolution in one-second intervals. The detailed power consumption analysis and load profile were executed for each home appliance. The obtained data is not only the average power consumption of each appliance but also characterizes different operating modes or their cycles. In addition, the impact of these devices on home energy management studies and their standby power consumptions were also discussed. The acquired data is an important source to determine the load profile of individual home appliances precisely in home energy management studies. Although the results of this study do not completely reflect the energy consumption behavior of the people who live in this region, they can reveal the trends in load demands based on a real sample and customer consumption behavior of a typical two-person family.
Optimization of a Coil System for Generating Uniform Magnetic Fields inside a Cubic Magnetic Shield
Authors: Cao Qinjie , Pan Donghua , Li Ji , Jin Yinxi , Sun Zhiyin , Lin Shengxin , Yang Guijie , Li Liyi
Published: March 2018

Ultra-low magnetic fields have drawn lots of attention due to their important role in scientific and technological research. The combination of a magnetic shield and an active compensation coil is adopted in most high performance magnetically shielded rooms. Special consideration needs to be taken in the coil design since the magnetic shield significantly affects the uniformity of the magnetic field that is generated by the coil. An analytical model for the magnetic field calculation of the coil inside a cubic magnetic shield is proposed based on the generalized image method, which is validated by finite element analysis. A novel design method of the coil used in a cubic magnetic shield with a large homogeneous volume is proposed. The coil parameters are optimized to obtain a large cubic uniform volume with desired total deviation rate by discretizing the central volume in the coil. In the desired total deviation rate, the normalized usable volume of the new coil increases by 70% when compared with the Merritt coil. A coil system is developed according to the parameters obtained based on this method. The magnetic flux density and practical deviation rate of the coil are measured to validate the accuracy of this model and the feasibility of the design method. The experimental magnetic flux density agrees well with the analytical value. The maximum practical deviation rate of uniform volume of 0.8 × 0.8 × 0.8 m is in good agreement with the theoretical design value, taking into account the experiment errors.
A Network Flow Model for Price-Responsive Control of Deferrable Load Profiles
Authors: Camargo Juliano , Spiessens Fred , Hermans Chris
Published: March 2018

This paper describes a minimum cost network flow model for the aggregated control of deferrable load profiles. The load aggregator responds to indicative energy price information and uses this model to formulate and submit a flexibility bid to a high-resolution real-time balancing market, as proposed by the SmartNet project. This bid represents the possibility of the cluster of deferrable loads to deviate from the scheduled consumption, in case the bid is accepted. When formulating this bid, the model is able to take into account the discretized power profiles of the individual loads. The solution of this type of aggregation problems is necessary for the participation of small loads in demand response programs, but scalability can be an issue. The minimum cost network flow problem belongs to a restricted class of discrete optimization problems for which efficient and scalable algorithms exist. Thanks to its scalability, this technique can be useful in the control of a large number of smart appliances in future real-time balancing markets. The technique is efficient enough to be employed by an aggregation module with limited computational resources. Alternatively, when indicative price information is not made available by the system operator, the technique can be combined with an external forecast in order to minimize possible imbalance costs.
Application of the Mohr-Coulomb Yield Criterion for Rocks with Multiple Joint Sets Using Fast Lagrangian Analysis of Continua 2D (FLAC2D) Software
Authors: Chang Lifu , Konietzky Heinz
Published: March 2018

The anisotropic behavior of a rock mass with persistent and planar joint sets is mainly governed by the geometrical and mechanical characteristics of the joints. The aim of the study is to develop a continuum-based approach for simulation of multi jointed geomaterials. Within the continuum methods, the discontinuities are regarded as smeared cracks in an implicit manner and all the joint parameters are incorporated into the equivalent constitutive equations. A new equivalent continuum model, called multi-joint model, is developed for jointed rock masses which may contain up to three arbitrary persistent joint sets. The Mohr-Coulomb yield criterion is used to check failure of the intact rock and the joints. The proposed model has solved the issue of multiple plasticity surfaces involved in this approach combined with multiple failure mechanisms. The multi-joint model was implemented into Fast Lagrangian Analysis of Continua software (FLAC) and is verified against the strength anisotropy behavior of jointed rock. A case study considering a circular excavation under uniform and non-uniform in-situ stresses is used to illustrate the practical application. The multi-joint model is compared with the ubiquitous joint model.
Pinus albicaulis Engelm. (Whitebark Pine) in Mixed-Species Stands throughout Its US Range: Broad-Scale Indicators of Extent and Recent Decline
Authors: Goeking Sara , Izlar Deborah
Published: March 2018

We used data collected from >1400 plots by a national forest inventory to quantify population-level indicators for a tree species of concern. Whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) has recently experienced high mortality throughout its US range, where we assessed the area of land with whitebark pine present, size-class distribution of individual whitebark pine, growth rates, and mortality rates, all with respect to dominant forest type. As of 2016, 51% of all standing whitebark pine trees in the US were dead. Dead whitebark pines outnumbered live ones—and whitebark pine mortality outpaced growth—in all size classes ≥22.8 cm diameter at breast height (DBH), across all forest types. Although whitebark pine occurred across 4.1 million ha in the US, the vast majority of this area (85%) and of the total number of whitebark pine seedlings (72%) fell within forest types other than the whitebark pine type. Standardized growth of whitebark pines was most strongly correlated with the relative basal area of whitebark pine trees (rho = 0.67; p < 0.01), while both standardized growth and mortality were moderately correlated with relative whitebark pine stem density (rho = 0.39 and 0.40; p = 0.031 and p < 0.01, respectively). Neither growth nor mortality were well correlated with total stand basal area, total stem density, or stand mean diameter. The abundance, extent, and relative growth vs. mortality rates of whitebark pine in multiple forest types presents opportunities for management to encourage whitebark pine recruitment in mixed-species stands. The lodgepole pine forest type contained more whitebark pine seedlings (35%) than any other forest type, suggesting that this forest type represents a potential management target for silvicultural treatments that seek to facilitate the recruitment of whitebark pine seedlings into larger size classes. National forest inventories in other countries may use a similar approach to assess species of concern.
Effect of Sulfites on Antioxidant Activity, Total Polyphenols, and Flavonoid Measurements in White Wine
Authors: Nardini Mirella , Garaguso Ivana
Published: March 2018

Polyphenols content and antioxidant activity are directly related to the quality of wine. Wine also contains sulfites, which are added during the winemaking process. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of sulfites on the assays commonly used to measure the antioxidant activity and polyphenols and flavonoids content of white wines. The effects of sulfites were explored both in the standard assays and in white wine. The addition of sulfites (at 1–10 μg) in the standard assays resulted in a significant, positive interference in the Folin–Ciocalteu’s assay used for polyphenols measurements and in both the Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power and 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt radical cation decolorization assays, which were used for antioxidant activity evaluation. A negative interference of sulfites (at 1–20 μg) was observed for the colorimetric aluminium-chloride flavonoids assay. The addition of sulfites to organic white wines (at 25–200 mg/L wine) clearly resulted in a significant overestimation of antioxidant activity and polyphenols content, and in an underestimation of flavonoids concentration. To overcome sulfite interferences, white wines were treated with cross-linked polyvinylpyrrolidone. The total polyphenols content and antioxidant activity measurements obtained after polyvinylpyrrolidone treatment were significantly lower than those obtained in the untreated wines. Flavonoids were expected to be higher after polyvinylpyrrolidone treatment, but were instead found to be lower than for untreated wines, suggesting that in addition to sulfites, other non-phenolic reducing compounds were present in white wine and interfered with the flavonoid assay. In view of our results, we advise that a purification procedure should be applied in order to evaluate the quality of white wine.
Dating Pupae of the Blow Fly Calliphora vicina Robineau–Desvoidy 1830 (Diptera: Calliphoridae) for Post Mortem Interval—Estimation: Validation of Molecular Age Markers
Authors: Zajac Barbara , Amendt Jens , Verhoff Marcel , Zehner Richard
Published: March 2018

Determining the age of juvenile blow flies is one of the key tasks of forensic entomology when providing evidence for the minimum post mortem interval. While the age determination of blow fly larvae is well established using morphological parameters, the current study focuses on molecular methods for estimating the age of blow flies during the metamorphosis in the pupal stage, which lasts about half the total juvenile development. It has already been demonstrated in several studies that the intraspecific variance in expression of so far used genes in blow flies is often too high to assign a certain expression level to a distinct age, leading to an inaccurate prediction. To overcome this problem, we previously identified new markers, which show a very sharp age dependent expression course during pupal development of the forensically-important blow fly Calliphora vicina Robineau–Desvoidy 1830 (Diptera: Calliphoridae) by analyzing massive parallel sequencing (MPS) generated transcriptome data. We initially designed and validated two quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assays for each of 15 defined pupal ages representing a daily progress during the total pupal development if grown at 17 °C. We also investigated whether the performance of these assays is affected by the ambient temperature, when rearing pupae of C. vicina at three different constant temperatures—namely 17 °C, 20 °C and 25 °C. A temperature dependency of the performance could not be observed, except for one marker. Hence, for each of the defined development landmarks, we can present gene expression profiles of one to two markers defining the mentioned progress in development.
Reanalysis of Epidemiological Investigation of Cancer Risk among People Residing near Nuclear Power Plants in South Korea
Authors: Kim Jeong-Min , Kim Myoung-Hee , Ju Young-Su , Hwang Seung-sik , Ha Mina , Kim Bong-Kyu , Zoh Kyung , Paek Domyung
Published: March 2018

Background: A 20-year follow-up study on cancer incidence among people living near nuclear power plants in South Korea ended in 2011 with a finding of significantly, but inconsistently, elevated thyroid cancer risk for females. Reanalysis of the original study was carried out to examine the dose–response relationship further, and to investigate any evidence of detection bias. Methods: In addition to replicating the original Cox proportional hazards models, nested case-control analysis was carried out for all subjects and for four different birth cohorts to examine the effects of excluding participants with pre-existing cancer history at enrollment. The potential for detection bias was investigated using the records of medical utilization and voluntary health checks of comparison groups. Results: The overall risk profile of the total sample was similar to that of the original study. However, in the stratified analysis of four birth cohorts, the cancer risk among people living near nuclear power plants became higher in younger birth cohorts. This was especially true for thyroid cancers of females (hazard ratio (HR) 3.38) and males (HR 1.74), female breast cancers (HR 2.24), and radiation-related cancers (HR 1.59 for males, HR 1.77 for females), but not for radiation-insensitive cancers (HR 0.59 for males, HR 0.98 for females). Based on medical records and health check reports, we found no differences between comparison groups that could have led to detection bias. Conclusions: The overall results suggest elevated risk of radiation-related cancers among residents living near nuclear power plants, controlling for the selective survival effect. This is further supported by the lack of evidence of detection bias and by records of environmental exposure from radiation waste discharge.
Relationships among Safety Climate, Safety Behavior, and Safety Outcomes for Ethnic Minority Construction Workers
Authors: Lyu Sainan , Hon Carol K. H. , Chan Albert P. C. , Wong Francis K. W. , Javed Arshad Ali
Published: March 2018

In many countries, it is common practice to attract and employ ethnic minority (EM) or migrant workers in the construction industry. This primarily occurs in order to alleviate the labor shortage caused by an aging workforce with a lack of new entrants. Statistics show that EM construction workers are more likely to have occupational fatal and nonfatal injuries than their local counterparts; however, the mechanism underlying accidents and injuries in this vulnerable population has been rarely examined. This study aims to investigate relationships among safety climate, safety behavior, and safety outcomes for EM construction workers. To this end, a theoretical research model was developed based on a comprehensive review of the current literature. In total, 289 valid questionnaires were collected face-to-face from 223 Nepalese construction workers and 56 Pakistani construction workers working on 15 construction sites in Hong Kong. Structural equation modelling was employed to validate the constructs and test the hypothesized model. Results show that there were significant positive relationships between safety climate and safety behaviors, and significant negative relationships between safety behaviors and safety outcomes for EM construction workers. This research contributes to the literature regarding EM workers by providing empirical evidence of the mechanisms by which safety climate affects safety behaviors and outcomes. It also provides insights in order to help the key stakeholders formulate safety strategies for EM workers in many areas where numerous EM workers are employed, such as in the U.S., the UK, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Middle East.
Short-Term and Long-Term Forecasting for the 3D Point Position Changing by Using Artificial Neural Networks
Authors: Alevizakou Eleni-Georgia , Siolas George , Pantazis George
Published: March 2018

Forecasting is one of the most growing areas in most sciences attracting the attention of many researchers for more extensive study. Therefore, the goal of this study is to develop an integrated forecasting methodology based on an Artificial Neural Network (ANN), which is a modern and attractive intelligent technique. The final result is to provide short-term and long-term forecasts for point position changing, i.e., the displacement or deformation of the surface they belong to. The motivation was the combination of two thoughts, the insertion of the forecasting concept in Geodesy as in the most scientific disciplines (e.g., Economics, Medicine) and the desire to know the future position of any point on a construction or on the earth’s crustal. This methodology was designed to be accurate, stable and general for different kind of geodetic data. The basic procedure consists of the definition of the forecasting problem, the preliminary data analysis (data pre-processing), the definition of the most suitable ANN, its evaluation using the proper criteria and finally the production of forecasts. The methodology gives particular emphasis on the stages of the pre-processing and the evaluation. Additionally, the importance of the prediction intervals (PI) is emphasized. A case study, which includes geodetic data from the year 2003 to the year 2016—namely X, Y, Z coordinates—is implemented. The data were acquired by 1000 permanent Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) stations. During this case study, 2016 ANNs—with different hyper-parameters—are trained and tested for short-term forecasting and 2016 for long-term forecasting, for each of the GNSS stations. In addition, other conventional statistical forecasting methods are used for the same purpose using the same data set. Finally the most appropriate Non-linear Autoregressive Recurrent network (NAR) or Non-linear Autoregressive with eXogenous inputs (NARX) for the forecasting of 3D point position changing is presented and evaluated. It is proved that the use of ANNs, in order to make short-term and long-term forecasts, provides forecasting changes of the order of 2 mm with Mean Absolute Error (MAE) of the order of 0.5 mm.
Geographic Information Retrieval Method for Geography Mark-Up Language Data
Authors: Fang Caili , Zhang Shuliang
Published: March 2018

Geography Mark-up Language (GML) is the geographic information coding specification based on the Extensible Markup Language (XML) technology, which was developed by the Open GIS Consortium (OGC). GML expresses spatial and non-spatial attributes of geographic objects. Retrievals for traditional XML and geographic information have some limitations with respect to GML data, such as mismatching of the retrieval model, a single search form, and low retrieval quality. Based on analysis of the attributes, spatial relations, and structural features of GML data, this paper takes GML data elements as retrieval units and summarizes the GML retrieval mode. Then, the GML retrieval mode is constructed and formalized. On this basis, the GML Geographic Information Retrieval (GML_GIR) model is presented. The method implements the construction of a comprehensive index and the relative ordering of retrieval results by means of Lucene, an open-source full-text retrieval framework, and its components. For different features of GML data, corresponding relevance calculations are proposed. This study designs several different retrieval forms for GML data and simplifies the process of user information acquisitions. It provides reference methods for exploring geographical information retrieval based on semi-structured data represented by GML. Experimental results showed the efficiency and accuracy of the retrieval method.
Differential Inflammatory-Response Kinetics of Human Keratinocytes upon Cytosolic RNA- and DNA-Fragment Induction
Authors: Danis Judit , Janovák Luca , Gubán Barbara , Göblös Anikó , Szabó Kornélia , Kemény Lajos , Bata-Csörgő Zsuzsanna , Széll Márta
Published: March 2018

Keratinocytes are non-professional immune cells contributing actively to innate immune responses partially by reacting to a wide range of molecular patterns by activating pattern recognition receptors. Cytosolic nucleotide fragments as pathogen- or self-derived trigger factors are activating inflammasomes and inducing anti-viral signal transduction pathways as well as inducing expression of inflammatory cytokines. We aimed to compare the induced inflammatory reactions in three keratinocyte cell types—normal human epidermal keratinocytes, the HaCaT cell line and the HPV-KER cell line—upon exposure to the synthetic RNA and DNA analogues poly(I:C) and poly(dA:dT) to reveal the underlying signaling events. Both agents induced the expression of interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor α in all cell types; however, notable kinetic and expression level differences were found. Western blot analysis revealed rapid activation of the nuclear factor κB (NF-κB), mitogen activated protein kinase and signal transducers of activator of transcription (STAT) signal transduction pathways in keratinocytes upon poly(I:C) treatment, while poly(dA:dT) induced slower activation. Inhibition of NF-κB, p38, STAT-1 and STAT-3 signaling resulted in decreased cytokine expression, whereas inhibition of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 1/2 (MEK1/2) signaling showed a negative feedback role in both poly(I:C)- and poly(dA:dT)-induced cytokine expression. Based on our in vitro results nucleotide fragments are able to induce inflammatory reactions in keratinocytes, but with different rate and kinetics of cytokine expression, explained by faster activation of signaling routes by poly(I:C) than poly(dA:dT).
Welcome to the World of Zinc Signaling
Authors: Fukada Toshiyuki , Kambe Taiho
Published: March 2018

Zinc, an essential trace element, plays indispensable roles in multiple cellular processes.[...]
Ethanol Exposure Causes Muscle Degeneration in Zebrafish
Authors: Coffey Elizabeth , Pasquarella Maggie , Goody Michelle , Henry Clarissa
Published: March 2018

Alcoholic myopathies are characterized by neuromusculoskeletal symptoms such as compromised movement and weakness. Although these symptoms have been attributed to neurological damage, EtOH may also target skeletal muscle. EtOH exposure during zebrafish primary muscle development or adulthood results in smaller muscle fibers. However, the effects of EtOH exposure on skeletal muscle during the growth period that follows primary muscle development are not well understood. We determined the effects of EtOH exposure on muscle during this phase of development. Strikingly, muscle fibers at this stage are acutely sensitive to EtOH treatment: EtOH induces muscle degeneration. The severity of EtOH-induced muscle damage varies but muscle becomes more refractory to EtOH as muscle develops. NF-kB induction in muscle indicates that EtOH triggers a pro-inflammatory response. EtOH-induced muscle damage is p53-independent. Uptake of Evans blue dye shows that EtOH treatment causes sarcolemmal instability before muscle fiber detachment. Dystrophin-null sapje mutant zebrafish also exhibit sarcolemmal instability. We tested whether Trichostatin A (TSA), which reduces muscle degeneration in sapje mutants, would affect EtOH-treated zebrafish. We found that TSA and EtOH are a lethal combination. EtOH does, however, exacerbate muscle degeneration in sapje mutants. EtOH also disrupts adhesion of muscle fibers to their extracellular matrix at the myotendinous junction: some detached muscle fibers retain beta-Dystroglycan indicating failure of muscle end attachments. Overexpression of Paxillin, which reduces muscle degeneration in zebrafish deficient for beta-Dystroglycan, is not sufficient to rescue degeneration. Taken together, our results suggest that EtOH exposure has pleiotropic deleterious effects on skeletal muscle.
Random and Systematic Errors Share in Total Error of Probes for CNC Machine Tools
Authors: Wozniak Adam , Jankowski Michal
Published: March 2018

Probes for CNC machine tools, as every measurement device, have accuracy limited by random errors and by systematic errors. Random errors of these probes are described by a parameter called unidirectional repeatability. Manufacturers of probes for CNC machine tools usually specify only this parameter, while parameters describing systematic errors of the probes, such as pre-travel variation or triggering radius variation, are used rarely. Systematic errors of the probes, linked to the differences in pre-travel values for different measurement directions, can be corrected or compensated, but it is not a widely used procedure. In this paper, the share of systematic errors and random errors in total error of exemplary probes are determined. In the case of simple, kinematic probes, systematic errors are much greater than random errors, so compensation would significantly reduce the probing error. Moreover, it shows that in the case of kinematic probes commonly specified unidirectional repeatability is significantly better than 2D performance. However, in the case of more precise strain-gauge probe systematic errors are of the same order as random errors, which means that errors correction or compensation, in this case, would not yield any significant benefits.
Forest Cover Change, Key Drivers and Community Perception in Wujig Mahgo Waren Forest of Northern Ethiopia
Authors: Solomon Negasi , Hishe Hadgu , Annang Ted , Pabi Opoku , Asante Isaac , Birhane Emiru
Published: March 2018

This study assessed forest cover change from 1985 to 2016, analyzed community perception on forest cover change and its drivers, and suggested possible solutions in northern Ethiopia. Landsat images of 1985, 2000 and 2016, household interviews and focus group discussions were used. While dense forests and open forests increased by 8.2% and 32.3% respectively between 1985 and 2000, they decreased by 10.4% and 9.8% respectively from 2000 to 2016. Grasslands and cultivated land decreased in the first period by 37.3% and 5.5% but increased in the second period by 89.5% and 28.5% respectively. Fuel wood collection, cultivated land expansion, population growth; free grazing, logging for income generation and drought were the major drivers of the change reported by local communities. Soil erosion, reduction in honey bee production, flooding and drought were the most perceived impacts of the changes. Most of the farmers have a holistic understanding of forest cover change. Strengthening of forest protection, improving soil and water conservation, enrichment planting, awareness creation, payment for ecosystem services and zero grazing campaigns were mentioned as possible solutions to the current state of deforestation. In addition, concerted efforts of conservation will ensure that the forests’ ecosystems contribute to increased ecosystem services.
Preparation and Dielectric Properties of SiC/LSR Nanocomposites for Insulation of High Voltage Direct Current Cable Accessories
Authors: Shang Nanqiang , Chen Qingguo , Wei Xinzhe
Published: March 2018

The conductivity mismatch in the composite insulation of high voltage direct current (HVDC) cable accessories causes electric field distribution distortion and even insulation breakdown. Therefore, a liquid silicone rubber (LSR) filled with SiC nanoparticles is prepared for the insulation of cable accessories. The micro-morphology of the SiC/LSR nanocomposites is observed by scanning electron microscopy, and their trap parameters are characterized using thermal stimulated current (TSC) tests. Moreover, the dielectric properties of SiC/LSR nanocomposites with different SiC concentrations are tested. The results show that the 3 wt % SiC/LSR sample has the best nonlinear conductivity, more than one order of magnitude higher than that of pure LSR with improved temperature and nonlinear conductivity coefficients. The relative permittivity increased 0.2 and dielectric loss factor increased 0.003, while its breakdown strength decreased 5 kV/mm compared to those of pure LSR. Moreover, the TSC results indicate the introduction of SiC nanoparticles reduced the trap level and trap density. Furthermore, the SiC nanoparticles filling significantly increased the sensitivity of LSR to electric field stress and temperature changes, enhancing the conductivity and electric field distribution within the HVDC cable accessories, thus improving the reliability of the HVDC cable accessories.
Fabrication of Fe–Co Magnetostrictive Fiber Reinforced Plastic Composites and Their Sensor Performance Evaluation
Authors: Katabira Kenichi , Yoshida Yu , Masuda Atsuji , Watanabe Akihito , Narita Fumio
Published: March 2018

The inverse magnetostrictive effect is an effective property for energy harvesting; the material needs to have large magnetostriction and ease of mass production. Fe–Co alloys being magnetostrictive materials have favorable characteristics which are high strength, ductility, and excellent workability, allowing easy fabrication of Fe–Co alloy fibers. In this study, we fabricated magnetostrictive polymer composites, in which Fe–Co fibers were woven into polyester fabric, and discussed their sensor performance. Compression and bending tests were carried out to measure the magnetic flux density change, and the effects of magnetization, bias magnetic field, and the location of the fibers on the performance were discussed. It was shown that magnetic flux density change due to compression and bending is related to the magnetization of the Fe–Co fiber and the bias magnetic field. The magnetic flux density change of Fe–Co fiber reinforced plastics was larger than that of the plastics with Terfenol-D particles.
Surface Roughness of Composite Panels as a Quality Control Tool
Authors: Ulker Onur
Published: March 2018

This paper describes a study of the quantify surface roughness of experimentally manufactured particleboards and sandwiched panels having fibers on the surface layers. Surface quality of specimens before and after being overlaid with thin melamine impregnated papers was determined by employing profilometer equipment. Roughness measurements and Janka hardness were carried out on the specimens conditioned at 60% and 95% relative humidity levels. Based on the findings in this work, surface roughness of the specimens that were exposed two relative humidity exposure showed significant differences from each others. Data determined in this study could be beneficial to understand behavior of such panels exposed different humidity levels.